Jekyll2022-09-20T20:23:02+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/feed.xmlCooking in the CreekCooking BlogBest Banana Bread Ever!2015-07-20T00:17:27+00:002015-07-20T00:17:27+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/best-banana-bread-ever<p>It’s your lucky day because we have two new recipes from Cooking in the Creek! Gabe and I have another wonderful recipe we wanted to share with you all. It’s named “The Best Banana Bread Ever!” My coworker brought in a loaf of this bread to the office a couple months ago and I’ve been wanting to try it out myself for awhile now, because it is definitely one of the best banana bread recipes I have ever tried. It has a crispy sugary crust and who can resist that! Give it a try the next time you have some ripe bananas laying around. You won’t be sorry 🙂</p>
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<h3 id="the-best-banana-bread-ever">The Best Banana Bread Ever!</h3>
<p>Prep time: 20 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 55 minutes</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 1 loaf</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p><em>*Have all ingredients at room temp</em></p>
<p>½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)</p>
<p>1 cup granulated sugar</p>
<p>2 eggs (lightly beaten)</p>
<p>¾ to 1 cup mashed and very ripe bananas about (about 3 small bananas)</p>
<p>1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour</p>
<p>¾ teaspoon baking soda</p>
<p>½ teaspoon salt</p>
<p>½ cup nuts (optional – I like walnuts!)</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in lower third of oven (this helps crisp the sugary crust).</p>
<p>Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar as if flouring a cake pan. Sprinkle an additional layer of brown sugar over the sugared pan on the bottom only.</p>
<p>In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light in color and texture (about 2 to 3 minutes).</p>
<p>Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl and whisk to combine.</p>
<p>Then, add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, and beat until the consistency of brown sugar. Gradually beat in the 2 large eggs.</p>
<p>Next, FOLD in the banana and nuts (if using), JUST until combined. Pour the mixture into your greased and sugared loaf pan. Now put another thin layer of brown sugar on top of the batter in the loaf pan.</p>
<p>Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, then check with a toothpick.</p>
<p>Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then turn out of the pan and cool on a rack.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>Gabe & MegIt’s your lucky day because we have two new recipes from Cooking in the Creek! Gabe and I have another wonderful recipe we wanted to share with you all. It’s named “The Best Banana Bread Ever!” My coworker brought in a loaf of this bread to the office a couple months ago and I’ve been wanting to try it out myself for awhile now, because it is definitely one of the best banana bread recipes I have ever tried. It has a crispy sugary crust and who can resist that! Give it a try the next time you have some ripe bananas laying around. You won’t be sorry 🙂Sweet Potato, Squash, & Black Bean Enchiladas2015-07-20T00:06:46+00:002015-07-20T00:06:46+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/sweet-potato-squash-black-bean-enchiladas<p>HELLO Cooking in the Creek!! We have a great new recipe to share with you all. Sweet Potato, Squash, & Black Bean Enchiladas! This is another recipe from the cookbook <em>Thug Kitchen.</em> They are packed with yummy vegetables and legumes, and vegetarian and vegan friendly. When I first read the ingredient list, I thought how could enchiladas without cheese be enchiladas?! But man, I didn’t even miss the cheese, especially if you top them with some delicious creamy avocado slices. So don’t let that stop you from trying these! They might turn your mind up side down 🙂</p>
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<h3 id="sweet-potato-squash--black-bean-enchiladas"><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Sweet Potato, Squash, & Black Bean Enchiladas</span></h3>
<p>Prep time: 15 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 1 hour</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 8 Enchiladas, 4 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Enchilada Sauce</span></em></p>
<p>2 1/4 vegetable broth</p>
<p>1/3 cup tomato paste</p>
<p>2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder</p>
<p>2 teaspoons ground cumin</p>
<p>1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano</p>
<p>2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced</p>
<p>2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari</p>
<p>1 tablespoon lime juice</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Filling</span></em></p>
<p>1 pound sweet potato (1 large or 2 small), chopped into nickel-size pieces</p>
<p>2 teaspoon olive oil</p>
<p>1/2 yellow onion, chopped</p>
<p>1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, grated on box grater (about 1 cup)</p>
<p>1 teaspoon chili powder</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon ground cumin</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon salt</p>
<p>2 cloves garlic, minced</p>
<p>1 1/2 cups cooked black beans*</p>
<p>1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave syrup</p>
<p>A pack of corn or flour tortillas</p>
<p>Sliced avocado</p>
<p>Chopped fresh cilantro</p>
<p><em>**Or one 15 ounce can</em></p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>1. Make enchilada sauce: Dump everything but the lime juice into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Use a whisk or something and make sure that the tomato paste isn’t just sitting in a clump. Let that simmer together for 10 to 15 minutes so that the sauce has time to thicken up a little. Add the lime juice and turn off the heat. Let it cool while you make the filling.</p>
<p>2. To cook the sweet potato, grab a medium saucepan, fill it with an inch or two of water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Throw in your metal steamer basket and fill that with the chopped sweet potato. Cover and steam until tender, 10-15 minutes. Dump into a bowl and smash the pieces around. Some chunks are fine, so you don’t need to work too hard at making this smooth.</p>
<p>3. While the sweet potato steams, grab a large skillet or wok and heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss in the squash and cook for another minute. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, and black beans. Cook together for another 2 minutes and then fold in the mashed sweet potato and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Mix until combined.</p>
<p>4. Now to make the enchiladas, crank the oven to 375 degrees and grab a 9 X 13 baking dish.</p>
<p>5. Cover the bottom of baking dish with about 1 1/2 cups of enchiladas sauce. Using griddle, your oven, or the microwave, warm up the tortillas. Dip a tortilla around in a little of the sauce in the baking dish so that the bottom is all coated. Fill the tortillas with a couple spoonfuls of filling, then roll it up and set it seam- side down in the dish. Keep going until you run out of space or out of filling.</p>
<p>6. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, cover the dish tightly with foil, and throw it in the oven for 20 minutes. Take off the foil and cook it for 5 more minutes. Let it cook for a minute or two before serving. Feel free to top them with some sliced avocado or chopped cilantro.</p>Gabe & MegHELLO Cooking in the Creek!! We have a great new recipe to share with you all. Sweet Potato, Squash, & Black Bean Enchiladas! This is another recipe from the cookbook Thug Kitchen. They are packed with yummy vegetables and legumes, and vegetarian and vegan friendly. When I first read the ingredient list, I thought how could enchiladas without cheese be enchiladas?! But man, I didn’t even miss the cheese, especially if you top them with some delicious creamy avocado slices. So don’t let that stop you from trying these! They might turn your mind up side down 🙂Chocolate Fudge Pops2015-04-26T23:44:33+00:002015-04-26T23:44:33+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/chocolate-fudge-pops<p>Gabe and I are resurrecting Cooking in the Creek after a few months of no posts. Many people have been asking about the blog, so we are back with new posts by popular demand! A lot has happened since out last post. We have been getting settled in our new apartment that we moved into in January, building furniture to make our place feel more like home, and most recently we got engaged! I’m sure wedding planning might take away more attention from Cooking in the Creek, but we will still do our best to share our most yummy recipes!</p>
<p>Recently, we began cooking recipes from a new cookbook called “Thug Kitchen”. I picked up the book from a gift table at a holiday work event and at the time I had no idea what the cookbook was about. Below is a summary. By the way, they use a lot of curse words. It keeps things interesting to say the least.</p>
<p><em>Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular website to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow (“This might be my favorite thing ever”) and named Saveur’s Best New Food blog of 2013–with half a million Facebook fans and counting–Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food.</em></p>
<p><em>Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with micro-greens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell–and most people can’t afford the hype.</em></p>
<p><em>Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they’re throwing down more than 100 recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they’re going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own.</em></p>
<p><em>This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real.</em></p>
<p>Here is the <a href="http://www.thugkitchen.com/cookbook_trailer">Thug Kitchen trailer</a>. You have got to watch this. It’s the best part.</p>
<p>Gabe and I have tried a handful of recipes and so far they have all been delicious! We hope to share the rest soon. To start though, try these Chocolate Fudge Pops! They are ridiculously simple to make and only require three ingredients! Can’t beat that. Enjoy!</p>
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<h3 id="chocolate-fudge-pops">Chocolate Fudge Pops</h3>
<p>Prep time: 10 minutes</p>
<p>Freeze time: 8 hours or overnight</p>
<p>Total time: About 8 hours or prepare the day before</p>
<p>Yield: Makes about 3 1/3 cups filling, which makes 12 pops in a standard mold but varies depending on whatever mold you use.</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p>1 cup vanilla almond or your favorite nondairy milk*</p>
<p>1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips</p>
<p>12 ounces firm silken tofu**</p>
<p>12 popsicle sticks & 12 small paper cups</p>
<p>OR Popsicle molds</p>
<p>*I used regular milk (1%) because that’s what I had on hand</p>
<p>**This is the tofu in aseptic packaging. It can be found on the grocery store shelf, near the soy sauce, not tofu packaged in water in the fridge.</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>Warm up the milk on the stove top or in the microwave so that it is warm but not super hot. Next you need to melt the chocolate. You can melt it either by slowly heating it in the microwave in 30-second increments and stirring until its melted – OR you build a double boiler like a boss. Grab a medium saucepan and fill it with 1 or 2 inches of water. Throw an all-metal bowl on top of that and make sure the whole mouth of the pan is covered and that the water inside isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl. The steam will heat the bowl and melt the chips; just keep stirring and the chocolate and trust the method. When the chocolate looks all smooth, turn off the heat. This whole process should take about three minutes.</p>
<p>Once the chocolate is melted, add it, the milk, and the tofu to a blender and mix it up. Make sure everything is well combined and there are no secret chocolate chunks hiding out. Pour this into your molds and stick them in the freezer for about 40 minutes. At that point, take out your pop molds and then push the sticks in. Freezing these a little bit first helps makes sure you won’t push the stick so far in that you end up with some sad kabob. They will keep for at least a month in the freezer.</p>
<p>*I used six plastic popsicle molds and had a bit of filling left over which I put in the fridge. It turned into a really delicious pudding! So keep that in mind! It is a versatile recipe 🙂</p>
<p>Recipe inspired by Thug Kitchen Cookbook.</p>Gabe & MegGabe and I are resurrecting Cooking in the Creek after a few months of no posts. Many people have been asking about the blog, so we are back with new posts by popular demand! A lot has happened since out last post. We have been getting settled in our new apartment that we moved into in January, building furniture to make our place feel more like home, and most recently we got engaged! I’m sure wedding planning might take away more attention from Cooking in the Creek, but we will still do our best to share our most yummy recipes!Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas & Chard2015-01-10T19:31:53+00:002015-01-10T19:31:53+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/spaghetti-squash-chickpeas-chard<p>Sadly, Cooking in the Creek has been neglected for the last month or so. With the holidays and Gabe and me moving to a new apartment, the blog and our cooking has been put on the back burner (haha). Not to worry, we only moved across the street to an even tinier kitchen in Walnut Creek. This particular post has actually been pending as a draft for awhile now, but I still wanted to get it out there and share it with everyone. Hopefully soon Cooking in the Creek will get rolling again with some new recipes in our new abode.</p>
<p>I always see recipes with spaghetti squash sautéed with fresh herbs and it seems so simple, light and fresh. I wanted to try that for dinner, but wanted to add a few ingredients to make it filling enough for a meal. Gabe and I went to the farmer’s market over the weekend and got a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies for the week. We got some fresh herbs (a mixed bunch of rosemary, sage and thyme), rainbow swiss chard and an assortment of other things. These were the perfect addition to the squash, giving it lots of fresh flavor and color. I added the chickpeas for a little added protein, lemon, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan for a pop of flavor. To my surprise, it all came together very nicely. If you are looking for a lighter faire, full of fresh flavors try this dish!</p>
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<h3 id="spaghetti-squash-with-chickpeas--chard">Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas & Chard</h3>
<p>Prep time: 15 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 2-3 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p>1 large spaghetti squash</p>
<p>2 tablespoons olive oil</p>
<p>3 tablespoons butter</p>
<p>1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thinly</p>
<p>1 garlic clove, sliced thinly</p>
<p>1 rosemary sprig</p>
<p>3 thyme sprigs</p>
<p>1 sage sprig</p>
<p>pinch of red pepper flakes</p>
<p>1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</p>
<p>4 rainbow swiss chard leaves chopped, stems diced</p>
<p>juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon</p>
<p>1/4 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes</p>
<p>salt & pepper, to taste</p>
<p>optional: a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.</p>
<p>Cut off the ends of the spaghetti squash. Slice your squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle. Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour or until the flesh is tender and you can scrape noodle-like strands with a fork.</p>
<p>Remove squash from the oven, let it cool slightly and use a fork to scrape the squash into strands. (set aside).</p>
<p>In a large deep skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter, then add the herbs (whole sprigs, so they can be easily removed later). After about a minute of infusing the oil/butter mixture, add the onion, garlic, chile flakes, salt and pepper.</p>
<p>Once the onion starts to soften, remove the herbs, add the chickpeas and cook for a few minutes until they turn lightly golden brown. Next, add the chard (stems and leaves), lemon juice and zest, then give everything in the pan a good stir.</p>
<p>Once the chard is partially wilted, add the squash strands, a little grated cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and more salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to incorporate. Remove from heat and top with toasted extra grated cheese.</p>Gabe & MegSadly, Cooking in the Creek has been neglected for the last month or so. With the holidays and Gabe and me moving to a new apartment, the blog and our cooking has been put on the back burner (haha). Not to worry, we only moved across the street to an even tinier kitchen in Walnut Creek. This particular post has actually been pending as a draft for awhile now, but I still wanted to get it out there and share it with everyone. Hopefully soon Cooking in the Creek will get rolling again with some new recipes in our new abode.Pumpkin Praline Pie2014-12-15T00:02:05+00:002014-12-15T00:02:05+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/pumpkin-praline-pie<p>Thanksgiving has come and gone so quickly this year. As I listened to people talk about their plans for the special day, I realized what a great holiday Thanksgiving truly is. No fuss over presents, just quality time with family, friends, and of course delicious food. I think I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the best holiday of the year. This year was the second year Gabe’s family and mine came together at my parents house to celebrate. It was great, the Eagles slaughtered the Cowgirls, the Niners couldn’t quite say the same, nonetheless we all had wonderful time just relaxing, enjoying the feast, and reflecting on so much that we have to be thankful for.</p>
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<p>Now, when it comes to dessert on Thanksgiving, sometimes I feel it almost gets forgotten. Everyone is usually so full from dinner, no matter how early you eat. But for the last few years I’ve made pie, and everyone manages to have at least a sliver to finish off the evening. This year, I branched out from my usual Pecan Pie and tried something new, Pumpkin Praline Pie. It’s a lovely combination of my two favorite pies, Pecan and Pumpkin. It was my second time making this pie in a week, since I had made it the first time for a Friends-giving we had the week before. I must say, it took a second time to really master the whole thing. It came out pretty good the first time, but I made some tweaks to the recipe and became a little more comfortable with handling the pie crust. No matter if you make your own pie crust or use pre-made, it still take practice. It’s no easy thing to handle, especially if you only do it once or twice a year.</p>
<p>If you are looking for the perfect holiday dessert and want to try something new, this is the perfect pie for the occasion. Enjoy!</p>
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<td>[![Classic Pumpkin Pie, topped with Praline. The perfect balance of flavors, and the two best pies combined! Perfect for any holiday dessert!</td>
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<td>[![Classic Pumpkin Pie, topped with Praline. The perfect balance of flavors, and the two best pies combined! Perfect for any holiday dessert!</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-3.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-3.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![Classic Pumpkin Pie, topped with Praline. The perfect balance of flavors, and the two best pies combined! Perfect for any holiday dessert!</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-4.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-4.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![Classic Pumpkin Pie, topped with Praline. The perfect balance of flavors, and the two best pies combined! Perfect for any holiday dessert!</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-5.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Pumpking-Praline-Pie-5.jpg)</td>
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<h3 id="pumpkin-praline-pie">Pumpkin Praline Pie</h3>
<p>Prep time: 25 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 1 hour</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 25 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: One 9-inch pie (about 8 generous slices)</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p>1 pre-made pie crust (I used a frozen crust from Trader Joe’s)</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Filling</span></em></p>
<p>1 15 ounce can pumpkin (pure not pie filling)</p>
<p>3 tablespoons melted butter</p>
<p>1/2 cup granulated sugar</p>
<p>1/4 cup pure maple syrup</p>
<p>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg</p>
<p>1/4 teaspoon ground cloves</p>
<p>3 large eggs</p>
<p>1/4 cup of whole milk</p>
<p>1/2 cup heavy cream</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Praline</span></em></p>
<p>1 cup pecans, chopped finely</p>
<p>1/2 cup brown sugar</p>
<p>2 teaspoons corn syrup</p>
<p>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Crust</span></em></p>
<p>Don’t forget to defrost your pie crust a day before in the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temp at least one hour before handling. When ready, fit the dough over a 9-inch pie pan and par-bake according to package instructions. The Trader Joe’s crust I used needed to be par-baked for 9-11 minutes before adding the pie filling.</p>
<p>After, I removed my pie shell from the oven for at least 10 minutes, and then covered the crust with foil to prevent it from darkening too much.</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pie filling</span></em></p>
<p>In a large bowl slowly mix the pumpkin, butter, sugar, maple syrup, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add your eggs one at time and then heavy cream and mix until fully incorporated. Do not over mix.</p>
<p>Adjust the oven temp to 425 degrees.</p>
<p>Fill the warm pie crust with pumpkin filling and place on a sheet tray, return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce oven to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 minutes or until the custard is set.</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Praline</span></em></p>
<p>While the pumpkin pie is baking, toss together the pecans and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the corn syrup and vanilla, using your fingers to ensure that ingredients are well blended. Scatter pinched handfuls of the topping evenly over the puffed filling.</p>
<p>Bake until the pecans are fragrant and the topping is bubbling around the edges, about 10 -12 minutes.</p>
<p>Cool the pie completely on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or overnight.</p>
<p>Recipe inspired by <a href="http://www.today.com/food/magnolia-bakery-pie-cupcake-recipes-pumpkin-praline-pie-apple-pie-1D80274539">Magnolia Bakery</a>.</p>Gabe & MegThanksgiving has come and gone so quickly this year. As I listened to people talk about their plans for the special day, I realized what a great holiday Thanksgiving truly is. No fuss over presents, just quality time with family, friends, and of course delicious food. I think I’ve come to the conclusion it’s the best holiday of the year. This year was the second year Gabe’s family and mine came together at my parents house to celebrate. It was great, the Eagles slaughtered the Cowgirls, the Niners couldn’t quite say the same, nonetheless we all had wonderful time just relaxing, enjoying the feast, and reflecting on so much that we have to be thankful for.Mama’s Lasagna2014-12-01T03:51:16+00:002014-12-01T03:51:16+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/mamas-lasagna<p>Lasagna. One of my most cherished comfort foods of all time. Not just any lasagna, but my Mama’s Lasagna. It’s her signature dish, always a go-to when we had company, and something about it just says “home” to me. After a few years of cooking on my own, and one year of blogging for Cooking in the Creek, I realized I have yet to have ever made a lasagna before. Such a classic dish. Sure I’ve seen my mom assemble them many times over the years and devoured plenty, but make my one myself, I had yet to conquer it.</p>
<p>Initially I thought of making lasagna because we had one more pack of deer meat from Randy’s (Gabe’s Dad) hunting trip, and I thought that may be a yummy way to use it up. It was ground venison with a bit of pork fat, so it was perfect for this dish. However, I didn’t know where to begin when it came to a recipe. Nothing I found online was helpful, so of course I enlisted the help of my Mom and she gave me all her tips and tricks. Of course, she prepares the dish by memory because after making hundreds of lasagnas over the years, there’s no need for measurements. So, I wrote vigorously on a notepad as she dictated her invaluable tricks of the trade over the phone. And my oh my did it turn out wonderful! I will be sure to pass down this recipe to my kids because this is a classic dish that just comforts the soul.</p>
<p><em>Me, my Mama, and my sister Nicole circa October 11, 1990 – Nicole’s 4th birthday.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Oct90.jpeg"><img src="http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Oct90-1024x715.jpeg" alt="Mama's Lasagna - Cooking in the Creek. A family recipe for a classic lasagna. Pure comfort food at it's best. Layers of pasta, with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and home-made marinara" /></a></p>
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<td>![A family recipe for a classic lasagna. Pure comfort food at it’s best. Layers of pasta, with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and home-made marinara</td>
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<td>![A family recipe for a classic lasagna. Pure comfort food at it’s best. Layers of pasta, with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and home-made marinara</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/mamas-lasagna-4-copy1.jpg)</td>
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<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/mamas-lasagna-5.jpg)</td>
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<h3 id="mamas-lasagna">Mama’s Lasagna</h3>
<p>Prep time: 30 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 1 hour and 25 minutes</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 55 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 9-12 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Marinara sauce</span></em></p>
<p><em>*Feel free to use whatever sauce you like best; my mom usually uses Prego. I prefer to make my own, but a jar of pre-made sauce works just fine too. Just make sure you have plenty, because it soaks up a lot of the sauce in the oven.</em></p>
<p>4 tablespoons olive oil</p>
<p>6 garlic cloves, minced</p>
<p>2 28 ounce cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes</p>
<p>1 teaspoon kosher salt</p>
<p>2 teaspoons sugar</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lasagna</span></em></p>
<p>1 tablespoon olive oil</p>
<p>1 small onion, diced</p>
<p>1 garlic clove, minced</p>
<p>1 pound ground meat of your choice (we used ground venison with pork)</p>
<p>15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese</p>
<p>3 eggs</p>
<p>16 ounces lasagna noodles (I used the 365 brand no boil noodles from Whole Foods)</p>
<p>2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded</p>
<p>1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded</p>
<p><em>Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning, dried Oregano, dried Basil</em></p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Marinara Sauce</span></em></p>
<p>In a deep large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, reduce to low heat, add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes. Simmer sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lasagna</span></em></p>
<p>In a medium saute pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add onion and saute until translucent. Next, add garlic, saute for 30 seconds before adding ground meat. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning, dried oregano, and dried basil. Cook until nearly all pieces are browned.</p>
<p>Next, in a medium bowl blend together the ricotta cheese and eggs. Season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning, dried oregano, and dried basil to taste.</p>
<p>To begin assembling the lasagna, start by spreading a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 casserole dish. Then layer six lasagna noodles, another layer of sauce, a fourth of the ricotta mix, a fourth of the meat, a light sprinkle of mozzarella, a few dollops of marinara, then begin again with the lasagna noodles and repeat with the remainder of the ingredients. At the end, top the lasagna with the bulk of the mozzarella and all of the parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil (spray the inside of the foil with non-stick spray to avoid any cheese sticking to the foil).</p>
<p>Feel free to prep the lasagna ahead of time as it can be refrigerated until ready to bake.</p>
<p>To finish, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in oven for 35 minutes, covered. Then, remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, and broil for one minute at the end.</p>Gabe & MegLasagna. One of my most cherished comfort foods of all time. Not just any lasagna, but my Mama’s Lasagna. It’s her signature dish, always a go-to when we had company, and something about it just says “home” to me. After a few years of cooking on my own, and one year of blogging for Cooking in the Creek, I realized I have yet to have ever made a lasagna before. Such a classic dish. Sure I’ve seen my mom assemble them many times over the years and devoured plenty, but make my one myself, I had yet to conquer it.Kale Salad with Brussels and Butternut Squash2014-11-25T17:00:05+00:002014-11-25T17:00:05+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/kale-salad-brussels-butternut-squash<p>It’s the potluck time of year, and at work last week we had a Thanksgiving themed potluck. People went all out! We had mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, autumn salads, spanish rice, pies, cakes, and two types of turkeys! (Smoked and Oven Roasted) It was amazing. I decided to bring this kale salad with brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash topped with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans. It was the perfect addition to the potluck and added something healthy to the table of comfort food dishes. It was well received by my coworkers, some that actually had never tried kale before liked it! This salad is perfect for fall and would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving dinner table. Enjoy!</p>
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<td>[![The perfect autumn salad, great for potlucks or Thanksgiving dinner! Filled with nutritious kale, brussel sprouts, and butternut squash.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-3.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-3.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![The perfect autumn salad, great for potlucks or Thanksgiving dinner! Filled with nutritious kale, brussel sprouts, and butternut squash.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-4.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-4.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![The perfect autumn salad, great for potlucks or Thanksgiving dinner! Filled with nutritious kale, brussel sprouts, and butternut squash.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-5.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Kale-Salad-with-Brussels-and-Butternut-Squash-5.jpg)</td>
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<h3 id="kale-salad-with-brussels-and-butternut-squash">Kale Salad with Brussels and Butternut Squash</h3>
<p>Prep time: 45 minutes</p>
<p>Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes</p>
<p>Total time: 2 hours</p>
<p>Yield: 6 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pecans</span></em></p>
<p><em>(Yields about 2 cups)</em></p>
<p>1/4 cup granulated sugar</p>
<p>1/4 cup brown sugar</p>
<p>1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon salt</p>
<p>2 cups unsalted pecans halves</p>
<p>1 egg white</p>
<p>1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract</p>
<p>1 teaspoon water</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Salad</span></em></p>
<p>1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes</p>
<p>1 tablespoon olive oil</p>
<p>Pinch of sea salt</p>
<p>1 small bunch Lacinato kale (Dino or Tuscan kale), chopped</p>
<p>1 pound brussels sprouts, sliced or chopped</p>
<p>1 cup pomegranate seeds (from one medium pomegranate)</p>
<p>1/2 cup candied pecans (see ingredient above and instructions below)</p>
<p>1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dressing</span></em></p>
<p>1/4 cup olive oil</p>
<p>2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar</p>
<p>1 teaspoon Dijon mustard</p>
<p>1 small clove garlic, minced</p>
<p>2 teaspoons shallot, minced</p>
<p>Salt and black pepper, to taste</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pecans</span></em></p>
<p>Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.</p>
<p>In a medium bowl, add sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.</p>
<p>In a large bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla, and water together until frothy. Add the pecans and gently toss until the pecans are well coated. Add the sugar and cinnamon mixture and toss until pecans are covered.</p>
<p>Spread the pecans out in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans.</p>
<p>Remove from the oven and let the pecans cool on the baking sheet. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Salad</span></em></p>
<p>Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the butternut squash cubes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast the squash for 25-30 minutes, stirring once, or until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.</p>
<p>Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with sea salt. Massage the leaves for 2-3 minutes, or until they soften and start to wilt. Stir in the chopped brussels sprouts, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, and Parmesan cheese.</p>
<p>To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, and shallot. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.</p>
<p>Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve!</p>
<p>Recipe inspired by <a href="http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/kale-and-brussels-sprouts-salad-with-butternut-squash-pomegranate-and-candied-pecans/">Two Peas & Their Pod</a>.</p>Gabe & MegIt’s the potluck time of year, and at work last week we had a Thanksgiving themed potluck. People went all out! We had mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, autumn salads, spanish rice, pies, cakes, and two types of turkeys! (Smoked and Oven Roasted) It was amazing. I decided to bring this kale salad with brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash topped with pomegranate seeds and candied pecans. It was the perfect addition to the potluck and added something healthy to the table of comfort food dishes. It was well received by my coworkers, some that actually had never tried kale before liked it! This salad is perfect for fall and would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving dinner table. Enjoy!Cranberry Almond Chickpea Salad Sandwich2014-11-23T17:00:24+00:002014-11-23T17:00:24+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/cranberry-almond-chickpea-salad-sandwich<p>Our first official lunch recipe on Cooking in the Creek! I did not realize there were no lunch recipes on the blog, but boy is this one a great one to start with. First, I must say, we were super excited to shoot this one in the daylight. Since daylight savings time ended a couple weeks ago, having natural light for our dinner blog photo shoots is impossible, which leaves our picture looking rather sad, dark and full of ugly yellow artificial light. BUT we will keep blogging through it and hopefully have more daytime photos from the weekends.</p>
<p>NOW back to the recipe. This Cranberry Almond Chickpea Salad Sandwich is vegan, but you wouldn’t even know it or think about it while you’re eating it. The dressing has an unusual pairing of ingredients, but actually compliments the rest of the salad amazingly. I love when I find a recipe and I have all the ingredients on hand, it makes it that much easier. We ate these as open faced sandwiches on a bed of baby kale and toasted whole wheat bread. It was delicious!!</p>
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<td><a href="http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Cranberry-Almond-Chickpea-Salad-Sandwich-1.jpg"> </a> ![Chickpea Salad Sandwich full of fresh scallions, celery, nuts and cranberries with a nutty tahini dressing.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Cranberry-Almond-Chickpea-Salad-Sandwich-2-1024x681.jpg)</td>
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<td>![Chickpea Salad Sandwich full of fresh scallions, celery, nuts and cranberries with a nutty tahini dressing.</td>
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<td>![Chickpea Salad Sandwich full of fresh scallions, celery, nuts and cranberries with a nutty tahini dressing.</td>
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<td>![Chickpea Salad Sandwich full of fresh scallions, celery, nuts and cranberries with a nutty tahini dressing.</td>
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<td>![Chickpea Salad Sandwich full of fresh scallions, celery, nuts and cranberries with a nutty tahini dressing.</td>
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<h3 id="cranberry-almond-chickpea-salad-sandwich">Cranberry Almond Chickpea Salad Sandwich</h3>
<p>Total time: 15 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 4 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p>1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed</p>
<p>1/2 cup celery, diced</p>
<p>1/4 cup dried cranberries</p>
<p>1/4 cup sliced almonds, (or walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped)</p>
<p>1/4 cup scallions (green onions), thinly sliced</p>
<p>salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dressing</span></em></p>
<p>3 tablespoons tahini</p>
<p>2 tablespoons champagne, white wine or cider vinegar (I used Champagne Vinegar)</p>
<p>2 tablespoons water (as needed to thin dressing)</p>
<p>1 teaspoon pure maple syrup</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To serve</span></em></p>
<p>leafy lettuce of choice</p>
<p>bread of choice</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>Start by mixing the dressing. In a small bowl combine tahini, vinegar, water and maple syrup. Set aside so the flavors come together. This can be made a day or two ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Add a tad more water, or vinegar if you’re a vinegar lover, to thin out dressing as desired.</p>
<p>In a medium to large bowl, add your garbanzo beans and roughly mash with a strong fork or potato masher. Add in celery, cranberries, nuts, scallions, salt, pepper and dressing, mix well. Serve at room temp or let chill in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.</p>
<p>Serve on your favorite bread as a closed or open faced sandwich, or on a bed of leafy greens. You may even opt to simply enjoy the salad as is.</p>
<p>Recipe inspired by <a href="http://thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com/2013/11/cranberry-walnut-chickpea-salad-sandwich.html">The Simple Veganista</a>.</p>Gabe & MegOur first official lunch recipe on Cooking in the Creek! I did not realize there were no lunch recipes on the blog, but boy is this one a great one to start with. First, I must say, we were super excited to shoot this one in the daylight. Since daylight savings time ended a couple weeks ago, having natural light for our dinner blog photo shoots is impossible, which leaves our picture looking rather sad, dark and full of ugly yellow artificial light. BUT we will keep blogging through it and hopefully have more daytime photos from the weekends.Venison Stuffed Bell Peppers2014-11-22T18:20:14+00:002014-11-22T18:20:14+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/venison-stuff-bell-peppers<p>It’s the end of deer season. That means we now know whether there will be deer in the Thanksgiving stuffing or not. Although my dad did not get a deer of his own this year, lucky for him, his friend who doesn’t eat deer, was able to bag one. My dad, being the generous man that he is, gave Megan and I some ground venison to cook at home. We were pretty clueless about how to cook venison so I quickly went to the help of Google. I found a recipe for stuffed bell peppers and simply substituted the ground beef with venison. The bell peppers turned out great, the venison was much more lean than ground beef and of course anything cooked in garlic and covered in cheese tastes delicious. As venison is a little more rare to come by in the grocery store, feel free to use ground beef, ground turkey or ground bison. If you have the opportunity to try venison, I recommend it!</p>
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<td>[![Enjoy this easy to make stuffed bell pepper dish filled with the meat of your choice, rice, sour cream, onions and topped with melted cheese.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-1-1024x681.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-1.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![Enjoy this easy to make stuffed bell pepper dish filled with the meat of your choice, rice, sour cream, onions and topped with melted cheese.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-2-1024x681.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-2.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![Enjoy this easy to make stuffed bell pepper dish filled with the meat of your choice, rice, sour cream, onions and topped with melted cheese.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-3-681x1024.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-3.jpg)</td>
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<td>[![Enjoy this easy to make stuffed bell pepper dish filled with the meat of your choice, rice, sour cream, onions and topped with melted cheese.</td>
<td>cookinginthecreek.com](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-4-1024x681.jpg)](http://cookinginthecreek.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Venison-Stuff-Bell-Peppers-4.jpg)</td>
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<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p>4 large bell peppers</p>
<p>2 tablespoons of olive oil</p>
<p>1 medium yellow onion, diced</p>
<p>1 1/4 pounds of ground venison (or substitute with meat of your choice)</p>
<p>2 cloves garlic, minced</p>
<p>2 cups of cooked brown rice</p>
<p>1/2 cup of sour cream</p>
<p>1/2 cup of chopped green onions</p>
<p>1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese</p>
<p>salt and pepper, to taste</p>
<h3 id="directions">Directions</h3>
<p>Cut the bell peppers length wise, leaving the stems attached if possible. Remove the seeds inside the pepper. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat add olive oil, onions, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Next add ground venison, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned.</p>
<p>In a separate bowl mix the rice, sour cream and green onions. Add the ground venison to the mixture and combine thoroughly. Stuff the mixture into the peppers. Sprinkle each pepper half with as much cheese as you would like.</p>
<p>Place the stuffed peppers in a casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook until heated through, about 15 minutes longer. Top with extra sour cream, green onions or salsa if you would like.</p>Gabe & MegIt’s the end of deer season. That means we now know whether there will be deer in the Thanksgiving stuffing or not. Although my dad did not get a deer of his own this year, lucky for him, his friend who doesn’t eat deer, was able to bag one. My dad, being the generous man that he is, gave Megan and I some ground venison to cook at home. We were pretty clueless about how to cook venison so I quickly went to the help of Google. I found a recipe for stuffed bell peppers and simply substituted the ground beef with venison. The bell peppers turned out great, the venison was much more lean than ground beef and of course anything cooked in garlic and covered in cheese tastes delicious. As venison is a little more rare to come by in the grocery store, feel free to use ground beef, ground turkey or ground bison. If you have the opportunity to try venison, I recommend it!Eggplant Marinara Stuffed Spaghetti Squash2014-11-17T00:14:49+00:002014-11-17T00:14:49+00:00cookinginthecreek.com/eggplant-marinara-stuffed-spaghetti-squash<p>It’s that time of year when all the delicious squashes are in season and I’m loving it! Although, Gabe and I found that spaghetti squash was quite sparse at the farmers market this past weekend. When we did finally find some, the price was not labeled, and I somehow inadvertently negotiated the price down. I guess it’s true when people say you can actually bargain at the farmers market. We had also bought some eggplant because I wanted to try having some veggies that were more out of the norm. I usually stay away from eggplant, although I love the taste, I don’t have much experience cooking it, and something about salting it before you cook it seems like too much work most of the time. The idea for this dish just came to me when all we had left towards the end of the week were these two vegetables. I thought it would be delicious to roast the spaghetti squash, add some home-made marinara sauce, with chunks of roasted eggplant, kalamata olives, and top with cheese and roast in the oven. Boy was it yummy! A nice mix a comforting flavors and yummy veggies.</p>
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<h3 id="eggplant-marinara-stuffed-spaghetti-squash">Eggplant Marinara Stuffed Spaghetti Squash</h3>
<p>Prep time: 1 hour</p>
<p>Cook time: 45 minutes</p>
<p>Total time: 1 hour and 45 minutes</p>
<p>Yield: 2 servings</p>
<h3 id="ingredients">Ingredients</h3>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Spaghetti Squash</span></em></p>
<p>2 small spaghetti squash</p>
<p>olive oil</p>
<p>salt and pepper</p>
<p>1/2 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese</p>
<p>1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese</p>
<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Marinara Sauce</span></em></p>
<p>1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed</p>
<p>2 tablespoons olive oil</p>
<p>1 shallot, minced</p>
<p>3 garlic cloves, minced</p>
<p>1 28 ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes</p>
<p>1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</p>
<p>1 teaspoon sugar</p>
<p>1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes</p>
<p>7 kalamata olives, roughly chopped</p>
<p>1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped</p>
<h3 id="instructions">Instructions</h3>
<p>Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and dry squash. Cut both ends of squash, then cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place face down on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for safe handling.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, place cubed eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Allow to sit for 30-60 minutes to allow the eggplant to sweat out bitterness. Once finished, rinse well and pat dry. After the squash is done roasting, change the oven temperature to 425 degrees, drizzle eggplant cubes with olive oil and roast on baking sheet for 35 minutes (check after 10 minutes, and toss the eggplant cubes).</p>
<p>While the eggplant is roasting in the oven, begin the marinara sauce. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add shallots and cook until translucent, add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Reduce to low heat, add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Next, add roasted eggplant cubes. Simmer sauce on low for 25 minutes. Finally, add olives and basil.</p>
<p>Change the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once the squash had cooled enough to handle, scrape the insides of the squash to release the strings. Then, evenly distribute the marinara sauce among the squash, top with both cheeses and place in the oven for 12 minutes to warm everything through. For the last two minutes, turn oven temperature up to BROIL so that cheese slightly browns. Remove from oven, plate and enjoy immediately!</p>Gabe & MegIt’s that time of year when all the delicious squashes are in season and I’m loving it! Although, Gabe and I found that spaghetti squash was quite sparse at the farmers market this past weekend. When we did finally find some, the price was not labeled, and I somehow inadvertently negotiated the price down. I guess it’s true when people say you can actually bargain at the farmers market. We had also bought some eggplant because I wanted to try having some veggies that were more out of the norm. I usually stay away from eggplant, although I love the taste, I don’t have much experience cooking it, and something about salting it before you cook it seems like too much work most of the time. The idea for this dish just came to me when all we had left towards the end of the week were these two vegetables. I thought it would be delicious to roast the spaghetti squash, add some home-made marinara sauce, with chunks of roasted eggplant, kalamata olives, and top with cheese and roast in the oven. Boy was it yummy! A nice mix a comforting flavors and yummy veggies.