Summer Salad

Using bountiful and colorful summer produce makes this summer salad a real treat. 

The flavors are brought forth through a delicious roasting of veggies, and a splash of balsamic and maple syrup.  It’s a summer salad that is sure to become a tradition. 

Summer Salad – Adapted from Oh She Glows

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 can (14 oz) corn (or 3 cobs, fresh)
• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• Olive oil, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• Splash of lime juice, if desired

Directions

Begin by preparing the veggies – dice the squash, bell peppers, and zucchini into 1-inch cubes.  Then, remove the corn kernels from the cobs, or just use 1 can (14-15oz) of corn (rinsed and drained). 

Arrange all the veggies on a lightly greased tray (I sheet cake sized pan), and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Roast the veggies at 425 for 15-20 minutes. 

Place the roasted veggies in a large bowl along with 1 can (15 oz) black beans (be sure to rinse and drain the beans!). 

Stir to combine. 

Then, combine together: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, maple syrup and Dijon mustard.  Stir well. 

Drizzle over the salad and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately while warm, or chill and serve cold.  You can eat it as a salad or with chips as a salsa. 

Bring on summer!

Butternut Squash and Kale Quesadillas

If you are are looking for a delicious and filling lunch or dinner, try these butternut squash and kale quesadillas.  They pair excellently with our favorite roasted tomato soup.

Butternut Squash and Kale Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1/2 T butter
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 4 C diced butternut squash
• 8 tortillas
• 4 C kale pieces, washed and trimmed
• Paprika, salt and pepper, to taste
• Havarti cheese, or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (4-6 oz)

Directions

Begin by melting the butter in a large skillet.  Then, add in the olive oil and butternut squash, sautéing the butternut squash cubes for 5-7 minutes.  Season generously with paprika, salt and pepper. 

Cook until the butternut squash cubes are tender.  Then, remove and place in a bowl, setting aside for a few minutes.  To the same skillet, add the kale.  Spritz lightly with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.  You may add garlic powder too, if you are interested. 

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the kale from burning.  Kale will not really “wilt” like spinach or other greens will, but it will get crunchy.  After 5 minutes, add back in the butternut squash and sauté 1-2 more minutes.  Turn the heat off and head to the griddle. 

On the griddle, heat the tortillas and layer shredded cheese, butternut squash and kale mixture on top.  Then, place a second tortilla on the top of the filling.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the tortillas are crispy and lightly browned.  

Serve warm. 

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Casserole

Our garden was fruitful this year when it came to butternut squash!  One plant produced three giant butternut squash fruits, so we have been looking for creative ways to enjoy them.

This dish brings together all the flavors of fall, and quickly became a family favorite.  Trust me when I say, don’t skimp on the 1 tsp. cinnamon.  I did when I first saw the recipe, and I took one bite and thought – this is kind of bland!  So, I added the rest of the cinnamon and wow, it took the dish to a whole different level.  So, don’t skimp on the cinnamon.  Lesson learned. 

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Casserole – Adapted from Simply Healthy Family

Ingredients

• 1 C cooked wild rice
• 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 T minced onion)
• 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
• 1 C frozen spinach (or 2 C fresh)
• 1 C apple juice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of thyme (up to 1/2 tsp)
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 C shredded Monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese

Directions

Place the cubed butternut squash into a large glass baking dish.  Pour in 1 C apple juice, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and cook at 400 for about 20 minutes, until cubes are slightly soft.

 

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey and season it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme.  Add in the 1 T minced onion, if you are using that instead of diced.   

When the meat is browned, drain any excess grease.  Add in the onion and spinach, cooking until the spinach is wilted and all the water has evaporated and the onions are translucent. 

Stir in the cooked wild rice and remaining 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Don’t skimp, really.  Add the cubed butternut squash and 1/4 C shredded cheese.  Stir well. 

Transfer the mixture into a large, lightly greased 2-3 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 C cheese over the top and garnish with parsley. 

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. 

Serve warm.  

Crockpot Balsamic Pork Loin with Apples & Onions

One of my longtime friends recently shared this recipe with me in her weekly grocery bag post.  Queen B mentioned how easy and tasty this recipe is, and knowing that her kiddos love this recipe too encouraged me to give it a try. 

It seemed perfect for fall, and I loved the use of balsamic on pork and delicious apples.  I opted to convert the recipe from the oven to the crockpot, which made it even easier.  We’ll definitely be making this one again!

Crockpot Balsamic Pork Loin with Apples & Onions – Adapted from My Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 2.5-3lb pork loin or roast
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 T minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
• pinch of chili powder
• pepper & salt
• 1/4 C chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
• 4 apples (sweet/tart combo preferred)
• 1 T butter

Directions

Pour 1/4 C chicken broth into the bottom of your slow cooker.  Arrange the wedged onion over the top.  Place the pork over the top. 

Combine 3 T brown sugar with 1 T minced onion, 1/4 tsp. garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of chili powder.  Rub this mixture over the sides and top of the roast.  Then, drizzle 1/3 C balsamic vinegar over the roast. 

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

1 hour before dinner, prepare the apples by peeling and slicing them.  We chopped ours into 1-2 inch pieces.  Place into a 9x9 glass baking dish and add 1 T butter.  Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes. 

Just before serving, drizzle another tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar over the pork.  Slice and allow the slices of pork to sit in the juices in the bottom of the crockpot until serving. 

Serve with baked apples, onions and winter squash, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Ingredient Spotlight: Winter Squash

Thanks for joining us for this week’s Ingredient Spotlight!  We are talking all about winter squash this week – butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and my personal favorite, buttercup are just the tip of the squash-berg when it comes to winter squash. 

My blogging friend, Liz from Carpe Season just did a post all about winter squash explaining who’s who and what’s what when it comes to squash.  You can visit that post here. 

Here are our favorite ways to enjoy winter squash:

Crockpot Winter Squash (pictured above)

Make Ahead Butternut Squash Bake

Buttercup Squash Baked Oatmeal with Craisins

Butternut Squash Pasta Skillet

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

Let’s see your recipes --

An InLinkz Link-up

 

Join us next week for Lentils and to start off November, you won’t want to miss Sweet Potatoes! 

Simple Fall Veggie Bake

This bake is easy and cheap, and makes a great side dish during the fall.  Pair it with grilled chicken, oven-baked pork chops or fish and you have a great meal. 

Simple Fall Veggie Bake – Adapted from Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• 3-4 medium potatoes
• 1-2 tomatoes, optional
• Salt & Pepper
• Minced garlic & onion
• Italian cheese

Directions

Using a mandolin slicer, slice the zucchini, summer squash, potatoes and tomatoes.  Stack the veggies together in an 8x8 glass baking dish that has been well greased. 

Season with salt and pepper, minced garlic and onion. 

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Remove and top with cheeses. 

Return to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes uncovered.   Serve warm. 

Zucchini & Ham Tortilla Bake

This was an absolutely delicious way to use our garden’s abundance of zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes. 

I loved the flavor combination and how easy it was to put together in less than 30 minutes! 

You will too. 

Zucchini and Ham Tortilla Bake – Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, quartered
• 1 large summer squash, quartered
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10-15 cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 C diced, pre-cooked ham
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• salt and pepper, to taste
• White whole wheat tortillas (n=6), fajita or taco size recommended
• Shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese

Directions

Prep the veggies.

Begin by sautéing the quartered zucchini, bell pepper and summer squash in a large skillet until liquid begins to release from the zucchini.  Add in the minced onion and garlic at that point.  If you normally use olive oil during sautéing, use a little here as well. 

Add in the diced ham and the tomatoes.  I recommend halving the cherry or grape tomatoes, but you could easily dice up a larger beef-steak or roma tomato.  Heat until the tomatoes and ham are warmed throughout. Remove from the heat. 

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Place about 1/2 C of the mixture in the center of each tortilla. 

Top with cheese.  Roll up the tortilla and place it seam-side down into the bottom of a lightly greased 9x9 inch baking dish. 

Continue filling the other tortillas, leaving about 1/4 C of the zucchini mixture behind.  When all tortillas are filled and in the pan, arrange the remaining 1/4 C zucchini mixture over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle with a little shredded cheese. 

Place the tortillas in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, until tortillas have crisped. 

Enjoy!

Note: These are best eaten the day that you make them and they are quite filling.  Plan on 1 per person, especially if you have side dishes.  Make up just enough for your family or guests.  Then, reserve the extra mixture in a container in the fridge and use the filling to create the tortillas fresh when you are ready for the leftovers.