Pumpkin Cheese Ball

Believe it or not, we didn't eat many cheese balls at our family gatherings growing up. Mainly we would have an antipasto or cold shrimp with cocktail sauce or sausage bread. It wasn't until I was older that I was introduced to the cheese ball while attending parties at some of my friends' family gatherings. Still, I never even made one until recent years. They are really easy and quick to make. It's the refrigeration time that takes the longest.

Recipe ReRun: Pumpkin & Sage Risotto

This week I've had to take it easy and stay off of my feet and out of the kitchen as I had minor surgery to remove a small cyst (that turned out to be a benign tumor!) on my right foot. I know. Always something around here! Anyway, I will have more new Thanksgiving recipe ideas to share with you next week.

So in keeping with my Thanksgiving theme,  I've decided to reintroduce this Pumpkin and Sage Risotto for Recipe ReRun. I first made this Pumpkin and Sage Risotto last November and it was deliciously creamy with the wonderful flavors of pumpkin and fresh sage. This recipe contains only 5 ingredients and serves 5 people so you may want to double it.

If you've missed any recent posts, here are some more ideas to try this holiday:

Pumpkin & Brie Mini Quiche

Carrot & Sage Soup

Apple Cider Brined Roasted Chicken

Butter Roasted Carrots & Parsnips

Cranberry Pear Sauce

Next week, be on the lookout for Portuguese Stuffing, Pumpkin Pecan Cheese Ball and Spiked Mini Apple Tarts with Cinnamon Whipped Cream!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Brie Mini Quiche

It's only 29 days until my favorite holiday...Thanksgiving! I know. It's not even Halloween yet, but if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a huge planner. I love Thanksgiving. The smell of turkey roasting in the oven. The parade Thanksgiving morning. The pumpkin...usually my only excuse to eat pumpkin pie during the year since no one really likes it except for my oldest daughter and I!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

As I mentioned last week, I love pumpkin and this cooler weather makes me crave it even more. I have a really bad tea drinking problem. Well, not necessarily a problem per se, but I do drink it ALL...DAY...LONG whether it's tea with skim milk or just a plain Green Tea. It helps keep me going throughout the day. One of my frequent stops is a local Dunkin' Donuts drive through to get my daily fix when I'm on the road. Lately, if I have the kids in the car, they want the sweet stuff. Most of the time, its a "NO", but every once in a while I give in and their favorite choices are either Pumpkin Munchkins or a Pumpkin Muffin.

So the other day I surprised them with my own homemade version of a Pumpkin Muffin and there were THRILLED. Though these are a bit smaller than the portion size at Dunkin' Donuts, they were very filling and one was plenty...and it satisfied a few chocolate cravings as well. For those of you keeping track of the nutritional analysis, here is the breakdown between the two muffins*:

Calories

CEK 223; DD 600

Fat

CEK 9.8g; DD 26g. 

Carbohydrates

CEK 33.1g; DD 83g. 

Fiber

CEK 2.2g; DD 3g. 

Sugar

CEK 18.7g; DD 44g

Protein

CEK 2.4g; 7g. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes              Yield: 18 muffins
Cook Time: 15 minutes             Serving Size: 1 muffin
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/2 c. Canola Oil
• 2 tbsp. 2% Milk
• 15oz. Pureed Pumpkin
• 2 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Cooking Spray, if needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, oil, milk and pumpkin until well blended. 
3. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the flour baking soda and salt. Add it to the liquid mixture and mix together with a spoon; then fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Line (or grease) a standard size muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill each cup three-quarters of the way to the top. 
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the top springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool. 

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 223, Carbs 33.1g, Fat 9.8g, Protein 2.4g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 18.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins Shopping List

*Nutritional information for Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Muffin provided by LiveStrong.comhttp://www.livestrong.com/article/440802-dunkin-donuts-nutritional-facts-for-pumpkin-muffins/



Shared at Carole's Chatter 11/24/13

Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A few weeks ago, I received a lovely email from Chobani Greek Yogurt stating that they loved my recipe for Cucumber Yogurt Lime Dip. They also said that they wanted to send me some yogurt as a thank you and if I happen to come up with another great recipe, all the better. Well, I think I did just that!

To me, Fall means pumpkin, so what better way to incorporate some of Chobani's famous Vanilla Greek Yogurt into these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. I don't like to keep a lot of sweets laying around the house, so when I do have a craving, I try to "lighten" the recipe up a bit so I don't feel so guilty eating them. This dessert was decadent, yet light at the same time and my family and I really enjoyed them.

Reduced Fat Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Cook Time: 1 hour       Refrigerator Time: 6 hours       Servings: 16

Ingredients
For the Crust

• 9 Graham Cracker Squares
• 1/4 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 5 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Butter

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

• 1 lb. Fat Free Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 c. Pureed Pumpkin
• 1/2 c. Chobani Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions
For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the crackers, sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly; then add in the butter and pulse until the crumbs form together.
3. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8"x8" pan with the teaspoon of butter; then firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan, coming up 1/2"-3/4" up the sides.
4. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the Filling and Cheesecake Bars

1. Cream together all of the ingredients using a stand mixer until creamy.
2. Pour the batter into the crust and spread out evenly.
3. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the sides start to puff up and turn slightly brown. The center should be somewhat firm to the touch.
4. Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting into 16 squares.

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 141, Carbs 18.4g, Fat 5.1g, Protein 5.9g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 12.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Pumpkin Spice M&M Cookies

Today is National Homemade Cookie Day and to celebrate Fall (and all things pumpkin!), I've created a new cookie recipe for you: Pumpkin Spice M&M Cookies. I love finding new products when I go shopping and this time it was Pumpkin Spice M&M's. They also had a candy corn flavor, but I'm not a huge fan of candy corn. I try not to bake cookies often because they don't last long in this house. Seriously...just because I have girls doesn't mean they don't eat me out of house and home like those teenaged boys I hear about! These...gone in under 24 hours. I guess they liked them. :)

If you're looking for other homemade cookie inspiration, download my Desserts eBook! For only $2.99, you can get a jump start on some baking ideas this holiday season. The instantly downloadable book contains over 50 reader favorite dessert recipes including cheesecakes, bundt cakes, quick breads, muffins, pies, crisps, tarts, biscotti, chocolate, candy, truffles, bars and cookies.

Pumpkin Spice M&M Cookies
Adapted from Nestles Toll House Cookies
Total Time: 30 minutes          Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 c. Butter, softened
• 3/4 c. Granulated Sugar
• 3/4 c. Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1- 9.9oz. Bag Pumpkin Spice M&M Candy

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice in a small bowl. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter, both sugars, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. 
4. Gradually add in the flour mixture until the dough forms; then stir in the candy. 
5. Drop a kitchen teaspoon full of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and repeat keeping 2" apart. 
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per Cookie

Calories 165, Carbs 22.6g, Fat 7.7g, Protein 1.5g, Fiber .5g, Sugar 15.5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Pumpkin Spice M&M Cookies Shopping List

Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Banana Bundt Cake

Today is our last day of Thanksgiving Recipe Week so I have to end with dessert. I know, it's a mouthful to say and I have to agree, but this recipe was another wonderful way to use up those bananas. This was a deliciously moist cake with the chocolate, hazelnuts, pumpkin and bananas all wrapped up into one tasty package without being overly sweet. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Banana Bundt Cake
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
1 c. Pumpkin Puree
1/4 c. Nutella or other Hazelnut spread
3 Ripe Bananas, blended
1 Egg
2 tbsp. Milk
1/4 c. Hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 c. Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and  cocoa powder. 
2. In a separate larger bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, Nutella, bananas, egg and milk. Whisk together until well blended. 
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix well; then fold in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips. 
4. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray and pour in the batter. 
5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until the top springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes 16 slices. 


Click here for more DESSERT ideas! 

Enjoy!

*Tip: You can also make these as muffins; however, the cooking time would be different. For muffins, I would start checking them for doneness after 10-12 minutes.

Thanksgiving Tip
The day of, write a list of what items you will be serving and at what time. This will help you determine when to place items into the oven to avoid over crowding and to keep you on some sort of schedule. 

Here is an example:
9:00am Place turkey in the oven
12:30pm Put appetizers in the oven
1:00pm Guests arrive/serve appetizers
2:00pm Heat Soup 
2:30pm Serve Soup
3:00pm Serve Salad
3:00pm Put sides in the oven, rolls and/or cook the potatoes for mashed potatoes
3:15pm Carve Turkey
3:30/4pm Serve main meal and don't forget the cranberry sauce in the refrigerator(I do this every year!)
6:00pm Serve dessert and coffee


Shared at Close To Home 11/15/12

Pumpkin & Sage Risotto

It's Day 4 of Thanksgiving Recipe Week and today, I've got a great new side dish for you. This Pumpkin & Sage Risotto is the quintessential fall dish with wonderful flavors and lucky for us, it also has less than 5 ingredients! 

I made this recipe special to share this week as I wasn't sure if my family would like it, but when Rachael came home from school and saw the container in the refrigerator, she couldn't wait to try it (and then proceeded to eat half the container for dinner so I guess it was a hit). Risotto's are so easy to make and would make a great side dish on your Thanksgiving table.  


Pumpkin & Sage Risotto
1 tbsp. Butter
1 c. Arborio Rice
4 c. Vegetable Broth
1/2 c. Pumpkin Puree
1 tbsp. Sage
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large, non-stick saute pan, melt the butter and add in the rice. 
2. Stir until the rice turns slightly brown, then add 1 cup of the vegetable broth. 
3. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then add the remaining broth 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to evaporate after each addition. 
4. When the last cup of liquid has almost evaporated, stir in the pumpkin and sage; mix well. Makes 5-1/2 cup servings. 

*Nutritional Information: Calories 113 , Carbs 25.5g, Fat 0g, Protein 2.1g, Fiber 1.1g, Sugar 2.2g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Click here for more SIDES! 

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tip
Plan out your menu in advance and keep it posted on the refrigerator until the big day. I like to do this at least 1-2 weeks ahead of time so that I can gradually purchase any specialty pantry items I may need. As you prepare items that can be made ahead of time, cross it off of your list.  It is also a good idea to go through each recipe to make sure you have a complete shopping list. And then, if your neurotic like me, you'll re-write the list so that all like items are together. :) I don't know how many times I've had to send my husband to the store the morning of a holiday because I forgot something. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

I'm not a huge fan of pancakes, mainly because I can't eat a lot of maple syrup (gives me a headache). But every once in a while I crave them. So, in keeping with the experimental theme of this blog, I decided to jazz up my regular homemade pancake recipe for the fall by adding some pumpkin puree and spice. These were INCREDIBLE and I loved the fact that they had so much flavor I didn't even miss eating them without the syrup. 

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp. Baking Powder
3 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Spice
2 Eggs
1/2 c. Pumpkin Puree
1 1/2 c. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Cooking Spray


Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pumpkin spice; mix well. 
2. In a separate larger bowl, whisk the eggs, then add in the pumpkin, milk and vanilla; mix well. 
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until there are no lumps. 
4. Heat your frying pan or griddle on medium heat. When you sprinkle a few flecks of water on your pan and the water 'dances' or jumps off the pan, then you know the pan is hot enough to cook on. 
5. Spray the pan with cooking spray and ladle some of the batter onto the pan (approx. 4" in diameter)
6. Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until the pancake starts to bubble on the top and around the edges. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until it is golden and remove. Makes 12 pancakes. 

*Tip #1: Heat your syrup in a pan or in the microwave in a microwave safe carafe or pitcher before pouring over your pancakes!

*Tip #2: You can also use butter to cook the pancakes, but I prefer using cooking spray with a non-stick pan to reduce the calories. 

*Nutritional Information per Pancake: Calories 107, Carbs 20.8g, Fat .6g, Protein 3.7g, Fiber 1g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

For the last several years, I have made some kind of pasta using this Pumpkin Sage Cream sauce recipe except this Thanksgiving where I decided to make soup as a starter instead. Well, I thought I was "ok" with it until I kept seeing cans of organic pumpkin in the supermarket on sale and REALLY inexpensive. So I decided I'd make this sauce, even if it wasn't a holiday. Isn't it funny how we only want to eat certain foods during a specific time of year? Why not treat yourself year-round, as long as it's in moderation of course since this isn't the healthiest recipe to eat!  


I had never made sweet potato gnocchi before, only the regular potato kind so when I decided to make this recipe this past weekend, I wanted to try and make it a little more healthy by using whole wheat flour. MISTAKE and kitchen experiment gone awry! Though it looked good, I had to add so much flour to make the dough non-sticky that it tasted horrible. SO, back to the drawing board. I tried it again, this time using all-purpose flour only and these are the gnocchi I know and love! The combination of the sweet potatoes, pumpkin and fresh sage flooded my brain with memories of fall, even though it was 20 something degrees outside, and the taste was even better than a regular pasta or ravioli, which is how I've made this before. 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

For the Gnocchi:
2 Medium Sized SweetPotatoes
1 Egg, beaten
1 1/2-2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1c. Prepared Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce (see recipe below)

Boil the potatoes with the skins on until they are fork tender. Do not cool the potatoes. Remove from the hot water one at a time, peel off the skins and using the tines from the back of a fork, gently mash the potatoes. Repeat for each potato, add to a bowl, then let cool 10-15 minutes. Form the potatoes into a ball shape, form a well and add in the egg and salt. Next add 1 cup of the flour and gently keep folding all of the ingredients together until it is all incorporated. The dough shouldn't be too sticky. If it is, gradually add more flour as needed. Cut into ten pieces. Take one of the pieces and turn it onto a floured board. Gently roll lengthwise forming a log shape the thickness of your thumb. From there, cut into eight pieces (about the size of the tip of your thumb to the first joint). Gently using the back of the fork, make an indentation on the top. Repeat for all ten segments of dough. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently drop in the Gnocchi. They are done when they start floating, approximately 3-5 minutes. Drain the water and put the Gnocchi in a serving bowl. Heat the sauce, pour over the Gnocchi and gently mix together. Serves 4.

*If you aren't going to cook them right away, place them in a single layer on a floured cookie sheet in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce

2 tbsp. Butter

2 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped

1-7 oz. Canned Pumpkin

1 pt. Heavy Cream

¼ c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated

Melt butter in a saucepan and add sage; simmer 1 minute allowing butter to turn slightly brown. Add pumpkin, heavy cream and cheese. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Enjoy! 

Chick Pea, Pumpkin & Cilantro Fritters

I know...I was even second guessing this one myself. But, they were INCREDIBLE if I don't say so myself (plus I had a few of my guinea pigs, uh I mean friends, try them out for me as well!). I had stopped at the store the other day to pick up some cilantro and all the store had was this HUGE bunch of it. Now I love it, but don't use it that often. This was also the day that I had to wait in line for 15 minutes at the check out counter to pay for said cilantro because apparently two cashiers didn't know they had to come in to work the earlier shift...gotta love it! Thank goodness for my smartphone, I don't know what I did without one..hours and hours of entertainment at our fingertips. So after getting it home to use in another recipe I was making, I rinsed it off well, drained it on some paper towels, removed the stems, put it in a large resealable plastic bag and then put it in the freezer for later use. (Hint: You can do this with most fresh herbs. It just doesn't look pretty as a garnish once defrosted but it's perfectly fine to use in your recipes.) 


Anyhow, I was in my kitchen thinking about what I could also use this cilantro with when I noticed two things. 1. I can't wait to remodel my kitchen because I must have the smallest darn pantry on Earth (seriously, it's a closet with 2 shelves allotted for dry/canned food and the rest baskets and dog paraphernalia...no wonder I'm always at the grocery store!) and 2. I saw some canned chick peas and pumpkin peeking out from one of the shelves. I hadn't made any fritters in a while and thought "weird combo" but I think I'll give it a shot. Now, I'm not by any means a vegetarian, but I could definitely get used to it with meals like this. YUM!

Chick Pea, Pumpkin & Cilantro Fritters
1-15oz. Can Pumpkin Puree (I used Libby's)
1-15oz. Can Chick Peas, rinsed under cold water
2 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. Red Onion, minced
1 Lime, zest and juice
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 c. Self-Rising Flour
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt, to taste
Canola Oil, for frying


In a bowl, mix together the chick peas, pumpkin, cilantro, onion, lime zest & juice, garlic, flour and pepper until well blended. Heat about 1/2" oil in a large frying pan and add a kitchen tablespoon full of mixture to the oil. Flatten slightly and fry on each side 2-3 minutes until browned. Drain on paper towels or brown paper bags to remove the excess oil and serve hot. Makes 12 fritters. 


Enjoy!