Tag: pumpkin

Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Bringing in September with a Pumpkin “Meat” Sauce

Annie

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It’s September, so that means it has to be pumpkin season, right? This was an impromptu dinner from last fall that I posted to my Instagram. After many requests for a formal recipe, I’m happy to say I’ve finally written one. (Albeit a year later since I forgot all about this one, oops.) I give you –drumroll please — Gnocchi in a Tomato Pumpkin “Meat” Sauce. I like starting with random ingredients and seeing how they come together by the end, and that’s exactly how this meal started. Pumpkin purée thickens the tomato-based sauce, while zucchini melts and melds into the sauce. Italian flavors honor the “meatless” version of this dish, using a vegan-based “meat,” pairing perfecting with gnocchi. No pumpkin spice flavors here!

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Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Italian, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Slow Cooker

Comfort Food: Meatballs & Potatoes Edition (Instant Pot)

Annie

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I love this recipe for Italian Meatball Stew over Smashed Potatoes. I haven’t had it in a few years, but this is one that my mom made regularly in the slow cooker. I decided to switch things up and use meatballs instead of chicken Italian sausage after spotting meatballs when doing a last-ditch quarantine preparedness run at Wegman’s. (Let me just interject that their prepared beef meatballs are mini and cute and delicious.) I made the potatoes extra creamy using mascarpone instead of EVOO. Using an Instant Pot allows for a much faster simmer compared to a stovetop or a slow cooker. This is quite aromatic and your kitchen will smell amazing during while cooking this stew, only adding to its maximum comfort level during this crazy self-quarantining and social distancing time. If you’re feeling industrious, trying making bread to pair!

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Bread, Breakfast/Brunch, Dairy-Free, Italian, Lightened Up, One Pot Dish, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

Savory Rosemary Pumpkin Bread (No Knead!)

Annie

This No-Knead Rosemary Pumpkin Bread could be a savory addition to your Thanksgiving table. I love this with dinner as a side or in the morning as toast. I made this recipe last winter at a ski house and a few times at home. It seems complicated because you have to let the dough rise twice, but there’s no kneading involved. Because the dough is so wet and sticky, the theory is that the gluten doesn’t need help forming via kneading; instead the dough comes together on its own. The hardest part of this is planning because you have about 3 hours of time where the dough needs to sit. The original recipe for this calls for a spiced version with walnuts and cranberries, but I prefer the addition of whole wheat flour and fresh rosemary. I’ve baked this as one round loaf, two smaller loaves, and in a Dutch oven. I love all three, and recommend a Dutch oven if you prefer your bread perfectly crisped and crunchy on top with a soft center.

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Breakfast/Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Drinks, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Low Sugar, Smoothie, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Pumpkin Pie in a Glass

Annie

Although it’s fall, Halloween’s 70° weather had me craving this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie last week. Rich in antioxidants and vitamin A, pumpkin is not an obvious choice for smoothies. However, it’s thick and creamy nature allows it to easily acquire flavors like the spices of pumpkin pie. It’s just decadent enough to be breakfast, dessert, or a snack, but healthy thanks to bananas’ and dates’ natural sweetness. Healthy fats in the almond butter and plant-based protein round this smoothie out as a nutritious option.

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Breakfast/Brunch, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Low Sugar, Meal Prep, Vegan, Vegetarian

Autumn Oatmeal Bake with Pumpkin & Figs

Annie

It’s fig season! Bet you thought I was going to say pumpkin? That, too. I made a berry coconut oatmeal that became a summer staple, and with fresh figs in season and pumpkin filling the grocery store shelves, this only seemed like the natural progression. Although fall is officially here, we’re having a heat wave in Boston. Thus, it only seems fitting to enjoy this morning’s Pumpkin Fig Oatmeal Bake cold with some Greek yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a little almond butter.

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Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Italian, One Pot Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

A Creamy, Tomatoey, Pumpkiny Sauce

Annie

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Need a break from marinara sauces, pumpkin sauce or creamy, Alfredo-like sauces? Look no further. This Creamy Tomato Pumpkin Sauce is the perfect blend of garlic, tomatoes and “cream.” When I was little, it would be the dead of summer, and my mom would harvest tomatoes from our tiny garden. She’d chop up tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic, sauté the three into an easy sauce, and sever over pasta; I think this is where I got my inspiration. With leftover pumpkin and yellow squash, a simple sauce emerged fresh heirloom tomatoes (those colors!), carrots and a little garlic. A splash of almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer) adds a new dimension to the sauce to perfectly prepare it for pasta.

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Entrée, Italian, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Vegetarian

Lounging Around with This Veggie Lasagna

Annie

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Mmmm, there’s something about a lasagna baking in the oven that brightens your day. I had a lot of fun making this, since it was a way to use up some produce in my fridge and make my own marinara sauce. Paired with no boil lasagna noodles from Trader Joe’s and my fridge produce, this Veggie Lasagna was delicious and super easy. Mixing veggies directly into the ricotta mixture and using less cheese lightens up this lasagna, while still keeping all of the flavors. I made the marinara sauce, while I sliced the zucchini and peppers, minced the cauliflower and mixed together the ricotta. Then you layer everything, bake it and anxiously wait for it to be done.

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Dairy-Free, Entrée, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish, Slow Cooker, Soup

Slowly Savoring This Easy Slow Cooker Chili

Annie

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This chili recipe isn’t what you’d traditionally think of as “buffalo chicken,” but the flavors are a welcomed change from your standard beef chili dishes. It’s spicy from the hot sauce and a little sweet from the potatoes, whilst still retaining all the typical chili flavors and spices. It simmered all day as I prepped my nursing work, and I had Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Buffalo Chicken Chili in a blink of an eye. I loved the addition of fresh cilantro to brighten the dish. You can gobble down a bowl and avoid feeling sluggish because its fresh ingredients come together so seamlessly. I had leftover frozen slow cooker buffalo chicken from my bowl recipe that I tossed in for literally the easiest chili ever. (In the market for a new slow cooker? Check out Reviews.com for The Best Slow Cooker.)

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Entrée, Gluten-Free, Lightened Up, Meal Prep, One Pot Dish

A Risotto Recipe to Warm You Up

Annie

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I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet! This risotto is so yummy and comforting now that it’s getting cold. I made this right after the NCLEX — the boards to become a registered nurse — and it was a welcome distraction. There’s something so therapeutic about making risotto with all the stirring and mixing. I had this idea for a pumpkin leek combination and something about it seemed like it needed some bacon. For a curve ball, I used a dry red wine (since that’s what I had), but I think it adds some depth of color to this fall dish. I should also admit I’m not sure if it made a true 7 or 8 cup batch between all my “tastings” oops. . . Here’s a recipe for Pumpkin Leek Risotto with Turkey Bacon to soothe your soul and warm you to your toes.

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Breakfast/Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Lightened Up, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian

Piece of Cake Donuts: Only 2 Ingredients

Annie

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Happy Saturday! What’s a better way to celebrate the weekend than with freshly baked donuts? It went from summer weather (I ran in shorts and a t-shirt on Monday) to winter creeping in (I may have broken out the scarf and gloves later this week). These Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Donuts are surprisingly easy! You just need a donut pan, canned pumpkin and a boxed cake mix. I chose a spiced cake mix to complement the pumpkin spice theme, but you can use any cake mix. Although these donuts may be comparable in carbs and sugar, the fat content is reduced by baking them and using pumpkin to bind the dry ingredients together. They’re best hot out of the oven and with a cup of coffee! At least in my opinion, these donuts are a piece of cake — pun intended.

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