Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin is normally more of a fall thing, but we had a warmer December and I had some cans of pumpkin in the cabinet that I never ended up using during prime pumpkin season. Abby posted that she had made this recipe from Make it Naked, which put it on my radar as something quick and easy for a weeknight meal. In between fun social gatherings that always centered around food, I was glad to have a home cooked, lighter meal to break up the heavy restaurant food. When I gave Joe the choice of cheesy beer bread or cornbread as an accompaniment, he quickly picked the beer bread. It took considerably longer for the beer bread to bake than did the soup.

I used Penzey’s hot curry powder (my favorite) to up the heat, so ours had quite a kick, though you can adjust the cayenne based on how spicy you like it. The Greek yogurt also has a cooling effect.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup
source: Make it Naked
Serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
15 ounces pumpkin puree
6 ounces light coconut milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, for garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stirring occasionally as not to burn the garlic. Stir in the spices. Cook for at least one minute letting the spices get aromatic.
2. Add the pumpkin. Whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir.
4. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt and chopped herbs. Add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Spicy Mole Oatmeal Chili

Traditional Texas-style chili is made only with meat, chile peppers, and tomatoes. But over the years, I have put some strange things in chili. Beer, peanut butter, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of beans, from standards like pinto and black beans to slightly off-the-wall legumes like chickpeas, have made their way into my fire engine red Dutch oven. Even still, with the variety of ingredients that one can toss into a pot of chili, I could not have imagined the day when I would add both oatmeal and cocoa powder into my chili.

Thanks to my friend Jen who posted the link on Facebook saying it was her favorite chili, I now have a healthy, antioxidant-full go-to recipe. The oatmeal makes it a thicker chili than a lot of other vegetarian chilis, and it does look surprisingly like ground turkey. I couldn’t taste a lot of the cocoa powder over the chili powder and chipotle sauce, so next time I might use a darker cocoa to really get that mole flavor.

Spicy Mole Oatmeal Chili
source: Natural Health
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup diced carrots
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime or with basil and garlic
2 15.5-ounce cans low-sodium dark-red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon best-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons chipotle en adobo sauce
1½ cups rolled oats
7 ounces water
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
2. Cook onions and carrots until onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Add tomatoes to the pot, then add rinsed beans.
4. Add cocoa and chili powder until the powders are completely incorporated into the mixture. Add chipotle sauce.
5. Add the rolled outs and about half the water. Cook for about 5 minutes and add water as necessary. You want a thick consistency.
6. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes more, until oats break down.
7. Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

Hard Cider and Cabbage Stew

It is legitimately fall, y’all. The morning temperatures are regularly in the 50s and sometimes 40s. The leaves are turning, and I have found myself combing through cookbooks and spending more time in the kitchen. And it’s not all about pumpkin either, though the pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin rooibos tea, and pumpkin pancake mix might not agree.

I love soups and stews. I also love using my slow-cooker. But as Lesley noted, most slow-cooker recipes are meat-centric, and there are only so many times you can make beans in the slow-cooker. In those cases, I turn to my favorite cookbook: Kathy Hester’s The Vegan Slow Cooker. Generally, the recipes require a little more prep than your normal slow cooker fare, but if you prep the night before, you can usually just toss everything in and go. For this meal, Joe helped me prepare it in the morning, and it was ready to go when we came home from spin class that night.

This particular recipe caught my eye because FALL. Vegan sausage, hard cider, apples, and root veggies like cabbage and carrots fit the season so well. The apple essentially melts into the stew, and the broth is incredibly flavorful due to the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Add some cornbread, and you are set.

Hard Cider and Cabbage Stew
source: The Vegan Slow Cooker
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-size carrots, sliced into rounds
1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 12 oz package vegan sausage links
2 cups hard cider
2 tbsp vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme (My store was out of thyme, so I subbed 1 tsp dried)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes longer. Combine the onion and cut-up vegetables, apple, and sausage in a large air-tight container and store in the refrigerator if preparing the night before.

When ready, combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Lentil Fritter Pitas with Red Cabbage Slaw

Did summer fly by for anyone else? There are about 18 million summer things that I never got around to. Farmers’ Markets that went unvisited, rivers that did not get kayaked, nights that we did not sit out on the patio talking, meals that did not get grilled (in part because our grill was confiscated by the fire marshal). June was a haze. Nothing happened in July since Joe was working nights and was either at the hospital or asleep. August was finishing CPE, and now it’s September with fall just around the corner.

Football has started, and there are cans of pumpkin in my pantry that never were used last year. But it’s still 90-something degrees and unbearably humid. I’m not ready for fall because I didn’t really get a summer, even though I love fall. It’s the best running season This is a great summer meal: colorful, light flavors like cilantro and lemon. So if you want to cling to summer for a few weeks longer, or if you’re forced to by the weather, go ahead and sneak this one under the line. Before chunky sweaters and boots, before tailgating, before apples and pumpkin and butternut squash and chili, have some red cabbage and lentils and parsley.

Lentil Fritter Pitas with Red Cabbage Slaw
adapted from Real Simple
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

3 cups cooked lentils
1/2  cup  fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
1/2  cup  fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1  clove garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2  cup  bread crumbs
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4  head red cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
3  tablespoons  olive oil
1/2  cup  low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
4  pocketless pitas, warmed

Preparation

1. In a food processor, puree half of the lentils with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and cumin until nearly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the bread crumbs, the remaining lentils, the eggs, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Form into sixteen ½-inch-thick patties.
2. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, lightly mash the cabbage with the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, crushed red pepper, and a splash of water. Adjust consistency to preference. 
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the patties until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet for the second batch.
4. Dividing evenly, top each pita with the patties, cabbage mixture, yogurt sauce, and the additional cilantro and crushed red pepper.

Ancho Lentil Tacos

The humble lentil. I often forget about lentils as an option, particularly in Mexican-flavored dishes, because black beans are the obvious choice. Abby introduced me to this dish from Post Punk Kitchen, and I made it for the opening dinner of my ordination weekend festivities. When I added it to last week’s menu, I realized that a) I hadn’t blogged it yet and b) it had been a while since I’d made it. Joe also gave that rare reaction that’s like, “Ancho lentil tacos for dinner? Yes!”

I was trying to steer away from the usual loads o’ carbs I normally eat, so I wrapped my taco filling in some Boston lettuce leaves. It was good, but I felt like such a girl eating stuff out of lettuce leaves. My point being that this filling is very versatile. You can wrap it in lettuce or tortillas or put it on top of a salad or just eat it plain. The cheese and sour cream/Greek yogurt un-veganize it, though I like the filling just as well with a squirt of lime, a slice of avocado, and some cilantro. You don’t even really need ancho chili powder (just sub regular chili powder), but it’s the smoky, roasted flavor that makes this so satisfying to me.

Ancho Lentil Taco Filling
source: Post Punk Kitchen
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons hot sauce

Spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, so that you can add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium. Add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork. Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. Serve warm with the toppings of your choice.

Kale & Tortellini Soup

I’ve developed a bad habit that goes something like this: make blog-worthy meal, forget to take a picture, promise to take a picture of the leftovers, take the leftovers for lunch which I eat in my windowless “office”, get down to the final serving of the leftovers and realized I haven’t taken a picture of this meal. So that’s why you’re getting an iPhone picture of this soup in my Pyrex container.

I’m on-call from Friday morning until Monday morning every other weekend, and two weekends ago, I had an awful call. I only go in for emergencies (i.e., deaths), and I went in four times. None of the patients were over 60. I haven’t talked much about work here because most of the stories are not my stories to tell, but I was zonked. I needed some therapeutic time in the kitchen and some comfort food, and this meal fulfilled both. The broth was surprisingly but pleasantly spicy from the red pepper. I generally prefer blended soups to soups with a lot of component parts, though for a satisfying meal, this did the trick.

Kale & Tortellini Soup
source: Apple A Day
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried Herbes de Provence (or thyme)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz.) can low-sodium fire-roasted diced tomatoes
8 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 oz.) can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. kale, washed, ribbed, and chopped
1 (9 oz.) package whole wheat cheese tortellini
1/2 c. grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1.  Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 3 minutes more.

2.  Add in carrots, celery, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes.  Cook mixture, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes, with their juices, and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.

4.  Add beans, kale, and tortellini and continue simmering until tortellini are cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired

Southwestern Pizza with Black Beans and Corn

If I wanted to toy with your emotions, I might hint (wink wink nudge nudge) about how there was big doings going on at our house, that I had a “big announcement” coming up, or that we were thinking about adding another member to our family. But it all happened so fast, and Monday night, we met our newest family member:

 

Meet Stitch! He’s a 6 year old Ragdoll (to go with our other two Ragdolls), and he came to us because his previous family was very stressful for him and he needed a home without young children and dogs. So far, he’s integrating pretty well after spending about 24 hours under our bed. He is super sweet and wants lots of love from Joe and me even if he isn’t too sure about the other cats in the house yet. I never thought I’d own three cats, but adopting an older cat was much less intense than getting another kitten, and I’m very happy that we can give Stitch a home where he can be happier.

This week I’m thankful for fluffy cats and avocados. I bought a couple of avocados this week assuming I could figure out some way to use them. When I proposed this dinner to Joe, his eyes lit up, and I hoped it would live up to his expectations. No worries there. The black bean base was the perfect spice level, and all of the toppings made it fun to eat. Using a pre-made pizza crust (processed food alert! Sorry I’m not sorry!) meant that this will be a repeat weeknight dinner for sure.

Southwestern Pizza with Black Beans and Corn
source: Prevention RD
Yields 4 servings (2 slices each)

Ingredients

1 roll Pillsbury original pizza dough
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chile en adobo, minced + 2 tsp adobo sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
2 green onions, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado
2 Tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp lime juice

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unroll pizza dough, stretching and pressing to create a rectangle reaching the sides of the baking sheet.

Bake the dough for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the black beans in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them on HIGH for 45 seconds. Add the chile en adobo, sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the bowl and use the back of a fork to smash the beans into a thick paste.

Spread the black beans on the pizza dough, followed by the tomatoes, red onion, and frozen corn. Bake the pizza for 8 minutes or until edges of the pizza are just starting to turn golden. Remove the pizza, sprinkle the top with cheese, and bake for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.

While pizza baked, mash the avocado with the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. When pizza is done baking, smear the avocado cream across the pizza and sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Stuffed Peppadew Peppers for Krystal’s Virtual Baby Shower Fiesta

I was very excited to be asked to participate in my very first virtual baby shower for my good blog friend Krystal! Krystal and I share a love of fun pop music and spin class, and she even made me a mix CD that I rely on often for motivation on long runs.

Krystal is Filipino, and her husband Eric is Cuban, so our task was to come up with something from either of those cultures for her baby shower fiesta. I wanted to make an appetizer that wasn’t heavy or time-consuming, and these little bite-size peppers were perfect. Even though the peppadew pepper technically comes from South Africa, the sweet heat with some creaminess from the goat cheese makes me think of the Caribbean. These would go very well with a mojito after the baby comes!

Please join me and others in congratulating Krystal and Eric on the impending addition to their wonderful family!

Stuffed Peppadew Peppers
source: inspired by Rumba & Eat, Drink, Smile

Ingredients

1 jar peppadew peppers (found in larger grocery stores near the pickles & olives)
1 small log high-quality goat cheese

Preparation

Allow goat cheese to soften at room temperature. Drain and rinse peppers. Using your hands, stuff goat cheese into peppers.

Quick, Creamy Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna

Last year about this time, I wrote an oddly (to me) well-received post about Lent and Ash Wednesday and fasting. I had plans of doing a similar post this year, but the moment kind of passed me by. Hopefully it will suffice to say that I love Ash Wednesday and Lent and not just because I look pretty good in purple (liturgical joke). I planned and led a service at the hospital, and it was an amazingly sacred space and time, to intimately touch people’s foreheads and mark them as mortal and frail and human in the midst of a place that directly confronts people’s mortality. It was one of the best moments of my ministry there so far.

This Lent is particularly special for me since I’m also preparing for being ordained to the priesthood on Easter Saturday. That in and of itself is a pretty intense spiritual undertaking. So, I’m not really “doing” anything for Lent, at least nothing that I can put in a little soundbite and convey to you all. In fact, for where I am with God right now, giving up “doing” is probably exactly what I need to do, so there.

But some people give up meat, and for you, there is this lasagna! It comes together pretty easily for a lasagna, not that I would know because Joe actually made this while I was at work. He also changed a few proportions, leaving out a few noodles and 1/3 of the cream cheese. It was still good. Make half for now and freeze the other half for a fast dinner in a few weeks. Double-duty dinner!

Pam Anderson’s Quick, Creamy Spinach-Mushroom Lasagna
source: Runner’s World

Ingredients

15 oven-ready, rippled style lasagna noodles
Salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sliced mushrooms
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup vegetable broth
3 cups marinara sauce (no sugar added or low-sugar)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°F.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, sauté until tender and well browned, about 7 minutes. Add spinach, sauté until heated through. Combine spinach-mushroom mixture with the basil, 8 ounces of cream cheese, and 1/4 cup broth. Mix remaining 4 ounces cream cheese with 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl; set aside.

To assemble, spread 1/3 cup marinara on the bottom of baking dish, then assemble 4 layers in the following order: 3 lasagna noodles, 2/3 cup marinara, 1 cup spinach-mushroom filling, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Top with remaining 3 noodles, the cream cheese-broth mixture, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Cover with cooking spray-coated foil and bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Leaving lasagna on same rack, turn oven to broil. Remove foil and broil until lasagna is golden brown, 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let sit for 10 minutes.

Spinach-Cheddar Casserole

I hope everyone’s new year is off to a terrific start. After working both big holidays and ringing in the new year asleep in my bed, I’m in a bit of a funk. A large part is due to something that I haven’t even mentioned on the blog yet.

This guy, otherwise known as Joe, is leaving next Saturday to go to Kenya for a month because he’s doing an anesthesia rotation there. I’ll miss celebrating his 30th birthday. I’ll miss just hanging out, doing the things we like to do. Plus I’ll be running our household all by my lonesome. No avoiding cleaning up the cat barf now. Or having him clean up the mess I made cooking dinner. I know he’s going to have a great experience, but right now, I’m just majorly bummed out.

Also, Nashville Originals Restaurant Week is January 16-22nd, and I’m taking requests for dates (the non-romantic kind of course).

I really will miss his help in the kitchen. Shortly before Christmas, I whipped up chili and beer bread for us to eat and then remembered that I needed to make something savory and breakfast-like to take to my CPE group the next day. There were quite a few dishes involved that night, and he helped me with all of them, even though he never got to eat this spinach-cheddar casserole.

I found it by browsing the Epicurious app on my iPhone. Fortunately for me, it had decent ratings, and I only needed to pick up a few things at the store to make it. 1/3 of our group forgot to bring something, so it was a boon to have something hearty to eat. The original recipe recommends this as a side dish, and I guess you could go that way as well, but I served it more like a crustless quiche. Brunch, breakfast, lunch, or dinner – this would be good for any meal.

(iPhone picture of leftovers)

 Spinach-Cheddar Casserole
source: Bon Appetit March 1995

Ingredients

4 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 16-ounce container cottage cheese

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I used low-fat)

1 cup packed grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dillweed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Beat eggs, salt and pepper to blend in large bowl. Mix in spinach. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well blended. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake casserole until center is firm and top is golden, about 45 minutes.

Lentil Tacos

When I read other food blogs around this time of year, I’m impressed and over-awed at the cookies and marshmallows and feasts that people crank out. I haven’t done much of anything for the holidays yet. We did get the (cheap, horrible-looking) fake tree put up and decorated, and a few of the nativity scenes arranged around the house, at least until the cats start playing with poor Joseph. Joseph always gets the short end of the stick.

Truth be told, I’m having a little trouble adjusting from my previous mindset of holiday = vacation to my current life of holiday = holy day = work. I’m on-call at the hospital Christmas and New Year’s weekends, and I’m serving at two Christmas Eve services Saturday night only to wake up the next morning and do Christmas morning services at the hospitals.

At first I was bummed. No sleeping in and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning before opening presents. But I’m starting to come around. I get to celebrate Christmas with staff and families and perhaps some patients who would rather be somewhere else. I get to bring Christmas and some sense of normalcy to them. I get to be at a pediatrics hospital on Christmas morning with all of the festivity and donated presents that entails. So my Christmas won’t look like my previous Christmases, and my Christmas probably won’t look like your Christmas, but I think I’ll still get all of the joy and wonder. I’ll just have to relax on another day.

So this is not a Christmas meal. This is an anytime meal. Joe particularly liked this, I would guess due to the meaty texture of the lentils. The flavors are spot on, and the raisins add a hint of sweetness. If you don’t have any raisins, a tablespoon or so of brown sugar might also do the trick.

Lentil Tacos
serves 4
source: Runner’s World

Ingredients

1 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup brown lentils, dry
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup water or vegetable broth (I had to add more liquid.)
3 tablespoons dried black currants or raisins, minced
1 cup salsa, plus additional for topping
8 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preparation

In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute onions, celery, and garlic in the olive oil for five minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for one minute. Add the broth and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (add more water or broth as needed). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (until lentils are thick), stirring often. Fold in the salsa. Wrap the tortillas in a damp white cotton towel and microwave on high for one minute. Spoon the lentil mixture among the tortillas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

I’d never actually made bread pudding before this savory version, even though a sweet, boozy bread pudding studded with raisins is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It’s rare that I have leftover bread of any kind, so it felt strange to buy a baguette with the explicit purpose of letting it get stale. Definitely worth it though.

Being a mostly meatless type, I offered to bring a vegetarian entrée to Thanksgiving, letting our marvelous hostess off the hook. While it isn’t even close to vegan or low-calorie, I think I would much prefer this to a Tofurkey. Everyone knows that the sides are the best part of Thanksgiving anyway. And the kale and squash at least gives the illusion of getting in some real vegetables.

My one tip would be to use the sharpest, best cheddar cheese you can find/afford. I skimped on that, and it just wasn’t as good as I know that it could’ve been. Another bonus: this can be made in advance and is probably even best made in advance. I spent nearly a week taking the leftovers for lunch, and it only got better as the flavors melded. Perfect for when your Thanksgiving morning is routinely taken up by running a 5K with your family.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Cheddar Bread Pudding
source: Ezra Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 2 POUNDS PEELED SEEDED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 6 CUPS)
• 3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED
• KOSHER SALT
• FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 7 LARGE EGGS
• 2 1/4 CUPS HALF AND HALF
• 6 TABLESPOONS DRY WHITE WINE (OR HARD CIDER)
• 2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH THYME (OR 1 TABLESPOON DRIED)
• 1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH SAGE (OR 1/2 TABLESPOON DRIED)
• 1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD
• 1 DAY-OLD BAGUETTE (DO NOT REMOVE CRUST), CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 8 CUPS)
• 1 CUP CHOPPED SHALLOTS (ABOUT 4 LARGE)
• 2 CLOVES GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED
• 1/4 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES (OPTIONAL)
• 2 BUNCHES TUSCAN KALE (ABOUT 1 POUND), RIBS REMOVED, KALE COARSELY CHOPPED (CAN BE SUBSTITUTED WITH SPINACH)`
• 8 OUNCES EXTRA-SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, COARSELY GRATED

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3. Whisk eggs in large bowl. Continue whisking as you add half and half, wine, thyme, sage, mustard, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add baguette cubes to the egg mixture, and gently fold them into the mixture to coat each side. Let the baguette pieces soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, and sauté until soft and fragrant, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (the kale will still be a little crunchy).
5. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to the dish, spreading evenly. Spoon half of kale over the bread layer. Spoon half of squash over the kale layer, and sprinkle it with half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread pudding.
6. Cover bread pudding with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set, about 20 minutes longer.
7. Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Italian Slow-Cooker Eggplant Casserole

Vegan and slow-cooker are not two words that I usually here in the same sentence. Sure, I used to love my slow-cooker for cooking tougher cuts of meat all day long and leaving them fork-tender, but now that I’m not eating (much) meat, the slow-cooker is primarily reserved for soup and stew-making. Not that there’s anything wrong with soups or stews, but there’s only so much of that you can eat before you crave some solid food.

Not only is this meal vegan and made in the slow-cooker, but it also contains eggplant, which is not my most favorite food item in the world. I’ll eat it, but I never get terribly excited about it. But this was good. And easy. And delicious on a giant bed of noodles. The “ricotta” was surprisingly simple to make, and I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand since I had bought cashews the last time I was at Trader Joe’s.

BTDubs, if anyone wanted to get me just one cookbook for Christmas, the book this recipe originally came from, The Vegan Slow-Cooker, would be a great present.

Italian Slow-Cooker Eggplant Casserole
originally from The Vegan Slow-Cooker
as seen on Cara’s Cravings
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Cashew-Tofu Ricotta:
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 cloves of garlic
1 15oz package of firm tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4lb), thinly sliced (
1 jar (25oz, or 700gm) marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
Cooked pasta, for serving

Preparation

The Night Before:
Make the ricotta by blending all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

In the Morning:
Oil the crock of your slow cooker. Pour in 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Top with half of the eggplant slices, half of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat the layers once more, then top with the remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with pasta.
If your slow cooker does not run hot and the dish seems water, remove the lid and turn the slow cooker to high. The liquid should evaporate in 30-60 minutes.

Baked Goat Cheese & Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine

Last week was a complete roller coaster of emotions. Tuesday was my 27th birthday. Wednesday, I had a really tough hospital situation (boo), a haircut (yay!), a flu shot (boo), and a random woman come up to me and tell me that I was very pretty (yay!).

With all of those emotions, my goal this year is to try not to mindlessly eat when I’m sad, tired, or stressed. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to be intentional about it. Like on Wednesday night, I went to the Thai place next door to my hair salon, bought a big plate of vegetable pad Thai, and ate the whole thing. Healthy? Not exactly. Comforting? Oh yes.

Carbs are my comfort food. Throw in some roasted vegetables and baked goat cheese in a recipe from Cooking Light, and I might not even feel bad about it. Erin and her husband came over the night I was preparing this to pick up her share of our CSA and said, “I hope that makes it on the blog because it smells delicious!” It tasted pretty good too.

The pasta doesn’t have much of a traditional sauce, but the melty goat cheese can be broken up to kind of coat the noodles a bit more. I particularly liked the caramelized bits of squash.

Baked Goat Cheese & Roasted Winter Squash over Garlicky Fettuccine
source: Cooking Light as seen on Prevention, RD
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

6 cups kabocha or butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 lb uncooked fettuccine
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Place squash and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss well. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, rosemary and black pepper. Bake at 425 F for 40 mins, stirring once.

Place goat cheese in freezer for 10 minutes. Cut cheese crosswise into 16 equal rounds. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge each round in breadcrumbs; place on baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for 6 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pan; add reserved pasta cooking water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and garlic, tossing to coat. Place 1 cup pasta in each of 4-6 shallow bowls; top each serving with about 1/2 cup squash mixture and 2 goat cheese rounds. Garnish with rosemary or thyme sprigs, if desired.

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash

Occasionally, I hit the jackpot by making something that I’m willing to eat on a regular basis (reasonably healthy and easy to make on a weeknight) and something that is equally appealing to Joe. Without getting too much into gender essentialism as it relates to food, Joe does tend to prefer heartier meals. Arguably, this is about as meat-and-potatoes as you can get with vegetarian food.

Soy chorizo is perhaps not the most “natural” food that I eat, but it is so gosh-darn tasty that I try not to give that too much mind. I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, but the mix of sweet and regular moderates the flavor. And while there isn’t a lot of green in this meal, I could see serving it with a side or bed of kale chips. Lord knows I’ll be making this one again and again so I’ll have plenty of opportunity to experiment.

Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash
source: Cate’s World Kitchen
2 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled
1 medium potato, peeled
1 red onion, chopped
4 ounces soy chorizo
2 eggs
queso fresco and fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Cut the sweet potatoes and potato into small cubes (you should have about 3 cups).

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add the potato and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. If anything begins to brown excessively, turn down the heat. Add more oil if things are sticking.

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Crack 2 eggs over the hash, then put the pan in the oven. Cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until the whites are set.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco.

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

Every other week, I get a box from Delvin Farms that looks like this:

Fortunately, I split it with the lovely Erin and her husband because that is a lot of food, and someone does not always great about eating his veggies. Late summer means peppers galore, but we also received a watermelon, cantaloupe, and butternut squash hiding under all of those peppers. This was our second butternut squash, and because I am incapable of cutting them in half without injuring myself, I got the first one and gave Erin this most recent one.

Without a particular plan for it, I roasted that squash whole, scraped out the insides, and froze the puree for a later date when I would be in a bit of a rush, like, my first day of chaplaincy residency. Switching from grad student schedule (flexible but stressful!) to camp schedule (fun and outdoors!) to free time (boring!) and now to a normal working person schedule is going to take some getting used to. After getting home from the gym after 6:30, having the squash thawed and ready to go was crucial because I was about to chew my arm off. Lesson #1: Don’t skip your snack.

I quickly whipped up the filling. Joe stuffed and rolled the enchiladas. I covered them with sauce, and we threw them in the oven, allowing us enough time to clean up before they were ready to go. We were both surprised how filling they were. Two of these with a quarter of an avocado and we were stuffed, and the cinnamon/nutmeg/cumin combo was a just-right hint of fall. I always thought enchiladas were way too time-intensive for a normal weeknight, but with some of the components pre-made or bought, it was perfect for a relatively quick dinner. 

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
source: The Daily Garnish
Yields 6-8 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, roasted and mashed 
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• salt to taste
• 6-8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 large can red enchilada sauce (or homemade if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a medium-sized pan with olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add in rinsed and drained black beans and stir until heated.

Add the black bean mixture to the squash and fold in to combine. Add spices and salt to taste.

Pour a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan to coat. Fill a tortilla with about 1 cup of mixture and loosely roll, placing the rolled tortilla seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Cover the rolled up enchiladas with the rest of the sauce and top with cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Tempeh Tamale Pie

When I started to reduce my meat consumption, I didn’t immediately go to faux meat equivalents. Sure, I like a veggie hot dog now and again, but faux deli meat kind of frightens me. I also didn’t want to frighten Joe who had been turned off long ago by a girlfriend’s fake chicken riblets. Instead, we ate a lot of beans, and I gradually introduced tofu. We stuck with that plan for a good while. Then I started hearing about other options, namely tempeh and seitan, and I was intrigued so I picked some tempeh up at the store though I didn’t have any plans for it.

(browning the tempeh)

The vacuum sealed package was a little unsettling in its resemblance to the color and texture of our cats’ wet food. When I showed it to Joe, he gave me the I-don’t-like-it-but-I’m-going-to-trust-you face. When in doubt, I go with something ethnic-inspired, so Mama Pea’s tamale pie seemed like the perfect dish. Besides, she just published a book including this recipe, and I had seen it recommended on Twitter.

It was as great as promised. The tempeh and pinto bean filling had a great nutty flavor and texture. I had a bit of trouble spreading the cornbread mixture in my attempt to only use one pan. The original recipe calls for a 2 quart baking dish, but I did the whole thing in my cast iron. You can also easily make this vegan by omitting the cheese or using dairy-free cheese and sour cream. And sorry, Mama Pea, but black olives do not belong on any self-respecting Mexican casserole.

Tamale Pie
source: Peas and Thank You
Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 medium onion or 1/2 of a large onion, chopped
• One 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 1 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 t. apple cider or red wine vinegar
• 1 t. maple syrup
• One 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• One 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

For the crust:

• 2/3 c. cornmeal
• 1/3 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 c. non-dairy or organic milk
• 1 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 c. frozen corn, defrosted and drained
• 1/3 c. non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) or organic cheddar cheese (optional)

For topping:

• sliced olives and non-dairy or organic sour cream (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat and spritz with cooking spray or oil. Add onion and sauté until softened and starting to brown, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Crumble tempeh into the pan with the sautéed onion. I like to use a grater so that all the pieces are approximately the same size.
• Lightly brown tempeh, cooking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• To the pan, add garlic, chili powder, 1/2 t. salt, vinegar, 1 t. maple syrup, tomato sauce and beans.
• Allow bean mixture to simmer for a few minutes to meld flavors.
• In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
• In your liquid measuring cup, combine milk, maple syrup and applesauce.
• Add wet ingredients to the cornmeal mixture and stir until just combined.
• Gently fold in the defrosted corn.
• Spread corn mixture carefully and evenly over the top of the casserole dish.
• If using, top the casserole with shredded cheese.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese has melted and crust is set and starting to brown.
• Serve with desired toppings.

The Perfect Veggie Burger

Angela at Oh She Glows is my top blogger-crush. She’s gorgeous, writes beautifully, and makes creative, drool-worthy vegan food. She is also honest about her own issues with food and eating disorders, and out of all of the so-called “healthy living bloggers,” she is one who really seems to have done some very challenging personal and spiritual work around how she treats her body and isn’t afraid to talk about it. Recently, she was on a quest for the perfect veggie burger, in her own words, she wanted a burger that:

• Can’t be mushy in the middle
• Crispy outer shell
• Lots of flavour from fresh herbs & spices
• No tofu (not a fan)
• Crunchy, chewy texture is a must
• No cracking or falling apart
• Must cook well 3 ways: frying pan, oven, and BBQ
• Could make a grown man shed a tear of joy (ok, that was my requirement, heh)

Well, except that Joe wasn’t shedding any tears (though he did remark, unprovoked, that they were the best veggie burgers we’d ever had), these burgers fulfill every criterion. Note that there was no “comes together quickly” criterion. These require a bit of prep work (and kitchen mess), but the batch made 8 patties, so I ended up freezing the rest for later. My mini food processor really got a workout! The nuts add so much texture and crunch, and they held up beautifully on the grill.

It was very nearly a perfect summer meal, with grilled corn and okra on the side, and it was all vegan until Joe topped his burger with some non-vegan pesto and I sprinkled my corn with some spicy Parmesan seasoning. I will definitely be keeping a batch of these in the freezer to throw on top of a salad or for a quick dinner.

The Perfect Veggie Burger
source: Oh She Glows
Yields 8 medium-size patties

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl (I used a chia egg with the same amount of chia seeds.)
• 1 cup oats, processed into flour
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
• Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax or chia egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.

3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together.

4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 30-36 mins (15-18 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the grill, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side.

Easy Weeknight Thai Curry

I’ve been a little quiet about what I’m going to be up to post-graduation, post-ordination, and post-camp. In large part, that’s because I DIDN’T KNOW. Without going into the nitty-gritty details, the usual plan of action would’ve been to return to Texas but because somebody has a job as a hotshot doctor and I prefer to live in the same state as my husband at this point in our marriage, I am staying in Nashville with the permission of the bishops. Besides, Joe probably would not have let me take these guys with me.

So I ended up scrambling around and waiting for God to lead me to that perfect fit where my gifts and talents will be appreciated and used and where I can grow into the minister that God has called me to be. Through a little bit of a fluke and with the encouragement of some dear friends, I interviewed for a year-long chaplaincy residency and got it. I’m going to be a chaplain at the same top-ranked academic hospital where Joe works.

But I also needed to be serving in a parish, not only because I want to and very much feel called to liturgical ministry, but also because my ordination to the priesthood is contingent upon it. After waiting, lots of meetings over coffee, and the connections made through other clergy, it finally happened. Within a few days, everything was squared away for me to serve at an absolutely fabulous parish just a few miles from my house.

However, this also means that I’ll be working six days a week. Not to mention trying to squeeze in making dinner and exercising. So now seems like a prudent time to expand my repertoire of meals that come together in less than 20 minutes. Adding tofu, tempeh, shrimp, or chicken to this might take slightly longer, and I was surprisingly satisfied without a protein, particularly with the brown rice noodles. We spiced it up by adding a bit of Sriracha. Either way, very fast, very satisfying, and enough for leftovers.

Easy Weeknight Thai Stir-Fry
adapted from Sing For Your Supper
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 16 oz package of frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 8 oz package of brown rice noodles
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Sriracha, optional

Preparation

1. Soak brown rice noodles in hot water until softened. Meanwhile, cook frozen stir-fry vegetables in a pan with a little bit of oil until warm and cooked through.

2. Mix together the coconut milk and red curry paste. Pour mixture over the vegetables and heat thoroughly. Add in noodles and toss to coat.

3. Garnish with cilantro and Sriracha to taste.

Lasagna Pie

Despite being married for three years and making hundreds of meatless meals that were perfectly acceptable with only a few flops, Joe still gets a little nervous about vegetarian food. When a vegetarian restaurant opened in town and I mentioned that I wanted to go, he was not interested. Though he claims his resistance was not as strong as I claim, there were several other times when I suggested it as an option and was turned down. But when another friend of his wanted to go, we made a date that Friday to go with her. And Joe totally ate up his vegan queso and plantain tacos, leaving completely satisfied.

He also admitted that he was “nervous” about this lasagna pie. It doesn’t appear to be much: whole wheat crust, a ricotta mixture, zucchini and summer squash, and a tomato sauce. Not only was it surprisingly filling, but it was a great way to use up a whole bunch of my CSA veggies.

My crust was a little, um, rustic-looking. Elly also had some problems with it being soggy, which she attributed to not baking it without the pie weights. Mine was also a little soggy but that might’ve been because I pre-made the pie and let it sit in the fridge while I went to spin class. Either way, it wasn’t objectionable.

Lasagna Pie
Serves 4
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks as seen on Elly Says Opa

Ingredients

For the crust:
2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
~1/2 cup cold water

For the filling:
1 small to medium summer squash, thinly sliced
1 small to medium zucchini, thinly sliced
3 tbsp pesto
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the tomato sauce:
2 tsp. olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 scant tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
~3 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. oregano
small pinch of sugar

Instructions

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the flour and stir it in.  Slowly add the water to the dough and stir until it’s just absorbed. Add just enough water to form a dough. Knead a couple of times to get the dough to come together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to the size you need. Transfer the rolled dough to your pie or tart pan, pressing it into the corners and up the sides without stretching the dough. Trim any excess dough. Place the crust in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375.  Prick the dough a few times with a fork and then line it with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove the parchment and weights and bake an additional 5. Place the crust on a rack to cool.

Reduce the oven to 350.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and a little water. Season with the oregano, a small pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Re-season, if necessary.

To make the filling, toss the sliced zucchini and squash with a little salt in a colander. Let it sit there to drain as you continue with the filling and sauce.

Combine the pesto with the ricotta cheese and beaten egg.

If the squash still has a bit of moisture, pat it with a kitchen or paper towel to dry.

Spread half the ricotta mixture over the bottom of the crust.  Place half the summer squash/zucchini in one layer over the cheese. Spoon half the tomato sauce over the squash.  Spread the remaining ricotta cheese mixture over the top,  then layer the remaining squash, and finally the rest of the tomato sauce.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan and then continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.