Pasta with pumpkin and sausage
Posted: October 29, 2010 Filed under: Light and healthy, Pasta, Pumpkin, Quick Leave a comment »Thankfully there is no pumpkin shortage here. Apparently some people cant find canned pumpkin, but so far no problem here. Which is good because I love pumpkin dishes..savory and sweet. Unfortunately H doesnt. So I have to make the pumpkin dishes either for lunch or when he isnt joining me for dinner, which is the case tonight! I did clean up this recipe to make it quite a bit healthier. I used skim milk instead, cut the sausage in half and use turkey sausage instead. Once cleaned up, the dish wasnt too bad for you! This recipe was found on Food Network from Rachel Ray. Delicious, easy, and healthy!
***Below is the original recipe. I cut in half for my meal and one leftover meal. I also used turkey sausage and only half the amount and skim milk instead of cream***
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Directions:
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.
Apple-Horseradish Salmon
Posted: October 28, 2010 Filed under: Fish/seafood, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick 1 Comment »Eating fish a few times a week is a norm around here. So to keep from our fish dinners getting boring quick I am always on the hunt for new and exciting recipes. Pink Parsley always has great recipes, so when I saw this recipe I wanted to try it and add to our fish rotation. I love horseradish, so this was a no brainer for me. Plus it was quick to make even on a busy week night. Pair it with steamed veggies and brown rice or red potatoes and you have a perfect meal!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup apple jelly
1 Tbs chopped fresh chives
3 Tbs prepared horseradish
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 (6-oz) salmon fillets, skin removed
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a small bowl, whisk together the jelly, chives, horseradish, vinegar, and 1/4 tsp of the salt.
Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle salmon on both sides with remaining salt and pepper. Lay in a single layer, being careful not to crowd, and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the salmon fillets, and brush the tops with half the glaze.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Serve immediately.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
Posted: October 27, 2010 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert 2 Comments »To thank a friend for all of his help lately on house projects, I decided to bake for him. I have been eyeing these for a while and didnt want to make them for H or I as I wouldnt have too much will power around them. So, baking for a friend is the next best thing. Bake, taste test and get them out of here. I did try a half of one and let me tell you, these are GREAT!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter,at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick-cooking oats
For the Filling:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Lower the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until just incorporated. Gently stir in the oats with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Use a small cookie scoop to portion out the dough (about 2 teaspoons per cookie). Arrange evenly on a baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. The cookies should be light golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
To make the filling, cream the butter and peanut butter. Slowly add the sugar, then mix in the heavy cream. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
Pair the cookies by size, and spread or pipe filling on one cookie, pressing the second cookie down to spread the filling to the edges.
Pumpkin shrimp bisque
Posted: October 26, 2010 Filed under: Clean eating, Fish/seafood, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin, Soups/Stews 1 Comment »I love pumpkin foods, but H doesnt. So on nights when he isnt here for dinner I like to make the foods he wont eat. Tonight is just that night. I love pumpkin soup and love shrimp so this was perfect together. Easy to make, great tasting and made enough for leftovers. Found on Jenn Cuisine and perfect fall meal! I did clean it up as much as I could for clean eating, so it isnt too bad for you either!
Mine also came out thicker. I may have boiled too much and then without the cream it was thicker, but that wasnt a problem at all. Nice thick soup is more what I prefer, so this worked out well!! Either way, thinner or thicker this was very good and I think I will add it to my rotation of dishes to enjoy when H is out for the night. Savory pumpkin meals are one of my favorites!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 lb. medium sized fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails reserved
2 tbs. olive oil
3/4 c. sherry
4 c. seafood stock-I used low sodium organic
pinch saffron
1 tsp. paprika
3 sage leaves
3 bay leaves
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c. corn (frozen)
1/2 lb. new potatoes, peeled and diced
2 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. heavy cream-I used fat free greek yogurt
cayenne, to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon
black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a pan (medium) and saute the tails until fully cooked and just starting to brown. Add the sherry and let boil until the liquid is gone.
Add the rest of the stock ingredients – stock, saffron, paprika, sage, bay leaves, celery, onion – and bring to a boil. Then let boil for a good 30 minutes covered to let the stock develop its flavor. After that strain the broth and return to the pot. Add in the potatoes and corn and bring back to a boil, and cook another 10 minutes or so until the potatoes are soft. It won’t take very long because the potatoes are cut pretty small.
While that is boiling, chop shrimp into thirds and saute in a pan with some olive oil until cooked (just a few minutes are needed).
With a wooden spoon, stir in the pumpkin, then heavy cream and cayenne and bring it back to just a simmer. Let simmer 10 minutes. Then add shrimp, lemon juice and pepper. Serve immediately.
Clean eating-Pomegrante glazed stuffed pork tenderloin
Posted: October 25, 2010 Filed under: Clean eating, Holiday Recipe, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Pork Leave a comment »Today (Oct 13) is our 3rd anniversary!!! We are celebrating it with a fun trip soon, so tonight I still wanted to do something special even while staying in. I found this recipe in my latest Clean Eating Mag and while it looks complex, it was quite easy and made for a very impressive meal. I paired it with garlic/chive mashed potatoes, steamed veggies and butter rolls. H and I loved this and made our anniversary dinner in quite special!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp raw honey
1 2-inch piece ginger peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 oz whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut into one inch pieces
3 tbsp low sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp chopped unsalted walnuts
1/2 pear cored and diced
4 unsweetened prunes chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 boneless center cut pork loin (about 2 lbs)
Evoo cooking spray
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine juice, vinegar, honey, and ginger and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer over med-high heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until liquid reduces by 2/3. Strain and discard ginger, set glaze aside. Preheat over to 375.
In a large bowl, add bread and broth. Let bread soak up liquid for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add walnuts, pear, prunes, and thyme, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Set pork loin on a cutting board and holding a carving knife parallel to the work surface, slice loin almost in half horizontally. Open loin like a book and press flat. Season both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Pile stuffing onto center of pork loin, then bring loin ends together and tie with kitchen twine.
Coat a large oven safe skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Carefully add stuffed pork loin and sear on all sides about 1-2 minutes each side.
Place skillet immediately in over and cook for 20 mins. Baste with glaze and cook 5 more minutes. Continue to glaze every 5 minutes or so until the pork tenderloin temperature reaches 155 degrees. Remove from over and let sit covered with foil for 5 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with any remaining glaze as needed and serve immediately.
Clean eating-Pasta with scallops and lemon
Posted: October 22, 2010 Filed under: Clean eating, Fish/seafood, Light and healthy, Pasta, Quick Leave a comment »We had a last minute dinner guest and I needed a good, but quick dinner that would impress! I had some scallops and lemons on hand I wanted to use up so this recipe fit the bill. I did clean it up for our clean eating as much as I could and it was great!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
12 ounces dried penne pasta-I used ww yolk free noodles
1 onion (about 6 oz.), peeled and diced-I used a shallot as that is all I had on hand
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter-I omitted
1 pound scallops (about 1 1/2 in. wide), rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 4 quarts water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan (with sides at least 2 in. tall) over medium heat, stir onion and garlic in olive oil until limp, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add lemon peel, lemon juice, butter, and scallops to pan with onions. Bring to a simmer and cook until scallops are opaque but still moist-looking in the center (cut to test), about 6 minutes.
Add pasta and basil to scallop mixture and stir until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a wide, shallow bowl to serve.
Cannoli Cupcakes
Posted: October 21, 2010 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert 1 Comment »I had a ton of leftover ricotta to use up and wanted to bake something with it. Well it was time for H work’s monthly birthdays that I bake for, so I wanted to use up the ricotta in a cupcake for them. Well, the day I was looking Joelen posted these little pieces of heaven and I knew this was one of the cupcakes I would make for this months birthday cupcake! They were a hit!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon Marsala wine
1 cup milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two muffin pans with cupcake wrappers; set aside.
Combine all of the dry cake ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a different, larger bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, vanilla, Marsala wine, and milk. Add in the ricotta cheese, orange zest, and powdered sugar to the wet ingredients and then add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
Pour the batter into cupcake liners, 24 in total. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pans to a cooling rack. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cannoli filling.
Cannoli filling:
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon zest of one orange
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, chopped fine
Diretions:
To make the cannoli filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners’ sugar using a spoon. Fold in the orange zest and chopped chocolate.
When the cupcakes are cool, cut out the middles of each cupcake and using a pastry bag, pipe the cannoli filling into each cupcake, about 1 heaping tablespoon. After all the cupcakes have been filled, make the buttercream frosting.
Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (10 ounces)
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup pistachios, chopped for garnish
Directions:
In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.
Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. Pipe the filling into a pastry bag and frost the filled cupcakes as desired. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
Caramel Pumpkin Pie Mini Cake
Posted: October 20, 2010 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Caramel, Dessert, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin 1 Comment »We had a last minute addition to our dinner tonight. And while I dont always make dessert for H and I, I do like to have dessert for guests when the come over. So I needed a quick, but small dessert to make. I had a half of a can of pumpkin I needed to use up, so I went to this recipe I had bookmarked a while back. She made them into cupcakes, but I made them into a 4 inch double cake. Below is the recipe for the cupcakes. If you want to make into a cake, bake longer. For the 4 inch cakes I baked about 30 mins. Then cooled. I used half the frosting for the smaller cake, but for cupcakes or a regular sized round cake, use the whole recipe below.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar
3 cups cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can (15oz) solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Caramel Frosting, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Prepare two standard-size muffin/cupcake tins with cupcake papers*.
Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer mix for 30 seconds each, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Using a large ice cream scoop, fill muffin papers.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the pans on racks for 5 minutes and remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
1/2 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
3 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 lbs confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/4 tsp Kosher saltDirections:
Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and caramel syrup and combine well.
Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more caramel syrup. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.
**Top with sugars, caramel drizzle, or candy bars of your choice. I used Health Bars as the recipe showed…very good!***
Chubby Hubby Cupcakes (banana, chocolate, caramel)
Posted: October 19, 2010 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Caramel, Chocolate, Dessert 3 Comments »WOW oh WOW! I LOVE THESE! For the 2nd cupcake for H work birthdays, I had to make these. Caramel, banana, and chocolate? Ummm YES PLEASE…2! These are one of my favorites lately. I love a good banana cake and this was sure to please especially when I took her suggestion and roasted the bananas first. Definitely do that..oh the banana flavor…UMMMM YUM!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
For the Roasted Bananas:
1 1/2 cups bananas – sliced into 1/2″ pieces – about 4 bananas plus an extra banana for garnish, if desired
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp butter, cubed small
For the Cupcakes:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
11 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
For the Chocolate Ganache:
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Directions:
Roasted Bananas: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a shallow baking dish, toss the sliced bananas with brown sugar and bits of butter until bananas are well-coated with sugar. Roast for 20 minutes, turning the bananas after 10 minutes. When the bananas have deeply browned and are caramelized, transfer them to a medium-sized bowl. Be careful, the bananas and sugar will be very hot. Spray a potato masher with a light coating of baking spray (like Pam) and mash the bananas up. Set aside to cool almost entirely, stirring every so often to keep them from clumping up.
Cupcakes: When the banana have finished roasting, turn the oven down to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin/cupcake pans with paper liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs one at a time, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in the roasted bananas just until they are combined with the batter. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between the two in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl again and mix on low for a few seconds to ensure the mixture is well-combined.
Fill the paper liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, rotating the pans 180 degrees after 15 minutes. Remove the pans to wires rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely on the racks.
Ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Pour it over the chocolate, and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes. Add the butter to the bowl, and whisk until smooth. Allow to sit at room temperature until it reaches a consistency suitable for piping, or refrigerate, being sure to stir every 10 minutes.
Peanut Butter Frosting: Place the confectioners’ sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the cream and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
To assemble: Use a small paring knife to cut out a small cone from the top of each cupcake. Cut the end off a pastry bag fitted (a 1/4″ hole is suggested), fill with the ganache, and pipe each cupcake full of ganache. Frost as desired with peanut butter frosting. Top with fresh bananas and chocolate-dipped pretzels.
Clean eating enchiladas
Posted: October 18, 2010 Filed under: Chicken, Clean eating, Light and healthy, Mexican, Quick 3 Comments »As you know I love Mexican food. And for a long time I thought I had the best enchilada recipe from CI. But then I tried this clean eating recipe. WOW this was fantastic. The flavors were good, quick to make and lighter. While I still love my CI recipe, this might be my weeknight go to enchilada recipe! From Clean Eating Magazine this was great!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
5 medium whole-wheat tortillas (5-6″ each)
1 cup shredded extra sharp low-fat cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish
Chicken mixture:
3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
4 oz green chiles, chopped
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
Sauce:
15 oz all-natural tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*.
Combine all chicken mixture ingredients in a large nonstick pan over med-high heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.
Combine sauce ingredients in the nonstick pan; set over medium heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Fold sides over and place seam-side down in the casserole dish. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley when serving, if desired.
