Avocado Cauliflower Rice

One of the meals we really like is at home Chipotle style burritos. It is quick, fairly simple meal but I started to notice that the flour tortilla paired with a sizable helping of rice started leaving me a little bloated. Back in October 2014, I made the switch to an Anti-Inflammatory Diet (you can read more here), in which I try to avoid eating foods that cause an inflammatory response in my body and bloating is a sign of inflammation.

Since moving away to our rural mountain town, staying on track has been a little harder. When one of our favorite meals starts triggering the things we are trying to avoid, I immediately went on the hunt for an alternative to keep this quick meal option in the regular rotation. This is when I started entertaining the idea of cauliflower rice!

Today I wanted to share the recipe for the rice we use in our Chipotle style burritos. I love using cauliflower rice with avocado and lime, especially on nights we choose to go vegetarian with our burritos. Not only does it add more veggies as a whole, it adds avocado which is a huge plus for this former California girl. The avocado in turn add texture and another layer of flavor! It takes our burritos to a whole new level!

Not only is the avocado lime rice great mixed in, it is also delicious by itself and Tiny Krueger thoroughly approved. The first time I made this recipe, Berkeley was on a work trip and I had a serving leftover. The next day I piled the rice onto some corn tortilla chips and it was amazing! Just as a side note, depending on the color of your avocado, the color of the rice can vary from really green like the rice in my burrito above to more yellowish like the photo below.

Avocado Lime Cauliflower Rice
ingredients

• 2 - 3 cups cauliflower rice 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 medium ripe avocados 
• 2 Tbsp lime juice 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more) 
• 1 small clove garlic, minced 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil slightly smokes, add the onions, and stir to coat. Continue to cook onion until they are golden brown at the edges and have softened, about 8 minutes. 
2. Add the cauliflower and stir. Add salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the cauliflower has softened about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Mash avocados in a large mixing bowl (I leave mine a little chunkier). Stir in lime juice, cumin and garlic, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in warm cooked rice and serve.

Southwestern Quinoa

Something I mentioned on Friday has really been weighing in my mind lately. We made this recipe Thursday night and Berkeley mentioned something about sharing the recipe online. I told him probably not because it was "just something I make." Out of nowhere it hit me, I say that all the time about so many of our meals.

I also realized, I have been getting caught up with needing to have the best recipes, the newest and most unique recipes, with stellar photos. For the last year or so, I have been forgetting that I originally started this blog to have documentation of all the random and delicious things I come up with in the kitchen. A place to share the hilarious stories about my failed experiments. Somewhere along the line I forgot that.

Served with a baked chicken thigh

So here it is. A delicious recipe. A great comfort meal. Something that can be eaten alone or as a side or brought to a potluck! It is easy and filling.

Southwestern Quinoa
serves 6-8
ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups broth or water
• 1 (approx 14-15 oz) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 oz) can green chilies
• 1 cup corn niblets
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Add olive oil and butter to a deep sided pan or a medium to large sized pot. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant. 
2. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed. 
3. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper if desired and served. 

Orange Apricot Quinoa

Continuing with sharing our gluten free Thanksgiving, today is my recipe for a quinoa dish that was the equivalent for stuffing or dressing in this case.

Instead of fiddling with gluten free boxed mixes or using gluten free breads, we just stuck with a grain option that I knew was going to be free of that pesky little protein. The recipe is a little more adventurous with the addition of nuts and atypical dried fruits, but it was delicious! I am hoping to use this recipe as a base for several other quinoa sides to come.

Orange Apricot Quinoa
ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat quinoa 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• sea salt 
• 10 dried apricots, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 
• 1/4 medium-sized red onion, finely sliced or diced
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

directions

1. Pour quinoa into a medium-sized bowl, rinse, and set aside. In a small pot, combine water, orange juice, olive oil, 4 teaspoons vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the dried apricots and ginger. Let simmer for about 1 minute. 
2. After a quick stir, pour the quinoa into the orange juice mixture. Stir just to eliminate any pockets of dry quinoa.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot into ribbons over the couscous, then cover and cook for 25 minutes or until quinoa is thoroughly cooked. 
4. Rinse the sliced onion under running water and then toss it with 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl to mellow the flavor.
5. Lightly toast almonds in a small pan over medium heat being sure to toss regularly to prevent burning. When the quinoa is cooked, fluff it with a fork, then mix in the onion and almonds. Serve warm or chilled.

CrockPot Cranberry Sauce

This week I am sharing some new holiday recipes that were brought to life Thanksgiving 2013. For me, cranberries are essential to my holiday meals. By cranberries, I do not mean the over sugared junk that comes in a can. I am talking cranberries from scratch!

This recipe is for a slow cooker. I find that it is the best way to get homemade cranberry sauce in throughout the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. I love that I can set it and basically forget it until about 20 minutes before the meat is ready.

Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
ingredients 

• 12oz bag whole cranberries 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 apple chopped 
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 6 whole cloves 
• 1 large slice lemon (optional)

directions

1. Place cranberries, apples, sugars, and ginger into the slow cooker. Cover with juice and cider vinegar. 
2. Place cloves into the rind of the lemon (or into the flesh of an apple chunk). Place into the slow cooker with cinnamon stick. Gently stir, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 
3. Halfway through remove lid, remove the cloves and cinnamon. Stir mixture and mash the apple and cranberries.Add the cinnamon and cloves back into the mixture. 
4. After 8 hours, remove the cinnamon and cloves again (they can be trashed now). Break up any remaining whole pieces of apple and cranberry. Place in a bowl and chill until ready to serve. 

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato and Yam Medley

This year we embarked on a Gluten Free Thanksgiving. That meant no stuffing, no green bean casserole, and no sweet potatoes. Well at least not in the traditional sense. Instead of completely obliterating Thanksgiving, I strived to embrace traditional Thanksgiving flavors but with a twist on their preparation.

Instead of a sweet potato or candied yam casserole like we are accustomed to, I went for spicy roasted sweet potatoes and yams. This was by far the easiest holiday recipe ever! Simply chop, season, and then roast.

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 medium yam
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 12 tsp white sugar
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400*F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. 
2. Wash and chop potatoes and yam into cubes. Add to a large mixing bowl and toss with butter and oil. 
3. Combine spices and sprinkle potatoes and yams. Then toss to thoroughly coat. Spread mixture out on prepared baking sheet. 
4. Bake about 25-35 minutes, until tender or to your liking. 

Alternatives to Traditional Holiday Meals

I have a huge family! My mom has numerous cousins on both sides of her family, and my dad has tons of friends that might as well be family. Our holiday season always started the week before Thanksgiving, and ended the week after the First of the New Year.

Depending on how the calendar falls, that can result in 8-10 weeks of festivities and several holiday meals, and lots of turkey and ham. To be frank, sometimes the traditional options are the most boring ones. With Thanksgiving a week away, and thus the start of the "Holiday Season" for many, I thought it would be fun to share some of my recipes that are great alternatives to the typical Turkey/Ham entree with traditional sweet potato/green bean/mashed potato sides. These recipes would be great for mid-season get togethers and for breaking up the monotony of plain ole turkey and ham.

source: Dan @ The Food in my Beard

Clam Pumpkin Soup with an Ancho Floater. This amazing soup would be perfect for a low key get together on a cold evening. It's unique flavors make it just fancy enough for it to be more than just soup for dinner. 

source: Marina @ Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Brussels Sprout Mac n Cheese. I love Brussels Sprouts and I love Mac n Cheese. Naturally this is a dish right up my alley. Not only would it make a great side, it can be made in bulk and served as a main dish. 

source: Oui, Chef @ Food52

Gingered Cranberry Fig Chutney. Cranberries are a staple this time of year. Instead of relying on the canned jelly from the supermarket, try something a little more unique!

source: Cat Cora via The New Potato

Cornish Game Hens with Pomegranate Sun Dried Tomato Glaze. Back away from the frozen turkey and pick up some game hens instead, especially if you are entertaining a small group. The glaze also adds flavors that sets this recipe apart from your traditional holiday fare. 

source: Beth @ Budget Bytes

Cranberry Almond Cake. I don't know about you but Apple and Pumpkin pies can get quite boring. This cake seems like a great way to finish off any meal, especially one during the holidays. 

Apple Almond Cranberry Charoset

This is another recipe from our makeshift Seder meal this year. Traditional Charoset is a paste like mixture of fruits, nuts, and wine. It's color and texture are meant to represent the mortar used by enslaved Israelites, but there are a lot of other symbolism given to this fruit salad of sorts. As mentioined previously, we are not jewish or kosher but we do celebrate the Passover. This is my modern take on Charoset. 

Apple Almond and Cranberry Charoset
ingredients

• 2 Gala Apples
• 1 cup Almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2-3 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

directions

1. Core and slice two apples and add to a food processor. Add the almonds and cinnamon and pulse. With the food processor running drizzle in orange juice. 
2. Pulse until apples are a small dice. Empty into a large bowl and mix in cranberries. 
3. Serve with matzah and bitter herbs.

Broiled Shrimp and Cheese Grits

Here's another post in which I fool my husband into thinking I can cook Southern comfort food! A few months back I posted a shrimp recipe that I tend to use for my shrimp needs. We were a little pressed for time and I was not feelings the super spice that the recipe requires. I did some research about cook times and came up with an alternative. It is so easy and fast! Tonight I served it over my standard cheese grits.

Broiled Shrimp
makes 2-3 servings
ingredients

• 3/4 lbs. 51-60 shrimp peeled and deveined with tails removed
• 3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp seasonings (Creole, Cajun, Old Bay will all work)
• 5 dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to broiler setting. While oven is heating arrange shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet or casserole depending on size and amount of shrimp. 
2. Drizzle with olive oil, add cracked pepper on top them sprinkle with seasonings. Lastly dash hot sauce over top. 
3. Put shrimp under broiler with rack in the middle of the oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until firm, opaque and pinkish. More or less depending on the size of the shrimp. Serve with grits.

Cheesy Grits

3 servings

ingredients

• 3/4 c. grits
• 3 c. water
• 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

    Cook grits according to the directions for mine it is:

1. Bring water to a brisk boil. Gently whisk grits into water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Once the grits thicken, remove from heat. Whisk in grated cheese until thoroughly incorporated. 

Putting it all together

1. I usually put the shrimp into the oven when the water for the grits is just starting to boil. The shrimp will take a few minutes longer than the grits. 
2. Once both the grits and shrimp have both finished cooking, ladle the grits into a recessed dinner plate or bowl then place the shrimp over top. Finish by drizzling the remaining cooking fluids over top. 

Ashley's Candied Yams

I know most families enjoy yams and sweet potatoes just on Thanksgiving but not us. We always had candied yams on Christmas! As well as several times throughout the year. This recipe is for a small group of people. It is so easy and can be adjusted for more servings. My grandma even had to triple it to accommodate everyone on Christmas day! If you do end up making a bigger batch you may need to increase baking time.

Candied Yams with Pineapple
4 to 6 servings
ingredients

• 1 lg. can cut Yams (or sweet potatoes), drained
• 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, loosely drained
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs yellow mustard
• mini marsh mellows

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put yams into a casserole or baking dish. 
2. In a separate bowl combine pineapple, brown sugar, and mustard to form a sauce. Pour over yams.
3. Baked covered for 20 min. or until bubbly. 
4.  Remove cover, top with marsh mellows and bake until browned. Keep a mindful eye as this happens fast!

Jalapeño Artichoke Dip

This is an old standby. I have been making some version of it for years since my uncle started bringing it to family get togethers. It is so easy to make, I even threw it together once for Berkeley's 25th Birthday Ugly Sweater party back in 2010 right before guests arrived.  Although I did not let it bake the whole 30 minutes, it was warmed through and by the end of the night it was gone! I served it again most recently as an appetizer/small lunch item on Christmas while we were playing games and smoking the chicken. To see more of our Christmas Dinner menu click here.

Jalapeño Artichoke Dip
ingredients

• 1 c marinated artichoke hearts
• 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 c mayo
• 1/2c plain yogurt
• 1-3 small jalapeños
• water/or artichoke marinade.
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350* and light spray an oven safe dish. 
2. Mix parmesan cheese, cream cheese, mayo, yogurt, and salt and pepper in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. 
3. Drain artichokes and roughly chop. Carefully deseed, devein, and finely chop jalapeños. Fold into cheese mixture.
4. Depending on the thickness of the mixture you may need to thin it out with either a tsp of water or a tsp of the remaining artichoke marinade. You want it to be thick but not glue. 
5. Place in oven safe dish, sprinkle the top with extra parmesan cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. 

Green Bean Casserole

I am calling one in for this morning and starting to post our holiday recipes in their individual posts. As a reminder, all of the recipes that we used on Christmas are under the Christmas Menu Tab.

I try to stick with the classics for Christmas. Now that it is Berkeley and I, we make a list of our favorite holiday dishes and go from there. The list always has the great GBC on it. This is the way I was taught to make this dish. It is similar to the Kraft recipe that you can find on the back of soup cans and frenched onion containers but it has a few tweaks.

The Great GBC
adapted from Kraft
8 to 10 servings
ingredients

• 27oz (or 2 cans drained) French-cut green beans
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1can (2.8 oz.) French fried onions, divided
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Combine green beans, condensed soup, 1 cup of cheese,  salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce and half of the onions in 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish. 
3. In a small bowl combine remaining cheese and onions. Set aside. 
4. Once oven is heated, bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with remaining cheese and onion mixture. Bake 5 more minutes. 

Oven Baked Seasoned "Fries"

Love Love Love these baked fries. They are so good, crispy, and not greasy at all!

Oven Baked Seasoned Fries

ingredients

• 2 large Russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• Olive Oil or cooking spray

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425*F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Coat foil with a light spray of cooking spray or olive oil. 
2. Wash and cut the potatoes. I cut the potato into quarters width wise and then cut each quarter in quarter inch strips to represent the general shape of a regular french fry. 
3. Add all of the seasonings and cheese into a bowl. Toss potatoes into seasoning mixture. Once the potatoes are coated arrange in a single layer on the foiled lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

Carmelized Brussel Sprouts and Strawberries

While Berkeley is on assignments, I get to play with food. I get experiment with different ingredients. This is the result of one of those experiments. 

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts and Strawberries
Ingredients

• 12-14 large brussel sprouts
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 5-7 large strawberries

Directions

1. Thinly slice brussel sprouts and dice garlic cloves.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. 
3. Add brussel sprouts, salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. 
4. Remove from heat and toss in brown sugar.
5. Dice your strawberries add to the cooled pan. Toss everything together and then serve.

Peanut Pumpkin Hummus

Peanut Pumpkin Hummus
adapted from Cara's Cravings
ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed
  
• 1/4 c all natural peanut butter
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste (I just blend chili powder and garlic cloves to a paste)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

procedure

1. Peel the outer skin from the chickpeas.
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth.
3. Serve.
   

Makes about 15 1-ounce servings. Store tightly covered in refrigerator for up to one week.

review: I like it but the peanut flavor is quite strong. This may be due to chunky peanut butter. I think the extra chunks of peanuts made the flavor more intense. I think smooth peanut butter would be a change. I was hoping for a more pumpkin/ tradition hummus blend so next time I'll bump up the pumpkin. This is definitely something to work on. Definitely delicious, but not what I was expecting!

Cranberry Salsa and Cream Cheese Spread

After seeing similar recipes on Pinterest and other blogs, I tried my hand at my making this party dip. I am so glad I went with it and came out with a great cracker dip that is both vibrant in color and in flavor. The ingredients come together to form layers of tangy, sweet, spicy deliciousness! It is so quick and so easy to throw together the afternoon before company comes over. And let me tel you, it was a hit with the guests the past weekend!

Cranberry Salsa
ingredients:

• 8oz fresh cranberries
• 1/4 C green onion, chopped
• 1 medium or small jalapeno pepper, chopped
  
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 t Chili powder
  
• 2 T lemon juice
• dash salt

procedure:

1. Chop the cranberries and green onion (for this I just used a food processor). You can also do it with a kitchen knife. Add to a medium mixing bowl.
   
2. Slice open and de-seed the jalapeno. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE OR FRESH WOUNDS! It is helpful if you wear kitchen gloves during this part. Chop the jalapeno and add it to the bowl (I used food processor for this as well after the seeds are gone).
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix well and cover.
4. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the sugar to mix with the cranberry. Then enjoy!
   

serving suggestions:

• Serve just as you would tomato based salsa in a bowl with tortilla chips.
• Spread cream cheese evenly over a platter and spread salsa over. Serve with crackers.
• Use as a salad garnish.
  

New Mac n Cheese

Many of you may know, I LOVE Mac n Cheese. Not the lame-o blue box, but real pasta and real cheese! Wednesdays have been deemed "date nights" here and as a way to spice things up and find new stuff for dinner, I went on recipe hunt. Two things popped into my head "ooey, gooey cheese" and fluffy, creamy gnocchi!
Gnocchi and Cheese
ingredients:

• 1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
• 2 Tablespoons butter
  
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup milk
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  
• 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  
• 3/8 cup shredded fontina cheese
  
• Salt and white pepper to taste
  
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
  
• Basil leaves for garnish, optional

procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Combine cheddar and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.
4. Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lopez Rice Pudding

When I first got the book of family recipes, I knew that I wanted to keep some of these recipes in the family and not blast them all over the internet. I know, greedy, right?! As part of my donation to Dishing for Dana, I shared one of my favorite comfort food recipes. In hopes of encouraging you all to donate as well, I am gonna share that recipe here as well.

Lopez Rice Pudding
ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 gal. and 1 cup milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• cinnamon

instructions:

1. Cook the rice uncovered until the water is gone. Add milk and sugar.
2. Simmer uncovered until the milk has thickened and the rice is done.
3. Stir in vanilla and transfer to casserole dish.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon over the entire mixture. This can be refrigerated or left on the counter to cool.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

After a disappointing result with the stuffed squash dish, I was eager to get something right. I spent a day or two reading blogs and looking up good mixtures for soup. Tanjent over at Diary of a Knifethrower had a lot of tips for making this kind of soup and Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooking had a great method for using the crock pot, which I am always a fan of. The time spent reading, really helped me to guide my experimenting and developing a new recipe.


CrockPot Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
ingredients:

• 1 medium to large butternut squash
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 pears, bosc or barlett
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 c stock, vegetable or chicken
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt
  
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar, optional
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

procedure:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 and begin cutting the squash. Slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in heated oven until the flesh becomes soft and skin can be peeled away easily.* This step can be done up to 4 days in advance.
   
2. Lower oven temp to 375. Slice onion and place on a foil lined pan with a drizzle of olive oil and light salt and pepper. Wrap garlic clove in foil. Add to the onions. Roast on the top rack of the oven until the onions become lightly browned.
3. Chop pears. Add to another foil lined baking pan. Roast on the lower rack for 30 to 40 mins.
4. When the pear, and onion are done place in a bowl.** Mash garlic and add to the bowl. You can choose to season with cinnamon sugar while still warm. Set aside.
   
5. Scoop squash flesh into a lined baking pan and roast a second time for 35 mins.
6. Once all the veggies are done, place in crock pot.
7. Add stock, butter, and cinnamon to the crock pot as well.
   
8. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
9. After 5 hours, use an immersion blender or blend in small batches in blender until smooth. Add greek yogurt and cook for another 30 minutes and serve.

Tips:
* Butternut squash can be extremely hard to cut into. If you are weary of taking on this task, place the whole squash in the microwave for 3-5 minutes to soften. Butternut squash can also be purchased cubed, usually in the frozen foods section.
**Most pears have a gritty texture. Using a bosc and barlett, gave a less gritty texture. To avoid this, run the pear through a food processor after roasting and then strain the puree.

Ashley's Gazpacho

This is a twist on the gazpacho from the Lopez Family Traditions book. If you don't know, gazpacho is a chilled or cold tomato based soup consisting of raw vegetables including cucumbers, peppers, and garlic. The soup is then thickened with bread!

Ashley's Gazpacho

ingredients

• 1 large can of solid tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 chili pepper, roasted*
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 slices french bread
• 4 ice cubes
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

procedure:

1. Chop garlic and cucumber. Heat a saute pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil on low heat. Add garlic and cucumber. Gently saute. While cooking, carefully remove the top, seeds, and veins from the chili pepper**. Then rough chop.
   
2. Remove pan from heat and add to a blender. Add tomatoes, chopped chili pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Blend on low until smooth.
3. Add 4 ice cubes, and bread. Blend again. Place in fridge until chilled.
4. When ready to serve garnish each bowl with your choice chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and/or bread cubes***.

* Chili peppers can be very mild or very hot ranging from pepper to pepper. If you don't want to use chili pepper, 1/2 of a bell pepper can be used instead.
** If you are using chili pepper be mindful of the juices, oils and seeds. Do not rub your eyes, nose, open cuts, and otherwise "sensitive" areas without washing your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers.
***If you find the pepper too hot after making the soup, you can either add more cucumber, garnish with larger chunks of cucumber or add sour cream to your bowl.

Sour Cream Zucchini

Sour Cream Zucchini
ingredients:

• 3 c cubed unpeeled zucchini
  
• 1/4 cwater
  
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
  
• 1/4 tsp dill weed
  
• 1 tbsp butter
  
• 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  
• 1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
  
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Optional: 1/4 c cheddar cheese, shredded
  

procedure:

1. In a saucepan, combine the zucchini, water, onion, salt, bouillon and dill. Bring to a boil.
   
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, sugar and lemon juice.
   
4. Combine sour cream and flour until smooth. Gradually add to saucepan.
   
5. Cook and stir over low heat for 5-7 minutes or until thickened.
6. Serve in a casserole dish with optional cheddar cheese sprinkled over the top. Followed by cracked black pepper.