I went on a Cooking Spree (11 photos)

Basil from the garden: Before and after.

Presto!- Pesto

What do you do when you buy a bag of SOUR grapes?

Rinse the grapes

 You make Grape Salad.

Halve the grapes so that they can absorb the sweetness you'll be adding.

The brown sugar and pecans really dress it up.

 Find a recipe online

The results. Deee-licious

 Miniature eggplant grown in a pot +  one from the farmer's market.

I chose not to peel mine. Rinse and slice about 1/4 of an inch.

Find a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan.

My recipe came from an old cookbook I was given over 35 years ago. But, you can always  go online or ask Alexa.

Here is the Eggplant Parmesan before I put it in the oven.

After pulling it out of the oven. It was delicious.

Squash Casserole

I had so much squash and really got tired of it. But, I would make the casserole, portion it out and freeze it. I used a recipe that my Mom got from one of her friends who was an excellent cook.

*THAT'S  ALL

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

·         2 (12-ounce) packages frozen butternut or winter squash puree (about 3 cups), thawed

·         2 cups (490 grams) part-skim ricotta cheese cottage cheese

·         3/4 cup (185 grams) reduced-fat 2% milk

·         1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         1 (10-ounce or 285-gram) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         1 1/2 cups (170 grams) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese Monterrey jack

·         1/2 cup (55 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·         9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

·         Combine squash, 1 cup cottage cheese, milk, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

·         Combine spinach, remaining 1 cup cottage cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey jack, and 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese in another medium bowl.

·         Spread 1 1/2 cups squash mixture in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce (noodles will appear small but will increase in size as they cook and absorb liquid). Top with 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 1/4 cups squash mixture, 3 noodles, and 1 cup spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterrey jack and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheeses.

·         Cover loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until lasagna is bubbly and cheese browns. Let cool  5 minutes. Cut into 8 portions.

It was DELICIOUS. I will make this recipe again but with a little more salt and pepper.

Here is the nutritional value just in case you're interested.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 8 |  Serving Size: 1 slice (4.5 inch-by-3.25 inch or 228 grams)

Per serving: Calories: 309; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 38mg; Sodium: 513mg; Carbohydrate: 33g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 20g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 489mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 221%; Vitamin C: 21%; Calcium: 47%

END