Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash Sauce

September 25, 2015 Amanda Plott

Welcome Fall! You are a breath of fresh air. Oh, how I've missed you!

But, I think anyone here in Texas misses Fall and welcomes it with open arms. By the time the end of September rolls around, I'm always more than ready for the cooler weather and the change of the seasons. I'm done with these 90+ degree days, dang it.

To further welcome in the fall equinox, I decided I wanted to do something fun with butternut squash. I know when I think of fall foods, squashes and gourds are often the first things that come to mind.

I had gotten a mixed bag of 'super greens' in my local box a few weeks ago that I sautéed up and placed in the freezer - sort of in the same manner that you get frozen chopped spinach. I knew that it would pair perfectly with what I had in mind for fall!...

Eggplant 'Meatballs'

August 28, 2015 Amanda Plott

I've been eating less and less meat around here, not for any particular reason other than that's really just how it's worked out, oddly enough. I've been telling my family for years now that I could be a vegetarian at the drop of a hat and with little to no cravings creeping up.

Vegetables are my best friends, however, I have a well known love-hate relationship with one of my friends; eggplant. I happened to get an eggplant in my local produce box this last week, and I didn't want to do the same things that I've done with it before.

I find that I sort of have to disguise and hide eggplant from myself otherwise I tend to have a hard time with eating it and I'm not entirely sure why...

Avocado Caprese & Olive Oil Caviar

August 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

I got to have some extra fun in the kitchen today with my lunch. With it still being rather hot here in Texas, I've been trying to keep my lunches pretty light and fresh. Caprese salads are always one of my staple go-to keeping it cool sort of lunches. They're easy to make, taste great, and are pretty healthy to boot.

I've had this little jar of olive oil caviar sitting on my counter for a while now. It's something that I haven't tried before and one of those things that I was nearly so excited to use that I couldn't think of a use for application that I felt would do it's genius justice. Then... it struck me!

Traditionally a caprese salad is drizzled with a little bit of olive oil, so I thought this would be the perfect way to show off the olive oil caviar in a simple and extremely tasty dish that takes little time and effort to toss together; using the olive oil caviar in place of the drizzle...

One Skillet Cheesy Tortellini Lasagna

August 6, 2015 Amanda Plott

Tortellini are one of my most favorite things in the world. I will eat them plain, sauced, cold, hot, and filled with just about anything. This dish is amazingly delicious and so super easy to make. Plus, you only end up dirty one pot for the entire cooking process. That's right! The tortellini are cooked up right there in the sauce before being topped with cheesy ricotta goodness.

I'll admit it. I've been on a bit of a ricotta kick lately with making two different kinds of gnocchi and finding anywhere else in my cooking to use up what is now one of my favorite cheeses.

Okay, okay, so all cheeses are my favorite. Ya caught me!...

Healthified Spicy & Smoky Tomato Soup

June 28, 2015 Amanda Plott

It's sweltering here right now. I'm not quite sure how I've made it past the brutal Texas summers in the past, since this year is mild so far by comparison. Usually by now we're well into the 100's for many days in a row and you could literally fry and egg on the concrete. Even so, it's hot out. 90+ degrees lately and all the humidity you can stand. We actually had 100% humidity the other day. I think I'm officially growing gills this year due to the rains and humidity together.

Gills or no gills, I've officially banned the stove until late August or Early October.

Okay, okay, except for another birthday/party or two that I'll be making desserts for.

While the oven is out of commission until cooler weather arrives, my stove top, grill and crock pots have their work cut out for them. Even though it summer, I was really in the mood for some tomato soup; so I went to work coming up with a summer inspired variation of a winter staple in my home...

Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole (Sponsored)

June 23, 2015 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #GetSaucy #CollectiveBias

I love Chicken Parmesan, and since I'm always trying to come up with new and innovative ways to put my spin on old classics, I decided to make a Skinny Chicken Parmesan Casserole! I wanted this dish to be light, easy (with only a handful of ingredients), and super delicious.

This is one of those great weeknight meals that you can pull together easily. Almost all of the ingredients are pantry staples in nearly every house. Such a simple and honest dish got rave reviews from the household. Full bellies and a clear conscience is what it's all about!

One of the biggest bonuses was that I was able to cook this one dish meal in just 30 minutes, with the oven being on only minimally in this warm Texas summer heat!...