Parmesan Roasted Butternut Squash

This week is all about cleansing for me.   Do you ever just reach a point where you realize you need to wake up and make some changes?  Sadly, for myself, that means some letting go of some friendships that aren't encouraging to me.  I'm looking forward to focusing on the things make my life a more positive place: God, my husband, my family, and the quality friends that i've had for years.  All people who encourage me to be who I am, and do what I love (like sharing my love of food on this little blog of mine).  

On a lighter note, another important part of this cleanse is making healthier habits.  I feel like i've been on a binge of overindulgence for the better part of life after my wedding, and i'm ready and excited to get that in check.  Don't worry - I'll still share some great recipes along the way, it's all about moderation after all. 

This week, i've been amping up my vegetable game, and I'm loving roasted butternut squash.  It just tastes like fall, doesn't it? I like to balance anything sweet with a bit of savory, and a little parmesan cheese goes a long way in this hearty, healthy veggie dish. 

Ingredients:

* 32 oz butternut squash (I buy the precut package), chopped

* cooking spray

* 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese

* 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

* salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 450.  Spray a cookie sheet generously with cooking spray and add the squash.  Spray with a bit more cooking spray.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper overt the squash.  Roast for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Stir the squash with a spatula. 

Increase the temperature to broiling and move the oven rack to the top portion of the oven.  Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the squash starts to brown.  Serve immediately, garnished with another tablespoon of parmesan.

Grilled Cheeseburger

Before you start a diet, do you ever just go for an all out, ridiculous splurge?  I know I shouldn't, but it's not all bad because that's how this Grilled Cheeseburger came into existence. 

Inspired by my favorite grown up grilled cheese, this burger edition just might be a game changer.  The burger itself is pretty similar to a patti melt, with two types of cheeses, plus a layer of sweet, delicious caramelized onions. 

Since this is quite the hearty indulgence, I created six smaller sandwiches by halving the larger pieces of italian bread and using smaller beef patties.  That's a moot point because I ended up eating two and a half of the sandwiches, but my intentions were good! 

Ingredients:

*1 lb. ground beef, 85% lean

* 6 pieces (depending on the size of the loaf) crusty italian bread, halved

* 4 oz. gruyere cheese, grated

*4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

* dijon mustard

* 1 onion, thinly sliced

* 2-4 tbsp. butter

* 1 tbsp. olive oil

Begin by caramelizing the onions.  Heat a skillet to medium heat and add olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter.  Add the onions and cook until golden brown, stirring often (about 15-20 minutes).  

Heat a griddle to medium high heat.  Divide the beef into six even patties (press them thin) and season each side with salt and pepper.  Add a tablespoon of butter to the griddle and then the beef patties.  Cook roughly 3 minutes per side, or until done. 

For the sandwiches, spread dijon mustard on one side of half of the bread slices (or all of the slices, if you're into mustard!).  Wipe down the griddle to remove any of the beef drippings, then add another tablespoon of butter.  Add all of the bread to the griddle, then divide the gruyere among half of the slices.  Top with a spoonful of caramelized onions, then the burgers, and top with cheddar cheese.  When the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is starting to melt, top the sandwiches with the second bread half and carefully flip, adding more butter to the griddle as needed.   Continue cooking until the cheese is completely melted.  Enjoy! 

Grilled Chicken Pitas with Homemade Greek Dressing

If you're looking for a healthy, simple weeknight meal, look no further than this delicious pita with homemade Greek dressing. 

I find myself craving Mediterranean and Greek food a lot.  With just a few ingredients you probably have on hand, you can easily whip up a super flavorful homemade dressing, which acts as both a marinade for the grilled chicken, as well as a dressing for the rest of the pita. 

In the pita, I added tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta, but it would also be great with olives, pepperoncini, or any of your favorite veggies. 

To make my weeknight cooking a little easier, I made the dressing in advance.  I also used about half of it to marinate the chicken, but you could also brush on the dressing while you grill the chicken if you don't have time to marinate it.  Keep in mind the olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator, so leave time for the dressing to come to room temperature when you're ready to serve. 

Ingredients:

Dressing:

*1/4 c. lemon juice (about 2 juicy lemons)

* 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

* 1/2 c. olive oil

* 1 garlic clove, grated (or very finely minced)

* 1 tsp. dried oregano

* salt, pepper

For assembly:

* pita bread

* grilled chicken

* chopped romaine

* chopped tomatoes

* chopped cucumbers

*feta cheese

To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a mason jar.  Shake vigorously until all ingredients are combined.  

To serve, toss dressing with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta.  Add to a warm pita, top with grilled chicken, and additional feta.  Enjoy! 

Weekend Update: Charleston

Hello and happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend and a chance to enjoy the impeccable weather.  I spent the weekend in Charleston on a ladies vacay with two of my best friends, Magen and Megan. 

The trip was everything I hoped for.  We enjoyed amazing meals, afternoon cocktails, perfect weather for exploring the streets, and of course made time for a bit of shopping. 

There's nothing better than traveling with Magen.  She's super organized and always knows the best hotels and restaurants.  She even brought party favors!  Magen knows i'm really cranky if I don't have my morning caffeine or a late night snack.  She came prepared with these adorable totes, filled with all of our favorite things (Coke, Dove Chocolates, Gatorade and Munchies!). 

As soon as we arrived, we headed to High Cotton for cocktails.  I had a cocktail with honey and fig infused vodka - I would highly recommend it! We also had a great cheese plate. 

For dinner, we went to Stars (I had to go back after a great experience last time I was in Charleston).  I had the lobster and grits - how great is this presentation?

Afterwords, we hit up Republic, which was a really awesome bar.  Outside there was a really fun band, and inside it was more of a clubby experience.  Best of both worlds!  I would recommend getting there a bit early (before 10).  By the time we left it was one in one out! 

Saturday we headed to King Street for some shopping!  I loved the Savannah Bee Company.  They have a huge selection of honey and you can taste them as well.  I picked up a jar of cheese honey - can't wait to use it! 

I like to buy local cookbooks when I travel as well.  After some serious thought, I went with Callie's Biscuits and Southern Traditions.  The recipes look phenomenal (homemade oatmeal cream pies anyone?).  I can't wait to try a few. 

Saturday night we headed to Fig for dinner. If you're a foodie, this should definitely be on your list when you visit Charleston.  Thankfully Magen knew how in demand it was - we made our reservations a month in advance and still had only a few slots to choose from.  That's what happens when the chef is a James Beard winner and also happened to cater Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' wedding I guess?

Fig absolutely lived up to the hype.  I ordered the Riccotta Gnocchi with Beef Bolognese and it was on another level.  They were like little cloud puffs in a decadent sauce! 

All in all I'd say it was a pretty fabulous trip.  Now back to work, here we go! 

Tangy Tomato Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Is there anything better than coming home to a hot meal, ready and waiting for you?  My husband gets to enjoy that quite often.  I, however, have to think ahead if I want to experience that luxury (love you anyway Mikey!).  

As such, I've been experimenting a lot with my slow cooker lately, and this pot roast recipe will be on repeat for us this winter.  Pot roast is the perfect cut of meat for the slow cooker because it's a larger size and doesn't dry out even when it's cooked all day.  I love a classic pot roast cooked in beef broth, but this tangy version, with a sweet and savory sauce of crushed tomatoes and apple cider vinegar,  is the perfect twist.  

Ingredients:

* 1 (2.5 lb.) pot roast

* 1 tbsp. olive oil

* 1 tbsp. butter

* 6 large carrots (I wash them but don't peel them)

* 3 celery stalks

* 2 onions, chopped

* 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

* 1 (14 oz.) can beef broth

*2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

*1 tbsp. brown sugar

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 bunch of thyme (5-6 sprigs)

* 2 garlic cloves, crushed

* salt, pepper

Heat a saute pan to medium high heat.  While the pan is heating, pat the meat dry and season it generously with salt and pepper.  Add butter and olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat.  Add the meat to the pan and brown it on all sides (about 1 minute per side).  

In the slow cooker, layer celery and carrots on the bottom of the pan.  Place the beef on top, then scatter onions through out.  In a bowl, whisk together crushed tomatoes, beef broth, cider vinegar and brown sugar.  Pour this mixture in the crock pot.  Add garlic cloves, bay leaf, and thyme to the pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.  Enjoy!