Living La Vida Holoka


Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley

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This Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley is a simple side dish made with a rainbow of fall veggies like potatoes, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, mushrooms, and more!

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After my last trip to the farmer’s market, I had a bunch of vegetables that needed to be used.  I also had a full container of butternut squash from my Hungryroot box.  It’s obvious, with my latest veggie picks, that I am saying good-bye to summer produce and welcoming in all of fall’s beautiful fruits and veggies! Who knew that I had a rainbow just sitting in my fridge!

Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley

 
This roasted vegetable medley recipe gives me all the fall vibes! It’s full of colorful and delicious seasonal veggies. It’s a simple side dish, but sometimes the simplest dishes are the ones that end up being the most satisfying.  This roasted veggie medley is warm, comforting, and goes well with just about any of your favorite fall dishes! 


After chopping all of my veggies and herbs, I added them to a large mixing bowl and drizzled them with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.  I used just enough olive oil to coat my veggies so they would they would brown up nicely and get a crisp, golden edge.


I prepared a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the veggies evenly onto it.  Then, they went into the oven, at 400 degrees, to roast to golden perfection!


Give the veggies a flip halfway through cooking so they’ll roast evenly.  Cooking time may vary depending on how golden and crispy you like your veggies.  I cooked my veggie medley for 50-60 minutes because I like those super dark bits.  If you like your veggies a little lighter, bake for 40 minutes. 


Plate the roasted veggies and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, if desired, and you have an easy fall side dish that’s colorful and delicious! 

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Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley

Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-large red potatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 small red onion, sliced into half moons
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
  • 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add the chopped veggies and herbs to a large bowl.
  3. Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
  4. Spread the veggies evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake veggies for 40-50 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and golden brown around the edges.
  6. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired, and serve.
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If you really want to up your veggie medley game, give this a drizzle of balsamic glaze.  Or you could really go crazy and add some crumbled bacon! 

I know that it might seem a little too early to talk about Thanksgiving, but this would make a killer Thanksgiving side dish!  Easy, too! And it will add a beautiful rainbow of colors to your holiday spread! 


Every single one of these veggies is in season right now, so take advantage!  Hit the farmer’s market and enjoy this simple fall side dish! 

Did you make this Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake

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Looking for an easy weeknight dish full of fresh and flavorful ingredients and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese? This Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake is it!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.


It’s finally happening!  Cooler mornings and evenings have replaced sweltering days and nights.  It’s been a blissful fall preview that has me craving fire pit nights (I’ve already had a few), hoodies, and warm meals like big bowls of soup and pasta.  All I’ve wanted lately is a pile of pasta on a plate.

And pumpkin, but we’ll get to that some other time. 

My craving for pasta is noticeable once you open the cabinet holding our dry goods, revealing about three full boxes of pasta in all different shapes.  My favorite seems to be rotini.  I mostly use Banza rotini thanks to my Hungryroot box.  It’s a chickpea pasta and the corkscrew shape isn’t just fun to eat, it grabs all of that saucy goodness in your dish!  That’s why I like using it in pasta bakes! 

Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake

 
Sure, it’s easy to crack open a jar or can of tomato sauce.  But I wanted to use fresh tomatoes in this pasta bake.  An homage, if you will, to our garden tomatoes that are seemingly on their way out for the season.  Another sayonara to summer that’s had me sneaking in some store bought tomatoes while we wait to see if the rest on our plant ripen. 

Despite all of the tomatoes I used in this recipe, this pasta bake isn’t really saucy, but it has a lot of bulk and fresh flavor.  Along with fresh tomatoes, I also added in some fresh baby spinach that I picked up at the farmer’s market, onion from our garden, garlic, and sausage. 

Grocery shopping every three weeks has me loading up on meat for our freezer.  Needless to say, we have quite a few portioned bags of sausage right now.  But sausage made a perfect addition to this fresh and delicious pasta bake!  It added great flavor to it while making it a meaty dish you can really sink your teeth into!


Making this dish is simple.  Cook the pasta just until it’s al dente, drain, and set it aside.  Since I had sausage links, I created my own crumbles by removing the sausage from the casings and browning and crumbling it in a skillet.  Once it was cooked, I removed it from the pan. 

In that same pan, I added in my onion and garlic and stirred in the tomatoes.  Once they softened and starting breaking down, I added in some herbs and spices.  At the very last minute, before adding the sausage and pasta into the pan, I added my spinach and cooked it just until it wilted. 

Then, I mixed everything up, spooned it into a casserole dish, and topped it with mozzarella cheese.  Then, the pasta went into the oven and cooked until the mozzarella got nice and melty and started to bubble, but not brown.  It was fresh, cheesy, and delicious! 

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Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake

Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. box rotini pasta
  • 4 sweet Italian sausage links
  • 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tsp. fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp. fresh basil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Crushed red chili pepper flakes, just a pinch
  • 1-1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Salt a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Drain pasta and set aside.
  3. Remove sausage from casings and heat in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Break up the sausage into crumbled pieces and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet.
  5. Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook just until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook until the tomatoes start breaking down. Then, add in the herbs, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  7. Add the sausage and pasta into the skillet and stir to combine.
  8. Spoon the pasta mixture into a casserole dish.
  9. Top with mozzarella cheese and cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starts to bubble.
  10. Serve immediately.
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I was honestly a little nervous to serve this for dinner the night I made it.  My husband isn’t the biggest fan of sausage or “soggy,” AKA cooked, vegetables.  But I was pleasantly surprised when he put a heaping serving on his dinner plate and wanted leftovers for lunch the next day! 

Did you make this Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Pasta Bake recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup

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Get ready for soup season with this simple, flavorful, and nutritious Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup made with a tomato broth base and Italian herbs and seasonings!

This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.


A couple weeks ago, I had a major craving for soup.  It was in the mid 80’s, but I still warmed up a container of lentil soup and slurped it down for lunch.  It was so good, but after finishing off my bowl, I was absolutely sweating!  My soup season celebration started a bit early and even through the “OMG! I’m so hot now,” it was still worth it! 

The temps are still fluctuating between mid and upper 80’s, but there’s no denying that those fall vibes are trickling in.  I’m ready.  I’ve been ready!  So while it’s still a bit warm outside (I mean, it is still summer), I’m preparing for those crisp, cool days by stocking my freezer with some of my favorite soups.

Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup

 
This soup might be a new favorite!  It’s so simple, but so flavorful!  And filling, too, despite the fact that there are only two ingredients giving this soup its bulk – kale and chickpeas!  This soup is also made with a tomato base and loaded with great Italian flavors like garlic (lots of garlic!), onion, and a medley of herbs and seasonings. 

The tomato base is made with vegetable broth, water, and a can of crushed tomatoes.  It’s a broth that would work well in all kinds of tomato based and Italian soups, like this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup.  Not only does the vegetable broth make this soup a delicious vegetarian meal, I actually prefer it to meat based broths.  I think it has a better flavor. 

I also added a bit of lemon juice and zest to the broth.  It gives the soup an extra boost of flavor and a bit of brightness.  It kind of rounds out the flavor of the broth in a really nice way. 


Kale is one of my favorite greens to use in soup.  Like spinach, it will wilt during the cooking process, but not as much.  Still, you would be better off buying a larger bunch of kale to use in soups.  All of that gorgeous green is full of antioxidants and vitamins!  Of course, you’ll get more of those vitamins eating raw kale, so save some to make a delicious kale salad! 

Chickpeas are also a healthy choice for soup!  They’re an excellent source of plant-based protein and loaded with vitamins and fiber.  Chickpeas are also very filling, which is why one bowl of this soup will leave you feeling completely satisfied! 

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Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup

Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium-large bunch kale, cleaned and torn into pieces with stems removed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 - 32 fl. oz. container vegetable broth
  • 1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 - 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 lemon, juiced + zest
  • 1 tsp. Italian herbs
  • Pinch crushed red pepper
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add olive oil.
  2. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s just about wilted.
  3. Add the garlic and onion, cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Then, add the chickpeas.
  4. Carefully pour in the vegetable broth, tomato sauce, and water.
  5. Then, zest in the lemon and add the lemon juice.
  6. Stir in the seasonings and bring soup to a boil.
  7. Let the soup boil for a couple minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer.
  8. Cook for at least 30 minutes.
  9. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese crisps, or freeze in containers.

Notes

To make Parmesan cheese crisps: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add grated Parmesan in small piles onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool completely. Then, serve with soup as a garnish.

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This recipe made four 32 ounce containers of soup for me (give or take a bowl or two I couldn’t help eating right away). 

I served this soup with some Parmesan cheese crisps.  A totally optional topping, but that added saltiness and crunch is so good!  Make a bunch and keep them in an airtight container to toss onto soups, salads, or even a cheeseboard! 

Did you make this Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Soup recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad

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If you love your pizza piled high with toppings like meat, cheese, and veggies, you’ll love this Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad made with pepperoni, veggies, mozzarella cheese, and other pizza inspired flavors!

This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.


What’s your favorite kind of pizza?  While I won’t turn away a hot and bubbly slice of plain pie – or any pie for that matter – I really love a good slice of pizza piled high with veggies, meat, and cheese!  You get a little bit of everything in every bite!  Plus, I like to think that adding veggies to pizza makes it healthier, meaning I can have an extra slice!

We’re a big, pizza loving family.  We have pizza every Friday night and my entire family makes their own pies – there’s no delivery here! So while I was trying to think of a side dish that would stretch throughout the week, I instantly thought about making a pizza style pasta salad.  Then, I thought about making a loaded pizza pasta salad with veggies, pepperoni, and other pizza inspired flavors. 


Pasta salad is one of my go-to sides to make when I don’t have much else in the house.  As long as you have a box of pasta, some cheese, veggies, and a bottle of salad dressing, you can make a pretty delicious salad!  Plus, pasta salad always lasts us a while.  It not only makes an excellent side, but an easy, cold lunch during the summer months!

I usually make my pasta salads with tricolor pasta to give it a little more color.  But it’s actually been hard to find since the pandemic started.  Weird.  Right?  So I’ve been using chickpea or whole wheat pasta instead.  It’s not as colorful, but it works just as well!  

Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad 

 
Making pasta salad is really simple.  After cooking my pasta, I let it cool and chop up the rest of my ingredients.  For this salad, I used pepperoni, black olives, onion, a large green bell pepper, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes.  I also cut about half of a small block of mozzarella into cubes and finished the salad with Italian dressing.

I finish most of my pasta salads with a bottle of Italian dressing.  It adds just the right amount of zing!  I also like to keep a little extra dressing on the side to refresh the salad when needed.

Like most pasta salads, this salad gets better the longer it sits and soaks up every bit of flavor.  So if you want to whip it up a day ahead of time, go for it!  I would just suggest saving extra dressing for the next day.  You’ll be surprised at how fast the pasta salad soaks up the dressing! 

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Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad

Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. rotini pasta
  • 1 stick pepperoni, cut into quartered pieces
  • 6 oz. black olives, sliced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 16 fl. oz. bottle Italian dressing
  • Optional: fresh basil, fresh oregano, Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package.
  2. Rinse with cold water, allow pasta to cool, and add to a large bowl.
  3. Add the pepperoni, olives, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, and mozzarella to the pasta.
  4. Pour in the Italian dressing and stir.
  5. Serve pasta salad with fresh basil, oregano, and a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano cheese, if desired.
  6. Store up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
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Serve this salad with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese, on top and some fresh basil and oregano leaves.  If you want to be bold and add a little kick, sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes onto the salad, too! 

Did you make this Loaded Pizza Pasta Salad recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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