Dinner...

Tonight Mr. Foodie and I tag-teamed dinner and the result was spectacular! We baked on dish, and put the other in the refrigerator for another night. We will definitely be making this on again.

This recipe is another great one from Simplyrecipes.com

Sausage, Spinach, Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 large egg
• 16-ounces ricotta cheese
• 10-ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further (or 10 ounces chopped fresh spinach)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid, tomatoes broken up (or your favorite tomato or pasta sauce)

• 2 9x13 shallow baking dishes

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.

3 Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.

4 Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)

5 Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Serves 8.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

I love cranberries. This fruit is my favorite thing about fall & winter. I am always searching for inspired recipes to incorporate fresh cranberries. My favorite food blog, SimplyRecipes.com has been a great resource for amazing recipes. Below is the recipe for Cranberry Walnut Bread, adapted from the Simply Recipes original recipe.

Cranberry Nut Bread

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 Tbsp Vanilla
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Method
1 Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2 Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped cranberries and walnuts to coat with the flour mixture.
3 Mix together orange juice, butter, egg, and orange peel. Add to flour, cranberry, nut mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.
4 Pour into a greased 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes or until done (a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
5 Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Serves 8.

Table Runner

My latest sewing project: a fall-colours table runner for my Sideboard. This project cost me about $8.00. I absolutely love this fabric.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Last night I made one of my favorite fall soups: Butternut Squash Bisque.

The recipe is adapted from "The Whole Food Cookbook" that I purchased a few years ago. This is one of my favorite cookbooks b/c it contains accesible recipes that can be made on a weeknight. It also emphasizes healthy choices and the use of unique/healthy ingredients.

Recipe:
2 to 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
1 Onion - Chopped
4 Carrots - Peeled and Chopped
1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger Minced

Saute in a large stockpot with EVOO for about 5 minutes.

Add 2 quarts of stock or water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 40 minutes. Add a bunch of chopped parsley and puree' with a stick blender. Add fresh ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

I also added a little hickory smoked salt for more depth of flavor.

Wish List

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Work has been crazy lately, but today I have some free time so why not do something fun. In an effort to ease boredom I have decided to create a Christmas wish list for myself. Here goes...


Handled Cheese Wire from Fantes

Krups Fast-Touch Coffee Mill, Model 203 Recently reviewed by
CooksILlustrated for excellent spice grindining abilities. I have been using whole spices recently, and I need an efficient way to grind them.

New Cooling Racks. I have two that are starting to rust and look bad/are too small. CIA Bakeware 12-Inch x 17-Inch Cooling Rack

All-Clad Stainless 4 quart Saucepan