This is the second recipe, and I found it on Real Simple, but modified a bit :) I used butternut squash instead of sweet potato and a store-bought pizza dough. It was so yummy I didn't even get a chance to take a picture- so it is going pictureless :) But I promise it is a great weeknight, quick recipe. Now, for the calories count- I didn't do it either because it is Brie after all.
Ingredients
1 lb frozen pizza dough, thawed cornmeal for the pizza stone.
2 cups of butternut squash, cubed and peeled
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tbsp olive oil
4 oz Brie, sliced
Directions
Heat oven to 425. Shape the dough into a large oval and place on a cornmeal dusted pizza stone. In a medium bowl, toss the butternut squash, thyme, 3 tbsp of olive oil and pepper. Scatter over the dough and top with the Brie. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve it with salad. and maybe a little wine ;)
Beijos
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Creamy, Light Macaroni & Cheese
Good Sunday! It has been a very busy month, and I have found myself without time for posting recipes. I will be posting two today, that use the same seasonal ingredient: butternut squash. People often think of butternut squash soup, but this legume can be used many different ways, as I found out. Since we all lead busy lives this day, I also found a shortcut: you can buy pre-cut butternut squash at Coscto! Thus the picture on this recipe. I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine
I will also be posting a recipe of a delicious butternut squash and Brie pizza following this one.
Ingredients
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth ( bought mine at Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Start the pasta pan, cooking it according to package directions. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the hot mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper and yogurt. Remove the center lid of the blender to allow steam to escape. Secure lid in place, place a paper towel over the opening, and blend until smooth. Place blended mixture in a medium bowl and add the cheeses, stirring until they are all combined and melted.
Once pasta is cooked, add it to the squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 glass or ceramic dish coated with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Mix it with the parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the hot pasta mixture.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
This amazing dish comes at -drum roll- 390 calories and 10g of fat, with 6g of saturated fat.
Enjoy! Beijos,
Thais
I will also be posting a recipe of a delicious butternut squash and Brie pizza following this one.
Ingredients
3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth ( bought mine at Trader Joe's)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Start the pasta pan, cooking it according to package directions. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the hot mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper and yogurt. Remove the center lid of the blender to allow steam to escape. Secure lid in place, place a paper towel over the opening, and blend until smooth. Place blended mixture in a medium bowl and add the cheeses, stirring until they are all combined and melted.
Once pasta is cooked, add it to the squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9 glass or ceramic dish coated with cooking spray.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Mix it with the parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the hot pasta mixture.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
This amazing dish comes at -drum roll- 390 calories and 10g of fat, with 6g of saturated fat.
Enjoy! Beijos,
Thais
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Cuban braised beef and peppers- a.k.a. Ropa Vieja
Good evening! I found this recipe from a while back, and always meant to try it, but never did until now :) I love ropa vieja, and this is an easy take on it. If you have a crockpot, all you have to do is prep it in the morning, and let it cook for the rest of the day- super easy and practical. It is also a bargain recipe, as you can buy 2lbs of flank steak for $15 at Winco. Happy cooking, Dale mami ;)
Ingredients
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ( or more :)) ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
2 lbs flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
Directions
In a 5-to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on low for 7 to 8 hours. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid ( mine was pretty shredded by that time :)
Serve it with brown rice, avocado and fresh cilantro, or brown rice and banana chips from Trader Joes.
Beijos,
Ingredients
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ( or more :)) ground cumin
kosher salt and black pepper
2 lbs flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
Directions
In a 5-to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on low for 7 to 8 hours. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid ( mine was pretty shredded by that time :)
Serve it with brown rice, avocado and fresh cilantro, or brown rice and banana chips from Trader Joes.
Beijos,
Monday, October 3, 2011
Caribbean Mango Tilapia
Happy Monday! I have a somewhat spicy recipe to warm up these fall nights we have been having in the Pacific NW. I got this from Cooking Light Cookbook, and it is one of my new favorite recipes. The flavors are so unique, and it is not every day that we get to have mangoes from Brazil( !!!!) in our neck of the woods, so we have to take advantage of that.
I bought the mangoes at Winco and the Tilapia at Costco- as always, a terrific buy.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 serrano chiles, peeled ( you can find them at Winco)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups chopped peeled mango
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6oz) of Tilapia fillets
Directions
Combine the first three ingredients in a food processor, process until minced. Add mango and next 5 ingredients, process until smooth. Place mango mixture in a big zip-lock bag, add the Tilapia to the bag and let it marinate in juices for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. I served this recipe with rice and steamed broccoli, so I started cooking the broccoli at that time. Turn your oven on to Broil, so you have plenty of time for the oven to heat up.
Remove fish from bag, saving the marinade for later. Place fish in a broiler pan, cook about 4 minutes each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
In a separate pan, add marinade and heat up over medium heat, cooking for 5 minutes. You will be able to smell the heat- I am not joking ;)
Once fish is cooked, pour marinade over fish and serve with rice and broccoli. I am happy to report that there were no leftovers from this meal :) Each serving comes in at 263 calories, 6g of fat and 19g of carb.
Beijos
Tomorrow's recipe: Braised Cuban Beef
I bought the mangoes at Winco and the Tilapia at Costco- as always, a terrific buy.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
4 serrano chiles, peeled ( you can find them at Winco)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups chopped peeled mango
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 (6oz) of Tilapia fillets
Directions
Combine the first three ingredients in a food processor, process until minced. Add mango and next 5 ingredients, process until smooth. Place mango mixture in a big zip-lock bag, add the Tilapia to the bag and let it marinate in juices for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. I served this recipe with rice and steamed broccoli, so I started cooking the broccoli at that time. Turn your oven on to Broil, so you have plenty of time for the oven to heat up.
Remove fish from bag, saving the marinade for later. Place fish in a broiler pan, cook about 4 minutes each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
In a separate pan, add marinade and heat up over medium heat, cooking for 5 minutes. You will be able to smell the heat- I am not joking ;)
Once fish is cooked, pour marinade over fish and serve with rice and broccoli. I am happy to report that there were no leftovers from this meal :) Each serving comes in at 263 calories, 6g of fat and 19g of carb.
Beijos
Tomorrow's recipe: Braised Cuban Beef
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Mother's Bistro Meatloaf- or pretty close :)
Happy Sunday! Life has been busy yet again, and I am behind three recipes. Not to worry, I will post them this week, one per day, so you can enjoy them one at a time.
The first one is Mother's Bistro Meatloaf. Mother's is an amazing restaurant in Portland, OR, and they make homemade comfort food, elevating it to a gourmet level. Lisa Schroeder's cookbook Mother's Best has been one of the best buys I have made in years- her mac & cheese recipes are to die for.
I made meatloaf- which is not a dish I grew up with- and just loved the taste of it. Unfortunately, it does not photograph as well, but then again, this is not the point of this blog. I also used a few tweaks and substitutes to the original recipe. I used ground turkey, as opposed to ground beef for a healthier option. My friend Kelly was over for dinner and loved it. We had leftovers for the week, which we ate with bread. If you have a chance to visit Portland, Mother's is a great place to have a memorable meal, sometimes even better than what your mom used to make :)
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium green bell pepper
2 large eggs
2 lbs of lean ground turkey ( available at Costco)
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 strips of bacon
Store-bought turkey gravy
Directions
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. When hot, add butter and green peppers. Cook until the peppers start to brown, about 5 minutes. If needed, lower the heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Set aside and let it cool.
Heat oven to 350F. Grease two standard-size loaf pans. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, add the peppers, ground turkey, thyme, oats, 1/4 cup of ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Press the mixture into the two loaf pans, distributing equally. Pound the pans a couple of times to get rid of air pockets. Place bacon strips on top of the pans, about 3 strips per pan. Bake for one hour.
After one hour, remove and place two loafs on a broiling pan, down side up, and bake for another 20 minutes. This part makes sure that the meat is cooked thoroughly, and the bottom part of the meat was in the pan and usually retains most of the juices released in the process.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve with gravy and salad.
The first one is Mother's Bistro Meatloaf. Mother's is an amazing restaurant in Portland, OR, and they make homemade comfort food, elevating it to a gourmet level. Lisa Schroeder's cookbook Mother's Best has been one of the best buys I have made in years- her mac & cheese recipes are to die for.
I made meatloaf- which is not a dish I grew up with- and just loved the taste of it. Unfortunately, it does not photograph as well, but then again, this is not the point of this blog. I also used a few tweaks and substitutes to the original recipe. I used ground turkey, as opposed to ground beef for a healthier option. My friend Kelly was over for dinner and loved it. We had leftovers for the week, which we ate with bread. If you have a chance to visit Portland, Mother's is a great place to have a memorable meal, sometimes even better than what your mom used to make :)
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium green bell pepper
2 large eggs
2 lbs of lean ground turkey ( available at Costco)
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 strips of bacon
Store-bought turkey gravy
Directions
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. When hot, add butter and green peppers. Cook until the peppers start to brown, about 5 minutes. If needed, lower the heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Set aside and let it cool.
Heat oven to 350F. Grease two standard-size loaf pans. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, add the peppers, ground turkey, thyme, oats, 1/4 cup of ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Press the mixture into the two loaf pans, distributing equally. Pound the pans a couple of times to get rid of air pockets. Place bacon strips on top of the pans, about 3 strips per pan. Bake for one hour.
After one hour, remove and place two loafs on a broiling pan, down side up, and bake for another 20 minutes. This part makes sure that the meat is cooked thoroughly, and the bottom part of the meat was in the pan and usually retains most of the juices released in the process.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve with gravy and salad.
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