Apple Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

one way to introduce kids (and some adults)

to squash..stuffing it with yummy goodness!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium Acorn Squash cut
into halves with seeds removed
• 1lb. pork sausage or sweet Italian sausage
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples peeled,
cored & cut into small cubes
• ½ c. finely chopped mushrooms
• half a red onion finely chopped
• 2 c. rice (cooked & drained)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¾ c. shredded super sharp cheddar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350℉
1. place squash halves open side up on a
shallow baking pan, drizzle them with olive
oil and season with a pinch of salt & pepper
2. bake @350℉ for 35 minutes
3. while the squash is baking, thoroughly
cook the sausage in a pan, then remove
from the pan & set aside
4. add the mushrooms, onion, diced apples,
garlic powder, salt and pepper (to taste) into
the pan drippings and saute until tender
5. add the browned sausage crumbles back
into the pan along with the cooked rice and
cheddar cheese
6. after the squash has baked for 35 minutes,
remove from the oven and carefully stuff the
halves with your sausage filling then bake for
another 15-20 minutes

Baked Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Fries with Creamy Avocado Dip

i love sweet potatoes and avocados..so why not

find a way for the two to compliment each other?

INGREDIENTS:

-Potatoes
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• tbsp. chipotle powder
-Dip
• 1 avocado
• tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ¼ tsp. granulated garlic
• sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425℉
1. clean, cut & dry sweet potatoes
(with/without skin - optional)
2. place potato fries in a bowl, add olive oil,
seasonings and lime juice then mix well until
thoroughly coated
3. single layered on a lined cookie/baking sheet
and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the fries
over half way through the baking process
4. remove the shell & pit from the avocado,
slice & place the avocado in a small bowl,
add lime juice, garlic & sea salt to taste then
mash avocado to desired consistency, serve
with the fries & enjoy!

Fresh Salmon Burger

just because we've had some not so fantastic

experiences with store bought salmon burgers

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 lb. boneless/skinless salmon
• 4 slices whole grain bread or whichever preferred
• 1 large egg
• 3-4 stalks chopped green onion
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• tsp. garlic powder
• tbsp. onion flakes or ¼ medium onion chopped
• ½ tsp. cayenne
• ½ tsp. dill weed
•2 tbsp. parsley
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• olive oil for pan frying

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. tear slices of bread into pieces and pulse in a good processor until in crumbs then set aside in a large bowl
2. remove bones/skin from salmon (if necessary) then cut into pieces and pulse in a food processor (in 2 batches) until finely chopped but NOT paste-like in texture
3. add the salmon, chopped green onion, lemon juice, seasonings and egg to bread crumbs then mix thoroughly
4. heat a shallow layer of oil over medium heat in a large pan
5. divide salmon mixture into even proportions according to desired size and pan fry until thoroughly cooked & golden brown on each side
6. serve with/without a bun & favorite toppings

Spinach & Mozzarella Chicken Meatballs

quick, easy & never fails to hit the spot!

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 pound ground chicken
• ½ c. chopped fresh spinach
• ½ c. shredded mozzarella
• ¼ c. finely chopped red onion
• 3 large mushrooms (sliced)
• tsp. smoked paprika
• 1½ tbsp. mild sausage seasoning
(or 1 packet of sausage gravy)
• olive oil (to lightly coat bottom of pan)
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1 c. water
• 1 pound of egg noodles
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. granulated garlic
• tsp. black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. mix together ground chicken, spinach,
onion, mozzarella, paprika & sausage
seasoning then shape into meatballs
2. heat oil in a pan and add meatballs along
with the sliced mushrooms
3. after the meatballs are browned, add the
1 c. of water to loosen up all the goodness
in the bottom of the pan
4. add the cream of mushroom, simmer on low
5. boil/drain the egg noodles then add butter,
parsley, garlic, black pepper
6. toss the noodles into the pan with the meatballs

and sauce then serve

Buffalo Cauliflower

if you have a love for hot n spicy buffalo

wings..this is a healthy alternative...and

it actually tastes just like chicken..must

be the sauce!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head cauliflower
1 large egg
2 tbsp. water/buttermilk/milk
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ paprika
½ salt
½ black pepper
all-purpose flour
cooking spray
1 c. hot sauce
2 tbsp. melted butter
½ tsp. garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425℉
1. separate, cut off stems, wash & drain
cauliflower florets then place in a bowl
2. beat egg, mix with water, buttermilk or
milk then add to the florets
3. add in garlic powder, paprika, salt, and
black pepper to bowl and gently stir to coat
the cauliflower
4. put enough all-purpose flour in a separate
bowl to dip and coat the florets
5. single layer coated cauliflower on a
greased baking sheet then spray the tops
with additional cooking oil
6. bake at 425℉ for 20-25 min. until golden
brown
7. in a bowl, melt the butter then stir in the
garlic powder and hot sauce
8. once the florets are cooked, gently toss
them in the buffalo sauce & return to the
baking sheet to cook for another 10 min.
then serve with a preferred dipping sauce

Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas

wanted to do something different with a well

known finger food..with a little bit of inspiration

from Pinterest and putting my twist on it....

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 thinly sliced jalapeños
½ c. finely chopped spinach
½ c. diced tomato (no seeds or pulp)
¼ c. finely chopped/minced red onion
2 stalks chopped green onion
¼ tsp. granulated garlic
salt to taste
6-8 small flour tortillas
olive oil OR cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. in a bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapeños,
spinach, tomatoes, onion, garlic and salt
2. spread 2-3 tablespoons of the filling on half
of each tortilla then fold (if necessary, warm
the tortillas first to make them more pliable)
3. lightly grease a pan with either olive oil or
non-stick cooking spray on medium heat
4. arrange quesadillas single layered in the
pan to brown & crisp 1-2 min. on each side
5. allow quesadillas to cool a bit if cutting
them into halves before serving with desired
dipping sauce

Crispy Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders

my household rarely eats meat anymore..but when we do....soaking the

chicken in buttermilk just adds so much goodness to these tenders and

the lemon garlic butter sauce drizzled over them as soon as they come

out of the hot oil....oh my!

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 lbs. chicken breast tenderloins
• ¾ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¾ tsp. garlic powder
• ¾ tsp. onion powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 c. buttermilk
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• cooking oil
Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
• juice of 2 lemon
• 6 tbsp. melted butter
• tbsp. garlic powder
• tbsp. parsley
• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. clean and use paper towels to pat dry the
tenderloins then place them in a large bowl
2. mix the paprika, garlic/onion powder, salt,
black pepper and cayenne pepper then toss
with the tenderloins until evenly distributed
3. add 1 c. of the buttermilk to the seasoned
chicken, making sure that all the pieces are
completely coated (can also be refrigerated
until ready to cook)
4. while heating the oil for pan or deep frying,
add the flour to a shallow dish or bag & the
other cup of buttermilk into a bowl for dipping
5. take each chicken strip and lightly dredge
in the flour, then into the buttermilk, then into
the flour again
6. once the oil is ready, fry the tenders until
golden brown & thoroughly cooked
7. melt butter, then mix with the lemon juice,
garlic, parsley & salt
8. while still hot from the oil, toss the tenders
in the lemon garlic butter sauce