Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more pumpkin.

Seriously, cannot get enough. I'm thinking of doing a 31-days-of-pumpkin cooking challenge; I think I could incorporate it into 1 meal every day and be ecstatic with the results. 

This recipe is super easy (start to finish in like 30 minutes), and the flavor is so unique.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb pre-cooked smoked turkey sausage link, sliced
• 1 tbsp fennel seed
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• handful of fresh spinach
• 2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• whole wheat pasta

Start bringing your pasta water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium/medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes until golden. Throw in the sliced sausage, fennel and paprika and cook until it starts to release some moisture and brown. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, yogurt and broth and mix until smooth. Add more or less of any of those ingredients to get your desired taste/texture. Add in the saucepan, bring to a slight boil, reduce and simmer until the pasta is finished. Throw in a handful of spinach and freshly grated nutmeg and stir. Finally, add the cooked pasta, combine and serve! 

Spicy Bechamel Pasta

This is a very simple pasta dish based on one of the classic French sauces--Bechamel. It's relatively easy to make and tastes light years better than any pre-made white sauce out of a can or package. We paired with salad and leftover grilled pork chop.

Spicy Bechamel Pasta Recipe: 

• 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
• 1-2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt, black and cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 onion, diced very finely
• 1 fresh cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 pkg thin spaghetti, cooked

Melt the butter or margarine in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour until clumped and then pour in the milk. Whisk together. Add in the garlic, onion and fresh pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce, add seasonings and simmer for about 15 minutes or until thickened to your desire. Toss in the pasta and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Pasta Bake

Here I go again with the Thanksgiving food...

This dish actually wasn't planned out to be Thanksgiving themed; however, a quick exploration of the fridge and pantry led to its creation. Darn tasty too! Sorry about the one (and only) terrible photo.

Thanksgiving Pasta Bake Recipe:

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red chilies, diced (optional)
• 2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt, black pepper
• 1 tbsp Greek oregano
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary 
• 2 cups chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 pkg cooked spiral pasta 
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1/2 can water
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, add ground turkey, garlic, chilis, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium until turkey is cooked through and garlic has softened. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. 

Pour into 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil and bake in oven until warm and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

The turkey + fennel seed + cranberries really do make this dish taste like a Thanksgiving spread!

Carrot Green Pasta with Salmon and Stuffed Tomatoes

Okay...there's a lot involved in the preparation of this meal (well more than most of my recipes) so I suggest dedicating a good hour or two. The meal itself is actually quite simple, highlighting the natural flavor of some great, fresh ingredients. But because there are two different things to bake at different temperatures AND a pasta to make, it requires some serious shuffling. If you happen to have a double oven, then good for you, this meal is no longer that involved. I definitely overcooked my salmon and the pasta came out kind of dry (sad face), but I adjusted the time for the recipe so it should be good now. Next time I'll probably just make either the stuffed tomatoes OR the pasta so one does not get sacrificed. Or just hope for the double oven some day :)


Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe:

• 3 large vine tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 tbsp chiffonade basil
• 2 tbsp grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Baked Salmon Recipe:

• 2 salmon fillets
• salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 lemon

Carrot Green Pasta Recipe: 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large carrots with greens  (remove tops, set aside and dice carrots)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1/2 lemon
• green onions, olives, extra olive oil to taste

To begin the stuffed tomatoes, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and garlic begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes (about 1-inch thick) and core the inside, reserving the flesh and juices in a bowl. Set tomatoes hollow-side down on a plate to drain excess liquid. Place in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. To prepare the salmon, wash, pat dry and place in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, freshly grated pepper, cayenne pepper and Italian seasoning. Squeeze the lemon over the top and then slice the lemon into strips and place on top of the fillets. Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly flaked.

While the salmon is cooking, prepare the vegetables for the pasta. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, garlic, allspice, fennel, salt and pepper. Cook on medium low until the carrots get tender, about 15 minutes.

While the carrots are cooking, bring water to a boil for the pasta. When ready, add the pasta and cook according to package. While the pasta cooks, toss the carrot greens into the pan with the carrots to cook a little. You may need to add more olive oil to keep from browning.

By now, the salmon is probably finished so take it out of the oven but keep the foil on. The salmon will stay hot. Turn the oven to broil and place the 3 tomatoes (without tops) hollow-side up in a small baking dish and place in the oven for 1-2 minutes, just enough to wrinkle the outside skin.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, mushrooms mixture, basil, cheese and enough of the reserved tomato flesh+liquid to soften the stuffing a bit. Take the tomatoes out of the oven, fill with mixture, top with freshly grated cheese and place the tops on. Put back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine the cooked pasta with the carrots and greens. Add the liquid from the salmon, 1/2 lemon juice and sliced salmon. Garnish with green onions, olives and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with a stuffed tomato.

Phew! Wipe the sweat off your brow and enjoy the simple, yet delicious flavors of this meal.

A Pasta Experiment Gone Wrong

I ventured over to the clearance section of the grocery store the other day and saw packages of King Soba Sweet Potato and Buckwheat Noodles for 50 cents. I love sweet potatoes, so thought they would be a delicious and unique alternative to the usual pasta.

Unfortunately upon tasting, I soon realized they are not very good. Maybe it was because they were almost expired (hence the clearance) or maybe it was because they only contained 5% sweet potato (as I discovered on the label after I purchased). I guess I'm just not a fan of buckwheat. My boyfriend, who I thought would HATE them, actually really enjoyed it.

Go figure.

Anyway, the badass honey-mustard-curry chicken I made to go along with the pasta made up for the weird noodles. In the future, I would recommend eating it with a whole wheat noodle or maybe spaghetti squash.

Sweet Curry Chicken and Noodles Recipe:

• 1-2 skinless chicken breast
• 1 tbsp oil (I used a hot pepper oil, but any would work)
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp curry powder (yes, just the generic stuff)
• 1 tbsp applesauce
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• dash of salt, black pepper and Sriracha

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse and pat dry the chicken; lay in baking dish. Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Adjust according to preference (more honey for sweeter, more Sriracha for spicy, etc.) Pour over chicken, cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Serve with gross buckwheat noodles and assorted veggies.

Grilled Steak and Pasta Salad

The sun is shining, the weather's warmer and spring has sprung.

I don't know about you, but that just makes me want to sip a cold beer and grill somethin'.

I live in an apartment and don't have a grill, which makes this a little more difficult, but luckily the complex has a relatively nice brick charcoal grill. Yesterday was my first attempt at starting a charcoal fire myself and after about 30 minutes, it worked.

Threw on my favorite steak (sirloin) and paired with a cold pasta salad that I made earlier that day. Fast and no post-dinner dishes. Win.

Grilled Steak and Pasta Salad Recipe:

• MEAT (I used 2 sirloin steaks, but grilling possibilities are endless)
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• 1 pkg Farfalle pasta
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/3 cup green peas
  
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/3 cup assorted olives, sliced
• 2 pepperoncinis, sliced (reserve juice for pasta)
• fresh basil
• salt, garlic powder, black and cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
  
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• feta cheese

First, prepare your grill. If you have a gas grill, even better. If you're doing charcoal, place the coals in a pyramid stack, douse with lighter fluid, wait a minute to soak and then light. Ideally you want to light from the bottom to let the coals burn more evenly. I didn't really know what I was doing so I just added more lighter fluid here and there until the coals started turning grey. When they're smoldering, throw on your steaks. I just like salt and pepper on mine; my boyfriend adds some olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side (for rare).

Now for the even easier dish: pasta salad. Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain, pour into large bowl with a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking and let sit.

Saute the shallots in a little olive oil with some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until caramelized. Remove from heat and toss into pasta. Add more salt and black pepper to taste, along with cayenne and garlic powder. Place in fridge for about 20 minutes to let cool. Then add the remaining ingredients and put back into fridge until ready to serve. BAM. Done.

Spinach Pesto Pasta

More green stuff!

Maybe it's because it's almost St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it's because I have a lot of fresh spinach that I don't want to go bad. Regardless, this spinach pesto is the the bomb. Use whatever veggies and meat you have in the kitchen to go along with it.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Recipe:

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 lemon, squeezed
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp chicken broth
• 2 tsp red chile flakes
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 1/4 lemon, squeezed
  
• 1/2 pkg whole wheat spaghetti
  
• green onions, olives, banana peppers (optional)
  

Blend the first set of ingredients together and set aside. Place the chicken breast in a small baking pan and season with Italian spices, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and place in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, throw in the asparagus and squeeze with lemon juice. Place back in oven for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions. When finished, drain, add pesto and asparagus and top with sliced chicken. Add fresh cheese, scallions, olives, etc.

Spaghetti and Meat-less Balls

Okay, okay, just to clarify: I am not a vegetarian. I eat meat frequently, just not every day. Mainly because I don't think it's necessary in a meal. Plus having to create balanced meals without meat is a creative challenge.

I think my favorite meat-less ingredient to play around with is chickpeas. They have such a versatile flavor, texture and application. I use them in place of flour in baking ALL the time, and it's a great way to add valuable protein to dessert. Tonight, I wanted spaghetti and used the same process I did for the falafel to make chickpea balls. It was very good too! Though after the fact, I definitely altered the recipe to what I think would be a more desired taste and texture.


Spaghetti and Meat-less Balls Recipe:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 heaping tbsp fennel seed (to get that wonderful Italian sausage flavor)
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup green olives, sliced
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

• 1 pkg spaghetti, cooked according to package

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Throw the first set of ingredients in the blender, minus the bread crumbs, and blend. A food processor would be better. After the mixture is well incorporated, add the breadcrumbs and mix by hand. Lightly grease a muffin tin and scoop out the chickpea mixture in meatball sized portions. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Add the canned tomato, fresh tomato, paste, chicken broth and seasoning. Stir and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. You could leave the sauce at this consistency, but I wanted a thicker marinara type of sauce. I also wanted to use one of my new favorite kitchen gadgets: the immersion blender. Blend it all up, throw in the olives and return back to a simmer.

Once the pasta is finished and meat-less balls are cooked, combine everything and garnish with green onions and Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese.

We Got The Beets

♫ Ooo eee ooo killer tofu ♫

Remember The Beets from Doug? What a great band; I wish they were real.

I digress.

So tonight the pantry and fridge were quite bare, save some carbs and vegetables.













I noticed a can of pickled beets that I purchased...mmm...about 8 months ago and wondered what I could do with such a delicious, yet odd commodity. The dialogue in my head was as follows:

"Rice again? Nah. Ooo Orzo pasta. I've never cooked this before. Yes, yes...Orzo pasta with pickled beets and an assortment of random ingredients!"

Uhh..MAZING! I never knew pickled beets were so delicious when warm and mixed with random stuff.

My boyfriend and I eat a "Stuff Pasta" once a week. We actually call it "Stuff Pasta." It's a great (cheap) way to utilize fresh vegetables. Usually it's thin spaghetti or bowtie with caramelized onions, garlic, whatever green vegetable we bought that week, fresh tomato and green onion and shaved Asiago cheese.

This week, I made a Stuff Pasta that we have never had before and DAMN, it was good. And pretty. Full of healthy ingredients right in the pantry. I can't think of a snappy name for this dish; it involves too many things.

Stuff Pasta (Orzo with roasted chickpeas, veggies and beets) Recipe:

• 1 pkg Orzo pasta

• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 broccoli crown, stem diced and separated from florets
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp Greek Oregano
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper

• 1 can pickled beets, drained
  
• 1 fresh tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• Drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the garbanzo beans, broccoli stems, onions and garlic slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, peppers and Greek oregano. Mix so all the veggies are coated and roast for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take a spatula and move the veggies around to cook evenly. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting during the final 10 minutes, cook the Orzo pasta according to the package directions.

Now attend to the broccoli florets. I chose not to roast with other vegetables because broccoli florets tend to get brown and crisp really fast in a hot oven. I threw them in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water, salt and pepper, covered with paper plate and microwaved for about 3 minutes. (Contrary to popular belief, microwaving vegetables with a lid is actually a healthy method that retains the nutrients.)

When the Orzo is finished, drain and return to pot. Drizzle some olive oil and pour in the roasted mixture, broccoli florets and pickled beets. You'll notice the entire dish suddenly takes on a lovely fuchsia hue from the beets. Garnish with fresh tomatoes and green onions.


An award-winning Stuff Pasta, if I do say so myself. And my boyfriend, who often gawks at vegetarian meals, loved it too.

Sloooooow Cooker Stroganoff

You know what the best smell in the world is?

No, not Office Max or new leather...

Beef slowly cooking in warm seasoned liquid for 10 hours.

Ooooo yeeeeeeah.

This lovely aroma only graces the presence of modern day homes once in a blue moon, but with the ingenious invention of the slow cooker, heaven just got a little closer.

In keeping with the theme of receiving awesome cooking gadgets for Christmas (see previous cake-wich post), I just HAD to post a meal that I made in my brand new Crock-pot.

One of the top five favorite meals of my childhood is my mom's beef stroganoff. Aside from a blanket or my fuzzy kitty, it's probably the next thing I'd want to snuggle up closely to.

If you own a slow cooker, you should definitely try out this dish.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe:

• 1-2lbs London broil beef, cut thinly
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, diced or thinly sliced
• 4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp brown mustard
• 1 cup sour cream
• 12 oz. egg noodles, cooked and drained
• Fresh parsley for garnish
  

Dredge the beef strips in the flour and seasoning mixture. Place coated strips in the slow cooker and add onions, mushrooms, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Add the sour cream, stir to combine well and cook for another 5 minutes. Spoon over cooked egg noodles and garnish with parsley.
It really, really doesn't get much better than this.