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!

Carrot & Sage Soup

Do you eat in courses during your holiday meals? We certainly do! Mostly our day consists of the following courses: appetizers, soup or pasta, salad, main meal; then dessert and coffee. I say soup or pasta because we very rarely serve both; it's usually either one or the other. For Thanksgiving, I like to stick with something orange in color...you know, just to be festive.

Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce

I wanted to make a new chicken dish that used sage, since I needed it for another recipe I was making and had some left over. I came up with this Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce and it was perfect! I served it with some rice (because my family likes to add whatever sauce I'm cooking with on top of it!),   Maple and Sage Glazed Petite Carrots and a tossed salad. 

Chicken in a White Wine Sage Sauce
4-6oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp. Butter

1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 1/2 c. White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/4 c. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Directions:
1. Slice the chicken horizontally into halves or thirds depending on the thickness. (I got a total of 14 pieces of chicken with mine); then pound them to make sure they are even in thickness. 
2. Add 1/4 cup of flour to a bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour. 
3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a non stick saute pan and when hot, add the chicken. 
4. Fry on both sides until lightly browned and cooked through, then remove and place in an oven safe baking dish. Repeat until all pieces have been cooked. 
5. In the same pan, add the 2 tbsp. flour to form a roux; then add in the chicken broth, wine, sage and mustard. 
6. Mix well until it starts to become slightly thickened; then pour over the chicken.
7. Place the chicken in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 14 pieces. 

*Nutritional Information per Piece of Chicken: Calories 136, Carbs 3g, Fat 6.7g, Protein 10.3g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .3g

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

Did you know?

The official name for sage is 'Salvia Officinalis'. It is a shrub-like plant with a slightly peppery flavor, woody stems, grayish looking leaves, blue-purple flowers and is native to the Mediterranean region. Not only is sage wonderful to cook with, it also has medicinal purposes including to heal snake bites, increasing a women's fertility, antisweating agent, and making essential oils. 

Enjoy! 

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. 

Maple & Sage Roasted Delicata

It's Day 3 of Thanksgiving Recipe week and today I've got a new, or at least new for me, vegetable for you to try. 

Delicata is a type of winter squash and is also known as peanut squash, Bohemian squash or sweet potato squash. I had never seen one before until I visited my local Fairway Market. They have such a wide variety of produce, amongst other things as I recently mentioned before in my Rosemary Roasted Yellow Carrots recipe. I loved the flavor of this squash, especially tossed with the maple syrup and fresh sage. And, besides a little odd look from Gabrielle because she first thought I had roasted peaches (hmmm....now there's an idea!), the family and I loved it. I just wish I had purchased another one it was so good!  I would double the recipe if you are making this for more than two people. 

Maple & Sage Roasted Delicata
1 Delicata, peeled
1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste












Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Cut delicata in half lengthwise, remove the seeds then cut in half again forming 4 strips; then cut into bite sized cubes.

3. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. 

4. Place the delicata on a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes; turning once and allowing them to get slightly brown and caramelized. Makes 2 cups. 

*Nutritional Information per Cup: Calories 126, Carbs 6.7g, Fat 7g, Protein 3.8g, Fiber 1.3g

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

Click here for more VEGETABLE ideas! 

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Tip

Your turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when a digital thermometer is inserted by the thigh meat. Remove from the oven and allow to rest under a foil tent for another 45-60 minutes before carving to allow the natural juices to settle into the meat. 

Mustard & Sage Potato Encrusted Pork Cutlets

During my youngest daughters recent Back to School Night, the other parents and myself nestled into our seats waiting for the Principal to give her speech and found goodie bags on each chair. In these bags were several items including a bag of Idaho Spuds Instant Mashed Potatoes. Now, since I don't normally eat prepackaged potatoes, I was challenged by several of my friends to create something with them..And of course, I could not refuse! :)

I had done this once before with my recipe for Potato Encrusted Fried Shrimp so I figured it would work just as well with pork cutlets and my assumptions were correct. Since I didn't have a lot of these potatoes, I added some Panko breadcrumbs so that I had enough breading, but for a Gluten Free option, you can use all instant potatoes. These were crunchy and mouthwateringly good! They even tasted great reheated as leftovers and you know how much I despise leftovers. :)

Mustard & Sage Potato Encrusted Pork Cutlets
4 Boneless Pork Chops
1-2.5oz. Pkg. Idaho Spuds Instant Mashed Potatoes
1 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. Dry Mustard
1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
Egg Wash (3 Eggs + 2 tbsp. Milk+1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard)
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Trim the fat from the meat and slice horizontally into 3 cutlets per chop; then pound evenly with a meat mallet
2. In one bowl, combine the instant potatoes, breadcrumbs, dry mustard and sage; mix well. 
3. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and dijon mustard; mix well. 
4. In the third bowl, add the flour. 
5. Bread the cutlets by dipping them first into the flour, then egg wash then breading mixture. 
6. Heat approximately 1/2" of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the cutlets until cooked through; approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Serves 4. 

Enjoy! 



Shared at Everyday Mom's Meals 10/21/12
Shared at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 10/22/12

Feta & Sage Mini Chicken Meatloaf

So if you can't tell by my picture, I'm spilling a secret. These are actually mint leaves in the photo, not sage leaves. I completely forgot to save one for photo purposes after the meatloaf was done and used all of what I had in the recipe. Oh well, nobody's perfect right! These little meatloaves were still delicious and I loved the flavors of the sage and Feta cheese combined together. I also wanted to use a mini square loaf pan so that I could get individual portions, but feel free to make it full size. I have to say, my little one doesn't generally like ground chicken or turkey, but DEVOURED these. So I don't know if she liked the taste or that they were cute and little for her to eat! In any event, it was another healthy meal the whole family enjoyed. 

Here are some storage tips I found for fresh sage since it's a spice that I myself only started using a few years ago. 

Fresh sage leaves should be aromatic and should have no soft spots or dry edges. To store, wrap in paper towels and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and use within 4 to 5 days. According to About.com, fresh leaves may also be covered in olive oil and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks. Use the flavored oil for sauteeing or in salad dressings. To freeze fresh sage leaves, wash and pat dry, remove leaves from the stems, and pack loosely in freezer bags. Freeze up to 1 year. Be aware that freezing will intensify the flavor of the herb and adjust accordingly. Dried sage is preferred by most cooks and comes in whole leaf, rubbed, and ground form. Rubbed sage has a light, velvety texture, whereas ground sage is more of a free-flowing powder. As with all dried herbs, store closed containers in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Use within 6 months for best flavor.

Feta & Sage Mini Chicken Meatloaf

1 lb. Ground Chicken

1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped

1 tbsp. Red Onion, finely chopped

½ c. Reduced Fat Feta Cheese, crumbled

1 Egg white

¼ c. Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Form into 6 portions, then place into a greased mini loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until the proper internal temperature is reached. Serves 6. 

Nutritional Information: 

Calories 195, Carbs 4g, Fat 14g, Protein 14g

Enjoy!

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

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! 

Buttermilk Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter & Sage

I really like sweet potatoes but I never used to. I guess my taste buds are changing as I get older because they have such a nice flavor and I actually prefer them over regular potatoes now. I had some buttermilk left from when I made the Red Velvet Cake on Sunday and I didn't want it to go to waste so I used that in place of the milk to mash these potatoes. 

I am also a popcorn fanatic and tend to eat it at least 3 times a week for my evening snack, but I don't like the microwave kind. I prefer the old fashioned method of cooking it on top of the stove in a pot with a little bit of Canola oil. Then, this is the best part, I brown the butter so it gets a nutty flavor and drizzle that on my popcorn. I even have  a special bowl that's just for popcorn. It is a 1970 something rust colored Tupperware plastic bowl. (It looks pretty good for being over 30+ years old, don't you think?! lol) It was my Mom's and when I went off to college, the bowl followed me. It has a few burn marks in it and the outside rim is cracked, but it will and always be known as "The Popcorn Bowl". My oldest daughter is already laying claim to it and fights me for it whenever we make our snack(I got her hooked on it too). She only has 2 more years until she's off to college and has already informed me that this bowl is coming with her...we'll just have to see about that now won't we! :)


Anyway, back to the sweet potatoes. So the browned butter made me think of how good that nuttiness would taste in these sweet potatoes and it was. I melted the butter, then let it simmer until it started to foam and turn slightly brown, careful not to burn it. Then add the chopped sage and buttermilk so that it is slightly heated before you add it to the cooked potatoes so that it doesn't curdle. These were delicious and the family loved them!

Buttermilk Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter & Sage
2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1/2 c. Low Fat Buttermilk
4 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste


Add potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain water. While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a small saucepan until it starts to foam and turn light brown (it will also start to smell nutty). Add the sage, brown sugar and buttermilk and simmer over low heat for 1-2 minutes; just until the buttermilk heats up. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cooked potatoes and blend together with an electric mixer until mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.


Enjoy!

Bunco Apple Theme Party: Sausage, Apple & Sage Stuffed Bread, Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon & Pecans and a Red Apple Sangria

First, let me start off by saying I thought I would never in a MILLION years ever belong to a Bunco group, let alone love it. I knew people over the years that played and they would occasionally ask me to fill in but I never managed to actually attend one of these games. Earlier this year, a bunch of my friends decided to start our own group. I originally only committed to being a substitute player for when someone couldn't make it but was moved to a regular player a couple of months ago after someone dropped out. I figured what the hay since it was only once per month and we all take turns hosting the game at our house. What is Bunco you ask? Officially speaking and the way we interpret the game is #2 below:

bun·co also bun·ko (bung' ko)

n. pl. bun·cos, also bun·kos
1. A swindle in which an unsuspecting person is cheated; a confidence game.
2. A parlor game played in teams with three dice.
3. A winning throw in the above game; three of a kind of a specified number.

[Probably alteration of Spanish banca, card game, from Italian banca, bank, of Germanic origin.].

In simple terms, it's a night where 12 women get together, leaving their significant others, children and troubles behind, and have a fun night out with food, drink and TONS of laughter and oh yeah, roll some dice. (What happens at Bunco, stays at Bunco is our favorite motto!). Click here if you would like the complete rules of the game..though there are variations depending on your specific group. So what does all of this have to do with a food blog you ask? It was my turn to host this past Friday night. Yes, I get September. What the heck do you do in September as a theme? I couldn't get April like my friend Jenn where we all wore bunny ears or Donna where we had a Mardi Gras theme. I started thinking and all I came up with was Football and Back to School themes. Though I do love football, I'm not an avid watcher (except for the teams my daughters cheer for that is) nor did I feel like hosting a tailgating party with chili and beer. So, I opted for an Apple theme (get it, back to school, apples for the teacher, apple picking..whatever, it worked for me...lol). Anyway, I started thinking of different food and drinks that I could make using apples and came up with Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffed Bread, Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon and Pecans and a Red Apple Sangria. Luckily for me, they were a hit and we all had a great night!

This bread was so easy to put together, in fact, I par cooked it the morning of, then just wrapped it in foil to finish it off right before my guests arrived. The sweetness of the apples mixed with the sausage was a unique and tasty twist on an old favorite. 

Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffed Bread

1 lb. Pizza Dough

4 Links Cheese and Parsley Sausage, casings removed

2 Paula Red or Macintosh Apples, peeled and cored

6 Fresh Sage Leaves, finely chopped

1 Cup Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tbsp. Canola Oil

In a large frying pan, add the sausage. Break it down to small pieces while browning until it is completely cooked; approximately 8-10  minutes. While the sausage is browning, slice the apples into 8 wedges, then slice into 1/4" small pieces. Add the apples and sage to the sausage and simmer 2-3 minutes until the apples start to get soft. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ¼” thick. Add the sausage mixture to cover entire dough area leaving ¼” border around all sides. Top with shredded cheese. Gently roll from left to right, sealing the ends by pinching the dough together. Place seam side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with the oil and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve hot. Serves 12. 

For the next appetizer, I used the same theory as my Baked Brie with Dried Cherries but this time I topped the cheese with apples, cinnamon and pecans. I even threw in some Agave syrup to help bind it together to make a paste. This was incredible if I don't say so myself but how can you go wrong with apples and cinnamon?! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this one. I wasn't paying attention(my guests started to arrive and I was busy greeting them at the front door) and the cheese cooked a little longer than I had wanted and it started oozing out of the side. One minute fine, the next a slight mess. Didn't matter though and no one seemed to care. My husband was just glad there was some left for him to try after he got home (did I mention when hosting you also kick your family out of the house to fend for themselves for the night? =) ).

Brie en Croute with Apples, Cinnamon & Pecans

1- 19oz. Brie

1 Macintosh Apple, cored, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick slices

1/3 Cup Pecans

1 tsp. Butter

2 Tbsp. Agave Syrup

1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1 Pkg. Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place whole pecans on a baking sheet and bake approximately 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven, cool and finely chop. While pecans are in the oven, heat a small sauté pan over low heat and melt the butter. Add apples and cinnamon and cook approximately 3-5 minutes until apples start to soften. Add the pecans and Agave syrup and mix well; forming a paste. Using a small knife, scrape off the white coating on all sides of the Brie. Add the apple mixture to the top of the Brie. Open the crescent roll dough and using a rolling pin, roll it out so that it will cover the entire Brie. (It's ok if you have to piece it together). Cover Brie with the dough and place on a baking sheet Cover Brie with the dough and place on a baking sheet with the seam side down. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. Serves 10-12. 

Now, last but certainly not least, was the Red Apple Sangria. Since most of my friends are red wine drinkers, this was a no brainer. Sangria has become our favorite summertime drink and now with the cooler weather approaching, it will be back to regular wine (no other reason for me other than Sangria makes the perfect cool drink on a hot summer day). The regular Sangria I make is citrus based so this time, I altered the juices, added a little fizz at the end and it was also a hit. Now remember, I was making this for 12 people so feel free to cut this recipe in half. 

Red Apple Sangria

2 Bottles Dry Red Wine (I used Ocasa Malbec)

2 Cups Red Apple Schnapps

2 Cups Apple Juice

2 Cups Pineapple Juice

1 Cup Cranberry Juice

7 Up or Sprite

1 Apple

1 Peach

1 Pear

In a large pitcher, add the first 5 ingredients and mix well. Peel, core and slice the fruit into 1/4" thick slices and add to the wine mixture. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours for better flavor. Pour Sangria into a glass filled with ice about 3/4 of the way full. Add a splash of soda right before drinking to each glass. Serves 10-12. 

Enjoy!