Quinoa Pasta with Caramelized Squash and Fresh Herbs

We're pretty much bringing up the rear of the winter season, especially in terms of winter squash.  But as you may (or may not know) I'm kicking in my heels to hold on as long as possible.  This is one more squash recipe I had to make before it was too late. Am I glad I did... this is just one superb dish that I have to share.

See the original recipe here.

For me it's the combination of flavors that really gets me.  The caramelized sweet with the texture of the squash mixed with the savory of the sauteed onions (and garlic since I added it) and sage over pasta just makes this a huge hit.  YUM!

Unfortunately though, I was unable to talk my husband into trying this one.  He missed out big time; this is great.  You won't be sorry!

QUINOA PASTA with CARAMELIZED SQUASH & FRESH HERBS

INGREDIENTS:

9 Tbs. unsalted butter 

1 kabocha or butternut squash, 2 1/2 to 3 lb., peeled, seeded and cut into
1-inch dice 

2 Tbs. sugar 

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth 

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 

3 Tbs. finely diced shallots 

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 

1 Tbs. minced fresh sage 

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 

1 lb. fresh pasta sheets, cut into 2-inch squares (see related recipe at left) 

1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:

In a braiser over medium-high heat, melt 3 Tbs. of the butter. Add the squash in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned underneath, about 6 minutes. Stir the squash and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes more. Add the sugar, broth, salt and pepper, cover and cook until the squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the squash is dark brown and glazed, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the squash mixture to a bowl.

In the same pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 6 Tbs. butter until light brown spots appear, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots, nutmeg and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the squash.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the squash mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta to a warmed large, shallow bowl and sprinkle with some of the cheese. Serve immediately and pass the remaining cheese alongside. Serves 4 to 6.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I didn't have fresh parsely so I used the dried stuff.  And I forgot the lemon juice.  Although frankly, I'm not sure I'd use it going forward. This dish is perfect without it.

So good!

Artichoke, Kale & Ricotta Pie

If you've been following my posts for any length of time you'll see the ridiculous amount of dessert dishes I make.  It's just not normal.  After all, it's just me and my husband at home.  I'm not feeding a family or an army.  I just get swept up in the recipes and visions in my head of all these heavenly delights.  You know what that leads to?  Me feeling like poo when I've eaten too much of it. 

For the record, I don't eat all of it. Far from it.  I bring a large chunk of what I make to whatever yoga studio(s) I'm teaching at that day.  Luckily for me, not every yogi is into a strict vegetarian (healthy) diet.

That said, I'm seeking to go back to a more mindful and healthy way of eating.  Granted, I have to clear the fridge and cabinets of whatever leftover supplies I used, but I'm getting back on track.  And what better way to do both than with this next recipe for Artichoke, Kale and Ricotta Pie.  (Original recipe is found here).

By the way, it's cooking right now and smells absolutely sinful!

ARTICHOKE, KALE & RICOTTA PIE

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
8 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces Parmesan, grated
1 cup canned artichokes, chopped
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan lightly with olive oil. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheeses. Roughly chop the veggies and add to the cheese/egg mixture. Stir until combined. Pour contents of bowl into the greased cake pan and cook until custard is set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire wrack for 5 to 10 minutes and serve.

PERSONAL NOTES:

This pie didn't need to be in the oven as long as the directions state.  I left it in for 40 minutes and checked; it was more than ready to come out.  Next time I make this (and I will be making it again because it turned out delicious!) I'll check it at 30 minutes and possibly lower the temperature to about 375 degrees.

As far as the flavor goes, I like putting garlic and onions in almost everything I make and this was no exception.  However, I discovered I ran out of fresh garlic.  Boo.  Happily, I have a good amount of onions on hand so I decided to thinly slice up a couple of shallots.  Hooray!

So even though it cooked a little longer than I would have liked, it still came out fantastic.  My husband gave it his two thumbs up as well!

Baked Quinoa and Cheese

You got that right. Baked QUINOA and cheese. Delicious AND (a little bit more) healthy.

Again, I have to credit the peeps at Pinterest for this recipe. Although of course, I re-modeled it to fit my needs :)

This a great dish to make if you want to have lunch ready for the week or for leftovers.  If you have a family, this might go pretty quick.  It makes 8 servings but you may want seconds.  It's super easy to make too.  Just bring together all the ingredients and bake.  Plus, using quinoa instead of pasta adds a different dimension to it (as well as protein!).

YUM!

 

BAKED QUINOA AND CHEESE

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained

Veggies of your choice (optional)

good pinch of salt

a few grinds of seasoning salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling

Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping

Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish.

Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish( or 8 individual ramekins) with cooking spray.Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt. Transfer to prepared baking dish and if using Panko Crumbs or Bread crumbs add now and bake 30-35 mins, until bread crumbs are browned.

PERSONAL NOTES:

I thought the idea of adding vegetables was great.  Since I had some frozen chopped broccoli on hand I decided to add that.  Now, the recipe says any vegetable and that you can lightly saute them.  I went with what was quick.  At first I thought the 10oz package of broccoli would be too much, but it turned out perfectly for the amount of quinoa I made. 

Also, I didn't have cheddar so I used Monterey Jack cheese.  Frankly, it tastes fine.  Better than fine, actually.  But I think deep down, cheddar would probably be the way to go.  The Monterey Jack cheese is just milder.  Although the texture is still creamy.

Oh, and I decided to add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Since the flavor was mild without the cheddar, I thought (and rightly so) the Paresan would add a little more kick. 

Roasted Acorn Squash & Quinoa Pasta

This dish is probably the best thing I've come across in a LONG time.  Not only is this a keeper, but I think it'll be something I make several more times through the end of the winter.

I made this dish twice.  It's based on a recipe found here.  I adapted it to make a pasta sauce, baked pasta dish as well as a soup.  It's more than fair to say that this is a versatile recipe.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH & QUINOA PASTA

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup onion

1 tablespoon butter or oil

1 garlic clove

2 cups pureed acorn squash (from 1 roasted corn squash)

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (divided in half)

Parmesan for topping

2 boxes elbow pasta (8oz boxes)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To roast acorn squash, cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place cut side down in a pan filled with about a 1/2″ of water. Roast at 400˚ until squash is tender (mine took about 30 minutes.) Remove and let cool. Scoop out the insides and set aside (this can be done the day before as well.)
2. Cook pasta according to package (or about 2-3 minutes less to make it al dente).
3. In a bowl, stir together the acorn squash, ricotta cheese and Parmesan.
4. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Finely dice onions and add to pan along with chopped garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and cooked through.
5. Add onions/garlic and squash mixture and puree in a food processor till smooth.
6. Once everything is ready, spoon squash mixture onto pasta.
7. **If you're making the baked version** Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Combine cooked pasta and squash mixture. Put it in the casserole dish and top with either breadcrumbs or parmesan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, just enough to get the top a little crispy.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Okay.  So I've made this dish twice now.  It was delicious both times.  Actually, the first time I made the acorn squash mix, I was spooning it out from the food processor right into my mouth.  I could have made a meal just out of that alone.  It was that good.

That said, I decided to see what else I could make from the original recipe. 

Let me rewind for a moment.  Since I didn't have pasta shells, I decided to use the quinoa pasta I had which was elbows.  I made the acorn squash mix as a sauce.

Then the wheels started turning and I thought that it would make a good baked dish, similar to a macaroni and cheese - in the loosest sense of the phrase. 

But then I also thought it would make a great soup if it was thinned out to the right consistency.

Oh - the acorn squash.  It's easier to cut through and set up than butternut squash, but once cooked, it's still a little challenging to scoop out the cooked parts.  There's probably an easier way to do it, but I find my hands get mighty dirty in the process.  Then again, maybe it's good to get the hands dirty now and again ;)

TO MAKE ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SOUP:

Add 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup half and half (I used fat free, but the real thing would make it even creamier :) to a large saucepan with the acorn squash mix and simmer for about 30 minutes.

YUM.

Spinach Cheese Swirls

I guess I got a little sidetracked with yesterday's big football game which is why I hadn't posted.  But I made these and had to share.  They're SO good!  What a great appetizer for a football party (Giants @ the Superbowl!!!)! Or perhaps for any other occasion for company or to enjoy for yourself :)
Back when I was making the pot pies, I purchased Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets.  As it turns out, there's a recipe on the back of the box for these Spinach Cheese Swirls.  I thought they looked so good I had to try them.  I clipped the recipe and held on to it until now to make them.  They're really yummy.  And while they can be enjoyed at room temperature, they are definitely best fresh out of the oven or warmed up afterward.  So good!

SPINACH CHEESE SWIRLS

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 of a 17.3oz package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 pkg. (about 10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

DIRECTIONS:

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 40 min. or until easy to handle.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper. 

STIR egg and water in small bowl.  Stir Muenster cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion and garlic powder in medium bowl.

UNFOLD pastry sheet on lightly floured surface.  Brush with egg mixture.  Top with cheese mixture and spinach.  Starting at short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll.  Cut into 20 (1/2") slices.  Place slices cut-side down on baking sheets.  Brush with egg mixture.

BAKE 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.