Butternut Squash, Mushroom, and Swiss Chard Risotto

Risotto is always a delight. It's creamy texture, warmth, aroma, and comfort-food meets gourmet foodie vibe is always spot-on. It will be enjoyed by a gourmand as well as a picky eater, and it can pair with nearly any other items. Of course, much of its diversity comes from the various ingredients and textures that can be added to it at will, and in this case I chose to showcase some wonderfully fresh ingredients from my farmer's market. I added some butternut squash - sweet and creamy and chock-full of vitamins - some deliciously savory exotic mushrooms for the ever-elusive umami, and swiss chard that adds a layered texture and pours on the vitamins A, K, and C as well as dietary fiber, minerals, and protein.

Full of vegetables yet quite filling with the heavy rice, this dish can easily stand on its own with nothing else to adorn your table. However, in this case I served it along with some macadamia-crusted tilapia. The relatively simple protein allowed this risotto to truly shine without having to compete.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr
Cost: $16.27

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Honeyed Salmon

Rosh Hoshanah was more than a month ago, but this Honeyed Salmon is still delicious to enjoy any time of the year. Try it now, many times perhaps, and then keep it in your pocket when the Jewish New Year rolls around once again and you are excitedly looking for ways to incorporate honey into everything. Wait... you mean everyone doesn't get excited about honey and apples dominating all meals?

In true Rosh Hoshanah fashion, I made this entree with some delicious apple kugel and an apple and butternut squash soup with garam masala. As you can see, the holiday's themes extended throughout this entire meal but it paired traditional with unique twists on some other staples. It was absolutely delicious, and the year has been good so far, so I guess it did its job!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: $23.38

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Peanut-y Tofu Triangles

(Sorry about the lack of a picture! Guess it slipped my mind again... But on to the post, regardless.)

I happen to love tofu. It can be baked, fried, sauteed, or even grilled. it can be made into a variety of tastes and textures. And, excitingly for such a versatile and healthy product, it's also quite inexpensive. As a fish-eater, I frequently pile up a lot of expensive proteins in my cart so it's nice to get a cheap alternative at times that always hits the spot while still satisfying my fiance's need to always include a protein at dinner.

Here, I prepared the tofu in a well-known triangle form, crusted with peanuts and pan-fried to be just a little bit crispy. Luckily, peanuts contain a lot of flavor so it doesn't take too many of these fat-filled treats to give great flavor. I served this along with garlic mashed potatoes and some roasted festival squash. The squash and the potatoes came from my local farmer's market, of course!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min (nearly entirely tofu pressing time)
Cost: $11.50

Recipe and nutrition below the jump!

Curry Sweet Potatoes

As fall kicks into full gear, it's time to embrace root vegetables, all types of winter squash, and of course sweet potatoes. As they debuted at my farmer's market, in several varieties, I eagerly picked them up to add to dinner. However, of course I was also looking for a creative way to approach them, which led to the recipe below which adds curry spices and shallots for a delicious almost Asian-themed variation.

I paired the sweet potatoes with a pesto caesar salad, one of my continuing favorites, and actually an entree from my childhood - honey mustard and mushroom salmon. The flavors worked together perfectly for a delicious and relatively simple meal.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 25 min
Cost; $24.60

Corn, Asparagus, and Ginger Stir Fry

Well, unfortunately I forgot to take a picture, but even without it this stir fry is a must-make. Other than letting the tofu press, the recipe comes together super quickly for an easy, healthy weeknight meal that is sure to satisfy even non-tofu lovers. It's packed full of flavors and textures that will keep everyone happy. You can also easily switch around some of the vegetables - swapping your favorites in and out. This stir fry would taste great with mushrooms, bell pepper, or many other things added in.

I served this as a stand alone meal, but you could easily pair it with something else if you prefer. Or, make this quick dish to supplement leftovers. It's versatile palette makes it easy to match.

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Difficulty: easy
Time: 45 min (15 min after tofu pressing)
Cost: $7.27

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo and a Greek Artichoke and Spaghetti Squash Salad

That's right - this is shrimp fettuccine on a healthy food blog. And no, it's not a misnomer. Believe it or not, the dish that is embodied by cream and salt is lightened up considerably here for a delicious dish that still keeps the thick, creamy texture you love but uses fresh ingredients that carry a lot of taste, meaning you can get away with a bit of sauce that packs a wallop of flavor without drenching your pasta, and also makes use of the wonders of low-fat and fat-free ingredients. I cannot fathom how fat free half and half exists, but I do not ask questions about it!

Along with the pasta, I prepared a spaghetti squash and artichoke salad. It packs in a lot of fresh ingredients - full of vegetables - but also adds chickpeas for protein and a contrasting texture and just enough of a light vinaigrette to provide a delightful flavor finish that doesn't overpower the natural flavors of the ingredients. You could easily make this salad as the main entree or else pair it with a variety of other dishes.

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 30 min (or 1 hr 30 min with time to cook squash)
Cost: $31.48

Garlicky Green Beans

I'm not a huge green bean fan in general, but I decided to branch out a bit and see if I could make them more fun. So I picked up crisp, fresh green beans at my local farmer's market and set to work with a simple, fast recipe that adds some flavor and fun without masking the natural taste. In this case, toasted garlic is the highlight of the show.

In addition to the green beans, I prepared some macadamia crusted tilapia and roasted potatoes - two simple dishes that always hit the spot. This versatile vegetable dish will pair well with nearly anything, though, so feel free to get creative or whip this up in a pinch.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: $18.09

Mango Glazed Salmon with Black Forbidden Rice and Lemon Broccolini

I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon in Annapolis, MD, enjoying beautiful weather and browsing the many shops. Among the plethora of stores was a spice shop. The entire store was dedicated to spices, with giant vats of every spice imaginable and more. It was exciting to see the variety and enjoy the aromas. I soon found my attention caught by one corner, though, where in addition to spice the store had craft grains. I eagerly picked out a few to try, and one of them was black forbidden rice, leading to the recipe below.

Black forbidden rice is a Chinese rice that is believed to have received its name from its history - when only emperors were allowed to eat this rice (making it forbidden to commoners) since it was rare and full of nutrients. Today, it's found in health stores and specialty shops, but not your average supermarket. It doesn't taste particularly different from other types of rice, but its dark black color that becomes a royal purple when cooked makes it striking in any prepared dish.

Nutrition and recipe below the jump!

Difficulty: medium
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cost: $24.60