Butternut Squash Mac 'n Cheese

Looking for an absolutely delicious & decadent side for Thanksgiving or a fall family meal? Well, here ya have it! This dish features pureed butternut squash and a mix of ooey-oogey cheeses, baked to perfection with shells, and topped off with a crunchy breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Without a doubt, this fall twist on a familiar classic will have everyone going back for seconds (my boyfriend definitely did!). So clearly, it's time to get (mac 'n) cheesy for the holidays...

Creamy Avocado Pasta w/ Roasted Garlic & Tomatoes

To kick off my Avocado Especial, here is one of the most surprising and tasty avocado dishes I've made! For the past couple of months, I have seen avocado pastas popping up on pinterest and other blogs, and was very intrigued -- and once I made my own, I realized that it really is fabulous!! The recipe creates a healthful, yet decadent pasta, with the avocado providing the creamy texture, without the need for any butter or cream! I did a little twist on mine by adding roasted garlic and tomatoes. They complemented the pasta just perfectly, and even if you don't try the recipe, definitely read about the roasting technique; it is so easy, and can enhance many dishes!

**And don't forget -- the Summer Giveaway is going on now -- follow me or comment to enter** 

Basic Marinara Sauce

Ingredients
*1/4 cup EVOO
* 1 small-medium onion, small diced (I like Spanish/yellow)
* 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves, hand-torn
* 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed (buy very good quality, because this will affect the quality of the marinara drastically)
* Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
* To prepare the tomatoes, drain from can and take out the whole tomato. Give each tomato a good squeeze (or a couple) to break the tomato apart into small pieces (do so slowly and wear an apron, because otherwise will get some splash back).
* Heat the EVOO over medium heat, and add the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft (make sure are watching carefully and stirring to ensure the garlic does not burn).
* Add your crushed tomatoes, and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thicker consistency, stirring occasionally.
* Take the sauce off the heat, and season with salt and pepper. (When you let the sit sauce cool it will also thicken up a bit more). ENJOY!

Notes
* If you are using in the eggplant recipe, let the sauce cool a bit before using.
* Also, you will want to double this recipe if you are making a large batch of the eggplant.
* You can also make in advance to save yourself time that day, and just reheat on the stove if you are serving with spaghetti (or whatever you fancy doing with it).

~ Stay fresh!

Eggplant Parmigiana

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. This is seriously the truest of all cliches. Ladies, if you haven't learned this yet, it's probably not too late. Just make sure you really want him to stick around before you get him hooked.

No matter your feeling on eggplant in other preparations, there's no snubbing it in this dish. The eggplant is crisp, yet tender, and it is the ultimate comfort food, without being need-a-nap-now heavy. It's the quintessential dish that is best in it's most pure, fresh form. When a dish is about classic simplicity, the recipe usually is straight forward, and the ingredients should be the best you can find (this is what separates the just-okay from the great).

Luckily for us, eggplants are looking absolutely gorgeous, and you should be noticing their deep purple, taught, shiny skin is beaming with joy right now. So, go get you some, and make a delicious dish that will impress that lucky man in your life, or anyone else that enjoys a good meal!

Ingredients
* 1-2 eggplants
* 4 eggs
* All-purpose flour
* Bread crumbs
* 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
* 8-16 oz. sliced mozzarella (buffalo preferred)
* Fresh basil, for garnish
* 2 cups-1 quart marinara sauce (see my recipe, or buy your favorite from the store if you need to save a little time)
* Optional: spaghetti (for serving on the side)

Note on Range
* The range indicates how much you want to make.
* If you follow the lower end (1 eggplant, 8 oz. mozzarella, 2 cups marinara), then this will make about 2 layers of eggplant in a 9X13 inch dish. My favorite preparation is 4 layers, and if you want this amount then follow the high end. Just be warned that this is a lot of food, so share, or be prepared to enjoy leftovers for a few days (it reheats very well).
* It also depends on the size of the eggplant because they do vary greatly. This would be for medium-sized eggplants.

Directions
* Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch pieces (I personally like them as thin as I can get them).
* Lay the sliced eggplant onto a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. (I know this seems strange, but it brings out the moisture from the eggplant, and will make them more tender). Once the eggplant starts to sweat, after about 5 minutes, dry off with paper towel.
* Assemble your frying station for the eggplant. I like to pan fry mine. Lay out dishes for your flour, bread crumbs, and eggs (whisked) like so.
* Sorry there are no measurements for the flour and bread crumbs. What I do is put down a thick coating of the flour on a plate or shallow dish (season the flour up with a little salt and pepper) and do the same with the bread crumbs (except I grate a little Parmigiano Reggiano into the bread crumbs as well). When I start to run low, I will replenish as needed.

* So, here's what you need to pan fry the eggplant:
** Coat your pan in EVOO, and heat on medium high heat.
** Coat your eggplant pieces in the flour, then dip in the egg, and then dredge in the bread crumbs.
** I do this for as many as can fit in the pan, then fry those up, and repeat the process until they are all done. Be prepared with some plates or cutting boards lined with paper towels to let your finished fried eggplant pieces hang out until you are done. It should look like so:
* When you are done frying your eggplant, let cool until room temperature.
* Then, it is time to assemble the dish. Preheat oven to 350 F.
* Spoon a layer of marinara on the bottom of your dish. Then, put down a layer of eggplant, then a layer of marinara, mozzarella, and a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Each layer should look like this:
* Continue layering. Make sure to reserve enough mozzarella and a good amount Parm to top off the dish.
* Cook in oven for about 30-35 minutes. I increased the temperature to 400 for the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese on the top.
* While the dish is cooking, make some spaghetti (if you wish). Pasta is really wonderful with this dish, because it soaks up the excess marinara, and balances the cheesiness from the mozzarella. Also, would be very nice with some crusty bread.
* Serve with pasta or bread, and top with some more grated Parm and julienned Basil (see first picture). ENJOY!

~ Stay fresh!