All tagged Squash

Cheesy Mexican Squash Casserole

Cheesy Mexican Squash Casserole

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Perfect for summer entertaining, Cheesy Mexican Squash Casserole serves 4-6 as a main course, or 8 as a side dish.  You can make this casserole in advance, then bake in oven right before serving.  The Cheesy Vegan Sauce is scrumptious, and your non-vegetarian friends will never know that there’s no cheese 😉

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

What (your ingredients):

Vegan Cheese Sauce:

1 yellow onion, quartered

10 mini sweet peppers

¼ cup raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon salt

Squash Casserole:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 large yellow squash, sliced into half-moons

2 cups sweet corn

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked brown rice

Parsley or cilantro for serving

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Make Vegan Cheesy Sauce by adding all ingredients to a high-speed blender.  Blend on high for 60 seconds until smooth.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes.  add garlic and a pinch of salt, sautéing for 30 seconds.

Add cumin and chili powder to the oil. Hint: This allows the spices to “bloom” and become fragrant.

Add sliced squash and sauté for 5 minutes.  add corn, black beans, pinto beans, stirring for 2 minutes until warmed through.

Add rice and Vegan Cheesy Sauce and stir to combine.

Pour casserole mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Garnish with snipped parsley or cilantro.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy hot! 

Why (the science):  Dairy can be inflammatory in the body, causing bloating, gas, acne, and many other symptoms.  This Vegan Cheesy Sauce incorporates vitamin C rich peppers and anti-inflammatory onion!  The nutritional yeast provides B12 and that signature cheesy flavor. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

This recipe is inspired by a dear college friend who made this for me in college- a family recipe used for every Thanksgiving celebration.  Festive and comforting, yet delightfully easy, I love to enjoy this Roasted Acorn Squash for a yummy lunch on the weekends!  Use any candied sweet and spicy nut to make this side or entrée extra special, and be sure to dip each spoonful of squash into the melted butter in the center 😊

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 acorn squash

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons sweet and spicy nuts (Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods has a few options)

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds and stringy flesh from center, then roast on lined baking sheet for 40 minutes.

Once acorn squash has finished roasting, place one half in each bowl.

In the center of each half, add 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons sweet and spicy nuts (I used pecans), and 1 tablespoon cranberries.

Enjoy hot!

Why (the science):  One serving of acorn squash provides 145% of your daily vitamin A needs, which is critical for helping your eyes absorb light and for supporting cell growth in your heart and lungs!

Breakfast Butternut Squash Bowl |+Video|

Breakfast Butternut Squash Bowl |+Video|

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Breakfast for dinner is one of life’s simplest pleasures, am I right?  This Breakfast Butternut Squash Bowl is full of protein and fiber to keep you full.  But more importantly, it’s packed with anti-inflammatory foods to combat disease caused by stress.  Now that’s a delicious bowl of food!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 butternut squash,

5 eggs

1 ½ cups rice, cooked (rice pictured is yellow because cooked with turmeric!)

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed

1 avocado

Hot sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Using a sharp knife, create slits in butternut squash before roasting. 

Place butternut squash onto a lined baking sheet, then roast in oven for 60 minutes.

Remove squash from oven and allow to cool while for 5 minutes.  Slice butternut squash in half, and remove seeds and strings from center.

Scramble eggs over medium-low heat until soft curds form.

Then assemble your bowls!

Spoon rice, black beans, and squash into each bowl.  Top with scrambled eggs and a few slices of avocado.

Season with hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

Why (the science):  Known as the “3 Sisters” of Mesoamerican agriculture, rice, beans, and squash are staple everyday foods of Nicoya, Costa Rica- a Blue Zone with one of the longest living and healthiest communities in the world!

Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil | + Video |

Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil | + Video |

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

It is so fun to twirl your fork through the long ribbons of a spaghetti squash.  This spaghetti squash recipe comes together quickly and requires only 5 ingredients!  Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil will become your favorite recipe for Italian Night at your home 😊

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic

Pinch red pepper flakes

Pinch dried oregano

Salt to taste

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out seeds and stringy center.  Tip: Don’t toss the seeds!  Watch this video to see how I easily separate the seeds from the flesh and roast them to perfection.

Place spaghetti squash cut side up on a baking sheet, then roast in oven for 40 minutes.

When squash is tender and a fork can easily pierce through the center, remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.

During that time, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.  Thinly slice garlic clove and add to hot oil.  Allow to cook 1-2 minutes until garlic slices are slightly softened.

After the squash has cooled, use a fork to separate strands into spaghetti-like ribbons.

Spoon over the garlic and olive oil, then top with red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt.

Enjoy!

Why (the science):  Spaghetti squash, unlike pasta spaghetti, contain lutein and zeaxanthin which can help protect your eyesight as you age!

Shakshuka-Eggs Poached in a Tomato Stew

Shakshuka-Eggs Poached in a Tomato Stew

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Shakshuka is the fancy name for a one-skillet dish of eggs poached in a tomato stew or sauce.  While shakshuka originated in North Africa, it is now a breakfast favorite in Israel.  While you can certainly wow your friends and family at a weekend breakfast or brunch, I prefer to make it as an easy weeknight dinner.  Shakshuka is warm and comforting at the end of a workday 😊  Serve with crusty bread, or my favorite way, over brown rice with a drizzle of good olive oil!

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 tablespoon avocado oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, diced small

1 yellow squash, diced small

1 bell pepper, diced small

5-6 Roma tomatoes, diced small

1 head of kale, roughly chopped

 Salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 15-oz. can tomato sauce

½ cup water

4 eggs

How (your directions):

In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent.

Add diced zucchini, squash, pepper, tomatoes, kale, and salt.  Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to brown slightly.

Add garlic and cumin and sauté for 1 minute.

Add tomato sauce and ½ cup water, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Using the back of a wooden spoon (or just a spoon or ladle), create four wells for the eggs.

Crack an egg carefully to keep the yolk intact and gently allow egg to slip into one of the wells.

Repeat for remaining three eggs.

Cover and allow to simmer until eggs are cooked to desired doneness (about 10 minutes).

Serve hot over brown rice with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!

Why (the science):  You may know that tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is protective against prostate cancer, but did you know that the more processed the tomato is, the more lycopene there is?  Canned tomato sauce and tomato paste have a higher lycopene content than raw tomatoes!

Cinnamon-Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Cinnamon-Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Sometimes, dinner simply needs to be prepped and on the table in less than 40 minutes.  Start to finish, this elegant quinoa stuffed acorn squash accomplishes that goal, but it will look like you spent hours in the kitchen creating it!  Children are apt to love it, since the flavor profile leans toward sweet, especially with the cinnamon and raisins.  Quinoa is a complete protein, so this filling dish would make a great “Meatless Monday” option.