Taco Soup

Taco Soup

This soup is so easy that I almost don't count it as cooking because all you really do is chop an onion, open cans and dump everything in a pot.  If you'd like to liven it up with a little more freshness (and more work) you can also saute some diced bell pepper or minced garlic with the onion, or you could even toss in some freshly chopped cilantro at the end.  Part of the comfort of this soup is that it is so uninvolved though, and we all need a few recipes like that in our arsenal.  Serve the soup with cornbread or tortillas chips and cheddar cheese and sour cream for topping.  This recipe makes a lot.  It fills my whole large pot (not stock pot).  I'd say it serves at least 10-12 heavy eaters.  It's great for a football party or anytime you are feeding a crowd because you can make it in advance and keep it warm for an entire party.  If you're serving a smaller group I'd recommend cutting everything in half and you'll still have plenty for at least 5-6 people for dinner.

-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-2 lbs ground beef
-4 cups beef broth
-1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes (with their juice)
-1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with chiles (like Rotel)
-1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
-3 (15 oz) cans any type of bean, rinsed and drained (I did 1 pinto, 1 light red kidney bean and 1 dark red kidney bean in this batch)
-1 can chopped green chiles
-1 envelop ranch dressing mix
-4 Tbsp brown sugar
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
-3 Tbsp cornmeal mixed with 3 Tbsp water

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Saute onion and beef, stirring often and breaking up, until beef is cooked, about 10 minutes.  Drain off fat.  Add broth- cayenne to the pot with the beef and the onion.  Simmer over medium heat until flavors come together, at least 20 minutes.  Stir in cornmeal/ water mixture and continue to simmer until it thickens, at least 5 minutes.  Serve with desired toppings.

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts



 

 

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

 

Until recently, Jeremy said that he didn't like brussel sprouts and now he has announced that we could eat these for dinner every night.  This method is simple and fuss-free, but ends up with such delicious results.  You can also toss in some bacon or pancetta with these while roasting, as we had in a restaurant in Ohio a few month ago.  I follow this exact same method for roasting carrots  (peeled and cut into 1" chunks, or whole baby carrots) also, I just increase the cooking time.

 

-2 lbs brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, sliced in half

-1/4 c olive oil

-3 Tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

 

In a medium bowl, stir together oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Toss with brussel sprouts.  Roast at 400 for 35-45 minutes (or until desired browning has occurred), stirring every 10 minutes as you go.

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

This is one of the quintessential New Orleans dishes, right up there along with gumbo and jambalaya.  It is a New Orleans tradition to eat this dish on Mondays.  You can easily leave out the meat and make this dish vegetarian since the beans pack a bunch of protein, but the meat adds so much flavor so I always include it.  This recipe is more of a method than strict instructions.  Red beans are versatile, you can use whatever meat (or meat bones) you have lying around.  You can also use up extra veggies (peppers, onions, celery) and even throw in any homemade stock.  I almost always soak the beans overnight the night before I plan to make this dish, but you could skip that step and increase the cooking time.  Don't forget to serve with French bread for dipping and hot sauce for topping.

-1 lb red beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed again
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb smoked andouille sausage, sliced (I like the spicy Cajun variety)
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp cayenne peper
-1 tsp dried thyme
-2 bay leaves
-2 Tbsp hot sauce
-6-8 c water
-cooked rice

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  saute onion and bell pepper until soft (5-10 minutes).  Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly.  Add sausage and cook 5 additional minutes.  Add beans and fill with water until the beans are just barely covered.  Add salt- hot sauce and stir.  Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer on medium low for 1- 1.5 hrs, stirring every 10 minutes (or so).  If beans become too dry add more water while cooking... I like them pretty thick and not soupy, but that's just personal preference.  Once bean are desired tenderness remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve over rice, with parsley or scallions for garnish, hot sauce and Tony's seasoning for sprinkling, and French bread for dipping.

13 months

 

So I'm a little late (2 weeks) on posting this, but better late than never and Elisha is doing so many cute things right now that I really want to remember but will probably forget in a few months.

 

Eli is at such a fun age right now and has such a fun personality.  For the most part he's a very happy, laid back, easy going kid... unless it's close to nap time and you take away something he wants, then he violently throws himself onto the floor with no regard for his own safety.

 

He has been walking for 3 months now and is completely stable.  He walks with purpose back and forth across our house, often dragging a chair or toy along for the ride.  As he walks he usually keeps his left arm bent and keeps his right arm straight, swinging it dramatically as he walks. (I've wondered if this is his own thing, or mimicking me, cause I normally have my purse on one arm at the elbow and keep that arm bent while the other hangs down.)  He walks with his big chest out, and feet slightly turned in and plows through anything in his way.

 

He loves to play peekaboo and will do it over and over again with the greatest laugh I have ever heard.  He loves to eat and seems to always be wanting to do so.  He has just recently started showing an interest in books, and I often find him in a corner with a pile of books next to, or on top of him.  He still loves to play with balls, they are probably his favorite toy.  He throws them, catches (sometimes) and races around retrieving them.  He brings us his shoes all day long until we take him on a walk or adventure.  He frequently throws toys in the bath tub and comes to me trying to tug his shirt off signaling that he wants to take a bath. 

 

Just within the last week or two he has learned to climb onto and off of the couch all by himself and he is quite proud of this accomplishment.

 

He has the best curls along the back of his head.  And they only get better when it's humid or when he gets hot and sweaty.  They tightly curl up into little ringlets leaving this mama powerless against them.

He is starting to say some words other than mama and dada.  Mainly "do" every time he sees a dog, "nana" for banana and a few others.  He is also getting good at communicating his point, pointing at things and grunting until we understand what he is trying to get across.  We can also hold up food or toy items and ask him if he wants them and he will aggressively shake his head yes or no.

He loves to help me put laundry in the dryer, or empty the dishwasher.  He's my little helper.

Him and Noah absolutely adore each other and nothing in the world makes my heart more happy than to watch them play peekaboo, wrestle on the floor or race around the house squealing in delight as they go.

Here was my 13 month post from Noah.

 

Jill's Salsa

Jill's Salsa

I've tried a lot of homemade salsa recipes over the years including my friend Alex's, or Crystin's, or the Pioneer Woman one.  Some with fresh tomatoes, some with canned, some hand chopped, some easily and quickly done in a food processor.  This is my friend Jill's recipe, it is my current favorite.  I think I prefer a chunky/ hand chopped salsa, but if I was in a hurry I'd throw all of these ingredients in a food processor and come out with a thinner, restaurant style salsa texture.  And yes, there really is sweet chili sauce in this salsa... weird and counterintuitive, but delicious.  It has inspired me to think outside of the box though, and I think next I'd like to try sriracha in a salsa, because sriracha is always a great addition.

-5-6 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
-1/2 green pepper, diced
-1/2 yellow pepper, diced
-juice and zest of 1 lime
-1/2 red onion, diced
-1 clove garlic, minced
-3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
-1 can Original diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel), drained
-1 Tbsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

Stir all ingredients together and refrigerate a few hours before serving to allow the flavors to combine.

Berry Trifle

I made this Berry Trifle for a festive 4th of July dessert.  The few changes that I made were to add 1 tsp vanilla to the cream when whipping it, to double the almond extract, and to use neufatchel cheese for the cream cheese.  I also followed the advice of several reviewers and beat the cream cheese and whipped cream separate, keeping the whipping cream cold, and then folded them together.  This trifle turned out well, but will not be something I make all too often because it is definitely on the pricey side for a dessert.  Also, my trifle dish must be small (I didn't know the size of it's capacity) because only about half the recipe fit, so next time I'd halve the recipe.  This amount still fed a decent sized group at a cookout.

Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

This is yet another recipe from Shauna Niequist's book Bread & Wine.  On a side note, many of my current favorite recipes are from that book, they are all simple, yet sophisticated.  If you haven't read the book, you should!  This pork was delicious, in fact, Jeremy and I both thought it was one of our top few favorite dinners ever.  I served it with an easy baked "risotto" and they were a perfect pair.  The only thing that I changed from Shauna's recipe was that after searing my pork on all sides it wasn't cooked through enough so I finished it in the over until it reached 145.

Maple Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

-2 pork tenderloins
-1 cup maple syrup
-1 cup balsamic vinegar
-1 heaping  Tbsp Dijon mustard
-1/2 cup beer or white wine

Whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon. Add 1/2 cup of the maple balsamic mixture to the beer or white wine to create a marinade. Save the rest of the maple balsamic mixture to make the glaze. Several hours before serving, salt and pepper the tenderloins, then pour the marinade over them. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Just before serving, cook on the grill or on the stove. On medium-high heat, cook for 4 minutes on each of the four sides until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. We did ours on the grill and cooked them over medium-high heat until the internal temperature reached 145 degrees. While the pork is cooking and then resting, pour the remaining maple balsamic mixture in to a small saucepan and boil gently until reduced by half, about 15 minutes, creating a thick glaze. After the tenderloin has rested, slice it diagonal one-inch slices. Pour the glaze over the sliced meat, or put it in a little pitcher and let people pour it on their own slices.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

I have a more healthy mac and cheese, with pureed squash in the sauce that I like to serve for a healthy dinner.  It is not bad for you at all.  But, it never satisfies a true mac and cheese craving for me.  So here is a less nutritious, but still lightened up version of mac and cheese that does satisfy my comfort food cravings.

-1 box whole wheat shells, elbows or desired pasta shape, cooked al dente
-2 Tbsp butter
-2 Tbsp flour
-2 c milk
-1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/4 tsp cayenne
-1 Tbsp dijon mustard

Melt butter in large pot, over medium-low heat.  Add flour, cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add milk, cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add dijon mustard, 3/4 of the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Stir until cheese melts.  (At this point you could stop and serve as a stove top mac and cheese, but for a chewy crust and soft center continue on into the oven.)  Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole

This is such a quick and easy way to enjoy the flavors of french toast for a crowd, rather than cooking up a bunch of individual slices of french toast.  Savory breakfast casseroles are my favorite way to use up bread, meat, cheese and veggies that need to be eaten and this sweet version would be a great way to use up any expiring fruit.  The applesauce is not necessary, and could be replaced with extra milk, but I like using it to add some extra nutrition into the casserole.  I almost always make this the evening before and let it sit overnight so I can just pop it in the oven in the morning and have a hearty breakfast ready with minimal effort.  I sprinkled the top with a little powdered sugar to make it look pretty, but that step is entirely optional.  Serve with syrup for a hearty, soul soothing breakfast. 

-8 eggs
-2 c skim milk
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 c sugar
-1 c no sugar added applesauce
-1 Tbsp vanilla
-1 tsp cinnamon
-12 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, cut into cubes
-(optional) 2 c blueberries or other fruit, fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen

In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, sugar, applesauce, vanilla and cinnamon.  Combine with bread cubes and fruit (if using), stirring until all of the bread has absorbed the egg/ milk mixture.  Pour into a greased 13x9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until set.

Roasted Tomatoes

I had some tomatoes on hand needing to be used up so I made these Roasted Tomatoes.  Roasting really brings out their flavor and sweetness.  Such a simple, yet sophisticated side dish and a great way to serve tomatoes that aren't quite ripe or are on their last leg.  I ate them over some mashed white beans for a nice lunch.  I followed the recipe mostly, except I didn't remove the seeds (because someone recently told me that's where the flavor is) and I used dried herbs.

Elisha's 1 Year "Play Ball" Birthday Party

Yesterday was Eli's first birthday party.  I went a little low key (by my standards) for this party because he's too young to remember it, or ask for anything specific.  We did the party at Jeremy's parents house because they have a better outdoor space for the kids to play then we do.  And with multiple kids I feel that they tend to do better outside, unless you have a big house, which we do not.

I love a good party theme and chose "Play Ball" for this party.  I could say it's because Eli loves balls, which he does, but my real motivation was a whole bunch of ball noisemakers that my MIL had bought for Noah's first birthday party and then we had forgotten to hand them out as favors, so I think the more accurate answer is that I planned a whole party around some favors that we wanted to get rid of.

Here's a recap of the party;

I made a few basic decorations... these tissue paper tassels and a bunting banner in the colors that I chose for the party

the favors

the cakes... I kept the food themed around ball park food with some sausage balls and spinach balls thrown in

the backyard had all kinds of fun activities set up for kids... a tent, pool, kitchen, soccer goal, basket ball hoop and sandbox

It was a fun party and I think all the kids had a great time.

1 year

To my sweet Elisha,

Your daddy, brother and I love you so much!

We have so many nicknames for you; Eli, Eli-ka-loo, Echo-loo, Eli-kazam, Eli Eli O, and my snuggle bear.

You are such a sweet boy.  You have a tender, sensitive heart.

You are so happy.  You can light up a room with your smile.  Your joy and excitement is contagious to our whole family.

You have a bit of a stubborn side... never seeming to give up... a great trait of determination in an adult, but a little more difficult to manage in a child.  You also have a bit of a temper and throw yourself on the ground in a tantrum when you don't get your way.

You have 4 teeth (2 top, 2 bottom), with 2 more on the way.  You take 2 naps a day and sleep from about 8 pm- 5 am each night.  You have been walking since 10 months and are very stable and skilled at it now.

You love to be outside, to eat and to play with balls.  You love watching your brother play and be silly, egging on his shenanigans with your amusement.  You enjoy wrestling with daddy and are physically tough.  You are a tank and can take a fall or injury without being phased.  You constantly drag all of my tupperware out of the cabinet and open the fridge grabbing small yogurts and running away.

Your favorite foods are applesauce, yogurt and muffins.  You eat pretty much everything except meat and eggs.  You still nurse twice a day, but will be weaned soon.

I love that when your daddy comes home from work you walk into the room grinning exuding with excitement to see him.  You help us all to appreciate each other and celebrate the small things.

I've been a different mom with you than I was with Noah... more confident, calm, laid back, relaxed and comfortable.  Being a second child with a very attention seeking older brother you'll don't often know what it's like to have my undivided attention, but you get a whole lot of extra love and attention from your brother, who is your biggest fan and best friend.

You were named Elisha Samuel after 2 prophets, and I do not take that lightly.  Multiple people have commented about the wisdom they see when they look into your eyes.  A deep sense of wisdom and knowledge.

God has a plan for you.  A calling on your life that is deep, profound and meaningful.

I'm so honored to be your mom.  So excited to watch you grow up.  To walk through life with you.  To shepherd you along the way.  To watch as you figure out who you are and why you were created.  To see you step into your destiny.

You make me a better person.  Help me to slow down, enjoy life, savor each moment and be present.  Thank you for that.  Thank you for each smile, snuggle, and laugh.

Happy Birthday, son!

Seared Tilapia with Watermelon Salsa

Seared Tilapia with Watermelon Salsa

Last week when we were shopping at Whole Foods they were handing out samples of a seared halibut with watermelon salsa.  Jeremy and I both loved it so I decided to recreate the dish at home with some tilapia that I needed to use up.  This dish is light and refreshing, just the way a summer dinner should be. 

-4 Tbsp olive oil
-4 fillets tilapia
-salt and pepper

Watermelon Salsa
-2 c watermelon, diced
-1/8 c lime juice
-1 Tbsp honey or sugar
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
-1/4 red onion, diced
-any combination of the following herbs; cilantro, mint, and/ or basil

At least 2 hours before dinner assemble salsa; Whisk together lime juice, honey or sugar and salt.  Toss with remaining ingredients.  Chill at least 2 hours prior to serving.

Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add fish (I can cook 3 fillets at a time in my pan, cook however many at a time you can fit without them overlapping) and cook until the top is just barely still raw (2-4 minutes), flip and cook on the second side until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily (about 2 minutes).  Repeat with remaining oil and tilapia fillets.  Spoon salsa on top of fish and serve immediately.

Spinach Pie

I made this Spinach Pie for a simple vegetarian dinner (but it would be a great side dish to any meat).  It was quick, easy, and delicious.  I left out the eggs and the egg wash because I made it for my mom who doesn't eat eggs, but if that wasn't a concern I'd add those in next time.  I also switched out the cottage cheese with feta and was very happy with that decision.

46 weeks

Here is what is going on with Eli this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby probably enjoys looking at books and leafing through the pages, though she won't always turn them one by one. Indulge in great picture books, like Anno's Journey, by the great Japanese artist Mitsumasa Anno, Tamara Hoban's Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue?, which introduces primary colors through photos of everyday objects, and The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs, a full-color cartoon book about a snowman who comes to life. Or stick with sturdy and inexpensive board books that can stand up to small fingers.

To add variety to your baby's reading time and to find out what appeals to her the most, try your local library or the kids' section at a family-friendly bookstore.

Your baby has probably been wrestling with bouts of separation anxiety during the last several months. This is natural: She loves and depends on you, so she's distressed when you leave.

To ease departures, make them short and sweet. Be matter-of-fact when you leave your child at daycare or with a babysitter at home, and don't prolong the agony with extended goodbyes. Your baby's tears will subside soon after you're out of sight.

You can help your baby feel more independent by not hovering over her all the time. Of course, she still needs to know that you're around and dependable. So if she toddles to another room, wait a couple of minutes before following. If you go to another area of the house, call to her when you're in the next room — but don't come running every time she squawks.

Poor 2nd child!  I blogged every week the whole first year of Noah's life and this is my first Eli blog in 2 months. 

Eli is doing great though!

I think I've pretty much switched to solely calling him Eli and almost never calling him Elisha. 

He has been walking for about 2 weeks (since he was 10 months old) and can walk around the whole house on his own.  Now we're working on getting used to walking in shoes and not just barefoot.

He loves to clap his hands and does it all the time.  Within the last couple of weeks he's just been learning how to wave hi and bye to people.

I just finally transitioned him out of sleeping in a sleep sack this week and am now giving him a blanket.  We also lowered his crib to the lowest notch, because I think it was somewhere around this age when Noah figured out how to hurl himself out of the crib.  We also child proofed all of our cabinets, which is something that I had never done with Noah, but it has made my days dramatically easier since I'm not spending 98% of my day policing cabinets now.

He now has his 2 bottom center teeth and 2 top center teeth, plus has an additional one on the top just starting to break through the skin.

Eli has hardly ever been left with anyone other than me, Jeremy, or his mom, but we are slowly getting him used to it.  A few months ago, he wasn't making it through a whole church service and they would call me to pick him up from the nursery after about 15-20 minutes because he was still sobbing.  Now he makes it the entire service, but still gets pretty sad when I drop him off, and pick him up.

Despite the drawbacks of having less blogs and alone time with me from being the 2nd child I think he is getting a lot of benefits (for him anyway).  I didn't let Noah eat any food with added butter, oil, salt, sugar, or fried food until well after his 1st birthday (I think).  I pretty much already feed Eli just about anything that I'm eating which has included desserts, chips, french fries, meat, nd lots of other delicacies that Noah wasn't experiencing at this age.  I also never let Noah watch tv before he was 2 (I think), but since Noah currently watches a few shows a day, as soon as Eli is old enough to notice and care then I will let him watch with his brother.

In reading Noah's 46 week blog I'm reminded of how much he loved to read at this age... Eli, not so much.  I can't get him to sit still for a whole book, and usually he just tries to grab books out of my hand.  In fact, when I'm reading a book to Noah, Eli will come from across the room just to try to take the book from us.  On his own though, he is frequently known to pull all of the books off the bookshelf and sit amidst a pile of books flipping through them, he just doesn't want us reading them to him.

But while Eli doesn't have the same love for books that Noah did at this age he does have a love for balls that Noah didn't.  He loves to catch, throw, and roll balls.  We'll see if this carries over into athleticism in later years.

He has developed a bit of an attitude and will throw mini fits/ tantrums when we take away something that he wants.  Fortunately he is easily distracted.

He says mama and dadda, dadda way more than mama.  He also says Noah, but hasn't showed any interest in some of the other common words yet.

One of his favorite things to do is to lay on any couch, bed, or set of pillows and just flop and roll around.  He grins and growls the whole time.  He also loves being held upside down, going for walks, playing peek-a-boo, watching bubbles, and going to grandma's.

This little boy is so happy and full of personality.  He is independent... when I see other kids his age hover by their moms in social settings he is always on the move, curious and exploring.  He is stubborn tenacious, and will continue to go back to the same forbidden action time and time again without giving up.  These traits of curiosity and tenacity are also strongly exhibited in his brother, and while they can be frustrating in small children I think they are great qualities for adults, so we are doing our best not to stifle them out of him but to attempt to direct them in a constructive manner.

Here was Noah at 46 weeks.

Felt Crown and Owl Mask

I made this felt owl mask and felt crown for a special little girl's birthday.  I've really been enjoying whipping up some super quick projects with felt lately.  I used this template (minus the eyelashes) for the owl, and this template for the crown.

Easy "Risotto"

I made this Ina Garten baked risotto recipe that produces an authentic risotto-like product, without all of the hands on work of stirring and watching.  I thought it turned out great!  I didn't have any wine on hand, so I eliminated it altogether, and added 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, because I like a touch of lemon with spring vegetables.  Next time I might even add some lemon zest.  I did find the finished product a little too salty and would reduce the salt by 1/2-1 tsp next time.  I also reduced the butter to 2 Tbsp, and might even cut it back to only 1 Tbsp next time, the cheese made it rich enough for me.  Other than that, such a great and easy recipe that can easily be changed to include your veggies and cheeses of choice... I definitely see an asparagus and mushroom versions in my future, and one with goat cheese instead of parmesan.

Cassoulet

Cassoulet

This is yet another recipe from the book Bread & Wine.  I've adjusted the original recipe from the book with the 3 changes that I made (add red pepper flakes, increase the tomatoes and reduce the bread crumb topping) to suit my taste.  This dish was simple, healthy, earthy and filing.

-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 lb. Italian turkey sausage
-1 1/2 cups chicken broth
-1 onion, thinly sliced
-3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice
-3 parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch dice
-2 tomatoes, chopped, or one 15-oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
-3 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
-5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme leaves
-1/2 t. salt
-1/4 t. pepper, freshly ground

-1/4 t red pepper flakes
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 c bread crumbs
-1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

-2 T. butter

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage until well-browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Set aside.

2. In same Dutch oven, add the chicken broth, vegetables, beans, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, one third of the garlic, and the sausage.  Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour until the cassoulet is thickened and vegetables are tender.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, and butter. Sprinkle evenly over the cassoulet, and place in the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the crust is golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

To make ahead and freeze, prepare without the bread crumb topping. Cover and freeze up to 4 months. When ready to cook, uncover the cassoulet, sprinkle with bread crumb mixture, and bake, unthawed, 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees.

Turkey Sausage and Butternut Squash Lasagna

Turkey Sausage and Butternut Squash Lasagna

This recipe is a slightly adjusted version of a recipe from a friend of a friend.  I used skim milk, because I always try to keep things on the lighter side.  It turned out well, but if you're not as concerned about calories I think you'd get an even better flavor using 2% or whole milk.  Next time I think I'd also consider adding a layer of sauteed spinach, because I really like the pairing of greens and butternut squash.

-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-1 lb Italian Turkey sausage, casings removed
-1/2 stick butter
-1/4 cup all purpose flour
-3 cups milk
-1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
-1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
-1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
-15 whole wheat lasagna noodles, soaked in hot tap water for 20 minutes
-3 lbs butternut squash, neck portion only, peeled and sliced into wide thin sheets (quickly did this in my food processor)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick fry pan, over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.  In the fry pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on paper towels, then add the onion mixture.  In the fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese, the 1/4 cup parsley, the sage, salt, and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/3 cup sauce on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and top with a single layer of 5 noodles. Top with a layer of squash slices, 1/2 the sausage, and 1/3 the sauce. Repeat the layering of noodles, squash, sausage and sauce.  Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, and 1/4 c cheese.  Transfer the pan to the oven and bake at 375 until the lasagna is browned and bubbly, about 35-45 minutes.

Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and Smoked Gouda

Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Spinach, and Smoked Gouda

This is my take on a recipe that a friend made from her church cookbook.  This dish combines many of my favorite foods/ flavors and is fairly simple to throw together.  When making/ serving casseroles like this, I almost always make them first thing in the morning while the kiddos are happily playing and then refrigerate and bring to room temperature for an hour before baking prior to dinner.  I find that my afternoons and evenings can get off course based on the ups and downs of kid behavior during the day, and it's always nice to know that dinner is already prepared and that all I need to do is pop it straight into the oven.

-1 box whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente (I used penne)
-1 lb Italian turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-2-3 assorted bell peppers, diced (I used 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange)
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-8 oz baby spinach leaves
-2 1/2 c smoked gouda, shredded, divided use

Heat oil in medium pot over medium heat.  Add onion and peppers.  Saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, saute 1 additional minute.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring well.  Add spinach, cooking and stirring until just wilted, about 5 minutes.  Toss pasta and sausage with tomato mixture and 2 c of the cheese.  Spread into a greased 13x9 pan.  Top with remaining 1/2 c cheese.  Bake at 375 20-30 minutes, until warm and cheese is melted.