Mason Jar Salad with Butternut Squash, Beets and Farro

I have recently become obsessed with making my lunches in mason jars. It's so convenient to have these little jars ready for me on the weekday mornings to take to work. The jars are also pretty and appealing and make me excited to eat my lunch. 

I've been experimenting with all different kinds of mason jar lunches- both hot and cold. In this particular recipe, I decided to do a cold salad with butternut squash as the star ingredient. I roasted it and combined it with farro, beets, crunchy walnuts, apples and Parmesan cheese. I decided an apple cider vinaigrette would work well for the dressing since there are apples in the salad and it came out absolutely perfect. 

Similar to my other recipes, this one is extremely versatile. Feel free to swap out different greens, different nuts, different cheese- whatever makes you happy. This is a feel good salad and you should adjust the ingredients until you make it just right for yourself!

My superfood of the week is butternut squash which I have featured in another recipe. Click here. to learn more about its nutritional value.

Ingredients:

1 lb. cubed butternut squash

4 small cooked beets- diced

1 apple- sliced

1 cup cooked farro

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup walnuts

Ingredients for dressing:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

salt/pepper to taste

Directions

1) Cook farro according to package instructions.

2) Prepare vinaigrette by combining olive oil, vinegar and salt/pepper.

2) Layer the salad in this order in 4 mason jars: salad dressing, apple slices, beets, butternut squash, farro, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and spinach.

3) When ready to eat, turn the jar upside down for a few minutes to allow dressing to coat the entire salad.

4) Eat and enjoy!!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This is like the 8th snowstorm of the season in New England and I am so over it. I am counting down the days until Spring when it's enjoyable to be outside again! I realize that the Spring is still quite a few weeks away so I'm making do with this winter by eating lots and lots of comforting hot soup!

This was my first time ever making butternut squash soup and I was pretty pleased with the results. I decided to blend in a can of cannelini beans for some extra fiber and protein and to give the soup a creamier texture and it works really well. In fact, the soup is SO creamy that you would never know there wasn't actual cream in it!

I think the key to creating delicious soup is roasting the veggies before pureeing them. They get golden and slightly caramelized in the oven which makes them ooze with delicious flavor. 

I topped my soup with chopped up parsley, grated pecorino romano and a dollop of part-skim sour cream. I would recommend all of those toppings but definitely feel free to swap out some of your own. 

Butternut squash is my superfood of the week. It contains potassium which is essential for bone health, and is packed with antioxidants that allow the body to fight off free radicals. The beautiful bright orange color in this vegetable signifies that it has carotenoids which are known to protect against heart disease. 

Ingredients:

5-6 cups cubed butternut squash (About a half a squash cubed into 1/2 inch pieces)

1 yellow onion- diced

3 cloves garlic- grated or minced

1 can cannellini beans- rinsed and drained

2-3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

salt/pepper

*Optional toppings- parsley, pecorino romano/parmesan cheese, sour cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Line baking sheet with foil. Place cubed butternut squash on tray with 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper

3) Roast in the oven for 20 minutes

4) While squash is roasting, melt butter and other tbsp of olive oil over medium low heat

5) Add onion and cook for 15 minutes or until caramelized. 

6) Add garlic and beans and cook for 2 more minutes

7) Add onion/garlic/bean mixture to blender and puree until smooth and add it back to the pot

8) When squash is tender add it to the blender in batches with the broth. (I would do a cup of squash at a time to 1/2 cup of broth)

9) Add squash mixture to the pot with the onion/garlic/bean mixture

10) Add salt/pepper to taste and simmer soup on low for 10 minutes

11) Add toppings of your choosing and enjoy!

Portabello Mushroom Salad with Butternut Squash and Wild Rice

I have a new obsession that I have to tell you about.. It's the restaurant, Sweetgreen. Sweetgreen is a "fast food" restaurant that specializes in delicious and nutritious salads. Everything is always fresh, well-sourced, and amazing. 

One of their seasonal salads right now is called "Portobello, Squash, and Wild Rice Bowl." It is seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. I decided to try and recreate it. Even though it's not as good as the original, it's pretty darn yummy.

I know I've mentioned before how challenging it is for me to decide what to bring to work for lunch. I get bored of things so quickly, and it's always a challenge to come up with something new and exciting.

After tasting Sweetgreen's salad, I knew right away that I would make my own version and bring it to work all week long this week :)

To find out all of the health benefits of Portobello mushrooms, check out one of my other recipes here.

Ingredients:

6 cups spring mix

 2 cups arugula 

1 cup sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

 3 cups butternut squash chunks

 1 onion, diced

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup dry wild rice mix

salt/pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2) Cook wild rice to package instructions.

3) Heat a small skillet over medium heat.

4) Add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil. 

5) Add onions into skillet and reduce heat to medium/low. Cook onions until caramelized- about 40-50 minutes. 

6) Place mushrooms and squash on 2 baking sheets lined with foil. Coat them with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt/pepper and use your hands to combine.

7) Roast veggies for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

8) Prepare salad- place spring mix and arugula in a bowl, add squash, mushrooms, rice, and onion.

9) Serve with your favorite dressing. (I just used a little lemon juice and olive oil)

*Recipe makes about 5 salads

Vegan Tempeh Veggie Bowls

Oh my goodness do I love these bowls! They're beautifully colorful, light, yet hearty and oh so delicious. 

My husband travels a lot for work and when he's gone I pretty much eat vegetarian. He's not opposed to veggie meals, but he definitely appreciates his animal protein. When he's away I really like to get creative and make myself delicious new vegetarian or vegan recipes. 

Similar to most of my other recipes, this one is very versatile. Feel free to get creative with this bowl and sub out veggies for ones you like better or maybe play around with the sauce. I must say, however the sauce is perfection. It's salty and sweet at the same time with just a little kick. YUM.

This bowl is PACKED with superfoods- it was difficult for me to pick one to talk about! I decided to discuss the benefits of tempeh, as I've never featured it before. Tempeh is fermented soybeans and fermented foods are loaded with health benefits. Tempeh helps aid in digestion by breaking down harmful bacteria and regulating the appetite. It also helps protect the immune system and ward of disease. Tempeh also contains Vitamin B3 which is known to lower cholesterol and help strengthen the cardiovascular system. 

Bowl Ingredients:

8 oz. package of tempeh

1/2 tbsp. soy sauce

4 cups of mixed dark greens (I used Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch)

2 cups arugla 

1 red bell pepper- diced

2 cups butternut squash- diced

1 avocado- diced

2 tbsp. sunflower seeds

1/2 tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 tbsp olive oil

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. all natural peanut butter

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp. almond milk (unsweetened)

1 tsp. red curry paste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2) Place diced squash on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes (stir halfway)

3) Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add coconut oil until melted. Crumble tempeh with your hands and add to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break tempeh into smaller pieces. Add 1/2 tbsp soy sauce and cook for about 3-4 minutes stirring constantly until tempeh is golden.

4) Remove tempeh and add diced bell pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes or until just barely tender.

5) Combine dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. 

6) Build your bowl! Start with the kale mix then add arugula, tempeh, squash, bell pepper, avocado and sunflower seeds. Drizzle dressing on top and enjoy!

*Recipe makes 2 bowls however there should be extra sauce!

Easy Crispy Lemon Cod

I don't know about you,  but I find it challenging to cook anything elaborate during the week. I've discovered what works best for me are easy 30 minutes (or less) meals and then having enough for leftovers for the next day.

This fish recipe takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare and cook, and it tastes absolutely delicious. You can use whatever white fish you happen to have on hand. I used cod, but haddock, striped bass, sole or tilapia would all work fine as well. 

Fish freezes really well too. My advice to you is to buy a few pounds of it when it's on sale (always opt for wild caught fish) and package it into portions. You can then freeze the individual portions and use them whenever you need an easy weeknight meal. 

I served this with roasted cauliflower and butternut squash, but it truly goes well with anything.

Cold water fish (cod in particular) is said to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack due to its omega 3 acids. Cod also provides a good amount of Vitamin B12 and Selenium which are known to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. Lastly, cod is a great source of lean protein which can aid in weight loss.

Ingredients:

1 pound white flaky fish- such as cod

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs

zest from 1 lemon

1/8 cup grated parmesan

1 egg- beaten

salt/pepper to taste

parsley- chopped (optional)

lemon slices (optional)

Directions:

1) Pat fish dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.

2) Combine bread crumbs, lemon zest, Parmesan, and salt/pepper in one bowl.

3) Dredge fish in beaten egg then in bread crumb mixture. 

4) Heat a pan over medium high heat. 

5) Cook fish on each side for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.

6) To serve top with lemon slices and parsley.