Pumpkin Lasagna

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

small can (15 oz) tomato sauce

large can (29 oz) pumpkin

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp fresh sage, minced

1 1/2 pkgs no boil lasagna noodles (9 oz each)

6 oz smoked Gouda, shredded

2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot. Sautee onion and garlic until onion is soft. Add tomato sauce, pumpkin, spices and maple syrup. Allow to heat through.

Combine ricotta cheese, eggs, and sage.

Put 1 cup pumpkin mixture in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with noodles and cheese mixture and another layer of noodles. Repeat, ending with shells and pumpkin. Top with gouda cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serves 8.

Nutritional info (per serving): 467 calories; 20g fat; 50g carbs; 7g fiber; 23g protein.

This, my friends, is what fall tastes like.

But what I appreciate even more is how she cooks. She cooks from her heart. She has a basic template of a recipe, but she just goes with it. And watching and reading her over the years has made me comfortable with doing the same.

I am pulling myself out of my kitchen rut, and I’m doing so by allowing myself to be creative. Letting pictures and ideas inspire me instead of cooking based on someone else’s equation. Using a general idea instead of someone else’s recipe or a combination of recipes. I do this sometimes, but doing it consistently has empowered me so much.

Nathan has been asking for Tortilla Pie. I love it, but I really wanted to try something new.

I started thinking about how I could incorporate the tastes of fall. And that got me thinking about my Autumn Lasagna. And I decided that I could combine the two.

That, my friends, is where the magic started.

I wish I could tell you exactly how to make it, but I can’t. Because I had some things left over and my measurements wouldn’t be right. But, you know what? I trust you. And I think you could figure it out. I think you could get it right for your family.

I peeled and chopped sweet potatoes and parsnips. Added a little olive oil and fall spices. Stirred it up and roasted until tender.

Then I heated some black beans, tomato sauce, and adobo peppers. I added the potato/parsnip mixture in when they were soft. That made the filling.

I took some pumpkin puree and added some homemade taco seasoning and thinned it out with a little tomato sauce. I shredded some applewood smoked gouda.

I put a tortilla in a springform pan. Layered with a little pumpkin, a little veggie/bean mixture, and a little cheese. I repeated until the pan was full, ending with shell then pumpkin sauce then cheese.

Baked at 400 until the cheese was melted.

And the angels sang.

This ended up being one of my favorite things that I have ever made. So seasonally appropriate. So inspired. And I truly enjoyed my time in the kitchen with this. Because it is mine. And it was Nathan approved as well.

I understand that we all need direction sometimes. That we all had to start somewhere. That we all have a lot to learn. But it is important to give ourselves credit for what we have already learned. To spread our wings. To just let ourselves go and see what happens.

My question to you is this: Where do you just need to let go? Where could you make things easier by just listening to your own voice for a while? Where could you start drowning out everyone else’s noise and make your own?

I bet it will be just as awesome as Autumn Chipotle Tortilla Pie.

And ever so easy.

Chicken broth.

Peas.

Baby bok choy. (this MADE the soup)

Water chestnuts.

Shredded carrots.

Bean sprouts.

A little bit of chili paste and soy sauce.

Some angel hair pasta.

And 3 scrambled eggs.

Guys. This smelled fantastic.

And looked pretty too.

And tasted even better.

I ended up using a lot of different utensils because I’m not that great with chopsticks.

I feel so much better. I love how it turned out. I loved that it renewed my interest in the kitchen. I love that I pulled myself out of the kitchen funk I was in.

egg foo young drop soup (or something like that)

2 quarts chicken stock

2 cups fresh peas

3 baby bok choy (choys?), halved and sliced

1 1/2 cup shredded carrots

8 oz. package bean sprouts

4 oz. water chestnuts, roughly chopped

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp red chile paste

2/3 box angel hair pasta (12 oz or so)

3 eggs

Heat broth to boiling. Add vegetables and soy sauce. Cook until veggies are soft, about 20 minutes. Add soy sauce and pasta. Cook until pasta is done, 4-6 minutes. Reduce heat. Scramble eggs and drizzle into soup.

Serves 8.

Nutritional info (per serving): 252 calories; 2g fat; 39g carbs; 3g fiber; 10g protein.

We took advantage of it, though. We made chili spaghetti. And apple cider.

Anyway, I’m not writing about any of that today. I’m writing about this:

Quinoa breakfast porridge.

It all started when I was working on my grocery list and realized I had some red quinoa in my cabinet just begging to be put to use. I searched tastespotting for quinoa and came across this recipe by Cooking Books. And, seriously, how could I not be seduced by the combination of quinoa and ricotta?

Of course, I made it my own based on what I had just hanging out in my pantry. I also doubled it so I could use a whole container each of yogurt and ricotta. It is just chilling in my fridge waiting for breakfasts this week, but if the bit I licked from the bowl is any indication, we are going to be VERY happy.

1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used red because it is what I had)

2 cups water

2 cups 2% greek yogurt (Fage!)

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Cook quinoa in water according to package directions, about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Whisk together all remaining ingredients. Add quinoa when cool. Allow to cool in the fridge before serving.

Makes 6 servings. 1 cup each.

Nutritional info (per serving): 418 calories; 19g fat; 44g carbs; 5g fiber; 22g protein.

(As much as I’m looking forward to fall, I’m going to miss the natural light in food pictures.)

EDIT: Wgoa Nelly! 1 cup is too much! I stopped at half a cup for breakfast this morning. I will depend on Nathan to gobble it up before it loses it’s yummy-ness!

Wow. That’s little. It says Lots of veggies tossed w/Shredded Cheddar, Apple and Italian Dressing Stuffed in a Pita………… $7.25

I used to make it back then, but hadn’t in a few years. And with Nathan being in Atlanta last week, it seemed like a perfect time.

Here’s my only issue: It makes a ton. I bet I had to throw half of this away. And I had it almost every day for lunch.

Basically, I bought one of those little veggie trays from Meijer. You know, the one with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I put them in my food processor one at a time and just chopped them up really small, putting them in a huge bowl. I’m guessing about a cup of each. Then I chopped up an tomato the same way. Then an onion. Then an apple. Then about 2 oz mozzzarella. I added a little lemon juice, salt and pepper, and about 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.

It was just like I remembered.

Except in years past it took like HOURS because I had to get everything to this size by hand. And that wasn’t fun.

I didn’t buy any pitas this week, so I ended up eating it on open-faced sandwiches, like bruschetta. It’s also really good with triscuits. I think it would be awesome at a party because it is just so fresh and light. And it makes a ton, so it’s hard for one person to eat it all before it goes bad. And I don’t know how I would make less unless I had something specific planned for the rest of 1 apple, the rest of one onion, the rest of one tomato, etc.

Anyone want to invite me to a party? I’ll bring this! You’ll thank me!

She made an awesome dinner just by picking things out of her CSA basket. No plan, no recipe, just her fresh-from-farm produce, some pasta, and some beans.

Erin was also generous enough to give me part of her bounty.

And on Friday evening, I followed her lead.

Olive oil. Garlic. Onions. Corn. Cannelini beans. Tomatoes. Whole wheat fettuccini. Salt, pepper, a smidge of chipotle chili powder.

It was so fun to just throw things together. I love cooking that way, but I don’t typically shop that way. Maybe I should more often.

Do you ever make a meal based on what you have around? Anything awesome ever come from it?

My sweet friend BubblyHeart was telling me how her sister makes and freezes burritos and I thought I’d give it a try. These turned out beautifully.

I started with roasting sweet potatoes on a baking sheet (tossed in olive oil, honey, sweet paprika, salt and pepper) and corn in a baking dish (I would have wrapped in foil if I wasn’t out). They stayed in here about 30 minutes, stirring the potatoes once and flipping the corn once.

(Gah. My oven is abysmal.)

Then I got the rest of the guts going. With a little olive oil in my favorite red skillet, I softened some onions.

Then I added a can of black beans that I had rinsed and drained.

I added half a cup of tomato sauce and half a cup of this lovely sweet barbecue sauce.

I turned the heat down to low and let that bubble away while the oven veggies got ready for the game. (I also moved on to making other recipes, but that’s for another day.) When the sweet potatoes had a little bit of crunch to the outside, I added them into the skillet. I also cut the corn off the cob and added it too.

By this time, everything was warm and flavored, so I went ahead and rolled them up. I opted for taco sized shells since regular sized ones are a commitment. Since I’m doing bento-type lunches so often, some days all I need is one burrito. Heat the shells in the microwave (which I love having right over my range), put in a spoonful of filling and roll ‘em up!

I know it isn’t easy, but try to get both ends rolled in.

I wrapped them in two layers of plastic wrap, then in an airtight container in my freezer. I have every intention of wrapping them in foil, just as soon as I remember to do that.

I wrapped up all but one, and my dear sweet husband was happy to make sure it was tasty. It got his approval.

I’m excited to tell you about my breakfast burritos too, but Nathan ate the first one from frozen this morning and I want to make sure it gets good reviews first.

I’m loving this frozen burrito thing. And the barbecue sauce gives it such a different flavor that the usual Mexican burrito. What fillings and seasonings should I try next?

Sweet Potato Black Bean Barbecue Burritos

2 sweet potatoes, chunked

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt and pepper

2 ears of corn

1 small onion, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup barbecue sauce

17 taco-sized burritos

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine sweet potatoes, paprika, honey, salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Toss well and spread on a cookie sheet. Remove husks from corn and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a second cookie sheet. Bake both until soft, 25-30 minutes.

In a skillet, add remaining tbsp of olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft. Add black beans, tomato sauce, and barbecue sauce. Allow to cook until sweet potatoes are soft. Remove from oven and add to black bean mixture. Cut corn off cobs and add to black bean mixture. Stir well.

Heat shells in microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Wrap filling up in taco shells.

(I froze these burritos. After allowing to cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then stack in airtight container and place in the freezer.)

Makes 17 burritos.

Nutritional info (per burrito): 134 calories; 3.9g fat; 26.2g carbs, 10g fiber; 7.2g protein.

Our last meal in Asheville last weekend was at Nine Mile. I don’t know how we’ve always missed this place. The food was great. Beer selection was nice. Very affordable. And the service was so friendly!

Perusing the menu before we even got there, I knew what Nathan would have.

Soon Come: a unique sweet dish with fresh sliced bananas, apples, currents and pineapples, sauteed with white wine, butter, and pumpkin spice. Tossed with cheese stuffed tri-colored tortellini and spring onions. You’ll have to try it to understand.

I wish the picture wasn’t so dark. The picture doesn’t do it justice. This meal was really really good. (and only $5.95 to boot.)

I decided that I wanted to do something similar with quinoa and that I wanted to make it a meal. I didn’t know if it would feel substantial enough on it’s own, so I added a shredded rotisserie chicken. It could definitely do without.

I was really impressed at how well this turned out. I think it had a lot to do with the Autumn Spice Mix I bought at the Spice and Tea Exchange. It’s pretty close to an apple pie or pumpkin pie spice mix but with some onion, garlic and chili powder mixed in. I’m gonna try to recreate the mix, but I’m estimating the spices as well as I can. I think it should be close.

Soon Come Quinoa

3/4 cup quinoa (cooked according to package directions in 1.5 cups water)

2 tbsp butter

2 pineapple rings, diced

1 apple, diced

3 oz currants (fresh or dried)

2 bananas, sliced

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp dried minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried minced onions

1/2 tsp chili powder or smoked paprika

2 chicken breasts, shredded

salt and pepper

While quinoa is cooking, heat butter in skillet. Add pineapple and apples. Cook 5 minutes or until softening. Add in currants, bananas, honey, and spices. Continue to cook, stirring often. When quinoa is done, add chicken breasts and quinoa to fruit mixture and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm or cold.

The bananas will turn to mush. That’s okay. It is still amazing. We ate it warm the first night and had the leftovers cold. So tasty!

Mexican Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 ears corn
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 onion, chopped
2 avacados, diced
1 lime, juiced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

Dice avacado and let sit in the juice of the lime.

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 13 (1/2 cup each.)

Nutritional info: 145 calories; 6g fat; 21g carb; 5g fiber; 5g protein.

(Try it. You’ll thank me.)