Butternut Squash Lasagna

Y'all. Seriously, this was so good. I tweaked a recipe that I found a bit and made it our own, and absolutely loved it. This recipe is absolutely a keeper and one that we will be having again in the Cason house! Lasagna is such a comfort food, so I love finding ways to clean it up and add some more nutrients in any way that I can. This recipe is dynamite!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
Half of a butternut squash, cubed and COOKED
2 cups ricotta cheese, divided
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tsp salt, divided into two 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 oz uncooked spinach
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cooking oil
10 oz whole wheat lasagna noodles
4 slices of provolone cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Prepare your lasagna noodles! Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook noodles until just tender. Drain and run cool water over them, set aside.

3. Prepare your butternut squash filling! Combine your butternut squash, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a food processor, and process until creamy. Set aside.

4. Prepare the spinach filling. Heat cooking oil a medium skillet over medium high, add minced garlic and cook about one minute. Add spinach to skillet and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and add to bowl. Combine with 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 2 tsp basil. Mix together and set aside.

5. Grease a 9x13 baking dish lightly. Divide your  butternut squash filling into thirds. Put 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with lasagna noodles.

6. Add 1/2 of your spinach mixture on top of the noodles, and follow with another layer of noodles. Add another layer of butternut squash, followed by noodles and then the rest of the spinach filling and noodles.

7. Finish with the last 1/3 of the butternut squash mixture, top with 1 cup of mozzarella. Cut each piece of provolone in half, and layer across the top.

8. Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes.

9. Serve and enjoy!! 

Zoodle Pad Thai

Zucchini and Thailand collide in this delicious dish! I have been absolutely loving my Vegetti lately (it's what makes these "zoodles"- aka zucchini noodles), and decided to make a dish with an Asian flair from one of my favorite Asian countries- Thailand.

I created a veggie pad thai dish not long ago and loved it, and decided that I would substitute the whole wheat noodles for the delicious zucchini noodles to add in an extra servings of vegetables! It's actually even easier to make with the zucchini noodles because they don't have to cook longer.

So, here we go! 

Zoodle Pad Thai (Optional with chicken)
6 servings
Ingredients
-6 medium zucchini
-2 tsp cooking oil
-1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
-1/2 an onion, finely chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 green bell pepper, chopped
-1/3 cup peanut butter
-2 Tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste)
-3 Tbsp coconut milk (more to taste if needed)
-Pinch of crushed red pepper
-1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (plus a few extras for garnish)
-2 chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces (if using chicken)

Directions
1. Use a vegetti or other spiralizer cutter, cut all of your zucchini on the "thick" setting, set aside.
2. Heat your cooking oil in a large skillet, and also bring a medium pot of water to a boil (one that you can fit a steamer basket into)
3. Sautee your onion until translucent, add in garlic and sautee for a minute, until fragrant.
4. Add in all of your other chopped veggies.
5. Sprinkle and mix in your sesame seeds and let the whole mixture cook over medium to medium high heat for 5 minutes, until veggies begin to get tender.
6. Add in your chicken, cook until done, mixing with veggies.
7. Mix together your peanut butter, soy sauce, and coconut milk, to make your peanut sauce. Add in a pinch of red pepper, and pour over chicken and veggie mixture.
8. Cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat.
9. While the veggies and chicken are cooking, steam the zucchini very briefly. I prefer my zucchini noodles with more crunch. The longer you steam them, the smaller they get, so you can vary it according to your taste.
10. Remove and toss with the chicken and veggie mixture.
11. Top with a few red pepper flakes and sesame seeds, and enjoy! 

So, who is ready to try using zucchini noodles??

Michelle's Vegetarian Chili

A few weeks ago, I had a contest in my August challenge group! I challenged my participants to give me their favorite healthy recipe that they love, and that of those that were submitted, I would draw a winner, post about it, and try it!

I had a few great entries, and wish I could have chosen them all, but only one winner could be picked. (However, I must say I will most likely be making all of the recipes, they looked so good!) I am happy to announce that my lovely challenger, Michelle has won! She submitted her recipe for her favorite Vegetarian Chili, which is absolutely perfect for the crisp, fall weather headed our way!

Check out this easy, healthy and delicious recipe for Vegetarian Chili! The original post is from The Picky Eater Blog  . And props to her for coming up with such a fantastic vegetarian chili! This is a great classic to try this fall. This chili is on our menu this week, and I will be posting my thoughts about it over the weekend!

(Image from Google)

Michelle's Favorite Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients
1 15oz can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp (or a bit less) cayenne pepper
A couple splashes of soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp regular paprika
Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, o% Greek Yogurt (or Low Fat/Fat Free Sour Cream), tortilla chips

Directions (per The Picky Eater Blog)

1.  Chop the garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Saute lightly over medium high heat in 1-2 tsp olive oil. Meanwhile, wash the beans until all of the canning liquid is gone. 

2. Once the veggies have sauteed for about 5 minutes, add everything else into the pot (tomatoes, beans, spices, etc.). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or longer as needed.

3.  Once the chili is done cooking, you can top it with anything you like!

And there you have it! I can't wait to try out this hearty vegetarian chili this week, and interested to see how the addition of cocoa powder works out! It is supposed to give it a great smoky flavor. What's your favorite chili recipe variation? Share below! 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is in full motion here in Georgia. The trees are starting to turn slight hues of yellow and branches of red are shooting out. The air is staying cooler, and drizzly, rainy days just make you want to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea. And, the grocery stores and markets are filling up with some delicious food…squash!

Honestly I have never had much experience with squash until the beginning of this year. I wasn’t sure how to prepare it, what you do with it once it was cooked, or what it really tasted like. Well I have since broken that streak and absolutely love squash, and am trying all kinds of varieties now!

My most recent squash experiment…stuffed acorn squash! And boy, was it good! It’s a super simple recipe, so give it a whirl and see what you think for yourself!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

2 medium acorn squashes

½ cup of water

1 lb ground turkey

2 tsp cooking oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp basil

1 tsp sage

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour

¾ cup of milk

1 cup of shredded cheese (we used cheddar)

Garlic powder, black pepper to taste

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2.     Cut your acorn squashes in half, scoop out all of the seeds and place face down in a baking dish. Pour water into the dish, and cook for 40-50 minutes until the squash is tender.

3.     While the squash is cooking, heat your cooking oil over medium high heat. Add your chopped onions and sautee until they become translucent.

4.     Add your minced garlic and sautee for one minute or until fragrant.

5.     Cook your ground turkey until browned and cooking all the way through, adding your pepper, garlic powder, sage, paprika and basil.

6.     When your turkey has finished cooking, lower heat to medium low, and add your flour. Stir until incorporated on the turkey, then add your milk.

7.     Stir mixture until it is all combined and thickened.

8.     Remove your squash and turn upright. Fill each cavity with the turkey mixture, then top with ¼ cup of cheese each.

9.     Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is beginning to brown.

10. Remove and enjoy this yummy fall entrée!

This is a recipe that you can absolutely make your own. You could use ground buffalo instead of turkey, or stuff it with vegetables and quinoa. Try your own favorites in there and give it a go!

What’s your favorite thing to stuff squash with?