Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

A few weeks ago I discovered my new favorite squash recipe courtesy of Jenn Laughlin of Peas and Crayons. Jenn's dish is exactly what I needed to add to my recipe collection: a warm, hearty and seasonal side to get me through these long fall and winter months. I needed a new comfort food, besides mac and cheese, and I think I may have just found that comfort in squash. This butternut squash recipe turned out so colorful and tasty, I could not resist photographing and sharing it! I did not do much altering to Jenn's original recipe, but the following explains exactly how I prepared her dish:

1 Large butternut squash

8oz Cranberries

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Pepper, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

1/4 Cup crumbled feta

1 Tbsp. organic wildflower honey

1/4 Tsp. ground cinnamon

fresh parsley, garnish

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a 13"x9" glass baking dish with foil for easier cleanup. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the  dish. Peel and cube the butternut squash and put in baking dish making sure each cube is not touching one another. Coast the squash with another drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper to taste. (I omitted salt from Jenn's recipe. I try not to use much salt in my cooking.) Cook the squash by itself for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and add cranberries all over the squash. Return to over for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until all of the cranberries have burst open and the squash can easily be cut with a fork. Spring cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Top with feta, chopped parsley and serve warm. 

Vegan Tea Cookies

Today I am sharing an old cookie recipe my mom and I used to make together whenever company came to visit. Little did she know this typical thumb-print cookie recipe is vegan-friendly. Really the only difference between this recipe and other tea cookie recipes is my mom's conscious decision to substitute margarine for butter or shortening. 

My favorite toppings for tea cookies are Wegman's Organic Raspberry Jam and Trader Joe's Organic Apricot Preserves, and a sprinkling of almond slices. Really you can use any preserves or nuts. My mom always made her  cookies with strawberry jan and walnuts.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1/2 c confectioner's sugar

• 1 c margarine

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 2 c flour

• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. 

Mix melted margarine, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in salt and flour.

With your hands, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and press your thumb into the center of the dough. Fill thumbprints with preserves and top with nuts. Bake for 15 minutes. Dust with confectioner's sugar once cooled.

Sweet OR Salty Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite things to do every Sunday is visit my local farmer's market in Society Hill. My boyfriend and I like to treat ourself to some delicious baked goods made by a woman we affectionately dub (since we do not know her name) "The Scone Lady." After chowing down on blueberry streusel muffins and cinnamon pear scones, we shopped for some seasonal fruits and vegetables, including one of my favorite fall veggies: yams. 

The only time my family ever cooked sweet potatoes was on Thanksgiving. Having sweet potatoes for dinner was a real treat, but why? Yams are such a common, sweet tasting vegetable that are not only easy to prepare, but also easy to incorporate into a meal. Sweet potatoes make a great appetizer, too. Deciding whether to make sugary fries or salty fries was only real challenge I faced when preparing my sweet potatoes. So I made both! Below is a step-by-step list of instructions explaining how to make sweet potatoe fries. I have included the ingredients list for both sweet fries and salty fries.

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 Large sweet potatoes

FOR SWEET FRIES:

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

FOR SALTY FRIES:

• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ground black pepper corns (to taste)
• salt (to taste) 

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Cut the top and bottom off of the sweet potatoes and then cut them long-ways down the middle. Cut these halves in strips about 1/2 inch thick. (Trust me, 1/2 inch thickness is not too thick since the fries will shrivel up during baking). Place cut fries on to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and flip. IF you are making salty fries, sprinkle garlic powder and pepper before baking. Bake for 25 minutes until crispy. Flip fries with a spatula halfway through baking. For salty fries, top with salt once removed from oven. For sweet fries, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on fries as they come out of the oven.

Organic Dog Treats

Ever wonder what dog treats taste like? Wonder no more! 

I always spend what must feel like forever in dog-time, deciding what food and treats to get my dog in the pet store. Getting the very best quality, yet the most inexpensive food for my dog is very important to me. So important that I have finally made my own treats. Decoding nutritional labels in the store is tricky, but making food from scratch ensures me and my dog ingest healthy and harmless ingredients. The recipe below makes 3-4 dozen treats (more if you use a smaller cookie cutter), that can be frozen and stored for up to 2 months. Now that's bang for your buck!

These treats have no refined sugar or salt, since neither are good for dogs, they are also made with unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk. The honey adds a tiny bit of sweetness, so they won't taste too bad if you want to try them yourself. Also, here is a little secret: I do not own a rolling pin, so my cookie dough was rolled out with a can of Yuengling... not that it really makes a difference in the outcome of your cookies. 

This Christmas I intend on wrapping up these treats in mason jars and giving them out to all of my friends' four-legged creatures. 

WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT TO DO:

• 1 c. unsalted organic almond butter 
• 2 tbsp. organic wildflower honey
• 1 c. organic unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 c. organic whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, mix almond butter, honey, and almond milk with a hand mixer. Add flour and powder and mix together. Dough should not be too sticky. For minimal clean-up, flour a piece of wax paper and scoop and handful of dough. Use more flour for less sticky-ness. Place another sheet of wax paper onto and roll out dough to 1/4in thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Allow ample cooling time before rewarding your pup!

The Marsala Sandwich

This sandwich is named after the woman who first created it-- my amazingly talented makeup artist friend, Amanda. During the last 4 years, Amanda's personal health goals have been an inspiration to me as she is always finding creative ways to eat healthier and stay motivated.  I am really happy to pass along her savory sandwich with everyone.  

What you need and what to do:
Turkey bacon*
Toasted whole wheat bread or sandwich roll
1 Avocado
Chili powder
1 Tablespoon mayonaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 Beefsteak tomato

Cook about 8 slices of turkey bacon in a pan. Spread mayonnaise on toasted bread. Slice avocado and sprinkle slices with chili powder. Add the slices to the bread along with sliced tomatoes and cooked bacon.

*If portion size is a concern, 8 slices of turkey bacon, 1 avocado, and 1 tomato will make a foot-long submarine, or two regular sandwiches on whole-wheat bread. Half of a foot-long submarine is pictured above.

Blueberry Pancakes

My boyfriend and I have jobs that require constant traveling leaving us with little time together and not very many home-cooked meals. On those mornings when we are fortunate to wake up together, the first thing he says to me is, "Can you make me pancakes?" He really misses my pancakes when we are away from home.

What you need and what to do to make my sought after blueberry pancakes:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries (washed)
• coconut oil cooking spray 

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowel. In a separate bowel, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and milk. Combine this mixture with the flour mixture and whisk throughly.  

Heat a large skillet to medium heat and grease with coconut oil cooking spray. Pour batter in 5-6 inch circles and drop blueberries into batter. Flip pancakes once golden and serve with maple syrup, agave syrup, or apple butter.

Sautéed Asparagus with Goat Cheese

Believe it or not, I had never tried asparagus until this year. My first taste was a grilled cheese and asparagus sandwich form Prohibition Taproom in Philadelphia. It was love at first bite, and now asparagus has become one of my favorite vegetables! The following recipe is another easy summer side dish I concocted. 

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• bunch of asparagus
• 2 tablespoons of butter (I use Wegman's Finishing Butter in garlic and cheese, but any butter )
• 2 ounces of goat cheese
• handful of sliced almonds

In a pan, melt butter on low heat. Once melted, add asparagus and sauté until tender. Top with crumbled goat cheese (You can use plain goat cheese, but I love using honey, fig or cranberry goat cheese in this dish) and sliced almonds. Using one bunch of asparagus in this recipe will serve 2-3 people.

Hiatus is Over & Pasta Salad!

My hiatus is over! After a leg injury set back my marathon goal (I fell out of a tree and also trained a little too hard, too fast), I have returned to running, and blogging! I did not make it to the finish line of last year’s Philadelphia Marathon, but this year’s race season is just about to begin. Next up: Philadephia Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon!


Pasta is a staple in my Italian family's diet, and it fuels my runs. Here is a lightened up pasta salad recipe. It's refreshing  post-run meal during the summer months.

WHAT YOU NEED & WHAT TO DO:

• 1 red onion

• 1 green pepper

• 1 yellow pepper

• 1 package of cherry tomatoes

• 1/3 box of mini bowties

• handful of fresh basil leaves

• 1 part balsamic vinegar : 3 parts extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp of Trader Joe’s dijon mustard

• pinch of salt

DRESSING:

Cook pasta on a stove top and allow pasta to cool. While the pasta is cooling, dice onions and peppers in a large bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop basil then add them to the mix. In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar salt and mustard with a fork.  Combine cooled pasta with vegetables. Pour dressing over pasta, toss, and serve.

OPTION: instead of mixing the basil into your salad, chop basil with a food processor and whisk into the salad dressing.