Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Bacon

Here I go with my pasta again.

I just love pasta.  Can't help it.  And so, you get another pasta recipe.  The thing is, there are just too many good combinations that involve pasta that you just cannot help but try them all.  Plus, the title said bacon which really means "you would be silly not to try".

This dish was a nice surprise from the traditional pasta dish.  Not only was bacon included but the butternut squash, red pepper flakes, garlic and cheese helped deliver an unexpected taste for dinner.  Something to note: if you do not cook bacon very often, it cooks fast and you could potentially burn it while checking Instagram.  Oops.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. peeled butternut squash, cut into large chunks (or pick up the already peeled, already cut butternut squash at Trader Joe's!  It made this part SO easy)

8 oz, thick bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2/3 c. half and half 

6 large, fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

1/2 c. coarsely grated Pecorino cheese

1. Coarsely shred the butternut squash while bringing a large pot of salted water to boil.

2. Cook the bacon on medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until it is crisp.  Drain but leave 2 tbsp. of bacon fat in the skillet.

3. In the skillet, add the garlic and crushed red pepper.  Cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.  Add the butternut squash and 1/4 tsp/ salt.  Cook 10 minutes stirring and mashing frequently.

4. Stir in half and half and sage.  Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat.

5. While the squash is cooking, cook pasta.  Reserve 1/2 c. cooking water.  

6. Drain the pasta and return the pot.

7. Add bacon, squash mixture, Pecorino, reserved cooking water, and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

8. Toss until well coated.

Creamy Farfalle with Cremini and Asparagus

I did it again.

Thursday arrived and though I should have taken the time to put together a post, I decided against it, going with being lazy, cutting out early and enjoying our Spring Break.

It felt good.

This past week was awesome.  

From the pool to the beach, from Los Angeles to Palm Desert, even though we stayed local, I was able to indulge in all the things that make Southern California amazing.

We sometimes take things for granted around here.

We shouldn't.

But we do.

It was nice to enjoy them all throughout the week.

Last night I was so sad to see the break come to an end so I decided to make one last Spring time meal for dinner, just to make the feeling last longer.  I created this Creamy Farfalle with Cremini and Asparagus and served it with a great Chardonnay.  It was light, delicious and tasted like summer.  Recipe notes: I did leave out the walnuts and perhaps added A LOT of salt and pepper to give it a bit more flavor.  

It was the perfect way to end Spring Break and begin the countdown to Summer.

Only 44 days.

Not to be exact or anything.

There is only one more day to enter the Casey's Cupcakes giveaway!  Enter here.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Almonds, Blood Oranges and Greek Olives

This Easter the hubby and I were hosting a portion of my family at our home.  We have consistently taken either Christmas Eve or Christmas but this was our first time entertaining for Easter.  When it came to what to make, my initial thought was of course brunch.  It is something I love to serve and love to eat so it usually makes perfect sense.  There was just something that told us to try something different.  Our final decision?  A Wine Country Lunch.

The menu was inspired by a recent cookbook I picked up, The New Wine Country Cookbook.  I had my eyes set on trying the Israeli Couscous Salad with Almonds, Blood Oranges and Greek Olives and this lunch made for the perfect setting to give it a whirl.  

Paired with ribs, grilled pineapple, grilled vegetables and white wine, this salad was the perfect way to bring it all together and feel as if we really were in Wine Country.  It was so good in fact that I had another bowl and another glass of white wine with it for dinner.  

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
2 cups vegetable broth
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 blood oranges, chopped
3/4 cup Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add the almonds and toast until crisp and golden (5-7 minutes).  Set aside
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  
3. Add the couscous and cook until the couscous begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
6. Scoop into a large bowl and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and mint.
7. Add the toasted almonds, diced oranges, olives, lemon juice and half of the parsley to the bowl of couscous.
8. Toss gently, season to taste, add the parsley and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

This is only one of many amazing recipes in this book and if you are as much of a fan of wine country as I am, I highly suggest you picking it up.  You can order The New Wine Country Cookbook here.

Beyond simply the food, Easter is such a special day for my family and it also re-centers me and my focus in life.  I loved all the family time and always leave wanting more.  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well.

* This recipe was taken from The New Wine Country Cookbook, page 51.

White Chicken Chili

As we all know, California has decided to do away with winter and enter summer 6 months premature. It has felt incredibly strange pulling out the summer wardrobe these past few days, living in shorts and tanks while the rest of the country is bundled up.  This is what I love about California...but I will be honest, I am missing winter a bit.

For as much as I am a California girl, I do love getting just a few months, okay weeks, of cold weather. I love wearing jackets and sweaters, boots and gloves, and all those winter items that rarely make it out of the closet.  I also love the comfort food of cold weather.  The food that is just too hot to eat during the summer.

Tuesday, I finally had enough and decided winter or no winter, I was going to make chili.  I wanted something cozy and warm regardless of whether I was sweating while I ate it.  I previously mentioned Bread and Wine, a book by Shauna Nieguist and how much I loved it but I do not think I have yet mentioned how fabulous her recipes are.  In the book she has a recipe for White Chicken Chili that I have been wanting to try but the weather was just not permitting.  Tuesday I went for it.

It was the perfect combination; easy + comforting + delicious.  Did I mention it only has 4 ingredients? That is my kind of recipe.  It was exactly what I was looking for and even indulged in my sweats, just to feel like it was winter, if only for a moment.

White Chicken Chili
(serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 16-oz container of fresh salsa (from the refrigeration section in your grocery store...not homemade!)
4 cans white beans
4 cups chicken broth

In a dutch oven, cook the chicken over medium heat until it is cooked through.  

Add the salsa, beans (including the bean liquid) and broth.

Bring to a roiling boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better.

As I mentioned before, I truly did love Bread and Wine and if you are looking for a great feel-good book, I highly recommend picking it up.  Also, I have now made 4 of her recipes in the book and they have all been delicious yet incredibly easy to make... perfect for moms.  You can purchase the book here or learn more about Shauna and her other books here.  

* Recipe used from Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist pg. 110
  

Champagne Risotto

After an extremely busy weekend, nothing sounded better than something cozy like Risotto for dinner Sunday night.  There is something about the rice and cheese combination that I just love and when you throw in the word "champagne", it is pretty hard to turn down.  It is also hard to turn down the fact that the hubby offered to cook.  He used this recipe, which was the perfect combination of cheesy rice, perfectly cooked asparagus and, to top it all off, crispy prosciutto sprinkled all over.  It was perfection and exactly what I needed to wind down before the week begins.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Being that it is Fall and the world is filled with all things pumpkin (pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin bread) why not put some pumpkin in your pasta?  I came across this recipe and was intrigued.  I love pumpkin.  I love sausage.  I love pasta.  I had to try it.

 I know I can say a lot of dishes are good but people, this was insane.  I mean, probably one of my favorite pasta dishes ever.  It was so good in fact that even though I made it one hour prior to the hubby getting home, and had every intention of waiting to eat with him, once I took a bite, I inhale the above bowl within minutes.  It was comfort food with a hint of sweet.  YUM.  

I could write a classy post on the details of the pasta, expanding this to try and justify why it is so good but there is no need.  If you love Fall dishes like I do, and happen to love all things pumpkin like I do, this is an absolute MUST.  You have got to try it.

Happy Weekend.

Lentil Sausage Soup

Of all the things I love to make, there has been one item that I have been terrified to attempt.  Soup.  For some reason I have felt too overwhelmed with the thought of making homemade soup.  It sounded like a lot of ingredients, a lot of time, a lot of work and who knows how good it would end up being.  For 35 years I have stayed away.

With Fall slowly arriving and the idea of warm comfort food sounding amazing, I finally told myself that this fear was ridiculous and I had to give it a try.  I really wanted homemade soup!  It can't be that hard can it?  I found this Lentil Sausage Soup recipe and it seemed easy enough.  From the minimal list of ingredients I figured this one would be hard to screw up so I gave it a shot.

Success!

I am not sure why I was so concerned with how hard soup would be because it was SO MUCH easier than I expected.  Silly me.  And how easy to make a soup while the kids are in school so that dinner is taken care of later on in the day when it is crazy.  

What I loved about this soup is that it was packed with nutrients, protein and was filling enough to serve simply with French bread on the side.  I will definitely be making this again, along with some other soup recipes I have stayed away from forever.  No more soup fear here!  

Kale Salad

Last week when I was in LA, I had lunch at The Fat Cow, a great restaurant located at The Grove.  I was in a salad mood and ordered their "Skinny Cow Chopped Salad".  It is one of the best salads I have ever had and have been thinking about recreating it ever since.

Last night we met up with some friends in Palm Desert to relax, BBQ and let the kids play.  We were in charge of a salad so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to gather all the ingredients and try this salad out.  It was nutrient dense, easy to throw together and a delicious compliment to the food.  I have found a new staple for our menu at home.

Ingredients needed:
Kale
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Chopped Radishes
Pumpkins Seeds
Sunflowers Seeds
Dressing of your choice, but I suggest a vinaigrette to keep it light

Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

After completely over indulging on the Fourth, I was in the mood for some uber veggie filled meals on Friday to make up for it.  I came across these Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches and it sounded pretty delish.  With all the eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, it seems like the perfect way to get some healthy food back into our system and was light enough for a warm summer evening.  The entire sandwich involved some simple grilling and mixing, making it incredibly easy to make.  I finished the meal with a grilled caesar salad and a glass of red wine.  All in all, a fab dinner if I do say so myself!

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Caraway Seeds

We were able to make it to Day 3 of the Sambazon Cleanse!  I will admit, the first day was HARD.  I was craving bread and chocolate all day and even though there was plenty of food and juices to keep me full, I wanted what I love...CARBS!  By Day 2 it was starting to click and I began to notice the benefit of eating clean.  Today is the last day and I have to say, I am glad we did it!

One thing I have loved about this cleanse is the food.  Sambazon did a great job of creating extremely clean and healthy meals that have provided MUCH more flavor that I was expecting.  I have been making everything the day before so that the hubby can bring it all to work and we really have had a great menu of items.  This recipe for the Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Caraway Seeds has been one of my favorite (it was lunch yesterday).  I love beet salad and the flavors, colors and light dressing just feels like summer.

What you need:
2 large beets, scrubbed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 oranges, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. beet greens
1 c. baby spinach
4 tsp balsamic vinegar 
2 tsp caraway seeds
4 tbsp hemp hearts
salt (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the beets in a roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil
3. Roast for 45 minutes
4. Cool to room temperature and then cut into bite size pieces
5. Place beets in a salad bowl and add the oranges, greens and spinach
6. In another bowl, combine the remaining oil with the vinegar, seeds and salt
7. Pour over the salad and toss.  Garnish with hemp hearts

Other items that we have eaten from the cleanse that were pretty good?  This Red Potato and Green Bean Salad that tastes way better than it looks.

And this Open-Faced Veggie Burger with Avocado and Organic Side Salad which we actually packed up to bring to an Angels game.  It was delicious and as you can see, piled with so many yummy things, but I still missed having a beer and hot dog!

Have a great weekend!

* recipe courtesy of Sambazon

Sauteed Kale

If you are anything like me, then you spent yesterday over-indulging in high-fat, high-yumminess and are potentially running off to the gym as fast as you can.  If you didn't, then I think you are lying.  It is just what happens on Super Bowl Sunday.  Well, in all honesty, I have actually not indulged yet because I am writing this PRIOR to the Super Bowl, guaranteeing that I could enjoy myself without having to write this at night.  Now you know my secret.

Because we may all be feeling a bit guilty on over-indulging, I thought I would share my favorite kale recipe thus far.  It is incredibly simple, tastes yummy and makes for the perfect side dish.  We threw it next to some sliders topped with carmelized onions and avocado, along with sweet potato fries, to make the perfect Friday night dinner.

Retired and some chili

Today is the day.  

My last day of work.  

It is sort of crazy.  

After 7 years with my company, working part time for 5 of them, I have finally walked away.
It was a hard decision as I have always loved my job but it was time for the family.
I am excited to be able to spend more time at the kid's school and with organizations my hubby and I believe in but am a bit nervous for the change.
Plus, I should be able to keep my head on straight now.

And now switching topics completely, the other night I made Cheeseburger Chili by Rachel Ray, which really, was just a fancier name (if cheeseburger is fancy) for Chili Cheese Fries.
They were the perfect cold weather meal.
Hearty, unhealthy and DELISH.
 I would have taken pictures of the process but honestly, ground meat simmering in a pot is not a pretty picture so here is the final product.

A few things to note:
1. I used frozen fries because I was not that motivated to make my own.
2. DO NOT USE ALMOND MILK IN THE CHEESE SAUCE.  
Yes, I ran out of regular milk and only had almond and unless you want your chili to have an after taste of sugar cookies, do not attempt this.  It was a bad idea and that is why you see shredded cheese.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Since beginning my triathlon training, I have become a garbage disposal.  It seems like there is never enough food and I will confess, I am not very nice when I am hungry.  In order to keep up with my appetite AND eat healthy options, I have been perusing the internet for some new, easy recipes.  At the top of my list was this Greek Quinoa Salad by With Style and Grace.  It not only looked delish but I loved the fact that there would most likely be leftovers and provide me with a potential snack the next day.  

The only thing I did different was to add a can of garbanzo beans because I wanted to add protein and make this for our dinner.  I made it earlier in the afternoon which was fabulous because it was ready to go and we were able to focus on the important task of pumpkin carving after dinner instead of doing dishes.  If you would like, add a glass of Pinot Grigio.  It made it even better.  Plus, I was right.  There was a TON left over.  Perfect.

  

I could have absolutely taken more photos of this recipe but I was glued to CNN all afternoon with Sandy watch and could not pull myself away long enough.  My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the East Coast.