Recipes

Breakfast Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 1 pounds breakfast sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon cooking fat (like coconut oil)
• 1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
• ¹⁄₂ yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375*F.  Place acorn squash cut side down on foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until squash is tender.  Remove from oven and cool.  
2. While squash is cooking, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent.  Add sausage and cook, breaking apart with spoon as it cooks.  
3. Once sausage is cooked through, reduce heat to low.  Carefully scoop out flesh of acorn squash and add to skillet.  (If you want to, you can use the squash shells for serving.)  
4. Mix squash and sausage mixture together.  
5. In a small skillet, fry eggs in desired manner then serve squash mixture topped with a fried egg.  

Comments

This recipe is from PaleOMG and it was very tasty!  The squash and sausage were tasty together and the fried egg on top was delicious as well.  This would make a great breakfast dish, but I served it for dinner.

Spicy Baked Brown Rice

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups brown rice
• 2 ³⁄₄ cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon southwest seasoning
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350*F.  
2. Place rice in 8-inch square baking dish.  
3. Bring chicken broth, butter, seasoning, and salt to boil in covered saucepan.   Pour boiling liquid over rice and stir to combine.  Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake 1 hour.  Fluff rice with fork and sprinkle with red pepper flakes before serving.  

Comments

This recipe is from The Slow Roasted Italian.  Sadly, I don’t remember it.

Balsamic Baked Onions and Potatoes

Ingredients

• 14 tablespoons butter (yes, almost 2 sticks)
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves minced
• 1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled and minced
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups balsamic vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ¹⁄₂ pounds red potatoes, cut into quarters
• 2 large red onions, cut into quarters

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425*F.  
2. Place butter, rosemary, garlic, and vinegar in small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and sauce begins to simmer.  Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  
3. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spread potatoes and red onions over sheet then pour sauce over vegetables.  Toss carefully and transfer to oven.  
4. Cook 60 minutes, stirring vegetables halfway through cooking time.  

Comments

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver and it was really fantastic!  I tweaked it a little, but it turned out amazingly well.  The veggies were nice and caramelized and sweet and delicious.

Dijon Herb Roasted Lamb

Ingredients

• Rack of lamb (about 2 pounds)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 heaping tablespoons country style Dijon mustard
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375*F.  
2. Using a sharp knife, score the fat on the rack of lamb to make a diamond pattern.  Be careful not to cut through to the meat.  Season lamb with salt and pepper.  
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Sear lamb on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes total.  
4. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, thyme, marjoram, and tarragon.  Spread mixture over lamb then transfer lamb to shallow baking dish, fat side up.  
5. Cook 20 to 25 minutes or until instant read thermometer reads 135*F for medium rare.  Remove lamb from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing into chops.  

Comments

This recipe is from The Crepes of Wrath and it was delicious!  We’ve had racks of lamb in the freezer for a while, since I just haven’t known what to do with them.  I’m so glad that I finally decided to tackle them because this recipe was absolutely fantastic.  The lamb was so tender and succulent and perfectly medium rare.  I actually made three very small racks because the local lambs are teeny.

Greek Salmon Souvlaki Gyros with Tzatziki

Ingredients

For the tzatziki

• 16 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• juice of ¹⁄₂ lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the salmon

• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound salmon, skin removed and cut into large bite sized pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into large bite sized pieces

For the assembly

• 6-8 pitas, warmed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ¹⁄₂ cup feta, crumbled

Instructions

1. Mix together all tzatziki ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  
2. Heat oven to 350*F.  
3. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic, smoked paprika, dill, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add salmon and toss well, making sure salmon is completely coated.  
4. Spread salmon and red pepper pieces out on baking sheet.  Cook until salmon flakes easily, about 10 to 15 minutes.  
5. Serve salmon and red pepper pieces in pitas with tzatziki, tomatoes, and feta.  

Comments

This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and although I made it a very long time ago I remember that we didn’t enjoy it.  Which is strange, since we love this type of thing usually.  I guess it’s just not super well suited to salmon.  I bet it would have been better with tilapia instead.  Maybe baked whole and cut after it was cooked.

Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• ¹⁄₂ cup milk 
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 large egg
• ¹⁄₂ tablespoon brown sugar 

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350*F.  
2. Combine beef, bread crumbs and milk in large bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and nutmeg, pepper, salt, and onion powder.  
3. Crack egg in small bowl and beat.  Pour egg into meat mixture and mix well with hands until just combined.  
4. Turn meat mixture onto baking sheet and form into loaf.  
5. Combine remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar together in small bowl.  Spread evenly over meatloaf.  
6. Cover meatloaf with aluminum foil and place in oven.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes.  Uncover meatloaf and bake 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and rest, uncovered, 10 minutes before slicing to serve.  

Comments

This recipe is from The Slow Roasted Italian and it was really scrumptious and flavorful.  Art thinks he doesn’t like meatloaf, but every time I make it I prove him wrong.

Easy Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¹⁄₂ tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For serving

• green onions, chopped
• rice

Instructions

1. Whisk egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper together in large bowl.  Toss chicken in egg and cornstarch mixture.  
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Once oil is hot, add chicken and egg mixture.  Cook chicken, stirring infrequently, until it is golden brown and cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes.  
3. Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds together in small bowl. 
4. Pour sauce over top of chicken and toss to coat.  Once chicken is coated and sauce has thickened slightly, remove skillet from heat.  Serve with rice and green onions.  

Comments

This recipe is from Budget Bytes and it’s another one that I don’t remember, sadly.  I’m sure it was tasty since the ingredients look like it should be.

Chicken and Black Bean Green Enchilada Rice Bake

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice
• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
• 1 (15 ounces) can mild green enchilada sauce
• 1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• ¹⁄₂ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15 ounces) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350*F and spray 9 by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  
2. Cook rice according to package directions, or pop in rice cooked with appropriate amount of water.  
3. Place chicken, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, sour cream, salt, pepper, and cumin in large bowl.  Stir well to combine.  Place cooked rice into baking dish and spread to cover entire dish.  Top evenly with beans.  Pour chicken mixture evenly over beans then top with cheese.  
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and rice is hot.  

Comments

This recipe is from Picky Palate.  I don’t remember it at all, but it definitely looks like it should have been tasty.  I’m sure I used a Rick Bayless sauce for the enchilada sauce, since those pouches of sauce are fantastic.

Cheesy Zucchini Rice

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated or shredded
• 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Splash of milk, if needed

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add rice and stir to coat.  Toast rice, stirring often, until it begins to turn golden.  
2. Add chicken broth, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and cover.  Cook, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.  
3. Remove from heat, add butter, zucchini, cheddar, and garlic powder.  Stir until well incorporated.  Cover and let sit 5 minutes.  Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste.  If rice mixture is too thick, add a splash of milk and stir again.  

Comments

This recipe is from Buns in My Oven and I don’t remember anything about it.  But I love rice, zucchini, and cheese, so I’m sure that’s why I picked it to cook!

Sausage and Pea Carbonara

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (I prefer smaller pasta for dishes that need stirring.)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds sweet italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup cream or half and half
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 egg yolks
• ¹⁄₃ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.  Break up sausage pieces apart if necessary.  Add peas and garlic and continue cooking 1 minute.  Add cream, parsley, and red pepper flakes.  Cook 1 minute, stirring.  
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs yolks.  Add parmesan cheese to yolks and stir to combine.  
4. Cook pasta to al dente as directed by packaging.  Before draining pasta, remove and reserve ¹⁄₂ cup cooking liquid.  
5. Add pasta to egg mixture and stir to coat.  Stir in sausage and pea mixture.  Continue stirring and add pasta cooking liquid if necessary to loosen sauce.  Serve with extra parmesan cheese.  

Comments

This recipe is from Drizzle and Dip.  I love carbonara and this was a great spin on the standard.  The sausage added a lot of exciting flavors and we all enjoyed this quite a bit.