Friday Recipes,

It's finally Friday. Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RED ONIONS

This comes from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “Here is an easy, healthy addition to a Thanksgiving feast or weekday dinner from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, which was included in a Julia Moskin video feature in 2013. Chop up a few red onions and a butternut squash, roast them in high heat, and drizzle them with tahini sauce, herbs and pistachios. That’s it. (Keep an eye on the onions, though. They may cook faster than the squash.)” Time: 1 hour; Makes 10 to 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

About 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for pans

4 large red onions

Coarse salt and black pepper

4 pounds butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch wedges, peeled or unpeeled

1/3 cup pine nuts or shelled green pistachio nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro or a combination, for garnish

For Tahini Sauce (Optional):

1/4 cup tahini paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, crushed

Preparation

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.

Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion in half from stem to root. Cut each half into 4 wedges, leaving the root intact so that each wedge holds together. Spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

Put the squash in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet, peel side down (if intact).

Place both pans in oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions, as they may cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier.

If using nuts, pour 1 tablespoon oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add nuts and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown and smell toasty. Immediately remove from the heat and dump onto a cutting board to stop the cooking. If using pistachios, chop coarsely when cool enough to handle.

To make tahini sauce, place tahini in a bowl. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.

When the vegetables are cooked, set aside until ready to serve. (The vegetables should be served the same day they are made. They can be served at warm room temperature, or reheated just before serving.)

To serve, combine vegetables on a large serving platter. If using tahini sauce, drizzle on top. Sprinkle herbs and, if using, nuts on top and serve.

SWEET POTATO SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

This is from Publix. Servings: 8; Total Time: about 1 hour; Active Time: 25 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 1/2 lb fresh sweet potatoes (2–3)

1 bunch fresh kale, finely chopped

16 oz Italian chicken (or pork) sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 oz Deli Gruyère cheese

1 1/2 cups stuffing mix for turkey (or chicken)

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or stock)

1 (15-oz) jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch square baking dish with spray. Peel sweet potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups). Chop kale (3 cups). Remove sausage casing: cut almost in half lengthwise (butterfly); turn sausage over and peel casing away (wash hands).

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place oil in pan, then add sweet potatoes; cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until light brown. Transfer sweet potatoes to large bowl.

Add sausage to same pan; brown 4–5 minutes, stirring to crumble meat, or until no pink remains. Meanwhile, shred cheese (1 1/2 cups). Stir sausage, stuffing mix, kale, and 1 cup broth into potatoes; transfer to baking dish.

Combine Alfredo sauce, remaining 1 cup broth, nutmeg, and 1 cup of the cheese; pour sauce over sweet potato mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake 25–30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve.

NOTE: Having a large crowd? Double the recipe and bake in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake an extra 12–15 minutes.

SWEET POTATO-PECAN PIE

This is another recipe from Publix. Servings: 12; Total Time: about 3 1/2 hours; Active Time: 20 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 large sweet potato

2 tablespoons + 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 tablespoon heavy cream

4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

1 egg + 2 eggs, beaten

1 frozen deep-dish piecrust

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Whipped topping, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt butter. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups). Place in microwave-safe bowl and cover; microwave on HIGH 7–8 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Mash with potato masher (or hand mixer).

Combine in medium bowl: potatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 egg; beat with hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread over bottom of piecrust.

Combine in second bowl: remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, corn syrup, salt, pecans, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pie spice, and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla until thoroughly blended; pour over sweet potatoes. Bake 60–65 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 2 hours (or overnight), to cool. Serve with whipped topping.



ROASTED POTATOES, CARROTS, PARSNIPS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network's Everyday Italian. Total Time: 1 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 40 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roasted-potatoes-carrots-parsnips-and-brussels-sprouts-recipe2.html?oc=linkback

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 medium carrots (about 3/4 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles

1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts (about 1/2 pound), halved

4 cups red bliss potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

3 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease 11 by 17-inch baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet & add dried herbs, salt & pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings & oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry.

Spread vegetables evenly on large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven & bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

RACE DAY RAISIN AND ALMOND SMOOTHIE

This was on the inside front cover of the September 2016 issue of Runner's World and is from Sun-Maid Fitness. Yields 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sun-Maid raisins

1/4 cup blanched almonds

2 tbls maple syrup

1/2 cup boiling water

1 medium banana (cut into 1 – 2 inch pieces)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cardamon

1 tbls. Chopped candied ginger

2 cups of ice

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine raisins, almonds, maple syrup and boiling water and allow to steep for 1 hour. Transfer to a blender. Add banana pieces, yogurt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Drink immediately for a protein and fiber-packed breakfast.

CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA

This comes from Machismo, an avid cook on tbsp.com. The recipe begins, “Tex-Mex meets Italian in this awesomely easy weeknight dinner dish.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. chicken breast, sliced thin

1 packet Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix chicken

1/4 cup water

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

1/2 lb. spaghetti (1/2 of a 16 oz. box)

4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until chicken is cooked through, around 8 minutes.

Add chicken seasoning to the skillet along with 1/4 cup water and stir together. Add sliced bell peppers and onion and cook until they are softened a bit.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package until al dente. When pasta is cooked through, use tongs to move it directly from the cooking water to the chicken fajita skillet. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top the skillet with grated cheddar cheese and reduce heat to low until cheese is melted. Serve hot.