Acorn Squash Salad, Pumpkin Rigatoni and Spiked Cider

Lance went to Pittsburgh for a guys' weekend to see a Steelers game (they won!) So while he was out, I had a girls' pumpkin carving/decorating night.  

Most of us ended up painting our pumpkins rather than carving (in Florida, it's way too humid for a carved pumpkin to last the whole month...) Everyone came up with really creative designs - I think it's the best group of pumpkins I've ever seen.  You can scroll to the bottom to see the individual pumpkins, but here we are with our creations: 

I tried to get a pumpkin from the Hyde Park pumpkin patch, but it was insanely packed!  There was a huge line, so I ended up getting mine from the grocery store instead.  It wasn't the prettiest of pumpkins, but since it was painted anyways, it didn't matter.  Thao got hers from Hyde Park and it was the most stereotypical perfect pumpkin.  

For dinner, I tried out a few new Pinterest recipes and they all turned out amazing!  I love all fall ingredients - squash, pumpkin, figs, pears, pomegranates, apples, etc.  I go crazy buying everything at Trader Joe's this time of year since it's all pumpkin flavored.  

Hillary also brought over this amazing popcorn coated in marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate (it had candy corn for decoration which I'm not a fan of, but I just ate around them...)  It was seriously addicting - like Rice Krispie treats made of popcorn.  If I get the recipe I'll post it on here too.  

I would definitely make any of these recipes again: 

Acorn Squash Salad (adapted from How Sweet Eats)

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 T coconut oil (I was out so I used olive oil)
• 1 acorn squash, sliced in 1/2" rounds and seeds removed
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 t brown sugar
• 1/2 c Trader Joe's sweet & spicy pecans
• 6 c spinach (or arugula) 
• 1 avocado, sliced 
• 1 pomegranate, arils removed (if you need instructions, check out this post)  
• 1 cucumber, sliced

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 t freshly grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove, freshly grated
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil 

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  Cover the squash slices with salt, pepper, and brown sugar and add to the skillet.  Cook until slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes on each side.  

2. Add spinach/arugula to a large bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the avocado, pomegranate arils, cucumber, pecans, and squash pieces.  

3. Combine all the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad. 

Pumpkin Rigatoni Pasta with Sage (adapted from Joanne Eats Well With Others)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb rigatoni
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 t red pepper flakes
• 1 T minced sage
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1-1/2 cups Silk Unsweetened Cashew Milk (I completely forgot to add this since I was too busy chatting with friends - it turned out fine without it, but may be a bit creamier with it) 
• 1 bunch kale leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups ricotta
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz mozzarella, grated 
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. 

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the onion, sage red pepper flakes, and pinch of salt.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onions become translucent.  

4. Stir in the pumpkin and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add in the cashew milk and bring to a simmer.  Stir in th ekale and simmer for 4-5 more minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in the ricotta and season to taste with salt & pepper.  

5. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Toss the pasta with the pumpkin mixture and spread half of it in the pan.  Sprinkle half the cheese, top with the other half of the pasta, then sprinkle with more cheese.  Top with bread crumbs. 

6. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and sauce is bubbling.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.   

Spiked Cider (a combination of several cider recipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 jug Trader Joe's spiced cider 
• 2 T lemon juice
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 4-5 whole star anise seeds
• 2 liters ginger ale
• 6-10 oz vodka, depending on how strong you want it

Directions:

1. Combine the cider, lemon juice, cinnamon, and anise and let them sit for a few hours so the spices soak in. 

2. When you are ready to serve, add in the ginger ale and vodka.  Stir to blend it together.  

I'm sure this drink would be great warm if it was cold outside (you could try it with rum as well).  

I had such a great time with this group of girls - check out the closeups of all the amazing pumpkins:  

Pine Cone Cheese Ball & Christmas Strawberries

We had our 4^th annual Secret Santa Christmas party with our friends last night.  It was potluck style and we actually had a really awesome variety of food this year (it seems like lots of our potlucks end up being only desserts).  I made almond-coated cheese balls that looked like pinecones and dipped strawberries in white chocolate with festive sprinkles.  Both these recipes were really easy – so if you’re looking for something to bring to Christmas dinner, try one (or both!) of these out!

Pine Cone Cheese Ball (adapted from Chicabug)

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz package cream cheese
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (the original recipe called for mayonnaise, which I always substitute for yogurt in recipes)
• 6 strips bacon
• ¼ cup white cheddar cheese
• 1 T chopped green onion
• 1 t chopped dill weed
• ½ t pepper
• 1-1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. Cook your bacon until crispy. 

2.  Combine the cream cheese and yogurt (you can use a food processor or blender, but I used my KitchenAid mixer…) Stir in the cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, green onion, dill, and pepper.  Cover and chill overnight. 

3. Shape the cheese into two pinecone shapes on a serving platter.  Starting at the narrow end, place toasted almonds into the cheese at a slight angle, forming rows.  Garnish with rosemary and serve with crackers.

Christmas Strawberries

Ingredients:

• Strawberries
• White chocolate chips
• Sprinkles

Directions:

1. Wash strawberries and allow to dry completely.   

2.  I used a makeshift double boiler to melt the white chocolate chips evenly without burning.  Boil water in a small saucepan with a glass bowl fitted on top.  Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir until completely melted. 

3. Dip the strawberries into the white chocolate, then into sprinkles.  Let cool on a parchment paper lined sheet. 

You may want to make extra of these strawberries.  These were eaten almost immediately when we got to the party! 

Savory Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip

 

Last night I had some girl friends over for a tropical themed potluck.  I was pretty excited to try out this recipe – I only hoped it tasted as great as it looked!  It was actually very easy to throw together.  I’d recommend making the dip the night before so it retains the domed shape – then top it the next day with the pecans to give it the pineapple look.  It just had a hint of pineapple – I think next time I’d add in some chopped dried pineapple to give it a little more sweetness. But I think it was a success!

Savory Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip (adapted from The Healthy Foodie)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup fresh pineapple, finely chopped
• ¼ orange bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 t whole grain mustard
• ¼ t black pepper
• Pinch of red pepper
• 75-100 pecan halves  

Directions:

1. Cut the top off your pineapple – chop a few leaves off the back side so it will lay flat on the serving plate.

2. Whip cream cheese and sour cream on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. 

3. Squeeze the juices out of the pineapple and add to the cream cheese mixture along with the rest of the ingredients.  Continue mixing on low until incorporated.    

4. Create a dome shape on your serving platter with enough space for the pineapple top.  Cover with press & seal wrap and refrigerate until the next day. 

5. Toast your pecans in the oven for a few minutes. Let them cool to room temperature.

6. Take your serving platter out of the fridge and top with the pecans, adding layer by layer until it is completely covered.  Place your pineapple top on the plate and add crackers and veggies for dipping.

Perfect to serve with a piña colada!