Lasagna: Revamped for Summer

One normally thinks of lasagna as a warm, hearty winter meal. Usually made with a tomato sauce, loaded with meat, cheese, a good lasagna can warm you even on the coldest nights. I decided to throw this common expectation of lasagna on its head, and make a fresh summer lasagna, featuring veggies and herbs associated with the warm summertime.

Parchment Paper Steamed Fish

A very interesting way to prepare food is by steaming in parchment paper. You can toss all of your ingredients in a pouch, pop it in the oven, and once done, you've got a beautifully presented, delicious and healthy meal. It also makes for very easy clean up. Parchment paper cooked fish is a very fresh and tasty meal that has a very nice aesthetic.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Squash is the fruit of fall (technically the gourd of fall). I love the warm and sweet taste of squash, and it’s mild flavor works really well with any seasoning and any other ingredients. Butternut squash has such a nice flavor on its own that little is needed to make a really tasty dish with it. For this dish, I did a very simple preparation, and the results were full of flavor.

An Ode to Autumn at the Beach

The flavors of Fall are warm, rich, and crisp. This past weekend, I went down to Cape May to relax with my girlfriend, and I made a dish that celebrated both autumnal and beach side ingredients. I chose scallops over butternut squash soup with a crisp apple slaw. The warmth of the squash blended perfectly with the caramelized scallops, and the apple brought a bright flavor to cut into the rich soup and shellfish.

A (Kind of) Spooky Halloween Meal

This Halloween, I was not really in the dress-up spirit. I normally come up with an original idea for a costume, but for some reason, this was not my year for good costume ideas. The impromptu snowstorm on Saturday didn't help matters. Instead of coming up with some half baked idea, I decided to channel my creativity into creating a Halloween themed meal. I decided on roasted and mashed butternut squash, crispy purple kale chips, and stuffed calamari with blueberry sauce.