Spagetti Squash with Spinach & Bacon

Comfort food at its best! I combined a few recipes on Pinterest to create this dish; which could be either a side dish or stand on it's own entree. Despite our warm, Colorado fall days, I am craving creamy, comfort food...

Ingredients:

• 1 spagetti squash
• grapeseed oil, for lightly greasing parchment paper
• salt to taste
• 6 nitrate-free bacon, cooked until crispy and torn into pieces (save the bacon grease)
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 5 ounces fresh spinach, cut into strips
• 6 ounces plain greek yogurt
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mozarella, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

Wash and dry the spagetti squash. Pierce whole squash in several places and microwave on high 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Much easier to cut! Cut crosswise into 4 equally thick rounds.

 Lay on the prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with salt.

Bake 1 hour, turning over the slices halfway through.

When squash is tender and cooled slightly, run a fork around the inside of the rounds to shred into noodles. Place in a large bowl.

I cook the bacon in a toaster oven at 425-degrees for 15 minutes for less mess.  Save the bacon grease.

Place the bacon grease in a large skillet and saute the shallot. Once the shallot is tender add the spinach and cook till just wilted. Add this to the spagetti squash noodles along with the cooked bacon pieces.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, Parmesan and mozarella cheese. Add the the squash mixture and combine well. 

I made the dish ahead of time and will heat up at 350-degree oven about 20 minutes. Thinking of adding some gluten-free cracker crumbs to the top for added crunch.

Beautiful Granddaughters ~ 2016

Ava turns 4

Ally turns 3

Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles

This ricotta sauce is spectacular! You would never know this is not a cream sauce made with flour... The dish stands on its own or with not; the options are endless. I added some spice to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 zucchini, washed, dried and spiralized
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs of choice ( I used rosemary and thyme)
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Ricotta Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used full fat Organic Valley brand)
• 1/2 cup milk
• red pepper flakes to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh Parmesan (if desired)

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet.

Add spiralized zucchini; season with herbs, salt and pepper and cook until tender, stirring frequently. About 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute or until fragrant.

Stir in ricotta cheese and milk; season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted and everything is well combined.

Bring to a steady simmer and cook 3 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in prepared zucchini. Adjust seasonings. May add some fresh Parmesan if desired.

Carrot, Cucumber and Rice Noodles with Lime-Ginger Dressing

Having just gone from a 4300 sq. ft. home to a 2400 sq. ft. duplex; one would assume we would not be buying anymore kitchen gagets... Introduce the new spiralizer, thanks to my sister, Simone, and brother-in-law, Mark. New obsession: Pinterest searching for spiralizer recipes. Bought mine on Amazon, Veggetti Pro Table Top Spiralizer, $24, delivered to your door. Bobby Flay created this cold noodle salad. He says it makes 2-4 servings, but really 6-8! Would pair well with just about any main protein. Grilled chicken thighs (lightly pat both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper). Grill at 400-degrees till cooked through. Chop and serve atop the salad. This is the bomb (as my friend Karen would say!) May consider adding some heat with red pepper flakes or fresh jalapeno... Be sure to set salad out at room temperature before serving or heat in the microwave to get the chill out. Best to make a day ahead to allow flavors to meld.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 large limes)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts,  roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and spiralized
• 1 English cucumber, halved, seeded, spiralized and patted dry on paper towels
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces brown rice noodles cooked according to directions on package, drained and rinsed in cold water (I cut-up a bit with kitchen scissors)

Directions for Dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, vinegar, honey, tamari and 1/4 cup cilantro. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours (the longer it sits, the better it tastes).

Directions for serving:
Combine all the prepared ingredients, including dressing, in a large bowl and toss with tongs.

Pork with Peach Salsa

This recipe came from the Boulder Daily Camera recipe section. Fabulous way to use fresh peaches and jalapenos. Make extra salsa; spectacular over plain greek yogurt! Cannot go wrong with pork tenderloin; it is well worth the extra price.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
• 3 ripe peaches
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small jalapenos
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin. Rub with olive oil. Combine oregano and cumin and rub on all sides of the pork. Cover and refrigerate 1-3 hours. Take out of refrigerater 20-30 minutes before grilling.

To make the salsa:

Wash peaches, remove the stones and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

Mix lime juice, honey cilantro and jalapenos. 

Toss with the peaches. Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the pork over direct medium heat (400-degrees), 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 145-degrees.

Gas Grill Potatoes

Does this not look tasty? Recipe credit is my friend, Cherie Fassbinder. Little did we know, we lived in the same town, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, when we were in elementary school. Our paths crossed many moons ago again in Colorado. Thank you, Cherie for this timeless recipe!
This is one of those recipes you can change up to what you are feeling that day. Yukon gold, red or just plain white baking potatoes, fresh rosemary, no rosemary, thyme, red onion, shallots, white onion, and butter, herb butter, or olive oil. You get the just...

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion
• fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and slice potatoes and the onion.

Chop the rosemary.

Grease 2 large sheets of heavy duty foil.

Divide the sliced potatoes and slice onions evenly between the two pieces of foil. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary on top evenly. Salt and pepper each.

Dot with butter and fold up the foil to create a tight package by first folding over the top and then the sides of the foil.

Place on a 400-degree grill (close the grill top), for about 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes.

Be careful when unfolding the foil, very hot... as the steam escapes.

Printed

Creme Brulee

I have not posted much in the last couple of months; that is what a major move will do to you! Now we are all settled in the new duplex in Boulder. Love living in Boulder; so very bike friendly and independent restaurant plentiful, this girl is in her element... This dessert recipe is from the Colorado Collage, a much loved cookbook from the Denver Junior League. We have a butane torch, so the sugar caramelization is a cinch and you get to play with fire! Elegant, easy and yummy all rolled into one. Fresh sliced strawberries add the finishing touch.  Serves 6 lucky guests.

Ingredients:

• 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Do not use the convection setting, just plain ole' bake. 

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar.

In a heavy saucepan, heat cream until simmering over low heat. Temper the yolk mixture by adding a little of the hot cream from the sauce pan, stirring well. About 1/4 cup.

Add the tempered yolk mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Add the vanilla, whisk to blend and set off of the heat.

Ladle the cream into 3/4-cup custard dishes. Place in a 9x13-inch baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cup.

Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the center is set, about 55 minutes. Remove from the water (I use rubber gloves) and cool completely on racks.

Cover and chill overnight. 

To serve: sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon sugar over the top of each chilled mixture. Either use a torch or place under a preheated broiler, watching carefully, until sugar melts and browns slightly.