Recipe Time: Roasted Acorn Squash with Greens & Beans Quinoa!

Growing up, we received oodles and oodles of fresh summer squash from my grandfather's garden each year. This would have been awesome if I had liked squash, but.... (big surprise) I didn't.

My mother always prepared it in one of two ways - sliced and sauteed OR mushed and mixed in a casserole dish with lots of butter, Saltine crackers and God knows what else. I obviously preferred the latter.

For a long, long time, I actually didn't know that other types of squash even existed! Or that there were other ways to prepare them! So when I received a cute little acorn squash from my CSA last week, I clearly had no idea what to do with it. So I used one of my 'Phone-a-Friends' and dialed up my girl Sarah Kagan over at Beyond the Batter. "She'll know what to do with this thing...", I thought to myself.

And of course, like the culinary genius that she is, Sarah had a great recipe in her back pocket for acorn squash and even better - she proceeded to rush right over and whip up the most fabulous dinner for me and my man. What a gal!

So today, I'm sharing it with you. It's worthy of some blog-time. And who knows... maybe you too have no idea what to do with the damn thing!

Preheat the oven to 375F. While the oven is heating up, cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions.

Slice 1 medium-size acorn squash and empty out the seedy middle (you can even save the seeds and roast them later!)

Now cut the ends off the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch pieces.

Place the squash in a large mixing bowl and coat with 1-2 Tbs. oil of your choice (I recommend coconut oil). 

Lightly sprinkle the mixture with cumin powder and sea salt to taste (and cinnamon - we were forced to use cinnamon sticks because that was all we had on hand but ground cinnamon would be much easier!).

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender (flipping halfway through).

Grab 1 can of white beans and rinse in a strainer until the water runs clear.

In a large mixing bowl, add the beans to the cooked quinoa...

...and mix well! (There's Sarah!).

Now for your dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the juice of 2 lemons, 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil, 1-2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar, and sea salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Pour over your quinoa/bean mixture (if you want to add more later, you can! that part's up to you!)

Meanwhile, saute one bag of frozen kale (16 oz.) with 1/2 bag of frozen broccoli (8 oz.) - or use fresh veggies if you have them!

Add them to the quinoa mixture and you're done!

Serve the quinoa atop a few slices of acorn squash and enjoy how the flavors blend together so beautifully! 

If it's even possible, this dish made our little viewing party of HOMELAND that much better! Terrorist plots... mental breakdowns... and yummy acorn squash. Could my night get any better?

Thanks, Sarah!

Oh...and if you'd like to curb a sweet tooth the vegan way, check out Sarah's recipe for her Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies! I taste-tested (and approved!) more than a few last night!

5 Things: Welcoming Fall with Gratitude!

Fall has officially arrived. It came quickly in the night and sent me running into the subway station shivering because I left the house without a proper jacket. Yes, friends, it's cold in NYC!  Maybe it's just me but fall feels like the New Year (not cold, dreary January). Granted, things aren't blooming (in fact, they're mostly dying), but there's something about the crispness of the air and the way the bright blue of the sky contrasts with the changing leaves and well... it just makes me feel alive!

Today, I'd like to start a little something called "5 Things". You've probably seen it done on other blogs and maybe that makes me an "idea stealer", but hey, a good idea is sure to get stolen by someone! You and I both know that attitude is everything. IF you think you're going to fail, you'll fail. IF you concentrate on the negative, things will be negative. But in contrast, if you visualize yourself succeeding, you will. And if you find the positive (even within the negative), life will seem a bit more positive! Today, I'd like to use my 5 THINGS to focus on five things that make me thankful to be alive today!

Maybe you could steal my stolen idea and make a list yourself! It's a great reminder of all the GOOD in your life so that when the bad inevitably pops up, you'll remember to adopt a "glass half full" perspective!

Wishing everyone a wonderful day... and a very happy birthday to my bestie Sarah over at Beyond the Batter! 

My very own, always reliable, always cute alarm clock...

The taste of a chai tea latte and the way it warms your whole body as it goes down..

The beginnings of the most glorious sunset from my rooftop (and the fact that this happens almost nightly)...

Wedding invites finally finished! Designed, printed, stamped and dropped at the post office!...

...and really awesome friends like Sarah! Happy Birthday, girl!

Weekend Wrap-Up: People Lookin' to Party!

Some weekends are just so awesome that they make all the other weekends of your life look completely lame. This weekend was one of them. My sweet friends Sarah Kagan and Andrea Ryan threw an engagement party for Adam and I. While originally planned for the park, the horrendous temperatures forced us indoors to celebrate at The Gibson in Williamsburg… but we didn't let that stop us!

Our little corner, pre-party... before it was bombarded with delicious finger foods!

There were cute decorations, amazing homemade delicacies, temporary finger mustache tattoos (yes, we are almost 30) and fun party accessories. I spent half the night assuring people that I wasn’t in fact celebrating my Bachelorette weekend WITH the groom in tow, as suggested by my pink princess crown.

No party is complete without a fashionable mustache.

We were so blessed to be surrounded by all our favorite people who made us feel truly loved and celebrated! If these are the folks coming to our wedding, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be amazing!

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped organize this unforgettable night!

Oh, and… P.S. You know you’ve had a successful night when you end up busting a move latenight to the sweet grooves of the 90’s with a glow stick in one hand and a cocktail in the other!

Me and Party Host #1 - Andrea Ryan...

...and Party Host #2/Chef-Extraordinaire - Sarah Kagan

Two lovely bridesmaids-to-be.

This man contributed watermelon soaked in cheap vodka. It's safe to say we've all given up vodka... AND watermelon. Thanks, Ty!

Recovering on the rooftop Sunday morning with my bestie.

Then back at it Sunday night at Mercury Lounge to see our friend Cory Sterling's band Blank Paper! Yes, I'll be asking for a "keytar" for my birthday. How awesome is that?!?

This week, I have some amazing posts for you starting with a rockin’ recipe for Vegan Pad Thai tomorrow! In the meantime, check out Sarah’s post yesterday on Beyond The Batter, featuring her amazing baked falafel from the party! It was muy delicioso and I'm pretty sure she deserves a few more site visits today after slaving away in her kitchen making falafel for me on the hottest day of the year so far!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Snack Attack: Chickpea Dip with Flax Seed Crackers!

When I walked into Freshmade NYC on Wednesday night to teach my workshop, I was greeted by about 20 preschoolers. No, they weren't there to learn about eating for energy (they had plenty of that, I can assure you); instead, they were there to P-A-R-T-Y! They were lucky enough to be invited to a cowgirl-themed birthday party, and they were jumping, climbing, giggling and racing around the room like a bunch of monkeys!

Oh to have that kind of energy! What I would give!

Making some chia seed pudding at the workshop.

Let's face it. As you get older, energy can seem very elusive, a bit like Carmen Sandiego (hello, flashback!). You have responsibilities - a grown-up job, people who need your love and attention, a house that needs cleaning, groceries that don't buy themselves, a cat-dog that just wants to play when you get home from work (oh wait... is that just me?)! It's enough to leave anyone feeling energy-depleted by the end of the day.

So what can you do about it? 

It's simple... eat up! Concentrate on foods that stabilize your blood sugar and pump you full of nutrients! That, my friends, is the best way to feel like a preschooler in a room full of cake, presents and all your best buds!

So in honor of the weekend, I'm bringing back a Snack Attack post! This Chickpea Dip with Flax Crackers is just the snack to fulfill all your salty, crunchy, savory snack fantasies while also keeping your munchies nutritious!

Let's start with the Chickpea Dip, a recipe borrowed from 'ole Susie Homemaker herself, Martha Stewart, and her friends over at Whole Living. It's basically a simplified hummus recipe that won't keep you in the kitchen all day...

All you need is 1/2 cup organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans),  2-3 Tbs. of olive oil, salt, pepper and a handful of cilantro.

Wash the chickpeas in a strainer to get any 'gunk' off.

In a blender, combine chickpeas with 2-3 Tbs. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste (more salt than pepper) until you reach the consistency you want!

Add a handful of cilantro to the blender mixture and pulse OR stir in the cilantro by hand.

And there you have it! Chickpea dip with a few sprigs of cilantro to garnish.

And now for the Flax Crackers (a snack even preschoolers could make... seriously, your kids will have a blast!). I found it on the blog {Never} Homemaker and it was so much fun to make that I just have to share it with you...

Measure out 1 cup of flax seeds and combine them in a bowl with 1 cup of water. Allow to sit out on the countertop for 1.5 hours (just set an alarm and forget about them!). You can buy flax seeds in the bulk section at Whole Foods or any health food store.

When your alarm goes off, the flax seeds will have morphed into a slimy thick substance (this is the part kids will love!). Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then add 1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce and mix well.

Now add 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder or curry seasoning...

... and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder. Then salt and pepper to taste.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Even if you're lucky enough to have non-stick parchment paper on hand, you should lightly spray the paper with a cooking spray like Pam. Now pour the mixture onto the pan...

...and spread it out into a large rectangle, making it about 1/8 inch thick. The thinner you can get it without making any gaping holes, the more crunchy and delicious they will be! Pop in the oven for 45 minutes.

When your alarm goes off, flip the cracker and put it back in the oven for another 40 minutes, until crispy but not burnt. Crispy is much better than chewy on these babies.

Allow to cool, then cut into squares (or 'try' to cut into squares...haha).

Look at those delicious crackers! I prefer them slightly warm, but they will keep for a few days in a Ziploc bag!

So now that you're all hopped up on snacks, let's talk nutrition!

CHICKPEAS - One cup of chickpeas meets almost 1/3 of your daily protein requirement AND studies have suggested that the fiber in chickpeas is more effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides than other types of fiber. Hooray!

CILANTRO - This leafy green is packed with phytochemicals, plant-based nutrients that help the body fight disease and slow the process of aging.

FLAX SEEDS - These little nuggets provide you with omega-3 fatty acids, which your body can't make on its own. You need omega-3's for normal body functions like blood clotting, building and repairing your cell membraines and protecting you from heart disease (and possibly cancer!). Whole flax seeds are ineffective in supplying you with nutrients because they pass straight through your digestive track and come out in tact on the other end (gross!), but because you bake these and then grind them up as you chew, you'll be just fine! Remember to chew them well for maximum benefits!

I don't know what you're doing this weekend, but I'll be sitting under the sunny summer sky munching down on some flax crackers! TGIF!

Oh...and P.S... my workshop was a huge success! Thanks to all the ladies who came out to support me and learn how to 'up' their energy game! I've included some pics to show off my lovely new apron, compliments of my friend Sarah Kagan over at Beyond the Batter! And big thanks to Arionna Shannon-DiPietro from Harlem Food Local for simultaneously taking photos while tweeting live! Ladies and gentlemen, how does she do it?

Working hard on some flax crackers.

A light summertime lunch - vegetable lettuce wraps with avocado dressing!

Working on our chopping skills!

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next week as be dive into a series on GMO's with my friend Shanna Wahlquist!