Honey Chicken Kabobs

Adapted from Allrecipes

I really just love kabobs.  It is a great way to incorporate vegetables into your meal. Plus, it just tastes like summer to me....even in the Fall.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 yellow squash, sliced

Directions:

• In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce and pepper.  Before adding the chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking.  Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer, the better).
• Preheat the grill for high heat.
• Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables and discard marinade.  Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.
• Lightly oil the grill grate.  Place the skewers on the grill.  Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear.  Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.  Serve with rice.

Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes & Mushrooms

Adapted from Allrecipes

Another great fall recipe!  Sweet potatoes are another fall vegetable that I love!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped, toasted pecans

Directions:

• Stir the quinoa in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to take on a toasty aroma, about 5 minutes.  Pour in the water, and add a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken to the pan.  Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and cayenne pepper; season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the sweet potato is soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour a splash of water into the skillet if needed to keep the vegetables from burning.  Spoon the vegetable mixture over a bed of quinoa, and sprinkle with  chopped pecans to serve.

Monster Munch

Adapted from Our Best Bites

A fantastic sweet treat just in time for Halloween!

Ingredients:
11 oz white chocolate chips
2 bags of microwave popcorn, popped (approximately 16-20 C popped popcorn)
1 C candy corn
1 C Reeces Pieces

Directions:
Pop popcorn and place in a large bowl. The largest you have.  Pour peanuts, candy corn, and reeces pieces on top.

Break up almond bark. Melt according to package directions. Pour over popcorn mixture. Stir until everything is well coated and then spread out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Let sit until completely dry and then break up into clumps.

Moroccan Style Acorn Squash

Adapted from Allrecipes

I LOVE squash!  This unusual combination of  ingredients turned out delicious and was a great vegetarian dish!

Honey Mustard Stuffed Chicken

Adapted from Allrecipes

My husband LOVED this dish.  And it was extremely easy.  The honey mustard sauce goes well with veggies; I served with broccoli, mushrooms and mashed sweet potatoes.  

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 slices deli ham
• ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ¾ cup honey
• ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
• ¼ cup yellow mustard

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Lay a chicken breast out on a work surface.  Pound with a meat tenderizer to ¼-inch thickness.  Place a slice of ham and about 2 ½ Tbs of shredded Mozzarella cheese onto one side of the chicken breast.  Roll and secure with a toothpick.  Place into baking dish.
• In a bowl, mix the honey, spicy brown mustard, and yellow mustard together; pour the mustard mixture over the chicken breasts.  Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes.  

Oriental Bok Choy Salad

Adapted from my friend, Lynell

We received bok choy for our farmers market co-op a few weeks ago.  I had never cooked with bok choy before, but my friend suggested this recipe.  I am so glad I followed her suggestion!  It is definitely not a healthy salad but it is delicious!

Ingredients:

Oriental Bok Choy Salad 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 bottle (1 oz.) sesame seeds
• 2 pkgs. Ramen noodles (broken up), do not use flavor packet
• 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 1 head  bok choy lettuce
• 2-3 green onions

Dressing 

• 3/4 cup veg. oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions: 

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sesame seeds, noodles, almonds, and sugar. Stir all the time until lightly browned. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Toss bok choy and onions together. Mix and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, break up the crunchy mixture. Add to bok choy and pour dressing over. Mix and serve.
• For the Dressing:  Mix all ingredients well and chill until ready to use.

Veggie Lasagna with Butternut Squash

Adapted from Allrecipes

I am so excited that Fall is here because that means it is time to eat squash!  Squash of all kinds (butternut, spaghetti, zucchini, yellow and acorn) are my favorite...well, that and broccoli at the moment.  I kind of go through veggie phases, but squash is a consistent one.  This is a yummy lasagna that highlights butternut squash.

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans of favorite Ragu sauce
• 3.5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2 zucchini, peeled and sliced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 oz) package fresh or frozen spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze to remove excess water)
• 1 (15 oz) container fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (6 oz) package shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 9 lasagna noodles

 Directions:

• Place the butternut squash in a large, microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cook in microwave on High until tender, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook your lasagna noodles in boiling water until al dente.  Remove from boiling water and set aside.
• Stir the ricotta cheese, egg, 2 Tbs, parsley, ¼ tsp black pepper and about 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese together in a bowl.  Set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pour 1 ½ cups of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.  Arrange 3 of the lasagna noodles in a layer over the sauce.  Spread 1 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle about half of the butternut squash over the ricotta cheese nixture.  Layer about half of the wilted spinach over the butternut squash.  Layer about half the zucchini slices over the spinach layer.  Layer the mushroom pieces over the zucchini layer.  Repeat the layering.  Top with the 3 remaining lasagna noodles.  Finish by topping with any remaining sauce mixture.  Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil and the remaining Mozzarella over the top of the lasagna.  Return to oven and bake uncovered until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes more.  Remove and allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before cutting to serve.