Improv: Parmesan Herb Zucchini

It's time for this month's Improv Challenge, hosted by Nichole of Cookaholic Wife. 

This month's ingredients were garlic and rosemary.  So many possibilities!  I am not a rosemary fan at all; it just tastes too much like pine needles to me.  But I still wanted to participate this month, so I made something with rosemary anyway.

I had recently seen a yummy looking zucchini recipe that I wanted to try.  According to Elle shared some zucchini that was baked with parmesan and herbs on top.  The photos are beautiful (unlike mine, lol! Having some camera issues at the moment), and I just couldn't wait to try it.  This challenge was the perfect opportunity.

Here is my version.

Parmesan Herb Zucchini

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, cut into ¼” slices
Olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
½ tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place zucchini slices on a rimmed baking sheet (I use stoneware).  Brush both sides lightly with olive oil (I actually used an olive oil spray).

In a small bowl, gently mix together the parmesan, garlic powder, and rosemary.  Put about 1 tsp of this mixture on top of each zucchini slice.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese begins to brown on top.  Remove and serve warm.

Makes 4 servings.

So since I'm not a huge rosemary fan, what I did was put rosemary on just a few of them, and for the others I used one of my favorite herb blends from Penzeys, Sunny Paris.  This would work well with any herb, fresh or dried.  I used garlic powder because I was out of fresh garlic, but fresh would be fine as long as it was very finely minced.  The garlic powder worked well for me; it was just the right amount of garlicky-ness I thought.

I was very pleased with this zucchini.  It was a nice change from simply sauteeing it or throwing it on the grill.  Zucchini has too much water in it to ever get really "crispy", but these did brown beautifully on the bottoms.  I had some that were about 1/2" thick and some that were 1/4" because I couldn't decide what would work better.  My zucchini were too big to slice in half lengthwise like According to Elle did.  So I thought slices were the way to go.  I ended up liking the 1/4" slices better.  They browned more on the bottoms and they edges got more browned and delish.

My husband and I both loved this zucchini.  Unfortunately, my kids aren't big zucchini fans, so they opted for baby carrots instead.  Their loss!  I can't wait to make this again.

Be sure to check out all the other great garlic and rosemary recipes below and come back next month to see what I make with sausage and mustard.  I already know what it is and I can't wait!

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All Whisked Up: Creamy Gruyere & Mustard Brussels Sprout Gratin

I was recently invited to join a new blogger group.  This one's all about Wisconsin.  It's called Wisconsin Whisk, and it's made up of bloggers from all over the lovely state of Wisconsin. I was flattered to be invited!

One of the fun things this group does is a monthly blog swap; pretty identical to The Secret Recipe Club that I was in for a long time.  I just love the concept of these challenges and I have discovered so many awesome recipes this way that I jumped at the chance to participate in this one.  It's called All Whisked Up.  

For this first month, I was assigned the blog Bowen Appetit.  Bowen Appetit is written by Bowen Close, who is one of the co-founders of Wisconsin Whisk.  Bowen is not just an awesome food blogger, she also teaches cooking classes.  How cool is that?  She has taught here in the Midwest and also in California.  And her experiences in cooking, teaching, and living cross-country really show through in her recipes.  Bowen loves to cook with seasonal, fresh ingredients that are put together in innovative ways.  I found so many scrumptious things in her recipe index that I wanted to try.  Since fall has most definitely arrived, her Sausage and Sauerkraut Stew with Dumplings really caught my eye.  My husband would just love me forever if I made that for him.  I also really want to try her Baked Eggs.  I love how you can use any kind of veggies in there.

But for this reveal, I had to try out her Brussels Sprout Gratin with Whole-Grain Mustard and Caramelized Onions.  Do you see what I mean about pairing ingredients in innovative ways?  I love the idea of cheese and mustard together; I did that a couple of months ago in my dipping sauce for some pretzel dogs.  But this has a completely different flavor profile with the Gruyere instead of cheddar.  It sounded so perfect for Brussels sprouts.  I happened to have some sprouts in the fridge, so I just needed the Gruyere and I was good to go.  Unfortunately, I had to leave off Bowen's beautiful bread crumb topping because my husband and I are eating low carb.  But this was so amazing that we didn't feel deprived in the least.  Here's my slight adaptation.

Creamy Gruyere & Mustard Brussels Sprout Gratin

Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz. grated Gruyere cheese
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
¼ cup caramelized onion
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Boil or steam Brussels sprouts  until they are slightly tender.  Drain well in a colander.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and cook a minute or so.  Slowly whisk in the heavy cream.  Increase heat; when it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and stir in the Gruyere and mustard.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary. 

Combine the Brussels sprouts, caramelized onions, and Gruyere sauce.  Pour into a small baking dish.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Let cool slightly before serving.  Garnish with additional grated Gruyere if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Wow, this was so amazing.  My mom was visiting for the weekend when I made it, so she got to enjoy it too. I actually made a separate veggie for my daughters, because I have not gotten them to appreciate Brussels sprouts just yet.  I usually roast them, and they are just not into it.  So I made them something else, but when I set the dish on the table, they were seriously enamored by the looks of it!  They both asked for some, and ate it, and loved it!  I was totally counting on having some leftovers, but nope!  The five of us scraped that dish clean!  

The Gruyere and the whole grain mustard were such an inspired combination.  I started with 1 tbsp of the mustard, and then added another half, but next time I will make it 2 tbsp.  It just really gives a great depth of flavor to the cheese sauce. 

You seriously need to try this deliciousness.  It would be awesome for Thanksgiving if you feel like trying something new this year. If you have no carb issues, hop over to Bowen's blog and get the details for making the breadcrumb topping.  While you're there, be sure to check out all the other great recipes she has to share with you.

Thank you, Bowen, for a great recipe!

Please take the time to visit my other Wisconsin blogger friends listed below!

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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

How about another great veggie side dish?  I've made this one several times this summer and it's always a big hit.  It has all the flavors of a loaded baked potato: cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream, but with far fewer carbs than a potato.  There are a million recipes for this around, but I decided to wing it and created this one on my own.

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup French onion dip (or sour cream)
4 strips microwave bacon, divided
Fresh chives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut cauliflower into small florets.  Place in a microwave-safe bowl, fill with water, and cover.  Microwave on high 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is somewhat tender. (I use my large Pampered Chef Microcooker for this.)  Drain well.  It helps to spread the cooked cauliflower out on a clean dish towel while you are preparing the other ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and onion dip.  (If using sour cream instead of onion dip, you might want to add a little onion powder for flavor.)  Crumble three strips of the bacon and add that to the cream cheese mixture, along with some freshly chopped chives (I don’t measure those).  Add the drained cauliflower and mix well, coating it all evenly.  Add ¾ cup of the cheddar cheese and toss again.

Pour mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup cheddar cheese and crumbled strip of bacon.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melty.  Remove from oven and garnish with additional chopped chives, if desired.  Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

Cheesy, bacony goodness.  Not your everyday veggie dish, but great for the times you want to indulge a little bit.  

This dish looks like an 8x8", but it's not. It's a bit smaller than that.  But I think this would work well in an 8x8".

I estimate this to be somewhere around 5 carbs per serving, but if you are a serious carb-counter, please calculate it yourself as ingredients may vary.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Patties

These yummy broccoli patties are a fantastic side dish I discovered today.  I saw them on Po' Man Meals and had to try them.  Glad I did!  They were a huge hit with my family.  I ended up changing them a bit.  Here's my adaptation.

Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Patties

Ingredients:
6 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
Salt
2 eggs, beaten
½ shallot, minced
1 tsp dried dill
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (from the can)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Place broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and then fill bowl with water.  Cover and cook on high for 4 minutes.  (I use the large Pampered Chef Microcooker.)  Drain well, then put broccoli in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much water out as you can.  Put broccoli in a food processor and pulse just a few times (4 was perfect for me), until the broccoli is slightly chopped up but still has small chunks.  Let broccoli cool slightly.

Combine egg, shallot, and dill in a large bowl.  Add the cooled broccoli and toss well.  Add the Panko and Parmesan and toss again.  Finally, mix in the cheddar cheese.

Spray a baking sheet with Pam (not necessary for stoneware, which is what I use).  Take a handful of the broccoli mixture and form it into a patty shape and lay it on the baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining broccoli.  I got 8 patties from my batch.

Place pan in preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Gently turn patties over and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown on both top and bottom.  Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings, 2 patties each.

My husband and I have been trying to cut back on carbs, so I've been getting more creative with vegetables lately, which is a very good thing.  Broccoli is one veggie my kids don't complain about, so I'm thrilled to have found a new way to serve it.  We love it roasted with simply oil and salt, but how can you go wrong adding cheddar cheese to it?  I cut way back on the Panko, but didn't omit it completely because I thought they might fall apart.  I recommend using the powdery Parmesan in the green can because it acts as a great binder (and is carb-free).  I might experiment using all Parmesan and no Panko.  It would reduce the carbs and make them gluten-free.

I used fresh broccoli instead of frozen.  The original recipe didn't call for pulsing the broccoli florets, but there was no way I was getting patties with the big chunks.  It just fell apart.  A little spin in the food processor solved the problem.

I served these with my Lemon-Soy Swordfish Fillets.  Forgot the avocado butter again!  I don't make swordfish often because it does not fit within my grocery budget, but I saw these the last time we went to Trader Joe's and decided to splurge. They were worth every penny!  My husband did an awesome job grilling them.  They're in the freezer section if you want to look for them.

I estimate these patties to be somewhere around 4 carbs each, but if you are a serious carb-counter, I encourage you to calculate your own nutrition info because ingredients and brands may vary.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Broccoli Apple Salad

What would you say if I told you there exists a salad with three different veggies, two different fruits, and some nuts that kids will not only eat, but like?  You would think I was crazy, right?  I would have thought so too until I made this awesomeness this week.  I cooked lunch for my daughters' school on Friday and had planned to make those little ham and cheese sliders on the Kings Hawaiian rolls. But I couldn't decide what to serve with them.  I could have been boring and just done carrot sticks or something, but I wanted to be a little more creative than that.  I did some Pinterest research and found this gem from the blog on Super Healthy Kids.  Are you familiar with that site? They have all kinds of neat ideas on there.  If you cook for kids, I encourage you to check it out.

This salad was so perfect for the school lunch.  Shredded broccoli (stems), carrots, and red cabbage with chopped apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds for crunch.  Poppyseed dressing is a convenient and delicious way to tie it all together.  While this salad is tasty, its beauty is a real asset to it.  I love how colorful it is: pale green from the broccoli, bright orange from the carrots, bright pops of red from the cranberries and apple skins (I highly recommend using red apples for this reason), and even the tiny little dots of the black poppyseeds are nice.  

Broccoli Apple Salad

Ingredients:
6 cups broccoli slaw
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup poppyseed dressing
6 cups apples, cored and chopped (not peeled)
½ cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Put broccoli slaw in a large bowl.  Add the cranberries and poppyseed dressing and toss to combine.  Chop the apples; add each cup to the broccoli mixture as you chop it.  Tossing them with the dressing will keep the apples from browning.  After all apples have been added, toss well, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, add the sliced almonds, and toss a final time.

Makes about 14 cups.

Can you believe how easy this is?  I had never bought the broccoli slaw before, but I had seen it and knew where to find it (in the produce section with the bagged salads).  It made this so easy and fast.  

I love how it can be prepped ahead of time.  I debated on whether or not to add the apples in the morning because I was afraid they would brown.  But I saw that the poppyseed dressing contained vinegar, so I gave it a shot.  They didn't brown one bit in the 2 or so hours until lunch, and I just checked my leftovers in the fridge and still no browning.  The salad is just as beautiful today as it was yesterday.  The reason I held off on adding the almonds is because I thought the dressing might soften them a little bit.  To make it even healthier, you can use "light" poppyseed dressing.

I will admit one thing, however: I just called this "Apple Salad" to the kids at lunch.  Since the shredded broccoli stems are so pale green, I figured the kids (at least the younger ones) wouldn't realize it was broccoli.  And if they don't know (or think) there is broccoli in it, they will be more willing to try it.  It was definitely well received. I can't say that every kid loved it, but I know lots of them ate all of what I gave them.  That's success in my book!  And the teachers and my husband loved it too.  Bonus!  

Here's a close-up.  Isn't it just gorgeous?

(The camera on my phone really rocks!)

I'm so glad I found this recipe.  This will make an awesome potluck dish.  It is gluten-free, and dairy-free, and vegan as long as the poppyseed dressing you choose is vegan.  I used Marzetti, which is not vegan because it contains egg yolk, but I saw the Ken's does not.  So perfect for all those summer get-togethers and potlucks!

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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Improv: Asparagus Cheese Tart

There are two things I didn't realize until I went to type up this post. 1. I haven't posted since last month's Improv Challenge.  Oops! It's been a long time since I went a whole month without posting. But Lent/Holy Week/Easter is a super busy time of year for pastors' families and time just got away from me. 2. I missed my blogiversary. :(  Whoops.  March 29th was the 8th anniversary of my blog.  No fanfare this year!  Maybe I will remember next year.

So onto this month's Improv Challenge.  The premise of the Improv Challenge is easy: each month there are two assigned ingredients.  The participants must make a recipe using both ingredients and blog about it.   

This month's assigned ingredients were asparagus and egg.  Lovely spring ingredients.  I love asparagus, but I rarely experiment with it.  I have seen lots of yummy-looking asparagus recipes, but I love it so much just simply roasted with olive oil and kosher salt, that I have never strayed too much from that.  I did make a new asparagus dish for Easter, though.  The asparagus was wrapped in herbed goat cheese and prosciutto.  It was really good and kind of fancier for a special occasion.  But since it didn't involve eggs, I couldn't use it for Improv.  I did a Google image search for "asparagus and egg" and wanted to try every single dish I saw!  Oh man, there are so many yummy things you can do with asparagus and eggs.  I almost went with a dish that involved polenta, bacon, asparagus, and a poached egg on top.  I still want to make that, but decided to go with something a little simpler.  I have had this recipe from Food Network Magazine pinned for like 2 years.  I had two firsts in making it: I had never made a savory tart before (maybe not even a sweet one at that), and I had never used puff pastry before.  Even so, it seemed like an easy recipe with big "wow" factor; right up my alley!

Asparagus Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

½ - 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed

Olive oil

Kosher salt

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Flour, for dusting

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp milk

1 cup grated smoked gouda (3 oz.)

1 cup grated comte (3 oz.)

½ tsp Fox Point Seasoning or shallot salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Put asparagus on a baking sheet and lightly coat with olive oil.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.  Roast in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, sprinkle a small amount of flour on a cutting board.  Roll puff pastry into a 10x15” rectangle.  Sprinkle a little more flour on a baking sheet and carefully transfer the puff pastry to the baking sheet.  Prick several times with a fork.  When the asparagus is done, put puff pastry in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.  Remove and let cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, milk, cheeses, and seasoning.  When puff pastry has cooled slightly, spread the cheese mixture out on to it, leaving a 1” border.  Arrange the asparagus spears on top of the cheese mixture, as many as you can fit on there.  Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until puff pastry is puffed and golden.  

Cut into pieces using a sharp pizza cutter.

Makes 8 servings.

 The puff pastry after rolling out.  I didn't do a perfect job of rolling it out, so one edge was a little "rustic".  Rolling things out is not my forte.  I used my stoneware for baking.  You can put parchment underneath the dough if you are worried about it sticking, but mine was fine with a little flour.

 After pre-baking for 12 minutes.

 These are the cheeses I used.  I had never even heard of Comte, let alone cooked with it before.  I was going to use something else instead, but then I just happened to see it at Trader Joe's when we were there over Spring Break.  It's a harder cheese like Parmesan.  I used my Microplane to grate it, while I used my box grater on the smoked gouda.  If you don't have Fox Point, you can use shallot salt, or fresh minced shallots and some salt.  I was going to use fresh shallots, but I forgot I was out.  So the Fox Point was the next best thing.  I love the little bits of green flecks it created in the finished product. 

 I looks like scrambled eggs, I know.  But it's the cheese mixture.

I forgot to get one after I laid the asparagus on there.  The original recipe called for a whole pound of it, but I only used about half.  My asparagus stalks were super skinny, so there were lots of them in that pound.  I could have squeezed some more in, but I was happy with it the way it was.  Use as much as you like.

 I thought it was very pretty coming out of the oven.  One of those "looks harder than it really is" kind of dishes.

I cut it into 8 squares.  

This is so yummy!  The cheeses blend together really well and are just perfect.  You can use different cheeses of course.  The original recipe also suggested fontina and gruyere.  

I know that the egg wasn't really prominent in this dish, but it played a very important role and I'm glad I picked this recipe for Improv this month.  I would have loved to have shared this in time for Easter, but I guess you'll have to hold on it until next Easter.  :)

Be sure to check out all the other great asparagus and egg recipes below and come back next month to see what I make with cilantro and lime.  

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Easy Creamy Corn

Okay, this recipe is so easy that it's almost a non-recipe, and I feel silly sharing it, but I am anyway. I had been looking for a simple creamy corn recipe for a while, and tried a slow cooker one a while back that I loved, but then I lost the recipe. So I just kind of threw this together on a whim a couple of weeks ago and I loved the results.

Easy Creamy Corn

Ingredients:
1-2 oz. cream cheese
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained well
1 tsp Fox Point (or Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb Seasoning)

Directions:
Place cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 15-30 seconds at 50% power to soften. Add corn and Fox Point (or Mrs. Dash) and stir well.  Microwave for another minute or until corn is warmed through. Garnish with additional seasoning, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

See how easy it is? And it's so yummy. I love serving corn with any main dish involving barbecue sauce: pulled pork sandwiches, Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Barbecue Beef and Bean Cups, etc.  Barbecue and corn just go so well together. We love fresh corn on the cob in the summertime, but the rest of the year we have to make do with canned or frozen. I personally prefer canned, as I find the frozen can get chewy sometimes. But this recipe could be made with either. And you can use fresh corn cut off the cob in the summertime, although we love it so much just the way it is that I can't imagine adding extra stuff to it.  If you want to use frozen, I would suggest thawing it thoroughly, then patting it dry before adding it to the cream cheese. You don't want it to get too runny.

I put "1-2 oz." as the quantity for cream cheese because I used 2 and I think it might have been a little too creamy for some people. I will probably try 1.5 oz. next time. I know that's an awkward amount to measure out though.  (I love my digital scale, so no problem for me.)  The picture above is with 2 oz., so if that looks good to you, go for it.  This is easy to customize to your preferences.

The first time I made this, I simply dumped all the ingredients into a Little Dipper (2 cup slow cooker).  That was okay, but it causes more liquid to release from the corn and it was considerably waterier than the microwave method. And since the microwave method takes 5 minutes or less, I don't see the advantage to using a slow cooker.

In case you are not familiar, Fox Point is one of Penzey's most amazing blends. It consists of salt, freeze-dried shallots, chives, garlic, onion, and green peppercorns. It is so good.  It is absolutely perfect in this corn, but if you don't have a Penzey's nearby and haven't yet made an online order, I think the onion and garlic variety of Mrs. Dash would work well too and that is found in the regular grocery store. I haven't tried it that way, but I think it would be good.

Corn is quite popular at my house; my four-year-old would probably eat a whole can if I let her.  While my kids love it plain, it is fun to "jazz" it up every once in a while.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Mary Poppins

by P.L. Travers

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

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SRC: Butternut Squash Gratin with Goat Cheese and Bacon

It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club! The Secret Recipe Club is a group of food bloggers who secretly make one of someone else's dishes and post them all on the same day at the same time.  It's really fun, choosing a recipe to make, making the recipe, then reading about everyone else's recipes.  It's a great way to "meet" other bloggers and check out some great blogs that you never knew about before.    

This month I was assigned a blog I know and love, Cupcake Muffin, written by Sara.  I've had Sara's blog on my blog reader for a while now. I love her stuff.  I have even made two of her recipes before.  My Dark Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffins with Chocolate Streusel were adapted from Sara's Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins.  And I made her Indian-Spiced Spinach to go with my SRC pick for September, Potato Chops.  

Did anyone else feel like November just flew by?  I did!  I was working on my Thanksgiving menu when I finally got the chance to sit down and peruse Sara's blog for my assignment this month.  I knew that we would be posting after Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't help including one of her lovely dishes on my Thanksgiving table this year.  Not to worry, though, because this dish would be equally amazing for a Christmas dinner.  Her Butternut Squash Gratin with Goat Cheese and Bacon looked irresistible to me.  Every Thanksgiving I make my family's favorite Sweet Potato Casserole, but I decided to give it a break this year in favor of this awesome butternut squash gratin.  I broke the news gently to my husband, who made me promise to make the sweet potatoes some other time this coming month.  But I think he forgot all about them once he tried this squash gratin.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Goat Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients:

8 cups cubed butternut squash (½” cubes)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

Kosher salt

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 shallots, minced

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

4 oz. goat cheese

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet (or divide between 2 baking sheets) and toss with 2 tbsp of oil, Kosher salt, and smoked paprika.  Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until squash is slightly tender.  Remove from oven and place squash in a medium mixing bowl.  Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat and sauté the shallot until it becomes translucent and tender.  Add shallot and chopped bacon to the butternut squash.  Crumble the goat cheese into the squash mixture and mix well.  If the squash is still warm, the goat cheese will melt, which is fine.  

Pour squash mixture into a 1.5 – 2 quart baking dish.  Drizzle with the heavy cream and top with the chopped pecans.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

This dish made a beautiful addition to my Thanksgiving table this year.

 It fit in perfectly next to the Brussels sprouts and the rolls.

I know this is not a great picture, but it's the only one I managed to snap of the gratin plated up before it totally disappeared!  The goat cheese melted as I stirred it into the warm butternut squash cubes.  I wasn't really expecting that, but I think it worked out really well that way.  

This gratin was so amazing.  It really has a little bit of everything going on: sweet, smoky, tangy, salty, creamy, and crunchy.  It is truly a delight for the senses!  I really loved how it was decidedly savory, despite the sweetness of the squash.  People have a tendency to make butternut squash (and sweet potatoes) even sweeter with brown sugar and cinnamon, etc, but I love finding recipes that make them savory.  I made a few tweaks to Sara's recipe.  First, I changed the flavor profile slightly by using smoked paprika instead of sage.  My family are not huge sage fans and I am more than a little obsessed with smoked paprika.  It just goes so well with butternut squash!  The only other thing I changed was to use shallots instead of leeks.  My husband really doesn't like leeks, and I wanted him to love this dish, so I used shallots instead.  It was a good call because he definitely did love this dish.

I think he's in trouble, though, because I would love to make this every. single. Thanksgiving. from now on!

Please don't wait until next Thanksgiving to make this dish!  It would be a great addition to your Christmas dinner.  Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe, Sara!

Be sure to check out all the other great SRC recipes below.  Group A is taking a break in January, so our next posting will be the first Monday in February.

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Pizza Hummus

Yesterday I mentioned the game night we had with our kids last month.  I served party-type appetizers for dinner, fooling my kids into thinking they were having fun food for dinner instead of an actual healthy meal.  But what they didn't realize is that the meal was pretty darn healthy with tons of veggies and beans.  Sneaky mom!  Yesterday I shared the BLT Pinwheels we had.  They definitely aren't the healthiest things in the world as they do contain bacon and mayo, but they did trick my four-year-old into eating tomatoes and lettuce, neither of which she would normally eat.  I also served this awesome hummus, Pizza Hummus!  What is pizza hummus, you ask?  It's hummus that kinda tastes like pizza.  It has all of the usual hummus ingredients, including chickpeas and tahini, but you also blend in some tomato paste and pizza seasonings.  It really does taste like pizza.  It's slightly adapted from Food Network.

Pizza Hummus

Ingredients:

¼ cup + 2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, ½ cup liquid reserved

¼ cup tahini

¼ cup water

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and puree using stick blender.  Taste for seasoning, adding more pizza seasoning or more olive oil if desired.

Makes about 4 cups.

Easy peasy!  The original recipe called for sauteing the tomato paste and the pizza seasoning together in the oil, and I tried it that way, but won't do it in the future.  I don't think it added that much to the flavor, and the dried herbs turned really dark.  Next time I will just blend all the ingredients together.  I also added more tomato paste because I wanted it to have a nice strong flavor.  This was perfect.

This is the pizza seasoning I used.  Penzey's of course!  They recently came out with this Frozen Pizza Seasoning and it is meant for "sprucing up" a frozen pizza.  We don't eat frozen pizza, but I have been using this stuff on all kinds of other things.  In this pic I was using it for Pepperoni Rolls (recipe coming soon).  If you don't have this, you might be able to find a pizza seasoning at the grocery store.  Otherwise use your favorite Italian Seasoning, or 2 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil.

 My husband and kids LOVED this stuff.  I served it with fresh veggies, but if you were making this for a party or for watching football or something, it would be good on any kind of crackers.  I had it with some little garlic bread-type snacks and that was awesome too.  This stuff was such a hit that the tray was raided in a matter of seconds when I set it on the table.  I put it down (looking just like this pic above), and turned around to get the BLT Pinwheels, and when I came back, this is what I saw:

 Wow!  They were a bit excited to try this, I guess!

My six-year-old Lena, digging right in!  You can see that I did not even have time to get myself a plate yet!

So if you're looking for a great way to sneakily get your kids to eat more veggies, give this dip a try.

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