Acorn Squash Risotto

Remember when I shared my Butternut Squash Risotto with you last month? I thought that was the best stuff ever since sliced bread! I mean, whoever thought of sliced bread was a genius! Who thinks of this stuff?

Sorry to say, I was wrong about my Butternut Squash Risotto. Well, not entirely wrong, because it really IS all that creamy and more. But I think I'm loving this Acorn Squash Risotto even more!

Plus, I made this batch vegan with a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

It's a simple recipe with only Arborio rice, onion, olive oil, vegetable broth, wine, acorn squash, Parmesan, and salt and pepper for flavoring. Nothing else. No fancy spices, meats, or herbs. Just the basics.

Do you ever notice that some of the best recipes are the simple ones with basic ingredients?

I think this risotto is even creamier than my Butternut Squash risotto, if that's even possible. 
 

YES!

I like to compare risotto to macaroni and cheese because it's so creamy with a deliciously mild flavor.

This is my new ultimate comfort food!

Acorn Squash Risotto

Recipe by Julie @ Sweet and Spicy Monkey

A deliciously creamy acorn squash risotto served in baked acorn squash halves.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (includes baking of acorn squash)
Total time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings with acorn squash halves, 10-12 servings risotto
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 3 acorn squash, roasted
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Cut acorn squashes in half, top and bottom halves. Remove stem off top half by scraping with your finger or fingernail. They come right off very easily.
3. Remove seeds with a spoon. You can toss the seeds in the trash or bake them like pumpkin seeds to snack on for later.
4. Brush olive oil over fleshy half of squash.
5. Place in a baking dish, fleshy half up. Add about 1/4" of water to bottom of baking dish so squashes don't dry out or burn while cooking.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until squash flesh is soft and lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven.
8. Once cooled, puree the flesh of 1 acorn squash for risotto. Set aside.
9. Pour vegetable broth into a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and cover. Set aside.
10. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add in onions once oil is heated and sauté onions until they are clear.
11. Stir in rice and sauté until rice is a light brown color.
12. Add wine with 1 cup of vegetable broth, stirring until liquid is absorbed.
13. Gradually add in broth, 2 cups at a time, stirring well until almost all the liquid is absorbed in with the rice.
14. Repeat adding broth, 2 cups at a time, until all of it has been added to rice and risotto is creamy.
15. Stir in acorn squash puree.
16. Remove pan from heat and add in parmesan cheese, stirring well so all cheese is mixed thoroughly.
17. Salt & pepper to taste.
18. Spoon risotto into baked acorn squash halves and serve with grated parmesan cheese over the tops.

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Rosemary and Sun Dried Tomato Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

I have been on a bread making kick. First, I made dinner rolls for Thanksgiving. Then I made a French Brioche loaf around Christmas time. Remember my Overnight Cranberry Lemon Eggnog French Toast? That was my very own French Brioche loaf I used in that!

And now I've made focaccia bread. I love focaccia bread with its soft texture and delicate flavors. So when I found a recipe to make skillet focaccia, I was doing my happy dance because I've been craving focaccia bread!

It's quite easy to make for a yeast bread and you can virtually do no wrong when making it. Unless your yeast is too old, your water is too hot or not hot enough, or you added too much flour.

You see, yeast is a living organism and if you add too hot of water, you can kill the yeast. The optimum temperature for dissolving the yeast needs to be between 90 and 110F degrees. On the other end of the spectrum, if the water isn't warm enough, it won't activate the yeast.

Proper measurement of flour is important when making bread because adding too much flour, weighs dough down, making it heavy, which makes it difficult to work with and hinders the rising process.

It's no wonder why so many people shy away from making their own bread after just going over those three tips. To say the least, bread making can be a little overwhelming. But this recipe is easy peasy! Yes, I just said that, Easy Peasy!

If you want to learn how to become a better bread maker, check out King Arthur Flour's pages for some awesome tips. They have you covered on bread making!

Let me be clear, I’m not sponsored by nor am I endorsing King Arthur Flour. I’m just sharing a great site for learning how to become a better bread maker and it also has a trouble shooting page so you can figure out what happened to your bread.

It’s like sharing information with a girlfriend, there’s just some things you need to share and I feel like sharing this great site with y’all! Plus, I find every time I visit their site, I learn something new! How can I keep that all to myself?

Anywho, back to this focaccia bread. You don't have to be a master bread maker to make it. Just follow the tips and you'll have this focaccia bread on your table tonight!

Rosemary and Sun Dried Tomato Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

Recipe by Julie Murphy

Rosemary and sun dried tomatoes add a delicate Italian flavoring to this soft focaccia bread.

Prep time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes dough rising time)
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: One 12" loaf or two 6" loafs
Ingredients

• 2 cups 100% whole grain whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 package yeast
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, removed from the stem
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut
• sprinkling of sea salt

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare 12" skillet by generously coating inside with olive oil. You can also use two 6" skillets for 2 focaccia breads instead of the one. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine water and yeast. Stir together with a fork to dissolve.
3. Add 1 cup of wheat flour and 1/2 cup of AP flour to the yeast mixture.
4. Using Low speed on your stand mixer, mix together for about 3 minutes until all flour is mixed. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, mix in olive oil, sea salt, sun dried tomatoes, and 2 Tablespoons of rosemary.
6. Mix in remaining cup of wheat flour and 3/4 cup of AP flour on Low speed for 4-5 minutes. If dough is difficult to work with, add warm water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until dough is more pliable. If dough is too sticky, gradually add in small amounts of AP flour until dough becomes more pliable. Dough should be soft, not hard and wrapping itself around the dough attachment.
7. Sprinkle a small amount of AP flour on a clean, hard, dry surface. Remove dough from bowl and place on floured surface.
8. Gently knead dough into a ball and place into prepared skillet. If using 2 skillets, cut ball in half and place each half into prepared skillets.
9. Gently press dough down so it fills up the bottom of the skillet.
10. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. At this time, you can preheat oven to 400F degrees.
11. Remove towel and brush olive oil over the top of the dough.
12. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts into the top of the dough.
13. Sprinkle sea salt and remaining rosemary over the top.
14. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
15. Remove from oven, sprinkle sea salt over the top, and serve with warmed olive oil.

Inspired by Gerry at Foodness Gracious.

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Butternut Squash Risotto

I think my Baking Fairy has taken the holidays off. I don't blame her at all, the holidays are stressful for all of us.

Cooking, baking, shopping, on top of all the daily stuff we do everyday. It can get to you. But I really wish she would have left someone to take her place.

You see, ever since I can remember, I rarely had a dish or dessert that didn't turn out. Oh I had the bread that burnt, the smoke alarm go off, but those were only minor cooking fiascos!

In case you're wondering, a major cooking fiasco is where the house burns down!

Over the last two months, I have actually had to toss out four things I baked because they were just that bad! FOUR!!!!

In. The. Trashcan.

Which brings me back to my baking fairy, who has left me with no coverage for the holidays! What's a girl to do?

Lucky for me, my cooking fairy is still by my side helping me cook up some yummy dishes and picking up the slack for my baking fairy.

Which means I can cross risotto off my cooking bucket list after making this delicious Butternut Squash Risotto with her help. Yes, I have a cooking bucket list along with a baking bucket list. And for the longest time, risotto was on that list.

Until now.

If you've never had risotto, it's a creamy Italian rice dish that is oh so good! This Butternut Squash is so creamy it reminds me a lot of a macaroni & cheese. But made with rice, and not your regular rice, but Arborio rice.

Arborio rice is a short-grain rice that has a creamy texture, making it perfect for risotto recipes. You can find it in your local food markets located by other rice and grains.

Risotto is also easy to make and it makes a lot! The batch I made serves about ten to twelve. I was surprised it made so much because I was not expecting it! A good surprise is always welcome.

Thank you Cooking Fairy! (You have to thank them or they leave you suddenly, like my baking fairy left my side this holiday season!). So make sure you thank your cooking and baking fairies!

Hopefully my baking fairy will pop in soon, as there's a cake roll I cannot wait to try....again. You guessed it, the first one did not turn out the way it was supposed to.

Until my Baking Fairy comes back to help, you can enjoy this Butternut Squash Risotto.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A deliciously creamy risotto flavored with butternut squash.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup butternut squash puree
• 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 2 cups fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Pour chicken stock and broth into a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and cover. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add in chopped onion, and sauté until onions are clear.
3. Stir in half of the chopped sage and rice, sautéing until rice is a light brown color.
4. Add wine with 1 cup of chicken stock mix, stirring until liquid is absorbed.
5. Gradually add in chicken stock mix, 2 cups at a time, stirring well until almost all the liquid is absorbed in with the rice.
6. Repeat adding chicken stock mix, 2 cups at a time, until all of it has been added to rice and risotto is creamy.
7. Add butternut squash puree and remaining sage.
8. Salt & pepper as needed to taste.
9. Remove pan from heat and add in parmesan cheese, stirring well so all cheese is mixed thoroughly.
10. Serve warm.

 

 

 Inspired by ~ Cristina Cooks   

 

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Orange Sabayon

If you love wine and summer berries, then this recipe is for you. Sabayon is the French name for a delicious Italian custard dessert that is also known as Zabaione, zabaglione, or zabajone. And it's best served over fresh summer berries.

I can't believe how well kept a secret this recipe is. Well, maybe not a secret, but I never even heard of Sabayon until this year. That's 29....um, yes, we will just go with 29 years, of going without this delicious topping for my berries. I just can't believe that out of all the times I've eaten berries, nobody has ever said, "you have got to try this over your berries."

So I'm sharing with y'all right now and letting you know that you have got to try this over your berries. You can use any berries - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or mix them all up like I did here. And you can use any sweet white wine you want. I used a Moscato wine, as it is one of my favorites, almost more than the pink Moscato! And it pairs well with the orange sugar and orange liqueur I added to enrich the flavor of this Sabayon.

Yes, I said O-R-A-N-G-E sugar. I will be sharing that recipe with y'all later this week!

Now most of the recipes for Sabayon call for a sweet white wine, but here in the near future, I'm going to try a rose or a red wine to see what deliciousness it creates. I'm thinking a red wine Sabayon over raspberries would be delicious! What do you think?

With berries just now coming into season, this will be a great way to serve them up. Orange Sabayon is wonderful as a brunch recipe or an evening dessert. Or if you're like me, anytime you want to enjoy your favorite wine over ripe summer berries!

Orange Sabayon

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A light Italian custard dessert made with egg yolks, orange sugar, orange liqueur, and a sweet white wine. Also known as zabaglione, zabaione, and zabajone.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 serving
Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup orange sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Orange liqueur
• 7 Tablespoons sweet white wine

Cooking Directions

1. Using a double boiler pan, add enough water so the top pan does not touch the water when placed on top. Or you can add water to a large pan big enough that a large heat proof bowl can fit over. Bring water to boiling.
2. Using the top pan of a double boiler pan or a large heat proof bowl, gently whisk together wine, orange liqueur, and orange sugar. Add in egg yolks.
3. Place pan with egg yolk mixture over boiling water. Turn heat down to medium to low and whisk ingredients together vigorously until they become frothy and can hold their shape. You can alternate between slow and vigorous whisking but if you need to stop whisking, remove the pan from the heat. If at all possible, try not to break the cooking cycle.
4. You know the sabayon is ready when the mixture becomes thick and when you lift the whisk, the sabayon can hold its shape.
5. Remove from heat and spoon the warm sabayon over fresh berries.

Inspired by David Lebovitz recipe ~ Sabayon.

 

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Raspberry Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

When the Daily Meal and Driscoll's asked me to use raspberries in a dish, I couldn't wait to make something yummy. I love fresh berries during the summer - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I love them all. I know it's not summer yet but it's warm and sunny outside and that's good enough for me!

And did you know that raspberries are good for your heart? That's right, the American Heart Association has certified raspberries as heart healthy because they have the flavonoids quercetin and gallic acid, which aid in the prevention of heart diseases by helping to keep the heart healthy.

Plus a one cup serving of raspberries has only 4 grams of sugar, which makes these little red berries even more scrumptious to eat! And berries make the best kind of desserts during the warmer months with their natural sweetness that comes from being kissed by the sun.

I have to admit, it wasn't that difficult to figure out what I was going to make with raspberries.

You know that feeling...the one when you're in love and you want to spend every waking moment with each other? Yes, that warm and fuzzy all over feeling. Well that's the way I feel about Panna Cotta, my new love!

After my Lemon Panna Cotta a couple days ago, I just couldn't get enough and found myself thinking about it day and night. I was obsessed with it. I knew I had to do something and that's how this Raspberry Lemon Panna Cotta came about.

A combination of sweet and tangy lemons mixed with the fresh sun kissed taste of raspberries all in one decadent creamy dessert. It's a match made in Heaven!

Raspberry Lemon Panna Cotta

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A lightly sweetened, chilled Italian raspberry and lemon treat for summer.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
• 1 package (6 ounces) Driscoll's raspberries, rinsed
• 1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
• 3 Tablespons cold water

Cooking Directions

1. Add raspberries to food processor or blender and puree.
2. Place pureed raspberries into a fine strainer, place a clean bowl under strainer, and using a spatula, gently push down on raspberry puree to help remove seeds from raspberries. You should end up with about 3 to 4 Tablespoons of strained raspberry puree. Don't worry if it still has a few seeds. If too many seeds push through, you can always repeat straining process. Set strained raspberry puree aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, add heavy cream and half & half with honey. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until honey is dissolved, about 7 to 10 minutes. You want to warm cream blend, not boil it. You should be able to stick a finger into the cream to test warmth.
4. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla, raspberry extract, strained pureed raspberries to cream and honey blend. Cover and set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add cold water. Sprinkle powdered gelatin over cold water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes as gelatin blooms.
6. Meanwhile, remove serving cups with Lemon Panna cotta from refrigerator and uncover cups/and or bowls. Set aside.
7. After gelatin blooms, slowly add in warm raspberry cream blend, stirring to help dissolve all of gelatin. Continue to add in cream mixture and stirring.
8. After gelatin is completely dissolved, pour or ladle into prepared cups and/or bowls.
9. Place in refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
10. If serving in cups/bowls, top with lemon curd, raspberry coulis, and fresh raspberries.
11. If unmolding out of cups/bowls, gently run a clean knife around the edges of the Panna Cotta and turn upside down over serving plate. Panna Cotta should slide out. Top same as if serving in cups or bowls with lemon curd, raspberry coulis, and fresh raspberries.

Recipe for Lemon Panna Cotta can be found here. Recipe for Raspberry Coulis below. Recipe for Lemon Curd here.

When making this Raspberry Lemon Panna Cotta, prepare Lemon Panna Cotta as directed, filling serving cups and/or bowls halfway. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill before adding Raspberry Panna Cotta. Chill for another 4 hours before serving.

Raspberry Coulis

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A quick and easy way to make Raspberry Coulis, a sweetened raspberry sauce used for decoration of desserts.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 seconds
Total time: 6 minutes
Yield: 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons
Ingredients

• 3 ounces fresh raspberries, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon honey

Cooking Directions

1. Using a food processor, puree raspberries.
2. Place pureed raspberries into a fine strainer. Place a clean, small bowl under the strainer. Using a spatula or back of a wooden spoon, gently press down on raspberry puree and push through the strainer. Repeat process until seeds have been removed from raspberries. Its ok if a few seeds are still in the strained raspberry puree. You will have to use a clean spoon to scrape the strained raspberries off of the bottom of the strainer. You should end up with about 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of strained raspberries.
3. Add honey to strained, pureed raspberries and mix together.
4. Place bowl in microwave for 10 seconds on High setting. After 10 seconds, remove bowl and stir.
5. Place bowl back into microwave and cook for another 10 to 15 seconds. Watch carefully as you do not want raspberries to boil or overcook. You just want to heat up. Remove from microwave and stir together.
6. Let cool to room temperature and then place bowl into refrigerator for at least 15 to 30 minutes before using.

Disclaimer ~ I am not employed by Driscoll's and was not paid nor compensated for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own.

 

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Lemon Panna Cotta

Yes, a lemon recipe. However, this isn't just your ordinary lemon recipe. This is an easy to make recipe that looks elegant and is perfect for any get together. It's lightly sweet and cool on the tongue and not to mention looks like you spent all day making it.

Panna Cotta is a classic Italian dessert. It reminds me of a cross between custard and Jello, a sweet and creamy jiggly dessert.

Traditionally, Panna Cotta is made with cream, honey, egg whites, and a gelatinous form of cooked fish bones. Lucky for you (and me) home cooks have simplified the recipe by using unflavored gelatin so you can make this under 30 minutes.

It's a most versatile dessert as you can make it with heavy cream, half and half, buttermilk, coconut milk, almond, or cashew milk. Plus you can use your choice of sweetener or flavor you desire.

Believe it or not, I never had Panna Cotta before, let alone made it. I stumbled upon it while looking for semifreddo recipes, another recipe I've never had or made. Semifreddo is (still) on my bucket list. I hope to make it sometime this year.

Back to this Panna Cotta, I found a basic Panna Cotta recipe by David Lebovitz, added a little lemon extract, lemon juice and zest, a little dollop of homemade curd, blackberry or lemon (because you can never have enough lemon) topped it off with a fresh blackberry, and Wa-la!

It really is effortless, yet looks so elegant, and everyone will love it. Your family and friends will be wowed by your skills of perfecting this Italian dessert ( even though you and I know this is your first time making it!).

I think I'm in love......with this Lemon Panna Cotta!

Lemon Panna Cotta

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A lightly sweetened, chilled lemon treat for summer.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk, full fat
• 2 cups buttermilk, reduced fat
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zest from
• 2 packets unflavored powdered gelatin
• 6 Tablespoons cold water

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add buttermilk and honey. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until honey is dissolved, about 7 to 10 minutes. You want to warm buttermilk not boil it. You should be able to stick a finger into the buttermilk to test warmth.
2. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest to buttermilk and honey blend. Cover and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add cold water. Sprinkle powdered gelatin over cold water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes as gelatin blooms.
4. Meanwhile, prepare serving cups and/or bowls by lightly spraying with an unflavored cooking spray or oil. Wipe off excess with a clean paper towel.
5. After gelatin blooms, slowly add in warm buttermilk blend, stirring to help dissolve all of gelatin. Continue to add in buttermilk mixture and stirring.
6. After gelatin is completely dissolved, pour or ladle into prepared cups and/or bowls.
7. Place in refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
8. If serving in cups/bowls, top with lemon curd, blackberry curd, or fresh fruit.
9. If unmolding out of cups/bowls, gently run a clean knife around the edges of the Panna Cotta and turn upside down over serving plate. Panna Cotta should slide out. Top same as if serving in cups or bowls with lemon curd, blackberry curd, or fresh fruit.

*Helpful Hints*

- Recipes for Lemon curd can be found here.

- Recipe for Blackberry curd can be found here.

Adapted from David Lebovitz basic Perfect Panna Cotta Recipe.

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Ribollita ~ Tuscan Soup

I know, it’s spring, but the chill of winter is still lurking around, along with all this rain. And what better time to take advantage of all the fresh vegetables in the store right now than with this delicious Tuscan inspired Ribollita soup, also known as cabbage and white bean winter soup.

It's chocked full of good things like cabbage, kale, leeks, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onion, rosemary, thyme, and cannellini beans. It's a meal in itself!

Of course, I suggest serving some garlic cheese bread with it to help bring out the flavors of this soup, but that idea is totally up to you.

The best part about this soup? You can put all the veggies in your crockpot and let them cook all day to come home and find a delicious hot meal waiting for you!

I just love crockpot dishes! ❤
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Ribollita ~ Tuscan Soup

Recipe by Julie Murphy

Cold weather cabbage and white bean soup adapted from Mario Batali.

Cook time: 8 hours

Yield: a whole lotta soup

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs. Baby Dutch yellow potatoes
• 1.5 lbs. carrots - washed, rinsed, peeled, and diced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1 head cabbage - rinsed and quartered
• 1 small bushel kale - rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 2 Leeks - only the white and light green parts, rinsed and sliced thinly
• 3 turnips - washed and rinsed, cut into quarters
• 3 garlic cloves - sliced thin
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 - 15.5 ounce cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6-8 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Dalmatian sage
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 loaf French or Sourdough bread
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare crockpot by generously wiping inside, bottom and sides, with olive oil.
2. Add potatoes, carrots, kale, cabbage, leeks, broth, and bay leaf into prepared crockpot and cover. If you don't have enough room for all listed ingredients, set cabbage quarters aside until other ingredients cook down, approximately 4 hours. Then add cabbage. Crockpot will be full.
3. Cook on High setting for 4 hours.
4. After 4 hours, place 1/2 cup warm broth (NOT hot), garlic, onion, rosemary leaves, and thyme leaves into a blender. Puree all ingredients together. If needed, add a little more broth or water to keep it liquefied. Pour into crockpot.
5. Pour in prepared Cannellini beans. If needed, add in more broth.
6. Add Dalmatian sage.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients together. Place lid back on crockpot.
8. Cook for another 3-4 hours on High setting. Vegetables should be tender before serving.
9. Ladle soup into bowls and grate fresh parmesan over the top.
10. Serve with toasted French or Sourdough bread.


All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

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Shared with: Tickle My Tastebuds Link Party #48, Savoring Saturdays, Munching Mondays #88, Busy Monday 162

Roasted Pumpkin Pesto

It’s official, I’ve been bitten by the pumpkin bug! I just can’t get enough of the orange stuff! I want to add it to everything I make since pumpkin season only rolls around once a year and now is its time to shine.

Now this recipe is anything but your ordinary pumpkin dish. This is pumpkin walking down the aisle with Italian, hand in hand, their flavors intermingling to create this amazing roasted pumpkin pesto.

Sage and garlic combined with the earthy, nutty flavors of roasted pumpkin will awaken your taste buds.

The best part about this pesto is you can add it to many dishes like gnocchi for quick pumpkin gnocchi, use it as a spread on your bruschetta, or use it instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich (thanks for this tip Karen), top your soup with it, and even use it to season your polenta.

One of my favorite uses for this pesto is to add a little more olive oil, add in some white balsamic vinegar, shake it up well, and now you have a quick and delicious salad vinaigrette that has all the flavors of the season.

This roasted pumpkin pesto is a superstar to the foods. Just one taste and I think you’ll agree with me {smile}.

Roasted Pumpkin Pesto

Ingredients

1 cup roasted pumpkin

½ cup raw, whole almonds

1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons water

½ teaspoon sea salt

 ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese, freshly grated

pinch of rubbed Dalmatian sage (for topping)

Directions

After you have washed, rinsed, patted dry, and destemmed (cut the stems off) your sage leaves, set them aside.

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree. You can puree to your own liking of either coarse (the ground almonds) or finely ground (almonds). Also if you prefer it a little thin, you can either add more water, olive oil, or both.

Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week or you can freeze in a freezer safe container for later use. If freezing, pour a little olive oil over the top before covering.

Watch me make this recipe here on Simmer.

*Helpful Hints*

- Before serving, sprinkle a little rubbed Dalmatian sage over your pumpkin pesto creation for a little more flavor. As you sprinkle it, rub the sage between your fingers to help release its flavoring.

- my recipe for how to roast a pumpkin is here.

- All measurements are US

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

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Basil Pesto

 

What do you do when life hands you too much basil at one time? Make pesto.

I don’t know about you but I L-O-V-E pesto! I use it on my spaghetti noodles, I slather it on my French bread before baking, I use it instead of tomato sauce when I make pizza, I use it to season my spaghetti sauces, I can find a use for it in any Italian dish! It’s my one stop Italian food favorite, next to olive oil and fresh garlic, of course.

 

So when I saw how easy it was to make your own pesto, I was all over it, especially with all these basil leaves I had!

Although the traditional recipe of pesto is made with pine nuts, you can use any variety of nuts you choose for making it. And since I didn’t have pine nuts on hand at the time I made my pesto, I used almonds. To me the almonds didn’t change the flavoring of the pesto, as the basil and garlic are the quintessence of this recipe.

The result was delicious! A beautifully green pesto sauce with a rich flavoring of basil and garlic, magnifico!

A little fact about basil, throughout Italy its meaning is Love. So next time you’re making an Italian dish for your loved one, throw in a little extra basil {wink}.

BASIL PESTO

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese, freshly grated

½ cup raw almonds

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil

¼ cup water

Directions

After you have washed, rinsed, patted dry, and destemmed (cut the stems off) your basil leaves, set them aside.

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree. You can puree to your own liking of either coarse (the ground almonds) or finely ground (almonds).

Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week or you can freeze in a freezer safe container for later use.

Inspired by ~ Lou Lou Girls Pesto Pasta

*Helpful Hints*

- All measurements are US

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Disclaimer - This post may contain affiliate links.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Shared with: Savoring Saturdays

Tomato and Cheese Crostata

I’ve always dreamed of going to Italy. And next year, I was planning on finally making my dream vacation come true. But sadly, life got in the way and unless something changes, I won’t be going to Italy next year {sad face}.



Milano Naviglio Pavese by Emanuele Pinna

This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on my dream vacation, it just means it’s on hold for now. So at least I can save up more money to spend for shopping when I finally do get to go!

And if I can’t go to Italy, I might as well eat like I’m in Italy! And what better represents a little taste of Italy than a tomato and cheese crostata.

This pie inspired dish is made with authentic Italian ingredients that include Roma tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, feta cheese, and mozzarella enveloped within a flaky pastry dough.

A deliciously light and savoury pie-dish to enjoy for lunch or dinner with a glass of wine so you can close your eyes and imagine that you’re dining in Italy. At least for one night {smile}....

Tomato and Cheese Crostata

Ingredients

1 ready-made pie crust, room temperature

3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

2 Tablespoons Feta cheese

1 Tablespoon mozzarella cheese, grated

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Roll out pie crust dough onto lined baking sheet. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, basil, garlic cloves, salt & pepper. Spoon half over pie crust dough, spreading evenly and keeping about 1 inch from edges oil free.

Arrange sliced tomatoes evenly around pie crust dough, leaving about 1 inch from the edges so you will have enough to fold over. Crumble feta cheese over tomatoes.

 Pour remaining oil mixture over tomatoes and cheeses, keeping 1 inch of edges oil free.

Gently fold the dough edges up and over the tomatoes so it lays flat. The center will be dough free so it gives you a beautiful view of the cooked tomatoes and cheeses when done.

Sprinkle mozzarella over the open area of tomatoes and feta, making sure not to cover the edges.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until edges of pie crust are golden.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

*Helpful Hints*

- All measurements are US

Inspired by ~ Kellie at The Suburban Soapbox

All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for original recipe.

Follow Julie's board Sweet and Spicy Monkey on Pinterest.

Featured at ~ Sweet and Savoury Sunday #78

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