Roasted Acorn Squash with Chicken Sausage Stuffing

I really can't get over this recipe.

When I first found it on Skinny Taste, I was skeptical. There is not a lot of seasoning, and I had no idea what an acorn squash tasted like.

I'm SO glad I gave this a shot. It was warm, delicious, and perfect for the winter. AND low in calories, which fits right into my current diet plan, which you can read about by clicking HERE (Mimi - that means you click on the word HERE). Anything that says "LOCK IT UP" are my thoughts on my current diet and exercise plan.

Did I mention my diet and exercise plan included a greasy hamburger on Friday? No? Whatever. It was worth it. I've had a trying week.

Anyway, this squash thing - make it. It's so good, and I LOVE the presentation - how cute are my little squash in a bowl filled with stuffing?!

Here's what you need (slightly adapted from Skinny Taste) . . .

2 acorn squash*
3 links of sweet italian chicken sausage
1 cup of brown rice
1 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
Olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt
Pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, diced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

*This squash is tough to cut. You want to chop off the stem and then a little bit of the bottom so it will sit flat when you roast it. Then, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. You'll want to lay it on it's side and cut it in half that way - equatorially as opposed to longitudinally.

Here's what you do . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cover your cut squash with some olive oil, and season evenly with salt and pepper. Put in a roasting pan with 1/4 cup of water on the bottom. Cover with foil and roast for 50 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.

3. Cook your rice according to the package. The brown rice we get says 1 1/2 cups of liquid to every 1 cup of rice. I cooked the rice with vegetable stock for extra flavor.

4. In a large pan, drizzle a little oil and cook the chicken sausage until slightly browned. Chop it up into little pieces as it cooks. When it is done, set it aside.

5. Add more oil to your pan and 1 tbsp of butter. Cook onion, garlic and celery until celery is soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and your fresh sage. Cook a few minutes longer.

6. Add your rice and stir to combine.

7. Put rice/chicken mixture into roasted acorn squash. Enjoy!

This was SO good and surprisingly filling. Half a squash with stuffing completely filled me up! AND, according to Skinny Taste, you're looking at only 250-300 calories per half squash. WHAT?! Who needs hamburgers?!

Me. I need hamburgers. Always. This is good, but it is no greasy hamburger substitute.

Have a fantastic week and a wonderful Thanksgiving!!  

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Sweet Potato Casserole

'TIS THE SEASON!!!!! Is it weird that I picked the marshmallows off the top of this? No? Fantastic.

I apologize that I have not been posting all that often. Law school gets in the way of my extracurricular interests, but fortunately that will be a non-issue come May. Technically come August AFTER the bar exam, but whatever.

In addition to posting here, I'll also be jumping back on Beth's Blog to detail my NEWEST exercise journey. I've put on a couple pounds in the last few months - not enough to be noticeable, but I'm aware of it. Beth is helping me all the way from PORTLAND, OREGON because she is awesome. I'm tracking my progress on her blog. There are some amazing tips, so tune in!

Okay, onto this casserole. This is a WAY lighter version of sweet potato casserole. I made this last year for Thanksgiving, and I plan to make it again this year. This is SO good, and, if you use GF flour and oats, it is gluten free!

Full disclosure: I posted this last year, but…I didn't have pictures so it doesn't count.

Here's what you need (from How Sweet Eats) . . .

2 lbs sweet potatoes (2 big potatoes)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup light coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted brown butter*

For the topping:

1/2 cup unsalted pecans, chopped
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tbsp oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a little salt
a little nutmeg
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
mini marshmallows

Mix all parts of topping together (except marshmallows) and set aside until ready.

*To brown butter: melt in a saucepan and stir consistently for 5 minutes on high heat, or until little brown flakes appear on the bottom. Remove immediately from heat, and set aside until needed

Here's what you do . . .

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Peel your potatoes, chop them into pieces and boil for 20-25 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.

3. Transfer potatoes into a baking dish. I used a potato masher, but you can also use a handheld mixer, and beat/mix them well. Add all the ingredients (aside from topping) - brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown butter. Mix well.

4. Evenly top potatoes with topping. Then, add marshmallows on top of the topping!

5. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

I LOVE this recipe. If you are missing some sweet potato magic from you Thanksgiving line up, I HIGHLY recommend this.

I wish I could promise I would post every day, but with finals fast approaching, this is unlikely. I will do my absolute BEST!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Hello, winter comfort food.

Is it really November?! I realized this morning that 6 weeks from today we will be on a plane en route to JAMAICA for our delayed honeymoon. I. can't. wait.

In the meantime, it continues to get colder in North Carolina, and I find myself second guessing this decision to move farther NORTH next year. 

This soup is SO delicious and really easy. You dump everything into a crockpot and you're good to go. 

My only complaint: it was not spicy at all. I think next time I will add more of the red curry paste or maybe a few chilis.

Here's what you need (from Foodie Crush) . . .

1.5 lbs of chicken breast cut into cubes

2 12 oz. cans coconut milk (I used light)

2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp peanut butter (I used reduced fat)

2 tbsp red curry paste

1 tbsp lime juice

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (I used my cheese grater)

1 cup of cooked brown rice

Here's what you do . . .

1. Dump everything EXCEPT peas and rice into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, cook your rice and dump your peas into the slow cooker. 

3. Serve over rice in a bowl. Enjoy!

Like I said, crazy simple and perfect for a cold Fall night. 

Have a great weekend!!

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