Friend of Julie: Some favorite recipes!

First off, call me Meaghan. Twinglesmomma...what was I thinking?!?! LOL! I will be the first to admit, veggies were my demise prior to starting this diet. After having kids, I started to eat a few more than usual, to at least set a good example. However, the extent of my vegetables were: peppers, raw carrots(with dip!), cucumbers, green beans sauteed with shallots, frozen squash, and eggplant(my mother in law is Italian, and an amazing cook).

That said, I have a few new recipes that I now swear by! One of them is butternut squash CHIPS! I know Julie recommended this to someone in a refresher class. I don't know the exact way she said to cook them, I know she mentioned a fryolater and Crisco. I bought a small fryolater and used canola oil and fried some up. Oh my word. HEAVEN! Remember-I only ate my squash from the freezer section-no spices, nothing! These are delicious with burgers on the grill, or anything really. If you are missing that crunch-these are a great alternative! I maybe make them two to three times a month now.

Last week, on the suggestion of some friends, I tried acorn squash. Oh my word. This was absolutely amazing!

Cheesy Acorn Squash:

• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place squash cut side down in a glass dish. Cook in microwave for 20 minutes on HIGH, until almost tender.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add celery and onion; saute until transparent. Stir in mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Divide mixture in half, spoon into the squash and cover.
4. Cook 15 minutes in the preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and put back in the oven until the cheese bubbles.

Now, when I made it, I read some of the reviews prior to baking it. Some suggested cooking off a little bacon, and then sauteeing the vegetables in the bacon fat. So I had some turkey bacon I needed to use up, and did that and added a little bit of butter, as there wasn't much fat from the bacon. It was amazing. The flavor left me wanting and yearning for more! I was a bit disappointed that we weren't going to be home for the weekend(we were camping)! I'm actually making it again tonight for my sister in law, who is also on the diet. This time, I'm going to add hamburg and/or sausage to the mixture. We had this the other night with a steak. Oh, and I omitted the mushrooms as I don't like them.




My husband, who I should add is also on Julie's plan(along with his mother and his sister), is a big fan of the grill. He's always looking for new recipes to try out, especially while on the diet. Two weeks back, he found, ala Bobby Flay, a grilled zucchini salad with a lemon-herb vinaigrette. The recipe called for pine nuts, we just left them out. I should mention, I do not like zucchini. It's mushy and tasteless to me. This recipe however, it was good! Again, great side to burgers/steak on the grill. Or even chicken. If I like it, then you are guaranteed to like it! HA! Although, my sister in law said she wasn't crazy about the lemon flavor. I enjoyed it though. 


Grilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Honey
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Wedge Pecorino Romano, for shaving
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• Fresh mint leaves, torn

Directions

Heat the grill to high heat. Brush the zucchini on both sides with canola oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill for just about 1 minute per side (until slightly charred and wilted), then remove them to a platter.

Whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, to taste, and salt and pepper, to taste, and parsley in a small bowl. Slowly, whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the zucchini and let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Top with shaved cheese, pine nuts, parsley and mint leaves.

That's all from me for now. I will post an update on the acorn squash with the meat added in. Oh, and some before and after pictues. It will help some of you new to the journey to keep on going! Not to give up, or get discouraged. You will get to your goal. Patience is key. And we all admit, to not having the best patience at one point or another, myself included!