Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

  This recipe was pretty good. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it just didn't have really strong flavors. I thought that the goat cheese would have had a tart/salty flavor, but I think it was washed out by the cream and the pumpkin. I had to add a lot of Parmesan cheese to bring up the flavor level. 

  I forgot to buy sage so that was not in my dish. I also spilled my heavy cream, so it ended up being 1/8 of heavy cream and  3/8 of half and half.  Try this recipe if you love pumpkin. Otherwise skip this recipe and save your pumpkin for the pancakes I made a couple of weeks ago or for one of my other up coming pumpkin recipes.

1 pound campanelle or penne pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 oz goat cheese
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh cracked pepper (or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
 

Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of salt.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots, crushed red pepper (if using), and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the  broth, pumpkin, salt, pepper and cream. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk in the goat cheese and 1 tablespoon of the fresh sage.  Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Can add a little of the Parmesan cheese here if you like.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes or so.  Place in a serving bowl and top with the remaining fresh sage and a good dusting of the Parmesan cheese.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese at the table.

Original recipe from Circle B Kitchen

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

  
  Well it is officially chilly here, bring on the soups, stews, and chili's! We both thought that this chili had great flavor. Tyler thought that it tasted better with the chicken, I thought my meatless version was filling with great flavor. 
  The flavor of the cilantro was lost amongst all the other ingredients. Although it is pretty I don't think it was worth buying the cilantro. This is a thicker chili, so if you like it with more liquid add another can or two of tomato sauce. 
  I will for sure use this instead of my old chili recipe ( I used to buy the chili packet and the ingredients it called for on the back, pretty boring). We also garnished the chili with Fritos because that's what Texans do.Thank you pinterest!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points). 

Original recipe from skinny taste

French Onion Soup

Colleen's take: "I made the mistake of being pregnant, hungry, and watching cooking shows one lonely afternoon. Result, I ended up craving a hundred different meals! I have always wanted to try and make this recipe and after I watched her, I decided it looked easy enough... Well it was definitely is an intermediate dish, but it turned out gourmet and really impressed my guests (which made my ego soar). My only complaint was that the onions took about 1.5 hours to cook instead of a measly 30 minutes."

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 pounds yellow onions (about 6 medium), halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cubed ciabatta bread
• 3 cups grated Gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sliced onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the onions become a deep golden brown and very soft, about 30 minutes. 

Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any dry bits on the bottom of the pan, increasing the heat to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef stock, and the chicken stock, and allow the soup to simmer for an additional 30 minutes as the flavors develop. Season the soup generously with salt, and pepper, to taste. 

Preheat the oven to broil, or turn on the broiler. Arrange the ciabatta cubes on a baking sheet and toast until crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

Remove the thyme sprigs and pour the soup into 4 to 6 oven-safe crocks or bowls. Top with the toasted ciabatta cubes and a generous amount of grated Gruyere. 

Place the crocks or bowls under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. 

 Recipe sourced from Kelseys essentials on Cooking Channel.

Rice & Bean Enchiladas w/Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

Colleen's Take: "We all saw Annah make this recipe on October 1st, here's my take. This was one calorie filled meal that was DE-LIC-IOUS!! This is the kind of meal where you don't miss meat not to mention feeling like I was eating at a mexican restaurant. I strongly recommend cooking this one up." 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• salt
• 1 15 ounce can  pinto beans, drained
• 1 2/3 cups shredded monterey jack
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 3 ounce package  cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 2/3 cups jarred salsa verde
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 6 1/2 inches corn tortillas

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the rice and 12 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl to cool slightly. Add the beans, 1 cup Monterey jack, the scallions and cream cheese; stir gently.
2. Meanwhile, using a blender or food processor, blend the salsa verde, cream and 12 cup cilantro until smooth.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully place 1 tortilla at a time into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until softened, 5 to 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates to drain.
4. Mound 1/2 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly, then place seam side down in a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Monterey jack. Bake until bubbly, about20 minutes. Top with more cilantro.

Venetian-Style Spaghetti allArrabbiata

Colleen's take: "I couldn't find the fresno chilies for this recipe, so I used red pepper flakes. I originally wanted to use up my saffron that I spent half my life savings buying and only used once, so when my pregnant self saw a recipe filled with pasta & saffron my eyes were the size of saucers and I ripped it from the Rachael Ray Magazine that second. Results were positive, I thought it tasted like pizza spaghetti, kinda weird, but boy did my kids love the mess out of it!" 

Ingredients

• salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 fresno or other medium- hot red chile peppers, very thinly sliced (I leave in the seedsthe hotter the better!but remove them if you want to dial back the heat level a bit)
• 4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• freshly grated parigiano-reggiano

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 12 cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. While the pasta is working, in a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock and saffron to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer to keep warm.
3. In a deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid,heat the EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Stir in the chiles and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and saffron stock, cover and cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes burst, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and mash the tomatoes a bit with a potato masher. Stir in the parsley.
4. Toss the pasta with the sauce and a handful of cheese. Add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to combine. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls; top with more cheese, if desired.

My oldest twirling his 'sgetti

Rice and Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce {Annah}

  
  Alright here is another Rachael Ray recipe that was a success! It has a kick of heat so if you don't like that then you should probably skip this recipe. I have not used tomatillo sauce before, but we liked the flavor of it. I didn't realize that it is more spicy then a medium red salsa.
  I make a bean and cheese enchilada with red sauce but, we liked this more because it had more complex flavors. This dish was good as left overs a few days later. My only complaint was that there was a little more clean up then I like. I had to wash the food processor, pot, skillet, bowl, and the casserole dish. Overall this is a great recipe that I would be proud to make for guest. It is going on the make once a month list!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• salt
• 1 15 ounce can  pinto beans, drained
• 1 2/3 cups shredded monterey jack
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 3 ounce package  cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 2/3 cups jarred salsa verde
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 6 1/2 inches corn tortillas

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the rice and 12 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl to cool slightly. Add the beans, 1 cup Monterey jack, the scallions and cream cheese; stir gently.
2. Meanwhile, using a blender or food processor, blend the salsa verde, cream and 12 cup cilantro until smooth.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully place 1 tortilla at a time into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until softened, 5 to 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates to drain.
4. Mound 12 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly, then place seam side down in a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Monterey jack. Bake until bubbly, about20 minutes. Top with more cilantro.

Original recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine

Garlic fries {Annah}

  I thought these were delicious and could not stop eating them. Tyler thought they were good, but this was inspired from a friends recipe and he thought hers were better. I would recommend making these over the frozen bag of fries you can buy at the store. Yes, they do take a little more time; chop, season, bake. They are totally worth the time for the extra flavor and healthiness factor. Now if only I could figure out how to make waffle fries at home!

Ingredients
4 servings

• 5 Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 gloves of garlic
• Garlic powder (my friend had the Tastefully Simple garlic seasoning)
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Flat leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut potatoes vertically into medium to thin slices starting from the wide ends. Now cut the round circles into fry like strips. 

Mince the garlic and put them in a medium bowl with the potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.

 Place the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown. About 12 minutes on each side, but cooking time will vary on size of fries and how crispy you like them.