Buffalo Chickpea Burgers

Hello? Anybody out there? It's been almost a year since I posted anything here and there wasn't much consistency before that. Well I have to say that a lot can change in a year. We're currently expecting our first child in August. We are thrilled, but food did take the back burner for me over most of this winter. I couldn't even scroll through Pinterest or enjoy meal planning for awhile. However, we've still been trying a variety of new recipes and cooking a lot at home, so I do have things to share. I am hoping to return to documenting some of the recipes we try here in this space since I utilize the blog to share recipes with others, as well as adding favorites to my own weekly menus.

I am back today with a dinner we've made a few times since it posted on Kate's Recipe Box back in April. These chickpea burgers are delicious! Pregnancy has brought on a major aversion to chicken, so I was excited to get a buffalo fix in another way. We didn't miss the meat with these burgers! They aren't grill friendly without a pan, so they might be the perfect lunch or dinner solution on a rainy summer day.

You will need:
*1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
*1 15.5oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
*1/2 cup old fashioned oats
*1/4 cup shallot, minced
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1/4 cup buffalo sauce, plus additional for serving if desired
*1 egg, lightly beaten
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon pepper
*1/4 cup breadcrumbs
*4 hamburger buns, for serving
*crumbled blue cheese and/or dressing, for serving

1. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Add quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff and set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas until they resemble crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. Add oats to the food processor and pulse a few times, add to the bowl with the chickpeas. In this same bowl, combine the quinoa, shallot, garlic, buffalo sauce, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Mix by hand until everything is well incorporated (this will be sticky!) Form mixture into 4 patties.

3. Heat a thin coat of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for about 5 minutes a side. Serve patties on buns, topped with crumbled blue cheese and or dressing. You could also add additional buffalo sauce for taste.

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

The Smitten Kitchen cookbook was on my holiday wishlist. As with most of my gifts this past year, I was lucky enough to get two! I passed one copy on to a coworker to enjoy. I am terrible with cookbooks. I get them and read through them eagerly tagging things I want to make. Then the book gets placed on a shelf upstairs and ignored. My menu planning tends to come from other blogs, Pinterest, monthly cooking magazines, and recipes from here. I am (yet again) making more of an effort to cook from my recipe book collection. This was a recent Meatless Monday meal from the SK Cookbook. If you've read through the blog you know that we love tacos. This is a great twist for a meatless taco night. This recipe made a lot of tacos. We enjoyed them for dinner and some lunches. The filling reheated better than I expected.

You will need:
*3 pound spaghetti squash
*2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
*1 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
*corn tortillas

Suggested toppings:
*15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
*4 oz feta, crumbled
*1/4 cup red onion, diced
*1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
*hot sauce, if desired

1. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds. (I usually poke numerous holes with a fork and microwave the squash for a few minutes to make cutting easier) You can then roast the two halves or microwave them until tender. If roasting, cook face down on an olive oil lined baking pan in an oven set to 400 for about 40 minutes. In the micro, place face down on a shallow plate with some water and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Use a fork to scrape the cooked squash in a bowl.

2. While squash is cooking, mix lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt together in a small bowl.  Add to cooked spaghetti squash and toss thoroughly. Taste squash and adjust seasoning as needed.

3. Blister corn tortillas in a dry pan.

4. Use the squash as your base and add desired toppings. We enjoyed the toppings listed above.

Hummus and Veggie Pizza

This pizza started as a Pinterest discovery. It sounded different and I thought we might like it. Do you ever make a meal and then become obsessed with it? Well that happened here. We've made this pizza a few more times and both Dave and I enjoy it. It also reheats well for lunch the next day. This is perfect for a busy night. I would have never thought of putting hummus onto pizza before seeing this on Just a Taste. I can't wait to experiment with other toppings. Although at the moment this combination seems perfect!

You will need:
*whole wheat pizza dough, room temperature
*roasted garlic hummus (we love Sabra)
*baby spinach, torn
*
red bell pepper, sliced thin
*small white onion, sliced
*cheddar cheese, shredded
(I did not put any measurements because we usually just eyeball it. If you're looking for guidance, you want about 1 cup of spinach and cheese, then about a 1/2 cup of pepper and onion)

1. Preheat the oven to 475.

2. Stretch the dough onto a pizza stone. Spread the hummus over the dough leaving about 1/2 inch for the crust. (I like to lightly spread some olive oil on the crust) Place the torn spinach leaves, red pepper, and onion on top of the hummus. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

Mexican Quinoa

Do you participate in Meatless Monday?  Dave and I started this about a year and a half ago. It began by eliminating meat for one day a week. I would have never guessed how much less meat we would eat over time. We are not vegetarians by any means, but I find we now only cook meat about 2-3 times a week. This  has also helped to lower our weekly grocery bills. If you are looking for a diet change this new year, I suggest giving Meatless Mondays a try.

It seems that quinoa is everywhere lately. The good news about that is how much easier it is to locate and afford quinoa here now compared to when I first started cooking with it. This has the elements of a perfect weeknight dish. It uses one pot, cooks quick, fills you up, and is delicious. We enjoyed this dish warm which I think is perfect for this time of year. It reheated well for lunches the next day. I think it would also make a great cold salad dish in the summer. I found this recipe on Annie's Eats.

You will need:
*2 teaspoons olive oil

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*2-3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
*
1 cup uncooked quinoa (don't forget to rinse well before cooking!)
*
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

*1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

*1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices

*1 cup frozen corn
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*half of lime, juiced
*Desired toppings-some ideas: shredded cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa, avocado

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapenos and saute  for about 1 minute.  Next, stir in the the quinoa, veggie broth, beans, diced tomatoes with juices, corn, and salt.  Allow the mixture to reach a boil.

2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.  Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove pan from the heat; stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve with any toppings you'd like. We enjoyed cheese, Greek yogurt, and some tortilla chips.

Spicy Bean Burritos

I hope that everyone is Sandy's path today is staying safe. I was given my first "Hurricane Day" off from school. The winds are really picking up here, and I am crossing fingers that we keep our power tonight. Best of luck to all of you in this storm.

This is another simple, meatless Monday meal. Mondays are meeting nights for me at school so I usually get a later start on dinner. These burritos don't look like much but we really enjoyed them. I cook with black beans a lot and the addition of pinto beans in this recipe was a nice change of pace. I used the version of this recipe that I found on Annie's Eats.

You will need:
*2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 teaspoon chili powder

*1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce

*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*dash cayenne pepper
*
1/3 cup broth or water
*
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
*
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

*4-6 tablespoons salsa
*
6 flour tortillas, warmed

Optional Toppings: shredded cheese
, diced tomatoes
, shredded romaine lettuce
, chopped scallions, and sour cream or Greek yogurt

1. Make the bean filling: heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt, and cayenne; cook just until fragrant (30-60 seconds).  Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a fork.

2. Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each tortilla as desired.  Roll the tortilla up burrito style and serve immediately.

Athenian Orzo

I am always amazed by the pace that picks up in September. I love the return to school and getting to know my new class. This month we ate many repeat meals in an effort to keep cooking during the busy start to school. I forgot we made this recipe at the start of summer until I was looking through recipes to revisit. This is another simple, tasty, and fairly healthy dinner. I found this recipe on Gourmet: Day to Day. 

You will need:
*1 1/2 teaspoons EVOO
*1 small onion, chopped

*4 cloves garlic, minced
*
1/4 cup dry white wine

*2 large tomatoes, chopped (or canned diced will work if fresh aren't an option)
*
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

*Freshly ground pepper, to taste

*Pinch of crushed red pepper

*1 pound medium shrimp,  peeled and deveined
*
1 cup orzo
*
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.


2. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened (about 3 minutes). Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook, until barely pink, about 3 minutes.


3. Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.
 Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

I cannot remember the last time we ordered a delivery pizza for dinner. Working at an Italian restaurant that makes great pizza, I do eat my fair share of it at work. But when it comes to having pizza at home, we prefer to make it ourselves. I have yet to try making my own pizza dough. That is something I really hope to try soon. Any simple recipe suggestions?

This asparagus pizza recipe was found on Pennies on a Platter. I love anything with Boursin cheese and this pizza is no exception.

You will need:
*pizza dough
*olive oil
*garlic salt
*8 ounces asparagus spears, woody stems removed
*1 cup shredded mozzarella
*3 ounces Boursin garlic herb, or other garlic herb cheese
*ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Shave the asparagus spears into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler, reserving the tips as well and set aside.

2. Stretch the dough and place on pizza stone. Lightly spritz the dough with olive oil, making sure the outer crust is coated. Sprinkle with garlic salt.

3. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer.  Pile the shaved asparagus on top of the mozzarella. Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb spread, then season with pepper.

4. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the mozzarella cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before slicing.

Black Bean Tacos

I love taco night. Dave and I have made tacos together since the early dating days. And trust me, that was longer ago than I care to admit. I thought I'd found the best vegetarian taco out there when I made Roasted Chickpea Tacos for the first time last year. Those are still my favorite go-to taco recipe, and I have enjoyed them numerous times for lunch and dinner. Dave would always eat them without groaning, but he was never as impressed as I was/am. This black bean version was one we both loved. I found this recipe posted on Endless Simmer through Pinterest. These tacos are so simple, yet flavorful. We topped ours with some avocado and Greek yogurt. I highly recommend you try this recipe sometime soon. This would be a perfect weeknight dinner for the start of the school year.

You will need:
*2 cups canned or cooked black beans
*1/2 cup. red onion, minced

*1 teaspoon cumin
*
1 teaspoon paprika
*
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

*4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated

*2 tablespoons olive oil
, plus additional oil for cooking

*pinch of salt and pepper
*8 corn tortillas

*optional toppings: avocado, hot sauce, 
salsa
, sour cream or Greek yogurt


1. Preheat oven to 250 and place a foil-lined baking sheet on the center rack.

2. In a medium bowl, combine black beans with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly stir all ingredients together. No worries if you mash the beans a bit.

3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add one corn tortilla at a time and let sit for a few seconds to heat. Then add about 1/4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Use a spatula to carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press the spatula down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape. Cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the taco to cook the other side. Use a spatula to help you flip the taco toward to fold to keep the filling in place.

4. You can add more tortillas as the tacos cook.  Depending on your skillet, you should be able to cook about 3 at a time. Once a taco is finished, place it on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

5. Enjoy with whichever toppings you'd like.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Prevention RD is a fabulous blog and one of my favorite recipe sources. Nicole always posts the nutritional info and a result for each recipe. As soon as she posted this dish it went on my weekly menu. Believe or not, we had not had a pasta dish in a long time. I'm sure pasta will make more of an appearance when the weather gets colder again. The overabundance of zucchini right now is a perfect reason for you to make this quick dinner soon. If anyone has a lot of produce from their successful garden, feel free to send it my way! Maybe next year I'll attempt growing food. Right now we're still focusing on grass.

You will need:
*10 ounces dry whole wheat pasta- I used rotini
*15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

*5 ounces goat cheese

*12 ounce jar roasted red pepper, drained
*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

*2 small-medium sized zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch half moons
*
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil water in a pot and salt lightly; add pasta and cook according to the box directions (Usually around 9-11 minutes) Drain and set aside.

2. While your pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes, goat cheese, and peppers in a food processor and pulse until smooth. (You could use a blender if you do not own a food processor)

3. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add the zucchini along with some salt and pepper and saute about 3 minutes until the zucchini begins to soften. Add the goat cheese sauce mixture and simmer for about 7 minutes or until heated through.

4. Combine the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately.

Chana Masala

Dave loves Indian food. While I can't take the heat like he can, I do enjoy many of the spices that easily combine into wonderful dinners. We usually go out to eat our Indian fix or we rely on Trader Joe's frozen entrees. There aren't many frozen dinners I enjoy, but I highly recommend the Trader Joe's Indian cuisine collection. They are the perfect option for a busy night. With that said, I am trying to get better about cooking some Indian inspired dishes. I found this recipe on Bakin and Eggs and knew it would be a great combination. I love chickpeas and finding more meatless meal options, and Dave would get his Indian spices. We both really liked the way this turned out. Although my wimpy tongue did need a tall glass of water near by!

 You will need:
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*
1 medium onion, diced
*
1 clove garlic, minced

*2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

*1 tablespoon ground coriander

*2 teaspoons ground cumin

*1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
*
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

*2 teaspoons paprika

*1 teaspoon garam masala

*1 15oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain!)
*
2/3 cup water

*2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 lemon, juiced
*cooked rice and naan for serving, optional

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger, cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

2. Switch the burner to medium-low heat. Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala to the onion mixture. Cook for about 1-2 minutes; then add the tomatoes. Next, add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.


3. Serve over rice and/or naan if desired.

Spanakopita

I always thought of spanakopita as fabulous appetizer triangles. I never thought of making a larger portion for dinner until I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks. This is another one of those recipes that I held on to for far too long before finally making it. It comes together easily and seems like it takes much more effort. If you like spinach and feta, you'll definitely enjoy this dinner!

You will need:
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*1/2 small yellow onion, chopped small
*2 green onions, yellow and white parts, chopped
*10 oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained, or fresh**
      **I always saute and squeeze out excess moisture using a spatula in a colander
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
*2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
*2 tablespoons bread crumbs
*1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for topping
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 cup crumbled feta cheese
*12 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
*4 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and cook another 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, eggs, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Add the onion mixture, stirring until well combined.Gently fold in the feta.

4. Place one sheet of phyllo on a flat work surface such as a large cutting board or right on a clean counter. Brush lightly with butter. Place an additional sheet of phyllo and then top that with butter. Repeat this process until 4 sheets are layered. Slice the phyllo in half lengthwise using a pizza cutter.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup spinach mixture onto the top of one phyllo rectangle. Fold the dough on the diagonal as if folding a flag-folding the dough over the filling then folding over itself. Repeat until a triangle is formed. (I double checked on YouTube as Stephanie suggested in her recipe post, there are definitely videos available for forming spanakopita if you need to see this visually.) Place seal side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until all triangles are formed.

6. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Spinoccoli Pizza

We've been on a very successful pizza kick around here. I didn't realize that I hadn't blogged about this pizza until we decided to make it tonight and I couldn't find the recipe on here. This is another winner from Annie's Eats. I rarely use heavy cream sauces on pizzas, but I rationalized that the vegetables rounded out the calorie content for this one. The combination is amazing and filling. It also reminds me of the cream sauce available on a "Great White" pizza at a local pizza shop. The leftover slices still tasted great when reheated the next day. We tend to not preheat our pizza stone. I know, I know not the best practice, but it always seems to work just fine for us. Because of this I tend to use a bit lower temp when making pizzas and cook them longer. I find this helps the crust get crisp and brown without burning. I currently use store bought wheat pizza dough but one of these days I'll try making own.

For the sauce, you will need:
*1 tablespoon butter

*1 tablespoon flour
* 
3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
*
1 clove garlic, minced
*
Salt and pepper
*6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
**Note- this will make extra sauce. You can use it for crust dipping if you'd like.**

For the pizza, you will need:
*pizza dough
*Olive oil
*1/2 cup baby spinach leaves torn and packed
*1 cup small broccoli florets

*2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

*2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

*grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and whisk constantly until bubbling and lightly golden, about 1 minute. Next, whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat; whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.

2. Prepare the pizza dough onto your pizza stone. I always do this by mixing a bit of cornmeal into the dough to help prevent tearing as I stretch and shape it with my hands. Lightly spray or brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.

3. Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust leaving the crust border uncovered. Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce. Next, evenly distribute the broccoli florets. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and finish with additional grated Parmesan.

4. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Shrimp, Black Bean, and Pineapple Foil Packets

It's spring in New England. Last week I was grilling these foil packets in beautiful, warm weather, and this week I needed to wear my down jacket again as the morning temperatures were below freezing. Mother Nature just wanted to remind us that we weren't anywhere close to summer yet!

This recipe from Cara's Cravings was perfect. I can already predict that this will be repeated for lunches and dinners throughout summer. It comes together easily and is quite flavorful. If you're tempted to try this before your grill is ready, you could also heat the packets in the oven.

You will need:
*8oz raw, medium-sized shrimp (peeled, deveined)
*1 cup canned black beans
*3/4 cup pineapple, diced
*1/3 cup red onion, diced
*2 tablespoons jalapeno, minced
*1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
*2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
*1/4 teaspoon chili powder
*pinch of salt
*freshly ground black pepper
*2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (omitted, but I'd use if I had it on hand)
*1/2 avocado, diced
*rice or other grain for serving

1. Preheat grill at medium. It should reach about 350-400 degrees.

2. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

3. In another larger bowl, combine the black beans, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, and ginger. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, coriander, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin.

4. Spray 2 large pieces of aluminum foil with olive oil. Spoon half of the black bean mixture into the center of each and top with half of the shrimp. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the shrimp. Seal the foil by bringing the edges together and folding down to make the packets. Make sure it is sealed well on all sides.

5. Place the foil packets on the grill and cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove the packets from the grill. Carefully open the foil packets and stir the contents. Top with the diced avocado and serve over rice.

If you'd like to see the nutritional information for this recipe, please visit the original recipe via the link above.

Squash Macaroni and Cheese

This is another successful recipe from Cooking Light magazine. I tagged it in my September issue but kind of forgot about it until I spotted it on Prevention RD. The squash purèed and mixed with the cheeses makes this mac and cheese taste like it is terrible for you. Isn't that what you want in a bowl of mac and cheese?! This would be a great way to sneak a veggie serving to kids or other picky eaters. You can certainly taste the squash though, so I am not sure it would work for someone that despises butternut squash. (I find it hard to believe that such people exist!) I made this awhile back and am adding it to our menu again next week. I highly recommend you make this soon. I'd say it is one of the best new recipes we tried in 2011.

You will need:
*3 cups butternut squash (about 1 pound), cubed and peeled
*1 1/4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
*1 1/2 cups skim milk
*2 garlic cloves
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
*1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
*1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese
*1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
*1 pound uncooked pasta (I used one 13.25 oz. box of whole wheat rotini)
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (omitted)

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium for about 25 minutes until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt, drain well.

4. Carefully, place the hot squash mixture in a blender. (I am lazy with blending recipes and always use my immersion blender!) Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. If you use a blender, remove the top's center to allow heat to escape. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid to help prevent splattering. Blend until smooth.

4. Place blended mixture in a bowl. Stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano-Reggiano until combined. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Sprinkle with parsley if desired, and serve immediately.

Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Pumpkin tends to get all the attention at the start of the fall. Don't get me wrong, I love baking and cooking with pumpkin, but I think butternut squash is my favorite in fall and winter recipes. The flavor of roasted squash compliments so many dishes. These enchiladas are nothing short of amazing. The sauce with this recipe is now my go-to enchilada sauce. Both of the recipes below are from The Daily Garnish.

For the enchiladas, you will need:
*1 large butternut squash
*olive oil
*1 medium yellow onion, diced
*1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
*1/2 tsp nutmeg
*1/2 tsp cumin
*1/4 tsp cinnamon
*salt to taste
*6-8 whole wheat tortillas
*shredded Mexican cheese
*1 batch homemade enchilada sauce (below)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Peel, seed, and cube the butternut squash.

2. Place squash cubes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and salt. Roast for 45 minutes or until soft. Stir once halfway through cooking.
(While the squash is cooking, you can make your sauce. The recipe is posted below)

3. Once the squash is roasted, place the cubes in a large mixing bowl and mash. Set mashed squash aside to cool.

4. Saute the onions in a small frying pan until brown and soft. Add beans and cook until warmed, about 2 minutes. Stir beans and onions to the squash bowl. Season with spices and salt. Stirring to combine.

5. Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Scoop the squash and bean filling evenly onto tortillas and then loosely roll. Place filled tortillas in the baking dish with the seam side down. Pour the reaminder of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. (This is a lot of enchilada sauce. I do not always use it all!) Be sure to use a spatula to get the sauce all around the sides of the pan and tortillas. If desired, top with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Enchilada Sauce
*1/4 cup vegetable oil
*1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
*3 tablespoons chili powder
*12 oz tomato paste
*2 cups vegetable broth
*1 teaspoon onion powder
*1 teaspoon cumin
*1 teaspoon minced garlic
*salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until completely dissolved and smooth. Add chili powder and stir for 1 minute to cook. Add tomato paste, vegetable broth, onion powder, cumin, and garlic, and stir to combine. The sauce should thicken. Add salt to taste, and then stir over medium heat to cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Lentil-Walnut Burger

Sorry for my disappearing act. We've been cooking but relying on many old favorites as the weather was cooling down. I have some backed up photos and recipes to share from the end of summer into fall, so I am hoping to get back to posting a bit more frequently.

These lentil-walnut burgers were a fabulous Meatless Monday meal. I found this recipe in my Everyday Food Great Food Fast cookbook. This cookbook is divided into four sections by season, and we've loved everything we've made from it. I discovered it at HomeGoods one afternoon. Our only complaint about these burgers was that they are a bit dry. As long as you pile on the yogurt-cilantro sauce you'll be good to go. I would not consider skipping the topping.

You will need:

*3/4 cup toasted walnuts, cooled

*1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

*3 garlic cloves, chopped

*2 teaspoons ground cumin

*2 teaspoons ground coriander

*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, depending on heat desired

*Coarse salt and ground pepper

*3/4 cup lentils, cooked, drained, and cooled

*4 tablespoons olive oil

*1 large egg

*3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (you could also use any low-fat plain yogurt)

*Coarse salt and ground pepper

*2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

*1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil to the mixture in the processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped-a few lentils should remain whole.

2. Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add lentil mixture and mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts, roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand to form 3/4-inch-thick patties.

3. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Cook the burgers over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, about 8-10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

4. While the burgers are cooking, make the yogurt-cilantro topping. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Top burgers generously.

Zucchini Pizza

Pizza is a regular in our menu rotation. We often use the same few flavor combinations. During the height of zucchini season, I continued exploring recipes to use up the zucchinis I purchased at a local farm stand. This pizza recipe comes from Eat, Live, Run.I made this back in the glorious days of summer vacation. It was my lunch for a couple of days, and Dave enjoyed it for dinner. The red pepper flakes added a nice kick to this veggie filled slice. I think we'll be trying this again.

You will need:
*2 large zucchinis
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 cup ricotta cheese (I prefer part-skim)
*2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
*sea salt and freshly ground pepper
*red pepper flakes
*prepared pizza dough

1. Preheat the oven to 450 . Prepare your pizza stone by dusting it with cornmeal.

2. Grate the zucchinis; press with paper towels to soak up the liquid. (There was a lot of liquid!)

3. Mix the zucchini with the mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Stir well to combine.

4. Combine the ricotta cheese and garlic in a small bowl. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

5. Stretch pizza dough onto your pizza stone. Spread the ricotta cheese on the dough and top with the shredded zucchini/cheese mixture. Top with another touch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle red pepper flakes to add some heat. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes, or until the crust begins to golden and the cheese starts to bubble.

Zucchini Enchiladas

The picture does not look like much, but these are delicious! They started as a Meatless Monday meal, and now Dave requests these enchiladas frequently. Another reason this dinner is a winner is how quickly it comes together. I love healthy, tasty, and speedy weeknight meals. I'm beginning to consider cooking my way through Skinny Taste because I have discovered so many incredible recipes from Gina's blog. She uses real ingredients to make lighter meals and treats instead of using substitutes with ingredients I can't pronounce. I just went back to her blog to star some recipes to try this fall.

For the enchilada sauce, you will need:
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1 tablespoon chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
*1 cup tomato sauce
*1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
*1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 cup vegetable broth
*kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the enchiladas, you will need:
*cooking spray (I use my Misto)
*1 teaspoon olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*2 medium scallions, chopped
*1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
*2 medium-sized zucchinis, grated
*kosher salt
*fresh ground pepper
*1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
*4 tortillas
*Additional chopped scallions and cilantro, for topping if desired

1. Begin making the enchilada sauce. Sautee garlic and a spray of oil in a medium saucepan. Add chipotle chile, chili powder, cumin, broth, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
(You could grate your zucchinis while waiting for the sauce to boil)

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.

3. In a medium nonstick skillet, saute garlic and scallions in olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Then, add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste, and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and mix in 1/2 cup of cheese.

4. Divide the zucchini and cilantro in each tortilla, roll, and place seam side down in baking dish.

5. Top with enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Roasted Chickpea Tacos

We've started a new weekly tradition in our household: Meatless Mondays. So much of the blog world and beyond has been doing this for a long time, and we finally decided to jump on this trend. Because of my unwavering love for cheese, our Mondays are just meatless. I have some vegan recipes I hope to explore with in the future too, but often like this one, I ended up adding in a dairy product.

Taco nights are one of our favorite dinners, so I took a gamble in trying to incorporate a meatless meal into this rotation. Well, we now have a new regular in the rotation! We both loved these tacos, and they come together in a snap making them a perfect weeknight meal. I even thought about them when we were on vacation, and I made them our first night back at home. This recipe is from Peas and Thank You. I highly recommend that you check out Mama Pea's amazing vegan recipes. It might even convince you to try out Meatless Mondays of your own!

You will need:
*2 teaspoons chili powder
*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
*1/4 teaspoon onion powder
*1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
*1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
*1 teaspoon sea salt
*Juice of 1 lime
*2 tablespoons water
*14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
*8 organic taco shells
*Taco toppings (we used baby spinach, greek yogurt, shredded Mexican cheese on ours)

1. In a large bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, salt, lime juice and water. Add chickpeas and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Place chickpeas onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, stir, and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, until chickpeas are slightly crispy.

4. Prepare taco shells according to package directions. Fill with chickpeas. Top with your choice of toppings.