Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash Sauce over Fresh Pasta

Posted on October 18, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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My colleague takes part in a community garden in Jamaica Plain where she grows all sorts of herbs and vegetables.  I believe we are closing in on the basil season here in the northeast because yesterday she very generously offered to give me a gigantic amount of basil from her garden.  And I mean a gigantic amount–I think she gave me nearly an entire bush!  I have been wanting to make pesto for a while now, but I don’t have my own basil plant and I would have to buy about 25 of those plastic snap containers (you know how basil is sold in grocery stores?) to get a half cup of pesto.  A free bush of basil is almost exciting as dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups! I couldn’t wait to make pesto! 

However, basil is so summery to me. I wanted to put an autumn spin on our dinner.  It immediately clicked on how I could do it: Use PUMPKIN SEEDS instead of PINE NUTS!  Perfect.  I also wanted to incorporate some squash and fresh pasta.  Using these ideas and ingredients I sequestered myself in the kitchen and I pretended to be on Top Chef.  (I am really enjoying that show lately–I love all of the discussion about  “notes” and “building flavor.”) 

The result was awesome.  This was one of those meals that while I was eating it I got super excited and giddy!  It was so delicious.   Not just delicious but so much more delicious than I ever expected.  (Don’t you love when that happens?)   And it was easy and didn’t take very long to make.  My favorite part was the contrast of the mild creamy squash sauce with the sharp garlicky saltiness of the pesto.  They really worked well together. The fresh chewy pasta was a major asset as well–it really jived with the creamy squash sauce.  The risk of using all of these ingredients, which could have been overkill, really paid off.  And this made for a pretty fall plate.  The green of the spinach pasta with the orange sauce on top was very cool.

Although I tried to keep track of my methods and ingredients, I didn’t measure everything.  If you want to try to replicate this feel free to email me.  That said,  it was pretty easy and I don’t think you could go wrong with such a delicious cast of flavor characters.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash over Fresh Pasta:

 

  • 1 pound fresh spinach pasta (If you are feeling ambitious, make your own!  I bought some from Whole Foods for $4.99)

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

  • several bunches of fresh basil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ~3/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • ~ 3/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Squash Sauce

  • 2 cups squash (you can use canned or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth instead and this dish is vegetarian)
  • 1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
  • a handful of fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese

Boil water for pasta.  Be sure to add salt to the water.

Make the pesto

Toast pumpkin seeds in a large pan over medium heat.

In a food processor chop basil, garlic, cheese, and all but two tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds.  While food processor is running, pour olive oil into food processor in a steady stream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Make squash sauce

In the same pan in which you toasted the pumpkin seeds, cook squash, milk, and chicken broth and stir together until smooth and creamy.  Add nutmeg and cheese.  Continue to stir until heated through and cheese has melted.

Add pasta to boiling water.  Cook until done and drain.  Immediately add pasta to pan containing squash sauce and toss to coat pasta.

Portion pasta into individual bowls.  Scoop about two tablespoons of pesto on top of each serving.  Garnish with reserved pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

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Filed under: basil, cheese, Fall, Main Dish, pasta, pumpkin, squash, VEGETARIAN | 9 Comments »

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Posted on October 6, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Did you know Reese’s now makes dark chocolate peanut butter cups?  I know! So exciting!!! When I first spotted the bags of orange and black foiled cups in my grocery store, I assumed it was just a Halloween gimmick (which actually would have been okay with me–I love holiday-colored candies).  However, when I looked closer I discovered it wasn’t a gimmick.  The orange are milk chocolate and the black are dark chocolate–how thrilling!  I decided to buy a bag and immediately make the cookies I had noticed in October’s issue of Real Simple magazine.   

The result? DELICIOUS.  Deadly delicious. 

Isn’t there just something so satisfying about a big thick chewy cookie chock full of melty peanut butter, milk and dark chocolate chunks?  Add a tall cold glass of milk for dunking and you have yourself a little piece of heaven.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies:

  •  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temp
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-ounce package small peanut butter cups, roughly chopped (Obviously I used a mix of milk and dark chocolate peanut  butter cups!)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  (About 5 minutes.)

Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until just incorporated.  (Do not over beat.)

Use a rubber spatula to fold in the peanut butter cups.

Pinch a tablespoon and a half of batter and quickly roll into a ball using your palms to make each cookie.  Place on parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.

Bake until light brown, about 12-16 minutes.  Use a metal spatula to transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe made about 16-18  large cookies.  (I can’t remember exactly!)

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Look at the beautiful peanut butter cups!  Yum, yum, yum…

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Recipe adapted from October issue of Real Simple magazine.

Filed under: candy, chocolate, cookies, Dessert, eggs, Fall, Peanut Butter | 9 Comments »

Maple Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on October 4, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Saturday was a baking day.  There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  It was rainy and dark and I knew I needed to fill our kitchen with scents of the season.  This summer my in-laws visited Canada and brought back some delicious Canadian maple syrup.  I decided to bake something maple flavored so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins I was very pleased! 

A couple of notes:

  • The original recipe suggested baking at 400 F, and though it struck me as odd, rather than follow my gut I followed the recipe.  Unfortunately the oven was way too hot and a few of my muffin bottoms burned.  These should be baked at either 350 F or 375 F.
  • Rather than top these muffins with pecans, I added a crumbly streusel-like topping.
  • As you know I am a lover of chunks, so I almost added some chocolate chips but I feared it would overpower the maple flavor so I refrained.  These were more “breakfast” without chocolate chips.  Adding chocolate would make them more “dessert.”  🙂

Maple Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or squash
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
  • 1 package cream cheese, softened

    • Topping:

  • 3/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter

    • Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin tins with papers.

    Prepare topping by combining first five topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut butter into this mixture and use your finger tips or a fork to crumble the ingredients together.  The texture should be like that of coarse sand/pebbles.  Set aside.

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

    In another bowl whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup.  Slowly add dry ingredients to this mixture and stir just until moistened.  

    In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Gently stir into batter until mixture appears swirled.

    Fill paper-lined muffin tins about three-fourths full.

    Sprinkle about a tablespoon of topping over each muffin cup.

    Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. 

    Adapted from Made by Melissa.

    Filed under: Breakfast, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Fall, muffin, oatmeal, pumpkin, squash | 2 Comments »

    Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese

    Posted on October 2, 2009 by kitchenbelle

    oct

    It has been a difficult week in the land of Kitchenbelle.  While enjoying the weekend at BlogHer Food ’09 in beautiful San Francisco (at the fabulous cocktail party hosted by The Mushroom Channel, to be exact) I learned of the unexpected death of a dear friend of ours.  He was a regular visitor to this blog and each time we were together he inquired about it.  Also, he was quite the prankster and his silly comments on this blog (one claimed “I made this meal [tuna noodle casserole] the other night and it was wonderful.  Me and my cat await your next masterpiece.  Meow!”) will be sorely missed.  He will be sorely missed and my words here will not do him  justice. 

    Though I try to keep Kitchenbelle.com a place of cheer, happiness, and inspiration I couldn’t not mention this loss.  I am sure you would have sensed it anyway.  For me food is something I can control and something I can look forward to.  So I guess it is natural that in times of despair, I find myself baking and cooking more often.  The methods and rhythms soothe me.  The smells provide comfort.  Sitting across the table from my husband over a warm home-cooked and nutritious meal, on a dark cool night, especially during my favorite season of the year, ground me.  They give me hope and encourage me to be thankful.

    My husband has had an especially difficult few days prompting me to want to do nothing more than to take care of him.  The best way I know how to do that is to shower him with love and dinner.  It is a feeble attempt at easing the pain, but it is what I know. 

    Our friend was buried yesterday, one of the first beautiful breezy sunny autumn days in the northeast.  I found myself thinking of those verses from Ecclesiastes (I remember being struck by them while studying the Old Testament during ninth grade humanities class) that the Yardbirds spun into that popular song:  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance…a time to get, a time to lose…”  Autumn is already a nostalgic season. 

    After all was said and done we took a ride to a pumpkin stand and purchased some gourds and a pumpkin for our stoop.  In hopes of capturing the season as well as offering some respite from a heartbreaking day, I decided to make squash for dinner.  I adjusted this recipe quite a bit and I have noted those changes below. 

    Changes and Notes:

    *Original recipe called for sage.  My grocery store was out of sage so I used chives.  Sage with squash is a more traditional flavor combination, however, the chives were just fine.

    *Original recipe called for blue cheese.  I don’t eat blue cheese so I substituted goat cheese.  Delicious.  I love goat cheese.

    *Original recipe was vegetarian. I wanted to add some bulk so I added grilled chicken breasts.

    *This is a simple and nutritious (also low calorie, I think) weeknight dinner that could be easily un-healthified (as in, bumped up a notch for company) with the addition of some heavy cream and cheddar.  Email me if you would like to discuss how this could be achieved.

    Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese:

    • 5  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
    • 1  (1 1/2-ounce) bread
    • 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
    • 2  cups onion, finely chopped
    • 4  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
    • 3 chicken breasts, grilled and torn into pieces
    • 1/2 cup chicken broth
    • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
    • Cooking spray
    • 1  cup crumbled goats cheese (or 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese)

    Preheat oven to 400 F.

    Steam squash until tender, about 10 minutes.

    Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

    Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add butternut squash, chicken (if using), chicken broth, chopped herb, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

    Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

    Filed under: cheese, chicken, chives, Fall, Main Dish, Side, squash | 4 Comments »

    Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

    Posted on November 28, 2008 by kitchenbelle

    pie

    This is a very interesting pie!  Each bite I took left me trying to decide if I found it more “pumpkiny” or more “chocolatey.”  The verdict is out and you will have to make it yourself to decide!  The filling is very smooth and custardy—rich but not overbearing.  The crust is light, crispy, sweet, and delicious.  The bittersweet chocolate in between the crust and the filling offers a nice surprise.  This is anything but your grandmother’s traditional pumpkin pie! 

    Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie:

    Crust

    • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely grated
    • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

    Filling

    • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
    • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
    • 1   15 oz. can pumpkin
    • 1   12 oz. can evaporated milk
    • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1.5 teaspoons salt
    • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3/4 teaspoon ginger
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • pinch of ground cloves

    Topping

    • 1 ounce milk chocolate, melted

    Make the crust:

    Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss until thoroughly combined.  Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake until firm, about 9-11 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate across the bottom of the crust.  Spread chocolate in a thin layer across the bottom and the sides.  It should be melty enough to spread.  If not, place in the oven for about one minute.

    Make the filling:

    In a double boiler melt the semi-sweet chocolate and butter.  Stir continuously until smooth.  Remove from heat.  In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves.  Whisk 1/3 of pumpkin mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated. 

    Place pie dish containing crust on a baking sheet.  Pour filling into crust.  Bake 50-65 minutes, or until center of pie is set, yet still wobbly.  (The cooking time entirely depends on your oven!  I suggest you check after 50 minutes and keep adding time until it is done.)  Let cool completely in pie dish on a wire rack.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.

    Make topping

    In a double boiler melt milk chocolate until smooth.  Pour into a decorator’s squirt bottle and drizzle on top of pie.  Serve immediately.

    Original recipe found on MarthaStewart.com

    Filed under: chocolate, Dessert, Fall, pie | 1 Comment »

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