Sweet and Savory Flatbread

1 pkg. Prepared Pizza Dough
Cornmeal
1/2 recipe of Roasted Garlic Hummus
1/2 large Kabocha Squash, roasted
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp. Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 Leeks, sliced
1 Green Apple, julienned
Basil

For the squash:
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut squash in half.  Remove seeds and outer shell.  Cut squash into 3/4" cubes and coat with 1 tbsp. of olive oil.  Place squash in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, turning half way through.  Remove from oven.

For the leeks/apples:
Slice the leeks, using the white and light green parts only. Separate the leeks and place in a colander. Run under cold water to remove any dirt that may be caught inside. Remove the skin and core the apple. Julienne (cut into very thin slivers) the apple.
Over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet. Add leeks and
saute' 8 minutes, or until softened. Add salt about half way through. Add thyme, rosemary, pepper and apples and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

For the flat bread:
Preheat oven to whatever package says (mine was 425).
Dust a baking sheet with cornmeal.
Roll out pizza dough into the shape of a rectangle to 1/2" thickness. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Spread Roasted Garlic Hummus over the pizza dough. Evenly distribute the roasted squash atop the pizza dough. Repeat with the leek/apple mixture. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with freshly torn basil.

Let the flatbread cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

White Girl's Mexican Food

Tonight's dinner is kind of healthy, as is all my cooking, so I apologize in advance for the lack of authenticity in my Mexican food, or the runny beans and orange rice you'd get from El Torito...

The contents of our "Mexican" feast!

Black Bean and Spinach Tacos

Sweet and Spicy Butternut Mash

Roasted Corn on the Cobb

Spiced Butternut Squash and Jalapenos before being roasted.

I am particularly proud of this recipe.  Its the perfect balance of sweet and spicy.  But maybe I'm biased because I absolutely love butternut squash!

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

4 Jalapenos, thinly sliced

1.5 Tbsp. Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Paprika

1/3 c. Vegetable Broth

Pre-heat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine cubed squash with jalapenos, olive oil and spices.  Spread squash mixture onto baking sheet.  Roasts for 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. When squash is tender and slightly browned, transfer to a bowl with 1/3 cup of vegeable broth and puree' with an immersion blender.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

The Finished Result

Black Bean Tacos

1 tsp. Canola Oil

1 Yellow Onion, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Dried Oregano

15 oz. can of Black Beans, drained an rinsed

2 handfuls of Spinach

1/2 c. Vegetable broth

2 roasted Problano Peppers, roughly chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute' over high heat 5-7 minutes (add a dash of salt if pan becomes too dry).  Add garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and saute' another minute. Add in black beans and slightly mash until you have about a 50/50 ratio of whole and mashed beans.  Add in spinach and 1/4 cup of broth.  Saute' stirring occasionally until broth has reduced.  Add in remaining broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until spinach has wilted and all the broth had reduced.  Add roasted peppers and cook until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Place black bean mixture on top of a soft corn tortilla and garnish with desired toppings.

I topped my tacos with some freshly chopped tomato, cilantro, green onion, and a squeeze of lime.  I would've also used some avocado, but mine wasn't ripe yet :/

Lo-Cal Pesto Pasta

I'm personally not a huge fan of pasta because of it's high calorie content and the amount it takes for me to eat in order to feel full. So a lot of the time I'll swap it out for vegetables such as spaghetti squash, zucchini, asparagus, or shiritake noodles. Sometimes I'll still cook pasta (whole wheat) because of it's nutritional benefits, but just cut back and use a combination of the two.

1 Spaghetti squash
2 Cloves garlic, roasted*
2 tsp. Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

1/2 c. Sun dried tomatoes in oil
5 tbsp. Pesto sauce

Begin by pre-heating the oven to 400. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and seed. Puncture the flesh of the squash all over with a fork. Combine the olive oil and roasted garlic to create a paste. Rub down the squash with the paste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash, flesh side down, on a greased or lined baking sheet and roast for 45-50 minutes until tender. Let cool.

When squash is cool enough to handle, remove from skin with a fork and try to separate as much as possible to resemble spaghetti noodles. Toss the squash with pesto sauce and tomato.

*To roast garlic, leave the entire bulb in tact, but peel off the outer layers leaving just one layer (or as close as you cam get to it) to cover. Cut off the top of the entire bulb, leaving the cloves exposed. Rub with oil and cover in foil. Roast in a 375 oven for 25-30 minutes. Simply squeeze the cloves out of their skin when ready to use.

Saute'ed Southern Greens and Butternut Squash Salad

This is the first post in my new blog!  And look how colorful and delicious this side dish/salad is!  Its super easy to make and the spices allow you to alter it for any occasion.  Make it spicy, make is southern, make it for Thanksgiving (you better believe I did).  Oh, and I live by Trader Joe's.  Just grab a bag of their prepared southern greens blend (but you can use any combination of your own such as swiss chard, collard greens, mustard/turnip greens) cubed butternut squash (I cubed my own 'cos I already had it) and dried cranberries.  Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
10 oz mixed southern greens
4 c. butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 c. veg. broth/water
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, thyme, sage, coriander, salt and pepper.  Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender.

After squash is done, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute' 5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and saute' another minute.  Add greens and toss to coat with olive oil.  Saute' another minute.  Add broth or water, reduce heat to low and cover to steam for 4-5 minutes.  Remove lid and add cranberries and roasted butternut squash.  Cook until heated through, about 1-2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish, but remember to taste first!