This month's What's Baking is being hosted by Eva at Eva Bakes. There couldn't be a more fitting October theme than pumpkins and/or sweet potatoes. I was really excited about this theme becuase I have a slight addiction to sweet potatoes.

If you haven't noticed already, I normally end up baking a sweet each month for What's Baking, but this month I decided to use the sweet potato theme and bake a side dish. Jr loves sweet potato casserole, so I decided to do a switch up on that casserole and make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes.

These were really great, and what I especially like about them is that it's easier to make exactly what you need and in individual portions. Also, you can taylor them to individual tastes like we did (some with and some without marshmallows). These are great for a weeknight, but would be a great side dish for Thanksgiving as well.


Be sure to head on over to Eva Bakes to look for this month's roundup which is sure to have a lot of inspiration for the upcoming holidays!


Here is what you'll need:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
• 2 tsp real maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Marshmallows, optional

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Cook Sweet potatoes by either baking them or microwaving them until

Split sweet potatoes in half, scoop out insides of potatoes, leaving skins intact, and place in a bowl. Set sweet potato skins to the side.

Add butter, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, maple syrup and seasonings to the bowl with the sweet potato flesh. Combine well. Scoop mixture into the reserved potato skins. Sprinkle tops with remaining  brown sugar. Place on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cut marshmallows in half if you are using regular size ones (you don't need to do this if using mini marshmallows). Remove baking sheet with sweet potatoes from the oven. Place marshmallows on top of each sweet potato (2-3 marshmallow halves per potato depending on the size of your potatoes). Place potatoes back in the oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until browned.

Source: Inspired by Guy Fieri

A few green tomatoes fell of the vine as I was harvesting in the garden a while ago. I've been saying for years that I want to try fried green tomatoes, so after canning all the ripe tomatoes I got to work on dinner. I thought they'd pair nicely with the grilled steak we were planning.

I couldn't resist taking a bite while the first batch was cooling and I was immediately hooked! It's hard for me to really pinpoint the flavor, however, I expected something sour and that was not the case at all! While these are a little time consuming, I already have them on the menu again later this week. This new discovery may work against my plan to can enough tomatoes to take through to next year's harvest. With any luck, my neighbor will share some of his crop so I can continue to feed my new addiction!

I want to point out that while I found this recipe in one of my newer cookbooks, I didn't measure anything so this recipe below is really loosely written.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 large green tomatoes
• seasoned salt (I use Tastefully Simple's Seasoned Salt)
• 2 eggs
• ~ 1 cup bread crumbs
• vegetable oil

Slice tomatoes into about 1/4 inch rounds. Sprinkle both sides of sliced tomatoes with seasoned salt. 

In a shallow bowl, beat eggs. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl.

Coat bottom of frying pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Dip both sides of tomato slices in egg, allow excess egg to drip off. Dip both sides of egged tomato slices in breadcrumbs making sure they are well coated (no tomato showing through). Place coated tomato slice in preheated frying pan. Lower heat of pan to medium. Repeat with remaining tomato slices, working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the pan.

Cook about minutes or until golden brown, turn over and cook another minutes or until second side is golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.


Source: Adapted from Old-Fashioned Tomato Recipes

Before I discovered Stovetop Mac and Cheese, this Baked Macaroni and Cheese was my go-to recipe. They both have a place in our menu rotation, but this will always have first place in my heart (or is it stomach?). Overtime I've experimented with several cheese blends, and surprisingly extra sharp cheddar paired with American cheese is by far our favorite.

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while now, but until now I haven't been able to get a decent photo. Thank you time change for giving me better light for dinner photos! Coincidentally, this year's time change brought with it a drastic change in weather, which indicates this may be the last baked mac and cheese of the season. If you want to fulfill your mac and cheese craving before spring and summer are here to stay, go ahead and make this soon.

Here is what you'll need:

• 8 oz. short pasta (I prefer cellentani, but I only had medium shells on hand)
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cup 1% milk 
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 6 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. shredded American cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, add salt and pasta. Cook pasta partially through, removing from boiling water 2 minutes before instructions tell you to (you want the pasta undercooked since it will cook more in the oven). Drain and set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour, stir and allow to cook 3-5 minutes until it becomes golder brown. The mixture will bubble and foam, stir to be sure it doesn't burn.

Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add Worcestershire, mustard and pepper, combine well. Add cheddar and American cheeses and stir until melted and smooth. Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and combine well.

Pour pasta into greased baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 6-8.

Source: Adapted from Rosemary Brown's Big Kitchen Instruction Book

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?!  I say this every year, but this year really has flown by!  I'm sure you already have your Thanksgiving menu finalized and are knee-deep in prep for the feast.  However, just in case you are still looking for one last side dish, or forgot to pick up the canned cousin, I wanted to share this Cranberry Sauce I made for our Thanksgiving dinner.

When I first started making Cranberry Sauce, I used a ton of sugar as indicated in most recipes.  After a few years I started using Splenda to save calories, and this year I challenged myself to make it all natural with agave nectar.  I did a quick search and came upon this recipe from Amy Andrews and decided to give it a try.  Not only did it use agave nectar, I was intrigued by it's use of spices.  Speaking of spices, I had no cheesecloth, so I opted to try my tea ball.  It worked.

This resulted in a less sweet, a little spicy and mighty tasty version of a classic Cranberry Sauce.  Since I'm the only one who eats it, I'm excited to dig into the leftovers mixed in my yogurt and spread on bagels with cream cheese!  If you have ideas for other ways to use up the leftovers, please leave me a comment with your suggestions.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 12 ounce bag fresh, whole cranberries
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• grated peel of 2 clementines
• 1/3 cup clementine juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 whole allspice

Place cranberries, agave nectar, grated peel, juice and cinnamon stick in a medium nonreactive saucepan.  Stir to combine.

Place remaining spices in cheesecloth (or a tea ball!), tie the cheesecloth and place in saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Stir, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer 15 minutes, or until cranberries pop and sauce becomes syrupy.

Remove from heat and remove tea ball.  Allow to cool, then remove cinnamon stick.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 2 cups.

Source: Amy Andrews: Your Guide to the Food Room

If I had to choose a favorite vegetable it would probably be summer squash.  I find it incredibly versatile; there are so many options to prepare it and it goes well with just about everything.  I don't think I could ever tire of it.

You may still be getting summer squash or zucchini from your garden, and you're probably still grilling, so I thought I'd share my favorite way to prepare it with you.  This is just as easy to make for 8 people as it is for 1.  Actually when I first started making this I was living on my own, and I ate this more than I'd like to admit.

Here is what you need for each packet (1 serving):

• 1 medium summer squash or zucchini, chopped
• 1 small-medium green or red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Take 2 pieces of foil and layer them crosswise.  Place chopped vegetables on tin foil.  Salt and pepper to taste.

In a coffee cup, place lemon juice, butter, red pepper flakes.  Melt in microwave 40 seconds.  Add olive oil and stir to combine.  Pour over vegetables.  Wrap foil to make a completely enclosed packet. 

Place foil packet on hot grill.  Cook 8 minutes, flip and cook another 8 minutes or until squash is cooked to your desired tenderness.

Source: Adventures In My Kitchen original

I found this recipe when I was looking for a new way to use up zucchini.  Although I didn't get many zucchini from my garden this year, I wanted to try a new recipe, preferably something savory that was not a bread or muffin.  I made a savory zucchini muffin last year that ended up in the freezer and disguised as stuffing (trust me, they were not good!).

These fritters on the other hand did not end up in the freezer, there were none left, nor did they require a disguise.  Served with a fresh garden tomato salad, these made a great light summer meal.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 medium zucchini
• sea salt
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 ears corn, kernels cut off 
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• Canola oil, for frying
• salt 

Shred zucchini on grater.  Set in strainer, salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes.  Squeeze remaining liquid from zucchini.

Meanwhile in a small fry pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and saute onion and garlic until softened, stirring occasionally.  Add corn and saute about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda and pepper.

In a separate large bowl, beat buttermilk and egg together.  Add corn mixture and zucchini and mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Coat bottom of fry pan with canola oil and heat to medium-high heat.  Using 2 soup spoons, scoop batter and place in hot fry pan.  Cook 3-4 minutes until brown, flip and brown other side another 3 minutes.  Remove from fry pan and place on paper towel.  Salt immediately and allow to cool slightly before serving.

I was able to get 11 fritters using this method.

Source: Food Network Magazine via Food Network

This month's What's Baking is hosted by Jade of The Mess Pot with the theme being Celebrate Summer.  Although I love Fall, Summer comes close to being my favorite season mostly due the beach.  I love the beach and am very fortunate to live close enough to make weekly or semi-weekly trips on the weekends.

I had so many ideas incorporating a beach-y feel, but as it turned out I decided to highlight the abundance of tomatoes coming out of my garden.  Tomatoes are the garden I look forward to all Summer.  I've heard so many stories around the nation of lost gardens due to extreme heat or bugs, we were lucky to escape both of these hardships this year.

Every Summer I search for new ways to use tomatoes, usually opting for recipes that highlight their bright flavor.  This Tomato Ricotta Tart from Martha Stewart was no exception.  Not only does it highlight the tomatoes, pairing it with a side salad makes for a great light dinner on an especially hot Summer day.


My springform pan is 10 inches, so the measurements here represent what I used for that size pan.  Here is what you'll need:

I'm always looking for new ways to utilize these star vegetables of summer.  This salad is inspired by this corn soup recipe I started making 2 summers ago (I hope to make and blog this soon).  Since I had both a leftover ear of corn and fresh tomatoes on hand, and I knew they went well together I decided to make a light salad to accompany our Shrimp Burgers.

The corn and scallions tied in nicely with the burgers.  I just used a bit of vinegar to give it some flavor, but still keep the flavor mild which I appreciated for balancing out the tartness of the burger's tartar sauce.

Here is what you'll need:

• corn kernels, cut from 2 fresh cobs of corn
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped scallions
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and combine well.  Let sit for a 20 minutes before serving.   Serves 2 as a side.

This post jumped to the front of the line after our Sunday lunch.  When I can serve my husband a meal with very minimal meat, and he's satisfied, it's cause for celebration!  As we started lunch JR was making comments such as, "this is really good", "I'd eat this again", "these figs are the perfect ripeness".  He never asked, "where's the meat?"  I'm shocked, but I shouldn't be.  I did add just a few very slices of shaved prosciutto to the salads, and that was enough for him.  Lesson learned.

Since fig season is so short, when I came across this recipe on courant.com last week, it immediately went on our weekly menu plan.  I'm so grateful it did.  I found arugula and a perfect goat milk feta, not too salty, at Sunday's farmer's market.  I was unsure about arugula since I'd never had it before and I'm not generally fond of bitter flavors, however, it worked really well here.

I served this with a side of toasted baguette (also from the farmer's market), sliced and drizzled with olive oil and the remaining dressing.  This really was the perfect lunch for a blazing hot Sunday.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 bunch arugula
• 2.5 oz. feta cheese, cubed
• 4 figs, quartered
• 4 slices shaved prosciutto 
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a small frying pan, toast the pecans over medium-high heat.  Be sure you watch them carefully and shake the pan a few times to move them around.  When you begin to smell the nuts, they're done.  Remove them from the heat and allow to cool.  Once cool, chop.

Arrange arugula, feta, figs, prosciutto and pecans on a plate.

In a small bowl, add vinegar, olive oil, honey and salt.  Whisk well.  Drizzle over salad.  Serves 2 as a main meal, serves 4 as a side.

• 2-3 cups of cubed ciabatta
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb. small tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 English cucumber, cut into 1 in. chunks
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 in. chunks
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl, place ciabatta, 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste.  Toss until all the bread is coated well.

Heat a nonstick pan to medium-high heat.  Add bread to pan and toast, turning over until all sides are browned.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add remaining ingredients to large mixing bowl.  Toss until combined well.

Add toasted bread to mixing bowl just before serving.  Toss gently until well combined.  Serves 3.

As much as I like to cook homemade, I have no problem using boxed items from time to time.  Suddenly Salad Ranch & Bacon is one of those boxed items that I tend to go to for cookouts, because it goes over well with my family, particularly those who are less adventurous and/or don't like vegetables.  I am one of those people who likes to prepare enough side dishes so that there is at least one for each guest to eat (but sometimes I secretly want to just make what I like!).

When preparing for a recent cookout, I decided to try my hand at a knock-off.  After all, I almost always have these ingredients on hand, so why would I go out and buy the box?  While I'm sure I'm not the first to have made this, my only reference point was my memory of the prepared box mix.

The resulting salad was way more flavorful than any box can produce!  For starters, we're talking REAL bacon here.  Not only that, I had a bit better idea of what is in this, aside from the ranch mix, and I cut back some calories and fat by using milk, buttermilk and mayonnaise with olive oil.  Next time, I want to make a homemade ranch dressing, which I'm sure will bring this salad to a whole new level.

By the way, how can someone not like vegetables?  I will never understand.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 lb bowtie or other shaped pasta
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 lbs bacon, cooked crisp and divided
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1 packet powdered ranch salad dressing mix
• black pepper to taste

Bring salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and continue boiling 10 minutes.  Add frozen peas to water and continue boiling 2 minutes, or until cooked to al dente.  Strain pasta and peas, run under cool water to stop the cooking process and allow to drain well.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp.  You may need to do this in several batched depending on the size of your pan.  Remove crisp cooked bacon from pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.  Allow to cool completely.  Crumble into bite size pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, add milk, buttermilk, mayonnaise with olive oil, ranch salad dressing mix and black pepper.  Whisk until well combined.

Add pasta and peas to dressing.  Gently toss until the pasta is well coated.  Add 1/2-3/4 of the cooked bacon and gently toss to combine.  Top with remaining bacon.  Serves 8-10 as a side.

Hello my dear readers!  I've been on a hiatus recovering from an unexpected ailment. My next few posts are recipes I made over a month ago.  I am so sorry, I just didn't have it in me to get them posted.  The good news is that I'm well now,  I finally feel like blogging and I have a bunch of recipes to share with you.  I thank you for sticking with me and hope you enjoy what is to come! 

You can see a trend with the last few posts; the weather was getting warmer and my last 3 posts are salads.  Well, I hope you don't mind, but the June 2011 edition of Cooking Light had several great looking recipes, a few of which happened to be salads including this one.  This works for me, because their prep really couldn't be any easier which is great for a weeknight meal.

My local store doesn't sell ricotta salata, so I opted to go with goat cheese which I think worked well.  Luckily I had just purchased a mint plant for my garden, because the mint really adds another dimension of freshness which I glad we didn't miss out on.  While I have a jar of dried mint, I think fresh ingredients all around is the only way to go with this dish.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 thin slices prosciutto (1 ounce), chopped (I think you need 4 slices, one to snack on)
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled ricotta salata, feta cheese or goat cheese

Using a vegetable peeler over a large mixing bowl, shave the zucchini and squash lengthwise into long noodle-like strips.  Salt vegetables and toss.

In a small bowl, combine mint, olive oil, lemon rind, lemon juice, and black pepper.  Pour liquid over squash, toss and allow to sit.

In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, cook prosciutto until browned and crisp.  Transfer to a plate to cool.  Once cool, eat one slice and crumble the rest into bite size pieces.

Add prosciutto and cheese to squash and gently toss to combine.  Serves 3.

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, I wanted to post another healthy side dish option for you to balance out the carb and mayo laden dishes you're sure to face at BBQ's.  Don't get me wrong, I love carbs and mayo, but I also like to have some balance.

Before I get to the recipe, if you're still looking for other healthy side dish ideas, check out these salads Spinach, Fruit and Cheese Salad, Balsamic Strawberry Couscous Salad, Honey Mustard Cole Slaw, Black Bean and Corn Salad and Knock-off Tabbouleh.  And while I'm at it, this Strawberry Shortcake would make a great dessert if you're still searching for one.

When I made the Shrimp and Peas Pasta Salad I had a hard time thinking of what to serve with it.  While it could stand on it's own, I need some variety in my meal.  Since it already contained protein, vegetables, starch and fat, I was stumped.

I recalled the last bunch of radishes I threw away and challenged myself to use them up here.  While we like radishes, they aren't our preferred vegetable so they tend to get pushed to the bottom of the produce drawer.  Once they land there, they sit there, for weeks.  Then I can't figure out what's at the bottom of the produce drawer, and that's not pretty.  I wasn't going to let that happen again.

Enter this pickled salad for which I had all the ingredients on hand.  I added red onion and this became a perfect accompaniment to the pasta salad, ever so slightly sweet without the pungency of raw onion.  This is a very refreshing salad that I can see making again this summer to balance out the starchy, mayo laden, summer salads.  I may play around with it by adding some fresh herbs as well.

This was better the 2nd day, so I would recommend you make it the night before you plan to serve it.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup thin radish slices
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

It just so happened we had a late work night the day I planned to make this pasta salad I had seen in Cooking Light's June 2011 magazine for dinner.  Needless to say, I was starving by the time I left work and that usually means I'd order take-out to pick up on my way home.  While take-out was tempting, I knew this recipe was planned for dinner and I thought I could make it quicker than I could gnaw my arm off.

• 8 ounces uncooked medium shell pasta (I use whole grain)
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 lb small-medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used the small, sweet, pink Maine shrimp)
• 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh chives
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup sofrito or recaito
• 2/3 cup diced ham
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 potato, diced
• 4 oz mushrooms, diced
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 packet Sazon
• 1/2 tsp adobo
• 4 oz. tomato sauce
• 15 oz. can of beans, drained and rinsed

In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add sofrito and cook until fragrant.

Add ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Add carrots, potato and mushrooms.  Continue cooking until slightly browned.

Add chicken stock, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking ~5 minutes until vegetables are halfway cooked through.

Add remaining ingredients, stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow to simmer 10 minutes..  You will want to be sure there is enough liquid throughout the cooking process.  If the liquid has reduced too much, add chicken stock or water (we like our beans a little soupy) to keep the beans from mashing together.

After 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Serves 4.

I know I said healthy recipes until vacation, but I did cook a few indulgences as well.  My theory is all things in moderation.  When I made the BBQ Meatloaf, I'm sure you saw Alton Brown's Stovetop Mac and Cheese that I served as a side. 

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

As you're reading this post, I'm in Costa Rica and perhaps I have eaten this dish today.  Last weekend, I started getting really excited about our upcoming trip so I decided to make a traditional Costa Rican breakfast for us to chat over as we planned the final details of our trip.  Gallo pinto is part of the traditional Costa Rican breakfast, and in preparation of our trip I decided to try my hand at cooking it. 

As you can imagine, just like with any traditional dish, there are several variations to be found.  I settled on this one, and am really glad I did.  We eat a lot of rice and bean dishes, and this may be my favorite yet.  The big distinction in this preparation is that some of the vegetables are added close to the end of cooking which helps them retain their freshness and add so much flavor.  I can't wait to see how close this dish comes to the real thing. 

Here is what you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 cup Goya medium grain white rice
• salt to taste
• 1 small or medium onion, diced and divided
• ½ small red bell sweet pepper, diced and divided
• 3 tsp chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup, 1/2 can, black beans, liquid reserved

In a large pan on medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and saute dry rice for 2 minutes, stirring as needed.  Add salt.  Add 1/2 of the diced onion, 1/2 of the diced pepper and cilantro to the pan and saute minutes, stirring as needed.

Add chicken broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes, resist any urges to lift the cover, until rice is tender.

Once rice is done, push rice to the edges of the pan leaving a well in the middle.  Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan inside the well, add remaining onion, pepper and beans.  Stir and saute for 2 minutes.  Add 1/4-1/2 cup of liquid from the beans to moisten the mixture and give it color.  Serves 4.

I just love spring and summer salads.  Today I made 3 of them; fruit salad, potato salad and this Balsamic Strawberry Couscous Salad which I found on Prevention RD blog.  I could have happily eaten spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad for lunches again this week, however, I decided to switch it up which helps keep me from getting bored.

I made a couple changes to the recipe.  I used black beans, since I had 1/2 a can leftover, and an herbed goat cheese, since I had no fresh herbs on hand.  And since I'm on a spinach kick, that made a perfect bed for this salad.  This is absolutely delicious, and will keep me fueled this week.

My changes are included here:

• 1 1/3 water
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste
• 1 cup dry couscous, prepared according to directions

• 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 oz herbed goat cheese, crumbled
• Baby spinach leaves
• Scallions for garnish

Bring water, olive oil and salt to a bowl in a small saucepan.  Add couscous, turn off heat, cover and allow to cook 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Place strawberries in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Set aside a few minutes, until couscous is cool.

Add couscous, beans and goat cheese to strawberries, carefully mixing to combine.

Serve over spinach, which a few snips of scallions for garnish.  Serves 4.

When we get together for holidays, I find a lot of the dishes are heavy and scarce on produce.  I'm always struggling with how to balance my meal.  For Easter this year I decided to bring a lighter dish that would enable me to fill up on something healthy.  Then I could enjoy smaller portions of the other dishes without feeling guilty and overstuffed at the end of the meal.

I've been on a spinach kick lately, so it's no surprise to me that I ended up making a spinach salad.  I find that mixing spinach with fruit, cheese and nuts ends up feeling decadent, so I thought it would be a great fit for a holiday.  I dressed this with my favorite store bought light balsamic vinaigrette.

You can use just about any fruit, cheese and nut combination you choose.  Since we have a few allergies, I used the following combination, serving the nuts on the side.  I'd estimate this would serve 4 as a meal and 8 as a side.

Here is what I used:

• 1 bag baby spinach, washed
• 6 oz. blueberries, washed
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette

Earlier this week I posted this Grilled Chipotle Yogurt Chicken, and in the background you probably noticed that yummy looking squash.  That's another Weight Watcher recipe for Butternut Squash Fries which came in a weekly meeting pamphlet.  I love sweet potato fries and figured these would be similar so I gave them a try.

This isn't so much a recipe as it is a method, and a method I will definitely use again.  These were a perfect side to balance the chipotle in the chicken.  I did use olive oil instead of cooking spray, and I would probably do this again.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch sticks (I used about 3/4 of a medium one)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place squash on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, and use your hands to coat well.  Sprinkle with salt and chili powder.

Roast for 7-8 minutes.  Turn the squash and roast another 7-8 minutes until browned.  Serves 4.