Burrito Butternut Squash Boats

Burrito Butternut Squash Boats
by LAUREN MIYASHIRO
SEP 7, 2018
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a22876822/burrito-butternut-squash-boats-recipe/

INGREDIENTS
2 small butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 can sweet corn, (about 1 1/2 cups), drained
1 (15.5-oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey jack
1/2 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
Freshly chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°. On two large rimmed baking sheets, drizzle squash halves all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until almost tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then scoop out squash, leaving a 1/2" border around edges and saving the insides for filling.

2. Reduce oven heat to 350°. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Cook to an internal temperature of 145°. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder and cook until no longer pink, or about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in corn, black beans, enchilada sauce, and reserved butternut squash. Cook until sauce is mixed well and warmed through. Add freshly chopped cilantro to taste.

4. Fill butternut squash boats with beef mixture and top with cherry tomatoes and cheese. Bake until cheese is melty, about 2 minutes.

5. Garnish with cilantro before serving, if you wish.

(Recipe adapted from: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a22876822/burrito-butternut-squash-boats-recipe/)

Roasted Eggplant pasta sauce

From: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018275-roasted-eggplant-and-tomato-pasta

The original recipe is so fancy and nuanced, but you know, it's also super delicious to just chop eggplant into big chunks, roast it, and add to a $1 jar of your favorite marinara. This is what I learned and I will do it again and again. Roast eggplant gets all carmelized and I could hardly stop eating it off the pan. My extravagantly lazy version is here, then the original NYT one is below it.

Ingredients
- 1 big eggplant, cut into one inch cubes, slightly bigger than bite sized pieces, it will shrink a bit
- 2 bell peppers, red orange or yellow, deseeded and cut into 5 or 6 large pieces
- Olive oil, at least 2 tablespoons
- Salt, preferably coarse kosher salt
- 1 jar marinara
- 1/2 a pack of linguini

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425

Put tin foil on a shallow roasting pan, spray with cooking spray. You may need 2 depending on the size of your veggies, do not overcrowd them.

Put the chopped eggplant into a big bowl and pour olive oil over it. Mix and repeat until it's well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt and mix again, then spread on the baking sheet. Repeat with bell peppers.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then take out and give the veggies a shuffle, turn over most pieces to brown more evenly. Return to the oven and bake another 20 minutes. They should be browned and soft and taste delicious. The eggplant gets very soft and kind of falls apart so don't mess with it too much. Big chunks are good and flavorful.

While veggies are baking boil the linguini in salted water according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Drain well and leave in the strainer.

Warm the marinara in the pot from boiling the linguini, and add the roasted veggies once they're done. Mix just a touch and get everything to a good temperature. Serve a big handful of the pasta in a bowl with a big scoop of the sauce.

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INGREDIENTS
1 ¾  pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 to 2  banana or Italian frying peppers, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
4  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
 Kosher salt
12  ounces pasta, such as campanelle or farfalle
2  pounds very ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved through their equators
1 to 2  fat garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
 Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2  tablespoons brine-packed capers, drained
2  tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
 Grated ricotta salata or Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
 Fresh mint or basil leaves, for serving

PREPARATION
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread out eggplant cubes and peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil and season well with salt. Roast, turning everything, until eggplant and peppers are very soft and deeply golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain.
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate tomatoes over a large skillet so the pulp falls into the skillet. To do this, hold on to the curved side of the tomato in your hand and slide the cut, flat side across the holes. Stop grating just before you reach the skin.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomato pulp is reduced by half, then season to taste with salt.
Add the pasta, capers and butter, if using, to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, tossing until butter melts and pasta finishes cooking, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and toss in eggplant and cheese, if using.
Serve pasta drizzled with a little more oil and the herbs.

Dr. Sarah’s Garlic Chicken with green beans and mushrooms

Sarah brought this over for us after baby Wren was born and it was sooo dang good!! Had to get the recipe. Turns out this recipe bears little resemblance LOL!! She made it with only mishrooms and green beans, none of these other random veggies. It came out saucy and delicious and went perfectly with plain white rice. It’s so easy and good!!! We make this one on a regular basis now. Prepping the mushrooms is the most time consuming part, but it’s so worth it because they come out delicious.

Notes from Sarah are below.

https://www.eazypeazymealz.com/sheet-pan-garlic-chicken-veggies/

Ingredients

1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless skinless, cut into strips
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)
About 1 pound/3 cups fresh green beans
8-16 ounces of white mushrooms, cut in half
3 Tbsp minced garlic (from a jar)
1- 1 ounce package beefy onion soup mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl, mix together salt, onion powder, and black pepper
In a large bowl, add chicken, 1/4 cup olive oil, and seasoning mixture from above. Stir to coat well. Put in refrigerator for 15 minutes to let marinate
In a large bowl add green beans and mushrooms, 1/4 cup olive oil, minced garlic, and onion soup mix packet. Stir well to coat evenly
Dump veggies on baking sheet, and spread out to form one layer.
Place chicken on top.
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (cooking time will depend on how thick you cut your chicken).
Optional: Broil sheet pan with chicken and veggies on high for 2-3 minutes to brown and crisp up the edges a bit. Watch closely.
Enjoy!

Notes from the blog

Note 1: Feel free to reduce oil to lighten this up. You just want to make sure things are coated enough that the seasonings stick. If you reduce the oil too much, spray the pan with cooking spray so the food does not stick to the bottom while baking. Note 2: Broil the pan at the end of baking time to get a few caramelized edges and brown up the exterior of the chicken. This can add flavor, but is not necessary!

Notes from Sarah

Anyway, I tried it initially with a lot of the recommended veggies but in my opinion the zucchini, squash, all those veggies that have a lot of water in them get pretty soggy. I liked the asparagus ok but I prefer to eat it a little firmer. I think brussel sprouts would be good but Michael isn't really a fan. Sweet potatoes might be really good too. Sliced mushrooms shrink up quite a bit so my faves so far are to get whole mushrooms and chop them in half, small yellow or red potatoes hold up well, and fresh green beans taste awesome. So that's my trifecta with my picky husband and bonus kid. 

Also, I get the golden onion soup mix, or I've tried maybe beefy onion or one with mushrooms in it, but the regular onion makes me think of onion dip and that weird ranchy flavor so I avoid it. Maybe it's all in my head. 

I also don't use as much oil as they say to. I did the first time and it just felt like too much but you do you. Thighs and breasts are good. It's a quick prep meal and easy to clean up. 

Coconut healthy fat balls

A tasty dessert and a way to up my fat intake while breastfeeding. These aren’t amazing but they’re good enough for what I wanted. Basically homemade nut butter with coconut and chocolate. It’s kind of too many flavors for me, I’ll leave out the sunflower seeds next time and add some cardamom. I left out the cinnamon so maybe that would have been helpful afterall.

http://www.leefromamerica.com/blog/2017/3/14/coconut-fat-balls

Notes on things I made recently- pork tenderloin, eggplant pasta, mini quiches, strawberry tart

https://aseasyasapplepie.com/strawberry-tart-with-pastry-cream/ I’d like to make this but maybe never will!! LOL

https://sweetcsdesigns.com/best-baked-garlic-pork-tenderloin/  - this was decent, flavorful, moost, done in the oven which helped with time management

https://www.galonamission.com/paleo-breakfast-muffins-whole-30-approved/ made this for a coworkers graduation celebration and yummmm!! Love that veggie protein combo. Sausage kale and red bell pepper is my favorite

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018275-roasted-eggplant-and-tomato-pasta  Basically all I took from this was roast some big chunks of eggplant and add it to cheap marinara sauce. Delicious way to make vegetarian pasta that’s more hearty. I’m doing this again for sure

Taco meatloaf (GF)

This turned out a bit salty but good! Ingredients I used are first then original recipe below. I mixed the cheese in before baking but that was a mistake, it just seeped out. I'd like to try making the 2 lbs recipe next time and freezing half. I've read that meatloaf does well in a freezer to slow cooker situation, so I wanna give that a try some time.

Update: it does do well going from freezer to slow cooker. I just pop it in and cook on low all day, 8-9 hours. It doesn’t look great but the flavor and texture are good enough! Anything these kids will eat goes to the top of the list.

Second update: I did this recipe in a muffin tin today and it was easier because it didn’t take so long to bake. 25 minutes at 350 was a good amount of cooking. I forgot to add salt when substituting for the taco seasoning so it came out a little bland, but dipping it in salsa/sour cream takes care of that!

Ingredients
1 egg
3 Tbsp (ish) plain yogurt or sour cream
3 Tbsp (ish) salsa from a jar
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c crushed tortilla chips
1 lb ground beef (80/20)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything but the cheese together in a bowl, then mold into a loaf. Bake for 55 minutes or until done. Top with cheese and warm until melted.

Alternatively, form into patties and grill or sauté 5 minutes a side on medium high heat as if they were burgers.

Or form into a loaf and freeze on a baking dish, then put it in a large ziploc for storage up to three months. To cook from frozen pop in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

From: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/taco-meatloaf.html

Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c salsa
3 Tbsp taco seasoning (store bought) or 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 Tbsp chili powder & 1 tsp salt
1 c crushed tortilla chips
2 lb ground beef or 1 lb beef 1 lb pork

Chicken crockpot casseroles

Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Servings: 4 -6

Made this one and Anna liked it but me and Leo were kinda eh about it. Came out a bit salty so my modifications are below. It's very moist and mushy, I may like this recipe better in the oven.

Author: Cris at https://www.recipesthatcrock.com/crock-pot-chicken-stuffing-casserole-2/

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 
• 1 tsp sage
• 10.75 oz Can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 6 oz Box Stuffing
• 2 Cups water or watered down broth

Instructions

1. In a bowl mix stuffing and broth together and set aside.
2. Place chicken pieces in the bottom of your 6 qt slow cooker
3. Sprinkle seasoning over tenderloins.
4. Pour soup over chicken and spread evenly.
5. Once stuffing has absorbed all of the chicken broth pour evenly on top.
6. Cover with lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours

   
   

   
   

   Crockpot chicken with noodles (with ny modifications, original link below)

   Ingredients

   • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins
   • 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup (don't add water)
   • 1 10.5oz can cream of celery soup (no water added yet)
   • Sprinkle dried parsley
   • Sprinkle powdered sage
   • Sprinkle garlic powder
   • 1 Tbsp butter, very approximately 
   • 2 tsp chicken bouillon 
   • 3 1/2 cups water
   • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley 
   • 1 stalk celery, diced
   • 12 baby carrots, sliced
   • 8 oz. egg noodles, uncooked
   • More chopped parsley for finishing, if you like

   Instructions

   1. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot, then top with the soups (no water added) and sprinkle with the spices and bouillon. Add butter to the top, and pour in the water. Add fresh veggies and parsley.
   2. Cook over low heat for 5-6 hours, (or high heat for 3-4 hours). Remove the chicken from the pot and shred into large chunks with two forks.
   3. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the dry egg noodles and stir. Continue cooking for 30-45 minutes, until noodles are tender. Enjoy!
      
      
      https://belleofthekitchen.com/2017/03/09/crockpot-chicken-noodles/
   
   
   
   

Kates Apple Cake

Maybe I’ll have time to make this cake when I’m retired?? Sounds amazing. Definitely need a mixer though. Some day.

http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/kates-sticky-toffee-apple-caramel-cake/

For the sponge layers:

125g medjool dates, stoned and finely chopped

5 tablespoons cloudy apple juice (i.e. not from concentrate)

325g unsalted butter, softened

250g light brown muscovado sugar

5 medium eggs, at room temperature, beaten

300g self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground mixed spice

60g dried apple rings or slices, finely chopped

For the caramel buttercream:

175g golden caster sugar

3 tablespoons water

175g double cream

175g unsalted butter, softened

100g icing sugar, sifted

125g full-fat cream cheese

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, or to taste

For the toffee apples:

2 medium Bramley apples

175g golden caster sugar

3 tablespoons water

You will also need: 

3 x 20.5cm round, deep sandwich tins, greased with butter and base-lined with baking paper

Electric hand-held whisk/stand mixer

Heatproof pastry brush

Melon ball cutter (optional)

Wire hand whisk

Baking sheet lined with baking paper

1. Start by making the date puree as it has to cool: put the dates and apple juice into a small pan and cook gently over a low heat (stirring frequently) for about 10 minutes, until thick and soft. Remove the pan from the heat and mash the contents with a potato masher or wooden spoon to make a coarse, thick puree. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
3. Put the butter into a large bowl, or the bowl of a mixer, and beat for a couple of minutes until very light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and beat thoroughly for about 5 minutes (scraping down the sides of the bowl again from time to time) until the mixture has a light and fluffy texture.
4. Gradually pour in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and ground mixed spice into the bowl and carefully fold in using a large metal spoon or plastic spatula. Add the cooled date mixture and the chopped dried apples and fold in until thoroughly combined. The mixture should drop easily from a tapped spoon/spatula – if it seems a bit stiff, stir in an extra tablespoon or so of apple juice.
5. Divide the mixture equally between the 3 prepared tins and spread evenly with an offset palette knife or the back of a spoon. Bake the sponges for about 20-22 minutes until well risen, golden brown and springy when lightly pressed in the centre with a finger. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges, then set the tins on a wire rack to cool and firm up for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto the rack. Leave to cool completely.
6. To make the caramel buttercream, start by making the caramel sauce base: put the sugar and water into a heavy-based medium-sized pan (not non-stick as you need to be able to see the colour of the caramel) and set over a low heat to melt very gently. Stir occasionally, and keep a bowl of water and heatproof pastry brush handy so you can brush down the sides of the pan with water to dislodge any stuck-on sugar crystals. Meanwhile, heat the cream until almost (but not quite) boiling and set aside until needed.
7. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, turn up the heat and boil rapidly without stirring until the syrup turns a rich caramel brown. Remove the pan from the heat, cover your hand with an oven glove (the mixture will splutter, foam up and burn if it touches your skin) and slowly pour in the warmed cream. Return the pan to a low heat and whisk with a wire hand whisk for about a minute, until very smooth and thick. Pour into a heatproof bowl, leave to cool, then cover and chill for about 1 hour until firm.
8. Put the butter into a large bowl or the bowl of mixer and beat for a couple of minutes until very light. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix (starting on a slow speed to avoid a mess) for about 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the cream cheese followed by the cold caramel sauce and vanilla extract. When thoroughly combined, cover and (if necessary) chill until firm enough to spread easily.
9. For the caramelised or toffee apples: peel the apples, leaving them whole. If you have a melon ball cutter cut out balls of apple, avoiding the core. Otherwise dice or cut the apple into 1cm chunks. Pat dry and leave on kitchen paper towels while you make the caramel.
10. As before, put the sugar and water into a medium pan, dissolve gently then boil until you have a rich caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and add the apple pieces to the pan (be careful as they will splutter). Stir gently with a metal spoon and leave for about 3 minutes until the caramel has thickened slightly to coat the apples (because they are damp, the caramel tends to slide around). Using a fork, carefully remove the apples from the caramel and leave on the lined baking sheet to firm up – they will not set but will be very sticky.
11. To assemble the cake: set one sponge top-side down on a serving plate. Divide the buttercream in half and set aside one portion for topping and decorating the cake. Spread the sponge with half the remaining buttercream. Divide the sticky toffee apples into 3 portions (keeping the best-looking for the top). Scatter one portion over the buttercream, then top with another sponge, pressing it lightly in place. Spread with the remaining buttercream and scatter over another portion of toffee apples. Cover with the third sponge, top-side up, and gently press the whole cake so it is firm and level.
12. To finish: spread a thin layer of buttercream around the sides to give a neat ‘naked cake’ appearance, then spread the remaining buttercream on the top, swirling it attractively. Finally, decorate with the remaining sticky toffee apples. Leave to firm up overnight in a cool spot (not the fridge) before slicing.

Toddler friendly pasta

https://ohsheglows.com/2017/02/23/adrianas-fave-10-minute-pasta-toddler-friendly/

Easiest recipe ever, and our toddler totally went for it with some frozen peas mixed in!!

Ingredients
1 box (340 g/12 ounces) rotini or fusilli pasta*
2 cups (500 mL) marinara sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup (80 mL to 125 mL) hummus

Optional add-ins:
1/4 cup (35 g) hemp hearts
Fine sea salt, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Frozen peas or other veggies
Cooked lentils or beans
Fresh spinach or basil, minced in food processor
Puréed cooked carrots or cauliflower

Directions:
Add water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. While you are waiting for it to boil, gather the rest of the ingredients.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta, and stir with a wooden spoon.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stirring every now and then to prevent the pasta sticking.
Drain the cooked pasta well and place it back into the pot.
Stir in the marinara, hummus, and whatever else until combined. Taste and add a bit of salt or other mix-ins if desired.
Heat over low until warmed throughout. If serving this pasta to a little one, spread a scoop of pasta out on a plate to gently cool it before serving.

Cauliflower parsnip puree with cream cheese

It's all about the richness from the butter and cream cheese, this came out much better than expected. I used whipped cream cheese because it's easier to work with. Having made this several times now, I’ve stopped measuring and just go by taste.

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower , cut into florets
1-2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2” slices
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps butter
3 oz cream cheese

Instructions

Steam cauliflower and parsnips until soft, about ten minutes. Save the water to add to purée. 

Transfer vegetables to a blender and add salt, pepper, butter and cream cheese. Pour in about a half cup of reserved water from steaming veggies. Blend until smooth. 

Taste and season with more butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper if needed. If the purée is too thick add more of the hot water.

From: https://cookinglsl.com/easy-roasted-pork-tenderloin/

Easy fruit cobbler

Adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12148/easy-fruit-cobbler/

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar (I did half white half brown)
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 can apple pie filling OR 2 cups sliced fresh peaches OR 2 cups frozen fruit of your choice
Optional - shake or two of cinnamon and cardamom to go with the apple pie filling

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt butter by placing it in the oven in a in a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
Blend together flour, baking powder, sugar, and milk.
Pour batter in baking dish over the butter. Sprinkle fruit on top of the batter, do not stir.
Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Saag paneer in the crockpot

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bags frozen spinach (baby leaves = sweeter taste; adult leaves = earthier taste)
• 1 14 ounce block extra firm tofu
• 14 ounce can coconut milk
• 1.5 cups tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed

PREPARATION

1. 1. Chop the onion, garlic, and ginger.
   2. Cube the paneer (or halloumi/tofu).
   3. Optional: place all of the ingredients except the paneer (or halloumi/tofu) in a blender or food processor set to "chop", and blend until you achieve the desired texture. If not everything fits, divide the ingredients across multiple batches and then stir the batches together in the slow cooker. Blending is extra helpful if using fresh spinach. 
   4. I simply put all ingredients except the tofu into the slow cooker, and set it on high a few minutes to thaw the spinach. Next time I may microwave it to defrost faster. I added 4oz water because it was not quite the texture I wanted, then added the tofu and mixed well. 
   5. Set the slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
   6. (If cooking with paneer or halloumi, add it to the slow cooker after the other ingredients have cooked for 3 hours so that the cheese only cooks for 1 hour with the other ingredients.)
   7. Serve with naan, rice, or your preferred carbohydrate.
   8. Adapted from:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/slow-cooker-saag-paneer-56d3207915dc71625d4da1b1

Tuscan Pasta

Yummy vegetarian pasta dish thats easy to break into ateps for spread out prep. I had to buy the herbes de Provence but it was worth it.
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/tuscan-vegetarian-pasta-392763?ref=amp&ftab=reviews

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces mushrooms
1 lb broccoli cut into florets
2 red bell peppers, julienned
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup tomato sauce or marinara sauce
2⁄3 lb pasta (fettuccine or penne works well)
1⁄3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons herbes de provence (approximately)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
Mix mushrooms, broccoli, pepper, and onion.
Spread on two baking sheets.
Drizzle 1 T. olive oil and sprinkle liberally with seasonings. Mix around until well coated.
Bake vegetables at 450 for ten minutes.
Boil pasta until "al dente".
Mix with mozzarella, vegetables, and sauce and transfer to casserole.
Drizzle remaining olive oil on top and coat top with Parmesan.
Bake at 450 for approximately 20 minutes

Kale salad with white beans

https://minimalistbaker.com/white-bean-kale-salad-with-tahini-dressing/

I didn’t make the croutons or the dressing from scratch, and adjusted some amounts. What I did is below but you can click for the original recipe. 

Ingredients:

BEANS

• 1 15-ounce can white or butter beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (1/2 lemon yields ~1 Tbsp or 15 ml)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 generous sprinkle salt
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

SALAD

• 6 ounces kale (chopped // large stems removed)
• 1 lemon, juiced (1 lemon yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 drizzle syrup
• 1 sprinkle each salt + black pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Directions:

1. Add drained beans to a bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine. Set aside.
2. Add kale to a large mixing bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, syrup, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Use your hands to massage the kale and break down its texture a bit, and to season the salad. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let it settle together. Serve with goddess tahini dressing and the beans mixed in.

Roast yams with honey and chickpeas

https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/02/roasted-yams-and-chickpeas-with-yogurt/

Roasted Yams and Chickpeas with Yogurt
Adapted from Gjelina

You’re going to end up with more yogurt and more chickpeas than you probably need — or fewer potatoes. It’s all a matter of perspective, really.

Serves 2, hungrily, 4, humbly

3 large yams or orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, cut into 4 lengthwise wedges, or 8, if your yams are very thick
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (I used 1; 2 are called for)
1 tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes (Espelette are called for; I used mild Aleppo)
1 3/4 cups (1 15-ounce can) chickpeas, drained and patted dry on towels
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from approximately 2 limes
2 scallions, both green and white parts, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with foil, for minimal mess. Coat one, the one you’ll use for the yams, with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Toss yams with honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper flakes. Let sit in bowl for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika and salt, to taste.

Spread yams out on olive oil-ed baking sheet in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until nicely toasted underneath. Flip/move wedges around and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes, until soft and singed. For extra color, run them under the broiler for a final minute.

Meanwhile, spread chickpeas on second uncoated baking sheet. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, rolling around once or twice so that they cook evenly, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside. Set aside.

Whisk yogurt, remaining tablespoon olive oil and lime juice together in a small dish, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange yams on plate or platter, drizzle some of the yogurt over, then about half the chickpeas. Garnish with scallions and remaining pepper flakes, plus flaky sea salt, if you have any. Keep extra chickpeas and yogurt on the side. Dig in.

Lemon pepper chicken orzo

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/08/lemon-pepper-chicken-with-orzo/

This is tasty and doesn't take as long as you might think. I stuck the thighs in the oven this time instead of including them in the skillet while the orzo cooks, mainly because I hate feeling uncertain about whether or not chicken is cooked through. 10 minutes on the stovetop plus 35 minutes in a hot oven was enough to have them no longer pink with juices running clear. Get the thighs in the oven ASAP before prepping other things, and it should end up ready around the same time. We did a salad on the side and that was that! Yum!! This makes a lot more pasta than we usually eat so I may do 5 or 6 thighs next time for additional full servings.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin optional (I take it off)
3ish tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 Tbsp cooking oil - I used vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 bunch parsley (optional, looks nice)
1.5 cups orzo pasta
(Optional, I did not use - 2 oz feta, crumbled)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 convection or 425 regular.

Remove skin from the chicken thighs, dry with a paper towel, then season both sides liberally with lemon pepper seasoning.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium flame. Add 1-2 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot (it should be shimmering not smoking), add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Allow the thighs to cook 5 minutes, until browned, then flip and brown 5 minutes on the second side. Remove to a baking dish and pop in the oven for 35 minutes.

While the thighs are baking, mince the cloves of garlic and roughly chop 1/4 bunch of parsley.

After removing the chicken from the skillet, pour off any excess fat and turn the heat down to low. Add the garlic and sauté for about one minute, until fragrant but not browned or burned. Add the chicken broth and stir to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Add about half of the chopped parsley, one additional teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning, and the orzo to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Cover the skillet and turn the heat up to high. Allow the broth to come to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer on low for 10-12 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. (If the broth stops simmering, increase the heat slightly to keep it simmering.) Stir several times to prevent the orzo from sticking, especially towards the end when the liquid has reduced.

After 12 minutes, the orzo should be tender and most of the broth absorbed. If there is still too much liquid, allow it to simmer without the lid for a few minutes. It's okay if the orzo is slightly saucy.

Sprinkle the remaining parsley over top along with the crumbled feta, if you really like parsley and feta. I skip this last part and it's still plenty flavorful!

Chicken pot pie

I tried to make this slightly easier and a less massive amount, so the recipe below includes a few modifications. It was still a big pain, but came out tasty. I’m probably gonna save this for special requests because its so much effort. Next time I will bake the pastry on the side cut into squares, it was too much of a pain to try and get it to fit perfectly on top of the dutch oven.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/recipe/chicken-potpie.html

For the filling:

• 1 stick butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp. Dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into slices   1/8 inch thick
• 3 oz. white button mushrooms, cut into   1/4-inch dice
• 2 small red-skinned potatoes, cut into   1/2-inch dice
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 sheet frozen puff pastry for topping, thawed 

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

To make the filling, in a dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaf, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. 

Brush the rim of the pot with water. Lay the pastry round over the top and press the edges to seal. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Chipotle sweet potato burgers

Haven’t tried this yet but i want to

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/05/chipotle-sweet-potato-burgers/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sweet potato (1 lb.)$1.00
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels $0.31
• 15oz. can black beans$1.19
• 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce $0.33
• 1/2 cup cornmeal, divided $0.12
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder$0.02
• 1/2 tsp cumin $0.03
• 1/2 tsp salt $0.03
• 1/4 bunch cilantro (optional) $0.19
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (for frying) $0.02
• 4 wheat rolls $1.42
• 1 avocado $1.19
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (optional) $0.45

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash the sweet potato well and then poke it several times with a fork so that steam can escape while it cooks.
2. To cook it in the microwave: wrap it loosely with a paper towel, set it on a microwave safe plate, and microwave on high for five minutes. Carefully squeeze the potato to make sure it is soft all the way through. If it is not, microwave longer, in one minute increments, until it is soft all the way through (mine took 8 minutes).
3. Took cook it in the oven: heat the oven to 400 degrees and then bake the potato for 45-60 minutes, or until it is soft all the way through (either directly on the oven rack or on a baking sheet).
4. While the sweet potato is cooling, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Place the frozen corn in a large bowl. Drain and rinse the black beans. Allow as much excess water to drain away as possible, and then add them to the bowl with the corn. Roughly chop the cilantro leaves and then add them to the bowl, along with half of the cornmeal (1/4 cup), garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Take one chipotle pepper out of the can, mince it, and then add it to the bowl along with about one teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can.
5. Once the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir everything together and then either use a potato masher or the back of a fork to slightly mash the beans. Cover and chill the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the cornmeal to absorb some of the moisture.
6. Divide the sweet potato mixture into four (or six) portions and shape each into a patty, approximately 3/4 inch thick. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of cornmeal to coat the outside of the patties. This will provide a nice crunch to the burger.
7. To cook the patties in a skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over a medium flame. When the oil is hot (it should look wavy on the surface), add two of the patties. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until the patties are golden brown. Add more oil and cook the remaining two patties. Remember to turn the patties carefully as they are quite soft and can fall apart.
8. To cook the patties in the oven, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and then coat lightly with non-stick spray. Place the patties on the foil and then spritz the top of the patties lightly with non-stick spray (this will help it crisp up). Bake for 25 minutes, or until the patties are heated through and the bottoms are golden brown.
9. Spread one tablespoon of mayonnaise on each bun and top with a chipotle sweet potato patty. Slice the avocado and place 1/4 of the slices on top of each burger. Top with extra cilantro leaves, if desired.