Citrusy Mashed Squash w/ Toasted Pecans

I have subscriptions to 2 magazines, Parents Magazine and Better Homes and Garden. To be completely honest.. most of the time I just thumb through them real fast and then my son ends up destroying them. I was extremely glad though that I didn't let the Little One get ahold of the latest issue because this dish was AMAZING! Source- October's BH&G Magazine. This is now on the list of things to make for Thanksgiving Dinner this year.

Ingredients:
- 3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 2 tbls butter
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Zest of one lemon
- Zest of one Orange
- Dash of Salt and Pepper
- 2 tbls snipped fresh sage
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:
In a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven cook squash in lightly salted boiling water, covered, for 16 to 17 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat, whisking frequently until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. 

In a bowl add cooked squash butter, sour cream, maple syrup, orange and lemon peels, salt and pepper. With a hand mixer, mix until smooth. Stir in fresh sage.

Top with pecans, green onions and/or sage leaves.

Parmesan Zucchini Fries

I love French Fries. But lets be honest, what we really love is the salt and the dipping sauces. A plain fried potato isn't all that exciting, or healthy. So when I needed something to eat with my Chicken Parmesan Sliders I decided to use the Zucchini we got from our Neighbor's garden. Found this recipe from Oprah

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs Zucchini, Trimmed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and a second one in the center. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Cut zucchini into thick French-fry-size sticks (I did mine like steak fries because that's what the hubby likes), about 3 inches long. 

Arrange 3 shallow, wide bowls or pie plates in a row. In the first bowl, stir together flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In the second bowl, whisk together eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In the third bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Working in batches, first dip zucchini in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg mixture and toss until coated. Let excess egg run off, then coat zucchini in panko mixture. 

Arrange zucchini, without crowding, in a single layer on the prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes and then rotate the pans. Continue to bake until panko coating is golden and crisp, 7 to 12 minutes more. 

Serves 4-5 people

Herbed Roasted Potato Pack

Me and my husband love to go to our local Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. We love the fresh berries, the salt and pepper corn on the cob and so many more things. One thing we found that i love is a huge sack of Red Potatoes! So you can only imagine that i have to find some fun things to do with all these potatoes since its just me and my husband! I found this recipe at "Never Enough Thyme" and tweaked it to my liking!


Ingredients:
- 2 Cups cubed potatoes (i used my red potatoes)
- 1 tbls fresh herbs (i used rosemary and thyme)
- 2 tbls olive oil
- 1 tbls garlic 
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbls grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put all ingredients in a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Mix together until everything is evenly distributed and potatoes are coated
Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and toss or stir. Return to oven and bake for 15 more minutes or until potatoes are desired crispiness. 

Stuffed Zucchini

These were yummy. But they are definitely not enough for a whole meal, as a side dish they are great though! or maybe just a lunch. Found them here

Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini, about 12 inches long (or 2 6-inch)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1-2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp. minced rosemary
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper 

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Scoop out insides, leaving a shell about ¼-inch thick.  Reserve about half of the insides.


In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Sauté the onion and garlic until tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and reserved zucchini insides to the skillet and sauté another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the cooked onion and mushroom mixture.  Add the  tomatoes, basil and rosemary.  Cook for 1 more minute.  Drain of any excess fat, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Once the turkey mixture has cooled a bit, mix in the Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper.  Fill the zucchini shells with the mixture and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.  Fill a baking dish with ¼-inch of water.  Place the filled zucchini shells in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove the zucchini from the pan and serve immediately.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

My sister in law made this salad over the weekend during our family reunion in California! I loved it so much i had to make it again as soon as i got home. Its from All Recipes but of course i tweaked it a little :)

Ingredients:
- 1 package Dole Spinach
- 1 Pint Strawberries, Sliced
- Crushed Walnuts
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/8 cup Distilled White Vinegar
- 1/8 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbls minced onions

In a bowl, wisk together the Olive Oil, Vinegar, Sugar, Worcestershire sauce and Onions. Let sit in the fridge for 1 hour. In a salad bowl mix together the spinach, strawberries and walnuts. Mix Dressing with salad 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Garlic Green Beans

Ever since we went to Portland last year and i have fresh green beans from the families garden i have been craving them. So i finally bought us some and made a garlic onion concoction to go on top. Turned out WAY good!

Ingredients: 
- 1 lb fresh green beans
- 2 tbls butter
- 1/5 medium onion- diced
- 2 cloves garlic- diced
- salt and pepper

Fill pot with water and salt and boil. Add Green Beans and boil for about 20 minutes, or until your desired tenderness. When beans have about 5 minutes left, melt butter in skillet and add chopped garlic, onion and sautee. When beans are done, add to skillet and stir together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!