Two New Fall Recipes: Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter and Cranberry Beef Stew

This past weekend, I spent the weekend at my mom and dad's house totally relaxing and reconnecting to family. To "celebrate" the beautiful fall weather, I made two autumn recipes and was pleasantly surprised by both!

On Saturday after a long day of running around, I wanted something savory and special so I decided to try Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter. The raviolis, while made with premade wonton wrappers, took forever to make and I was getting frustrated, but they were worth it in the end. The fresh sage adds an earthy taste to the dish and balances the sweet pumpkin ricotta filling. Next time, I may make this more savory by adding more Parmesan and less mozzarella, but for a first try, these were pretty good! Beware- the recipe makes a lot more filling than needed. (The recipe is supposed to make 36 ravioli.) I'll also use the sage butter over chicken or fish. MMMM!

Ravioli Ingredients: 

3 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (1 big can)
1 (15-ounce) container whole ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt (I used more)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Brown sugar to taste
36 small wonton wrappers, at room temperature

Sage Butter Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
16 small fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chicken stock or reduced salt broth
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

For the ravioli: In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, sage, nutmeg, salt, garlic powder, white pepper and brown sugar and mix well. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling between in the center of the wonton wrapper. Dampen edges by moistening fingers with water and running along the edges and seal well. into a tiny triangle and press sides with a fork to ensure sealing. Drop ravioli into salted, simmering water; remove when ravioli floats to top, about 3 minutes. Remove with a spider and place on platter. (Cooked raviolis will stick together! Be careful!)

For the sage butter: Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add sage leaves and minced garlic; saute for about 30 seconds. Slowly add chicken stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place raviolis in single layer on a platter and pour butter sauce over ravioli. Garnish and enjoy! 



On Sunday, I wanted down home comfort food and tested the Autumn Berry Cranberry Beef Stew from Health Magazine. The stew was similar to one my mom made growing up, but the cranberries gave it a new twist. This could easily be made in the crock pot, but 3 hours simmering on the stove did the trick this time.
Next time, I'll add more vegetables and another can of cranberry sauce. Delicious!! (And even better the next day for lunch!)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (12-ounce) Guinness Stout
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 1 (8-ounce) package button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 8 cups cooked egg noodles (about 1 pound)
• Chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Directions:


Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle over beef. Heat a pot to medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add chopped onion, broth, bay leaves, and stout; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3-4 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, covered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine 1/4 cup water and flour in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and cranberry sauce to pan. Cook for five minutes. Discard bay leaves. Serve with noodles. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Skinny Recipe: Penne Alla "Not-Ka"

I had to share this recipe from the Lifetime show "Cook Yourself Thin." I was vegging out in front of the TV at Guinea Pig's house a few weekends ago (in between football games, of course!) and came across this show. The show itself is super cheesy, but the recipes sounded delicious and easy, so I printed out a ton from this website to try. (So expect more skinny recipes soon!)

I made this Penne Alla "Not-Ka" last night and it really exceeded my expectations! The dish tasted really fresh thanks to the generous addition of basil at the end of the cooking process and didn't feel as heavy as "real" Penne Alla Vodka sauce. I served mine over spaghetti squash instead of pasta to cut down on calories and help me meet my "5 a day" (which never seems to happen anymore!" I'll certainly make this again: easy on a weeknight, delicious and simple!

Serves 4
Calories per serving: 371


Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes in juice, pureed in a food processor
Pinch red pepper flakes
8 ounces penne
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons evaporated nonfat milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions: 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the penne.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 teaspoons oil with the garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until the onion is softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer very gently 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and evaporated milk and simmer 1 more minute.

3. Meanwhile, after the sauce has cooked 5 minutes, add the penne to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the drained penne to the saucepan and simmer until the penne is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little of the pasta cooking water if the mixture is dry. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, along with the basil and black pepper.

4. To serve, divide pasta among 4 serving bowls. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Photo and recipe credit here. 

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Mmmm! Another "Cook Yourself Thin" recipe I tried out a few weeks ago- Sesame Peanut Noodles.

When I'm too busy to pack my own lunch, I run downstairs to the Guy & Gallard where they have these amazing prepackaged sesame peanut noodles. I thought I wasn't being terribly bad when I grabbed them, but when I looked up the nutritional information, I was floored! Those little strands of deliciousness pack a mean fat punch! I decided to do some research and try to find a better recipe.

This one, from Lifetime's Cook Yourself Thin, is loaded with veggies and doesn't kill your diet for the day by lunchtime. The jicima is a different flavor (but heads up: pain in the butt to peel!) and adds crunch and the apples are PERFECTLY in season this time of year.

A word of caution: play around with the cilantro and lime combination. I found this recipe to have too much cilantro and not enough lime.

Ingredients:

For the noodles
8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

For the dressing
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 lime
1/2 cup hot water

For assembling
1/2 bag store-bought coleslaw mix
1/2 cup red pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime, squeezed
1/2 cup apple
1/2 cup jicama
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 scallions, julienne
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts, for garnish
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish


Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and run under cold water.

2. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk. Add the dressing to the pasta and toss. Stir in the coleslaw mix, red pepper and cilantro. Squeeze a half of a lime over the mixture, and toss.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, toss and refrigerate for one hour. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve.