Thanksgiving Flavors, The Remix: Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries

Like we've discussed before, I'm a holiday person.  The minute it strikes midnight on November 1st, I become the most Melody version Melody can possibly be and I enter my element.  Strap on some jingle bells, power up with some eggnog, and tightly clutching pumpkin in one hand and cranberries in the other, brace yourself- it's time to get festive.

I borrowed this recipe from Tracy of Shutterbean and made it my own.  Tracy is Joy the Baker's BFF.  And therefore, I want to be BFF with both of them always and forever.  But you already knew that.  Anyway, this recipe tastes like all the festive holiday flavors you love wrapped into one amazingly healthy, comforting and delicious package.  What could be better?

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 large or 2 small apples, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 and 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 and 1/2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper*
1 Tbsp orange zest*
1 and 1/2 Tbsp Sugar in the Raw or brown sugar
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

*Optional

Preheat your oven to 400 and get ready to do some mad chopping.  Confession:  I like chopping things so much that sometimes I cook something for the sole purpose of satisfying my therapeutic chopping needs and desires.  This is the perfect time to satisfy that need.

Let's get that butternut out of the way first.  You could use two large sweet potatoes if you prefer, but the butternut is really worth it.  Cut it in half across so it's easier to deal with.  Cut the half with seeds in it in half lengthwise and scoop them all out with a spoon.  Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel the skin off the whole thing and cut it into cute little 1/2 inch cubes.  This is not an exact science.  As you chop each vegetable, start tossing it onto a shallow baking dish or roasting pan lined with foil to prevent extreme messiness.

Now Brussels Sprouts.  You're going to want to trim the ends a good bit so they're not tough.  After that, peel off the outer layer and split them in half.  Done and done.  Onion.  Apple.  Cranberries.

Pretty!

Time to make the dressing.  Did you know that salad dressing is the easiest ever to make?  That's really all this is.  Find a jar or container with a resealable lid.  I used sweet li'l old jam jar.  In the jar, combine the curry powder, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and cinnamon, cayenne and orange zest, if you're using those optional ingredients.  I REALLY wanted to use orange zest but didn't have any.  If you have it, please use it.  Shake it like a polaroid picture.

Drizzle the mixture over the pretty chopped stuff and use your hands to toss.  Aren't you so glad to get this moisturizing treat for those dry winter hands?  Lovely.  Smooth into an even layer and sprinkle the sugar evenly over the mix.  You don't need to mix in the sugar.  Put it in the oven for 20 minutes.  Stir gently.  Back in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

While your veggies are working in the oven, you might want to prepare some couscous, wild rice, or quinoa on the stovetop, using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.  Prepare according to package directions.  I used quinoa in some homemade turkey stock.  When the veggies are done, serve yourself a heap of them over your grain of choice.  I was feeling super cozy, so I drizzled the tiniest amount of grade B maple syrup (less sweet than your average bear) over the whole thing.  Yum.

I used to be afraid of curry or cooking anything with curry.  How dumb was that?  It's delicious.
What are you hesitant to try?  Afraid of?

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Fast Food: Spaghetti and Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Every single day of my working life I drive all the way back home to the edge of town for lunch only to return in the blink of an eye to my downtown workplace.

For this:

Totally precious and mischievous Sampson.  28 pounds and he ain't close to stoppin' yet. 

Totally worth it.  This does present some serious time constraints when it comes to eating lunch.  It's all in the routine.  Most days I'll have a lunch sized salad or leftovers from dinner the night before.  But on days like today when salad pickins are slim but I still want a good veggie punch, I have noodles.  How fast did it take me to make my noodles for spaghetti today?  Eh, we'll say 30 seconds, give or take a few.

Have you guessed the secret yet?  It's raw zucchini!

I Said it's Raw Zucchini!!?!


Okay, so maybe you're not as awesomely amazed as I was when I first caught a glimpse of what a kitchen tool called a "spiralizer" can do.  It can even make those neat little curly and connected chips like you get at the fair?  And spirals, duh.

I had to get one right away.  The good news is they are pretty cheap as far as kitchen tools go, and you can click here to get the very exact same one I have and love.

Top that off with a little of my super simple marinara sauce leftover from the night before last, and DANG!  Let's eat!  You can use your own tomato sauce, or a bottled organic tomato sauce to make this even easier. I love to use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or hemp seeds like I would Parmesan cheese for a little extra flavor and texture.

 I like to leave the peel on my zucchini to keep the extra nutrition and fiber, but you could peel it prior to making noodles to make it look more like actual pasta.  If you don't have a spiralizer, you can still make noodle-like strips using a vegetable peeler or using a good sharp knife to cut your zucchini into matchstick strips.









Now that you've eaten such a virtuous lunch, it's high time to reward yourself with a pumpkin spice latte.  Tip: Don't take out a second mortgage to go to Starbucks.  You got this covered.

In a jar with a tight sealing lid, combine:
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp maple syrup (or more, to taste)
1 cup vanilla almond milk


Shake all ingredients together vigorously.  You can try adding a small amount (2 tsp) of canned pumpkin if you like, but I found I like the creamier texture if I leave it out.  Heat this and drink it on it's own and be in a state of autumn bliss if you so desire, or you can take it to the next level (the caffeinated level) by adding some espresso or coffee.  To heat, either use a steam wand on an espresso machine, or heat it on the stove or microwave, then spin in a blender to give it the frothiness I know you will spend $5 for.  Pour over one shot of espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee and enjoy.

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...And We're Off!

I'm blogging!

Now is as good a time as any to start, as I just made an attempt last night (or all day yesterday, should I say) at Julia Child's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon last night. If you have no idea what this entails (like me yesterday morning), then it's definitely worth looking up the recipe. That's a laugh. By far it was the most complex and difficult thing I have ever attempted, and thank God it was one of the most delicious as well. Nothing like the pressure of company coming for dinner to break out the big guns.

So I had never purchased a hunk of red meat this large before, so it had to be documented. I have to admit that after cutting it up into 2 inch cubes and browning it in bacon fat, I considered tossing out the whole plan and just chowing down with a big glass of Boujelais right then and there. But somehow, I made it through the next billion steps. Then there was the onions in butter and beef broth which caused me to ingest almost pure fat by the spoonful because the smell was irresistable.

Believe it or not, I actually finished it all before the guests arrived with enough spare time to whip up some creme brulee for everybody. I didn't get any photos of the finished products, but maybe I'll post some pics of the leftovers I'm going to eat for lunch? It's not the most beautiful dish you've ever seen...

The verdict? Well my boyfriend Jeremy and I loved it, but I'm not sure our guests could distinguish it from any other beef stew. Lesson learned: invite an equally as crazy foodie over for dinner next time I make this dish.

I'm trying to branch out a bit with the ingredients I buy so I learn to cook new things, especially vegetables. I braised some Rainbow Chard I bought for the first time this week, and it was a pretty exciting new addition to my repetoire. It's pretty! Next on the list... Belgian Endives.

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