Squash, how I love thee.. Let me count the ways! Seriously, squash is one of my favorite things about fall. It comes in many shapes and sizes, has tons of nutritional benefits and can be baked lots of different ways.

I picked up some acorn squash and made this hodgepodge dish with kidney beans, diced tomatoes and zucchinni.

The one thing I dislike about squash is cutting and cleaning it. It is such a pain, but the end result makes it all worth it. I kept the flavors simple and just brushed the acorn squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. To roast the squash, I heated the oven to 400, lined a baking sheet with foil and placed the squash cut-side down on the sheet. It baked for about 45 minutes. While the squash was baking, the rest of the ingredients were simmering on the stove.

My abosolute favorite squash is butternut and combined with one of my favorite dishes, you have butternut risotto. Not the healthiest dish, but much better than some of the heavy cream, butter laden risotto recipes that are out there. Did you know you can make it in a pressure cooker and not stand at the stove for 40-plus minutes stirring?

Here’s a recipe similar to the one I used, but I subbed Sam Adams Octoberfest for the wine. Very fall, no? You’ll want to add the cubed and peeled squash when you add the onions.  I was a little concerned that it was going to fail since I never used a pressure cooker before, but my mom showed me how. Who knew it was good for something other than pot roast? My first risotto dish was a success and I’m sure I’ll be cooking up more risotto dishes in the future.

I’ve also been baking some fall desserts, those to come soon!

Today is the Marine Corps Marathon, a race I ran last year. Sadly, I didn’t sign up for a fall marathon this year and I somewhat regret it. I was extremely burnt out on running after last year’s race and upset that I missed my goal time by 15 minutes that I sorta gave up on running completely. With the move and other stress, I did not sign up for my marathon training group in Boston.

I’ve been trying to get back into running, but I realized me and running casually just don’t sync. I need a race, a goal, training plans and a running group. And running short distances don’t really do it for me either. I don’t really hit my groove in running until after the first few miles. The first two miles are always miserable for me.

And running now is scary. I’m slow and out of breath. I get that burning feeling in my chest and in my quads – I look at my watch and realize I’ve only been running two minutes. Pittsburgh is hilly so each run nearly kills me.

But, I love running in the fall and hearing the leaves crunch under my feet. I love switching from running skirts to running tights weather. I love passing by the other runners – they actually smile back and say “hi” here. I love rediscovering my neighborhood on my own two feet. I love finishing a run and feeling accomplished. I love that my body gives me the ability and the strength to run.

Luckily, I’ve got a good group of runner friends here in the ‘burgh so I can start training more consistently again. Nevermind the fact that I’m running in a half-marathon relay next weekend, my training has been inconsistent, but we both knew that going in. And maybeeee a 5k the weekend after that if I survive next weekend.

I’m going to tackle the Pittsburgh half-marathon in the spring, especially since there should be lots of running groups here training for that. I have my sights set on Chicago next fall or maybe New York if the lottery comes through. I’ve been rejected by NYRR two years in a row and three rejections in a row gets you an entry, so I’ll run it by 2011.

Its not all for naught, my little “break” introduced me to spinning, shredding and pilates. I eat healthier. I think I’m more in shape this time around as I get back into running. Its going to be a long road back, but I’m looking forward to the journey.

Happy Friday! I finally got over my sickness and I am feeling better. So looking forward to the weekend! I was thinking about the foods I grew to love and wanted to highlight some of the ways I love eating them. First up, black beans!

This week, I had a craving for black bean soup. Usually I just combine black beans, broth and spices, but I wanted to kick it up a notch this time around and add some more veggies. So I combined:
*2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
*2 cups veggie broth
*Garlic
*1 can of diced tomatoes
*1 green pepper, chopped
*1 onion, chopped
*Sprinkling of oregano and chili powder

I sauteed the green pepper, onion and garlic, then added the remaining ingredients. I let it simmer on the stove for about 45 minutes before eating. I’ll probably add more broth next time to make it more soupy.

Another favorite use for black beans is something I got from an issue of Women’s Health a long time ago. Its easy to make, but a little messy to eat. This sad, little picture doesn’t do it justice (flat food does not photograph well, no?), but its good for part of a simple lunch-dinner.

You’ll need:
*1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
*1 can of diced tomatoes
*Garlic (I usually use about 2-3 cloves)
*Cumin
*Cooking spray
*Cheese (I usually use whatever shredded kind I have on hand)
*Whole wheat tortillas

On the stove, combine the black beans, tomatoes, garlic and cumin on medium heat. Stirring occasionally, let this sit on the stove for about 5-10 minutes. Next, you’ll want to spray a cooking pan with some cooking spray and place the tortillas on it. Load half of it with some of the mixture for the stove, top with cheese and place it in the oven. I typically use the broil on my toaster oven. Flip over when the tortilla starts to get a little brown and crispy. When the other side is done, its ready to eat.

Do you use canned or dried beans? I’ll admit, I am in the habit of using canned beans – it really is just so much more convenient and I can stock up when its on sale. I also try to use fresh tomatoes when I can, but again, the diced is just so much more convenient and I prefer to save my fresh tomatoes for my salads and sandwiches. Part of the convenience factor stems from living with roommates for the past four years – I lived in apartments with at least four other people and fridge space was scarce. Its a hard habit to break, but I’m going to make an effort to use dried beans.

Hope everyone had a good Friday and an even better weekend!

On Friday before I started feeling the effects of the sickness that is going around, I whipped up a batch of blueberry muffins. My mom has a bag of dried blueberries she is trying to use up from Costco – they taste way too sweet and fake alone, but when baked in muffins they don’t taste as bad.

I used Alton Brown’s recipe (posted below) and they turned out decent. This is only the second or third time I’ve used cake flour and I like how it makes the batter light and fluffy. They have pancake tops and are a little dry, but I may have added too much flour. Next time, I’ll probably use whole what flour instead, but I’m not sure what will happen to the texture.

Somehow on Saturday I managed to get in a 3-mile run and then proceeded to be lazy for the rest of the weekend. I think I have nipped this not a cold, not the flu thing in the bud and hope I’m feeling more like myself this week.

Got any blueberry recipes? Got about 3 cups to use up and don’t want to make something blueberry-intense like a blueberry buckle.

Alton Brown’s Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
12 1/2 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heavy pinch salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Vegetable spray, for the muffin tins

Directions
Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients reserving 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with the blueberries. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Add 1 cup blueberries to mixture and stir 3 more times. Reserve the 1/2 cup of blueberries.

Using a #20 ice cream scoop, add the mixture to greased muffin pans. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of berries on top of muffins and press down lightly. Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and turn out, upside down on tea towel to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Today as I was eating my awesome Black Bean soup (recipe to come soon), I got to thinking about the foods I disliked growing up, but eat now on a regular basis. Yay for being adult and growing out of the picky eating stage!

Foods I hated, but now LOVE:
* Spinach
* Salad
* Olives
* Mushrooms
* Mustard
* Beans – black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans
* Nuts

Foods I dislike and still dislike:
* Beets
* Radishes
* Brussels sprouts
* Sauerkraut
* Baked beans
* Yellow American cheese that is not melted

There’s still a chance that the beets, radishes and brussels sprouts will move into the love pile – I believe its all in how they are prepared. Maybe I’ll get adventurous one day and try to cook them.

What foods did you dislike growing up, but grew to love?