Oven Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms with Cashews

Hello, all! It’s been a busy last few weeks. I finished my student teaching experience and got a job as a long-term sub position as a 5th grade science and social studies teacher. Friday night I collapsed in to bed and slept for a full 12 hours… I haven’t slept that much since high school!

Anyway, really exciting news! I GOT MY PLACEMENT FOR TEACHING IN THAILAND! I’ll be teaching K-2 grade English in Chonburi City, which is a coastal city located right on the Gulf of Thailand! I can’t even describe how excited I am! More on this to come soon.

In the meantime, a simple, yet delicious recipe. I always forget how good food tastes when roasted. Need to remember to roast more often… Anyway, the seasoning makes this an awesome side dish. Add in the crunch of the cashews, and you’re in heaven.

Oven Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms with Cashews

Ingredients:

12 oz of green beans, washed and trimmed

2 large portobello mushrooms, cubed

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

pepper, to taste

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 handful of cashews

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine and mix all of the ingredients. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Afterwards, sprinkle with cashews and serve.

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Sweet Potato Cheese Dip

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! It felt so nice to have some time off and see my family:

Sister-brother bonding time

Since my family eats at home for Thanksgiving, we have LOTS of leftovers each year. My favorite food to eat? Sweet potatoes! And with so much leftover sweet potatoes, I enjoy making this each year!

Sweet Potato Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of roasted and puréed sweet potatoes

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tbsp brown mustard

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pot and cook over medium-low heat until hot all through. Serve.

 

 

Butternut Squash Chocolate Cookies (Paleo)

All I want to do is make these cookies.

All. Day. Long.

But, finals are once again upon me and I only have time to look at this picture and salivate. The struggle is real.

I think this will be the first thing I make once my semester is over.

Here’s to 2 weeks from now!

Butternut Squash Chocolate Cookies (Paleo) 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pureed butternut squash, COMPLETELY cooled

1/4 cup coconut butter, melted

1 tbsp pure maple syrup 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Combine squash, coconut butter, syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth and then scoop out all contents into a bowl (make sure to scape sides and bottom of food processor with a spoon as the coconut butter tends to stick!) Add in cocoa powder and stir until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes. Take out, drop into desired cookie sized-shapes on parchment-layered pan, and press down lightly. Transfer to the oven and let cook for 12 minutes. Let sit to harden before eating.

Turkey/Chicken Cheese Dip (Grain-Free)

Feast your eyes on this lovely creation!

Hmmm, with turkey still in many bellies, is it too early to say “feast?”

I actually haven’t stopped feasting since Thanksgiving, thanks to many, many leftovers… oh well.

And speaking of leftovers, this is an awesome recipe to use up some turkey from Thanksgiving. No turkey to spare? Chicken works just as well!

But seriously, this recipe is a-mazing! I couldn’t stop eating it (hence the “haven’t stopped feasting since Thanksgiving”). And with the house to myself for the next week, I’m in a bit of a paradise right now 🙂

Turkey/Chicken Cheese Dip (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (from jar)

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried cilantro

salt and pepper

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup chicken broth 

2 tbsp tapioca flour

3/4 cup roasted crushed tomatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 and 1/2 cups cooked and shredded turkey/chicken 

Directions:

In a deep skillet, heat oil and add in onion, garlic, peppers, parsley, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add in milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil. With a fork, whisk in tapioca flour and allow to thicken. Put on low heat and add in tomatoes, cheeses, and turkey/chicken. Stir until all mixed together and heated. Serve. 

Butternut Squash Banana Pie (Paleo)

A new Thanksgiving dessert recipe! Well, kind of. I wouldn’t limit this to Thanksgiving. It’s too good to eat only once a year.

Fear not if you think butternut squash is weird to include in a dessert (I have my Butternut Squash Chocolate Pudding, Butternut Squash Chocolate Truffles, and Chocolate Almond Butternut Squash Cookies to prove you wrong, by the way) because the taste of it is not detectable! This tastes like a good ol’ banana and peanut/almond butter pie. The butternut squash acts as a filler to make extra volume. And who would complain about a more voluminous pie?

Not this girl here 😉

And as a Thanksgiving special, I’ve included a 2 in 1 recipe! Pie filling and a pie crust. I have long stopped using store-bought pie crust. This recipe is a lot healthier than what you can find in a store. Plus it takes only 3 seconds to make!     

Butternut Squash Banana Pie (Paleo)

Pie Crust Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup of raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts…whatever you fancy!)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1.5 tbsp water

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts and and coconut in food processor and pulse until fine. Add in rest of ingredients. Pulse, scraping sides if needed. Dump pie crust into a 9-in pie pan and press down and up against the sides. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile…

Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked and pureed butternut squash

1/4 cup nut butter of choice

3 ripe bananas

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in food process and blend until smooth. Spread in a prepared pie crust and freeze for 3-4 hours. If freezing for a longer period of time, allow to thaw before eating.