A few weeks ago, I bought some brown basmati rice for a night when my husband was working. Though we’ve never really loved any brown rice in the past, this time the kids and I enjoyed the nutty grain. But when it came time to make rice a few days later for the whole family, I pulled out white rice thinking my husband would never want to eat brown rice. So, you’ll imagine my surprise when he made some last week for dinner — without any prompting. Turns out, he was ready to give it another go. And he liked it too.

Well, I guess this makes us brown rice fans. Who would have thought it?

Anyway, when I went to whip up this spicy lunch for myself, I went right for the brown rice … it was perfect for it.

This dish is adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe. Recently, I was asked to join The Food Matters Project — a group of bloggers cooking our way through Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. If you aren’t familiar with the cookbook (or the book Food Matters), the basic premise is that you should eat like your ancestors would have in the early 20th century. It’s not unlike the lessons I recently learned reading Why Women Need Fat. So, when asked to join in, I said yes right away. I could definitely use the lessons from this book to cook better food for my family.

And me too. Because sometimes recipes aren’t for everyone. This one? Totally not for my kids. And that’s okay.

This week’s recipe for the group was Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers. The recipe sounded amazing as is, and I am sure it would make a killer appetizer or side dish. But when I read the combination of flavors, it made me think of lunch. When the kids are in school and I am working, I love having something easy and not-kid-friendly to eat … this was totally that. So I scrapped the skewers, added sweet potatoes and more honey and served this over brown rice and raw kale. Hello.

It’s been a while since I last cooked with smoky, spicy chipotle peppers, powerful little peppers that add a punch to dishes. In this recipe, the chipotles, combined with honey and garlic, turn the sugary butternut squash and sweet potatoes into creamy sweet heat missiles. The nutty brown rice and earthy, firm raw kale make it a total party of textures and flavors.

And yes, I made this one pretty spicy. I love fiery flavors, and love it even more when it’s a sweet fire. Unfortunately, my kids and husband aren’t fans of the heat that chipotle peppers add so this dish really is perfect for my lunch — solo. Oh well, more for me. That’s why it’s perfect for me to enjoy alone for lunch …

You can check out the original recipe at 20something Cupcakes and be sure to check out the Food Matters Project to see how other bloggers interpreted this dish.

Spicy Honey Chipotle Squash and Sweet Potatoes over Brown Rice
serves 4
Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers

 1 1/4 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 – 1 lb sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 chipotle chilis, finely chopped
2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the chilis)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup bite size pieces of raw kale

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with non stick aluminum foil.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, chipotle chilis, adobo sauce, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over the butternut squash and sweet potatoes and toss well to combine. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring 2-3 times, until tender.

Arrange one cup of brown rice on each of four plates. Top with 1/4 cup kale each and 1/4 of the glazed squash and sweet potatoes. Enjoy!

I’m mildly obsessed with superfruits, which are basically the health super heroes of the fruit world. They provide so many valuable nutrients like antioxidants and just taste so good too. Really, I can’t get enough of pomegranates, adore blueberries and crave cranberries (which are huge here in New England). Recently, I got to try another superfruit — tart cherries.

Are you familiar with tart cherries? I wasn’t until a big ol’ package of them arrived in my mailbox recently courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. But after one sweet-and-sour taste I realized two things: I’ve had them before, and the tangy flavor is slightly addictive. They are available all year in frozen, dried  or juice form. The dried are my fave and make a great addition to salads, cookies and trail mixes. But the frozen ones are delicious too and they can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

So, what about these healthy attributes to the tart cherry? According to the Cherry Marketing Institute, more than 50 studies on tart cherries linked it to anti-inflammatory benefits, arthritis pain reduction and heart health benefits. It might even be helpful for post-workout recovery.

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa is a great way to get some tart cherries into your diet (Psst! February is National Cherry Month). For this recipe, I used frozen tart cherries to make a slightly spicy and very zesty salsa that goes so well with the sweet Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon. The contrast of zesty spiciness and sweetness is irresistible. It’s the kind of thing that could lead to licking the plate clean … if no one is looking, of course.

Also, this is a recipe easy enough to make for a quick lunch or dinner. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, total … though you could also make it low-effort when you are in a pinch by making the salsa ahead of time. Save leftover salsa for dipping tortilla chips in or enjoying over tacos.

Have you had tart cherries before? Do you like them?

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa
serves 4

Salsa:

1 cup chopped tart cherries (thawed from frozen)
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
salt and pepper, to taste

Salmon:

1 lb salmon fillet, cut into four pieces
1/4 cup tart cherry juice (I used juice from the frozen cherries)
1/4 cup honey

In a medium bowl, stir together the ingredients for the salsa until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment (foil preferred). Rinse the salmon fillets under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cherry juice and honey. Spread half of the mixture over the salmon fillets, reserving the second half.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until just about cooked through. Drizzle the second half of the tart cherry-honey mixture over the fillets and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.

Serve the salmon fillets on a bed of greens with the tart cherry salsa on top. Enjoy!

——————————————

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. I am being compensated for developing this recipe and also for writing this blog post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Also, there is a special giveaway going on at Kitchen PLAY right now. Here are the details:

The Cherry Marketing Institute is also sponsoring a delicious giveaway at Kitchen PLAY. Simply recreate one or more recipes from this month’s Progressive Party, post about the experience on your blog and provide a link to your post on Kitchen PLAY to enter.  All qualifying bloggers in each course will be entered to win the following prize pack shipped directly to each winner (valued at $100).

- A recipe rock- Sur La Table red measuring cup set- Sur La Table red mixing bowls, set of three- Yaritza apron- 1 lb bag of dried tart cherries
- 1 bottle of tart cherry juice
- branded cherries toteNo purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents only. The deadline is February 29, 2012. Please review the complete contest rules before entering. Good luck!

When Shawn and I used to eat out (a frequent occurrence in our pre-children days when money was plentiful and bills were not), I would order Buffalo Chicken Salad whenever it was on the menu. I loved the crunch of the fried chicken, the spice of the buffalo wing sauce and the creamy coolness of the blue cheese. When you put a variety of flavors and textures like that together, it’s almost certain to please my senses.

Actually, if we are going to be super honest, just the mere act of putting buffalo wing sauce on salad at all makes me super happy. Something about the spicy tang flavor wrapped around the cool, crisp lettuce just does it for me. When I was fresh out of college, I would sometimes pack buffalo wing sauce as dressing for my lunch salads at work.

What?

It’s been awhile since I last had a buffalo chicken salad though. Beyond the fact that eating out is a rare thing these days, I don’t often eat fried anything these days so it sort of fell off my taste-bud radar over the years. But when I recently bought buffalo wing sauce for a recipe I was developing for work, it was all I could think about. Before I even set foot in the store to buy the sauce, I had visions of this salad dancing in my head.

I decided to put a simplified spin on it that takes the finer points of the salad making it a little more waist-friendly and a little speedier to whip up.

The salad is built on a bed of baby lettuce, which are tiny whole leaves of lettuce — a fork-friendly option. Choose one you love — it’s important. I usually go for a mesclun mix or a baby romaine. That’s topped with cubed leftover chicken such as rotisserie chicken, sweet red bell pepper, crisp celery and creamy blue cheese crumbles. Then it’s drizzled with spicy buffalo wing sauce and tangy vinaigrette. Oh, bliss on a plate and it only takes a few minutes to put it all there.

When I was making this, I was concerned that I might miss the crunch of the fried chicken. But I didn’t — the cubed chicken gives that necessary poultry flavor without negating the natural goodness of salad. If you really want a little more crunch though, some chopped walnuts could totally do it.

This salad is a perfect update of my old favorite — and so incredibly easy that it can be whipped up in minutes. Really, minutes.

Do you have a favorite restaurant meal that you don’t eat as often anymore? What is it?

Buffalo Chicken Salad
serves 1

2 cups baby lettuce (variety of your choice)
1/2 cup cooked diced chicken, such as from a rotisserie bird
1 celery rib, cut in half length-wise and into 2-inch pieces
4 strips red sweet bell pepper, halved
1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
1 tbsp buffalo wing sauce
1 tbsp vinaigrette

Arrange the lettuce on a plate. Top with chicken, celery, sweet bell pepper and blue cheese. Drizzle with buffalo wing sauce and then vinaigrette.

Enjoy.

Last year, Will repeatedly came home from school requesting “eggies” for lunch. Aside from being clearly somehow related to eggs, I had no idea what he was talking about. I tried to have him describe the eggs he wanted, but I was just baffled. Finally, I emailed the mother of the girl who was bringing the “eggies” and asked what they were. Hard-boiled eggs. Who knew?

These days there are a lot of eggies in our house. We eat them a lot — on salad, chopped in sandwiches and all sorts of things. In fact, the kids had them for breakfast today with clementines and toast. Based on their clean plates and excited woots, I think they liked them a lot. But these eggies on an open-face sandwich? They are all for me … just don’t tell the kids. Oh, but we don’t call them eggies. That just seems silly.

We’ll get back to the sandwich in a minute but first …

It’s Eat. Live. Be. Reboot day and this week we are turning to the internet for inspiration. Or was it magazines? Depends who you ask. We’re having a little trouble keeping these things straight. Anyway, whatever our theme was, the ELB girls have some great posts up already. Cate wrote about confidence — and the importance of taking care of you first. Joanne is talking about the dreaded (but missing) January Joiners and a mouthwatering Thai recipe. Patsy is chatting all about the veggies and one of my favorite cooking magazines — Cooking Light.

As for me, I’m the straggler this week. It happens.

My internet inspiration this week comes from a sign I ordered from Etsy recently. It bears a quote that I hold near and dear to my heart: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. I discovered it shortly after my friend Elayne passed away. It speaks to leading a happy, well-lived life, which is something that I want to do more than anything. It’s about not wasting time with things that don’t matter. It’s about really living — and not saying no when the nerves threaten to boil over. It’s the motto I live by.

Now, I just need to find the perfect spot to hang it. I’m thinking the kitchen where I will see it a lot.

Oh hey, let’s not forget this sandwich too, which is totally worth the late night post. I first made this with chopped kalamata olives instead of tapenade and ate it for breakfast. Honestly, you could do it that way as well. Still I have to tell you that the tapenade spread really gets that salty, briny kalamata flavor everywhere, permeating every bite. It’s delightful. This makes a great open-face sandwich for lunch … or whenever.

It’s a cinch to make too, which makes it perfect for whenever.

What do you think? Is it breakfast? Lunch? A good sized snack?

P.S. Apologies to any subscribers or feed readers who received an earlier version of this. I mistakenly hit the wrong button and the post published way too soon. Sorry!

Egg and Prosciutto Open Faced Sandwich with Tapenade
serves 1

1 slice whole grain bread
1 tbsp tapenade
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

Toast the bread until golden. Spread with tapenade and then lay the hard boiled egg slices on top. Drape the prosciutto over the egg. Enjoy!

Today was the last day of Christmas break for the kids … the last day for them to play with all their new toys unfettered. Their last day to ride bikes and build Lego houses with each other all day. Their last day to watch cartoons over lunch. So, I thought something warm, toasty and buttery was in order — it’s been a great break from school and heading back to our regimented schedule is kind of sad.

Hello, grilled cheese.

When I was a little girl, grilled cheese was one of my very favorite lunches. My grandmother would butter slices of perfectly square white bread and sandwich a slice or two of orange American cheese in the center, frying them to buttery, gooey cheesy goodness. I loved the texture variations of the sandwich — the smooth, warm cheese and the crisp toasted bread. I’d eat as much of the cheese as I could from the center before eating the bread.

I still love a good grilled cheese. But it’s definitely not the most lean of lunches — it can be though if you make a few small changes.

This version is of the classic grilled cheese has a few health-minded upgrades to make it a teensy bit healthier with more natural ingredients.

The white bread has been traded for more fiber-rich whole grain bread. It’s still buttered though … there is no substitute for butter in a grilled cheese. I’ve tried.

Instead of highly processed American cheese, this sandwich is made with a mix of shredded mozzarella cheese and provolone cheese. They have that same melt-factor that’s key to the sandwich.

And in the center? A little protein in the form of sliced meatballs.

The result is a delicious twist on the classic. It has a lot of the best qualities of classic grilled cheese, just stepped up a bit. And Will and Paige? They loved this, eating every last morsel and requesting more. They especially liked having meatballs in the center.

Two Cheese Meatball Grilled Cheese
yields 1 sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread
salted butter
2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tbsp freshly grated provolone cheese, divided
2 mini meatballs in sauce, sliced

Lay out the slices of bread and butter on one side each. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Place one slice of bread butter side down in the pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzarella on top followed by 1/2 tablespoon provolone. Line the cheese with slices of meatballs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of mozzarella and 1/2 tablespoon of provolone on top. Cover with the second slice of bread, butter side up.

Cook the sandwich 3-4 minutes, until golden on the side facing the pan. Flip carefully, press down slightly and then cover the pan. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden. The cheese should be all melty.

Remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Serve immediately.

Sometimes, cooking with kids is all about teaching them measuring, mixing and knife skills. We do this a lot. The kids and I talk about the different measurements we use and measure things out together. They are often the ones to whisk-shift dry ingredients for me or to stir together whatever needs stirring. But cooking with kids isn’t just about learning. It’s about having fun in the kitchen too. So other times cooking with kids is about letting go. I don’t do that nearly enough.

But I try. Last Friday, I’d been thinking of ordering a pizza all afternoon, but with the holiday season here and our budget already strained I just couldn’t justify spending the money. So, I did the next best thing: making homemade English muffin pizzas with the kids. Actually, Will and Paige did most of the doing and I just handled the oven, the hot tray and laying out the toppings.

See how happy they are? And they hadn’t even started doing anything yet. They love being in the kitchen and having a hand in whatever we’re eating. But they love it even more when they are super-hands-on for a meal, as with these English muffin pizzas.

With a simple, flexible ingredients list and a super-fast cooking time, these pizzas are perfect for an any-night treat. Of course, being easy doesn’t hurt either.

You start by spreading sauce on English muffin halves. We used honey wheat ones, but any variety works. Well, except maybe cinnamon raisin. That could be weird.

Then the kids topped their pizzas however they liked. Will did mozzarella on both and black olives on one. Paige did Romano cheese, olives, tomatoes and a little mozzarella.

Then you broil them really quickly. It only takes about 3-5 minutes for the pizzas to be done, so I highly suggest flipping the oven light on and watching them cook with the kids. They’ll love it. And you’ll make sure you don’t accidentally char them. Win-win.

What have you been cooking with kids lately?

Easy English Muffin Pizzas
perfect for cooking with kids
yields as many as you want

English muffins, fork split in half
pizza sauce
cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, or whatever you like)
toppings such as ham, bacon, sliced olives, sliced sausage, tomatoes, broccoli bits, onions, etc

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Start the oven boiler on high.

Have kids spread a little sauce on their English muffin halves. Top as desired with cheese and toppings.

Place all the English muffin pizzas on the baking sheet. Place under the broiler (about 6″ from it) and cook until the cheese is melted and golden in spots — about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so that they don’t burn.

Let cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy!

Caesar salad is basic. Predictable. Boring, even. I mean, maybe you’ll find some well-seasoned chicken or delicious shrimp on a special Caesar, but generally it’s the same thing: romaine, Caesar dressing and Parmesan, mix well. Oh, and croutons. Repeat. But who says it has to be that way? Who says that Caesar salads can’t be a little more exciting?

Guess what? They can be. This one is.

It’s all about the ingredients. While simplicity rules the classic Caesar salad, the details elevate this one. This version of the Caesar starts with baby lettuce — I use baby sweet lettuce, which is mild and pleasant. Next comes a chopped hard boiled egg. Just rough chop it into bigger pieces — no need to make it tiny.

Also, I want to let you in on a little secret: If you are in a hurry, you can buy already hard boiled and peeled eggs. They’re perfect in a pinch. Or if you can’t seem to squeeze an extra second out of your day.

Back to the salad. Next comes crispy bits of bacon and shelled edamame. But not just any shelled edamame — some that has been quickly heated in the bacon fat and then drained with the bacon. It makes it so special, and adds a little extra richness to the salad.

You stir all of that together. Actually, it’s more like you toss all of that together.

Finally it’s time to dress the salad. This is where the salad veers back toward tradition. Use your favorite Caesar, whether it’s homemade Caesar salad dressing or store bought.

Toss it. Sprinkle with some Romano. Toss again.

Now, you’re ready to devour it.

Also, did you see that mention of Eat. Live. Be. above? Cate, Patsy, Joanne and I put our heads together and decided to bring ELB back again. We need it, and we think some of you might need it too. Even though it’s the holiday season, we can’t wait to start moving toward our healthier selves again.

If you aren’t familiar with Eat. Live. Be., it’s a healthy initiative that Cate and I started at the beginning of the year. We, with a group of great bloggers, posted on specific topics every Monday for until mid-summer. Along the way, a lot of us hit big milestones — like goals met and pounds lost.

We’ve relaxed the rules for Eat. Live. Be. Reboot to focus solely on inspiration. We’ll be posting about things that inspire us every week from magazines, online, etc. I can tell you that the support and community of the original Eat. Live. Be. was incredible — and I have a feeling that it will be again this time.

This week we’re talking about magazine inspiration. I really wasn’t sure what I would write about since I haven’t cracked open a magazine in too long. Though I have dozens of subscriptions, my time has been consumed by work and stress (which always leads to delays in getting work done). That’s one of the big things I want to change with this Reboot.

I shouldn’t have been worried. I am a firm believer that life hands you just what you need right when you need it. I’d barely opened the latest issue of Bella Magazine when I saw an interview with Marisa Ramirez, an actress who played Gia on General Hospital. Turns out Ramirez is big into fitness — particularly kick-boxing, which she teaches when she isn’t off filming something fabulous.

The interview focused on Ramirez’s attitude about fitness, her inspirations and how she stays healthy when she’s so busy (didn’t I tell you that it was just what I needed?). She’s so devoted to being healthy and living a fit life. That’s exactly what I want for myself.

“The key is to do everything in moderation. Set goals for yourself and keep increasing them. Some people love to make excuses for why they are not working out or eating well. Once you’ve tried it, you will start feeling happier and better about yourself,” Ramirez told Bella.

I think I just got my little kick to get started … First, my goals:

• Lose 25 pounds.
• Eat more fruits and veggies.
• Drink more water.
• Sleep more.

Be sure to pop in on the Eat. Live. Be. Reboot Facebook Page to see what everyone is up to. We’ll be posting little updates and tips throughout the week there too.

In the meantime, enjoy this salad.

Loaded Caesar Salad
serves 1

2 slices bacon, chopped
1 tbsp shelled (cooked) edamame
2 cups baby lettuce (pictured: Olivia’s Baby Sweet Lettuce)
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 tbsp Caesar dressing
grated Romano cheese

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the bacon. When it’s almost done (mostly browned), add the edamame to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the bacon is done. Pour onto a paper towel-lined plate and let drain.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the lettuce, chopped egg, bacon and edamame. Stir well. Add the Caesar dressing and toss well to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and toss again. Transfer the salad to a plate or large bowl.

Eat immediately.

The other night, when I was at Cate‘s house for our Blogger Thanksgiving fest, we were reheating a batch of these Homemade Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets that I made for the kids. Cate asked me if they were done right after I’d checked on them, and I said “No, they aren’t humming yet.”

It never occurred to me that would be a weird thing to say. It never occurred to me that the idea of food humming is something that not everyone thinks. Or hears. Or says. Yea. But Patsy, Joanne and Cate set me straight. It’s definitely a Sarah-ism. (In my defense, that’s really what I look for whenever I reheat food — the hum of sizzling warmed food.)

So, about the chicken nuggets … honestly, I had never thought of making my own until a recent Skinny Chicken Nuggets post on Tablespoon set off a wild obsession with baked chicken nuggets for me. My kids love chicken nuggets (I think it’s written somewhere in the kid handbook that they have to), and I like feeding them good, wholesome, homemade food that doesn’t take long to make.

Ding. Ding. Ding! We have a winner.

These start with fresh breadcrumbs made from leftover bread (I use the ends of loaves). Just whirl it in a food processor into fine crumbs. Why fresh? Two reasons: one, the taste is just better and two, you can control the type of bread you use — like that favorite 12-grain that is omnipresent in your kitchen. So, once you have those fresh crumbs, you toast one cup of the crumbs with a clove of chopped garlic in a hot skillet until golden brown. If you have extra breadcrumbs, toast them in a resealable bag and freeze until ready to use.

Once the crumbs are toasted, whirl them again in the food processor with the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. This will ensure that the seasonings are well-distributed throughout.

Now, for the chicken, you need to cut chicken tenderloins into nugget size pieces. Don’t worry. It only takes a minute or two. Aim for 1″x1″ pieces.

Dredge the chicken in the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets
serves 4

Cooking oil spray
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (run a slice or two through the food processor)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1″ pieces

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or regular foil sprayed with cooking oil).

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat on the stove. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a food processor and add the salt, pepper and paprika. Whirl until well combined. Pour into a bowl.

Spray the chicken pieces with cooking oil spray. Then, dredge each one into the breadcrumb mixture, coating all over. Transfer to the baking sheet. Nuggets can be super close together, but shouldn’t touch. Once all the nuggets have been breaded, spray lightly with cooking oil.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the downside is golden. Flip all the nuggets. Then bake for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

To reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cooked chicken nuggets on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until they are humming sizzling.

When my GPS system successfully directs me to a destination, it says, “You have arrived.” I love it. Beyond the words,  the way it says it is so special — as if I am a debutant being presented to society. It never fails to make me smile.

When I went away to college, I thought having arrived meant hosting awesome dinner parties and entertaining with charm and pizazz. I was so excited to have friends over and cook for them — although my cooking range was really limited. Among my go-to dishes? Sundried Tomato Pasta … from the Cooking with Friends Cookbook. Actually, it was my one and only specialty. Too bad not everyone loves sundried tomatoes like I do.

I don’t know that having great dinner parties mean you’ve truly arrived, but I have learned a thing or two since then — like how to plan a menu people love and that pasta cooking water is a genius addition to sauces.

Making this pasta is super simple. You start with a six quick and easy ingredients — most of which you probably already have. First thing, you start the water for the pasta. Once it’s boiling, toss in the pasta and let it cook while you prepare the sauce.

Sundried tomatoes — the dried kind, not the ones packed in oil — are sliced thinly. You’ll need a good, sharp knife and a bit of patience (don’t worry, it’s really not that bad). Once that’s done, you mince a clove of garlic and mix it all up with crushed red pepper and a little oil in a bowl. Once the pasta is done, you stir in a 1/2 cup of pasta water too before tossing with the drained pasta.

Finally, you chop up some prosciutto and stir it into the pasta. That’s it. You are totally ready to eat.

Now I want to invite over all the friends from my college days of making an old version of this pasta (which had no prosciutto, more oil, no pasta water and more garlic) so they can see how far I’ve come. In the meantime, I am just going to have a little more pasta for myself.

Sundried Tomato and Prosciutto Pasta
serves 4

1/2 lb pasta such as Mezzi Rigatoni
1 cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes (the dried kind; NOT packed in oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 oz prosciutto, chopped

Bring a big pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water before draining.

While the pasta is cooking, start the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sundried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Once the pasta is done, stir in the cooking water and let sit for a minute.

Toss together the pasta and the red pepper mixture. Add the prosciutto and stir to combine.

Serve immediately. If desired, mix in a little freshly grated parmesan as well.

So. I’ve had a couple of butternut squashes in my fridge. They’ve been taunting me. Staring me down. Begging me to do something, anything with them. But I was nervous. It’s been years since I handled and cooked squashes in their whole form. Typically, I take the easy way out and buy squash that’s already been peeled and cubed. But I couldn’t let the squash go to waste. I had to overcome my nerves and just use it.

Turns out, working with butternut squash is way easier than I remember. Since I ultimately wanted cubed squash, I cut the ends of the squash off to make them flat — easier to work with the squash that way. Then I used a regular ol’ vegetable peeler to peel the skin (which wasn’t as tough or thick as I expected), taking care to peel away until I saw orange flesh. Finally, I sliced the squash in half length-wise, removed the seeds and stringy things and sliced the squash into 1/4-inch slices. I used what I needed immediately, dicing it,  and stored the rest in an airtight container in the fridge.

Honestly, working with a whole squash wasn’t any harder or more time consuming than cutting down the big chunks of butternut squash into a quarter-inch dice. And it’s way more cost effective. Guess what I will be buying in the future? Yep … no shortcuts needed on this one.

I’ve been roasting most of the squash and using it in different dishes. When you roast butternut squash, it becomes soft and sweet — a natural, light caramelization that’s just awesome. For this, I tossed the squash with a bit of olive oil spray, cinnamon, paprika and salt (a killer combination on orange veggies), which gives it a rich savory sweetness once it’s been roasted for about 25 minutes.

One of my favorite things to do with this roasted squash is to sprinkle it onto salad. It’s amazing, and a little unexpected. This salad combines the sweet, soft bits of squash with sweet-tart dried cranberries and warm, meaty toasted walnuts. It’s served on a bed of romaine. And one of my favorite things about it? It didn’t take more than 30 minutes to make. Okay. maybe 40 minutes, if you haven’t already peeled and sliced your squash.

It’s a great fall salad for lunch or a light dinner. Who doesn’t love a great salad?

What shortcuts do you take in cooking? Dish in the comments.

Butternut Squash, Toasted Walnut and Dried Cranberry Salad
serves 4

2 cups diced fresh butternut squash (1/4-inch dice)
olive oil spray
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground sweet paprika
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8 cups washed and torn romaine lettuce
1/2 cup dried cranberries
dressing of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread the butternut squash over the baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, paprika and salt. Stir and toss gently to disperse the seasonings throughout.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, stirring once, until the butternut squash is golden brown and tender.

Meanwhile, in a small warmed skillet set over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 1-2 minutes, until warmed and slightly browned. Remove from heat.

Arrange two cups of lettuce on each of four plates. Top with 1/4 of the butternut squash, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Drizzle with dressing, as desired.

Serve immediately.