The Butternut Squash Pizza Experiment.

A while back I discovered a fabulous pizza at a local restaurant. Featuring butternut squash, ricotta and sage on a thin but chewy crust, it was anything but typical Italian fare! I had the pleasure of sharing it with friends from out of town and my mom became an instant fan when we ordered in during one of her visits.

 

Then, the unthinkable happened – the restaurant closed! We were pretty sad that we would no longer be able to enjoy it on a whim and my mom kept talking about how she was craving the pizza upon visits to my apartment. And so it became my quest to find a recipe online…without much luck! A few dozen clicks later, I finally came across something similar on the Epicurean Mom blog, and adapted it from memory.

 

While the steps to creating the pizza are a little labor-intensive, this is an overall easy recipe that I recommend you try – especially since it’s in season and perfect to serve as an appetizer at any holiday gathering! 

 

 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Sage Pizza

 

Yields a 10-inch pizza, 6 servings (2 pieces each)

 

Recipe adapted from Epicurean Mom

 

Ingredients:

 

1 thin-crust pizza dough (you can make your own or use pre-made – I used Pillsbury brand)

 

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

 

13 fresh sage leaves, chopped plus a few whole leaves for garnish

 

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch squares

 

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

1 cup part-skim Ricotta cheese

 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay diced butternut squash and garlic onto a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until tender. Let cool slightly, then scoop the squash pieces and garlic into a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Set aside.

 

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add most of the chopped sage leaves and stir constantly, cook until fragrant and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

 

Pat out your pizza dough to form to a baking sheet or a 10-inch pizza pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Make sure the sides are slightly thicker to form a crust. Set aside until ready to assemble.

 

Turn oven up to 500 degrees.

 

Generously sprinkle dough with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dough with the second tablespoon of oil and spread the caramelized onion and sage mixture evenly. Top with alternating dollops of the squash puree and ricotta. 

 

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until a golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining fresh sage leaves and enjoy!

 

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 302.4
Fat: 10g

Saturated Fat: 3.1g
Carbs: 44.9g
Fiber: 4.4g

Sodium: 526mg
Protein: 10.7g

PointsPlus® Value 8



A New(ish) Twist on the Good Ole Sweet Potato.

Every year, we have a potluck Thanksgiving celebration at work. It’s an ongoing tradition that started as a department idea and grew to be company-wide and we are welcome to bring a dish of our choice (or an item if you don’t cook).

Obviously, I would look for something different to bring, and when I was looking for recipes I stumbled across a very interesting take on the sweet potato. Given the ingredients (sweet and spicy, Indian and traditional American, components of holiday flavors), I knew I had to give it a try. Well, the rest is history and I’ve been delighting co-worker’s taste buds with the recipe ever since!

This year, I’ll be presenting everyone with the same dish, but in light of my healthy eating lifestyle, I’ve made a couple of changes to make it a better option for all to enjoy. So here you have it – the new and improved Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Chutney Dressing!

Try it and let me know how you like it – it will certainly add a lot of color and flavor to your Thanksgiving table!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Balsamic Chutney Dressing

Adapted from an original Food Network Recipe

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Makes 10 - 1 1/4 cup servings at a value of 5 PointsPlus® each

Ingredients

Salad:

• 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• original, canola or olive oil nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped or sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 cup chopped scallions (green and white)
• 1 cup julienned roasted red pepper (packed in water), drained

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup jarred mango chutney (like Patak)
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
   

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, combine the potatoes, rosemary, salt, pepper, cumin and ginger and spray with cooking spray to give the mixture a light coating. Stir to combine and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring, until toasted. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, combine the cranberries, scallions, and red pepper and set aside.

Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients until blended.

Assemble salad by gently tossing the roasted potatoes with the red pepper, cranberry and onion mixture. Add the dressing, toss to coat and garnish with the toasted almonds. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Grapes Get Fancy Pants.

I have to give a shout-out to my friend and fellow (fabulous) blogger Dianna at The Kitchen Prep for inspiring me with this great little entertaining idea!

So yummy, easy to make and semi-WW friendly (as long as you don't eat all of them, which could be tempting once you taste them!) These would be perfect as a little bite for a wine-tasting, girl's night or a shower. Either way, plan to make a few batches as they are sure to be a hit!

Goat Cheese and Walnut Covered Grapes

Easy Dinner Idea.

I've added this simple salad as a staple to my weeknight dinner routine and thought I should share! It's also a great meal to make when the weather is steamy since you don't need an oven. 

Beet, Blue and Almond Salad

Recipe Yields 1 Serving  (WW PointsPlus® value 8)

4 Cups Organic Romaine/Spinach/Herb blend salad mix

1/4 Cup Sliced beets (fresh or canned will do), chopped

2 TBSP chopped Raw Almonds

2 TBSP Blue Cheese

2 TBSP Newman's Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place lettuce in a shallow bowl or plate and top with chopped beets, almonds and blue cheese. Drizzle with salad dressing and add salt and fresh cracked black pepper, if desired. 

On an entertaining note, I suggest omitting the lettuce blend. Place the beets, almonds and cheese in endive lettuce cups and drizzle with dressing and chopped parsley. Would make a great addition to a brunch menu or any buffet spread!

Bon Appétit!

Party Planning 101 - Fancy Ideas for your BBQ.

As summer is quickly apporaching (and since it's going to be above 80 this weekend in Chicago), I thought it appropriate to share some cute ideas for fancy'ing up a BBQ this week!

Included below are some of my favorite ideas from Pinterest - any one of these could turn your average back-yard bash into a memorable Memorial Day affair. Happy (and safe) Grilling!

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Allison on Pinterest

I love the idea of adding fresh flowers and using old wooden boxes to dress up a folding table!

Source: blog.hwtm.com via Allison on Pinterest

Turning your serving area into a build-your-own bar is a fun way to deviate from the traditional buffet.

Source: socialcouture.typepad.com via Allison on Pinterest

This is a great way to keep your flatware organized and festive!

Source: myrecipes.com via Allison on Pinterest

Who doesn't love a fresh heirloom tomato salad?

Source: google.com via Allison on Pinterest

Patriotic Chocolate Strawberries - how cute!

Source: stuff.icanhascheezburger.com via Allison on Pinterest

I couldn't resist these - you can even use store-bought cupcakes to create these little edible 'grills'.

Source: Uploaded by user via Allison on Pinterest

And, finally - no BBQ is complete without corn on the cob. I like mine with mayo, cayenne and lime juice!