kabocha squash hummus w/ avocado oil drizzle & roasted sesame seeds

gotta love me some hummus, especially when it involves squash!  you might ask, "why did i use kabocha instead of butternut or acorn?"  well, the simple answer is b/c i had a kabocha squash that desperately needed to be put to good use.

and so i pulled out my handy little cuisinart hand blender and went to work.  now perhaps i'm more obsessed w/ this new, recently purchased, (dark purple) kitchen gadget than my actual obsession for hummus, but whatevs.  it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.  and after one bite, i knew i'd done the right thing w/ my kabocha.

recipe: makes a good-sized bowl full

ingredients                                                                                               
kabocha squash, roasted & scooped out of skin
   tahini    
      fresh lime juice                                                                                    
         fresh cilantro, chopped                                                            
            fresh garlic, minced                                                              
               coffee spice rub (this may be omitted; i just threw a little in)                                      
                  low-sodium stock (veggie, chicken, whichever)            
                     red pepper flakes

                        avocado oil

                           roasted sesame seeds

                              s&p
                                 h2o

blend all ingredients together.  drizzle w/ additional avocado oil.  toss some roasted sesame seeds on top.  grab a good and sturdy chip.  you know the rest.

mounds of glory

well i must say, my intentions were to make fresh blueberry muffins...until i realized i don't own a muffin pan--oops.  i could've sworn i had the right equipment!  anyways, i was determined to bake something delicious, and so therefore, i opted to modify a yummy breakfast cookie recipe i recently came across.


my hubby was the first one to try these freshly baked treats, and he really liked them.  i was trying to come up w/ a name for them, and he suggested, "mountains of glory."  funny, the name seemed appropriate, i liked "mounds" better, and so that was that.
thanks honey! :)

recipe: makes 4 "mounds"

ingredients
old-fashioned rolled oats
golden flaxseed, ground
hemp seeds
chia seeds
dried blueberries
dried white peaches, finely diced
pecan, roughly chopped
ripe banana, mashed
coconut oil, liquified
organic blue agave
vanilla
shredded coconut
cinnamon
cardamom
salt

mix everything together and form into "mounds," place on a silpat liner, and bake @ 350 degrees until golden brown.  e-a-t!

steelhead burgers w/ avocado spread & micro greens

so it was a pretty typical saturday afternoon...i was doing a little pinterest.com browsing and gathering ideas for what to make for dinner later.  one of my "pins" that sparked my curiosity, was one i'd pinned  a few weeks back.  it was a pic of a salmon burger, and so i thought, yes...i am going to give my first honest attempt at one of these most delightful creations. :)

recipe: serves 2 (generously)

burger ingredients
steelhead (a type of trout but salmon would be an awesome substitute), ground in the food processor
scallion, finely diced
fresh garlic, minced
egg, beaten
fresh cilantro, chopped
panko breadcrumbs
lemon zest
dash of fish sauce
dash of ground roasted ginger (i did't have any fresh ginger on hand)
cracked black pepper & salt

combine all burger ingredients, and let sit in the fridge for a few hours.  form into 2 thick patties (do not mash down), and sprinkle each side w/ zatarran's blackened seasoning before throwing on the hot charcoal bbq.

avocado spread ingredients

ripe avo, slightly mashed
non-fat, plain greek yogurt
pinch of serrano pepper, de-seeded
fresh lemon juice
fresh cilantro, chopped
dash of cock sauce
dash of ancho chili powder
cracked black pepper & salt

combine all avo spread ingredients and refrigerate until burgers are ready.


assemble each steelhead burger by topping each side of a toasted whole-grain english muffin (or bun of your choice) w/ the avocado spread, some micro greens, thinly sliced red onion and a fat, juicy patty.  cut in half and dig in!  baked yam fries w/ spicy ketchup & mustard were served as a side.

p.s.  my husband got up a couple times in-between bites to rinse his paws.  his exact words were, "you know it's good when you have to make a few trips to the sink."  needless to say, he was a big fan of dinner tonight. ;)

p.p.s.  my husband grilled the burgers and toasted the buns to perfection!!

white albacore "garbage bowl" salad w/ soyaki dressing

it was lunch time, and white albacore tuna out of the can (yes, canned tuna) just sounded super good to me...and it was!  i sort of tossed together a "garbage bowl" salad w/ some leftover wild rice from the previous night's dinner, in addition to tons of fresh veggies and a light soy sauce i used as a dressing.  this was exactly what i was craving and managed to do the job until din din time rolled around.  :)

recipe: serves 1

ingredients
canned albacore white tuna (in water) - used about 1/3 of can
leftover wild rice
spinach
green leaf lettuce
sugar snap peas
carrots
mini heirloom tomatoes
scallions
smoked almonds
s & p
sesame seeds
island soyaki sauce (from trader joe's)
whole-grain lavash crackers

combine all ingredients except crackers and dig in!

creamy avo eggs

maybe it's the fact that some of my fondest childhood breakfast memories involve scrambled eggs that either my dad or grandma used to make for me, but sometimes i'm just in the mood for such a simplistic (yet delicious) dish.  this particular morning, i was in the mood for creamy eggs and avocado.  i make the eggs creamy by adding about a tablespoon of low-fat cottage cheese...no butter or cream required.

recipe: serves 1

ingredients
2 eggs (or 1 egg & 1 egg white)
splash of 1% milk
s & p
low-fat cottage cheese (just a little spoon full)
avocado
whole-grain bread for toast
ketchup, salsa or other condiments

whisk together your eggs or egg and egg white.  add milk, s & p and any other seasonings you like.  scramble eggs over low heat and add in cottage cheese about 1/2 through the cooking process.  toast your bread, slice your avocado and plate your eggs when they have reached a "creamy" consistency.

now sit back, and enjoy an eggggg-cellent breakfast! 

homemade margaritas & tri-tip tacos

well it had been awhile since my man and i made homemade margs and tacos.  it was a saturday night, and we just happened to have good-quality tequila (we love corralejo reposado) and leftover tri-tip on hand. after we determined we had everything we needed in our fridge and pantry, i started prepping for the tacos, and hubby started making some of the best margaritas you'll ever have...he's such a great bartender.

p.s. it's hard to keep our friends away if they know we're making margs at our place!
p.p.s. we got this recipe handed down from a family member.

homemade margarita recipe: makes 2 "potent" margs

ingredients
5 oz corralejo reposado tequila (or whichever you fancy)
3/4 oz agave
fresh lime juice (2-3 limes, depending on how tart/sweet you prefer)
marg salt or plum powder if you can find it (we like to do 1/2 and 1/2)

place ice in a cocktail shaker.  use a jigger to measure, and add the agave.  next, add the tequila (the alcohol cleanses the residual agave from the jigger...a tip from our family member).  add the fresh lime juice, top the shaker and shake until your arm falls off, and yes, shaking time really does make a difference.  take a slice of fresh lime and swipe the rim of each rocks glass.  dip 1/2 the rim in the marg salt and 1/2 in the plum powder.  pour thoroughly shaken margaritas into 2 rocks glasses filled w/ ice, and garnish w/ fresh lime. salud to date night!

spaghetti squash w/ chicken sausage & curry pumpkin kale sauce

oh yeah, that's right, sausage...as in chicken apple sausage.  this is super healthy for you...and perfect for staying in on those crisp, autumn nights.  i was experimenting in the kitchen (as usual), trying to come up w/ a new dish for dinner that evening for my man.  i totally lucked out by the way, in that my guy loves eating all the same kinds of food as me, in addition to his willingness to try anything i create.  he's a keeper.  big grin!

so needless to say this dish was a hit, and i will no doubt be making it again sometime soon.  i swear i could eat spaghetti squash almost every day.

recipe: serves 3 (my man had lunch the next day)

roasted veggies ingredients
brussel sprouts
cauliflower
evoo
curry powder
s & p

roast for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing occasionally.  you can also roast the spaghetti squash, halved, along w/ the other veggies, but let it cool before trying to scrape it out.

cook 2 chicken apple sausages, sliced, in a skillet over med heat just to warm through (we get the pre-cooked ones).  toss the squash and sausages together, and add it s & p and roasted garlic...or whatever you prefer.  i add roasted garlic to everything!

add the roasted veggies next.  then we'll get to the sauce...

sauce ingredients

kale (i used frozen from trader joe's)
canned pumpkin
shallot
roasted garlic
half & half
1% milk
evoo
curry powder
s & p



saute shallots in evoo until softened.  add roasted garlic, pumpkin and kale.  stir until combined, and then add half & half (just about 1/4 cup) and some milk.  season the sauce w/ curry powder and s & p, and let sauce thicken over low-med heat.  pour over the squash and sausage combo and mix gently.  top w/ a hard, white cheese such as pecorino.  you won't need much, but it really adds to the dish!