Oh summer, what would you be without the delicious squash?
Of all the summer vegetables available, squash is one of the ones that comes to mind first, besides being, quite possibly, my favorite (ssh, don’t tell the tomatoes!). I love squash sauteed with onions and butter. I love it grilled. And I even love it in soup.
I made this summer squash soup a couple weeks ago for lunch when I didn’t have time to hit up the grocery store on my lunch break. (Lunch break? What’s that?)
I only had time to pluck this yellow squash from my garden before scavenging my freezer for other items to cook with it.
When I don’t have fresh proteins around, I almost always have a can of beans (or previously cooked batch in a tupperware in the freezer) that I can rely on. I love beans for a quick and easy vegetarian protein. Not because I’m vegetarian. No, I’m obviously a meat eater. But I like to have protein with every meal so I’m not hungry 5 minutes after eating.
Easy Summer Squash Soup Recipe
This easy (and fast!) summer soup makes a great, light lunch served with whole grain toast. You could also leave out the beans and serve it as a lighter first course for a multi-course meal. Nom!
Freeze the leftover for an even easier emergency meal for later.
*Vegan/Vegetarian if you use appropriate broth/stock*
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into half moons, about 1/3 inch thick
- sprinkle salt/pepper.
- 1/4 cup chopped onion (I used frozen)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth/stock
- 1/4 cup frozen corn pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup frozen cooked pinto beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped, optional
- additional salt/pepper, to taste
- fresh basil, ripped or chopped, garnish, optional
Directions:
- Pre-heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add extra virgin olive oil, squash, onion, sprinkle of salt/pepper, and saute until onions are translucent and squash are starting to get tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add broth, corn, and basil and bring to a boil. Add beans and cook until beans are warmed through.
- Taste test and add parsley, if using, and add additional salt and/or pepper, as needed. Stir.
- Serve and top with fresh basil. Enjoy!
***
Remember to think positive this week and counter your negative thoughts with a positive act. Click here for Project Think Positive {Week 2} details.
***
Be sure to follow me on twitter and Facebook for exclusive content! 
***
What’s your favorite thing to do with summer squash?
Which do you prefer: yellow squash or zucchini?
I have a wonderful new recipe to share with you guys. It’s light, it’s tasty, it uses up leftover cooked veggies, and you can cook it in one pot.
Now hubby and I have what I like to call a happy-cooking-relationship. We came up with it years ago, and it’s worked really well for us. The concept is simple: I cook, he cleans. Yet, although it’s tempting to dirty up as many dishes as possible, since I don’t have to worry about clean-up, in order to maintain the healthy relationship, I like to keep things as clean as possible whenever possible. One of the easiest ways to keep things clean is to use less cookware. And who doesn’t love a one-pot meal, right?
And this one pot will be a cast iron pan!
This One Pot Turkey Skillet Dinner isn’t the fastest in the world, but it’s easy as pie and tastes like amazing.
I got the inspiration for this recipe whilst flipping through one of my favorite magazines – Clean Eating Magazine. I like turkey, I like potatoes, and I saw both in the picture. But I ended up putting quite the TCL twist on it adding fresh rosemary from my herb garden, broccolini, and subbing smoked mozzarella for the cheese in the original recipe.
Pretty much you brown ground dark meat turkey in the pan and then set it to the side. Then you add potatoes, onion, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper.
Stir to combine, put it in the oven and forget about it for a bit.
Meanwhile, you can gather up some leftover cooked veggies. Chop them into bite-sized pieces and…
…after de-glazing the pan with some broth, add that veggie to the pot along with your cooked turkey…plus additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Stir and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Psst – Important Tip: You can set the table, get drinks together, etc. while the dinner finishes up.
Remove the pan from the oven, add small pieces of smoked mozzarella…bake just until…
…the mozzarella gets niiiiice and ooey-gooey. Yum!
Garnish with fresh parsley, if you want. I like to rip mine over the meal. The parsley adds fresh little bites as you enjoy the skillet dinner.
Doesn’t this whole thing sound simple?
One Pot Turkey Skillet Dinner (With Potatoes and Smoked Mozzarella)
This easy one-pot dinner, inspired by a recipe I saw in the latest Clean Eating Magazine, makes for light comfort food with easy clean-up. And you can even use up leftover cooked veggies. This recipe specifies broccolini, but any cooked veggie should work. Just use what you have. One bite of this cozy dish, and you’ll be hooked!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 pound ground dark meat turkey
- 4 medium/large red-skinned potatoes, brushed and eyes/bad spots removed, cut into roughly 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 onion, chopped large
- 2 sprigs rosemary, stems removed, chopped fine (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper, dash
- 1 cup broth/stock of choice (I used chicken)
- 1 cup leftover cooked veggies (I used blanched broccolini, cut into 1 inch pieces)
- Additional salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 ball of smoked mozzarella, cut into small pieces (about 1/3-1/4 inch pieces)
- fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Pre-heat a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof pan) over medium heat. Add oil and spread. Add turkey and cook until turkey is cooked through (no longer pink). Remove to bowl and set aside for later.
- Add potatoes, onion, rosemary, salt, and pepper to skillet. Stir to combine and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn off burner.
- Remove skillet from oven (you can place it back on the burner you used before, but it doesn’t need to be on). De-glaze pan with broth by pouring broth into the skillet and scraping up any brown bits. Add turkey, broccolini (or other vegetable) and if needed, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Return pan to oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven, top with smoked mozzarella pieces, distributing evenly. Return skillet to oven and bake just until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, if using. Serve and enjoy!
Nomalicious!
***
Click here to get free updates every time I post! And be sure to Like my TCL Facebook page for exclusive content.
***
Have you voted yet?
Which recipe should I post next?
- Cookies 'N Cream Rice Krispies (44%, 21 Votes)
- Easy Summer Squash Soup (25%, 12 Votes)
- Crispy Almond Oven-Fried Chicken (25%, 12 Votes)
- Goji Berry Green Monster Smoothie (6%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 48
Loading ...
***
Reader Question: Who usually ends up doing the dishes in your house?
Here’s a easy, throw-pantry-stuff-together meal perfect for Meatless Mondays or days when you “have nothing to cook.” I love a meal that makes something out of nearly nothing. We all need a few more of those in our lives, right? Things to make when you stare blankly at your nearly empty refrigerator and think, “Geez, I really, really need to go the grocery store for realz!”
I present – the uber-simple Lentil Kale Bowl (for now – though you could easily multiply proportions)
Nearly all you need to do is saute some onion, add lentils and broth, cook…
…steam / saute fresh kale…
…serve over your favorite grain – cous cous is the fastest and easiest, though rice in the rice cooker takes the least effort.
Lentil Kale Bowl (for One)
This meatless meal whips up in a jiffy with mostly pantry ingredients. Unlike some vegetarian meals that open large packages of tofu or tempeh, you can easily portion out just enough lentils for you from your pantry. I used red lentils for the fast cooking time, but feel free to sub in whichever type you prefer – just adjust the cooking time, as needed. Serve over your favorite grain (or leftover!), though I suggest couscous or rice.
*Vegetarian and Vegan*
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup red lentils
- 1 – 2 cups broth of choice
- dash of tumeric (maybe 1/8 teaspoon or less)
- dash of coriander (maybe 1/8 teaspoon or less)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 large or 3 medium (or about 2-3 loose cups) kale, cleaned and torn into small pieces (about 1-2 inches)
- fresh parsley, optional
Directions:
- Pre-heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional broth over the cooking time, as needed (somewhat similar to cooking risotto).
- Ensure the pan isn’t too dry (add extra broth if needed so lentils don’t stick to pan, to just cover) and add kale leaves and cover pan). Steam kale for 2 minutes, then remove lid and stir kale into lentils to continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add broth, if needed. Sauce should not be too liquidy, but lentils shouldn’t be too dry – just adjust to your preference. Add additional salt, pepper to taste.
- Serve over couscous or grain of choice and garnish with fresh parsley.
- Enjoy!
Do you participate in Meatless Monday? Why or why not?
Sundays are for sleeping in and taking your time making breakfast. Not that you need to cook for hours to have something delicious on your plate. But if you’re like me, you rush around during the work week whipping up whatever is relatively quick and easy. But on Sunday. Ahh…when Sunday rolls around, you can sip coffee and take your time sautéing up some tasty potatoes and onions. At least that’s what I did this past Sunday.
I love eating breakfast potatoes, but they aren’t always the quickest thing to throw together. I typically only enjoy them at my parents’ house or when I’m out at a restaurant for brunch. While my parents make a mean batch of breakfast potatoes, they also live almost 2 hours away. And the problem with eating them at a restaurant is that 1. they’re more expensive and 2. they’re usually doused in excess oil and butter. By making them at home, you can better control the price and fat level.
The recipe is at the end of this post, but here are some photos and tips:
You can peel all the skin off your potatoes if you like, but I prefer the texture of the potatoes with the skin on. After scrubbing my potatoes, I usually only take off the bad parts (where it’s dark or rough) and the eyes. And in case you need another good reason to leave the skins on, consider that the skins contain vitamins, phytochemicals, and most of the potato’s fiber. (source – whfoods.com)
Anywho, after scrubbing and removing the bad parts off the potato, just cut it into roughly 1/2” cubes.
As for the onion, you can use one small onion. I happened to have two teeny-tiny onions, so I used both of those.
After tossing the potatoes in the oil and butter to coat them, spread them to an even layer.
After a few minutes, turn and spread to an even layer again.
When the potatoes are done, toss in some fresh, green parsley for color and a fresh bite.
Stuff-Your-Face Breakfast Potatoes
Unlike most restaurant breakfast potatoes, these potatoes are not overly cooked (squishy potatoes and onions…ew!) and are also not cooked in an excessive amount of butter and oil. The onions have a bit of a bite to them, so cook them for a couple minutes before adding the potatoes if you like them more tender.
By the way, while I prefer to use as few pots and pans as needed, I find the boiling step necessary. Sorry, but these potatoes are worth a little extra dish-washing! 
Oh, and although I usually reserve my weekend mornings for making these potatoes, they actually come together pretty quickly and easily.
*Vegan options listed*
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon butter (or vegan substitute)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 medium/large red potatoes, scrubbed, bad parts of skin and eyes removed, cut into 1/2” dice, about 2 1/2 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra salt for the boiling water (about 1 teaspoon total)
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
- Boil potatoes for 3 minutes in salted water. Drain potatoes and place back into the same pot you just used to boil the potatoes. Place the pot back on the burner, but make sure the burner is turned off. Note: the residual heat will help the potatoes dry out.
- Pre-heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and butter and stir butter to melt. Add onions and potatoes to the pan. Sprinkle mixture with salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper, and toss until well-coated and spices are evenly distributed.
- Spread mixture to an even layer and let brown on bottom, about 3-5 minutes.
- Flip potatoes (it’s ok if you don’t flip every single piece over), spread to an even layer and let brown, about 3-5 minutes.
- If needed, toss again and continue cooking to desired doneness. (I didn’t need this step, but everyone likes their potatoes a little more or less crispy, so just cook to your liking)
- Stir in parsley just before serving.
- Enjoy!
What foods do you cook on the weekend that you don’t normally make during the week?
