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Pumpkin Shaped Mini Pizza’s

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1 store bought or homemade 9 inch pizza crust 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella 1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce 1 egg, beaten Preheat the oven 375 degrees Place the round pie crust on a lightly floured surface. Roll the crust out to a 12 inch circle.  Using a 4 inch cookie cutter that’s either pumpkin shaped or a circle. Cut out 6 shapes.  Gather the scrapes and re-roll the dough to the same thickness and cut 6 more shapes out. Lay 6 shapes out on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Spoon a ½ teaspoon of sauce onto each shape and spread out leaving a border around the entire shape. Top with some shredded mozzarella. Take the next 6 shapes and using a pairing knife, cut out 2 eyes and a mouth.  Be creative. Bush the border of the shapes with the sauce and cheese with the egg wash.  Place the top shape with the jack-o-lanterns on them over the top.  Use a fork to crimp the edges close around the entire shape.  Brush the tops of the jack-o-lante...

Dessert Pumpkin Dip

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1 cup of canned pumpkin puree 3.4 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding, just the powder don’t make the pudding 8 ounces cool whip or homemade whipped cream ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 small pumpkin Mix pumpkin puree, pudding powder, cool whip or whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice together in a large mixing bowl. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set. Take the pumpkin and cut the top off horizontally.  Clean the inside of the pumpkin.  The pumpkin will be the “bowl” for the dip. Fill the pumpkin with the dip.  Sprinkle the top with additional pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

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  6 large, hard boiled ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon yellow mustard 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1 drop red food coloring ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika Fresh chives, cut into small pieces Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.  Scoop yolks into a small bowl. Put white halves onto a plate. Mash the yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard,vinegar, food coloring, salt and paprika.  Mix well. Add egg yolk mixture to a piping bag or sandwich bag.  Snip a small piece of one of the corners off of the sandwich bag. Pipe the filling into each white half.  Using a toothpick, lightly draw lines on the mixture to resemble a pumpkin.   Slice the fresh chives into ¼ inch pieces and place them onto the egg at the top of the filling to resemble stems to the pumpkin. Chill in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve.

Apple Cider Spritz

  3 ounces apple cider 1 ounce Aprol  Ice 3 ounces of prosecco or sparkling wine Slices apples for garnish In a wine glass, combine apple cider and Aperol.  Stir to combine.  Fill the glass up with ice and top with prosecco or sparkling wine.  Garnish with an apple slice.

Creamy Pumpkin and Sausage Soup

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1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup yellow onion, diced 1 cup carrots, diced 1 teaspoon salt 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed 4 cups chicken stock 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped ½ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon brown sugar Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large soup pot or dutch oven.  Add onions and carrots and cook over medium high heat until the veggies have softened. Season with salt. Add garlic and sausage to the pan.  Break sausage up into small pieces as it browns.  Spoon off any excess fat from the sausage. Stir in the chicken stock, pumpkin puree, sage, cream and brown sugar.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.   Serve hot and garnish the top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Honeycrisp Apple Salad with Mixed Greens, Sage and Blue Cheese

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  Serves 4 side salads 12 fresh sage leaves 2 tablespoons butter 6 cups mixed greens ¼ cup dried cranberries 2 honeycrisp apples, cleaned, cored and thinly sliced ¼ cup Pine nuts 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese Vinaigrette  ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons maple syrup ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper Place a small saute pan with the butter over medium high heat.  Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add the fresh sage leaves.  Cook for a minute on each side or until the leaves have slightly browned.  Remove the leaves from the pan and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Place the dried cranberries in a bowl and add 1 cup of very hot water.  Allow the cranberries to soak for 5-7 minutes.  Drain the water and place cranberries to the side. To make the vinaigrette, add the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, syrup, mustard, salt and pepper to a mason jar or small bowl....

Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese and Cranberries

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Serves 6-8 1 butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1 inch circles (6-8 slices) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 cups fresh cranberries, washed ½ cup maple syrup  3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons fresh  sage, chopped 1 (5 oz.) log of plain goat cheese ¼ cup heavy cream ¼ cup chopped roasted pecans Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Brush extra virgin olive oil and season both sides of the butternut squash with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Combine washed cranberries, maple syrup and orange juice into a saucepan on medium high heat.  Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop. Stir in chopped sage. Stir together the goat cheese and heavy cream.  Serve a slice of butternut squash and top with a teaspoon of cheese mixture, a dollop of cranberries and chopped pecans.