Butternut Squash Baked

1 butternut squash, chopped in small squares
olive oil
basil
crushed thyme
rosemary, fresh or finely ground
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
onion

Spread butternut squash on baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over top. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 min.

Mexican Lasagna

We've had this one a few times and really liked it. It comes from vegetarian times complete cookbook.

1/2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin
pinch cayenne (optional)
1 16 oz can kidney or pinto (we used pinto) beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned, fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup tomato sauce
10 7- inch corn tortillas
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2-1 c shredded cheddar cheese


1. heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. stir in chili powder, cumin and cayenne, and saute for 1 min more.

2. remove from heat and add beans corn and tomato sauce.

3. preheat to 350.

4. place a few corn tortillas, broken into 1/2, in the bottom of a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. add 1/2 the corn mixture then 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. repeat layers 'til everything is gone and then top with cheddar cheese.

5. bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 min or until heated through.

Potato Hash

(Joel & Emily L.)

Prep time: 20 min

3-4 medium-large potatoes
olive oil (or another kind if preferred)
1 large onion, diced
green pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons green chili
taco or cajun seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

Wash and chop potatoes. Heat skillet over medium heat, put in a little oil. Saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and spices to skillet and cook until tender.

Season with taco or cajun seasoning or just salt and pepper. Eat plain or with salsa, sour cream, cheese, add to scrambled eggs, with beans, or in a tortilla, etc.

Split Pea Soup

(from the beanland blog)

You might want to double the recipe, it’s pretty delicious. Also, since you're already chopping all the veggies, chop extra and store them in a bag in the freezer, so next time you'll have them ready to dump right in the pot.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced thinly
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup dry split peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)

Cook onion in olive oil for a couple of minutes until softened, then add celery and carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Add everything else and cook on low for 50-60 minutes (30 will work in a pinch). Pull out 2 cups and blend it until smooth and return it to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Curried Potatoes and Spinach

(from Beanland blog)

1 scant Tablespoon canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (or 2 small red onions)
1 large rib celery, sliced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root (if you have it, I didn’t)
1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (can use fresh)
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (can use ground coriander in a pinch)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups water
3+ cups diced red potatoes, skins on
2 medium carrots, diced
6-8 cups spinach (coarsely chopped if desired - I buy 2 large bags)
Brown rice/Quinoa

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and ginger and cook for about 4 minutes. Add tomato, curry powder, garam masala, salt and cayenne and cook for 3 minutes over low heat.

Add water, potatoes and carrots and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand for about 5 minutes. Serve by ladling over brown rice or quinoa.

recipe found here

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

For a lighter dish choose a fat free or light feta cheese, plain nuts (no need to toast with sugar), and a light dressing - even try just plain balsamic vinegar!

1 bag baby spinach
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1 pomegranate, peeled & seeds separated
Balsamic Vinegarette

Mix it up and serve.

recipe found here

Noodles with Chicken and Sauteed Vegetables

(from Recipe Brain Cramp blog)

A light and healthy dish! If you want to increase the vegetables, add 2 cups of each! Leave out the chicken for a lighter, meatless dinner.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I use 6-7)
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked whole wheat linguine pasta
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces (2-3 chicken breasts cut in strips - or leave out the meat all together)
3 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste (we leave it out entirely and it is great)

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Mix in garlic. Cook and stir about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place linguine in pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside 1 Tablespoon garlic oil and toss remainder with pasta to coat. Season pasta with salt.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Immerse veggies in water for about 30 seconds. Drain and set aside. Or steam or boil vegetables until done.

4. Heat reserved garlic oil in skillet over medium heat. Mix in chicken and 3 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce. Cook until chicken juices run clear. Mix in vegetables and remaining soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and additional soy sauce if desired. Toss with linguine and serve.

Ratatouille

(from the Smitten Kitchen blog)

½ onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 can tomato sauce (15 ounces) (or puree such as Pomi)
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small eggplant (Italian Eggplants are less than half the size of regular ones; it works perfectly)
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 longish red bell pepper
Few sprigs fresh thyme (or a few shakes dried ground thyme)
Salt and pepper
Few Tablespoons soft goat or feta cheese, for serving
Brown rice or other grain
Parchment paper

Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish, approximately 10 inches across the long way. Drop the sliced garlic cloves and chopped onion into the sauce, stir in one Tablespoon of the olive oil and season the sauce generously with salt and pepper. Trim the ends off the eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off the red pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact, like a tube. On a mandoline, adjustable-blade slicer or with a very sharp knife, cut the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.

Atop the tomato sauce, arrange slices of prepared vegetables concentrically from the outer edge to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of each flat surface is visible, alternating vegetables. You may have a handful leftover that do not fit. Drizzle the remaining Tablespoon olive oil over the vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs with your fingertips, running them down the stem. Sprinkle the fresh thyme over the dish. Or very lightly sprinkle some dried ground thyme (you can always add more later if needed).

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside. Bake at 375˚ for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked, but with some structure left so they are not totally limp. They should not be brown at the edges, and you should see that the tomato sauce is bubbling up around them. Serve with a dab of soft goat or fete cheese on top, alone, or with some crusty French bread, atop polenta, couscous, brown rice or your choice of grain.

Calabactas

(Heather C.)

4-6 zucchini, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup corn
Monterrey Jack cheese
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Salt
Pepper

Sauté onion and zucchini until onion is clear. Drain. Lower heat and add corn and tomato. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add cheese to taste and allow to melt. Add mixture to a warmed tortilla. Also great as a dip with tortilla chips.

Zippy Black Bean Burritos

(Denise G.)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces), drained
1 can green chilies, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
Shredded cheddar cheese
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add bell pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 3 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Stir in beans; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Warm tortillas, and spoon ½ cup bean mixture and some cheese in center of each.