Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Happy Halloween!

I am not sure why, but I feel like I must eat pumpkin in my dinner on Halloween. It just feels right to enjoy a savory fall appropriate meal in between trick-or-treaters. Of course dessert is often an assortment of candy with a heavy hand on the Reeses cups! 

 

Here's a great seasonal dinner to enjoy any time this fall. I tend to make and post mostly weeknight recipes and this one is no exception. I found this recipe on Prevention RD and I just changed a few ingredients based on what we had in the house.

The night we enjoyed this recipe the ground started shaking. Really. That was the first earthquake either of us ever felt. I often have memories connected to foods and I think when I remake this dish I'll always think of that minor earthquake and our shock when the couch started moving.

You will need:
*8 oz dry whole wheat pasta

*1/2 lb Italian chicken sausage links, coin sliced (we used a bit more to finish a package)

*1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
*
1 medium onion, diced
*
4 garlic cloves, minced

*1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
*1 cup canned pumpkin

*1 teaspoon rubbed sage
*
1/4 teaspoon salt

*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

*1/4 teaspoon pepper

*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain & set aside.

2. White pasta is cooking, lightly oil a large skillet and cook the sausage, onions, and mushrooms over medium heat until the sausage is fully cooked. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

3. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.

4. Serve pasta topped with about 1/4 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated parmesan and a pinch of parsley flakes. Serve immediately.

Spicy Bean Burritos

I hope that everyone is Sandy's path today is staying safe. I was given my first "Hurricane Day" off from school. The winds are really picking up here, and I am crossing fingers that we keep our power tonight. Best of luck to all of you in this storm.

This is another simple, meatless Monday meal. Mondays are meeting nights for me at school so I usually get a later start on dinner. These burritos don't look like much but we really enjoyed them. I cook with black beans a lot and the addition of pinto beans in this recipe was a nice change of pace. I used the version of this recipe that I found on Annie's Eats.

You will need:
*2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 teaspoon chili powder

*1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce

*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*dash cayenne pepper
*
1/3 cup broth or water
*
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
*
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

*4-6 tablespoons salsa
*
6 flour tortillas, warmed

Optional Toppings: shredded cheese
, diced tomatoes
, shredded romaine lettuce
, chopped scallions, and sour cream or Greek yogurt

1. Make the bean filling: heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin, salt, and cayenne; cook just until fragrant (30-60 seconds).  Add the beans and the water or broth to the pan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salsa and mash the mixture with a fork.

2. Spoon about a third of a cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top each tortilla as desired.  Roll the tortilla up burrito style and serve immediately.