Apple Pecan Macaroni with Smoked Gouda and Fig Sauce

 

Apple Pecan Macaroni with Smoked Gouda and Fig Sauce.

Served with Maple Chicken & Apple Sausage

This is the kind of recipe that I love! Entirely my own, inspired and re-invented from something completely different, something whimsical from my imagination that was absolute creamy savory perfection!

I got the idea for this macaroni after a long weekend in Chicago. I was downtown, across from the John Hancock building, having lunch with a friend at The Oak Tree. By the way, that place is fabulous. I would definitely recommend a stop there for brunch or lunch. I had a delicious and refreshing Cucumber Lime Cooler and for lunch, the sandwich that inspired this entire dish, the Apple & Brie, Havarti & Fig Epicurean Cheese Sandwich. Yum! After our delicious meal we stopped by the bread counter to sample their Artisan Breads and took a couple loaves home. Can you say Raisin Pumpernickle and Onion Foccacia?!

 I had made plenty of baked macaroni with various cheese like havarti, gouda and fontina but never had I thought to add fig or preserves to the dish. So when we got home, that is exactly what I did. I highly recommend this dish, it was creamy, sweet and savory all at the same time. One of my new favorites!

Prep: 15 Min
Cook: 20 Min

Ingredients

- 1/2 lb of Conchiglie Pasta or Shells

- 4 tbs of fig preserves

- 1 large apple, peeled and diced

- 1/4 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- olive oil

- 3/4 cup Hazelnut Milk (you could substitute regular milk or cream or a combination of both)

- 1 package of Smoked Gouda cheese

- 1/2 package of Sharp Cheddar (you could substitute Havarti or Fontina)

- 1/4 cup of pecans, crushed

- Salt/pepper to taste

- Grated parmesan, topping

-1 package of Chicken Apple Sausages ( I like Al Fresco or Applegate Organics) - OPTIONAL SIDE

- 1 tbs of maple syrup

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Grease a medium casserole dish
- Cook pasta according to directions
- Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil, about 5 minutes on medium
- Add salt, pepper, fig preserves and hazelnut milk
- Chop the gouda and cheddar, add to the pan

- Saute on medium low heat until cheese and preserves are melted. Stir periodically

- Add the apple to the pan and continue to stir periodically for about another 3-4 minutes
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and pour in casserole dish
- Pour cheese sauce over top and stir a little to coat all of the noodles
- Top with pecans and parmesan cheese

- Cover with aluminum foil or lid and bake for 15 minutes.
- To create a golden topping, you can broil for 1 minute on high. Just be sure to watch it so you don't burn the top.

- Meanwhile, slice chicken sausages on an angle. In the same saute pan as the cheese sauce, saute sausage with 1 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs of maple syrup. For about 7 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally until golden brown.

- Serve sausage with macaroni. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Tempeh Bacon

I stumbled upon this amazing recipe on Pinterest, Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers. These burgers are full of nutritious veggies and fiber and were SO filling! I loved the crispy outside from the panko and the creamy-fall-apart inside from the sweet potatoes. I made a couple changes to the original recipe. I used 2 medium sweet potatoes instead of one large, organic black beans instead of white and I skipped the tahini because I didn't have any on hand. I also decided to skip the buns (and the carbs!) and turned them more into a pattie or crab cake and served them over some homemade broccoli cheddar rice. Yum!

 

I have been experimenting with tempeh lately and saw that Publix sold some Tempeh Bacon. I ALMOST bought some...then I looked at the ingredients on the back and saw apple cider vinegar and maple syrup and decided I would attempt to make it myself. The bacon was crispy and sweet and super easy to make. Save your self (and the poor animals!) some fat and sodium and try tempeh bacon over the traditional.

 

Top the patties with avocado, tempeh bacon and a drizzle of dijon and honey! Delicious!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 60 Min (includes 50 Min baking the sweet potatoes)

Cook Time: 10 Min

 

Ingredients

 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes

- 2 cans of organic black beans, drained

- 2 tsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp cajun seasoning

- 1/4 cup wheat flour

- 1 egg ( recipe did not include because it is vegan, however it does help hold the patties together)

- panko breadcrumbs

- 1 large avocado, sliced

- dijon mustard

- honey

- buns, lettuce, onion (optional if you are making into actual burgers)

 

Tempeh Bacon

- 1 package of Tempeh (I only used half of the cake,) sliced thin

- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 1 tbs hot sauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/4 cup water

- additional maple syrup for flavor

 

*NOTE* If you want to make the Broccoli Cheddar Rice, cook rice according to directions. Substitute 1 cup of water for 1 cup of creamy broccoli soup and add some chopped broccoli. When rice is cooked add 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 F

- Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them for about 50 minutes until tender

- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, syrup, hot sauce, salt and water. Add the tempeh and allow to marinate in the fridge.

 

Tempeh, sliced thin

 

- Scoop the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the beans, maple syrup, cajun seasoning, flour and egg. Mash together to combine. Batter will be very wet and sticky.

- Shape into patties and coat with panko breadcrumbs

 

 

- Pan fry patties in a small amount of olive or safflower oil. Allow to drain on a paper towel

 

 

- Remove tempeh from marinade and drain on paper towels

- Pan fry tempeh in a small amount of oil and 2 tbs of maple syrup, turning once or twice until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels

 

 

- Top patties with avocado, dijon mustard, honey and tempeh bacon. Enjoy!



 

 

 This was Nick's contribution :) I think it is a tribute to our dog Remi.

 

 

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

I stumbled upon this cookie recipe while in the bulk food aisle of Whole Foods; I knew I could use up the leftover pumpkin puree I had in the fridge. The cookies turned out to be yummy and nutritious. I added a chocolate drizzle because there is no sugar added to the cookies and I like mine to have a little sweetness. The recipe calls for orange juice which has a lot of sugar naturally; I ended up using an orange carrot juice blend instead with a little less sugar. I would suggest adding a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the cookies for additional flavor depth. The original recipe also called for one cup of chopped pitted dates which I did not utilize and added some dried cranberries instead.

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 2 cups pecans

- 1/2 cup oats

- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp cloves

 - 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

- 3/4 cup of orange juice (I used an orange carrot juice blend with less sugar)

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

- chocolate drizzle (optional)

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a food processor or blender, pulse pecans and oats about 20 times until a coarse meal forms

- Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to mix well

- Transfer to a large mixing bowl

- Add pumpkin, orange juice, vanilla and cranberries

 

 

 

- Stir to mix well. Mixture will be kind of thick like a frosting

- Drop on a lightly greased baking sheet in about 2 tbs size drops. Flatten the batter slightly to shape.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

- Makes about 8 cookies.

- Drizzle with melted chocolate and refrigerate, if desired





 

 

Barbecue Tofu and Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese

I should have titled this blog, How Not To Make Your Own Shell Pasta. When I decided I wanted to make Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese this week, I also decided I would try to make my own shell pasta. If you are going to make your own pasta for the first time 1) follow a recipe and 2) always have some backup store bought pasta. I had a lot of fun making the shell pasta but unfortunately, I did not follow a recipe, I made it the same way I make ravioli dough. First mistake. Ravioli dough ends up getting run through a pasta maker which thins it out really well. If you decide to shape it into little shells, the dough ends up being really thick. Most shell/orecchiette pasta recipes require no egg. Second mistake. I also used a combination of wheat and semolina flour, third mistake, regular unbleached white would have worked best. Although my shell pasta looked really nice, it was just a little too thick to enjoy or use. Lucky for me I did buy some gluten free elbows just in case :)

Making my own Shell Pasta

I have made Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese in the past with your basic cream and milk and some Fontina cheese (which is delicious by the way!) This time I used some alternative milks and a Havarti with Peppadew Peppers from Whole Foods. The peppers give the sauce a nice spice and the Havarti makes it gooey and creamy, yum! The Barbecue Tofu was easy and very tasty. I sauteed it in the pan with the veggies but you could also just put it right on the grill and baste it with barbecue sauce which would be equally as tasty. Make sure you buy the firm/extra firm tofu so it stays intact. I served it all with some grilled corn on the cob which I topped with some homemade Jalapeno Lime Butter. Just mix some butter, chopped jalapenos, garlic and lime. Put in the freezer on wax paper until ready to serve. Slice and spread on the hot grilled corn, so good!



Barbecue Tofu, Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese and Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Lime Butter

Barbecue Tofu, Pumpkin Mac N' Cheese and Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Lime Butter



Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients

Pumpkin Mac n Cheese

- 10 to 12 ounces of pasta (elbows or shells) about 3/4 a box

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 2 tbs butter

- 2 tbs flour

- 2 cups of hazelnut milk (any milk would do, you could also do 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk)

- 1 cup of cheese (I used Havarti with Peppadew Peppers, Fontina is also a good choice)

- 1 can of organic pumpkin

- 2 tsp of cinnamon (optional)

- salt/pepper to taste

- Panko breadcrumbs

- Parmesan/Pecorino grated cheese (optional topping)

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Barbecue Tofu

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/4 onion, chopped

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

- 2 tsp curry powder

- 1 package of organic tofu, sliced

- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Annie's Naturals, Chipotle Hot Sauce)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, cook pasta according to directions

- In a large saucepan, saute the garlic clove with 2 tbs of butter and flour. Whisk to form a roux

- Add the salt/pepper, cinnamon and milk, bring to a small boil.

- Reduce to low and continue to whisk occasionally until thickened

- Add the cheese and pumpkin, stir to combine

- Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to sauce mixture

- Pour macaroni in a lightly greased casserole dish

- Top with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and walnuts

- Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes

- While macaroni is baking, in a large saute pan, sautee garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery and curry with a little olive oil. About 5 minutes.

- Add in chopped tofu and continue sauteing for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat

- Add barbecue sauce, stir to coat and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes

- Serve tofu with mac n' cheese and grilled corn if desired. Enjoy!



Spaghetti with Pesto, Turkey Tofu Meatballs, Cranberries and Toasted Walnuts

These meatballs were savory and sweet with the touch of cranberry. I added tofu to the traditional turkey meatball to cut back on the amount of meat. The toasted walnuts added a nice texture to the dish and gave it a seasonal taste. Yummy!

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

- 1 box of Spaghetti (I used half a box of Corn Spaghetti and half a box of Spinach Spaghetti)
- 1 1b Ground Turkey
- 1/2 package of medium firm tofu
- 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs or oats
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Marsala Wine
- 2 tbs dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 tbs of Basil or Spinach Pesto
- Pecorino/Parmesan Cheese (optional, topping)

Directions

- In a small bowl pour the marsala wine over the cranberries, let soak for 5 minutes
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey and next 7 ingredients. Add the cranberries with marsala wine.
- Form mixture into meatballs
- In a large saute pan, saute the meatballs with a little olive oil, turning frequently to brown on all sides. Approx 8-10 minutes total. (You can add some marsala wine to the pan for additional flavor if you like)
- While meatballs are cooking, toast the walnuts in toaster oven until browned
- Toss spaghetti with pesto, top with meatballs and sprinkle with walnuts and pecorino cheese. Enjoy!

Pear and Cheese Satchels with Hazelnut Mascarpone Sauce

This is a recipe I made several weeks ago, prior to starting my food blog. I bought the pear and cheese satchel pasta from Mazzaro's Italian Market in St. Pete. They have a great selection of fresh pasta and I love pears! Now that I have been making my own pasta lately I will definitely try to make my own satchels or raviolis filled with pears. If you don't have pear pasta you could easily substitute just a cheese filled pasta or saute some pears with the sauce, yum!

I am not a full convert yet, I still don't think that Vegan cheese tastes anything like the real deal, so in this recipe I used a little mascarpone cheese to add some depth to the sauce. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese that is used in Tiramisu and often used instead of butter to thicken dishes like risotto. You can get hazelnut milk at most health food stores in the alternative milk aisle and mascarpone cheese is available at grocery stores in the deli aisle.

Pear and Cheese Satchels with Hazelnut Mascarpone Sauce

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

- Pear and Cheese Satchel Pasta (You can substitute cheese-filled pasta or saute pears with sauce)

- 1/4 onion, diced

- 3/4 cup Hazelnut Milk

- 3 tbs Mascarpone Cheese

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/4 cup of Spinach (optional)

Directions

- Put a medium pot with salted water on the stove to boil, cook pasta according to package

- In a saute pan on medium heat, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil for about 5 min

- Add the mascarpone cheese to the saute pan and whisk until melted

- Add Hazelnut Milk and increase heat to bring to a small boil

- Once boiling reduce hit to low and let simmer to thicken

- Add spinach to sauce and stir until wilted

- Drain pasta and toss with sauce

Done! Quick and delicious! 

                           

Pumpkin Ravioli with Pumpkin Hazelnut Sauce, Cranberries and Spinach

Nick bought me a very nice pasta attachment for my KitchenAid Mixer for my birthday several months ago. I haven't used it since the day he cooked me homemade raviolis for my birthday. When I cleaned out my banquet about a week ago, I found it inside! I immediately felt guilty and decided that I need to start making use of it. Now that I am getting the hang of making my own pastas, I can't wait to use it for making spinach fettuccine, spaghetti etc.! This recipe does not require the pasta attachment but you could use it to help you roll out the dough and get it nice and thin if you own one.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Pumpkin Hazelnut Sauce

Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli topped with Cranberries, Spinach and Pecorino Cheese

Prep Time: 45 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Pasta
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs water
- 1 1/2 cup of flour (I used half Semolina Flour and Half Unbleached Flour)
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
- Pinch of salt

Filling
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup of tofu
- 1/4 cup of feta cheese
- Handful of dried cranberries
- 1/2 tbs of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of nutmeg

Sauce
- 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tbs mascarpone cheese (you could substitute cream cheese)
- 3/4 cup of hazelnut milk (you could substitute cream and potentially add a hazelnut extract)
- 1 tbs of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of nutmeg
- 1/2 tbs of honey
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of Baby Spinach
- Dried cranberries
- Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (optional topping)

Directions

Pasta
- Combine all ingredients and mix and knead together with your fists for about 5 minutes
- I used half Semolina Flour and half unbleached flour. Semolina is popular for pasta but can be gritty and tough to work with, so its better to use just regular flour or half of each.
- I would add a lot of flour to your hands before kneading the dough because it is VERY sticky.
- Once you knead for several minutes, put dough in plastic bag in fridge for 20 minutes to rest.
- Once rested, sprinkle flour on your kitchen countertop. Place the dough on top of that and begin to roll it out with a rolling pin. Keep sprinkling flour on top of the dough as you roll it out so it doesn't stick to the pin. Get the dough pretty thin.
- Then cut squares or circles out on it. Place some filling in a square and top with another square, trim off excess pasta from edges with a knife and seal the edges by pinching together.
- Once done, drop in pot of boiling water and cook for about 10-12 minutes until tender.

Filling
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside until pasta dough is ready and cut.
- You could use a variety of filling ingredients for this pasta besides what I used. You could use ricotta cheese & pumpkin, or multiple cheeses mixed or sauteed veggies.

Sauce
- On medium heat, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil. Add the mascarpone cheese and hazelnut milk. Whisk together to melt and combine. Reduce to low and add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey. Add fresh spinach and cranberries if desired and continue to stir until spinach is wilted.

Once pasta is cooked, drain the water and combine with the sauce. Sprinkle with dried cranberries and pecorino cheese. Enjoy!

Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries

While at Publix in the Greenwise section of the soup aisle, I saw they had some new organic soup options. One of the soups by Imagine Foods was Organic Carrot Almond Soup. I had no idea what I could use that as a base for...I have been experimenting more with organic box soup options using them as bases for pasta sauce, cooking flavored rice etc. I have seen curried carrots before in my local health foods store and I started to think that curry and cauliflower would be good additions to the soup.

The thing I love so much about this recipe I created is 1) it is easy 2) it is quick and 3) it is good for you. I decided to make Baked Portobello Fries as well from one of my favorite food blogs, www.inspiredtaste.net. I have had an obsession with making these delicious healthy fries since first having them while out to eat at Ciccio's in Tampa. They were served with a truffle aioli and were delicious but not cheap. You can't find them on their menu anymore but now you can make them at home yourself, while saving money and lowering you sodium content.

Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries

Curried Cauliflower Carrot Soup with Baked Portobello Fries and Honey Dijon Sauce

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Soup
- Imagine Foods Organic Carrot Almond Soup (Available at Publix)
- Head of Cauliflower, Chopped
- 1/2 cup Onion, Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- Olive Oil
- Curry
- Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Ginger
- Sour Cream (Optional topping)

Portobello Fries
- 2 Portobello mushrooms

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 2 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

- Seasoning (I used a dash of pepper and garlic salt)

- Honey and Dijon Mustard (optional, I mixed for dipping sauce)

Directions

Soup
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- On a mixing bowl, mix the chopped cauliflower with about 1/2 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs of curry.
- On a lightly greased baking sheet, spread out the cauliflower and roast in oven for 25 minutes.
- In a deep pan, saute on medium heat with a little olive oil: onion, garlic and spices. 5-8 min
- Add the box of soup to the pan and simmer on low.
- Once cauliflower is done, add to soup and let simmer.
- Continue to simmer on low while you make the fries.
- Serve in bowls and top with sour cream if desired.

Portobello Fries
- When cauliflower is done, leave the oven on and increase temperature to 425 F for the fries.  
- Wash the mushrooms and slice off the stems. Using a fork or spoon, scrape out the gills.
- Pat dry with a paper towel if necessary to remove moisture
- Slice the mushrooms in about 1/4 inch wide pieces
- Setup a breading station: flour, eggs and breadcrumbs
- Dip each mushroom slice into the flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs
- Spread out on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once during baking
- Meanwhile, make a dipping sauce. I mixed about 2 tbs of dijon mustard with 3-4 tbs of honey.

Here is the original recipe for the baked portobello fries. I have made them before with other recipes, sauteing in a pan, but because these are baked they are delicious and good for you. This recipe only makes enough fries for about 2 people. I would suggest using more than 2 mushrooms if you want more fries because they are addicting.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

These are the most delicious vegan cookies you will ever eat! I have been experimenting with various types of oatmeal cookies for the past few weeks and haven't found a recipe I absolutely loved until I made these.

I got the original idea for the recipe from a blog I like, vegAnn's Kitchen. I made a few modifications to it based on my personal preferences. I reduced the sugar and added a bit more maple syrup. I also added some of my favorite cookie ingredients like shredded coconut, dried fruit, cinnamon and walnuts. The end result is a delicious, nutty and soft cookie with a hint of sweetness.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups rolling oats (I used quick cooking oats)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Optional Dry Ingredients (I used them, you could add or omit any of them if you like)

1 tbs cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup of dried fruit (I used dried cranberries and apples)

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Dash of flaxseed

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup safflower oil (I used safflower but you could use any vegetable oil)
3/4 cup almond butter
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (you could also substitute regular sugar)
2 tbs organic maple syrup
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I used unsweetened almond coconut milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

- Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

- Combine all of the dry ingredients except the sugar in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients including sugar in a separate, larger bowl, with a whisk. Add dry to wet and mix until combined. Use a 1/3 dry measuring cup to measure each cookie. Pop dough out on to baking sheet and press down on the dough forming the cookie until 1/2 inch thick. Repeat for remaining dough until you have 12 cookie shapes.

Combining the Wet and Dry Mixes

Putting the dough into 1/3 cup for cookie shaping

Take the 1/3 cup and tap lightly on top to release dough onto baking sheet

Cookies once shaped, ready to go in oven

- Bake until lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. The cookies will not firm up until they are pulled out of the oven and allowed to cool. Wait 10 minutes to remove from tray.

Yields 1 dozen large cookies.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Recently I was standing in the bakery aisle at Whole Foods sampling the goodies on display when a mother and daughter excused themselves to grab some Vanilla Pistachio Biscotti that was infront of me on the shelf. The mother quickly told the daughter "grab two!" The mother looked at me and enthusiastically said that they were the best biscotti they had ever tasted and that they were only 25 calories a piece! A little pricey, $6.99 a box, I picked them up hesitantly and looked them over and held onto them (until the mother and daughter duo has disappeared down another aisle) and then placed them back on the shelf. How funny, I guess I was practicing supermarket etiquette...I was afraid that they might be offended if I didn't take their opinion of how delicious these biscotti were by not purchasing them myself. I finished the rest of my grocery shopping and then impulsively right before checking out, I decided to go back to the bakery aisle and get those darn biscotti cookies. What did I have to lose, besides $7?

Well was I glad I bought those cookies because they were delicious! They were very airy and light, not tough like your traditional biscotti cookies. They were almost like a wafer. The ingredients were so simple too: Egg Whites, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, All Natural Unbleached Wheat Flour, Pistachios, Pure Vanilla Extract and Lemon Powder. I was inspired to make my own so I started doing some research online about making homemade biscotti. I ran across a recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti and knew I had to try it.

Pumpkin Biscotti

Final Product - Pumpkin Biscotti

I found a recipe on www.SimplyRecipes.com that is pretty close to what I created. I put the changes I made in highlight below.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 90 Min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of sugar  (I did 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup Agave Nectar and 1/4 cup Honey)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (I used about 2 tbs of cinnamon)
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg  (I used about 2 tsp of nutmeg)
• Pinch of ginger
• Pinch of cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• (I added about a 1/2 cup of dried fruits - raisins, apples)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, dried fruits and spices into a large bowl.

NOTE: If you use honey or agave nectar as substitutes for sugar, be aware that they add more moisture to your dough, so your biscotti will take longer to dehydrate. Another good substitute to use would be evaporated cane sugar. I didn't have that on hand at the time so I used honey and agave.

- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients, the dough will be very crumbly.

- Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Form the dough into a large log or into two smaller logs. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 F, until the center is firm to the touch. 

Biscotti shaped into 1/2 inch high loaves in the oven

- Let biscotti cool for 20 minutes and then using a serrated knife cut into 1 inch wide pieces. Lay the pieces on their sides. Reduce the oven to 300 F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Then flip the pieces and bake the other sides for an additional 15 minutes.

Biscotti pieces - sliced and dehydrating in the oven

- Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp you can turn the oven on low say 170 F - 200 F and continue to let it dehydrate for another hour or so. Let cool completely and store in a airtight container. Makes approximately 15 cookies.

These cookies were very good and have that hint of pumpkin perfect for the Fall season. A great holiday gift idea would be to dip one half of each cookie in chocolate and then lay on wax paper in the fridge to harden. These cookies were crispy and perfect for dunking in hot coffee like traditional biscotti. Next time I will try to make the very airy Pistachio Biscotti by using egg whites and beating them until fluffy before mixing in the dough. That is the same technique you use for meringue cookies so I have a feeling it could work. Be on the look out for that post :)

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Pumpkin Sauce

I was inspired to make my own Sweet Potato Gnocchi when I went to Whole Foods recently and saw some in the fresh pasta section. I picked it up, looked at the ingredients and almost put it in my cart. For $9 it would have been very easy to just take the gnocchi home, drop it in some boiling water and dinner would be ready in ten minutes...but where is the fun in that? :) I have found that making your own pasta, while messy, is actually quite simple and equally rewarding.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Pumpkin Sauce

Prep Time: 90 Min (includes 60 min to bake potatoes)

Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Gnocchi

- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes  (approx 2 cups of flesh)

- 2/3 Cup of Ricotta

- 1 Tsp of Salt

- 1 Tbs of Cinnamon

- 1 1/4 Cup of Flour

Sauce

- 1/4 Diced Onion

- 1 Minced Garlic Clove

- 1/2 Cup of Pumpkin

- 1/2 Cup of Hazelnut Milk (can substitute heavy cream)

- 1 1/2 Tbs of Organic Maple Syrup

- 2 Tsp of Cinnamon

- 1/2 Tsp of Cloves

- 1/2 Tsp of Nutmeg

- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

- Salt and Pepper to Taste

- Pinch of Basil

Directions

Gnocchi

- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees

- Bake Sweet Potatoes for 55-60 minutes until tender enough to pierce easily with a fork

- Cut the Sweet Potatoes in half and scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl

- Add the Ricotta, Salt, Cinnamon and mash together with a potato masher

- Add the flour in 3 separate batches, mixing together with a large spoon in between each batch

- Dough will be very sticky - on a floured surface, split the dough into 6 balls

- Sprinkle each ball with some more flour (to reduce it sticking to your hands) and toss each ball of dough back and forth in your hands to knead and shape

- Roll each dough into a 1inch wide rope using the palms of your hands, then slice into 1inch pieces

Making the Gnocchi - Roll, Slice and Shape

- You can then shape the pieces into Gnocchi. The way I did this was taking each piece and rolling it back in my hands to form an oval shape then pressing each side with the tines of a fork. You can also just roll each piece off the tip of a fork to give it the indentations.

Press the back of a fork into the Gnocchi on each side to shape

                                                             

- You can make the gnocchi ahead of time and place in the freezer for future use.

Place the Gnocchi in separate servings in Ziploc bags before putting in the freezer.

- When you want to use the Gnocchi, just grab a serving from the freezer and drop in a pot of boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Stir the pot once or twice to keep from sticking on the bottom. When Gnocchi is ready it will float to the surface. It will be tender but slightly firm on the outside.

-This recipe makes several servings of Gnocchi, if you are not freezing it ahead of time, drop the gnocchi in the boiling water in batches. When the gnocchi floats, use a slotted spoon to remove from the water. Drop the next batch in the boiling water and repeat.

Sauce

- In a saute pan, saute garlic and onion on medium heat with a little olive oil

- Add the next 8 ingredients

- Stir the sauce on medium heat for 5 minutes and then reduce to low. If sauce is too thick you can always add more hazelnut milk or cream.

Maple Pumpkin Sauce

- Toss the Gnocchi with the sauce and a pinch of basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese if you desire. Enjoy!

This dish is delicious and a reminds me of Fall, my favorite season. I ended up spending less than the $9 I would have paid at Whole Foods making it myself because I had everything I needed in my pantry except for the Sweet Potatoes and Ricotta Cheese. I also love that this dish is entirely Vegan except for the Ricotta and Pecorino Cheese. I will make some more in the near future (with the leftover Gnocchi I put in the freezer) and a Hazelnut Mascarpone Sauce to go with it. Be on the lookout for that blog :)