Pumpkin Alfredo and Roasted Mushrooms with Sage Butter
Who doesn’t want a bowl of flavorful pasta swimming in a homemade sauce?
Depending on the season and the star ingredient, you can get quite experimental to make a rich alfredo to coat your pasta. The only thing you need to add is seasoning and parmesan cheese and adjust to your liking! This recipe uses pureed pumpkin, which lends itself well to the sauce, but you could also use sweet potato, squash, etc.
To enhance the flavour, lightly fry the sage leaves to extract the earthy, peppery taste in butter before combining with the cream, pumpkin and parmesan.
Ingredients
14-ounces pumpkin puree
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 stick butter
9-ounces tagliatelle pasta
Bunch of fresh sage leaves
Sundried tomatoes (optional)
4-ounces shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray with parchment paper after coating and seasoning with fresh garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes until crispy; observe to ensure they don't burn, remove from heat.
Prepare the pasta as directed by the package instructions, drain and set aside.
Add the butter to a large nonstick and melt, then add several sage leaves.
Cook on medium heat until leaves are lightly fried, and the butter has turned a goldish colour, but don't burn, or else it will have a bitter taste!
Remove the leaves, add the cream and pumpkin, and reduce heat to simmer for about 1-2 minutes, mixing the sauce is combined. Add the parmesan and seasoning and stir until smooth, adjusting as needed, adding a bit more cream if desired.
Pour the alfredo sauce in with the drained pasta, followed by the roasted mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and crispy sage leaves as garnish. Dust with extra parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Serves 2.
Fried Pumpkin Flowers
In Zimbabwean cuisine, the pumpkin leaves (nhanga) known as muboora are commonly consumed as a relish or dried first, often stewed with peanut butter. They can be bitter similar to mustard greens, and a little tough - but nothing a little bicarbonate soda can't fix. Neighbouring countries like Mozambique like to add shrimp and coconut milk to the mix.
This recipe is super easy and makes for a light and fluffy batter, thanks to carbonated tonic water and egg white.
You'll need to be gentle with them, not overly dredge in batter and shake the excess off, not wash them roughly, and try to keep them as dry as possible before frying. Inspect the flowers for pollen and anything else.
How do they taste? Next time you see the flowers at the farmer's market, give them a try! In this case, sweet and subtle, a floral taste, not like a pumpkin, but delicious and melts in your mouth. Not only can you fry them in a light batter, but you can also stuff the flowers with a filling of your choice and bake or fold them into tortillas.
Fried Pumpkin Flowers
Ingredients
- 12 clean pumpkin flowers
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg white
- 3/4 cups tonic water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Sea salt crystals
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, add the flour, table salt and sugar, set aside.
- Heat your oil in a pan; it should be about 300F+ at the time of frying - you can use a thermometer to check. Make sure the panhandle is turned away from you/not easy to knock over.
- Beat the egg white until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk the tonic water into the bowl into large lumps are gone, and flour is mostly dissolved - don't over mix to keep the batter airy and light from the carbonation. Gently fold in the egg whites.
- Dip each flower carefully into the batter, shaking off excess before placing it in the hot oil )(away from you to avoid the splatters). Keep a close eye; they fry quickly! Flip over after about 20 seconds (30 seconds if you want the batter a bit brown more, though it lightens up a bit after cooling).
- Remove from the pan with a draining spoon and place on paper towels to absorb extra fat. Sprinkle with sea salt crystals and enjoy hot.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
72Fat (grams)
3.5Carbs (grams)
8.7Sugar (grams)
5.1Protein (grams)
1.4
Portobello Steak with Acorn Squash and Greens
This recipe is the fourth of six plates I would serve if asked to make a 6-course meal or string of small plates/tapas based on Zimbabwean cuisine. I used ingredients that are commonly eaten or are considered a cornerstone of our cooking, but with a modern twist. The first was sweet potato soup, the second tomato bruschetta with guava balsamic glaze, and the third fried sadza with chilli creamed corn.
I tackled three vegetables this time which are of great importance in the Zimbabwean diet both in the countryside and the urban areas.
The star of this dish is the Portobello mushroom (if you must have meat, you can replace this with ribeye or sirloin steak). The mushroom cap is not only a great alternative to a piece of steak due to the umami, but in Zimbabwe, mushrooms are commonly eaten. One of the most popular forms in particular is nhedzi, consumed in the form of rich broth soup. Mushrooms are readily available and not everyone can afford meat, another reason that makes mushrooms an ideal meat replacement.
I also used acorn squash, but in Zimbabwe, the pumpkin would have been the first choice. The vegetable is consumed year-round boiled, mixed with peanut butter, in stews, and spread on bread, but not so much roasted. There is something about well-spiced pumpkin/squash that can be appreciated as a side (or main) on a plate. I will note that the pumpkin is used in its entirety, including the leaves. In fact, dried pumpkin leaves are considered a favored delicacy (muboora).
Finally kale, like sadza, is a cornerstone of Zimbabwean cuisine. Many variations are grown in people's backyards, stewed, cooked with peanut butter or fried crispy.
This dish can serve 1-2 people, so you can double up the quantities if necessary. I would recommend not keeping the Portobello steaks longer than 2 days for optimum taste! There is a variety of flavors and textures that make this a healthy, filing, dinner or lunch.
Ingredients
Portobello steak:
1 large Portobello mushroom cap
1 tablespoon steak 'n chops seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon pesto
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 thyme sprig
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Acorn squash :
1 small acorn squash (or pumpkin)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Green beans:
1 small bunch green beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Kale:
2 cups kale
1 teaspoon fenugreek powder
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon Royco Usavi mix (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
Instructions
Scrub any mud or debris from the Portobello steak. Rub the mushroom with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, steak ‘n chops seasoning, and soy sauce.
Heat a pan on medium-high heat with the olive oil, then place the mushroom head to sear one side - leave it still for about 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme spring, butter and minced garlic, flip over, then cook the other side while basting with the melted butter sauce. Do this for another 2-3 minutes then remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl toss the green beans in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil then set aside.
To prepare the acorn squash, split in half and remove the seeds and fibers. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika then drizzle with olive oil and honey. Make some incisions with a knife to help the flavors seep in.
Place the Portobello steak, green beans and acorn squash onto a lined baking tray, and bake at 400F. After 25 minutes, remove the mushroom and the green beans from the tray - you'll want to flip the mushroom and turn over the beans at least once before that. Bake the squash for an additional 15 minutes, or until it has softened. Once done, spoon the sauce in the middle over each acorn half and reserve any other juices for serving.
In a small pan while the other vegetables are baking, sauté the kale. Add olive oil and toss the leaves with the garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, pepper, coriander, and Royco Usavi mix. Cook for 5 minutes or until the kale begins to wilt slightly but still maintains a crispy texture.
Serve the Portobello steak with pesto and any juices from the mushroom, along with the green beans, acorn squash, and kale.
Spicy Pumpkin Mushroom Skillet Pot Pie
Yes, fall is coming. That means pumpkins will start to show their colours brightly, and it's worth embracing for sure! Sweet potato is an alternative if you can’t find or are not big on eating pumpkin, but the spice blend associated with the season lends itself to both and helps create some great depth of flavour and the warmth we love in autumn. I’m talking cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
One of my favourite's Camella’s Kitchen - a family-owned business that celebrates Caribbean flavours - just released a seasonal product that incorporates these flavours. The pumpkin spice pepper sauce is a fiery chilli sauce that includes the pumpkin spice flavour and subtle sweetness characteristic of anything pumpkin-related. This inspired me to make a pot pie, sans the chicken.
Sounds unconventional, but the addition of the pumpkin and shitake mushrooms along with the pepper sauce heat adds so much flavour. Not only does it compliment the buttery pie crust, but you still get that umami people associate with a hot, steaming pot pie perfect for the cooling weather.
This vegetarian pot pie puts others to shame. The flavours make it intensely rich and delicious.
Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1/4 cup Camellas’s Pumpkin Spice Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried parsely
1 tablespoon ground fenugreek
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons cooking wine
2 tablespoons Worchester sauce
1/3 cup shitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons sweet corn
2 tablespoons peas, frozen
1/4 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup chopped leeks and green peppers
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pie crust, thawed to room temperature
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup plant milk
1/4 cup non-dairy heavy cream
1/4 cup water
2 broth bouillons, crushed
Instructions
Toss the pumpkin in the pepper sauce and the spices. Sauté in the olive oil for about 5 minutes.
Add in the chopped leek and onion, cook for another 2 minutes. Follow this with the carrots, frozen vegetables, cooking wine and Worchester sauce, cook for another 3 minutes.
Mix in the mushroom, basil, thyme, milk and bouillon cubes, and water. Add the flour and butter, stir consistently until everything begins to thicken for another 5 minutes.
Top the skillet mixture with the pie crust, poke a few holes and make some slits in the middle to allow the crust to breathe as it makes. Brush with the egg wash.
Bake at 400F for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
Serve hot with fresh thyme.
Pumpkin Waffles
The other day I made some no-bake pumpkin energy bites using a lone can of pumpkin in the pantry, and it still left me with some unused pumpkin. If you have some leftover for whatever reason, consider whipping together some breakfast waffles! The smell will scent your kitchen and should fill you up until lunchtime.
Ingredients
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (or 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg each)
3/4 cup (whole wheat) flour
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Mix the flour, spices, salt, and baking powder until well combined, make a well in the center.
Whisk the milk, egg, pumpkin, vanilla and sugar, and combine with the dry ingredients until just combined, do not overmix! If too thick, thin slightly with extra milk.
Prepare your waffle maker and pour half the batter for the first waffle.
Serve hot with butter and syrup!
Serves 2, double the recipe if you need to.
No-Bake Pumpkin Energy Bites
Do you have a lone can of unexpired pumpkin in the pantry? Here is a healthy, customizable way to make use of it - energy bites! These are typically made by combining rolled oats, nut butter, and other ingredients to pack a little punch of fiber and protein. You can add everything from dried nuts to shaved coconut, but the pumpkin and spices will give the bites a taste reminiscent of the fall season and smells.
What you need 🛒🛒🛒:
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips or nuts*
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
What you do 🍳🍳🍳:
Step 1
Mix the wet ingredients and spices together, fold in the oats and chocolate chips.
Step 2
Cool the mix in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Roll 1 teaspoon at a time with both hands. If you need to firm the balls up again before serving cool for another 10 minutes.
*Tip: for moister energy bites as demonstrated in the video , use 1 teaspoon coconut oil and 1 teaspoon chocolate hazelnut and melt together. The chocolate chips or nuts will keep them on the drier side and give you a sturdy bite.
Pumpkin Alfredo Black Bean Pasta
We all know to expect a slew of pumpkin recipes when autumn hits or whenever the vegetable is in season. Why not mix it with a classic? Alfredo is a delicious, cream and cheese-based sauce we know and love. It pairs with pumpkin seamlessly and can match with any pasta. For the experimental or health-conscious, a vegetable-based pasta serves as a great alternative, such as black bean!
Pumpkin Alfredo Black Bean Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 box of black bean pasta (I used Explore Cuisine's 8 ounces box)
- 1 can organic pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups alfredo sauce
- 1 cup mix of leeks and onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 cup broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
- Sauté the garlic, leeks and onion in butter and oil, cook until fragrant and the onions are translucent about 3 minutes.
- Add the dried sage and other spices, cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, soy sauce, and alfredo sauce, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and cooked pasta, simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Check and stir periodically.
- Finish with the lemon and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh sage!
Calories
591Fat (grams)
44.72Carbs (grams)
35.12Protein (grams)
16.18