Running Mama Cooks

I'll admit I have never heard of a cassoulet before coming across this recipe, but maybe that is because I never really ate beans until recently! This recipe comes from the most recent edition of Fitness magazine. It was tasty and we enjoyed it, but it was missing something. Zach suggested adding a can of diced tomatoes next time, and I think he is right. It could use the extra liquid (some of the squash wasn't as tender as the rest) and tomato flavor would be a good compliment to this dish. I hope to revisit it soon.

Turkey Sausage Cassoulet
Slightly adapted from Fitness Magazine
Serves 4, 11 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbs olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
pinch salt plus more to taste
4 uncooked turkey sausage links
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs fresh sage, chopped
1 16oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and the shallots, onion and pinch of salt to the pot. Saute 5 to 10 minutes and then turn off heat.

2. Remove casings from sausage and brown in a separate pan. Remove from pan and add to onion mixture.

3. Add the squash, broth, thyme, sage and beans to dutch oven; stir.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the panko with parmesan and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the sausage mixture. Cover and back from 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

I love spaghetti squash, but have to admit that I never knew what to do with it besides bake it, scrape out the "spaghetti" and top it with sauce. Good, yes, but a bit boring. The other night I was watching Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network andthey were making this dish. It looked SO good, and different, that I jotted down some notes and put it on my to do list for this week.

This is my version. It was delicious, healthy and very filling. A five star meal!

Baked Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2, 9 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 tbs Olive Oil
2 shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into small chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into small chunks
2 large zucchini, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tbs fresh chopped tarragon

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and boil for 15 minutes. Remove seeds and scrap out "spaghetti."

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, pepper, and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to get tender, about 5 minutes.

Still in one cup of marinara sauce, parmesan, spaghetti squash and tarragon. Stuff veggie mixture into squash shells, top remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

I love having the chance to entertain during the holidays, especially having our great friends the Maizels and Lucianos over. This tradition started 3 years ago when the "big kids" were only 2 1/2. I cannot believe how much our families have grown! Next year there will be another place at our table since Allison is having another little girl in a little over a week!

This was the perfect excuse to take out my good china and crystal and set a beautiful table. I served baked chicken, mashed potatoes, baked acorn squash, and caramelized green beans. Everything came out great, if I do say so myself :)

Here is the acorn squash, the only new recipe I used. Really festive and delicious.
Baked Acorn Squash
Recipe from Paula Deen

Ingredients:


The Big kids, so grown up compared to last year!

Zach and I made this meal years ago and loved it, I am not sure what took us so long to do it again. So easy, really healthy, and delicious. Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta and has about 35 calories per cup!!! Now I don't feel so bad about eating those Gingerbread cookies!

I can't even call this a recipe, so I'll just tell you what I did. I pierced the squash with a knife all over and baked for an hour on 375. Took it out and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Cut in half and scooped out the seeds and then removed the "spaghetti" with a fork. Seasoned with salt and pepper, some extra virgin olive oil, and topped with homemade sauce (I defrosted some last night) and Parmesan cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

First apples, then pumpkin, and now squash. Its my third fall cooking obsession. I made this last week with chicken cutlets. They were so good, I could eat them like candy. I popped one in Cecily's mouth before she had a chance to argue and she ended up eating a whole serving.

Caramelized Butternut Squash
Recipe from food.com, by way of Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

1 lb butternut squash
1.5 tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F.

Peel squash and chop into large pieces.

Combine squash, butter, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss.

Pour squash out onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for about an hour or until browned.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

I usually make a dessert for Thanksgiving but this year I decided to contribute a side dish. I came across this recipe on the Beantown Baker and had to try it. I love spinach and I love squash, how could I go wrong?

It was really unique and delicious. I will definitely be making this again. It was a lot of prep work, but easy to put together once all the chopping was down. The only change I would make next time is to add more pecans, possibly double what the recipe calls for.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Bake
Recipe from Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
10 oz fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup bread crumbs, toasted
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking dish or 4-quart casserole.

Place 3 quarts water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the squash to the water, return to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. The squash will turn a deeper orange. Add spinach to squash and boil one more minute. Drain squash and spinach and set aside.

Melt the butter in the stockpot and add the oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent and limp, about 8 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the warm squash and the buttermilk, eggs, thyme, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 1/8 cup pecans and 1 1/3 cups cheese. Blend with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well combined.

Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 cup pecans and 2/3 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

And now some holiday pictures!

The table at my Aunts house, Thanksgiving #1 for 48!!

Me and the kids

Zach and I

This meal is a staple for us in the winter, I can't believe how long its been since I've made it! The flavor combo on the chicken is so delicious. My friend Leslie makes her chicken the same way and she turned me onto it a few years ago.

I washed split breasts and placed them into a baking dish. Squeezed a half a lemon on top and sprinkled generously with Paprika and Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb. Then I add a drizzle of olive oil and dot the skin with a teeny bit of butter.

I baked it a bit differently this time and was really pleased with how juicy they were. For the first 10 minutes I put them in on 450 and then dropped the temp down to 350 for 45 minutes more. They were perfect!

All ready for the oven:

My side dishes were also really good and very easy. We love mashed butternut squash. Just boil water and then add in pre-cut and washed squash. Cook for 15-20 mins until fork tender.

I saw this recipe in this months SELF magazine and thought Id give it a try. We love beef stew and this seemed like an interesting twist on it. It uses flavors I haven't experimented with too much, so I thought it would be fun!