butternut squash

Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

I’ve been making this easy vegetable lasagna for years. It’s layered with a smooth butternut squash puree, shiitake mushrooms, a creamy white sauce, and melty cheese to make an irresistible layered lasagna noodle you’ll love digging into.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It’s not even Christmas yet and I’ve already been looking toward the new year and listing out a few of the goals I plan to hit next year.

One of the biggies in my new year goal making sessions is to eat more meatless meals. It’s easy for me to do for breakfast and lunch, but where I tend to run into a road block is when I make meatless dinners because that’s not exactly my husband’s idea of a meal. But I’ve found it’s a whole lot easier to convince the family to join me on my veggie train when I’m serving dishes like this vegetable-loaded lasagna where nobody ever misses the meat.

I used to make this vegetable lasagna every.single.year when I hosted the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served vegetarian. We were an animal rescue, not an animal eatery.

So did anyone (aka my husband) miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this Italian dinner recipe is completely delicious! That, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt to convince any doubting Thomas too.continue to the recipe… about Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Simple vegetarian soups are easy to come by, but this healthy curried lentil soup recipe serves a purpose, too.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

My best friend is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. She is a PhD. She is a dreamer. She is a CEO. She is an avid, and I mean AVID animal rescuer. She travels, she mentors, she’s curious, she’s beautiful, she loves mimosas, and in business and in life, she is the ultimate planner.

And my best friend has Stage 4 Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer.

Wait. Hold up. This is not part of Kim’s plan.

Stage 4. Cancer. Those words…they’re so scary to hear. I have no idea what it’s like to live with them banging about in your brain, rattling your heart, day in and day out.

Ironically, I received her call about the cancer diagnosis on a Saturday morning while at a Kroger retreat in Detroit. She had been to the doctor the day before. She told me the cancer was back. She told me she wished that five years ago her insurance would have allowed her to have the double mastectomy she wanted, instead of just the one she did have. I’ll never forget that phone call as I paced the floor, talking to Kim, my head spinning out and my heart breaking for my friend.

And now, here I am, sharing our story and a very special recipe in a post sponsored by Kroger’s Sharing Courage breast cancer awareness program for women, their families, and their support systems. And each and every one of them are very important stories to tell.continue to the recipe… about Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

One of the best features of the Instant Pot pressure cooker is when vegetables like butternut squash can go from gourd to gourmet in just 3 minutes cooking time. Who doesn’t have time for that?

You guys asked for more Instant Pot recipes besides those in my archives, and I’m here to deliver.

This Instant Pot butternut squash is a staple in my meal prep, and a recipe I make all of the time. Sure it tastes great, but even more, it’s so incredibly quick and easy to cook, there’s simply no excuse NOT to make it.

Easy side dishes give life to any meal. They’re that extra something that rounds out the plate and should add a bit more healthy to it too. I’ve always been one who would rather have a dish of three sides than anything else on the menu. Give me a bite of everything, because I can’t stand to leave any taste out.

This ridiculously easy butternut squash recipe can be a simple side to the main meal, or added to salads, rice or grain bowls, or used in recipes like these beef and butternut enchiladas.

Either way you cube it, smash it, blend it, or beat it, butternut squash cooked in the pressure cooker is the quick and easy way to go.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

Spinach Salad with Turkey and Spiralized Apples and Butternut Squash

Leftover turkey breast shines in this spinach salad with spiralized butternut squash and apple in a sesame-tinged dressing for a full meal dinner or super easy and delicious lunch with mega crunch.

There’s nothing better than helping someone in need, and if you’ve ever had a newborn, you know you need all the help you can get. So when Ali of the food blog Inspiralized asked me if I’d be interested in sharing a recipe on her site while she was on maternity leave, I said yes in a heartbeat, because sharing recipes is a whole lot more fun than changing diapers.

The Inspiralizer has become one of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets because it inspires healthful eating and makes regular old veggies and fruits look totally unique. Plus, it’s really kind of fun to use. If you don’t have one yet, you really should add it to your wish list.

It’s no secret that Ali is an Inspiralizer genius and her two cookbooks are proof in the curly-cued veggie pudding and they’ve inspired me to share this Thai Zucchini Noodle and Quinoa Salad recipe as well as this Caprese Zucchini Salad recipe from her first cookbook.

Now, from her second cookbook, Inspiralize Everything, I’m sharing this totally unique spin (literally) on what to make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Because you can only eat so many turkey and stuffing sandwiches before the scale totally tips in the wrong direction.

About This Spinach Salad

This salad is the epitome of fall salads and is totally filling all on its own. It’s fresh flavors and veggie crunch will absolutely pull you out of your post-Thanksgiving Day rut, but because I love baking a turkey breast for my daughter’s weekly school lunches (this is my favorite way to bake an always juicy turkey breast) I can make this salad any old time I want.

Spiralized vegetables and fruit are an easy and healthful way to get in your daily 5-a-day in and with this salad, you’ll only have one left to add in.continue to the recipe… about Spinach Salad with Turkey and Spiralized Apples and Butternut Squash

Harvest Squash and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Busy nights call for easy recipes and once harvest time has hit, it’s time to slink into comfort food territory. These stuffed shells with zucchini, butternut, and yellow squash baked in a creamy white alfredo sauce couldn’t be easier to prep and are even easier to crave.

This recipe is brought to you by McCormick

I’ve been working hard on my meal planning skills and trying to pay a lot more attention to food waste. What I’ve discovered is I waste way too much food. I do my weekly Farmers Market shopping with the best of intentions of cooking and eating up all I buy, but what family of three can truly eat 4 pounds of peaches, 10 gorgeous bell peppers and a bakers dozen of fresh sweet corn in just one week?

So when I’m in a funk of what to pull out of my back-to-school-weeknight-dinner-making hat, I head to my fridge and rummage through the crisper drawer to capture any veggies, lettuces or fruits that are just shy of taking a turn for the worst.

And that’s how today’s recipe puts last week’s farmer’s market find of zucchini and yellow squash on the top of my meal planning list.

continue to the recipe… about Harvest Squash and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker)

Tender chuck roast pairs with classic stew veggies and butternut squash in this healthy fall stew made easy in the Instant Pot, pressure cooker or slow cooker.

If there’s one addition to my kitchen that I can’t quit raving about, it’s my Instant Pot, the slow cooker/pressure cooker/steamer and more 7-in-one cooker I’ve become a die hard fan of. I think it’s probably been my favorite topic of conversation since the first snowflake fell this winer and it was tops on my list for holiday gift giving.

So what is it that I love about the Instant Pot? It saves me valuable time in the kitchen, helped minimize my collection of duplicate appliances, and has made meal planning a habit I’m actually becoming a fan of.

If you haven’t become an Insta Pot loyalist yet, join the bunch of us that are. Isn’t it time to save yourself some time in the kitchen, too?continue to the recipe… about Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker)

Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

Creamy, crunchy, and with mild Mexican flavors, this healthy kale salad with roasted butternut squash is a favorite for lunch, dinner and potlucks alike.

This past fall I was with a group of fantabulous blogging friends at the Better Blog Retreat in Deer Valley, UT. It’s a 3-day and night affair hosted by me and my friend Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod where we all brainstorm, share and inspire one another on how to improve our blogs, aka our businesses, and make them, well…better.

And given it’s a food blogging retreat, naturally we eat really, really well.continue to the recipe… about Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

These enchiladas are the best, and they’re such an easy meal to prep ahead, with slow cooked beef and roasted butternut squash, they’re delicious and ready to serve in no time.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

For the past few months, I’ve been focusing on creating meals that take a little more planning, and doing a lot more batch cooking when I use my weekly meal planner. It’s led to our whole family eating dinners that are far less stressful, a little healthier, and far more budget friendly.

I was shocked at how much we’ve saved from not going out to eat as much now that there’s quick meals in the refrigerator that are ready to roll.

So when Kroger asked me to create a holiday recipe I immediately went into time- and money-saving mode.

We all have so much going on during the holidays that having a quick and easy meal on hand means holiday cheers-ing is a whole lot easier to enjoy. This Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas recipe checks all the boxes on my Christmas wish list.

And even better, you’ll want to keep it around all year long.continue to the recipe… about Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Sheet pan roasted chicken breasts, butternut squash and red onion served with black beans, brown rice and guacamole make this a healthy meal in a bowl that is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.

This post is in partnership with Wholly Guacamole

Hey rockstar! Who’s ready to make beautiful music in the kitchen with me?

This is one of those recipes that you’ll be applauding all week long. Why? Because it’s healthy, super simple, it’s perfect for meal planning to pull together for a simple dinner and you can take it on the road for lunch at work or school.

And because it’s healthy, loaded with protein and good for you ingredients, you just might be able to fit into those skinny leather jeans after all. How many rock ‘n roll references can we compose in this post? Let’s just take note (DOH! another one!) and see.continue to the recipe… about Roasted Chicken, Butternut Squash and Guacamole Rice Bowls

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This easy, cheesy Mexican casserole recipe with salsa verde makes it simple to serve a nutritious dinner for a crowd on even the busiest of weeknights.

Arrrrrriba! This year I’m happy to share recipes created as a Kroger blogging ambassador, where I will featuring all sorts of products from Kroger grocery stores for my family, and for yours including this festive dish aimed squarely at celebrations for Cinco de Mayo.

But even before our South of the border bash was a 🎉 festiva in our eye 🎉, my Smudge decided an impromptu sleepover with her gal pals was in order.

Also in order? An easy dinner that would feed a crowd. Even the picky ones.

This chicken enchilada bake totally delivered, with one of my favorite tricks added right in to it: I snuck a little healthy in.

continue to the recipe… about Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Farro, Butternut Squash, Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing

Farro, a healthy whole grain, adds a nutty bite to stuffing’s traditional flavors with sausage, butternut squash and sage with a sweet taste of dried cherries.

This post and its bountiful Thanksgiving flavors is sponsored by Jones Dairy Farm.

At my house it’s called stuffing.

Drunk with chicken stock, brimming with celery, onion, and butter, and perfumed with sage, this bread concoction is always cooked in the bird and comes out supremely moist. Yes, I did say “moist.” Moist. Moist. Moist. It’s how I prefer my stuffing.

At your house you may refer to it as dressing.

To me dressing delivers a dryer bite. Something maybe even a little crunchy. A bit more austere, perhaps even a little stark.

Not like my beloved stuffing. It’s my favorite part of the feast.continue to the recipe… about Farro, Butternut Squash, Sausage and Dried Cherry Stuffing

Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

This easy to make flatbread pizza features ribbons of sweet potato and a tangle of caramelized onions overtop a bed of ricotta cheese, and gets finished with fresh herbs and feta. Enjoy as an appetizer or a main meal.

Some people (meat loving carnivores) get hung up on the illusion there must be a meat protein in a meal to make it “real”. I’m looking at you, husband.

This pizza just bunked that notion.

It also bunked the notion that a pizza has to be round. Or that it needs a sauce. No, no, no, it doesn’t. Your taste buds can’t tell what free-form shape delivery system of food starts as and with so many layers of flavor you’ll never miss a messy sauce.

Shortcuts like store-bought naan and caramelized onions that are made before hand take the work out of cooking this meal.

Welcome to Monday pizza night ala Meatless Monday that comes together in a hurry. And greetings to loving every minute of it.continue to the recipe… about Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

This hearty vegetarian soup of chickpeas, kale, butternut squash and potatoes gets it’s exotic flair from the vibrant Moroccan spices of saffron, cumin and cinnamon and is so easy to make.

Happy to the new, to the year, to you!

Let’s start off the new year exactly where we should, with a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you readers. Cheers to your eyeballs, graciously deep bows for your desires to peruse this blog, and high fives for making recipes that are featured here. I wouldn’t be here without you, and, why would I want to be? It would be mighty lonely around here if you weren’t in it here with me.

Whiz, bang, boom. 2014 seems to have come and gone in the wink of an eye. Or was it just that jolly old man in the red and white suit? Either way, 2015 is already shaping up to be fit for a king.

But wait? Who wants to be some old, rolly-polly bully who sloths about his castle draped in old furs while wielding turkey legs and brandishing silver goblets of the most expensive wine as servants attend to his every whim.

Maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture here because that actually doesn’t sound half bad.

But no! This year we’re going to keep things balanced. We’re going to rely on our instincts, on our guts, and make the most of every bite of fresh, ultra-flavorful food to nourish our bellies and our souls.

continue to the recipe… about Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

Miso Roasted Butternut Squash

Welcome to this month’s #eatseasonal post! November has arrived and so has my cravings for sharing food and festivities with those I love.

This month’s #eatseasonal theme is centered around the Thanksgiving dinner table, with virtual Thanksgiving potluck from a bevy of food bloggers contributing dishes to accent your family faves. We’ve all been gathered again by our fearless #eatseasonal leader, Becky of The Vintage Mixer who spreads her love of eating fresh, local and always delicious to all with her monthly list of what’s seasonal now. Check out her November post for her illustrated list and free desktop or phone screen savers for a handy reminder of what’s good and great now. And this month when you make or something in season, tag your seasonal produce and recipe pics #EatSeasonalHoliday on Instagram so we can all join in on the sharing.

So, what’s on tap for seasonal eats in November?

continue to the recipe… about Miso Roasted Butternut Squash

Friday Faves and a Reader Survey

One thing I love about my job is the diversity.

One day I’m shooting food for clients I love and consulting on magazine design for clients. The other days I’m designing cookbooks and creating food bloggers new ebook projects (stay tuned!) plus plotting and planning the next issue of FoodieCrush magazine (January 2015!)

This week I’m also working on surviving Mercury in retrograde thanks to these tips. I’m keeping a watchful eye on all of my computers and electronics (back up your databases folks!), taking things with a grain of salt (that’s okay that you forgot my dinner order!) and thinking twice about making big purchases (but I really NEED the iPhone 6!)

I’m also relishing my renewed enthusiasm to push myself and the blog in new directions.

That’s why I’m hoping you’ll help me out by giving me feedback on what you like most—and least—about FoodieCrush and what you’d like to see more—and less of—by taking this quick survey.

After hearing what you have to say I’ll be better in tune with what you want to see on FoodieCrush—and what you don’t.

Thanks in advance for taking time out of your busy day to help me make this a better, more interesting and more inspirational spot on the web for you to visit. I appreciate all of you even more than buttercream frosting and chicken pot pie.

And now, let’s get to those Friday Faves!

continue to the recipe… about Friday Faves and a Reader Survey

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

One of my favorite parts about cooking is gathering inspiration from different sources and then bringing them together into one, big recipe creating party.

Normally, salads can have the tendency to be predictable, maybe even a bit boring. But if I’m going to sell my husband on the idea that a salad for dinner once a week so we can become part of #meatlessmonday, the salad needs to be hearty and full of flavor.

Wish me luck.

I’d say this kale salad recipe is the perfect example of recent inspiration to hit me over the head when the first bite hit my tongue, meets the jogging of my ever-failing memory thanks to my ever-persistent seasonal cravings and my extreme talents of blog bookmarking and cookbook post-it note tagging.

I have mad skills that way.

So where’s all this inspiration stemming from?

continue to the recipe… about Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

Easy White Bean Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash

I bet you know somebody like this. You can pick them out the first time you meet them. They’re that person who can remember the good and the bad of each and every event that has happened in their life.

They’re that friend who always remembers and retells that story (over and over) about that one time you all went to that one party and you met that one guy who said that one thing and made you all laugh really, really, really hard and it made that one girl pee her pants.

You remember don’t you?

No I don’t. And I’m okay with that.

The older I get, I’m beginning to believe that in some ways, having a terrible long-term memory makes me a lucky person.

Easy White Bean Chicken Chili on foodiecrush.com

continue to the recipe…

Autumn Couscous Salad

Salads seem like such a summer thing, but I’m bucking the perception with my version of one of my favorite fall salads. Say hello to butternut squash and fall flavors touched by a tart pucker in my ode to Whole Foods Market’s Autumn Couscous Salad.

The view from the window of my old day job, the window I stared out day in and day out as I daydreamed about working for myself one day (hey! it happened!), looked down from my 3rd floor encasement and across the street to the comings and goings of a bustling Whole Foods Market.

Having a spot right across the street to make my morning coffee grab and go, (“Who wants to make a coffee run?”) then at about 12:10 p.m. take a quick, 5 minute walk for a spin at the salad bar, (“Who brought? Nobody? Cool, let’s make a run across the street,”) and sometimes a stretch of the legs for a late afternoon sweet treat, (“Hey! They’re giving out samples of Ruby Snaps, hustle it up,”) made my work days somehow bearable.

continue to the recipe… about Autumn Couscous Salad

Southwestern Vegetable Hash and Friday Faves

The weather is cooling down which makes my craving for a spicy breakfast heat up. And that means my hearty Southwest Vegetarian Hash is force to be reckoned with.

Fall sweaters, new skinny pants and way too high shooties (shoe/booties, how very clever of the shoe marketers) have led me to my desire to “do brunch.”

I’m all for taking this show on the road, as in to a great local restaurant where they do the cooking and I don’t have to.

But Smudge will have no part of it. She wants to eat at home. Who created this homebody?

So when we do, it’s time to eat farm to table as all of the trendy restaurant PR geeks have advised their restaurant clients to do. With seasonal ingredients in varying combos to switch up the daily routine.continue to the recipe… about Southwestern Vegetable Hash and Friday Faves

Baked Eggs in Stuffed Peppers Plus Friday Faves

Why is it that food seems more special when it’s served in its own edible vessel? Spaghetti tacos, cupcake ice cream cones, heirloom tomato salad in frico cups, and any fruity drink served in a pineapple. Okay, maybe it’s the umbrella that gives that piña colada an extra panache.

Which got me to thinking about breakfast. But really, what else is new? Baked Eggs in Stuffed Sweet Peppers. That’s my new jam.

While I love my breakfast stratas and French toasts — baked with bananas and chocolate chips, stuffed with Mascarpone cheese or baked in little cups with sausage — this go around calls for something a little more special.

Cue the special, edible vessel.

continue to the recipe… about Baked Eggs in Stuffed Peppers Plus Friday Faves

Roasted Butternut Squash Butter Lettuce Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Let’s talk about getting skinny. Ugh. The worst. Maybe we shouldn’t.

It’s been a winter of cocooning, hibernating and grazing. What else is one to do when its been one of the coldest and snowiest on record? We need to keep warm, right? we need strength to push the shovel through another 8 inches of snow. And what does that better than a little extra girth easily hidden—and ignored—under long sweaters and puffy coats? Ah, thank the Lord for the style Goddesses.

Well guess what peeps? The groundhog spoke and the style Goddesses listened and spring is right around the corner. Time to lose the bulk and take a look at those pops of colors and short shorts.

Last week I asked my Facebook peeps what you’d like to see more of on the blog: More ooey gooey or more healthy recipes? Your answer? Pretty much straight down the middle.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Butternut Squash Butter Lettuce Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili

Seasonal is the new black.

Everywhere you look and everything you hear is all about eating and cooking farm to table, with what’s fresh and in season. Add to this foodie phenom a plethora of fall squash—not just your everyday butternut or spaghetti—and I’m seeing some serious foodie cravings.

It seems that there’s a bigger demand for recipes that include non-run-of-the-mill varietals and cooks who are ready to experiment with easy recipes, like these two that I found in my tweet feed within minutes of one another for Kabocha squash: Pistachio-Dusted Kabocha Squash from Turntable Kitchen and La Fuji Mama’s Simmered Kabocha Squash in Miso.

I’m squashing my squash craving (doh!) with this recipe I whipped up thanks to some gourds and pasilla peppers pulled from the garden before the first frost. It makes for a super easy party with friends.

These are the steps: Make it, heat it and serve it.

No last minute fuss, throw out a few bowls, some sliced baguette for dipping and you have time to sip a glass and visit with guests—the antithesis of my normal party-prep frenzy. I’m thinking the recipes was a success, given that I had 3 people asking for it.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili