Recipe for Butternut Squash and Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

Well, we're back from a long vacation and visits to see family.  After weeks of very little cooking, it's hard to get back in to the groove but I'm trying!  I thought I had misplaced my mojo for looking at what's in the pantry/fridge and throwing something together but I was pleased with how this turned out. Even though we don't have a real "Fall" here on Maui, cooking with butternut squash always makes me feel like we do. 

I did think, after the first bite, "this would be even better with some bacon in it."  That sort of reflects where my taste buds are right now!  Actually, it was just fine without bacon.  I mean, it has the chicken apple sausage in it!  I might try next time subbing some bacon, maybe turkey bacon, for the sausage.   

Servings: 4-6

Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut in to small cubes, about 7 cups
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ pound whole grain rotini pasta
• 2 chicken apple sausages, cut in to small cubes
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup finely diced shallots
• Cooking spray
• 3 TBSP cumin (more or less to your taste)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss squash in enough olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt, pepper, and 1 ½ TBSP cumin; spread on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until browning, stirring 2-3 times.
• Meanwhile, apply a light coat of olive oil to a sauté pan over med/med-high heat.
• Add pecans, shallots and sausages and remaining cumin.
• Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until browned.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta cooks, let squash cool briefly then put 2/3 of the squash in a food processor.
• Process squash until smooth.
• Mix together the pureed squash, drained pasta, sausage mixture, and remaining cooked squash.
• Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and fill with mixture.
• Top with cheese and place under a broiler for 4 minutes until cheese is melting and beginning to brown. 

This was filling without being a heavy pasta dish.  It's good to be back home for a while and I hope my mojo is really with me!

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Recipe for Stuffed Portabellas-Secret Recipe Club

It is that time again!  I look forward each month to my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club.  This is a large group of bloggers who cook from one another's blogs each month.  We don't know who is cooking from our blog or what they are cooking until the big reveal day.  That would be today!


This month my assignment was the blog "cravings of a lunatic" authored by the very irreverent and funny Kim Bee.  I chose one of Kim's non-dessert dishes to cook since Mr. ELEB and I are supposed to be limiting our treats right now (although I enjoyed browsing through all the decadent sweets on her site!).


I've made portabella pizzas before and we love them so I was naturally drawn to Kim Bee's recipe for stuffed portabella mushrooms.


Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 4 portabella mushrooms, stems and gills removed (see my video if you need to learn this technique)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 4 TBSP mushroom sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 3/4 cup cooked, diced sausage, I used a mix of grilled chicken apple sausages
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Crushed red pepper to taste (I omitted this)
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese, plus more for tops

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line baking sheet with parchment and place mushrooms on parchment.
• Mix rice, sauce, onion, sausage, most of cheese and seasonings together.
• Spoon mixture into mushrooms and top with remaining cheese.
• Cook for 15 minutes or until filling is warmed and cheese is melted.
• Serve hot.

Big mahalo (thanks) to Kim Bee for this tasty recipe.  I can envision all sorts of yummy stuffing combinations for portabellas going forward.

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