[Food Series] Roasted Leeks & Carrots

Sometimes I fall in to a rut when it comes to cooking. Chicken and rice, Fish and Broccoli, Pork and ... er, um, rice? As a work-at-home mom, it can be challenging to keep dinner time new and exciting. Sometimes, all it takes is a thick slice instead of a fine dice or slow roasting in lieu of sauteing and out of nowhere you have an exciting and delicious, new dish! That's precisely how this dish came into existence! So incredibly simple, bursting with nutrients and mouth-watering flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients
6 Carrots
4 Leeks
8 Garlic Cloves
4 tablespoons of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and quarter the carrots, legnthwise. Remove the tough, fiberous outer laters of the leeks, then slice them on the diagonal, about 3 inches thick. Peel the garlic, leaving them whole. Toss everything in the olive oil and bake for about an hour. That's IT! Enjoy!

[Food Series] Roasted Acorn Squash with Crispy Brown-Buttered Sage and Toasted Pine Nuts

There's just something so inviting and cozy about roasting squash, not to mention the fact that it's pretty much the easiest thing in the world to do! Since the weather here in LA has decided to stay hovering in the high 80s, I decided I would fill my house with the quintessential Fall aroma of cinnamon and acorn squash. Enjoy!

2 Acorn Squash
1/2 cup of mixed grains or rice
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup raw Pine Nuts
8 Sage leaves
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half and place seed-side down on a roasting sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until you can easily depress the outer shell of the squash. When the squash is done, take it out and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. In a pot, prepare the grains or rice. I used Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend which is a mix of some fun grains including orzo, baby garbanzo beans, Israeli style couscous and red quinoa. It cooks up, per the directions on the package, in 10 minutes! Remove the seeds from the squash and gently scoop out the inside into a mixing bowl. Add the grains, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Carefully scoop the mixture back into the acorn shells for a cool presentation. In a large pan, melt the butter on low heat, then add the pine nuts and sage and sauté for about 4 minutes. Watch it closely to make sure the butter doesn't burn! Pour butter, pine nuts and sage evenly over the four acorns, serve and enjoy!