Recipe: Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

If your children are anything like mine, they're strangely picky about what they will and won't eat. One loves breaded fish, but won't eat black beans. The other happily eats quinoa, but refuses grilled chicken. 

Given that both will eat more than cereal or mac-n-cheese, I should probably just be grateful. But I keep trying to sneak healthy items into their diet nonetheless. 

Enter the brilliance of zucchini chocolate chip cookies. This recipe arrived courtesy of The Produce Box with a heap of locally-grown zucchini, so I gave it a try. While the cookies turned out more cake-like than I expected, they were a complete and total hit -- both kids (and my husband) loved them! We've also shared them with other friends ages 8 and under with regular success.

Full disclosure: The first time I made the cookies, I didn't tell the kids what was in them. After they had already enjoyed them, then I confessed. Now they find it highly entertaining to tell their friends there's a "secret ingredient" in the cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I used a heaping 1/4 tsp.)
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (I used 1 medium-sized zuke)
• 12 ounces chocolate chips (I used the mini-sized semi-sweet ones)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I never actually do this at the beginning because it takes me longer to get everything ready than it takes the oven to heat up. Is that just me? Or is it just because I have a five-year-old "helping" me?)
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, honey and vanilla.
3. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Blend flour mixture into liquid mixture. Mix in shredded zucchini and chocolate chips until well combined.
4. Drop cookies by spoonful onto greased baking sheet and flatten with the back of a spoon. (I used parchment paper and no grease. You definitely want to keep the dough flat because the cookies don't really melt down at all.)
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes. (My oven needs 13.)

Do you have a favorite recipe with a "secret ingredient" disguised inside? Share it in the comments so we can all enjoy your genius.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Apple Soup

Being a convertible girl, I'm also very much a warm weather girl. I love sun dresses, sandals, gin & tonics and all the other loveliness that comes with spring and summer.

But there are a few things that make fall and winter worthwhile. Stylish boots, sweater dresses, 7& 7... and soup. One of my wise friends actually refuses to say the word "fall," instead calling it "the season of soup." It does sound much more appealing.

Thanks to combined recipes from another friend and a magazine, I made a delicious (and easy and healthy) soup last week that you definitely want to try out -- what I love most about it is that it's a smooth, creamy soup without any dairy in it.

My version is the first recipe below, with a variation from my friend (including her notes) below that -- or you can go to Real Simple online and use theirs.

Sweet Potato Apple Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces (it had been in my pantry for far too long and needed to be used)
• 1 apple (I used Granny Smith but others would work just fine), peeled and chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• generous pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potatoes, acorn squash, apple, broth, nutmeg, and 1½ cups water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Use a handheld immersion blender to puree until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you really should buy one. Or, working in batches, you can transfer the mixture to a blender and puree, adding more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency.)

Golden Winter Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 5 cups 1/2 in. cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
• 1 russet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 granny smith apple peeled and cut
• 1 tsp kosher salt (optional -- when I add it I don't add as much broth or it can get too salty)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 medium leeks sliced
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low-sodium might be a good option if you do the salt)
• 1 cups half-and-half

Directions

1. Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 min. 
2. Add leek; sauté 1 min. 
3. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. 
4. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 min. or until potato is tender stirring occasionally. 
5. Blend to a smooth consistency.I use my immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. You can also put half of it in the blender and then pour into bowl and then pour rest into the blender. After it is blended, you stir in the half-and-half. 

Friday's 5: Holiday Recipes

One of the downsides of actually learning to cook (and doing it regularly) is that you're bound to make some stuff that tastes bad now and then. This week I got a little too adventurous and tried to make pumpkin quinoa pancakes (see photo) -- the muffins are so good, I though it would work.

As it turns out, not so much. They weren't awful, just not very good -- not worth the effort.

But at least I'm trying. And blessings on my sweet husband who eats whatever I make with a smile. My kids? Well, not always.

Anyway, December is the season of cooking, with holiday meals, parties and treats at every turn. So here are links to five recipes that might be useful for some of those dinners plus a bonus recipe for a treat:

• Kale with cranberries: I know some of you are kale-haters, but I promise you this one is easy to make and delicious to eat.
• Brussels sprouts and carrots: A simple recipe combined with a grammar lesson -- what more could a nerdy cook ask for?
• Pumpkin soup: This one works just as well with butternut squash or other similar veg. Delicious as a starter course or a lunch option.
• Butternut squash with cumin couscous: Like the soup recipe, this is another that makes great leftovers for taking hot lunch to the office.
• Lasagna: The official title of this recipe was "The Best Lasagna" and they're totally not kidding. You'll want to make an extra for the freezer.
• Marbled chocolate treats: Perfect for cookie exchanges, teacher gifts or your own holiday dessert.

When you're done cooking, let me know and I'll be right over for a taste. Or maybe just leave us a link in the comments with your favorite holiday recipe to share.

Recipe: Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

Quinoa. Also known as "keen-wah."

It's one of those foods I felt like I was supposed to be eating, but then the healthy breakfast recipe I made with it was so disgusting that it made my kitchen stink and I actually took the stuff outside to the garbage can. And then I was left with this open bag of organic quinoa that I couldn't bring myself to toss because it was so expensive.

Twitter and Pinterest to the rescue, of course. Unfortunately I no longer remember which person tweeted the link to this recipe from Once a Month Mom, but it is awesome. Seriously.

Click the link for the complete original recipe, but here are my notes and adaptations. My kids and husband go through these so fast, that it's almost not worth making them without doubling the recipe...


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (I've found that if you cook 1/2 cup of dry quinoa in 1 cup of water, you get a generous 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa, which works fine.)
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin (This is about what a can of pureed pumpkin contains, so by doubling the recipe you don't have that half a can of pumpkin sitting in the fridge.)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (They taste just fine without the chocolate chips. But because my children fight over things like who got the muffin with more chocolate chips in it, I found it was easier to put a scoop of muffin mix in the paper liner first, then place 5 chocolate chips in each one, then another scoop of mix on top. Yes, that's what my life has become.)

The original recipe is for 12 muffins, but I can usually get 18 out of it -- meaning that the doubled recipe gets me 36 muffins. If you prefer to make big heaping muffins, then maybe you'll only get 24. Also, she suggests freezing them and microwaving for breakfast, but they've never lasted long enough at my  house to get all the way to the freezer so I can't vouch for that step.

When you make these, let me know. I'll be over with hot tea for both of us.

Recipe: Delicious Kale with Cranberries

I'd never even heard of kale until it arrived in my Produce Box last year. Tried making kale chips -- because that seemed to be the item most people were raving about -- but the texture and flavor both left much to be desired. I disguised the rest of last summer's kale in stir fry and decided that would be enough of that.

Then I accidentally ate the most delicious sweet and savory kale side dish at a friend's house and discovered a new love for the super healthy green. Here's the recipe (taken from allrecipes.com), along with my annotations. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the pre-minced garlic in a jar)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used honey mustard)
• 4 teaspoons white sugar (would recommend using less than that -- I used 2 tsp agave)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the kale, cover and cook 5 minutes until wilted.
2. Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the cranberries have softened -- about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.

Let us know -- what's your favorite way to serve kale?

Photo from allrecipes.com.

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

My friend over at Pretty*Swell is working hard to eat healthy -- not only is she doing a great job, she's sharing her tasty recipes with the rest of us. Her recipe from earlier this week inspired me to share this one for brussels sprouts and carrots -- a friend brought it to a group dinner a few years ago and everyone loved it. I've made it instead of green beans for Christmas the past two years with great success, but Suzanne's post reminded me that sprouts aren't just for the holidays.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot (or use a little onion and a little garlic, if that's what you have on hand)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (I generally have pretend butter in the house -- or "oleo," as my grandmother called it -- and it works just fine)
• 1 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

 Directions:

1. Cook shallot in 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Add carrots, brussels sprouts, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add water and cover skillet, then cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. 
4. Stir in vinegar, remaining tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking note: Vegetables can be cut 1 hour ahead and kept at room temperature. They also keep well for leftovers in the fridge.

Word nerd note: You'll sometimes see "Brussels sprout"spelled with a capital "B," but I've opted for the lower case here. In general, style manuals prescribe a streamlined style for capitalization of words derived from proper names but used with a specialized meaning. This means that regardless of the style manual you consult (I like AP, myself), you are likely to decide to lowercase the "B" in brussels sprouts just like with the initial "F" in french fries. In case you were wondering. [Puts Grammar Police badge back in pocket.]

Have a favorite healthy veggie side dish recipe? Share it with us in the comments, please!

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

Full credit for this recipe goes to Ilina at Dirt & Noise.

She was pinning all these great pumpkin recipes last week and I had this pumpkin sitting on my counter from The Produce Box (not the jack o' lantern pictured here, of course -- but I'm still very proud of my first-ever carvings). So I asked her for an easy but tasty recipe recommendation.

Here's what she sent:

Pumpkin Soup

small cooking pumpkin (or substitute butternut squash)
olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons apple sauce
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup pulp free orange juice
splash (or more) dry white wine
pinch cinnamon
1-2 teaspoon paprika
1-2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cream

Roast pumpkin and cook until soft. Scrape out seeds and reserve pulp. On medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned in a dutch oven. Add apple sauce, chicken broth, orange juice, wine and give it a stir. Turn heat to low. Mix in pumpkin and seasonings. Simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and whisk in the cream. Use an immersion blender or puree it in batches (though this step is not necessary). Serve with bread and garnish with fried onions and cashews.

* * *

It turned out delicious -- plus I'm super impressed with myself for being able to say that I made pumpkin soup from scratch. But I do have a few notes to go along with the recipe.

Not knowing how to roast pumpkin, I googled it and came up with this solution: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pumpkin cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Turn cut side down and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place in oven and roast until skin is golden brown and the pumpkin is tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Next time, I think I'd use less orange juice -- unless maybe I had a bigger pumpkin. Don't skimp on the spices -- they're yummy. I did use my immersion blender because it makes me happy and makes the soup smooth and lovely. And sadly I didn't have any fried onions or cashews in the pantry, so I just crumbled Saltines into my bowl -- the saltiness is a nice balance to the soup flavor.

Junius didn't like it, but Pippi did -- so that makes it a win at our house.

Now go show Ilina some blog love (remember what we talked about on Friday?) and then leave us a link to your favorite pumpkin recipe here in the comments.
.

Recipe: Jay's Famous Frittata

My friend Momsicle posted some amazing brunch recipes on her blog this week, then invited some other "foodies" on Twitter to join in. Given that I couldn't resist the notion of being called a "foodie," I decided I must have something to contribute.

But given that I'm not actually that fancy in the kitchen, I'm stealing sharing a friend's recipe. Technically it's her husband's recipe, which I had the good fortune to sample at their daughter's third-birthday party. Because that's the classy kind of friends that Pippi hangs out with.

Sorry there's no photo -- I was too busy eating that day to take pictures.

In case anyone is looking for something tasty to make for mom on Sunday (for brunch, second breakfast or elevensies), here's a great option.

Jay's Famous Frittata

Chef's disclaimer: Jay does not measure, so all measurements are approximate. Feel free to use more or less of whatever, or add your own ingredients in place of ham, pepper and onion as you like.

Ingredients:
2T butter
1 small onion, diced
1 large pepper, diced
4-5 oz of cooked ham, diced
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large oven-safe pan, sautee butter with onion, pepper, and ham. Add salt and pepper to season.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, and more salt and pepper to season.
3. Once ham/onion/peppers are golden/translucent/tender, pour egg mixture into sautee pan.
4. As the eggs begin to cook, move the mixture in the pan so that the eggs cook evenly (chef says "lift the eggs on the side of the pan so that the other eggs get underneath").
5. Once the eggs are almost done, sprinkle with cheese and pop under the broiler until the cheese is melted.
6. Slide onto a platter and serve -- feeds 6-8 people, depending on how hungry you are. 

Best Smoothie Blender for the Best Smoothie Recipe

My husband has this great smoothie recipe -- he was already making them every day when I met him, so I give him full credit. He named the concoction after his very sweet dog and the three types of berries in the original recipe.

As a girl who loves breakfast, I couldn't help but fall in love with a man who had his own special morning beverage. And when I was pregnant, it was the perfect second breakfast (just after breakfast and before elevensies, of course).

We make one most every weekday at our house and divide it up between two stadium cups and two smaller cups with straw lids. We've tweaked the details a bit along the way, but the substance is still the same as it was 11 years ago. The family that smoothies together stays together, right? And there's no tastier way to stay regular and healthy, trust me.

When we got married nearly 10 years ago, we got a blender as a wedding gift. It survived about a year or two of smoothies. We replaced it with another regular blender that lasted two more years.

Then we bought the Waring Commercial Bar Blender. [Insert dramatic, angelic music here.]

After six faithful years and somewhere in the ballpark of 1,500 double smoothie spins, our bar blender finally quit last week. Full of unblended smoothie ingredients, of course, but I really couldn't complain after all those years [see photo].

So what did we do? Promptly went online and ordered a new one just like it, but with a chrome base (you know, to match our soon-to-be-snazzy new kitchen).

Thanks, Waring, for keeping us in healthy, tasty breakfasts for another six years.

Emmet's Triple Delicious Fruit Smoothies

1. Put the following ingredients in your Waring blender:
• 2 peeled bananas
• 1 6-oz. container of light yogurt (fruit or vanilla flavors)
• 1 6-oz. container of water
• 1 6-oz. container of light vanilla soy milk
• 2 handfuls of frozen strawberries (I use about 10 of the Costco ones)
• handful of frozen mixed berries (I use Costco's raspberry, blueberry, marionberry mix)
2. Blend.
3. Pour in cups (2-4, depending on serving size).
4. Feel better about the day ahead.

Note: We paid for our new blender -- no promise of compensation for this post. But Waring, if you're reading, I'm happy to be your next paid spokeperson for smoothie production.

Recipe: Roasted Eggplant-Feta Dip

We got a lot of eggplant in our Produce Box this fall. Since my kids and I are not big fans of eggplant parm, I needed another easy option for using it. A quick Google search revealed this recipe from Eating Well, which includes one of my favorite ingredients: feta cheese.

I took it to a bloggy ladies event and it was a hit. My kids don't love it, but I do -- served with pita chips, it's a great substitute for lunch. Here's the recipe, with my substitutions and notes added.

Roasted Eggplant - Feta Dip

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound) -- I usually had two or three smaller eggplants, which worked fine.
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil -- Depending on the size of your eggplant, you might need less oil.
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably Greek
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion -- Red onions would probably be better, but I used whatever white or yellow was in the fridge and they worked fine.
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small chile pepper, such as jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) -- I skipped this.
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of sugar, (optional) -- I added this. It's helpful if your eggplant is a little bitter.

Directions 

1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler.
2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. 
4. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) 
5. Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.
6. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. I actually kept mine longer -- it's not as pretty, but still tasty.

Recipe: Purple Potato Risotto

If you need a lovely dish to take to an ECU Pirates dinner or a Northwestern Wildcats party, have I got the recipe for you: Roasted purple sweet potato risotto.

Actually, the recipe called for regular NC sweet potatoes -- I found it in a deck of recipe cards courtesy of the NC Sweet Potato Commission.What, you didn't know North Carolina has a Sweet Potato Commission? It is the state vegetable, after all.

But anyway, I had all these purple sweet potatoes left from our Produce Box, so I just substituted them in. And WOW, is it purple. Also, quite tasty (despite the fact that my photo here makes it look like a dumped-out can of cat food) -- my husband even had seconds.

And, did I mention it's very, very purple?

Here's the recipe, with my usual amendments. Will probably try it again with orange sweet potatoes to see if it changes the taste or just the color.

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes [I used 3 because they seemed slightly smaller than medium.]
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 4 cups hot vegetable stock, divided [I used chicken stock because it was in my pantry.]
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion [I mis-read this ingredient and used 1/2 an onion. I think it was fine.]
• 1 tbsp minced garlic [I used elephant garlic from my Produce Box -- worked fine.]
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (12-oz package)
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary [I used dried. Fresh probably would have been better.]
• 1 1/2 tsp thyme leaves [Dried again.]
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese [I used shredded because it was in the fridge. Also added a little more as a topping when I served it.]
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350. Peel sweet potatoes and cut in half.
2. Cut half of the sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch dices and set aside.
3. Cut the remaining sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast until soft, about 30 minutes. Puree in a food processor with 1/4 cup vegetable stock; reserve.
4. In a large saucepan, heat remaining 3 tbsp oil and sauté onion and 1/4-inch diced sweet potatoes over medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes until softened but not browned.
5. Add garlic and arborio rice and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in wine and cook, stirring until completely absorbed. In the same manner, add hot stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is completely absorbed and stock is use up.
6. Add sweet potato puree, rosemary, thyme, butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let me know what you think if you try it out. Or, if you have a favorite sweet potato recipe, add it here in the comments.

Friday's 5: Pork Tenderloin All Week Long

One of my favorite ways to cook is to fix one thing and make it last through as many meals as possible. That's the beauty of cooking pork tenderloin -- there are so many ways to serve it that are easy to prep, once you've done the initial cooking.

Whenever Harris Teeter has the Smithfield pork tenderloin on sale, I usually buy one and keep it in the freezer until I'm ready. They tend to be close to 3 lbs (because they actually put two in a package), so it's way more than we can eat in one or two meals. Thanks to tips from my friend Ms. S, I've come up with five different meals from one package of tenderloin.

1. Pork tenderloin with veggies: For the first meal, I cook the tenderloin in the oven (according to package directions) -- sometimes I marinade, sometimes not. Here's a good recipe (and a borrowed photo above) I found online. Slice and serve with whatever veggies you like best -- we often use broccoli and mashed potatoes.
2. BBQ pork pizza: Get a ready-made pizza crust or the great pizza dough at Trader Joe's (near the cheese section). Use BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce. Chop up or shred some of the pork and layer on top with some red onion (you can cook them a little to carmelize if you like) and shredded Italian cheeses.
3. Pork and peach salad: Use your favorite mixed greens. Add slices of pork along with peaches (I like to warm them a little first), walnuts, cranberries and feta cheese. Toss with a little vinaigrette.
4. Pork and black bean burritos: Whatever your preferred ingredients are for burritos, use the same approach. Here's a good recipe -- just add pork.
5. BBQ pork sandwiches: The key to this very simple meal is to get nice, soft sourdough bread (I like Pepperidge Farm) and some smoky gouda or muenster or provolone cheese. Toast the bread, layer with pork, BBQ sauce and cheese, then let it get warm and melty under the broiler. 

What's your favorite way to serve pork tenderloin? Or better yet, what's your favorite item to cook once and serve all week?

Recipe: Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

As part of our Produce Box, we've been getting butternut squash the past few weeks. In searching for a way to turn it into a main course instead of a side dish, I found this recipe from Real Simple online. I wasn't sure I would love it, but amazingly I had all the ingredients in the house already.

Last night, I made it for dinner -- delicious! And I'm trusting the leftovers will be just as good. I actually made everything bit the couscous in the afternoon while Pippi was napping, so it was super easy to get it all on the table for dinner.

Butternut Squash with Cumin Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
• 1 32-ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) almonds, chopped

Directions

1. Halve and peel the squash. Remove the seeds and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. 
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Stir in the squash, tomatoes, raisins, broth, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the remaining cumin and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
6. Divide the couscous among individual bowls and ladle the squash mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley [which I didn't have, so I skipped it] and almonds [which totally make the meal].

Photo from Real Simple.

Recipe: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Given that I'm clearly not going to get rich writing this blog, I mostly do it because it's something I enjoy -- a way to clear my head, chronicle parts of my life and hopefully entertain some friends (and a few strangers) along the way. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't absolutely adore getting comments on my blog -- I realize that may sound a little pitiful and needy, but I know I'm not alone.

So today's recipe is dedicated to one of my favorite new readers/commenters -- he not only made one of the recipes I posted, he also CAME BACK to the post and left a review. And it cracks me up a little to explain that (bear with me now) he's my cousin's wife's cousin's husband. So we're, like, totally not really related.

Anyway, here's a new twist on an old favorite that my husband and I used to make when we were newlyweds. I stole this recipe from The New York Times, but have added notes below about how I actually prepared it. Great for lunch or dinner in the summertime, and keeps well in the fridge for at least a few days. Rob -- let us know if your family likes it!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of parsley and other herbs, such as chives, tarragon, marjoram, basil, or mint (I used dried tarragon, basil and crazy salt, all of which happened to be in my spice drawer)
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (I didn't have one, so I skipped it -- but would probably taste good)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced (I used a bunch of grape tomatoes, halved)
• 4 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced (optional -- I didn't have any, so I skipped it)
• 6 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise (I used about 2/3 of a can of medium black olives, halved)
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (I probably used a generous ounce -- love love love the feta)

To make the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I never have lemons in the fridge, so I used the bottled stuff)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or sherry vinegar (I used red)
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and crushed or coarsely ground (Not sure what the difference would be, but I just used the powdered cumin spice I had in the house)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)

Directions:

1. Toss together the salad ingredients. 
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin seeds, salt, pepper, olive oil and yogurt. 
3. Toss dressing with the chickpeas, etc.
4. I added chopped cucumber.

Notes: The salad can be assembled several hours before you wish to serve it. Keep in the refrigerator. Serves four as a main dish, six as a side.

Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Recipe: Salsa Chicken Skillet

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but this recipe came from the back of a package of Kraft shredded cheese. Usually I don't even look at those packaging recipes much less save them and fix them, but this one turned out to be easy and delicious. Plus I have all this pasta in my pantry from some crazy grocery store sale, so I needed something interesting to do with it. Super double bonus: my kids ate it, too. 

And no, Kraft doesn't know I exist -- although if you work for Kraft and you're reading this, please send us some free cheese!

Salsa-Chicken Skillet

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups multi-grain rotini pasta, uncooked
• 1 lb.  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1-1/4 cups tomatillo salsa (I used regular mild salsa because that's what I had in the fridge)
• 1 pkg.  (10 oz.) frozen corn 
• 1 large green pepper, cut into thin strips, then cut in half (I added some red pepper, too, since there was one in my fridge)
• 1 cup  KRAFT Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 min. 
3. Stir in salsa, corn and peppers; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. 
5. Top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 min. or until cheese is melted.
6. Can garnish each serving with 1 tbsp chopped cilantro or 1 chopped green onion.

Recipe: Crockpot Coca-Cola Chicken

If you're tired of reading my long, soapboxing posts, I've got good news for you. March is likely to be a lean month here at My Convertible Life.

Yesterday I started a new, part-time job in an office (marketing, communications and new media for an education non-profit) and I still have the old, part-time job at home (research and writing for a different education non-profit) -- and of course there's the whole wife-mom-friend-daughter job, too. I'll still try to get some posts in here and there, but didn't want you to worry about me (because I just know you're waiting every day for a new post) if there's not much to read this month.

So in keeping with a busier lifestyle, here's a recipe that I stole from another friend's blog that is hands-down one of the easiest ways to cook chicken in the crockpot. Just start it up in the morning, then add some broccoli and ready-made mashed potatoes (I recommend Country Crock or Bob Evans) to the plates at dinnertime and voila -- well-balanced, healthy meal with minimal effort (and minimal touching of raw chicken) that the whole family will eat.

Crockpot Coca-Cola Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds (I used 4 boneless chicken breasts, but my friend used a 6 pack of chicken drumsticks)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cola, Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc. (we used Coke Zero)

Preparation:

1. Wash and pat chicken dry. 
2. Salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Put chicken in crock pot with the onions on top. 
4. Add cola and ketchup and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours (less time if it's boneless breasts, maybe more time if it's something else).

Recipe: Chicken and Rice Bake

When I was working half-time after Junius was born, I discovered the most wonderful service: online grocery ordering from Lowes Foods to Go. Set up your grocery list online, place your order and set your pick-up time, then drive up in front of the store and let the store shopper load everything into your trunk -- you can even give them your coupons to credit toward your next order. If only they'd come home with you and put everything away, it would be perfect.

I don't use the service anymore (working less and trying to shop the bargains more), but I still use the Lowes Foods to Go holiday cookbook they gave away one year. The cookbook included this tasty, easy recipe that's perfect to take to a neighbor in need -- just be sure to make two at a time so you have one for yourself, too.

Chicken and Rice Bake

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened (I actually use a whole 8 oz. container)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground back pepper

1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli, carrot and cauliflower mix – thawed

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 1/2 cups uncooked instant white rice

1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish.

2. Combine evaporated milk and cream cheese in dish with a wire whisk until smooth.

3. Add soup, water, garlic powder and black pepper. Mix well.

4. Add vegetables, chicken and rice.

5. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

6. Remove cover and top with cheese. Continue baking uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly.

7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Found the photo here, with the same recipe.

Recipe: The Best Lasagna

I found this recipe in Wondertime, the best parenting magazine ever that sadly no longer exists. Thankfully, the lasagna -- which really is the best -- is still available.

The recipe makes a single 9x13 dish, but I like to double it and divide into four 8x8 pans -- that way we can have one for dinner (with some leftovers), put one in the freezer for later and give two to friends (who will be so impressed and grateful -- seriously, try it sometime).

Another trick that makes this recipe even easier -- when my husband makes his fantastic spaghetti meat sauce (with peppers, mushrooms, and other magic), I set some aside to mix with a jar of pasta sauce so that I can skip step two below.

The Best Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey (or cooked chicken, Italian sausage, seafood, andouille, Gimme Lean, etc.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 26-28 oz. (about 3 cups) pasta sauce
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp red wine (optional)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I use light)
• 2 tbsp white wine (optional)
• 12 oz (3 cups) freshly grated mozzarella (I use pre-shredded)
• 6-8 no-boil lasagna noodles (I use 8 -- be sure they're no-boil or it doesn't work)
• 2 cups cooked, well-drained broccoli, spinach, peas, mushrooms or other vegetables (optional)
• 1 cup (about 4 oz) freshly grated parmesan (I use pre-shredded, but not the powdered kind)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400. Grease a 9x13-inch pan (or two 8x8-inch pans).
2. Thoroughly cook the ground beef, garlic and herbs in a large skillet, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat. Stir in pasta sauce and bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Season to taste and add the red wine, if using. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add cream cheese, turn heat to low and whisk until smooth, about 6 minutes.
4. Spoon half the meat sauce into the pan as evenly as possible. Sprinkle 1 cup grated mozzarella over the meat mixture. Top with 3-4 lasagna noodles.
5. If using vegetables, toss them evenly over the noodles.
6. Pour the cream cheese sauce over the noodles and cover with another cup of grated mozzarella.
7. Arrange 3-4 lasagna noodles over the cheese, then spoon remaining meat mixture over noodles as evenly as possible. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and the grated parmesan.
8. Bake until brown and bubbling, 35-45 minutes (use the longer cooking time if lasagna prepared in advance and chilled).
9. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Marbled Chocolate Treats

If you get this holiday treat from me, pretend you don't know how crazy easy it is to make. Over the years, I've slightly modified this recipe from Kraft -- a tasty and simple treat that makes a pretty gift to share with teachers, friends and neighbors. Assuming, of course, that my husband and children don't eat them all before I get them out of the house.


Marbled Chocolate Treats

Ingredients:

• 10 honey grahams, broken in half (20 squares) 
• 6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate 
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (optional)
• 3 squares premium white baking chocolate 

Directions:

1. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Arrange grahams on bottom of pan, cutting as needed to completely cover bottom of pan; set aside. 
2. Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter (optional) in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted when stirred, stirring every 30 sec. Stir until well blended. Pour over grahams; spread with spatula to cover completely. 
3. Repeat microwave melting steps with the white chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the white chocolate over chocolate-covered grahams. Immediately cut through the chocolate mixtures with knife several times for tiger-stripe effect. 
4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan. Peel off foil. Break dessert into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. 

Recipe: Crispy Tilapia

Like most parents, I'm always in search of recipes that are easy, tasty, healthy and popular with the whole family. At our house, one of the favorites in this category is crispy tilapia.

I buy the fish whenever it's on sale at HT and keep it in the freezer -- it's easy to defrost in the fridge a day or two before we use it. I usually cook two filets at a time -- slice each in half, with three halves for the grown ups and one half cut into nuggets for the kids (we call them "special nuggets" to make them more appealing).

What really makes the recipe easy to prepare is that I mix up a ziploc bag of the breading (usually double what's listed here, which gets us through several dinners) so that I can just pull it out of the pantry when we're ready to eat. The only downfall of the recipe is that the leftovers aren't as good, so you're better off just cooking enough for one meal. For sides, I like to steam or stir-fry whatever green veggies are in the fridge, plus some ready-made mashed potatoes.

Crispy Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs tilapia fillets, about 10
• 1/3 cup flour, for dusting fish
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
• canola oil, to cover bottom of large pan

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper fish. Dust fillets with 1/3 cup of flour.
2. Mix egg with buttermilk in one bowl.
3. Mix flour, corn meal, baking soda and baking powder, Old Bay in another bowl.
4. Dip all floured fish into egg then flour mixture.
5. Heat oil medium-high in large pan.
6. Fry in three batches, turning after 2 minutes on each side.
7. Salt as soon as you take out of pan.
8. Serve with tartar sauce.

Recipe and photo from recipezaar.com.