GORGONZOLA EGG BAKE

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

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Ingredients:

• 3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 medium red onion, halved and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• Gorgonzola cheese (as much as you desire)
• 6 extra large eggs
• Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, paprika.

Instructions:

1. Toss sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and spinach with a drizzle of evoo and season with salt and pepper; spread into a 9x13 baking dish and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.
2. Remove dish from oven and crack eggs evenly and spread out over vegetables.
3. Season eggs with dash of paprika and pepper.
4. Crumble as much gorgonzola cheese over the entire as desired.
5. Bake for additional 10-15 minutes (the longer cook time=the hard the egg yolk).

Cooks note to share:  who would have thought gorgonzola and eggs?  Well, although I have not posted past egg bakes, ask family and friends and they will inform you I tend to make them quite often.  Truthfully, I had a wedge of gorgonzola I wanted to use and wanted a different way-voila-breakfast for dinner!  Now feel free to make this for any hour of the day.  The protein from the eggs and the fiber in the sweet potatoes  will keep you feeling full longer, and well we all know that we are supposed to eat spinach because of its health benefits  - if you don’t know, check out 11 health benefits of spinach.

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*I put this dinner in the oven to finish baking on my way out the door to a yoga class, I asked my dear mother to snap a photo if she could.  While I appreciate that she photographed this, the picture doesn't quite do it justice-try it out and you will see it is a visually appealing dish!  

GNOCCHI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SAUTEED CHICKEN IN A BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE

SIMPLE COMFORT DISH WITH FEW INGREDIENTS THAT CAN BE PREPARED WITHIN AN HOUR (NOTE MOST OF THE TIME IS SPENT ROASTING THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ALLOWING YOU TO DO OTHER THINGS)

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts

1 medium sized butternut squash-approximately 3 lbs

1 package potato gnocchi

1 stick of unsalted butter

6-8 fresh sage leaves, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

cinnamon, salt, pepper, pat of butter, evoo

 

SAGE: a  member of the mint family, contains a variety of antioxidants — in the form of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids

 

STEP-BY-STEP

Squash: Keeping skin intact, cut butternut squash length wise; season flesh with cinnamon, salt and rub some soft butter on; place cut side down in baking dish or roasting pan with a small amount of water; roast in 375 degree oven for 45 min; remove and let cool, peel skin off and cube squash.

Chicken: While squash is roasting: season chicken simply with olive oil, salt and pepper and sear, saute, grill or broil chicken until cooked through, cube and set aside.

Gnocchi: Cook potato gnocchi until done, drizzle a bit of evoo so it does not stick, set aside.

Brown butter sauce: In a medium sauce pan melt butter down on low heat, add garlic and cook until garlic is soft and the butter begins to darken (or brown) *be careful that the heat is not too high or you will have a burned butter sauce*.  You will want to continuously stir the butter and garlic around-you will notice it begins to froth (this is good).  After the butter has turned into a nice golden brown, add chopped sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant-the sauce will continue to froth.

In a large bowl toss chicken, butternut squash and gnocchi; pour sauce over, coating all and ENJOY!

Santa Fe Sautéed Chicken & Quinoa

Tired of your typical taco night? Here is a quick and easy spin on a favorite Mexican meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3-4 gloves garlic, smashed (optional-I love garlic so I use it in everything!)
• 1 package chicken tenders, cubed
• 1/2 bag of steamed corn kernels
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes Mexican style with jalapeños, mostly drained (leave some juice)
• 1/2  a  package of Ortega low sodium Taco seasoning (Ortega is gluten-free, if you don't follow a gf diet then use whatever seasoning you prefer)
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa

DIRECTIONS:

• Prepare the cup of quinoa according to directions (generally packaged quinoa requires 15-20 min to cook)
• In a large saute pan heat about 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook red onions and garlic until soft, stirring often so not to burn either
• Season chicken generously with taco seasoning reserving a bit for seasoning the rest of the veggies at the end
• Add remainder of olive oil to pan and saute chicken until almost cooked through (5-7 min), stirring often, again so nothing overcooks in one spot
• Add corn and black beans, sprinkle with remainder of taco seasoning and heat through
• Add tomatoes with a dash of red pepper and heat through
• Pour mixture over cooked quinoa*
• You may enjoy adding a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro or a splash of lime juice.

<3 Make it heart healthy and add some avocado! <3

The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat (aka good fat).

Buen provecho!

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* Just some knowledge on the power of quinoa (especially if you are gluten free):

(pronounced keen-wah)

Health BenefitsQuinoa seeds contain twice the protein of rice, though it's the quality of the protein that stands out. With all nine essential amino acids, including lysine, quinoa is considered a complete protein.
If you suffer from migraines, make quinoa a regular part of your diet; it's rich in both vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and magnesium, two nutrients that may help decrease the frequency of these headaches. Magnesium may also help prevent hypertension and osteoporosis while riboflavin may ward off cataracts. Quinoa also contains vitamins B6 and E as well as high levels of iron and zinc, minerals necessary for a healthy immune system.
Quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber, packing 5.2 grams per 1 cup serving. Studies show that the fiber from whole grains and seeds protects against breast cancer and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Since it's technically not a grain, quinoa has no gluten, making it typically tolerable for those with celiac disease or grain allergies.

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MAKE THIS VEGETARIAN and substitue extra firm tofu in place of chicken!