Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Punxsutawney Phil gets a bad rap. He is just a cute little groundhog who gets blamed for a prolonged winter if the sun happens to be out.

Whether you want to blame Phil or Mother Nature, the cold weather is sticking around a bit longer. For me that means creating warm and comforting soups like this one, which combines hearty squash with a hint of sweet apple.

No fancy ingredients or complicated cooking, just a simple saute with nutritious food.

Warm your cold winter chills with this Fat and Happy Squash and Apple Soup and let Phil live out a peaceful spring at Gobbler's Knob.

Cheese Grapes and Champagne Gelee

You can't have too many appetizer recipes, you just can't. Hummus is great but it isn't exactly elegant, and how many times do you feel the need to 'take watch' to ensure no double-dipping is going down?

These adorable little cheese-stuffed and covered grapes are cute and require one bite, a bonus for those times you don't want to carry around a plate with you (you need those hands for drinks and shaking.)
When I put this tray together I wanted something special on it - like edible flowers. But since we are in the midst of a polar vortex, even non-edible petals are hard to come by, that wasn't going to happen.  The tray didn't really need more food on it, but it needed just a little something to set it apart. The guest of honor and I have a penchant for Champagne, I began to look for ways to incorporate.

Yes it was a fancy and stylish party and yes, jello shots (or in this case gelee) fits right in. These aren't the nasty little neon jello shooters you get from a half-naked girls at the local club. These Champagne gelee cubes are light, tender and the perfect accompaniment to the grapes. Just a little square or two is needed; though a couple of us polished off the remainder of the pan in record time later in the night.

Below I've listed two flavor options for the grapes and a couple of options for how to put them together too. My goat cheese and lemon with toasted pine nuts version is super lovely while the more traditional blue cheese and walnuts arrangement is just a classic taste combination. In both cases, the grapes are a wonderful sweet vessel for the ingredients.

Take your next appetizer tray to a new level with Fat and Happy Grapes and Champagne.

Arugula and Prosciutto Appetizers

Quick and easy appetizers that are both gluten and dairy free don't have to be lame on taste. How many times do you stand at a snack table and see the same boring offerings of crackers and cheese? Or fattening dairy dips?

Next time bring your own noshes to table and say goodbye to the cracker box. These tasty Arugula and Prosciutto morsels offer a little spicy crunch from the arugula, a touch of salty from the prosciutto and a hint of sweet from the jam. The last time I set these out among a plethora of other goodies, they were the first to go.

Keep yourself fat and happy with these simple nibbles.

Gluten Free Chickpea Flatbread

This amazing gluten free flatbread recipe can now be found at my Happy Eats Healthy site- where we talk all things that heal the body.

Gluten Free Chickpea Flatbread

Gluten Free Chickpea Bread, Flatbread, Socca, Farinata, Skillet Bread, Crepe Bread, no matter what you call it, it's delicious!

Kumquat Martini (Moroccan Punch)

I have Morocco on my brain; could be because we are heading there in a few months.  So when a friend asked me to cater and give cooking classes for her birthday dinner, it should be no surprise that we ended on a Moroccan theme.

We will greet guests at the door with little jars of soup to tantalize their taste buds. Chickpea skillet bread and braised chicken follow later. By the end of the night, everyone will want to join in the Morocco trip.

No party is complete without a signature drink (and every birthday girl should have one.) This drink was born the moment I saw the kumquats at the store. Kumquats are an interesting little fruit that felt Moroccan to me at the time, so I went with it. They are similar to a tiny orange in some ways. The outside peel is bitter, the inside is a little sweet. It makes for a lovely entrance drink that set the tone for the night. And one that I will make again.

For a little extra effect, I made giant cubes of ice studded with mint, kumquats and clove, one for each glass. It completes the look and offers added flavor as the ice ball melts. A total Fat and Happy party extra.

Nutty Snack Bar

Recently I led nearly 20 people through a detox resulting in healthy glowing skin, weight loss, reduction of inflammation, improved digestion and happier attitudes among a plethora of additional benefits. During this detox we gave up all processed foods; it was important to cook most, if not all, of our own food.

Healthy, homemade snacks became important as we noshed on clean foods like carrots, hummus and avocado. Towards the end of the detox I yearned for something that is a little bit like a treat and I wanted a snack I could take with me on the go. That's when I tossed this recipe together and it really hit the spot.

These bars come together in a snap. Use whatever ingredients are in your pantry and cut them to whatever size works best for you. I like to make little bite-sized pieces for when I'm at home, but I cut some into a bar size to take on the go with me. Always remember moderation is key with all foods, these tasty little snacks can become addictive so it's best to portion them out

Great for a work or school snack, perfect for a plane trip or during a long sports day, these Fat and Happy Snack Bars will keep you going without gluten, dairy or refined white sugar.

Poached and Roasted Spicy Cauliflower with Whipped Avocado Hummus

Cauliflower may not be the sexiest vegetable out there but it has its moments; this is one of them.

Poached in a spicy, lemony broth, then roasted till crispy on the edges, kissed with salt and then dredged through a luscious avocado hummus- it is to die for.

The original recipe came from Epicurious but it didn't work for me. I needed to remove all the dairy and wine (damn detox), which comprised a lot of the ingredients. But this gave me the perfect opportunity to recreate this recipe into one that is simply divine and healthy! Dave isn't a cauliflower fan but he gave this two thumbs up; actually thought there was cheese in it because it was so rich and fulfilling. We ate the entire head of cauliflower standing at the counter, with the photo lights still on.

Cauliflower is rich in nutrients (vitamins B's & C, fiber and folic acid) and, even though I don't believe in calorie counting, this in low in them. The olive oil and avocado fill you up with good fat and the chickpeas sneak in protein.

When you bring the cauliflower out of the oven set it right on the table, it sizzles and bubbles and creates this enticing suspense. The tender stems with a just the right amount of crunch from the roasted edges will make everyone go wild!

Serve this Fat and Happy delectable showpiece at your next dinner party and be prepared to share the recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ribbons with Spinach

Inspiration for new recipes comes from many places- old books, restaurants and often from just seeing an image. Such is the case in today's recipe.  To be honest I'm not even sure when or where I saw this particular image, but it has been in my mind for some time.

We roast butternut squash all the time, often in the form of small cubes. So why not make ribbons out of the raw squash and roast the ribbons? I could see the argument the moment I picked up the squash to make the ribbon- it's not so easy to make ribbons out of big, heavy, shapely gourd. However, if you cut the squash into manageable size pieces you will find the ribbons are quite easy to make.

The result is a wonderful mix of tender roasted squash with charred crunchy edges. The spinach, cheese and lemon give the dish structure. This is one of those recipes that is just simple, but really tasty and satisfying. I actually ate my plate standing at the counter; never even made it to the table.

Try roasting some squash ribbons for a fun, stand up kind of recipe. I think you are going to like this Fat and Happy one.