Roasted butternut squash

I bought butternut squash, thinking I would make butternut squash chili, one of my favorite hearty dishes, but it does take some time to cook and the squash was starting to not look so good.  So I simply roasted it with other vegetables that needed to be used and used a light swirl of date syrup and it was delicious.

Ingredients: 
1 pound butternut squash, pre-cut
1 red pepper, in bite-size pieces
1/2 red onion, in bite-size pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Olive oil - to coat ~14" baking dish
Olive oil - few Tbsp to lightly coat the vegetables

Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
Thin swirl of date syrup - see photo for estimate

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 415 degrees.  Coat baking dish with oil.
2) Toss vegetables in light coating of oil.  Then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar, soy and date syrup.
3) Toss after 20 minutes, then check every 10 minutes until done.  Vegetables should be browning on the outside and tender inside.  They can be served hot or room temperature.

Sautéed Spinach

After a trip to Costco we had way more spinach than two of us could possibly use, so I simply sautéed about 1/2 pound and served it topped with pine nuts, served along side some leftover roasted vegetables.  You can add tofu, lentils, chicken or fish to your dinner plate to complete the meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound baby spinach
1/4 red onion, roughly chopped or 1 bunch scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried mustard
Optional - 1 Tbsp grated ginger
Optional - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional - pine nuts as topping
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp canola oil for pan

Directions:
1) Heat oil in deep pan.
2) Add onion or scallions, garlic and ginger.  Saute until onion softens.
3) Add spinach, mustard and pepper flakes (if using).  Saute, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4) Top with pine nuts if desired.

Adapted a lot from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-chicken-stew-with-carrots-56389612

YIELDServes 4 ACTIVE TIME10 minutes TOTAL TIME4 hours 10 minutes

This doesn't have much in the way of spices, and turned out much better than I thought it would.  This is cooked without any broth, but it surprisingly cooks in its own juices and improves with time.  I plan to try it again with chopped tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

8 bone-in chicken thighs and/or breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
2 pounds baby carrots
4 small round potatoes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cocoa chili powder

1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Directions:

1) Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Add carrots, potatoes, any other veggies you might want, garlic, cinnamon stick, and cumin to pot. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on high until chicken is cooked through, 4 hours (or up to 8 hours on low).
2) Add raisins 15 minutes before done.
3) Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and carrots to a serving dish.  Remove cinnamon stick; top with cilantro and almonds. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken before serving.

Warm Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Warm Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
By Stephanie Sedgwick, adapted by Julia Korenman

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatioes (1 pound)
1 cup lentils,
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar,
1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup,
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard,
¼ teaspoon nutmeg,
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives,
salt,
3 tablespoons olive oil.

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Prick each potato several times and place in oven on aluminum foil.  Bake for 45-90 minutes until the juices ooze out a bit and the sweet potato is soft.  Let cool.

3) Rinse lentils and place in 3-4 quart pot. Add enough water to cover 1-2 inches above the lentils. Place pot over medium heat and cover with lid ajar.  When the water starts to boil adjust the heat so the water stays at a low boil.  Cook for about 25 minutes until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain.

4) Whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, nutmeg, chives and salt to taste (I do not use salt) in a large bowl.  Slowly add the oil, whisking to incorporate.  Add the lentils to the dressing.

5) Carefully peel the sweet potatoes and discard the skins.  Cut the flesh into ½ inch chunks;  and place into the bowl with the lentils.  Gently toss to coat evenly with the dressing.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crock Pot Vegetable Soup with Pearled Barley

I'm trying random combinations of ingredients to come  up with the most simple way to make a hearty vegetable soup for these cold days.  Here's an initial try that was quite good, and with the pearled barley was filling.  I don't generally like the texture of frozen vegetables other than peas but in this setting they cook through well enough so that I don't mind them.  Using them makes it easy to have ingredients on hand all the time.  I was glad to use up the frozen veggies that have been in my freezer for a while. Buying them always seem like a good idea when I see them in the store, since they usually retain the nutritional value of fresh vegetables.  Actually cooking and eating them is another story.

Ingredients:
About 30 oz low sodium vegetable broth (365 brand, e.g.)
28 oz diced tomatoes
16 oz frozen vegetables (e.g. carrots, peas, string beans cut in 2 to 3 pieces)
6 ounces sliced mushrooms
16 oz canned corn, drained
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley or other healthy grain
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained

To serve, can add a splash of white balsamic vinegar or lime; or top with cheese and reheat.

Directions:
1) Combine broth, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, pasta and herbs in slow cooker.
2) Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.  Stir in chickpeas, then cook on high 10 minutes or until heated through.
3) When serving, can add a splash of white balsamic vinegar, lime or cheese.  Vinegar is my preference.