RECIPE: Spaghetti Squash with Onion, Garlic, and Parmesan Cheese

INGREDIENTS1 spaghetti squash
2–3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion or leeks, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 375 °F.
• Pierce squash a few times with a fork or sharp paring knife (to let steam escape).
• Bake for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife easily pierces skin with little resistance
• Let squash cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut squash in half, lengthwise.
• Using a large spoon, remove and discard the seeds and pulp.
• Use a fork to scrape the squash into long strands, like spaghetti.
• Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onion, and cook for 3–5 minutes until soft.
• Add parsley and salt, and stir in spaghetti squash strands.
• Toss well, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and add more salt to taste.
• Serve warm. (Squash should be al dente—with a slight crunch).

 Serves 4. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 1 hour.

RECIPE: Kale, Butternut Squash and Walnut Pasta

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz. pappardelle (or other pasta)
12 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup walnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
3 cups baby kale

1. Heat oven to 425°. Toss squash with oil, salt and pepper.  Spread out in a single layer on a baking tray and bake 25 minutes until tender.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain, rinse, and set aside.
3.  Heat butter in a 12” skillet over medium heat; cook until milky foam settles at the bottom of the skillet and turns nut brown. 

4.  Toss in pasta, squash, and walnuts; add baby kale and toss until just wilted. 

5.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

RECIPE: Apple-Cran Breakfast Bars (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Option to make vegan)

Base:

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup slivered almonds

4 tablespoons honey or agave if vegan

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup finely diced apple pieces

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup of coconut-almond milk (or plain coconut or plain almond milk)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Base:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper, lightly grease with butter or coconut oil if dairy free

Add all ingredients in to food processor until *completely* combined and wet. This may take several minutes.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth out with off set spatula until evenly spread.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Topping:

Combine ingredients in medium bowl and stir to combine.

Removing pan from oven, spread topping evenly over and lightly press down into base.

Bake an additional 15 minutes

*Serving suggestion: Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup on top.

*Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to one week

RECIPE: Beet-Apple Salad

Ingredients:

2 large RAW beets (or about 1 lb), peeled and roughly chopped

2 large carrots (or about 8 oz), roughly chopped

2 apples, cored and roughly chopped

Zest & juice of 2 lemons (or about 1/4 cup)

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp honey

1. Shred the beets, carrots, and apples. You can use a food processor fitted with a shredding blade or a box grater.  Place the shredded beets, carrots, and apples into a very large bowl.

2. Zest the lemons, and add it to the bowl. Add the juice of the lemons to the bowl as well.

3. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey.

4. Toss the salad well until everything is evenly combined.

*Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.

RECIPE: Gluten Free (and Paleo/Vegan-Friendly!) Apple Skillet Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 8 ounces cashew butter (can sub almond or other nut butters)
• ½ cup honey (alternatively, can sub maple syrup or agave)
• 2 eggs
• ½ Teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Teaspoons vanilla
• Apples:
• 2 pounds baking apples, cut into slices ¼ inch thick
• 2 Tablespoon butter, or coconut oil for dairy free
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• optional add ins: a tablespoon or two of honey if your apples are sour, dash of nutmeg, dash of ginger

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together all the cake ingredients until the batter is smooth, set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 325F.
3. Place a 9" cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet), over medium heat.
4. Sauté the apples with the butter or coconut oil and the cinnamon. Place a lid over the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook until the juices are almost gone, about 5 more minutes.
5. When the apples are just tender, pour the cake batter over the top and place the skillet in the oven.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake batter has just set.
7. Serve the skillet cake right out of the oven.  

*Suggestion:  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the top!!

RECIPE: Veggie and Fruit Muffins

Ingredients

•1/2 cup – flour, whole wheat

•1/2 cup – flour, all-purpose

•3/8 teaspoon – baking soda

•1/4 teaspoon – salt

•1/8 teaspoon – nutmeg

•1/8 teaspoon – cinnamon

•1/4 cup – sugar

•2 tablespoon – butter, unsalted

•1 large – egg

•1/2 teaspoon – vanilla extract

•1/2 medium – zucchini

•3/4 medium – carrot

•1/4 medium – apple

•1/2 medium – bananas

•1/16 cup – apple juice

•1/8 cup – applesauce, unsweetened

•1/8 cup – yogurt, plain / buttermilk

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.In a medium size bowl, mix together flours, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside.

3.Soften butter.

4.In a mixer or another bowl, mix the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

5.In a food processor, combine zucchini, apple, apple juice and applesauce.  Pulse until thoroughly mixed.

6.Shred carrots.  If you don’t want the shreds in your muffin, combine your carrots with the rest of the fruits and veggies in the food processor.

7.Combine the fruit and veggie puree, carrots (unless you already added them with the puree), and yogurt, into the wet ingredient mixture and beat until mixed.

8.Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined and wet.

9.In a muffin tin, place muffin papers or spray with cooking spray.

10.Scoop the mixture into a prepared muffin pan.

11.For mini muffins: Bake in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes for mini-muffins

12.For regular size muffins: Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.

13.Bake until the tops are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean or they bounce back when you touch them with your finger.

These freeze great! Put them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

RECIPE: Succotash with Parsley Drizzle

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 ears corn, or 2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans, thawed

1 medium zucchini (about 1/2 pound) quartered lengthwise and sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Parsley Drizzle:

1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water, as needed to slacken

Directions

If using ears of corn, cut the kernels off and set aside. Discard the cobs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the corn, lima beans, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

Stir the vinegar and basil into the succotash, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. Garnish with Parsley Drizzle.

Parsley Drizzle: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.