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Dinner Gluten Free Optional Recipes Vegan Optional Vegetarian

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta

October 22, 2020

One of my favorite memories from when my kid was born was when my aunt came to visit me. I remember her calling me as she landed and I started to cry because the baby’s umbilical cord fell off and I thought I might pass out. There’s a reason I didn’t go into the medical field.

We barely did anything – lots of talking, baby holding, and Mrs. Maisel. And that’s why it was so great – a visit without the pressure of having a “visitor.” One highlight was a dinner she made me – butternut squash ravioli with kale and pine nuts. The pine nuts were a nice touch that I would not have thought to add.

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Another thing I remember was being so hungry the next morning that I ate it out of the refrigerator. She told me she could warm it up for me, but there was no time, I needed to eat that moment. This recipe was inspired by that dinner – and it’s good both hot and out of the refrigerator. It reminds me of my Cruciferous Pasta because it checks so many boxes – vegetables, carbs, salt, fat, flavor, comfort. It also fits into my new “easy dinner easy clean up” theme. The recipe takes a long time because of the squash roasting, but it’s not complicated and there is not a lot of active cooking.

As the days get shorter, the weather gets a bit chillier, and we all prepare to face a different sort of winter this year, I hope this dish brings you comfort.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pasta
4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 cups butternut squash, large dice
3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, seperated
1/2 teaspoon salt, seperated, plus more for taste
2 cups lacinato kale, destemmed and packed
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
8 ounces pasta
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup of parmigiano reggiano, shredded (optional)
Salt and pepper for taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the butternut squash on your prepared baking sheet and toss it in scant 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to your liking. Place in the oven for 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through roasting.
3. While the squash is roasting, place the kale and sage in a bowl and massage is with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a large pinch of salt. When the butternut squash is done roasting, turn off the oven and remove the baking sheet, scatter the kale among the butternut and place in the hot oven for 3 minutes or until it becomes slightly crispy but not browned.
4. Prepare the pasta according to its directions while the squash is cooking. Drain and place in a large bowl, tossing it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
5. Combine the butternut squash, kale, pine nuts, and parmigiano reggiano and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Question: How are you preparing yourself for the colder months?

Dinner Gluten Free Recipes Vegan Vegetarian

Sweet Potato Chickpea Bowl

September 28, 2020
Roasted sweet potato chickpea bowl

Does anyone else dread thinking about dinner these days?

I love food, love eating, and love cooking, and for the last 4 months – I hate thinking about it. What is it? Are we just tired of our kitchens? Tired of the rotation? I know I’m tired of cleaning after every meal.

Throughout the summer, my sister or I would ask each other at some point during the day, “What do you want to do for dinner? The other would just respond, either verbally or mentally, “UGHHHHHHHHH don’t talk to me about dinner!”

By the end of the summer, she asked me to come up with a weeks worth of easy dinners she could make regularly. I can’t think of anything past cereal these days, but 7 recipes, sure no problem. 5 weeks later I have 1 recipe for her.

This is my easiest recipe to date and will only take a few minutes to prep. Bonus – the clean up is pretty easy too. I think you could easily add some sauteed greens to this to make it a little more hearty, but the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are great on their own.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Bowls
Serves 2 with leftovers

Ingredients:
3 – 4 medium sweet potatoes – I used garnet
2 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, separated
2 teaspoons of curry powder, separated
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried in a tea towel
1/4 cup of tahini
1/4 cup of warm water
1-2 tablespoons of tamari or Braggs liquid aminos
Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roughly chop the sweet potatoes in wedges, place them in a large mixing bowl, and dress them in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season them in about 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of salt and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
3. While the sweet potatoes are baking, place the chickpeas in the mixing bowl and add the remaining olive oil, curry, and salt and mix well. After 25 minutes, remove the potatoes from the oven, and add the chickpeas. Bake for another 15 minutes.
4. While sweet potatoes and chickpeas are baking, make your tahini sauce – I like to use a mug and mix with a fork. Put the tahini and tamari/aminos in the mug and slowly add your warm water, stirring constantly until you get the consistency you like. Feel free to add more/less water and tamari to your liking.
5. Remove your potatoes and chickpeas from the oven and plate them. Drizzle with the tahini sauce and garnish with cilantro. You may be tempted to skip the cilantro, but it really adds a nice touch to the dish.

Question: What’s something you usually enjoy that’s hard for you right now? I’ll add exercise to my list.