Risotto with Acorn Squash

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Jack Cheese

I wanted to make something different than our normal day to day "go to" dinners, so I started fishing around for some great recipes using Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash. I found this GEM! <3 I surprised myself and my boyfriend, we were in HEAVEN and on top of that it is healthy! SCORE! I tweaked the original recipe that I found at myrecipes.com; I substituted quinoa for the brown rice and the original recipe calls for Pancetta (we are vegetarians so we did not include that). It is creamy, and savory with TONS of protein and deliciousness. I paired this Risotto styled dish with a large green salad. Enjoy!

What you'll need:

- 1 1/2 pounds of butternut squash OR acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (yields about 3 1/2 cups)

- 2 cups of fat free low sodium vegetable broth

- 1 1/3 cups water

- 3 tablespoons of Marsala wine (I used Chardonnay because I had it on hand)

- 1 tablespoon of minced Tarragon (optional; I could not find any so I used dried Oregano)

- 1 cup finely chopped onion 

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 3/4 cup of uncooked Quinoa

- 2/3 cup of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I used Pepper jack to spice things up!)

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

What you need to do:

- Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place squash on a nonstick pan that is properly oiled, I like to use a little coconut oil. Bake at 475 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender, turning after 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. 

- Combine broth, water, wine, and tarragon (I used Oregano), in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.

- In a separate saucepan add onion and oil; Sauté 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add the quinoa to the pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Quinoa will have a soupy consistency at this point, never fear it will get thicker while baking!

- Place pan in oven; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. 

- Remove from oven. Stir in the squash, cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover with a clean cloth and let stand for 10 minutes, the quinoa will continue cooking. 

Yields 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cups)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 423 

Calories from fat: 30%

Fat: 14.2g

Saturated Fat: 5.5g

Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.9g

Protein: 14.5g

Carbs: 57.3g

Fiber: 6.6g

Cholesterol: 28mg

Iron: 2mg

Sodium: 783mg

Calcium: 235mg

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Have I mentioned lately that I am addicted to pizza? To the point that I might need to join a PA group (Pizza Anonymous)!! I used to eat an entire pizza all to myself in one sitting in college :( those were the days!! haha just kidding

ANYWAYS I still am addicted to pizza but I have come to terms with this addiction by trying to supplement something else into my diet that meets the flavors and deliciousness that is pizza. 

Lucky for me, my roommate is an amazing chef and really creative. Daniel Razzo came up with this delicious recipe and now I eat it once a week! It is so easy, only 7 ingredients, and CHEAP!! oh and it tastes just like PIZZAAAA! 

Okay so now for the recipe:

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Eat time: 1 min hahaha ;)

Ingredients:

• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 5 freshly chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 cup of dices tomatoes (I use cherry tomatoes and halve them)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic (or more cause I love garlic!)
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of shredded pepperjack cheese (I use goat cheese because it is easier on my stomach)
• salt and pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper for an extra KICK

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the stem of the portobello mushrooms to create more room  for toppings. You can diced up the stem and place it in with the other toppings. Place the portobello mushrooms in a baking dish so that they are upside down, like a bowl.
3. Evenly distribute between the two mushrooms the diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped basil, and chopped onion in the "bowl" of the portobello mushroom. 
4. Place the shredded pepperjack cheese, or cheese of your choice, on the top of all the other toppings. Add as mush as you see fit, some think the cheesier the better!
5. Salt and Pepper and crushed red pepper to taste!
6. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. The cheese will melt first but let it cook longer so that the mushroom sweats a little. 

Let cool and ENJOY!! 

I made ours with roasted fennel and a fresh cucumber, avocado, grape salad :)

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 stuffed portobello

Calories: 179

Fat: 9.8g 

Carbohydrates:11.8g

Sugar: 3.1g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 8.9g 

Have you ever tried roasted beets?

Mediterranean Roasted Beets

They might just rock your world! Beets can be a messy preparation but Trader Joe's has a great alternative that are pre-prepped beets so they do all the dirty work for you! Here are some great health benefits of incorporating beets into your diet, from http://voices.yahoo.com/15-health-benefits-beets-fight-cancer-more-805501.html:

1. Beets have ZERO trans fat and ZERO saturated fat.
2. They are also low calorie! How's that for a food to satisfy your hunger and have the ability to satisfy a sweet tooth at the same time? You've got to love a food that meets a sugar craving and doesn't harm your body!
3. Canned beets are very inexpensive! Buy them sliced or whole and buying the store brand they will cost about 60 cents or less!
4. Beets are high in carbohydrates which means they are a great instant energy source, but unlike processed foods which are high in carbohydrates, beets will energize your body. Beets can be regarded as body fuel.
5.  Beets contain sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosperous! They are also considered a fiber food and contain vitamins A and C as well as niacin! You can't beat that!
6. Beets contain folic acid which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. This is especially important for pregnant woman or anyone undergoing physical healing. Many people take folic acid in the form of herbal supplements, but if you eat beets, you won't need to! It is always better for the body to receive it's nutrients and vitamins through food over a supplement because it is like mainlining the natural source into your bloodstream. The benefits are far superior and faster with real food over powder mixes or pills.
7. Studies have shown that beets guard against cancer, especially colon cancer.
8. Medical studies have also shown that including beets in your diet helps protect a body against heart disease. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in the US!!
9. Beets are available all year round! So they are not difficult to find in any produce section if you want them fresh!
10. Beets can be eaten raw or you can boil, steam roast or sautee them. Additionally raw beets can be juiced very easily! But be warned, beet juice is EXTREMELY strong and powerful! If you want to get naturally drunk without alcohol, take a glass of beet juice and see what happens. It is startling! If you want the benefits of beet juice but candle handle drinking it straight up, then mix it with some carrot or apple juice for a milder but still beneficial juice.

Beets are you friend!!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup beets, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (I didn't have parsley so I used Rosemary)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Himalayan Salt and herbal seasoning to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss beet cubes with oil, salt, and seasoning. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and toss with lemon and parsley. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 1.

 

Coconut Collard Greens UGHHHMAZING

Coconut Collard Greens

The Beachbody Ultimate Reset rocks my world once again... This 21 day reset was one of the most eye opening amazing 3 weeks or my life. I LOVED experimenting with new recipes and ingredients. This recipe really took me by surprise and made me fall in love with collard greens, which I had never even had before. My boyfriend Narayana also was pleasantly surprised by this delicious side dish, and we have now incorporated it into our weekly meal routine. Try it out and let me know how you like it! I changed the UR ingredients a little to make it work for what I had on hand.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. of Organic Coconut oil
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/2 bunch collard greens, washed, stems removed, and cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/8 tsp. Himalayan salt

Preparation:
Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and soft. Add collard greens and stir well. Add salt, serves 1.

The original recipe calls for olive oil instead of coconut oil and a 1/4 cup coconut milk. I have not tried the original recipe exactly but I enjoy the changes I made to the recipe. Try it!