I absolutely love veggies, especially fall seasonal veggies.  Needless to say, this is one of my favorite recipes.  I love cooking this because the whole house smells like butternut squash and it sets the mood for fall.  Serve with any main dish and a little apple crisp for dessert and you have yourself a wonderful fall dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsbsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Preparation:

Everyone loves french fries.  I know they are a weakness of mine.  I especially love sweet potato french fries since they have so much flavor.  A healthy, baked alternative is the perfect craving fix for french fries and a perfect easy side to any fall dish.

Ingredients

• one large sweet potato
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. You can either peel the potato or leave the skin on… I like it with skin- it’s healthier and adds texture.

3.  Slice the potato into desired thickness.

4. Spread out on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, pepper, and sea salt. 

5.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Growing up with a very Polish family was hard when I was a very picky eater as a child.  I stayed away from cabbage, sauerkraut and many other traditional Polish foods.  However, there was always one Polish food that my grandma knew was a hit everytime: Pierogies.  So, I looked through my mom’s recipes and found this one.  For dinner, you can do so many filling such as cheese, potato, onion, etc.  Or you can make dessert pierogis which are delicious as well.  I recommend making a ton in one batch and freezing some for a future date.

The Dough:

• 2½ cups of flour (could be as much as 3 cups)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs. sour cream
• ½ cup lukewarm water

Mix all ingredients together, and knead just a bit. The dough should not be very smooth, and it should be  sticky. Let stand covered with a bowl for about 1/2 hour before using. Take the dough and roll it out until it is 1/16″ thick. You will have to use plenty of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and rolling surface. You can also flip the dough several times as well.

Filling (there are many different filling but here is a classic)

• 5 lbs of potatoes (red or Idaho are fine)

• 2 lbs of onions

• salt

• pepper

Finely chop the onions and fry in butter until golden brown. Peel potatoes and cut them into thirds; cook until tender. Once cooked, completely drain potatoes and mash with no liquid. Add fried onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Since this is a fairly bland filling, you will find you need a fair amount of salt and pepper.

Prepare:
Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8″ thick. Cut circles of dough (2″ for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2″ for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy.

This recipe is the perfect dessert for the coffee lovers.  Instead of serving coffee or espresso after your next party, why not whip up some chocolate covered espresso beans?

{mix chocolate covered espresso beans with coffee icecream for the perfect dessert}

• 75 g dark chocolate
• 30 g whole espresso coffee beans
• cocoa powder

Directions: