Squash Squared {Vegan + GF}

We've been eating less & less meat around here.  Not really on purpose, but neither of us seem to be "craving" meat as much.   There's always the battle of finding good quality (sustainably raised) meat, save for a Whole Foods or Farmer's Market trip. Anyway, it's a cool time of year where both fall & summer squash share shelf space. (say that 5x fast...) ;)  This dish is tasty, nutritious....and great for pretty much any diet. Enjoy...

Acorn Squash Spaghetti Sauce 

• 1 acorn squash
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (mine came out of the garden...still going strong at the end of September!?)
• 1 small yellow onion (roughly chopped)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Olive oil (about 1/4 c)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or a few sprigs fresh
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• Sea Salt, Fresh ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut your acorn squash into 4 equal pieces and remove seeds & pulp.  Drizzle olive oil,  salt & pepper over the squash, tomatoes, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until you can stick a fork through the squash (doesn't have to be completely mushy).  Heat a few tablespoons of oil on a large skillet and heat to medium.  Cook onion until light brown.  When veggies come out of the Add your tomatoes, acorn squash, roasted garlic, 1 cup of water (or broth).  Add some S&P, thyme, red pepper and simmer until soft, stirring occasionally. At the very end, add the lemon juice, little more olive oil and blend with an immersion blender (LOVE mine!), food processor or a potato masher if you want it a bit chunkier. 


Yellow Squash Pasta

• 4 medium yellow summer squash
• Sea Salt

Slice squash lengthwise in strips and again so that it sort of resembles linguine. Toss it with a bit of sea-salt.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook squash for 3-4 minutes, until flexible but not mushy.

Drain pasta and serve with a few ladles of sauce, nice & hot. I topped it off with some Bragg's Sea Kelp Delight.  The acidity of the lemon & tomato gave this a great bite.  This makes a very flavorful side dish or meal. Grilled chicken or portabella mushrooms would be nice additions!

Roasted Chicken Drummies & Baked Apples, Sweet Potato & Onion

Fall is here. Ya know how I know??  Cider mill time = fall time. There's nothing quite like a fresh, crisp Michigan apple.  I couldn't resist buying a peck them today at Cider Mill.  At this point in the Apple Season, Galas were the best bet for fresh and baking use so that's what I bought.  The mill had a Kream-Mustard from Brownwood Farms in Traverse City for sale, which the sweet older woman at the counter told me was perfect on chicken...and since I had chicken drumsticks thawing....

Mustard Chicken Drummies

4 chicken drumsticks
2 tbsp artisan mustard (a honey mustard would be the best)
3 large celery stalks (cut in half)
2 large whole carrots (chopped in half & large side halved lengthwise)
4 garlic cloves (sliced in half)
Sea Salt, Black Pepper

Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 45-50 min

Wash & prep your carrot and celery and arrange (along with  garlic) on the bottom of a baking dish with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.  Wash and pat dry chicken drumsticks and give them a good salt & pepper rub.  Use your hands to coat the chicken in mustard and make sure to get it under the skin.  Arrange on top of your "baking rack".  Using the vegetables allows heat and air to circulate around the chicken and keep them moist, while adding flavor. Roast uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until skin is crispy and juices run clear. Flip half way through and baste with some more mustard (baste one more time 5 minutes from done).  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.


Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apples & Onions {VEGAN}

2 fresh MICHIGAN apples!
1 small yellow onion
1 large sweet potato (I used a Red Garnet yam)
1.5 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp organic brown sugar
Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes if you wish :)

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min

Preheat oven to 400. Chop sweet potatoes and apples into equal sized wedges. Slice onion into thick wedges also. Toss in a bowl with coconut oil, brown sugar and spices.  Arrange in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil (poke a few holes in the top). Bake for 30 minutes, take the foil off and stir.  Bake for another 10 minutes or until you can get a fork through your sweet potatoes. 

Served with lightly steamed local kale (+lemon, EVOO, sea salt).