Greek-style Garlicky Shrimp with Feta

Two words: MAKE. THIS.
It's incredibly flavorful and saucy, so it's delicious served with warm crusty bread. Or serve with a simple salad on the side. Or put on little toasts and have a great appetizer. It doesn't matter to me. Just make it.

From Panning the Globe

Ingredients:
~3 lbs. peeled and deveined shrimp (you can leave tails on, but we took them off for easier eating)
~4 tbs. unsalted butter
~8 garlic cloves, finely minced
~6 tbs. lemon juice
~1 tbs. chili powder
~1 tsp. salt
~10 oz. crumbled feta cheese
~olive oil
~crusty bread slices for serving

1. Chop butter into pieces and scatter around the bottom of heavy pot or dutch oven.
2. Scatter half the shrimp over the butter.
3. Sprinkle half the garlic, half the parsley, half the chili powder, and half the salt over the shrimp. Drizzle 2 tbs olive oil over the top.
4. Arrange the rest of the shrimp on top and sprinkle on the remaining garlic, parsley, chili powder, and salt.
5. Drizzle 2 more tbs olive oil on top and cover.
6. Heat pan to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes or until shrimp have lost their raw color.
7. Pour in lemon juice and scatter the feta cheese on top.
8. Baste shrimp with a few spoons of sauce from the bottom of the pot and gently jiggle pot to distribute sauce.
9. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and cook another 8 minutes or until the feta is just melted.
10. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.

Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale & Goat Cheese

This can be a smidge (or alotta smidge) time-consuming, but I promise it's worth it. You can save a little time by using store-bought dough, but I'm including the recipe Evan (our in-house pizza maker) swears by. As far as doughs go, it's about as easy as you can get.
The pesto can include any color beet, but I'm partial to orange ones, so that's what we used.

Dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Pesto/Pizza recipe from The Roasted Root

Ingredients:
For the dough:
~1/2 cup warm water
~1 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
~1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~1 tsp salt
~olive oil for coating
~1/4 cup cornmeal

For the pesto:
~1 cup beets (1 medium beet of any color) chopped and roasted
~3 cloves garlic
~1/2 cup pistachios (you can also use pine nuts or walnuts)
~1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
~1/2 cup olive oil
~2 tsp. lemon juice
~salt

For the pizza:
~2 cups kale leaves, thinly sliced
~1 and 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
~2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

To make the dough:
1. Preheat oven to 225. Keep warm for 5 minutes then turn off.
2. Pour water in a bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Add flour and salt to mixture and stir until a rough, craggy dough forms.
4. Place dough on counter sprinkled with cornmeal and knead until the dough becomes smooth.
5. Coat a glass bowl with olive oil and add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the warm oven for 30 minutes.
6. Take out of oven and let sit while you prepare the pesto.

To make the pesto:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Wash and scrub the beet and pat it dry. Peel and chop it into 1/2 inch cubes. Wrap beets and garlic in foil and make a foil packet.
3. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until beets are soft and juices are seeping out.
4. Allow beets to cool completely.
5. 6. Add all ingredients except oil into a food processor and pulse several times.
7. Leaving the food processor running, slowly add oil until the ingredients are well combined.

To assemble the pizza:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Roll out dough and put on pizza stone dusted with cornmeal. Bake for 6 minutes with no toppings and remove.
3. Spread pesto over crust. Add kale leaves, top with mozzarella and finish with goat cheese. (the kale will cook down in the oven)
4. Bake pizza for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Gnocci with Sage and Cheese Sauce

Resembles a thick, gooey, mac & cheese. Definitely worth a try.

From Culinary Ginger

Ingredients:
~1 package gnocci
~4 tbs. unsalted butter
~2 cups chicken stock, warmed
~1 cup Fontina cheese (you could also substitute Gruyere), grated
~1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
~6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
~pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare gnocci according to package instructions
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat
4. Whisk in flour until it turns golden brown, about 3 minutes
5. Add Fontina and Parmesan and stir until melted
6. Stir in sage, nutmeg, and gnocci and transfer to a baking dish
7. Bake for 15-20 mins until the top is golden brown and bubbly (I would recommend a minute or two under the broiler for that yummy brown cheesy goodness)

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

All the yumminess of enchiladas thrown into one pot for an easy dinner.

From Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients:
~2 tsp. olive oil
~3 cups butternut squash - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about a 2 lb. squash)
~salt and pepper
~1 medium yellow onion, diced
~3 cloves garlic, minced
~1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
~1 tsp. cumin
~1 tsp. chili powder
~1 15oz. can black beans
~8 yellow corn tortillas, cut into thick
~1 15oz. can red enchilada sauce
~1 cup colby jack cheese or chihuahua cheese, shredded
~cilantro, avocado or guacamole, and sour cream for serving

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet (cast iron would be great - I used my dutch oven)
2. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook for 2-3 mins until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add squash, cumin, and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook until squash is fork-tender, about 10-13 minutes.
4. Mix in black beans, tortilla pieces, and enchilada sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese.
5. Turn on broiler (500 degrees)
6. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts and tortilla edges become golden brown.
7. Serve immediately topped with cilantro, sour cream, or avocado/guacamole

Slow-Cooker Pork and Black Beans with Fresh Salsa

Bright, fresh, and super easy. If you want to add another layer of flavor, sear the pork before adding to the slow cooker.

From Real Simple

Ingredients:
~1 15oz. can black beans
~3/4 cup fresh orange juice
~3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
~3 cloves garlic, chopped
~1/2 tsp. ground cumin
~1/2 tsp. dried oregano
~1 and 1/2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder or butt, trimmed and cut into 2 pieces
~salt and pepper
~1 cup white rice (we always use basmati - it has a great flavor/texture and cooks up nicely every time)
~fresh salsa, avocado, queso fresco, and cilantro for topping

1. Combine beans, orange juice, broth, garlic, cumin, and oregano in slow cooker. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place on top of the liquid. Cover and cook on low until pork is tender - about 7 hours.
2. Transfer meat to a platter or bowl and shred. Return to the slow cooker.
3. Cook rice according to package directions and serve topped with meat and additional toppings.

Black Bean Soup & Toasted Cumin Seed Crema

A rich and smoky soup - everything you'd want in a black bean bowl of goodness. You can make the crema or skip it, but I would recommend giving it a try. We ate this the first night as a soup with some naan on the side and the second night over rice with pico de gallo, queso fresco, and avocado. Absolutely delicious both ways.

From Smitten Kitchen, with some tweaks by me

Ingredients:
~1 tbs. olive oil
~2 medium red onions, chopped
~1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
~1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped (make it easy on yourself by chopping peppers and onion in a mini food processor!)
~4 cloves garlic, minced
~4 tsp. ground cumin
~2 tbs. smoked paprika
~1 16oz. package dried black beans
~1 tbs. chipotle chiles in adobo (I remove the seeds from them before I chop - also add about 1 tsp. adobo sauce for that smoky flavor)
~7 cups chicken stock
~2 tbs. lime juice
~2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
~1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

For the crema:
~1 tbs whole cumin seeds
~1 cup Mexican crema or crème fraiche (you can sub sour cream or plain yogurt if you can't find it)
~salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a 5qt. or larger Dutch oven or soup pot.
2. Add onions and bell peppers and sauté until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika and stir one minute.
3. Add beans and chipotles, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a full boil for one minute and then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Partially cover pot and cook until beans have softened - about 2 and a half hours. If not quite soft, let them cook another half hour.
5. Make the crema (if using): place cumin in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Toast until slightly golden brown and place in spice grinder or use mortar and pestle and grind until coarse. Stir into cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Use an immersion blender to partially blend soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer two cups of beans to a blender or food processor to puree and then return to pot.
7. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.
8. Serve in bowls and top with crema (or sour cream/yogurt) and any other toppings you'd like.