Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta

This has become a hit at our house.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup cream or half and half
  
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• 1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
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• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1 teaspoon red pepper seasoning
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
  

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, sugar and wine. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the tomatoes have simmered into a sauce, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper and basil. Add the cream.
   
2. Fill a large pot with lightly-salted water; bring to a rolling boil; stir in the linguine and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
3. Season the shrimp with the red pepper seasoning, salt, and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoons of olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the shrimp and cook until pink on the outside and no longer translucent in the center, about 5 minutes. Stir the shrimp into the pasta sauce, then stir the sauce into the linguine to serve.

Roasting Pumpkins

Today we roasted pumpkins! It is an annual event here at our house in the fall. We usually roast a bunch of pumpkins and freeze it for later. I usually freeze it in 1 cup servings that way if we want to make pancakes or muffins or pie we can just defrost the right amount.

To roast:

1. Cut pumpkins in half.
2. Take out seeds and save for roasting later :)
3. Sprinkle each half with cinnamon and place a little butter in each half.
4. Roast for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Polenta Bake

This recipe is amazing! It is gluten free and low calorie, yet surprisingly filling. I adapted this recipe from the Trader Joe's fan site. There are different flavors of polenta that are fun to experiment with or you can make your own.

One package Polenta

One jar Arrabiata Sauce - you can get this at Trader Joe's

3-5 zucchinis (depends on size & preference)

3 yellow squash/summer squash

1 container ricotta cheese

garlic powder

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Italian seasoning to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a long casserole dish (preferably 9x13) with cooking spray.

2. Cut the polenta into thin rounds. It can be difficult to cut without breaking, but broken pieces will not negatively effect the recipe, so don't worry!

3. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash length-wise. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

4. In the casserole, layer polenta, zucchini (this should be a couple layers of slices thick), ricotta, sauce and cheese (just a sprinkling). Repeat until you have reached the top of the casserole, making sure to end with the sauce and cheese layers. Cover the casserole with foil.

5. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil, add more cheese to the top if desired. Bake another 5-10 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

This is one of our favorite soups that I make every fall! It has evolved over the years and I have used different veggies and even added apples. You can substitute leeks for the potatoes and I often leave out the onion. Another thing I have done is too leave out the cream cheese and just add a dollop of non fat sour cream to each serving. When I roast my squash I usually brush them with a little olive oil and garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 minced cloves of garlic
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium butternut squash - roasted
  
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese
  

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot along with the olive oil and garlic, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables and add bay leaf, marjoram and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
2. Add cream cheese or sometimes I use cream. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth or use a hand blender. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
   

German Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in a 9x13 baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake on center rack in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.