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!! 

DIY Strawberry Ice Cream

Today is the first day of spring, and what better way to ring that in and the approaching warmer weather than with super easy and delicious strawberry ice cream? This was incredibly easy, and I loved it! I have made ice cream with frozen bananas before, which is also very good, but sometimes I want something with less of a banana-y flavor.

Enter strawberry ice cream.

It's like an ice cream meets a yogurt, meets a sorbet, meet a sherbet. All delicious. So be sure to give this recipe a try!

DIY Strawberry Ice Cream
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
4 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek, you could probably even use a vanilla greek yogurt if you like it a little sweeter!)
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender), blend until smooth.
2. Divide into 4 servings, or dip out yours and save the rest for later, and ENJOY!

So easy, so refreshing, and best of all, GUILT FREE! Who is going to try this delectable treat? 

Green Machine Pancakes

Pancakes, one of the classic American breakfast options. Unfortunately, I have never been their biggest fan. Mostly because I don't like eating sweet foods for breakfast. But, when I got married, I discovered that my husband loves pancakes.

So I end up making them quite a bit around here for him. I don't usually eat them myself, again, because I don't like sweet foods for breakfast. But when I found a clean recipe of panckes , I had to try them!

I have made several variations of these healthy pancakes for Zach and he definitely approves! The recipe is simple to vary based on your tastes, so I will include the base recipe as well as the green machine version.

Base Recipe - Clean Eating Pancakes (makes about 4-5 pancakes) 
Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled or steel cut oats, uncooked
2 eggs
1 banana

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.
2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure out pancake batter.
3. Cook over medium to medium high heat as regular pancakes

GREEN MACHINE PANCAKES
Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled or steel cut oats, uncooked
3 eggs
1 banana
1 loose scoop of Greenberry Shakeology

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth.
2. Use a 1/4 cup to measure out pancake batter.
3. Cook over medium to medium high heat as regular pancakes

And there you have it! Clean eating pancakes that you don't have to feel guilty about eating. They will fill you up and leave you satisfied and nourished! You can also vary the vase recipe to include any fruits or other things you want to put in, or even top them with!  Have fun with the recipe!

What is your favorite pancake combo? 

Kale and Tomato Salad

Kale was one of those foods that when I started getting healthy and looking to eat better that I really didn't care too much for in the beginning. It tasted bitter and sharp to me, and I wasn't sure what all to do with it.

I ended up using it in smoothies mostly, because you don't taste it as much when it's blended up with some delicious fruit. But the past few months I have been branching out even more and trying new recipes with kale. The conclusion, I love kale now!

This week I experimented and made a sauteed kale salad that I will definitely be doing again! It was a bowl of tasty goodness that is just exploding with nutrients. You could definitely tweak this recipe to fit your own tastes with other spices that you enjoy. This is the base recipe that I used, feel free to experiment!

Kale and Tomato Salad
(two servings)

Ingredients
1 tsp cooking oil
2 cloves of garlic (or more if you love garlic, I know I do!)
3 cups of kale (chopped or torn to medium to smaller sized pieces)
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy!)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sesame seeds
A few splashes of soy sauce *optional*
Season according to your own tastes!

Directions
1. Heat your cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat
2. Finely mince your 2 cloves of garlic and sautee in the skillet for about one minute
3. Add in your kale and tomatoes and stir around with your garlic. Cook until the kale begins to wilt slightly.
4. Season the kale with all of your seasons, correct to your own tastes.
5. Stir all together, cook until the kale is wilted and the tomatoes are heating through.
6. Top with your sesame seeds and enjoy!

Who's ready to try some kale and tomato salad?? Do you have a killer kale recipe? Please share it with me, I would love to try it!

Mashed Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that I had no idea about how delicious it was until this year. Sure I have had cauliflower before, but I never knew what all you could do with this amazing little vegetable! And, bonus, it’s PACKED with nutrients that help your body too!

(That's the mashed cauliflower in the bowl towards the front by the gravy!)

This year as I’m trying to stay on track with my health during the holidays, I decided to nix a carb from the menu. Now, I LOVE stuffing (dressing, or whatever you call it), so I knew that had to stay. Since my hubby wanted some sweet potato casserole as well, I knew mashed potatoes were the ones to go, even though I do enjoy them!

So instead of not having anything like that, I decided to try my hand at mashed cauliflower! And let me tell you, it’s delicious. Of course it tastes a little different than mashed potatoes, but I actually feel cauliflower has more flavor, so bonus! And, you’re getting a serving of veggies in.

How do you make mashed cauliflower, you ask? Well step on into my kitchen and I’ll tell you how! It’s super easy, and could even be a dish you bring to share at your Thanksgiving celebration this week!

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into large chunks

Drizzle of olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you prefer)

1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of chicken broth

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

½ of an onion

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.     In a large bowl, place cauliflower chunks, drizzle lightly with olive oil.

3.     Sprinkle paprika, and garlic powder, toss to coat.

4.     Spread across baking sheet, cook about 25-30 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

5.     Remove cauliflower from pan and place into a food processor with ¼ cup of chicken broth, the onion, and ¾ cup of cheese.

6.     Blend until smooth, check every few minutes and add chicken broth as necessary if you want it a bit smoother. Only do a little bit at a time.

7.     Salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup of cheese and lightly stir.

8.     Serve hot and enjoy!

You can definitely play around with this mashed cauliflower recipe! I’ve seen people add roasted garlic (YUM!), you could treat it like you do regular mashed potatoes and even add in some chopped bacon and chives to go on top! You can be as creative as you want to be with this dish, and know that you’re getting a serving of veggies in as well!

Do you have a favorite cauliflower recipe? Be sure to share it below, I love trying new recipes, and I might even feature it on my blog!

Sweet Potato Casserole

One traditional Thanksgiving dish (so I have been told by my husband) is sweet potato casserole. Now, I did not grow up eating sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, but I had heard of it. Since my husband loves this dish I decided to make my own version and clean it up a bit!

Now, as I did not grow up in the south, I am no expert on Sweet Potato Casserole. But, I did know that it usually came laden with some butter, coated with some crushed corn flakes, topped with marshmallows and mixed with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. And while I know all that tastes delicious, I wanted to create my own topping for those yummy sweet potatoes!

Check out this twist on a traditional Thanksgiving recipe!

Cleaned Up Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

-4 to 5 medium/large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

-1 banana

-3/4 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut (divided)

-2 Tbsp maple syrup

-2 Tbsp brown sugar

-1/4 cup of water

-1/2 cup crushed pecans, plus a handful (about 1/4 cup)

-1/4 cup crushed almonds or walnuts (or you can use more pecans)

-1 apple, cored and cubed into small pieces

-3 tsp cinnamon (divided)

-1/2 tsp allspice

-1/4 tsp cloves

-1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil, add your sweet potatoes. Cook until tender.

-Once sweet potatoes are tender, drain (reserving just a little bit of the cooking liquid, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) and mash with the reserved liquid and banana. 

-Add 1/4 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut to the sweet potatoes, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and a handful of pecans. Mix until all incorporated.

-In a medium skillet sprayed with cooking spray, heat your 2 Tbsp of maple syrup and brown sugar with 1/4 cup of water. When it is all incorporated, add in your apples.

-Add remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. 

-Continue to stir to prevent burning. When the apples begin to turn tender, add your nuts and 1/4 cup of coconut. 

-Cook for about 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken and everything is incorporated. 

- In a greased 9x12 baking dish, layer the mashed sweet potatoes on the bottom and spread across.

- Spread the nut and apple mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.

-Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. 

-Enjoy!! 

Who else loves some good sweet potato casserole? What is your favorite topping to put on sweet potatoes? Share below! 

Black Bean Brownies

Warm, gooey, chocolaty goodness. I am not sure I know a lot of people (even those who don’t like chocolate that much) that don’t enjoy a good brownie every once in a while. The problem? Usually they’re loaded down with refined white flour and white sugar, and can easily wreck your good diet.

The solution? Something that seems a little strange and unconventional but is absolutely delicious and amazing. And it won’t completely derail your diet like regular brownies will.

What is the secret ingredient? Black beans!

No flour to be found here in this recipe! Just eight easy ingredients that are a much better swap for their counterparts heavy refined ingredients. They whip up in no time flat, and bake to perfection!

Give these delicious black bean brownies a try…you won’t be sorry!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup honey

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of Salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Put all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) into a food processor (or blender) and blend until it’s smooth.

3.     Pour batter into a large bowl, mix in ½ cup of chocolate chips.

4.     Grease a 8x8 inch baking pan, and pour batter in.

5.     Top with remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips.

6.     Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7.     Cool and cut, then store in the fridge!

8.     Eat and enjoy the delicious, clean brownies!

You can also add a few drops of peppermint extract around the holidays for a tasty peppermint chocolate experience! I haven’t experimented with nuts or other additional add ins, but give it a try and let me know!

So, who’s going to try this black bean brownie recipe??

Veggie Pad Thai

Ever since I tasted Pad Thai on the streets of Bangkok, I was in love. I paid about 50 cents for a whopping portion of pure amazing noodle-ness. Sprinkled with spice, crunchy peanuts and sometimes little dried shrimp (those weren't my favorite). But this week I decided to bring Thailand here for a little experiment and make my own veggie Pad Thai inspired dish!

The result was super easy, and super delicious! You could throw in whatever you want as well and make your own veggie combo. I just happened to use some of the veggies we love most and it turned out great!

Veggie Pad Thai

Ingredients
-Package of Whole Wheat or Gluten Free noodles (or your noodle of choice, rice noodles are fun, or spaghetti squash if you want a ton of veggie servings!)
- 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 cup of fresh sprouts
- 1/3 cup of chopped green onion
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
- Store made Thai peanut sauce (or you can make your own with a 1/3 cup peanut butter, thin out with soy sauce- start with 2 Tbsp. Thin further with coconut milk- start with 3 Tbsp. Taste test from there. Add in a sprinkling of crushed red pepper and sesame seeds)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (plus a few extras for garnish)

Directions
1. In large pot, bring water to a rolling boil and add your pasta to cook.
2. Heat your cooking oil in a large skillet
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- broccoli, peppers, and green onion, and sprouts.
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. After pasta is done, drain and add into the veggie mixture.
7. Add your homemade or store bought peanut sauce on top, add cilantro and mix together.
8. Divide up, garnish with sesame seeds, a few chopped green onions, and even a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
9. Dig in and ENJOY!

You could even add in cooked chicken that has been chopped up, or cook up some tofu and add that in as well! The possibilities are endless.

So I want to hear from you! Have you ever had Pad Thai?

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?