You know what I love? (Besides yoga, chocolate, & BL of course)

Roasted vegetables.

Sweet, caramelized, crispy, I don’t know ONE vegetable that doesn’t taste better roasted. Cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, the list goes on and on.

This month’s Recipe Redux theme is “Gadget Gifts”, RD’s sharing our favorite kitchen tool and an accompanying recipe. I thought long and hard about this theme- what gadgets do I use the most? My blendtec, food processor &kitchen-aid mixer get almost daily billing but those puppies are also pretty expensive. Great for wedding and splurge gifts, but not so practical for the average gift.

The baking stone however is not only affordable, it’s also a healthy game-changer. This gift will actually make your friends & family eat more vegetables. It’s magic!

I roast a big batch of vegetables almost every week- perfect as a side dish, combined with rice or pasta, stuffed into a burrito or pita pocket, nothing is off limits when it comes to these vegetables. I have no affiliation with the Pampered Chef but it’s the brand I have been using for years and highly recommend their bakeware.

This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite winter dishes: angel hair pasta with balsamic vinegar and caramelized onions. I swapped the pasta for butternut squash for a great side dish for the holidays.

Balsamic Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped into small strips
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. brown sugar (or other sweetener)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the butternut squash, onions, vinegar, oil, brown sugar, oregano, and salt in a large bowl. Toss well until everything is mixed together. Spread onto baking stone and bake for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and uneven browning.

Remove from oven and toss with parsley- taste great hot or at room temperature!

I LOVE Halloween. Dressing up, fun parties, excuse to eat waayyy too much chocolate without second glaces from co-workers. It all adds up to one of my favorite nights of the year. We are hosting a party at our house and I spent most of the weekend cleaning, prepping and decorating with spiders, skulls, & candles. We also finally decided on our halloween costumes and will be going as my favorite Mad Men couple, Don and Megan Draper. Spending the night in a funky wig, fishnets, and 60′s dress? Don’t mind if I do!

I came up with this pasta as I was decorating the house in orange and black. I wanted my dinner to match the decor and this pasta came out perfect! I will definitely be making this again on October 31st. Doesn’t it just scream Halloween?

Halloween Pasta

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash, cubed
1 large globe eggplant, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt/pepper
1 lb. Penne pasta

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash and eggplant with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour entire mixture on a roasting pan and bake for 60 minutes. Vegetables should be slightly crispy/caramelized on the outside and cooked through.

While vegetables are in the oven, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne pasta until al dente, reserve 2 cups of pasta water and noodles. Set aside.

Remove vegetables from oven. Reserve 2 cups of vegetables. Place the rest of the vegetables into a blender with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and nutritional yeast. Puree until smooth, adding enough water to make a sauce.

Pour over cooked penne noodles and reserved vegetables.

Enjoy! What are your plans for Halloween?

Comfort food time! I made this dish a few days ago for dinner and I already want to make it again. Slightly cheesy, full of vegetables and whole grains, this was so delicious. While I usually eat kale raw in salads, I forgot how much I enjoy it cooked as well. Butternut squash is almost vanishing from the grocery stores, so if you can’t find it then substitute another type of squash or carrots.

If you are superwomen, they you can try to make your own gnocci but there are a lot of great grocery store brands that you can purchase. I found whole wheat gnocci at Trader Joe’s, they work perfectly here.

Bakes Gnocci

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups of butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces
1 bunch kale, cut into bite size pieces
1 package whole-wheat gnocci
1 tbsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. Earth Balance butter
2 tbsp. parmasen cheese or soy parmasen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, sweet potatoes, thyme, nutritional yeast and red pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the gnocci and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the kale until it just wilts, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish. Dot with 2 tsp. butter and sprinkle with the parmasen.

Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!