Tag: use

Roasted Pumpkin Sage Soup

Pumpkin season is in full swing, and this pumpkin soup is the perfect first course for any meal. Use a hollowed out pumpkin as a bowl for a beautiful presentation.

The aroma of roasted pumpkins and sage smells like everything I love about Thanksgiving – warmth, comfort, family and friends.

If you can’t find sugar or pumpkin pie pumpkins, acorn squash or butternut would work fine it it’s place. This soup can be made ahead and reheated when ready to serve.

I went pumpkin picking a few weeks ago and and had so many sugar pumpkins, I knew I was going to use some as bowls. Wouldn’t this be beautiful on your Thanksgiving table! Completely optional, but if you want to do this, look for small pumpkins, about 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 lbs, otherwise your bowls will hold too much soup. To make the bowls, I followed this method^[1] only I roasted them 15 minutes longer. You can do this a day ahead, then heat in the oven before serving to keep your soup warm. I actually washed mine after using and they still look good.

Roasted Pumpkin Sage Soup
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 5 • Size: a little under 1-3/4 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3
Calories: 137.5 • Fat: 3 g • Carb: 25 g • Fiber: 7 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 459 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

2 medium (6 lbs total) sugar pumpkins or pumpkin pie pumpkins
1 tbsp butter (olive oil for dairy-free)
3/4 cup shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth (vegetarians can use vegetable stock)
1 tbsp fresh sage, plus more for garnish
salt and fresh pepper to taste
reduced fat sour cream for garnish, (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the pumpkins in half. Scoop out seeds and place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 – 1-1/2 hours.

When the pumpkin is cooked and cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. This should make about 5 cups.

Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven, on medium heat; add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add pumpkin and broth to the pot, along with sage, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes.

Blend in a blender or immersion blender and blend the soup until smooth.

(Optional) Garnish with light sour cream and sage. Makes 8 1/2 cups.

References

^{^} this method (www.thegraphicweekly.com)

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Chicken Riggies – What if You Never Saw This?

Way back when, the only way you would’ve found out about a
regional recipe like Chicken Riggies, would have been to eat it while traveling
through Central New York.

You would’ve loved it (because there’s nothing not to
love) and maybe even tried to recreate it when you got home, but more likely it
would have ended up fading into nothing more than a pleasant memory;
referred to as “that rigatoni we had in Utica.”

I’m sure you’ll plan a trip through the lovely Utica/Rome
area of New York State eventually, but in the meantime, I offer up my take on
this thoroughly enjoyable plate of pasta. I think it’s fairly authentic, with
two notable exceptions. I use Marsala instead of the standard white wine, and
use roughly chopped thigh meat, instead of the more popular chicken breasts.

This results in a sauce that seems much richer than it
actually is, and I think you’ll love the subtle sweetness the wine imparts,
which works wonderfully with the heat from the peppers. Of course, as I joke
about in the video, forget how tasty the recipe is…it’s worth making just for
the name alone. What’s for dinner? Chicken Riggies! Riggies? Yes, Riggies!

Anyway, if you’re from Central New York, I hope I did your
venerable recipe proud. If you’re not, I hope you give this gorgeous rigatoni
recipe a try, and experience what only a few decades ago, you may not have ever
heard of. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

4 oz hot Italian sausage, crumbled

1 onion, sliced or diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, roughly
chopped or cubed

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1 (28-oz) can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup water, or as needed

1 1/2 cups chopped hot and/or sweet peppers (any jarred or
fresh peppers will work, but cherry peppers are a good choice)

*if using mild peppers, use chili flakes or chili paste to
increase the spiciness.

1/2 cup pitted, halved Greek olives
3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 pound rigatoni

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese

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Lambage Rolls! Lamb & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Almonds and Currants

My love of cabbage rolls is deep and unconditional. I almost
always make the same version, based on my Aunt Angela’s famous recipe, but once
in a while, just for the hell of it, I’ll use lamb instead of beef.

I love lamb
burgers and lamb meatballs, so it’s no surprise that I love lamb-stuffed
cabbage rolls, and I’m happy to report that these particular “lambage” rolls
were the best non-beef version yet!

I remembered a middle-eastern restaurant Michele and I used
to frequent, which served a lamb meatball stewed with tomatoes and spices, and
served over a rice pilaf studded with almonds and currants. I really loved that
dish and tried to incorporate those elements into these cabbage rolls.

I loved the results. Big, bold flavors, yet not too heavy,
and like all cabbage rolls, these were very, very comforting. I used a pretty
lean grind for the lamb, but ideally the butcher will give you something close
to a 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.

As far as the rest of the stuff, you’re on your own, and as
usual I’ll ignore most of the “can I leave out the [insert delicious, totally
necessary ingredient here]” questions. You are the boss of your cabbage rolls,
so act like it. Anyway, I hope you share my love of cabbage rolls, and if you
do, I really hope you give this version a try. Enjoy!

Makes 8 Lambage Rolls

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup rice

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne

pinch dried oregano

1/4 cup packed Italian parsley

1 tbsp dried currants

2 tbsp sliced almonds

1 cup tomato puree

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 onion sliced

1 head cabbage

salt and pepper to taste

feta and parsley to garnish, optional