Roasted Veggies and Penne

I finally tried a recipe with goat cheese and it was amazing! How did I not know about goat cheese? I thought it tasted like cream cheese but a little tangier. This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLaurentis. The flavors are very distinct and it is easy to make. My taste testers were split on this recipe, but the majority loved it!
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 onion or 2 shallots, diced
olive oil (to mist the above ingredients)
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
12 oz box of penne pasta (I used organic)
7 ounces goat cheese (I used 2 - 3.5 ounce packages - see picture below)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into small pieces
Let's put it all together:
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking pan (or large cookie sheet 11x15) with parchment paper. Using an oil mister or your hands, lightly mist olive oil over the squash and shallots (or onions). Mix them around with your hands a little and spread the veggies in a single layer on the baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake 45 minutes until the veggies are cooked then set them aside to cool a little.
Boil your penne pasta in a large pot of salted (using Kosher salt) water. Cook the pasta so it is still a little firm when you bite into it. Mine took about 10 minutes. I did not drain my pasta but used a slatted spoon to remove the pasta from the pan. Place the goat cheese in a large glass serving bowl, then spoon the pasta over the goat cheese, the cheese will start to melt. Start adding some pasta water, I used a little more than a cup. Stir the pasta and goat cheese with a spatula or wooden spoon. It should turn into a creamy sauce, then add your baked veggies and the basil. Gently stir to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. That's it! Enjoy!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Grandma's Bread Pudding and Caramel Sauce

I was trying to think of something for dessert last night and homemade bread pudding was my choice. Our Dad was not a dessert lover but bread pudding was one of his favorites. Our grandma made the best bread pudding, hope you like it! Ingredients : 5 cups slightly dried out bread, any kind. I used Italian bread. 1/4 cup raisins (optional) 2 cups milk 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 T vanilla 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon Caramel Sauce Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla Directions : Cut the bread in cubes. I cut some of the crust off (on about half of the bread). Place bread into a greased casserole dish or an 11x9 inch pan. Add raisins. Microwave milk and butter about 4 minutes on 60% power or heat in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Slowly add the mixture to the egg and milk and butter

Homemade Goulash

Last weekend I made meals for the freezer. It takes a few hours but this will save you time during the week (in case you have nights like I do when you don't feel like cooking) and your family will love it! I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen (it's called Bobby's Goulash). I used organic ingredients but use the products of your choice. I would have liked to use fresh tomatoes from the garden but my tomatoes weren't quite ready. You can also make it gluten-free by using gluten-free elbow macaroni. It's so tasty - my family loved it! Ingredients : 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound lean ground beef 1 -2 small onions, diced ( I used red onions) 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice 3 cups water 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 T Italian seasoning 3 bay leaves 3 T soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce 1 T seasoning salt course ground pepper to taste 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked) Putting it together: Brown meat and onions in a lar

Dad's Homemade Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler fresh from the oven! One of our favorite desserts is Dad's peach cobbler. This is a recipe that I use when I need a quick dessert. I always have the ingredients and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up. I modified it for gluten-free by making a change to the flour type, just in case you're looking for gluten-free. You can use fresh or frozen peaches, or even canned peaches work. I usually freeze enough Colorado peaches to take me through the seasons so I use those. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Ingredients : 1/3 c butter, melted 1-2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 1 c sugar (white or organic cane) 1 c all-purpose flour ( or white rice flour for gluten-free ) 1 tsp cinnamon (this is optional, my family loves cinnamon!) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 c milk (I use organic 2%) Directions : Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan, a 9x9 square glass pan works great. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and sa

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