From Food 52:
Summer Squash Couscous with Sultanas, Pistachios & Mint.

Check out the recipe here

I made this last night, but replaced the sultanas with dried apricots. I have to say it was absolutely delicious - light, fresh & “summery”

This is soooo good in the summer. Takes about 10 minutes to throw everything into the food processor.

• 1 - 1.5 peeled cucumbers
• a few fresh tomatoes
• sm Can of whole tomatoes, or fire roaster tomatoes
• green bell pepper
• red bell pepper
• 1 fresh jalapeño
• 1 canned chipotle pepper
• splash red wine vinegar (maybe 1 T)
• 1 T good olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• splash of franks red hot, or texas pete

serve with fresh chevre & avocado, and if you are anything like me, more Franks Red Hot

I got home from work late last night and started cooking this before I even knew what I was making. But I had a new dutch oven and he usual assortment of veggies on hand so I whipped this up. It turned out so yummy I thought I’d share.

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 med sweet onion (diced)
• 1 yellow pepper (diced)
• 1 med eggplant (diced)
• 1 zuchinni (diced)
• 1 yellow squash (diced)
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 T fresh chopped parsley
• 1 T balsamic dressing
• 1 T olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Heat oil over med heat - add garlic and onions and cook for 5 minutes, add remaining ingredients and cook for 5 - 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 more minutes.

I ate mine over 1/2 C couscous. It was really delicious. As a matter of fact it is going to be my lunch today too!

Oh I love you dutch oven!

Ingredients:

• chicken
• apple
• walnuts
• gorgonzola cheese
• lettuces

I used frise, romaine and butter lettuce, topped with 1/2 honey crisp apple (diced), and 1/4 C crumbled gorgonzola cheese.

Marinate 1/2 chicken breast in fresh lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, cook in non-stick pan until don - chop into nice sized bites while you cook it and toss onto salad once it has cooled slightly

Toast chopped walnuts (2 T)

Dressing:

• 2 tsp honey
• 2 T cider vinegar
• salt/pepper

I followed Gina’s recipe that you can get here. I then added fresh blueberries and a banana. Mmm mmm good. It is hard to only eat 2. Oh and I couldn’t resist a bite before I took this photo. I was starving

I cooked this Weight Watchers recipe tonight. It was soooo yummy. I used high fiber pasta reduced the amount by half.

Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 10 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mashed squash and 2 1/2 teaspoons of thyme. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat.
• Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish; dot with spoonfuls of ricotta and then sprinkle with Parmesan and walnuts. Bake until top is lightly browned in a few spots, about 15 to 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
• Place squash on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl and mash.

Notes

• *Look for a 20 ounce bag of fresh, already peeled and cubed squash from your supermarket. If you can’t find any, cut a medium squash in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on prepared baking sheet; roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Scoop squash out of skin into a large bowl, mash with a spoon and proceed as above.Alternatively, you can microwave cubed squash, covered, in a shallow microwave-safe baking dish or container with 1/4 cup of water, until cooked through; mash squash in a bowl.

Look at all of these veggies!

Grill zucchini, peppers, onions, veggie sausage. Add to scrambled egg whites and a tortilla, top with picante sauce, greek yogurt and hot sauce.

and the finished product…

Some things I made but never posted…

Vegetable Napoleon:

Thinly slice veggies, grill, or saute. I think this had, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, & bell peppers.

Stack, and top with argula, goat cheese, and balsamic glaze (balsamic reduction)

Leftover Fajita makes great Quesadilla filling!

I always make enough fajitas to have leftovers. Next time you make them try using the leftovers in a quesadilla. Layer half of a tortilla with refried beans and top with fajita veggies and chicken. Top with a tiny bit of cheese. Cook both sides until tortilla is crispy.

This is from this month’s issue of cooking light - you an see the recipe here. I modified the recipe by using half the oil, and adding twice the veggies. It called for green onions, I also added broccoli and shiitake mushrooms. The recipe calles for one pound of beef also - but I used about half of that. Oh also make sure you watch your portions - the recipe is for a 1 Cup serving!

I also made up a little side salad - romaine, carrots, red onion, chopped peanuts. Dressing was lime juice, chili garlic sauce, honey, olive oil.

Sweet potatoes are so good for you. See this article for proof. I always have them on hand - whether I’m baking them , making oven baked french fries, or eating then for breakfast. Check out this sweet potato hash I made for breakfast this morning:

Ingredients:

• 1 very finely diced sweet potato
• 1/4 finely diced sweet onion
• 1/4 finely diced yellow bell pepper
• salt/pepper
• olive oil
• garlic powder

Heat 1/2 T olive oil in skillet. Add all ingredients and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Keep skillet covered to keep in moisture. This was such a subtly sweet,warm,  flavorful breakfast. Perfect for a cold winter morning.

I served mine with scrambled egg whites tossed with cooked zuchini, and sun dried tomatoes.