More Pumpkin!

I think I love pumpkin more everyday. Just one more recipe with pumpkin before its time to start making pies.


Is it time to start making pies yet?

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta & Shrimp
With Sauteed Peas
Serves 4

4 cups whole wheat pasta
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 pound shrimp, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 small yellow onion, diced

salt and pepper

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to directions. Meanwhile, defrost shrimp if frozen in cool water.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion with a pinch of salt and saute until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and add peas, cooking until peas are heated through, at least 4 minutes. Season generously with pepper.

In another skillet, heat remaining teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt and pepper, and cook until the shrimp are just pink, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain. Add pumpkin, milk, and parmesan to pot and heat over medium until the cheese has begun to melt. Stir pasta and shrimp into pumpkin mixture, adding reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency. 

Serve pasta with peas and enjoy!

So what about some knitting?

There are two little ones on the way that I had the privilege to knit for this last week. 

Baby V will be warm and well-dressed in this adorable Shrug Bug. I have been waiting to use this pattern for a long time and I absolutely loved it! A fast, easy pattern in chunky yarn makes for instant results. 

Baby R will also be warm and toasty in Baby Sophisticate, another pattern I have been waiting to work on for a little one. Another quick knit! Can't wait to see these little ones all dressed up!

Shrimp Bisque

The colder weather today had me searching for something delicious and warm. Shrimp Bisque sounded like a perfect solution.

Shrimp Bisque:
Serves 2 + leftovers

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups fish or vegetable stock
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 pound shrimp
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium stock pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux

Cook over low heat until brown and fragrant, at least 5 minutes

Whisk in 1 cup of the stock and turn the heat down very low 

In another pan, saute the onions and carrots in spray oil with a pinch of salt over medium heat

Roughly chop the shrimp

Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they just begin to turn pink

Stir in the pumpkin and crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer

Add the shrimp mixture into the pot with the roux, stirring in the remaining 1/2 cup of stock, oregano and freshly ground pepper.

Over medium heat, return soup to a simmer then turn off the heat. 

If you would like your bisque to be a little more smooth or creamy, there are always options. For smooth bisque, simply puree the vegetables before adding to the roux and chopping the shrimp into smaller pieces. For creamy bisque, stir in a touch of sour cream or plain yogurt after turning off the heat. 

Serve soup with crackers and enjoy!

Speaking of crackers, I couldn't resist making these delicious & easy snack crackers. These crackers are another memory. They best warm and fresh out of the oven. I remember noshing on them before big meals and licking my fingers of all the garlicky goodness.

You just need 1/4 cup vegetable oil, a bag or box of oyster crackers and a salad dressing mix. You can use Italian for a little sweeter of a snack, Ranch for a savory snack, or your favorite mix.

In a medium bowl, toss the crackers with the oil to coat. Stir in the dressing mix and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Toss the crackers at least once to prevent them from burning.

Store them in an air tight container for up to a week. They'll be gone soon!

Delicious Memories

October keeps me so busy. 

These kids are so worth the crazy schedule, early rehearsals, football games & competition weekends.

We get the best sunrises out in the Valley!

This has definitely been a season to focus on the sunrises.

And I've probably had way too much fun using the Camera+ app on my iPhone. Fun!

Now that October is almost over, its time to head back into the kitchen. 

Fall weather & planning menus for the Holidays makes me think of my Granny. When it came to Gran, recipes were memories & memories are recipes. 

This is my favorite memory.

Italian Sausage Artichoke Soup

Serves 4

1 large can diced tomatoes

2 cans quartered artichokes

1 pound Italian sausage - chicken, turkey or pork, ground or links, take your pick

1 yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a skillet, cook onion with a pinch of salt until it begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage and red pepper flakes and saute until cooked through. If using ground sausage, leave in bite size chunks. If using links, roughly chop or slice them when they are browned and finish cooking until they are no longer pink. Drain sausage and set aside. 

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot or crock pot, heat the tomatoes, artichokes, garlic and oregano. Set the crock pot to medium or low for six hours, then to the warm setting until you are read to eat. Add the sausage to the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot!

Enjoy this soup with a fresh slice of whole wheat bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If you don't want your soup to be so spicy, go easy on the red pepper flakes. This soup is always better on the second day, so make up a double or triple batch for excellent left overs. Mix and match sweet and spicy Italian sausage, have fun and make your own memories. 

What are your favorite memories?

Two Healthy Meals vs. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Two healthy meals to help balance out these ridiculously amazing cinnamon roll pancakes.

Baked Blackened Tilapia:
Serves 2

2 pieces fresh tilapia
1 1/2 tablespoon blackening seasoning

You can pick up blackening seasoning at the store or make your own:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Mix all ingredients together. Multiply the recipe to make a large batch to keep on hand. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes, adding more or less pepper.

Heat oven to 400 degrees & place a skillet or stoneware piece to cook the fish in the oven to heat, as well.

Pat the fish dry and season generously with blackening seasoning on both sides. Spray the baking pan with just a touch of canola or olive oil & lay the fish on the pan.

Bake until just cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.

Serve with beans & rice.

Blackened fish is typically sauteed in butter, but this lighter version offers all of the same flavor with out the extra calories.

Creamy Lemon-Chicken Pasta:
Serves 2

2 chicken breast cutlets
1 small yellow onion
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, washed
1 cup whole wheat penne
1 teaspoon garlic
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt & pepper

Brown chicken in saute pan over medium heat with a spray oil, season with salt & pepper. Cook about 5 minutes each side, set aside & cover.

Add a touch more oil to pan if necessary & cook the onions & asparagus until just softened, about 4-5 minutes. Give the veggies just a pinch of salt. Add pasta & garlic & cook 1-2 minutes. Add water & cover, cooking 6-8 minutes longer until the pasta is tender.

Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips or shred, depending on your preference.

When the pasta is done, add chicken, squeeze lemon juice over pan & remove from heat. Add yogurt & stir to mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!


Ahhh yes. Now for the gooood part.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:
I cannot claim any genius, this recipe came from Recipe Girl & you can find her recipe here. Yes, there are even such things as Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

If you would like to ease up on the white flour & add some whole wheat to your pancakes, try the batter recipe available here. You can omit the pumpkin spice if you'd like.

Instead of using a cream cheese drizzle, I opted for creamy plain yogurt. These pancakes are certainly sweet enough on their own & don't require much syrup. The taste of the cool yogurt is great with these delectable pancakes.

Extra Good Tip:
There's also a lot of yogurt talk goin' around. Greek yogurt, incredibly creamy & delicious, can be expensive. My momma found a great way to get a thick yogurt from a tub plain non-fat yogurt.

Layer a couple of coffee filters in fine mesh sieve and set in a bowl. Scoop out all of the yogurt into the sieve, cover, & let set in your fridge over night. The extra liquid will drain out & you are left with a thickened yogurt. Just clean out your tub & scoop the yogurt back in. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins & More

Without any further ado, Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins. 

Yes, they are just as delicious as they look. Martha comes through again -- the recipe is available here. This recipe came in an Every Day Food mag last fall & it is just incredible. They will go fast!

More fun with food this week, Grillin' Cupcakes:

Our friend Brooke always makes the most wonderful birthday treats for her husband & this year it was Grillin' Cupcakes. I had the best time helping her create these fun cupcakes! A few double cheeseburgers & skewers full of veggies!

This week has also been full of fun knitting projects! I enjoyed seeing sweet Lily this week & she is the first little one to have a Breezy Baby headband.

Lily was also kind enough to model a project for another little one on its way. Babies & owls are just too cute.

These Breezy Baby headbands were up for auction today at Rock the Runway, a benefit for the Kyrie Foundation at Firefly Yoga. Little ones can flaunt their flowers for a great cause.

Taco Tuesday & More

Taco Tuesday
Wacky Wednesday
Fajita Friday

Any other suggestions?

Taco Tuesday:
Less about tacos, more about taco seasoning. My dear friend Liz shared this recipe for taco seasoning that I love! Make up a large batch & keep on hand for every Taco Tuesday.

1 T chile powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 T salt
1 T black pepper

Add more or less red pepper flakes depending on your tastes. Season up some ground turkey for some great tacos!



Fajita Seasoning:
Can't go wrong with fajitas. This recipe calls for more cumin for added smokey flavor. Try adding some fresh corn to your usual fajita mix.

3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. ground red pepper 

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. paprika

1 t. cumin

1 t. salt

Fajita Soup: 

Serves 4

This isn't quite a taco or tortilla soup, but equally delicious. The cooler weather today had me dreaming of soup & here we are. 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a stockpot. Add 2 chicken breast pieces, cut into cutlets. Season with salt & pepper & cook until browned & cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. 

Remove the chicken, set aside on a plate & cover. In the same stockpot, add 1 medium onion, chopped & add a pinch of salt.

Cook until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 can black beans, rinse & drained, & two ears worth of fresh corn (or about 1 cup frozen). Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pan begins to get hot again. 

Add a good teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin & 1 tablespoon cilantro. Slice or shred the chicken & add back to pan with about 3 cups of water. 

Let the soup come to a rolling boil, drop the heat to a medium-low & simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in a handful or two of reduced-fat cheddar-jack cheese & put the lid on. Give the cheese just a few minutes to melt. Serve immediately & enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

What wonderful weather we've been having! To celebrate the beginning of the fall season, we had pumpkin spice pancakes for breakfast this weekend. How delicious! This recipe was too good to hold onto any longer.

Serves 2 -- you can easily double the recipe to feed more

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats, ground -- use your coffee mill to grind into a flour or use whole oats

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

2/3 c. milk

1 egg

1 T. vegetable oil

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium. Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk egg into milk & vegetable oil & stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for a few minutes until your skillet is toasty. The batter can easily be adjusted for thicker or thinner pancakes. Just stir in a tablespoon at a time of milk or wheat flour. 

Cook up your delicious pancakes. Enjoy with maple sausage!

Chicken & Dark Chocolate

Chicken & Dark Chocolate.

No, not together. But delicious. And a two-fer. One whole chicken, one basic recipe & two completely different tasting dinners.

Ready? GO!

Start with a whole chicken, about 3-4 pounds. Bake or grill your chicken before hand -- rinse &  pat dry, then cut down the backbone & separate in your pan or roaster. Season with salt & pepper & bake at 400-425 degrees until the juices run clear, about an hour. Cover the chicken & let it rest for about 30 minutes before dividing in half and refrigerating until ready to use. It helps to do this maybe over a weekend & later in the evening when its not so awful to turn on your oven.

Want an even easier batch of recipes? Pick up a roasted chicken from your local deli.

First, we have a quinoa salad, then a stir fry over rice.

Quinoa Salad:

Serves 2 with excellent lunch leftovers

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen green beans

1/3 cup feta

salt & pepper

1/2 cooked chicken, deboned in bite-sized pieces without skin

Cook quinoa with a pinch of salt & pepper in a rice cooker. This takes about 20-25 minutes. When the quinoa have just begun to pop -- there is a little ring inside the grain that comes out when they are about done -- add in the peas, beans & chicken & allow to cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are done. Remove pot from rice cooker & stir in feta. Serve & enjoy!

Chicken-Broccoli Stir Fry:

Serves 2 with excellent lunch leftovers

1 cup rice

1/2 + pound fresh broccoli

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1/2 cooked chicken

salt & pepper

Cook rice according to directions. 

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook onions with a pinch of salt until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut & trim broccoli into bite-sized pieces and debone the chicken, removing the skin. You can almost ignore the onions, but don't let them burn. The longer they go, the better they taste. 

When the chicken & broccoli are ready, add into the pan & saute until the broccoli is bright green & just tender, seasoning with a pinch more salt & plenty of fresh ground pepper. Serve over the rice & enjoy!

Now for the chocolate! This is what you've really been waiting for!

Chocolate Mint Sandwiches:

Mmmmm. This is only the beginning. Since Katie is now in Central Standard Time, we decided to celebrate with some ridiculously chocolatey cookies. Martha delivered & we made these cookies. 

Friends, when the recipe calls for parchment paper, be sure to use it. As you are rolling the cookies out, be sure to taste test the dough & add a bit more powdered sugar to sweeten them up as necessary. Buy your favorite dark chocolate bars to use for the ganache & glaze. I happen to love Ghirardelli's Twilight Delight -- 72% cocoa & perfect for me. 

These little sandwiches were a bit of work, but lots of fun. It helps to have excellent company!

Delicious, I tell you!

Enjoy!

Chicken-Bean Soup & Other Good Things

Life is going back to "normal" -- if you know what "normal" is, please let me know. Here are a few recipes from the last week or so.

Shrimp with Farfalle and Spinach:
Serves 2

1 small onion, sliced or diced
20+ pieces of shrimp, or about 1/2 a pound, frozen
2 cups whole wheat farfalle or your favorite pasta
2+ cups spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a saute pan. Cook onion in oil until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, garlic, & oregano & cover, cooking until the shrimp is just pink & firm, about 4-5 minutes more.

Shred the spinach, bunching it together in large handfuls. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add pasta & spinach to shrimp in pan and stir to combine, adding reserved water to reach preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes:
Mmmm. Pancakes.
Serves 2

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3+ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
dash vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients & wet ingredients separately. Slowly combine with a fork until just mixed, don't worry about any lumps. Set aside the batter while your skillet or griddle heat over medium.

When your skillet is hot, test the batter -- add more milk (regular or buttermilk) to reach your desired consistency. Pour large spoonfuls, about 1/3 cup or so, onto your skillet & do your pancake thing. Mom always used a tortilla warmer to keep prepared pancakes warm while the others cooked & it works marvelously.

If you don't have buttermilk, you can always use a buttermilk powder & water per the directions on the container or make buttermilk with regular milk & a good squeeze of lemon juice. These pancakes are great layered with Greek yogurt for extra protein with strawberries or whatever fresh fruit you like. And sausage. This all makes for a great Sunday breakfast.

Chicken-Bean Soup:
Today was an excellent day for soup -- not to mention I've been dreaming of fall & football for weeks now. This soup can even be made in one pot, even better!
Serves 2 with great lunch leftovers or 4

1 1/2 pound chicken thighs
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1 cup black beans, dried, rinsed & cooked
1 cup red kidney beans or navy beans, dried, rinsed & cooked
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
freshly ground pepper

In a large stock pan, heat about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook onions with salt until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken thighs, cumin, & oregano & cook until the chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan & set aside.

Add beans & corn to onions. Roughly slice or dice the chicken, removing any fat, & add back to pan with any juices. Bring soup to a boil & stir with wooden spoon to break down beans into stock. Crank on some freshly ground pepper. Add water 1/4 cup at at time to reach a soupier consistency if desired. Serve hot with saltines or a crusty bread.

If cooking dried beans isn't your thing, just use a can or two for each cup -- the more the merrier -- draining & rinsing them before adding to the soup.

Dessert:
Dessert?! Yes, I made dessert! If you are on any sort of a diet, stop reading now. I make the hubby eat most things like this.
Popcorn balls make me think of fall & I must really be dreaming. Look at all the chocolate in the corner there!

6 cups plain popcorn, popped (about 1/4 cup kernels)
large handful Hershey's kisses
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pretzel sticks, broken into smaller pieces
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Melt the butter over medium-low heat & add marshmallows, stirring until melted. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a medium-large bowl. When the mallows are melted, pour over popcorn mixture and stir to combine. Give the mallows a few moments to cool, but working quickly once you can handle the mixture, use your hands to form the mixture into balls. Set out on parchment paper to cool & enjoy!

A few tips on this quick sweet -- don't use a metal bowl, the heat transfer will melt your fingerprints & squirt a little spray cooking oil on your hands to keep the mixture from sticking. You can use any ingredients you like: almonds, pecans, M&Ms, mini Reese's, anything that sounds delicious to you.

Enjoy!!

Fooood

A backlog of recipes here. Lots of good food & even better company this summer.

Let's start at the beginning: Enchiladas!
Serves 8+

3 whole chicken breast
20 oz ground turkey
3 cans red enchilada sauce
2-3 larger cans green chiles
2-3 white or yellow onions, chopped
16 whole wheat tortillas
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons taco seasoning

In a large stock pan, heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add ground turkey & cook until browned. Drain if necessary. If using the 97% fat free, you can get away without draining the turkey. Season with taco seasoning and set aside.

In the same stock pan, heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Saute onions until softened, 4-5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, cut the chicken breast pieces into cutlets and layer on top of the onions, cooking 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cans of the enchilada sauce and all of the green chiles. Allow pot to boil and cook chicken until done, 4-5 minutes more.

Turn burner off and remove chicken from pan. Cut or shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Add chicken and turkey back to pan. Allow filling to cool a little before filling the tortillas.

Spray 2 13X9 pans with spray oil. Fill tortillas and layer in pans, about 8 per pan. Divide the last can of enchilada sauce between the pans and top with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Enchiladas should be browned & bubbly.

This recipe can easily be halved for a smaller batch. You can also make the filling ahead of time & refrigerate until you're ready to fill the tortillas & enjoy.

Fish Sticks!
Serves 2

2 tilapia filets, defrosted
2 pieces whole wheat bread
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
salt & pepper

In a blender or food processor, combine the bread, cheese, & spices to make a bread crumbs. Put bread crumb mixture in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Cut the tilapia filets into 3-4 pieces each on a diagonal to make your fish sticks.

Place a baking rack over a baking pan. Press each fish stick into the crumb mixture, coating on both sides. Lay each piece on the baking rack. Bake fish at 425 degrees until cooked through & browned, about 12-14 minutes.

Serve with couscous, brown rice, or quinoa and roasted vegetable.

Diablo Pasta
Serves 2

This meal is inspired by my favorite dish at Bela Luna -- their Diablo Pasta.

20 medium shrimp, raw & defrosted
2 cups whole wheat pasta like penne or rigatoni
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 medium-large green peppers, sliced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook pasta according to the directions. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a saute pan. Add onions & peppers & cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle half of the spices onto the vegetables & mix. Add shrimp & cook until just done, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining spices.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return pasta to pan & add shrimp mixture. Stir in yogurt, adding reserved water a necessary to get a creamy consistency.
Enjoy!