Ceasar Roasted Cabbage

"I recently found this recipe blog called "Budget Bytes" which is full of great ideas, plus lists the cost per recipe and serving (which I know can vary depending on where you live), but it is where this recipe came from. This is a genius recipe...two ingredients, easy and cheap."
INGREDIENTS:

1 head of cabbage
8 oz. light Caesar dressing (not creamy)....I used Ken's

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice head in wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Brush Caesar dressing on top and bottom of slices and place on large, foil lined cookie sheet. Bake 40 minutes turning once half way through.

What I did differently:

-I had something else in the oven so I baked them at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
-I brushed the dressing on the top only until I flipped half way and then brushed the dressing on the flipped up bottoms.
-I only used 1/3 of the head, which was enough for 4 people

Sweet Parsnips

"I purchased some parsnips at the market yesterday to try something I'd never had before. I figured I'd just look up a simple recipe, including ingredients I already had, when I got home. I found this simple recipe on About.com. Next time I will try using olive oil to cut down on the bad fats, but they were delicious!"



INGREDIENTS:

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cubed
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, melt the butter; then add the parsnips, shaking to coat. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover tightly and saute on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. The parsnips should be tender and gooey, and slightly caramelized. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Zucchini Chips

"I had bookmarked this a while ago and just happened to find it today, and had zucchini in the fridge. Wow...these are awesome! You can find the original recipe HERE....my changes are included in this recipe."


INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp black pepper
heaping 1/2 cup flour
1 cup cold milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese and black pepper.
In separate bowl add flour, milk and vinegar. Gently stir until combined but do not over stir.
Dip zucchini slices in flour mixture and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Place coated zucchini slices on a baking sheet (I line mine with non stick foil for easy clean up!) and bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and crisp.

Jen's Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

"I threw this together for a quick low-carb lunch and they were awesome."



INGREDIENTS:

Small package of white mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed
1 t. olive oil
3 c. fresh baby spinach
6 sun-dried tomatoes diced
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 c. feta cheese smooshed with fork to make fine
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Saute spinach with olive oil, garlic and sundried tomatoes in medium fry pan until spinach is wilted. In small bowl mix spinach mixture with cheeses. Spoon into mushroom caps and bake for 15 minutes.

Gratinéed Baked Squash Halves

"I found this recipe in a Reader's Digest and it turns out that it's a Martha Stewart recipe. Now that I've read the directions again I realized that I didn't put the cream mixture in before baking like I was suppose to. My version is here, but the original can be found HERE . I put in 4 oz. total cheese instead of the original 2 oz., but it still didn't seem like enough, especially to get a photo like the one found in the link, so here I put a total of 8 oz.. Gruyere is an expensive cheese, so you can try swiss if you prefer."


INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash, halved crosswise, seeds removed

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 t. ground sage

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (about 8 oz.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place squash halves, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-in. baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour about 1/2 cup water into baking dish around squash.

2. Combine cream with sage and garlic in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then pour into squash halves, dividing evenly.

3. Bake until squash are tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife, about one hour. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese, dividing evenly. Continue baking until cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Yellow Squash Casserole

"I found this on allrecipes.com when I was looking for something different to do with yellow squash."


INGREDIENTS:

4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 buttery round crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Zucchini Gratin

"I saw this made on The Barefoot Contessa". I cut the salt in half as suggested in a review and the crust sounded so delicious that I doubled the cheese and bread. The original version is listed here."


INGREDIETNS:


6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)
2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Gruyere

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Serves 6

Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

"I've always wanted to try making my own Hollandaise sauce and it turned out fabulous. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com"


2 bunches fresh asparagus
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1/2 cup butter

Steam Asparagus until just soft.
In a container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and blend for about 5 seconds.
Place the butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water.

Note: Picture show is of same amount of sauce with only one bunch of asparagus, but it was too much sauce so I doubled the amount of asparagus in the recipe.

Serves 6

Asparagus with Parmesan Crust

"I found this on allrecipes.com when I was looking for something different to do with asparagus. I've made this twice and I love it!"


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound thin asparagus spears
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer. Spread Parmesan cheese over asparagus, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and asparagus is tender but crisp. Serve immediately on warm plates, sprinkling with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

"I love spinach pie, but was always afraid to use phyllo dough. It wasn't as hard as I thought. This was very yummy but lacked just a little in flavor. You may want to add more cheese or even your favorite shredded variety."


INGREDIENTS:

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped (I used two bags of Aunt Mid's baby spinach)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
*1/2 box Athen's phyllo dough sheets
* 1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling (making a large pocket).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Notes:

I ran the parsley and spinach through the food processor

Butternut Squash Soup

"I have been wanting to try this for a while, and I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. This is the original recipe, but I made changes, so please check my suggestions at the bottom."


INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.


Tips:

-I baked the squash whole in the oven for 1 hour to allow for easier peeling and cutting, and it cuts down the simmering time from 40 to 25/30 minutes.

-I did not use potatoes at all

-I used a can of carrots instead of fresh because that's what I had on hand.

-I added garlic, nutmeg and curry, but next time I think I'd make it without the curry.

-Add a dollop of sour cream to the top of each bowl of soup, and stir in before eating

Cream of Spinach Soup

"I love spinach, and I'm always excited to try a new spinach recipe. Since I'm on a soup kick, I thought I'd try this. Check my tips and changes below"

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• salt and pepper to taste

  DIRECTIONS

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, bouillon, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook until spinach is tender.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in spinach mixture.

Tips:

-I used a 10 ounce bag of fresh baby spinach and a large pot to boil it in.

-After tender I blended it in a food processor along with all of the broth. I rinsed the pot and used it for the next step.

-The milk I used was skim to save on fat, but you can use any milk or cream instead

-I added two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

-I added 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-I added 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash

"I found this on allrecipes.com when I was looking for a squash recipe that didn't include sugar, butter, or too much cheese. I really liked it."

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine the parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add squash and toss to coat.
2. Transfer to an ungreased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until squash is just tender.

Jen's Ratatouille

"I've been wanting to make this, but I haven't found a recipe in which all the ingredients sounded good to me. I decided instead to add and subtract from a recipe I found and make it more Italian flavored."
INGREDIENTS:

1 zucchini sliced thin
1 yellow squash sliced thin
1 Chinese eggplant sliced thin (you can also use a regular eggplant and cut the slices in quarters or about the same size as the zucchini and squash)
3 plum/roma tomatoes sliced thin
1 medium onion sliced in rings
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
20 fresh basil leaves ground in food processor (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large pan until hot. Saute onions and eggplant until both are soft (about 10 minutes). In 13x9 baking dish coat bottom with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Make rows of veggie slices alternating eggplant, tomato, squash and zucchini. Top with sauted onions. Sprinkle with fresh or dried basil. In small bowl mix together cheese with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of veggies. Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes removing foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I know I need to incorporate more of a variety of vegetables into our diet, and even though brussels sprouts aren't my favorite (especially without cheese sauce), I decided to try this recipe and it was delicious."


INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Tips:

Mine weren't quite as brown as they described, so I definately would leave them in until they are very brown because the leaves that flaked off and were crispy and brown were the best part!

Jen's Four Cheese Spinach Souffle

"I have loved spinach for as long as I can remember. I have tried a few recipes for spinach souffle, but there is always an "iffy" ingredient that I'm just not sure about using, and that usually makes what I don't like about it. I decided just to make up my own recipe and it turned out really good."

INGREDIENTS:

2 - 10 oz packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

6 eggs, beaten

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 65 minutes.

Serves 12

Eggplant Gratin

"I saw this recipe made on The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten, on the food network. It looked and sounded so good that I had to try it myself. I doubled this recipe and baked it in a 13x9 inch dish. Please read my note at the end."

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil, for frying

3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 extra-large egg

1/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.
Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

NOTE:

I thought this was too greasy because the eggplant soaks up all of the oil you use, and it's quite a bit. My suggestion is that maybe you could just spread butter on each side of the slices and fry them in a pan until browned.

Grandma Bessie's Squash with Cheese

"My mom has been making this for years, and I carried on the tradition. I found out today that it is actually my grandma's made-up recipe. She was a wonderful cook, but unfortunately passed away in 1998. I do not actually have a recipe, just ingredients, so I am estimating the measurements."

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium to large butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into small chunks (this is a great part to ask the husband to do since it takes some strength to cut)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 tablespoons butter cut into small chunks

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place half of squash in 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with half of cheese and half of butter. Add remaining squash, cheese and butter, and add salt and pepper to top. Bake, covered with foil for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until squash is soft when poked with fork, and then uncovered an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Tomato Zucchini Casserole

"I've made this twice, and both times, my company said it was their favorite thing on the plate. It's hard to resist not having seconds. Note: If you double the recipe, it will not fit into a 9x13 pan...I made this mistake the first time. If you just do 1 1/2 times the recipe it will fit fine. I found this on allrecipes.com. The only change I made is to use shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated, and I used a little extra cheese. I am listing the original. "

INGREDIENTS:


1 1/2 cups shredded mozerella cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium zucchini, sliced
5 plum tomatos (I use about 3 1/2 large roma or standard medium-sized), sliced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl combine cheeses and spices (including garlic). ...set aside. Arrange 1/2 of zucchini in pan, sprinkle 1/4 of cheese mixture on top. Arrange 1/2 of tomatoes on top of that with another 1/4 of cheese mixture. Repeat layers ending with cheese. Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat and sautee onions until soft and clear. Stir in bread crumbs and mix until they absorb butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender.





Note: If you 1 1/2 times the recipe and use the 9x13 (like I suggested) bake with foil an additional 25 minutes, for a total of 70 minutes baking time.

Jen's Mock Stuffed Mushrooms

"If there was an award for the ugliest food shot, this might just win.
If you are looking for something to do with some fresh mushrooms sitting in your fridge, this is really fast and simple. They were leftovers from my stew the other night, and I had six left. I will tell you the amounts I used, but if you want it to serve more than one or two people, you'll need to double or triple it."

INGREDIENTS:

6 regular mushrooms (are they called button?)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup bread crumbs (seasoned bread crumbs are the best)

1/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzerella, parmesan, romano, etc.) I used romano here.

DIRECTIONS:

In medium frying pan melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with garlic, and saute until shrinky (you're going to hate the terms I use... ha ha). Add bread crumbs and cheese and stir until bread crumbs soak up juices and cheese melts.