Moroccan Stuffed Squash

I just returned from a much needed mini-vacation from school and studying for boards. After several days of dining at some of the best restaurants in Minneapolis, I'm refreshed, inspired, and back in the kitchen with several new recipes to share in the coming weeks. Hopefully you have found a little time to test out some new recipes too. If they're one of mine, please post your comments - I love to hear from you! For now, here's a recipe that gets top ratings from the hubs.

Baked Onion Rings

A long time ago I remember giving a restaurant server a very hard time for putting onion rings on top of my burger. At the time, I failed to recognize the genius behind taking one of the world's most delicious foods and using it as a topping instead of a side dish. No one needs a lecture on how deliciouly unhealthy deep fried onion rings are for the body, so instead I'll tell you about my quest to perfect the baked onion ring.

Cowboy Burgers

Last summer at a family BBQ when everyone else was enjoying grilled chicken, I had grilled tofu burgers from my grocer's freezer section. I had overcooked them (okay, I epically cooked the snot out of them thereby inventing tofu briquettes). Not exactly appetizing. My aunt fed the leftover patty to her dog who proceeded to spit it out, scratch at it, bury it in the garden, and then peed on it. I promise I am not making that up! After that experience I lost my appreciation for frozen veggie burgers, which is a good thing because fresh homemade veggie burgers are simple, cheap and delicious.

Roasted Squash and Caramelized Onion Lasagna

Earlier this year we had a guest lecturer at the medical school who proposed that  if we strictly adhere to our daily caloric intake every day of the year, we could come to holidays and special occasions and enjoy those special foods without a significant consequence. After giving it some thought this idea makes a lot of sense, because those 100-200 calories extra 360 days of the year adds up quickly when compared to the 1000-2000 extra calories 5 days a year. So here's a recipe perfect for those special occasions, with a few healthy conventions to help ease the guilt a little.

Bechamel Sauce

Generally I'm not one to get overly excited about French cooking, but this sauce is a delicious winner! Despite it's fancy name, bechamel is a simple sauce made by whisking scalded milk into a roux and then seasoned with nutmeg. It's one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine, and is often used as a base for other dishes like mac and cheese, casseroles, and creamy soups. After researching the origins of a true bechamel I learned that this is actually a Mornay sauce because of the Parmesan cheese, but I'll be true to the original spirit of the recipe and call it a bechamel.

Lo Mein with Bok Choy and Tofu

My Chinese takeout order of choice as of late has been veggie lo mein with a side of cream cheese wontons.  But it is exceedingly rare to find a decent veggie lo mein that tastes fresh, isn't covered with oil, and has a good ratio of veggies to noodles. And more often than not, twenty minutes after dinner I will end up with a ripping MSG-induced headache. After years of disappointment, I concluded my love of Chinese takeout was not worth the headache (pun intended) and began researching recipes for my favorite takeout meals.  After years of experimenting, this has become one of my favorite recipes.

Baked Cream Cheese Wontons

I can't order Chinese food and not order a side of cream cheese wontons. They're my favorite part of the entire meal - warm, crisp, sweet, and outrageously addictive. But just one deep-fried wonton has 120 calories and 8 grams of fat making them a very guilty pleasure. The other thing about take out wontons is they're always cold by the time they arrive at your door. To solve all my wonton woes, I learned how to make these at home.