what's for dinner tonight {butternut squash mac&cheese}.

so bella hates vegetables.  like, really hates them.  it's super annoying.  she used to eat anything and everything under the sun.  neither nick or i are picky eaters, and we're determined to have our family eat healthy.

come on, bella.  get with the program.

too bad you can't tell that to a two year old.  i told her one day that she's going to need to start eating her vegetables.  she started bawling; i mean sobbing saying "i don't wike beggies!"  this is what we're dealing with, people.  our motto?  she'll eat when she's hungry.  in the meantime, we're finding creative ways to add vegetables into our meals.  i found this recipe one day and couldn't wait to try it.

of course, she wouldn't eat it.  but we keep giving it to her.  someday it will sink in.  hopefully sooner rather than later.

this recipe is one of our fall favs.
(i adapted it and used the photo from this here).

butternut squash mac&cheese

* 1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
* 1 T. olive oil
* 1 box whole wheat penne pasta (or elbows; i just like the penne!)
* 2 1/2 c. milk, divided
* 2 T. butter
* 3 T. flour
* 1/8 t. ground nutmeg
* 1/8 t. rosemary
* 2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (i buy blocks and shred it myself.  did you know bags of shredded cheddar use an additive that is basically wood pulp to keep it from sticking together?  sick)
* 3/4 c. breadcrumbs (i make mine by toasting the heels of my own bread, crumbling it in a skillet with a pat of butter and cooking until crispy... oh so good!)

- on a cookie sheet, drizzle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, turning once.
- while squash is cooling, cook pasta, drain.
- place squash and 1/2 c. milk in blender and puree until smooth.  set aside.
- in a large skillet, melt butter over low heat.  whisk in flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  add milk and whisk over high heat until you bring it to a low boil and it's thick and smooth.  combine with squash mixture and add in nutmeg and rosemary.
- combine with pasta and pour half into a greased 9x13 pan and top with half of the cheese.  pour remaining pasta ontop, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and then breadcrumbs.  bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

it's like fall in a casserole.
enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {cheese ravioli salad}.

i'm a *huge* fan of summer eating. grilling out. fresh fruits and veggies. pitchers of sweet tea. and salads. lots and lots of salads. but i like having a variety of summer salad recipes on hand so i don't get bored with the same ones.

this is a salad my mom used to make when we were growing up. it's so delicious and full of flavor. i love the bright colors, too. very summery. and did i mention super easy? i didn't have a recipe, so i made up my own to recreate the one she used to make. so here you go; hope you like it as much as our family does!

cheese ravioli salad

* 1 lb. cheese ravioli
* 3 plumb tomatoes, cut into chunks
* 1 head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
* 1 clove of garlic, minced
* 2 T. olive oil
* 1 packet good seasons italian dressing, prepared
* 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

- prepare veggies and dressing. heat olive oil in a saute pan, add garlic and cook for a minute. add broccoli pieces and saute until no longer raw, but still crisp and bright green. set aside.

- prepare cheese ravioli according to directions on package. drain.

- combine ravioli, tomatoes and broccoli and toss lightly with dressing. top with parmesan cheese and there you have it. the perfect summer salad.

you can eat this salad warm or cold and it's also equally yummy leftover. it's great as a side with grilled chicken or steak, a dish to bring to a party or potluck, or as a main dish for a lighter dinner. we had ours last night with some baked focaccia bread and it was oh-so-delish.

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {tuscan pasta with tomato basil cream}.

i love easy dishes. especially when they taste like they're not easy. those are my fav. this is a recipe i got a few years ago from a mentor of mine and it is a great go-to recipe for a quick dinner, or for entertaining guests for dinner.

i've made this a lot for when nick&i have company and did just last night in fact. we *love* having people into our home for a meal. it's one of our favorite things. due to the craziness that has been our life since we moved to maine we haven't had the chance to do it... like, ever. but last night we had a sweet family over for dinner and i made this dish. nick was so blessed to get to work this summer with a guy he became friends with and we've been meaning to have he and his family over for months now and finally did last night. we're so excited to start opening our home up to others and getting to build on the relationships that we are forming here in our new home.

ok, back to the pasta. it's super delish. run out and get these ingredients, people. you will not be sorry.

tuscan pasta with tomato basil cream

* 1 (20 oz) package of refrigerated four cheese ravioli
* 1 (16 oz) jar of sundried tomato alfredo sauce (the brand i use is classico)
* 2 T. white wine
* 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes (i like the ones flavored with garlic or italian herbs)
* 1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
* 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
* fresh basil strips for garnish

- cook ravioli according to directions on package.
- over medium-low heat, pour sundried tomato alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. add wine to empty jar and shake well. add wine mixture to the sauce. stir in diced tomatoes and basil and cook for approximately five minutes.
- toss with ravioli. top with parmesan cheese and basil strips.

for some reason i have always served this pasta in my glass trifle dish. it looks pretty and makes it seem like a fancy schmancy meal even though it's super easy :)

seriously. you need to try this dish.

{photo source}

what's for dinner tonight {chicken caprese}.

so i found a new cooking blog that i love, and lately she has posted several variations of chicken roll-ups that just look simply mouth watering. i had this concept stuck in my head and as i was browsing through the aisles of one of my *favorite* grocery places (sprouts; it's like a smaller whole foods with much better sales! i'm obsessed), i thought up my own variation. i am a huge lover of caprese salad; you know, fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, ocassionally red onion and an italian-type dressing? yeah... yum. so, i decided to try this spin on breaded chicken roll-ups.

(note: i made this for dinner one night for just nick&i, so the measurements will equal two chicken roll-ups... just double or triple according to your needs)

chicken caprese

* 2 chicken cutlets (or you can pound out regular chicken breasts until they are thin)

* ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

* fresh basil leaves

* a few small slices of red onion

* 1/4 c. seasoned breadcrumbs (i used panko and just seasoned it myself with garlic powder, parsley and salt&peper)

* 1/8 c. shredded parmesan cheese

* 1 egg, beaten

* 1 T. italian dressing

- preheat oven to 450 degrees. beat egg in with italian dressing in a bowl. in a separate dish, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray, set to the side.

- generously season chicken with salt&pepper. place a slice of fresh mozzarella, topped with a basil leaf, topped with a few small slices of red onion. begin rolling chicken from the top; roll and tuck tightly.

- dip chicken into egg mixture and then in breadcrumb mixture to coat. place seam-side down in baking dish. bake chicken roll-ups at 450 for about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (adjust cooking time if you double or triple this recipe and are cooking more chicken).

i served these with whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce aaaaand a glass of sweet red wine. yum, yum, yum. flavorful and fresh. try it tonight! and let me know if you come up with any of your own variations for fillings for this recipe.

enjoy!

what's for dinner tonight {chicken zucchini alfredo}.

well, it's no secret that i l-o-v-e the food network. when we had cable, it's pretty much all i watched (okay, except for "keeping up with the kardashians"...) but anyway. if there was a way we could order cable and only pay for the food network and espn, nick and i would be fully on board.

(hear our pleas, direct tv?)

i love ellie krieger, a food network chef. she is a nutritionist and always has really healthy, low cal recipes that are right. up. my. alley.

this one is great because, well, i love chicken, zucchini and alfredo sauce, so it's perfect. and a way to make healthy pasta alfredo? yes, please.

i think another recipe i have for fettucine alfredo cooking light style is even better, but i liked the fresh zucchini in this one, so give it a try! and i'll post the other one later.

chicken zucchini alfredo

* salt&pepper

* 3 T. olive oil

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 zucchini, thinly sliced into half moons

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

* 12 oz. whole wheat fettucine (i used linguine)

* 1 T. flour

* 1 c. cold skim or low fat milk

* 1/2 c. nonfat evaporated milk

* 3/4 freshly grated parmesan cheese

* 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped (i used dry parsley and just added alot less)

- bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.

- heat one T. of olive oil over medium heat, add one clove garlic and sautee for 30 seconds. add zucchini, cover and cook until tender. set aside in a bowl.

- in same pan, heat another T. of olive oil. season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until done (approx. 2-3 minutes on both sides). transfer to a plate.

- cook pasta in boiling water, drain, reserving 1/2 c. cooking water. return pasta to cooking pot.

- in a small bowl, whisk milk and flour together. place the remaining one T. of olive oil and one clove of garlic in pan and sautee over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. add flour-milk mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

- add evaporated milk, 1/2 t. salt and cheese and stir until melted.

- cut chicken into strips, add to pasta. mix in zucchini, sauce, parsley and pasta water if needed to loosen.

enjoy! your tummy and your waistline will be happy.

what's for dinner tonight {brown butter gnocchi with spinach and pinenuts}.

my mom emailed me this recipe a couple of years ago from "cooking light" and i have to say it has become nick&i's fav. we have it allllll the time. it is SUPER easy, inexpensive and--hey--it's from cooking light. can't beat that! it's also my favorite go-to dish for when we have company for dinner. it seems like you've put waaaaay more work into than you really did and everyone always wants the recipe! you *have* to try this. it is really really delish.

brown butter gnocchi with spinach and pine nuts

* 1 (16-0z) pkg of vacuum packed gnocchi
* 2 T. butter
* 2 T. pinenuts (i add a little more for extra crunch)
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (10-oz) pkg spinach, torn (i use baby spinach, then you can skip the ole tearing step)
* 1/4 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

- cook gnocchi according to instructions on package, omitting salt and fat.
-heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add pinenuts to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until butter and nuts are lightly browned. stir constantly.
-add garlic to the pan, cook one minute.
-add gnocchi and spinach to the pan, cooking one minute or until the spinach wilts. stir constantly.
-stir in salt, pepper and parmesan cheese.

if you're serving this to company, you may want to double this recipe. i do. don't worry... it will all get eaten!

i serve this with a simple salad of greens and make my own dressing: 1 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 T. olive oil, 1 t. brown sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar. season with salt and pepper. i also pair this meal with a bagette that i've warmed in the oven with a little plate of olive oil&balsamic vinegar sprinkled with garlic salt for dipping.

PERFECT. MEAL.
make it tonight.
the end.