Monthly Archives: March 2022

Ingredients

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cans refried beans
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning
• 4 oz green chilies, canned, diced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 cup tomatoes, sliced in half or chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix: In a large bowl, add cream cheese, refried beans, taco seasoning, green chiles, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir: Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
4. Prep: Scoop the bean mixture into baking dish. Top the dip with the remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake: Place in the preheated oven and Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and sides are bubbly. Remove from the oven.
6. Serve: Top the bean dip with chopped tomatoes, and green onion.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup canned corn
• ¼ cup canned black beans
• ¼ cup chopped red onion (1/8 of an onion)
• ½ cup chopped roma tomatoes (1 tomato)
• 1 tbsp of pickled jalapeños
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp lime juice (half a lime)
• Pinch of cumin
• ½  tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Directions:

1. Open and drain cans of beans and corn. Measure out and place into a small bowl.
2. Dice tomato, onions and pickled jalapenos. Add to bowl.
3. Chop cilantro. Add to bowl.
4. Measure olive oil and add to bowl.
5. Squeeze half a lime into the bowl.
6. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and cumin.
7. Mix well and eat or refrigerate.

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound (about 4 cups) diced butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 pound uncooked pasta (I used shells)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 8 ounces good-quality sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a separate large sauté pan until melted.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Then add in the butternut squash and vegetable stock and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the stock reaches a simmer.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and mashes easily with a fork.
5. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender.  Add in the milk and give the mixture a quick stir.  Then very carefully (I recommend slightly opening the cap on the blender lid, so that excess steam can escape) pulse the mixture until smooth.
6. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water for later.  Then drain the pasta.
7. While the pasta is cooking, return the butternut squash mixture back to the sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add in the shredded cheddar cheese, and stir until it has melted into the sauce.
8. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper as needed.
9. Then once the pasta is drained, return it to the stockpot.  Pour the butternut cheese sauce on top of the pasta, and toss to combine.  If the sauce is too thick, add in some of the hot starchy pasta water to thin it out.
10. Serve warm.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 sweet onion, diced
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 honeycrisp apples, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups homemade chicken stock or prepared chicken broth
1 cup plain greek yogurt
8 ounces sharp cheddar grated (about 1 cup)
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions

SAUTÉ onions with butter over low medium heat in a large stock pot until translucent.

ADD squash, apples, and stock or broth in a large pan; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan and simmer squash for 20 minutes or until very tender.

UNCOVER and let cool. Puree in blender or food processor, in batches if necessary.

RETURN puree to saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir in yogurt and1/2 c of cheese. Add salt and ground pepper to taste.

WHISK soup just until heated through (do not allow to boil). Serve sprinkled with cheese

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cube into 1 inch cubes.
2. Boil a large pot of water on the stove, add in sweet potatoes
3. Cook for 15 minutes.
4. Mash sweet potatoes.
5. Prepare a 1 ½ to 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, and melted butter. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
7. Combine brown sugar, flour, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Sprinkle over the top.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cooked throughout and the top is lightly brown.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

•  Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 1 ½ cups walnuts
• ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup  light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups grated parsnips (from about 4 parsnips)

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRETCIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 9-by-9-inch metal baking pan.
3. Line with parchment paper, butter the parchment, then flour the pan, tapping out excess.
4. Place the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant and turning golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool.
5. Coarsely chop walnuts.
6. In a medium bowl, make wet mixture: whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.
7. In a large bowl, may dry mixture: whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
8. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined.
9. Stir in the parsnips and walnuts.
10. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when touched, the cake is turning brown around the edges, and a toothpick comes out dry, 40 to 45 minutes.
11. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack, peel off parchment, and let cool completely.
12. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl, and retrieve hand mixer. Cream the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter, confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.
13. Beat until well combined and fluffy. Spread over the top of the cooled cake almost to the edges. The cake keeps well for several days at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch long pieces
• 2 turnips, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large sweet onions, peeled, quartered
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Cut the root veggies into 1.5-2 inch pieces
3. Place the cut root vegetables in a bowl.
4. Stir together the oil, maple syrup and garlic powder and drizzle over the vegetables. Mix.
5. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bake for about 1 hour until the vegetables are done and a little caramelized from the syrup.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound of bacon
• 1 pound of mozerella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line pan with foil and spray PAM. Line pan with bacon strips.
3. Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
4. Cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Cut into quarters
5. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan.
6. Roast for 35 minutes in oven with bacon, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.
7. Take out bacon and chop into small pieces.
8. Take out brussels sprouts and sprinkle mozzarella cheese and bacon.
9. Cook at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbling.