Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Since I am soy-free, dairy-free these days, I am always on the lookout for new dinner recipes that are tasty, healthy, and don't make me feel deprived.  Enter this recipe, yet another from Brooke.  I'm in love.

1 fresh butternut squash

1 T Earth Balance

1 cup almond milk

1 tbsp flour

5 T nutritional yeast

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt  

ground black pepper

8oz whole wheat elbows

green mix-ins (spinach, kale, collards, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut butternut squash in half and peel.  Scoop out seeds with spoon.  Place cut side down in a 9x13 pan.  Add about 1/4-1/2 inch of water.   Bake for 45-60 min.  Once done, puree in food processor.*  

Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce in a pot on the stove top. Add Earth Balance over low-medium heat.   In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour until clumps are gone. Add into pot and whisk. Stir in nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, and salt & pepper and whisk over low heat until thickened, about 5-7 minutes.

Cook your pasta according to package directions.

In a blender, blend the sauce with 1 cup of roasted squash. {I added a little more than 1 cup, and it made it extra-saucy & creamy. Yum.}

Add cooked, drained, and rinsed macaroni into pot, along with cheese sauce & mix-ins. Heat through and serve.

*A 3.5 pound squash makes about 5 cups cooked squash – I froze my leftovers in silicone ice cube trays and will either thaw to use as baby food or throw them in green smoothies.*

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

This recipe is from a family friend...who is the healthiest eater that I know. Sounds like a crazy combination, but they're awesome together and amazingly healthy... which makes them even better to me. I added some cheese on top before I baked them. And then topped with some guacamole.

3 cup peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 ½ cup diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoon ground coriander

4 ½ cup cooked black beans (3 - 15oz cans)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 tortillas
Fresh Salsa
{I topped with 1/4 c. pepper jack cheese before I baked them}
Guacamole/Avocado {I did this instead of the salsa}

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover & bring to boil, simmer till tender, roughly 10 minutes. Drain, set aside.

While these cook, warm the oil in a skillet and add onions, garlic, and chile. Cover, cook on med-low, stirring a bit, for about 5-8 minutes. Add cumin, coriander and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.

In food processor add black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes; puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and mix in cooked onions and spices.

Put your burritos together, and then put them seam side down in a lightly oiled baking dish or tray, and cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes. Serve with Salsa.

{Pictured with Rachael Ray's Tex-Mex Fried Rice... yummy!}

Bran Muffins

Mix together and set aside:
2 cups boiling water
4 cups bran cereal (can be All Bran, Bran buds, Bran Flakes, Raisin Bran)
1 pound dates pitted and chopped (optional, but add a great flavor)

Sift together in separate bowl:
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. baking soda

Add into dry ingredients bowl:
1 cup salad oil
1 quart buttermilk

MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER NOW, and then add 2 more cups of bran flakes.

Bake 400* F for 15-20 minutes. Yields 72 muffins. The great thing about this recipe is that the batter can be stored in the fridge for up to 6 weeks, so not all the muffins have to be made at once. You can make them at your leisure - or craving.

Minestrone Soup

1 lb sausage browned and drained
1 quart of water
2 chopped onions
2 large carrots sliced
2 large celery stocks chopped
1 28 ounce can tomatoes pureed
2 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce
2 cups of beef bouillon (2 cups of water to 4 beef bouillon cubes)
1 TBSP parsley flakes
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp oregano
Garlic salt to taste
1 can garbanzo beans
½ head of cabbage

Optional: 1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles. I personally don't like adding the noodles because they get soggy - and I'm not a fan of the added noodles because the taste is fine without them.

Simmer 3 hours

Guilt-free (virgin) Pina Colada

My friend, Erin, made these last week for our mini pool party. They were heavenly.

1 oz. water
2 oz. Sugar Free Coconut Torani Syrup
1/4 cup Breyer's Cal Smart Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Tbsp. crushed pineapple in its own juice (She added more to make it juicier)
3/4 cup crushed ice
1 packet Splenda

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds.

These should come in somewhere around 60 calories, if you follow this recipe. Enjoy!!

Oven-Baked "Fried" Chicken

Cooking spray
2/3 cup instant oats
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups frozen green peas, steamed or microwaved until hot

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish, combine oats, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Brush each chicken breast with Dijon mustard. Add chicken to oat mixture with tongs and turn to coat both sides. Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with peas.

By: Robin Miller (Quick Fix Meals w/ Robin Miller on the Food Network)