Pumpkin Gnocchi

Heres another recipe with pumpkin, and although it sounds very gourmet, it was super easy to make and super inexpensive.  As I have mentioned over and over, I love pumpkin, not just because of the super great flavor, creamy texture, and versatility, but because of the nutritional benefits.  Pumpkin is high in vitamins A, C and K, it is also provides large amounts of beta carotene which when consumed acts as a powerful antioxidant.  I was rushed today, so I made the gnocchi with a butter, cheese sauce, next time I am going to probably try it with a walnut, or pistaccio pesto to boost the flavor and the nutrition. 
ingredients
1 can pumpkin puree(2 cups)
1 egg white
1 1/2-2 cups flour
water if needed
combine pumpkin, egg and 1 1/2 cup flour, with your hands and begin mixing together, slowly kneeding dough so it all starts to come together, as it forms a ball, if it is too sticky, add more flour.  When the dough is mixed completely together and not sticky, no more flour is needed.  Flour a large surface, like a table or countertop.   To roll out, take a piece of dough, about the size of a table spoon and roll into a long tube and place on floured surface.  Continue doing this until all the dough is used rolled out.  Then with a knife, at an angle, cut into small 1/2 inch pieces.  This dough is more dense then regular potato gnocchi, so the pieces should be small.
When completely all cut, place gnocchi on trays and place in freezer.  Freeze atleast an hour.
To cook:
In a large pot, boil water and add tablespoon of salt
When water boiling, drop in gnocchi one at a time
When gnocchi rise, they are done
With a slotted spoon, remove cooked gnocchi and place in bowl
for sauce:
1/4 stick of butter
1/2 cup parm cheese
in large skillet melt butter
toss in gnocchi, sauté for 2 minutes until gnocchi coated in butter and slightly crispy
add salt and pepper
top with parm cheese

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Peas

1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

1 cup peas
2 tsp garlic powder
12 ounces of pasta
salt and pepper to taste

cook pasta to taste
In the meantime, in sauce pan heat butter on low, when melted add cream cheese,pumpkin, stir in milk and stir rigorously
add garlic powder, peas and salt and pepper to taste

Linguine Red Clam Sauce with Black Olives

This is the second or third time I made pasta with clam sauce, but I havent made the dish with tomatoes or black olives before, and it was good.  The tomatoes added ofcourse the lycopenes, which are the most powerful antioxidents out there.  Clams contain protein, iron, potassium vitamin A and folate, and olives contain vitamin E, iron, copper and dietary fiber. 

12 ounces linguine or spaghetti
1 can clams
1 can diced tomato

1 cup sliced black olives
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

boil noodles according to instruction
heat oil in skillet on low.   Add diced tomatos and garlic powder, saute for 10 minutes. Add clams, black olives and salt and pepper to taste.
When pasta is ready, toss in skillet with clam sauce, saute another 2 minutes
devide in bowls, top with parsley

Sweet Potato Crisp

This is like a sweet potato pie, so it is sweet and savory.  Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients, vitamin A, niacin, folic acid and vitamin C.  Oats are high in fiber and aids in digestion.  Pecans contain oleic acid and is an excellent source of antioxidants, such as vitamin E and beta carotene. 

Preheat oven to 350

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 can 40 oz sweet potatoes
3/4 brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup apples
2//3 cups cranberries
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cups butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans


Beat cream cheese, sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and top with apple and cranberries.  place in a 9" baking dish
in separate bowl, mix flour, oats, remaining sugar, and cut butter into 1 inch pieces
top sweet potatoes with crunch topping and bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

This is a special Sunday morning treat, that is easy to make and tastes far more decadant then it really is.  Eggs are always healthy, consumed in moderation and pumpkin puree is low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium, and a good source of vitamin E, fiber, vitamin A,C and K.  Also an excellent source of beta carotene which is high in antioxidents which keeps bad cells out.  This combined with healthy goodness of oats, which is extremely high in fiber and aids in keeping digestivbe system moving, which can prevent high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Whole wheat bread provides fiber as well as many B vitamins.  Thiamin, Niacin, Ribofavin, Folate and iron and calcium as well.
this seves 8
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can pumpkin puree
8 slices whole wheatbread

topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter cut in small pieces

cube wholewheat bread, line them up in greased 9x13 baking dish
in bowl whisk until fully mixed eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin puree
pour over bread mixture and toss gently so all bread is evenly coated.

in seperate bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and butter, combine until it makes a consistent crunchy mixture
sprinkle evenly over the the pumpkin, egg, bread mixture

bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Raisin Cookies

Yet another pumpkin recipe.  This one was delicious.   Pumpkin is low in saturated fats, low in cholesterol, and sodium and a good source of vitamin E, fiber, vitamin A,C and K.  Also an excellent source of beta carotene which is high in antioxidents which keeps bad cells out.  This combined with the uber nutrition of oats, which is extremely high in fiber and aids in keeping digestive system moving, which in turn helps to prevent high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
 2 cups flour
1 1/3 old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup(two sticks) of butter
1 cup packed brown sugar softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup raisin
preheat at 375
combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla in a bowl, in a seperate bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, combine with wet ingredients
when completely mixed add raisins.
Drop spoon fulls of batter on a cookie sheet, place an inch apart
bake for 10-12 minutes

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Corn and Scrammbled Eggs

This is an easy, healthy dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  I served it alone, but there is nothing wrong with a piece of whole wheat toast or perhaps even a tortilla to make it a rollup.  I also served it with tobasco, salsa can work as well or even red pepper flakes. 
serves 4
ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 eggs lightly beaten
1 can 11 ounces corn
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste


In a large skillet or frypan over medium heat, heat oil
In large bowl mix eggs, corn, milk and s and p
Pour into hot skillet
When the eggs begin to set, stir the eggs(scramble them)
Give the eggs a good stir and flip every 30 seconds or so until the eggs are completely set

Add salsa, tobasco or red pepper flakes(all optional) 
On this blog I have mentioned how healthy eggs are many times. The little 80 calories pack so many nutrients in just one serving, and for less then .20.  The vitamin A in eggs helps to promote good night vision, general cell growth and for healthy skin.  Also consuming eggs adds a large concentration of antioxidents, which come from selenium and also vitamin E.  Antioxidents help keep the bad cells out.  The corn in this dish also adds to the nutritional value.  Corn provides a large amount of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels and also reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth
1 can, 15 ounces pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk(whatever you have, no fat, 1%, vitamin D)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes(optional, and definitely could be more)

heat butter on low in soup pot, when melted add all ingredients, bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer for 30 minutes stirring often.

This soup is great because its easy, its flavorful and pumpkin is so nutritious.  It is low in saturated fats, low in cholesterol, and sodium and a good source of vitamin E, fiber, vitamin A, C and K.  Also an excellent source of beta carotene.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This cookie is a combination of cookie and cake.  It is great for a snack or dessert. I made them with dark chocolate, but they would be great with raisins, cranberries or nuts such as walnuts or pecans.  Once again, pumpkin is the star ingredient.

1 Cup  Pumpkin Puree
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup canola oil
1 Egg
2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375
Mix pumpkin, sugar, egg, canola, milk, and vanilla.  Add dry igredients, mix well and add chips.  spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Pasta with Pecan Pesto Peas and Tomatoes

Once again, a successful pasta dish made great with nuts.  Its funny because I was never one to eat a lot of nuts, didnt necessarily like them, thought they were fattening, made me thirsty, but now when I use them as ingredients, I love them.  I talk about the health aspect them all the time.  Nuts a
are high in protein which is a building block to our bodies, they are a monosaturated fat which makes them very heart healthy, they also contain selenium which acts as an antioxident and not to mention they are high in fiber.  The dish also contains tomatoes that are high in lycopene, infact tomatos provide the most concentrated amount of lycopenes of any food.  The major claim of lycopenes is its prevention and treatment of cancers of the lung, prostate, stomach, bladder, cervix, and skin.  Lycopene is a powerful antioxident, a compound that blocks the action of free radicals.                                                                                                                                       
In this recipe I use peas to give the pesto a base and an added creaminess, but mushrooms could be used as well.
The entire meal can be made in as quick as noodles can be boiled.

ingredients
12 ounces pasta
2 cups(1 can peas)
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup parm cheese
1 cup diced tomato



Boil noodles according to instruction
in food processor combine 1 cup peas, pecans, olive oil, garlic powder, parm cheese
process the mixture until finely chopped
when pasta boiled, leave 1/2 pasta water reserve
add water to pesto and pulse one more time until pesto creamy
in large skillet, on low heat, combine pasta, pesto toss in diced tomatoes and remaining peas,saute for  a few minutes
remove from heat, and top with cheese

Penne Cashew Pesto Pasta with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

This pesto dish was inspired a bit from Rachael Ray.  I found a cashew pesto recipe of hers on the internet and ofcourse adapted it according to what ingredients I had to work with.  Her dish included tomatoes, and so I added mushrooms and tomatoes.  I was missing fresh parsley, fresh garlic and lemon juice for the pesto, I added garlic powder, dried parsley and black pepper.  The dish came out awesome and I loved it so much I ate the leftovers the next day.    Along with being delicious, it was extremely healthy.  Cashews contain tons of nutrients and the unfortunte myth that they are fattening should be eliminated.  Yes, ofcourse any food eaten in excess can be fattening, but eating a 1/4 cup a few times a week, of cashews aor any nut, does the body good.  First of all cashews contain large amounts of protein, which is building block for our bodies at any age, next and very importanlty the Harvard School of Public Health reports that eating nuts such as cashews may reduce the risk of heart disease because they are monosaturated fats. 

Cashews are also very high in fiber, vitamin B ans selenium which helps in acting as a antioxident.  Also included in this dish are diced tomatoes which are loaded with tons of vitamins and nutrients including lycopenes which is a very powerful antioxident. and mushrooms which provide the highest form of vitamin D of any vegetable and that is essential for teeth and bones.                                                                     

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup cashews

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 parm cheese

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup canned mushrooms

heat 1 tablespoon in skillet on medium, add tomatoes and mushrooms.  Saute for 5 minutes and add garlic salt.    Cook pasta according to instructions.  Save 1/2 cup pasta water.  In food processor or blender add cashews, olive oil, parsley garlic powder, pepper, parm cheese and pasta water.  Pulse or blend until pesto is smooth and creamy.

In large skillet add pasta and pesto, toss and coat noodles completely with pesto.  Add tomatoes and mushrooms and mix all together.  serve                                                                                                      

Tuna Pea Mac and Cheese

 12 ounce noodles
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cheddar cheese
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 can tunafish
1 can peas

This entre packs tons and tons of essential nutrients and it taste awesome!  Cottage cheese and cheddar cheese is an excellent source of both vitamin A and calcium .  Vitamin A is great for hair and skin and a great source of antioxidants.  Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be missing in the American diet.  According to government stats, 9 out of 10 women and 6 out of 10 men fall short of calcium roccomendations.  Calcium is great for teeth and bones, but also brain function.   Canned tunafish is loaded with protein, vitamin A, iron, calcium, vitamin E, K, and many other nutrient and minerals.  The most important nutrrient however, is omega 3.  Omega 3's have been known to provide heart health.  Lastly peas are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K and vitamin C.

zBoil noodles according to instruction
In a foodprocessor blend cottage cheese until smooth and creamy
In meantime, in large skillet, combine milk and flour and heat on medium, stirring constantly until forms a smooth and even consistency.
Add cottage cheese puree, mustard, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper

In large baking dish pour noodles, add sauce, peas and tuna
mix thoroughly and  top with remaining cheddar cheese
Bake at 300 for 20-30 minutes

remove from oven when dish crispy