beet risotto

http://tinyurl.com/49y7nd

Baked Acorn Squash

1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Using a strong chef's knife, and perhaps a rubber mallet to help, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.

3 Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half.

4 Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving. Spoon any buttery sugar sauce that has not already been absorbed by the squash over the exposed areas.

Serves 2 to 4, depending on how much squash you like to eat.

from Simply Recipes

Dried Apple Slices

I have been making dried apple slices for my kids alot lately. They are so good and don't last! And they make the house smell wonderful. They are SO much cheaper than the ones you get at the store and chemical free! I base my technique on the following link. The only difference is that you do not have to use any sugar. Not needed at all!

Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch of Kale de-veined and chopped in thin strips
good olive oil
juice of 1/2 -1 lemon (depending on preference)
smashed and chopped garlic
salt

drizzle olive oil on kale until lightly coated. sprinkle on lemon juice to taste. same with garlic and salt.

you can also omit the garlic and add in a handful of dried cranberries and pine nuts.

Nutrional Value (from Wikipedia)

Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory.^[1]

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as warfarin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. This effectively raises the effective dose of the drug.

Kale, as with Broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties, particularly when chopped.^[2]