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!

Coconut-Crusted Tempeh with Pineapple Sticky Rice and Mango Chili Cream

 I used to do a lot of fishing several years ago and I would love to cook coconut-crusted snapper fingers with my little grunt catches. I would bread them in some coconut and serve them with a little orange marmalade/horseradish dipping sauce. Yum! I decided to make a Vegetarian/Vegan version using Flaxseed and Soy Tempeh and the result was crunchy, coconut-y goodness!

 

Tempeh is also a great fish substitute because is it doesn't fall apart when you bite into it like the normal snapper fingers would. I used egg for the breading since it holds better but you could easily substitute to make this dish Vegan. And for those of you non-aspiring vegetarians like myself, you could make this recipe with Tilapia or Snapper and it would be just as delish!

 

 

Coconut-Crusted Tempeh with Pineapple Sticky Rice and Mango Chili Cream

  

 

 

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 50 Min (Brown Rice takes 50 Min)

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 package of Tempeh, sliced into 1/2 in wide pieces. I used half Flaxseed Tempeh, half Soy Tempeh

 

For Marinade

- 1/4 cup of soy sauce

- 1 lime

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 2 tsp ginger

 

For Mango Chili Cream

- 1 can of pineapple or 1/2 of a whole pineapple (if you buy canned, be sure to save some for the rice)

- 1 mango, chopped

- 1 plain yogurt cup. I used soy yogurt.

- 3 tbs Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce (found in ethnic/oriental food aisle at grocery)

 

For Pineapple Sticky Rice

- 1 cup of Sweet Brown Rice (if you can't find sweet rice, regular brown rice will work)

- 1/2 cups of coconut milk

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1 tsp of olive oil

- 1/4 cup of chopped pineapple

 

For Breading

- Coconut. I used dried unsweetened, however sweetened coconut would also be good

- Panko breadcrumbs

- Flour

- 1 Egg. I used egg but you can substitute a mix of flour and water to form a paste to make Vegan

- Salt/Pepper to taste

 

Directions

 

- In a sauce pan, bring the rice, coconut milk, water and oil to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Once boiling, reduce to low and allow to cook for 50 minutes until tender. If you substitute white rice you should be able to reduce your cooking time down to 20 minutes.

- Slice Tempeh and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and then add just enough water to cover the Tempeh. Place in the fridge to marinate while you prep.

 

 

- When the rice is about 20 minutes from completion start the rest of the cooking.

- Make the Mango Chili Cream by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Place in a small bowl in the fridge until dinner is ready.

 

 



- Remove the Tempeh from the fridge and drain the marinade. Place Tempeh on paper towels and pat dry.

 



- Setup your breading station with flour on one plate, your egg in a bowl and then the coconut and breadcrumbs combined on another plate. Dip the Tempeh in the flour, then egg, then the coconut/panko mixture.

 

 

- In a large pan, saute the Tempeh in a little olive oil until golden brown, turning at least once. About 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set on paper towels to drain some of the oil.

 

 

 

 

- When the rice is done, add the remaining pineapple and stir.

- Serve the Tempeh over the rice and place the Mango Chili Cream in a small bowl for dipping. I would season with a little salt and pepper. Enjoy!

 

 



Chicken and Brie Frittata with Honey Walnuts and Spinach

Tonight I strayed a little from my aspiring vegetarian/vegan diet because I had some leftover hormone-free chicken and brie cheese in the fridge. I made a Grilled Chicken Marsala Pasta the other night and went ahead and grilled the extra chicken for a future use. I didn't want to be wasteful with the half slice of brie cheese I had leftover in my fridge either. More often than not by the time I make use of the cheese I have again, it is already starting to mold. I hate throwing away cheese because it is so pricey to begin with!

I googled "chicken and brie recipes" to see what ideas I could stir up and the first one on the list was from Williams-Sonoma, so you know it's good! I changed several things based on what I had on hand and the end result was a savory and sweet frittata. Yum!

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Ingredients

- Olive Oil

- 1/4 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 7 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 cup of cooked chicken (I used grilled but roasted would be good too) optional*

- 1/2 slice of Brie Cheese, cut into pieces

- 1/4 cup almond coconut milk (you could easily substitute any milk here)

- Salt/Pepper to taste

- 1 1/2 cups spinach

- 1/4 cup walnuts

- 2 tbs honey

- Strawberry garnish, optional

- Parmesan, optional topping

*NOTE* The chicken is optional, I actually prefer the frittata without meat because the brie, honey and walnuts are SO good on their own. I did half with chicken and half without for variety.

Directions

- In a deep saute pan, saute garlic and onion on medium heat with a little olive oil until tender about 6 minutes

- Once sauteed, add the spinach to the pan and stir for about 2 minutes until slightly wilted

- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the brie cheese, milk and salt/pepper. Add the spinach and onion mixture.

- In the same saute pan, pour the egg mixture and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula to lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath.

- Meanwhile, in a larger or of same size pan, saute the walnuts with some olive oil and honey on medium heat until toasted. Stir occasionally to toss. Remove and set aside.

- When the eggs are almost set, loosen the edges and underneath a little with a thin spatula. Place the other pan, upside down, over top of it and flip the frittata into it. Continue to cook on the other side on medium heat for about 6 minutes.

- Slice the frittata and serve. Top with walnuts, parmesan, strawberry and drizzle with a little honey. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am one of the many that was in love with Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup until it turned out that yummy, creamy, salty soup they were marketing as Vegetarian wasn't really Vegetarian at all. The day I walked into Panera and looked up at the list of soups and saw that the small "V" was no longer next to my favorite soup, was a sad day. After having lunch at Panera the other day and settling with the good-but-not-as-good Black Bean soup, I decided there must be a way to recreate that yummy, creamy, salty soup without the chicken stock. This is my take on Panera's signature soup and my dinner guests thought it was pretty darn good too!

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 cup of broccoli soup (I used Imagine Soups)

- 3 cups of vegetable broth

- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (you can substitute cream if you like)

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1 block of raw sharp cheddar cheese

- 2 cups chopped broccoli

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 2 tsp nutmeg

- salt/pepper to taste

- 2 tbs butter

- Parmesan (optional topping)

 

Directions

 

- In a sauce pan, saute onions and butter on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes

- In a large pot, on medium heat, whisk together the flour and almond milk. Continue to whisk until smooth about 5 minutes

- Add the vegetable broth and continue to whisk

- Add the broccoli, carrots, sauteed onions, nutmeg, salt and pepper

- Bring to a boil and then reduce and allow to simmer for 20 minutes

- Add the sharp cheddar cheese and simmer for another 10 minutes

- If soup needs additional salt, add some parmesan cheese instead of adding more salt

- Serve and enjoy!

 



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!



Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Ratatouille Soup

These vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms are filling and delicious. I have eaten stuffed mushrooms a number of time as hors d'oeuvres but never as the main course. I roasted some vegetables and made a ratatouille soup to serve alongside. There are so many possibilities for stuffing these mushrooms...a sweet potato and pumpkin stuffing or even a baked marsala mac n' cheese and for the carnivores, sausage and peppers. Yum!

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 45-50 Min

Ingredients

Mushrooms

- 4 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed

- balsamic vinegar

- olive oil

- 5 red potatoes, peeled and cubed

- 1/4 cup of organic ricotta cheese

- 2 tbs mascarpone cheese

- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and additional for topping

- garlic salt

- pepper

- 4 tbs of hazelnut milk (any milk or cream could substitute)

- panko breadcrumbs

- handful of feta cheese (optional)

Soup

- 1 small eggplant

- 3 tomatoes

- 1/2 cup of red onion

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 1/2 cup of red pepper

- 2 zucchini

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- olive oil

- 3 tbs of red wine vinegar

- salt/pepper to taste

- fresh basil

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 F

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add the cubed potatoes, cook for about 15 minutes until tender

- Peel and slice the eggplant, place in a bowl of salted water and let soak for 10 minutes

- Meanwhile, chop the remaining vegetables (tomatoes, onions, red pepper, zucchini and garlic)

- Remove the eggplant from the water and drain on a paper towel

- Toss all of the vegetables in a little olive oil and spread out on a lightly greased baking sheet

- Sprinkle with salt/pepper and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Toss the vegetables around with a spoon once or twice to ensure even roasting

- Then add the portobellos to a large bowl with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic, set aside to let marinate

- Drain the potatoes, in a large bowl mash with cheeses and milk, add desired seasoning

- Lay portobellos in a lightly greased casserole dish. Fill with potato stuffing.

- Top potato stuffing with some breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

                                    

- When vegetables are roasted, remove from oven and reduce temperature to 375 F

- Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes

- Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the roasted vegetables with red wine vinegar and a pinch of fresh basil. Keep adding more vegetables as your puree making more room in the blender. If you need some liquid to help with consistency, you can add a little hazelnut milk or cream. Soup will be slightly chunky.

                                  

- When mushrooms are done, turn broiler on in oven and let broil for 1-2 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden.

- Serve mushrooms alongside the soup. Enjoy!





Buffalo Stuffed Shells

I got the inspiration for this dish from one of my favorite blogs Inspired Taste. I made some modifications and also made it vegetarian. I am sure it would be delicious with chicken too. It was cheesy gooey and with a bit of heat, yum!

Prep Time: 5 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min



Ingredients

- 16 large pasta shells

- 1 package of medium tofu

- 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/2 cup onion, diced

- 3/4 cup celery, diced

- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

- 1/4 cup chopped parsley

- Frank's Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce

- Annie's Organic Parmesan Artichoke Dressing (you could also substitute Ranch)

- salt/pepper to taste

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F

- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook shells according to directions

- Drain cooked pasta and keep in a bowl of ice water until ready to use

- Meanwhile in a medium saute pan, saute the garlic, onion, tofu and celery 5-8 minutes

- Turn off the heat and add the ricotta cheese, parsley and blue cheese.

- Carefully add about 3-4 tbs of the hot sauce. Taste to measure heat and add more if desired.

- Lightly grease a casserole dish

- Stuff the shells with the filling and place upside down (seams up) in the dish

- Sprinkle tops with more blue cheese and hot sauce if desired.

- Bake for 25 minutes and drizzle with Parmesan dressing before serving.

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

I love making Baked Oatmeal and today I saw a post on Pinterest for Oatmeal Muffins. I didn't use the recipe however I did steal the idea for baking the oatmeal in muffin cups. Nick is always in need of a grab-n-go breakfast and these are the perfect idea. I decided to make the Baked Oatmeal but with a few modifications this time based on what I had available. I added some pumpkin because I had about 1/4 a cup left in the fridge and then instead of strawberries and bananas, I used pears and apples. You could easily omit the pumpkin and add any fruit you like. They turned out great and they don't have all of the carbs of a regular muffin because they don't have flour :)

Yummy Pear and Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Ingredients

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1/4 cup brown sugar and additional for topping

- 2 tbs cinnamon

- 1 tbs nutmeg

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Dash of salt

- Handful of dried fruit (I used apples and cranberries)

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 cups of milk (I used 1 1/2 cups of hazelnut milk and 1/2 cup of almond coconut milk)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 chopped apple

- 1 chopped pear

- 1/4 cup pumpkin

- 2 tbs maple syrup

- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

- Granola (optional, I used pumpkin pie spice granola from Whole Foods)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. I mixed the dry ingredients first and then added the wet ingredients and combined.

- Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on top if desired

Oatmeal going into the oven

                                                      

- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden

- Let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Store in fridge.

                                      

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Red Onion Jam

I found this great recipe for a Portobello Mushroom Burger with Red Onion Jam on Food Network. I made a few changes to the recipe to tweak it to my liking and shorten the cooking time. I also baked up some Alexia Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries and made a Maple Dijon dipping sauce. Burgers were healthy and delicious! I also had a great idea for a future portobello recipe, stuffing them with ricotta, herbs and mashed potatoes and baking them, yum! Look out for that in the near future :)

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Ingredients

- 1 small plain greek yogurt cup

- 3 tbs dijon mustard

Red Onion Jam

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 2/3 red onion, chopped

- 3/4 cup red wine (I used Frontera Cabernet/Merlot)

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar

- 4 lettuce leaves

- 4 whole grain buns

- Pesto

- Alexia Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries (found in frozen food section of grocery)

- 3 tbs maple syrup (optional, for dipping sauce)

- 1 tbs dijon mustard (optional, for dipping sauce)

Directions

- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 F, bake sweet potato fries for 25 minutes

- In a small bowl, mix the greek yogurt and dijon mustard, set aside

- In a mixing bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients. Stir to coat.



Red Onion Mix



- In a small saucepan, saute the red onion mixture on medium heat, once vinegar has reduced and onions are soft (about 10-15 minutes) reduce to low and let simmer. Stir occasionally.

- In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 3-4 minutes on each side, until tender but not mushy.



Portobello Mushrooms soaking in a little olive oil and balsamic before sauteing



- While mushrooms are cooking, spread the buns with some pesto and put in the toaster oven to brown

- In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and 1 tbs dijon mustard as a dipping sauce for the fries

- Place the mushroom upside down on the toasted bun, top with red onion mix, dijon yogurt sauce and a lettuce leaf. Serve with fries and dipping sauce. Enjoy!



Baked Oatmeal

I got the original recipe for Baked Oatmeal from Inspired Taste and I have made it several times since with different variations. It makes a great breakfast option that I can make ahead for the week and a great after workout snack. I also recently saw a recipe on Pinterest for baked oatmeal in muffin cups which is another great idea that I will definitely try next. Baking the oatmeal in muffin cups instead of a casserole dish makes it a great snack or quick grab-n-go breakfast.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and Bananas

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1/4 cup brown sugar and additional for topping

- 2 tbs cinnamon

- 1 tbs nutmeg

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Dash of salt

- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 cups of milk (I used 1 1/2 cups of vanilla oat milk and 1/2 cup of hazelnut milk)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 cup of sliced strawberries

- 2 bananas peeled and sliced

- Granola (optional topping)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients

- In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg and vanilla

- In a greased casserole dish, layer the oats and fresh fruit (note: don't put bananas on the top layer because they will brown upon baking.)

- Pour milk mixture over the oat mixture

- Shimmy the dish a little so the milk distributes evenly throughout

- Sprinkle some brown sugar and granola on top

- Bake for 35-40 minutes



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! 

                           

Coconut Curry Meatballs

Watching the documentary Forks over Knives, a few months ago, changed my life. I knew I would never be able to become a vegetarian or vegan but I knew I could start having more control over the food I was putting in my body. This recipe is a great meatless recipe but can easily be substituted for regular sausage or ground chicken if that is your preference.

Coconut Curry Meatballs over Rice

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min (including cooking rice)

Ingredients

- 1 can of coconut milk
- 2 tbs and 1 tsp of curry powder
- 1 tbs of garam masala (found in the spice section)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 package of Gimme Lean Sausage (Regular Sausage or Ground Chicken can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup of firm tofu, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt/pepper
- 2 cups of cooked rice

Directions

- In a large mixing bowl, mix the sausage, tofu, green pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, salt/pepper and 1 tsp of curry powder. Form into meatballs.
- In a saute pan on medium heat, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil for 5 minutes
- Add the meatballs and saute until brown and cooked for about 10 minutes, turning to sear all sides
- Once the meatballs are seared, turn the pan down to low and add the coconut milk and remaining curry and garam masala. Let simmer and scoop the milk over the meatballs a few times while turning to coat
- Serve meatballs over rice and pour sauce over top. Enjoy!

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.

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 :)