Fall Butternut Squash Frittata

I can’t tell you how frequently I walk through the produce section of the grocery store at this time of year, and I day dream of a table full of sweet and savory selections made with the various squash and gourds on display. I will admit, though, that I’m not very brave when it comes to cooking with gourds and squashes.

This dish may be a bit safe (in that butternut squash isn’t a difficult food with which to work), but it’s layers of flavor are complex and delicious. There’s the sweetness from the squash, the tang from the balsamic, and the earthy savoriness from the spinach. I’m so excited to share this creation with you, and I hope you enjoy it for a weekend brunch or make-ahead for weekly breakfasts!

Curried Pork Belly with Vegetables

This past weekend, we decided to pick up a full pork belly—if you can find it, it’s a great savings, and we hope to make our own bacon on the smoker at some point. We haven’t cracked that code yet, but for this week we made a delicious curry recipe that resulted in super tender, flavorful pork belly with vegetables.

Cooking this dish was a bit of an adventure, as the liquids didn’t reduce as quickly as I expected. Kudos to my good friend and cooking sensei Russ for sous cheffing via iMessage on a Saturday night.

Creamy Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is a recipe that has been known to us by name, but we couldn’t recall having had it in the past nor had we tried to cook it. After a bit of research, in light of Otto’s love of mushrooms and all things umami, we were impressed to give it a try.

This creamy Chicken Marsala recipe was amazingly easy, and flavorful to boot. It is chicken breast heavy, but this has meant lots of leftovers for Heather, Otto, and me. One last note: Technically, Chicken Marsala is made with marsala wine, a fortified wine from Sicily. We were unable to find it easily, and so used a dry red wine instead. According to our research, this is acceptable; and, frankly, we don’t feel like we were missing anything. We know you’ll enjoy it, too!

Braised Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

Braised Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms Recipe [paleo, primal, keto, gluten-free]

We’re super fortunate to have a little 16-month-old who is obsessed with umami flavors. As a consequence we’re leaning into mushrooms and Brussels sprouts now that the temperature is attempting to change for the fall. This recipe was an easy combination of protein and vegetables (and fungi) that made leftovers for a few days. Otto went crazy for the sprouts and mushrooms, and we’re getting ready to make another large batch to keep him healthy and strong. We know you’re going to like this—enjoy!

Easy Shrimp Stir Fry

Easy Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe [paleo, primal, keto, gluten-free]

Sometimes, we’re really organized and batch cook on Sunday for the whole week. Most weeks, though, we are lucky to get enough food cooked on the weekend to get us through Monday. The rest of the week is a bit of a scramble. So, if I want us to have dinner as a family, before Otto goes to bed, I need something super quick and easy.

This recipe is just that—and it’s also fairly economical. We love the bags of frozen vegetables at Costco (this week, we got the stir fry blend). The bags of raw, frozen shrimp are also much more affordable than buying shrimp fresh or even defrosted at the regular grocery store. The rest of this recipe consists of things we always have in the pantry.

I tossed it together tonight half hoping it would be good and that Otto would eat it, and half feeling fairly confident because “who screws up stir fry, right?”. Otto did enjoy it as did Brent and I. We hope you will, too!