Need a fresh & simple recipe for zucchini & summer squash? Make a casserole!

Last weekend when I went home to the Valley to visit the fam and some friends, Mom sent me back with some zucchini, squash, and cucumbers from her garden. I always love it when she shares her garden veggies with me, and I very much appreciate all of the effort that she puts into tending her garden...I can't even manage to keep house plants and herbs alive, so goodness knows even if I didn't live in a city apartment and actually had a backyard, any attempt on my part to have a garden would be doomed. Not to mention the fact that I very much dislike pulling weeds, fending off bugs, and working in the dirt. So, despite being a tree-hugging "greenie," I definitely don't have a green thumb. All that to say, thanks a bunch Mom, for working hard on your garden and for sharing your veggies with me! :)

So, when I got back to RVA last Sunday evening, I sautéed some zucchini in olive oil with minced garlic and onion, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Then, I sprinkled some grated parmesan and shredded swiss/gruyere on top (b/c cheese makes everything better, right? ;)

All week since then, the rest of the zucchini and squash had been staring me down every time I walked through the kitchen...I knew I needed to use it, but I had dinner plans with friends and other things going on after work every night, so I either wasn't home to make dinner, or I only had time to scarf down something quick like a bowl of Special K. So, the veggies continued to sit on my kitchen counter, and I continued to feel guilty for not using them yet.

After spending most of today in Williamsburg visiting my dear friend Leanna, my plans to visit another great friend in Yorktown afterward fell through, so I headed back to RVA. Coming back early meant that I no longer had any Saturday night dinner plans...which doesn't happen very often, haha. I realized this meant that I finally had an opportunity to use the zucchini and squash! Woo-hoo!  But I also didn't feel like going out to the grocery store, so I consulted my trusty cookbook that I began compiling in college, and perused my squash/zucchini recipes for something that only required ingredients that I already had on-hand.

Sure enough, I came across a simple Summer Squash, Zucchini & Rice Casserole recipe that I don't think I had made in at least 2 years, maybe longer. So, what better time to break it out again!

Summer Squash, Zucchini & Rice Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded (reduced-fat) Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup reserved
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1/8 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Dice zucchini and squash.

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mix well.

Pour into 9-inch square baking dish (greased with baking spray).

Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and middle is set.

Hope some of you might find this helpful if you are also looking for ways to use your garden veggies. Next time, I want to try swapping out the cheddar for some type of gourmet cheese, but cheddar is what I happened to have on hand today.

Okay, I was out late last night yacht rockin' with some good friends at Tobacco Company for the Three Sheets to the Wind show, so I'm turning in early tonight....early for me being midnight haha.

Night y'all and keep cool! :)

Another culinary experiment...veggie lasagna in a slow cooker?

So, I've officially been at my new job for over a month now! Having read my blog and hearing me discuss how much I enjoy trying out new recipes when I have time, my boss mentioned to me the other day that I could feel free to bring my cooking/baking experiments into the office anytime. Hint hint! Hehe :)  So, last Tuesday, I brought in a batch of homemade peanut butter balls (which I chose mostly b/c they are usually a hit when I bring them to parties/events and they don't take very long to make)...turned out to be a bad idea, as half of our office seems to be on a diet. Most of my coworkers were good sports and "splurged" by eating just one, but my fellow JMU alums ended up being the beneficiaries of the leftover PB balls when I brought them to our RVA Dukes chapter meeting that evening. So, note to self...avoid bringing in baked goods until everyone is finished with dieting...although I guess bringing them in after the fact would counteract the progress they already made...hmmm.

Anyway, I decided to embrace my veggie-ness and introduce them to my vegetarian cuisine. The first idea that came to mind was veggie lasagna, so I conducted an office poll to see which veggies were favorites or dealbreakers. After compiling that imperative information, I started making my grocery list, then realized I couldn't exactly bake the lasagna at the office (no oven, obviously), and baking it ahead of time then reheating it in the microwave would be totally unacceptable, as that method would detract from the quality of the finished dish. Thus, I figured I should plan to make something that I could assemble the night before and then cook in a crock pot at work so it would be ready in time for lunch. Having never tried to make lasagna in a slow cooker, I wasn't entirely sure it would work, but a quick google search convinced me that it would. Thus, here's the recipe that I concocted (as well as I remember it, at least :P)

Veggie Crock-Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles (uncooked)
• 1 large jar of tomato sauce (I use Prego Light Smart and doctor it up with some additional spices)
• 1 small jar light alfredo sauce (or make your own)
• 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese (or Italian blend), shredded
• 1/4 cup, plus 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 - 15 oz. containers low-fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• Chopped veggies of choice (I used carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, fresh spinach, & onions based on my co-workers' likes/dislikes, but other veggies that I like to add include bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, & tomatoes
• Black peppercorns, parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and garlic (adjust amounts to your liking)

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with non-stick spray to save yourself some scrubbing later ;)
2. Chop veggies and season with your favorite spices. Set aside.
3. Cover bottom of crock-pot with tomato sauce.
4. Place a layer of dried lasagna noodles over the sauce (break noodles until they fit.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of parmesan, egg substitute, black pepper, parsley, and garlic.
6. Spread one layer of ricotta mixture over the noodles.
   
   



7. Layer 1/3 of veggies over the ricotta layer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Cover veggies with alfredo sauce.
   
   



9. Then, sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese over the alfredo sauce, followed by another layer of tomato sauce.
10. Continue layering noodles, ricotta, veggies, alfredo sauce, mozzarella, and tomato sauce until the crock pot is full (or until you run out of ingredients), ending with a final layer of noodles, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
    





I ran out of alfredo sauce for my last layer, but no worries! This recipe is totally flexible, so I just topped the last veggie layer with mozzarella, followed by tomato sauce, noodles, ricotta, tomato sauce, and more mozzarella.

11. If prepping ahead, remove interior crock, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Remove 30 minutes prior to cooking, in order to allow the crock to return to room temperature.
12. Cook on low setting for 4-5 hours, or until noodles are soft and veggies are tender. Feel free to add extra mozzarella 30 minutes prior to serving.

Bon appetit! :)

Another fave restaurant to add to the list...Stella's!

Oh, brunch...that amazing dining option that combines two meals into one, is usually only served on weekends, and allows you to sleep-in or otherwise go about your morning and still be able to enjoy scrumptious breakfast food late into the afternoon.

Anyone who knows me very well (or who has read almost any of my blog posts), is probably well aware that brunch is my absolute fave meal, hands down! I just love going out for brunch with family and/or friends on the weekend!  Especially in the spring and summertime!  As if I didn't already have enough fave brunch places in Richmond (Selba, Can Can, Bonvenu, and Mimi's Cafe, just to name a few :), one more was added to my list this weekend! This morning, I had plans to meet one of my best friends and fellow foodies (who just so happens to write a fantastic food blog, appropriately named The Richmond Foodie), for brunch at Stella's.  She had been there for dinner, but not for brunch, and I hadn't been there at all, but I was eager to try it out after hearing rave reviews from several friends.  We met there at 10:00 am, right when the restaurant opened, and were immediately seated at a table by the front window, which provided a lovely view of Lafayette Street for our dining pleasure. As usual, I did my homework and perused Stella's Sunday brunch menu ahead of time, so I was already pretty sure that I was going to order the Tsoureki Vyssino. (No worries, I didn't even attempt to butcher the pronunciation). What is that? You may ask. Well, it's a ridiculously delicious and extravagant version of french toast....but calling it french toast doesn't even begin to do it justice. The menu description reads "Greek Easter bread french toast with almond, topped with sour cherries, toasted pistachio, & whipped Greek yogurt."  It was also served with a side of maple syrup, but the abundance of toppings basically rendered the syrup unnecessary (and this is coming from someone who tends to drown her waffles/pancakes/french toast with syrup!). Okay, if your mouth isn't watering yet, I must not be doing an effective job of describing this delectable brunch creation...and since a picture is worth a thousand words, take a look for yourself! :)

Stella's Tsoureki Vyssino

Amy ordered the Stella's Crab Benedict - jumbo lump crabmeat, Artisan rolls, asparagus, and topped with sundried tomato hollandaise. I didn't get a picture of her meal, but she said it was excellent. 

So, take it from two, mid-twenty something, Richmond foodie blogger friends - Stella's Sunday brunch is fantastic! The food is high quality, the atmosphere is charming, and the servers are friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Also, Amy and I had A LOT of catching up to do, as we hadn't seen each other since her wedding 2 weeks ago. So we ended up sitting there gabbing for nearly two and a half hours! (no worries, there were a few empty tables available or else we definitely wouldn't have taken up a table for that long). Yet, our server never once tried to rush us out or make us feel like we had overstayed our welcome. 

In short, if you haven't yet been to Stella's, you are missing out and need to make it happen ASAP! (And if you need someone to go with, give me a call and I'll be happy to accompany you! :)

Oh, and in case any fellow vegetarians out there were wondering, Stella's brunch and dinner menus are both definitely veg-friendly! Can't wait to go back for dinner!

Have a great week, y'all! :)

Beginning a new chapter...and putting my SMAD degree to good use! Exciting times! :)

The past few weeks have been a crazy (but exciting) whirlwind of events, so now that I finally have a free moment as the weekend is winding down, what better time to blog about it!

This past April marked 2 years since I started working at the OAG. 

On April 23rd, I received a pleasantly unexpected call from a recruiter to see if I might be interested in a video production position with a company in Innsbrook.  He called me back later that afternoon to schedule an interview. I went in for the interview at Yukon Group, Inc. on April 26th...and was offered the position of Digital Media Specialist on April 27th!  I was super ecstatic about this new opportunity, but (as usual) wanted to get Mom, Jon, and some friends to weigh in with their thoughts/advice before I made a definite decision. They all reaffirmed what I was already leaning toward, and both of my small groups had been praying for an opportunity like this to come along....coincidence? Absolutely not!  On April 28th, I happily accepted the position! :) 

My work friends threw me a farewell breakfast last Monday for my last day...and yes, all of the food was vegetarian! :) Shockingly, they didn't serve bacon....well, not exactly, but I'll get to that in a minute...

Both of my bosses offered some heartfelt remarks, then the AG presented me with a commending resolution for my time at the OAG. 

(Please excuse the terrible quality of the pics...my camera apparently wasn't on the correct setting and my friend didn't know how to zoom in, so they turned out pretty out of focus, but you'll get the gist...)

The AG presented me with my OAG resolution.

 I won't bore you with all of the lines, but I'll give you a taste of the more lighthearted/funny ones (Many are inside jokes, so if you're curious about any of them, just ask and I'll be happy to give you the background story):

• Whereas, Juliana has greatly expanded the vocabulary of OAGers, to include great descriptors like "awesomesauce" and "lamesauce";
• Whereas, Juliana inspired many in the office with her renditions of "Veggie Burger in Paradise" and "Don't Stop Believing";
• Whereas, colleagues now refer to "rabbit food" as "Juliana food";
• Whereas, her wardrobe has built up a tolerance among the staff for flashy heels, purple, and pink;
• Whereas, Juliana's enthusiasm for good cuisine has broadened the culinary tastes of senior staff and the entire OAG with her pescatarian lifestyle and expansive taste in hummus; she has even made tofu and soy nuts sound appetizing;
• Whereas, Juliana showed unparalleled JMU pride through her constant promotion of her alma mater's purple and gold;

Giving my impromptu going away speech...

So, I mentioned earlier that bacon wasn't exactly served at the breakfast, however, it still made an appearance of sorts...

"Gummy Bacon"...I think my reaction says it all! Haha!

My last day at the OAG was certainly a bittersweet one...while I was sad to be leaving such great friends and coworkers, I was also very much looking forward to starting my new career!  The next morning, I headed to Innsbrook for my first day at Yukon!  My new boss and coworkers are wonderful and immediately made me feel welcome as a part of the team.  Now, with my first week in the books, I know I still have a lot to learn in my new role, but I am already enjoying being a part of such a talented and motivated creative team!  I'm so excited (and also very grateful) for this fantastic opportunity to put my SMAD degree to good use while shooting & editing video, working with social media, etc.  It really is a blessing to be able to work in a field that you're passionate about, doing something that you enjoy.  And the adventure is only just beginning!  I can't wait to see what's in store with each new day!

On that note, I should probably aim to hit the sheets soon so I won't have to hit the caffeine as hard as I have been recently. Hope you all have a fabulous week! G'nite!

"I said I think I'll go to Boston..."

Last Thursday, I took the train up to Connecticut to visit one of my best friends and her fiancé for an extended weekend. On my way up there, Avie asked me if I would be interested in spending a day visiting Boston....neither of us had been there before, but it was on both of our to-do lists, so I eagerly jumped at the opportunity!  We spent most of Saturday walking around and seeing the sights, but I definitely want to go back and spend more time there! Boston certainly ranks near the top of my favorite cities list! Here are some pics I took during our visit!  Enjoy! :)

Street acrobats...very impressive!

Sultan's Delight - a Turkish/Mediterranean lunch spot that we happened upon...good find!

Falafel, hummus, & tabbouleh pita sandwich....yes, please!

John Adams Courthouse

When seafood and comfort food meet...

Knowing that it was my turn to bring an entree to my Tuesday night City Group this week (we have a potluck dinner every week and rotate which part of the meal each person is responsible for), over the weekend, I started contemplating what I might want to bring. Being a vegetarian (okay, for this post I suppose I should clarify that I'm actually a pescatarian...), it's always a challenge to come up with a main dish that will appeal to a group. Some of my all-time favorite dishes to make include spinach manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and veggie lasagna...and they elicit rave reviews from certain crowds, but when some of my friends hear the word "spinach" or "eggplant" or they see colorful veggies in any dish, they quickly steer clear. Then, there's also the issue of needing to make something that can be prepped the night before so I can just pop it in the oven as soon as I get home from work.

Having recently found a recipe for Crab Mac 'N Cheese that I'd been wanting to try, I decided to give it a shot. I mean, mac 'n cheese is always a crowd pleaser, and this recipe steps it up a notch by incorporating crab meat and fontina cheese. As usual, I rarely follow recipes step by step, since culinary creativity is my favorite part of cooking, so the recipe at the above link served as the base idea to start from, but my tweaks/additions are included in the recipe below....bon appétit! :)

Baked Crab Mac 'N Cheese

Ingredients:

·       1 pound cavatappi pasta, plus 1/2 cup macaroni

·       3 Tbsp. Promise spread (or other lower fat butter/margarine)

·       2 cups fat-free half & half mixed with 2/3 cup light cream

·       1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·       1 tsp. kosher salt

·       1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

·       1/2 tsp. ground mustard

·       1 Tbsp. Old Bay

·       1/2 tsp. garlic powder

·    1/4 tsp. white pepper

·    1/4 tsp. thyme
·       1/2 tsp. parsley

·       1/2 tsp. kosher salt

·       1 1/2 cups medium cheddar, shredded

·       1 block of fontina (1 1/2 cups shredded)

·    1/4 cup gruyere cheese

·       2 (6 oz) cans crab meat, drained & flaked

·      1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

·      1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

·   1/2 tsp. paprika

Shred/grate the fontina cheese.

Preheat oven to 375. Set a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook pasta for about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse, set aside.

While pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream until the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and stir in cayenne, mustard, Old Bay, garlic powder, white pepper, thyme, parsley, and salt.

Stir in cheese until it has all melted, then stir in crab meat.

In a large bowl, stir pasta and the cheese sauce/crab mixture together, mixing well.

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the mac-n-cheese into the dish. (If making ahead, stop here and refrigerate overnight).

Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan together and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle with paprika, then spray all over with butter flavored cooking spray for a final touch.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is browned and mac-n-cheese is bubbly.

Serve and enjoy!!