Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage Leaves & Pancetta

Annie sent over this recipe as a suggestion for a great side dish that was sure to be a family pleaser... and it certainly was!!! I will definitely be making this often. We served this with some grilled steaks and grilled onion (BBQ season is in full force after all). In fact the roasted garlic made an excellent spread for the grilled steaks! So delicious... thank you Annie!

Keep up the great work, Annie... we're headed to the Games! :-)

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 bulb garlic, separated but not peeled

2 oz. pancetta, thinly sliced and chopped

Fresh sage leaves, about 16, whole

2-1/2 T olive oil

2-1/2 T 100% maple syrup, organic

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel, seed and cube butternut squash (about 3/4 inch cubes). Place in a baking dish or roasting pan with the whole head of garlic (separated, but not peeled). Toss with olive oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes (until squash begins to brown... turning once). Sprinkle chopped pancetta and scatter the sage leaves evenly over the squash. Continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes (until squash and garlic is tender and caramelized). Enjoy the roasted garlic cloves by themselves or spread over your steak or vegetable. Yummy.

~recipe from The Barefoot Contessa

Apple and Onion-Stuffed Pork Chops

As a kid, I really didn't like pork chops much... I always remember them being dry and chewy! As an adult, I have come to really enjoy them! And as a Paleo enthusiast... I love their versatility in a recipe! Tonight's dinner was one I found on the Food Network (and made only minor changes). We completely enjoyed this (even the kiddos)... So, I give this a "highly recommend" rating.

Now, if we could only figure out who gets the (1) leftover chop for lunch tomorrow?!?

... Ro Sham Bo?

Recipe:

4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick

2 slices bacon, roughly chopped

1 large sweet onion

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and thinly diced

olive oil

2 T pineapple juice & 6 oz pineapple juice

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. ground sage

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

ground black pepper

pinch sea salt

1 T fresh parsley

1 T fresh lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently cut a pocket horizontally in the side of the pork chop. Season the outside of the chops with some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. In a skillet over medium heat, saute the bacon. When it starts to crisp, add the onions, thyme and sage. Cook until onions start to caramelize (about 10 minutes). Pour mixture in a bowl. Add apples and 2 T pineapple juice to the bowl and mix well. Stuff each pork chop with the mixture and secure the opening with toothpicks (there will be leftover filling). In the same skillet, add olive oil to coat pan and heat to medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes. While pork chops are cooking, add pineapple juice to skillet and deglaze pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until it reduces (about 5 minutes). Add leftover apple, onion and bacon mixture to skillet. Add lemon zest and fresh parsley. Pour sauce over the pork chops and serve! YUM! :-)