With football season in full swing, I’m always on the lookout for dishes that make game day snacking fun, but don’t leave you with a “snack hangover”. This black bean salsa is a great choice to bring to a tailgate or party…or just to whip up before the Saturday afternoon game.

Full of fiber-rich black beans and colorful fresh veggies, this is one party dish you can feel great about serving. After all, it’s basically a salad! Just keep the chips to a reasonable portion and you’re all set.

Ingredients:

1/2 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 large yellow pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 roma or hot house tomatoes, diced
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder

Directions:

1.  Mix all ingredients together, chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

2.  This is also great served over grilled chicken, pork, or salmon.

If you were to assemble a grocery list of classic fall ingredients, you just may start with butternut squash, gorgonzola cheese, and toasted walnuts. Pumpkin would make the cut for me, as would Honeycrisp apples, and brussels sprouts. I’d need a little prosciutto and definitely some fresh sage.

It doesn’t take much to usher a new season into your kitchen. But this dish will do it with panache. The flavors blend beautifully and you’ll taste fall in every bite.

As for me, I’ll be pouring a glass of red wine, taking my plate outside, and persuading my husband to build a fire in the firepit. Bring it, October.

Butternut, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Cavatappi

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

4 cups (1/2 inch) cubed, peeled butternut squash ( 1.25 pounds or buy it precut to save time!)
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking Spray
8 ounces uncooked cavatappi (other pasta will work but these are so cute!)
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup 2%  milk, divided
1 teaspoon flour
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (you can use blue if you prefer)
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
Fresh Italian parsley for garnish

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425°.

2.  Combine squash, 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring once.

3.  Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain pasta; keep warm.

4.  Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Stir in 1/2 cup milk, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, flour and yolks in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Slowly add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk.

5.  Combine squash, pasta, and milk mixture in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Garnish with parsley.

As you learned in my last post, we’ve been singing the Little Mermaid soundtrack around here for weeks now, so maybe that’s why I have seafood on the brain. Four hundred renditions of “Les Poissions” and “Under the Sea” will do that to a girl. But you just might thank me, because these Seared Scallops are to-die-for.

You’ll cook this dish in two steps – first the white beans and spinach and then the scallops which go on top. The end result is warm and rich with flavor (thanks, bacon!) and yet takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Top that!

Seared Scallops with White Beans and Spinach

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 strips lean bacon, chopped into small pieces
1/2 red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cans white beans (14 oz each) rinsed and drained
4 cups baby spinach
1 lb large sea scallops
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon butter
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

1.  Heat a medium saucepan over low heat.  Cook the bacon until it has begun to crisp.  Add the onion and garlic; saute until the onion is soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the white beans and spinach and simmer until the beans are hot and the spinach is wilted.  Keep warm.

2.  Heat a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.  Blot the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Add the butter and the scallops to the pan and sear the scallops for 2 or 3 minutes per side, until deeply caramelized.

3.  Before serving, add the lemon juice to the beans.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide the beans among 4 warm bowls or plates and top with scallops.