Roasted Acorn Squash with Turkey Sausage, Peppers, and Goat Cheese

Happy Halloween! Hope you are all having a spooktacular day! This is a yummy and healthy recipe to spice up an autumn dinner. I made this the other night, and it was delicious. There are flavors in this dish that I would have never thought to pair with squash. It's so creative, wish I had thought of it! I found this recipe in Guy Fieri's cook book called Guy Fieri Food. Hats off to Guy Fieri for giving me another way to spice up autumn flavors! This is for little ones 10+ months who are ready for finger food and Mommies and Daddies of all ages.

Here's what you need for 6 servings:

Turkey Sausage:
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 tsp rubbed sage
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 lb lean ground turkey

Acorn Squash and Veggies:
3 acorn squash, cut in half
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups 1 inch sliced green cabbage
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 large sweet onion diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 oz soft goat cheese crumbled
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

To make turkey sausage, in a medium bowl, combine the thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Add turkey and mix well, cover and refrigerate while you roast squash. To prepare the squash, preheat oven to 375F. Trim the ends off the squash so that it will sit flat. Scoop the seeds and membranes from inside the squash. Place the squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and pepper. Place the squash in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden around the edges and a knife can be inserted easily into the flesh. Remove from the oven but leave the squash on the baking sheet.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the turkey, making sure to leave large chunks, about 1 inch across. Let the chunks brown, then turn and cook through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.  In the same pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the cabbage and cook until it starts to wilt, about 4 minutes. Add the peppers and onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and the peppers are still a little al dente. Add the turkey and the garlic. Cook for 2 to 4 more minutes to blend flavors. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Turn the oven to low broil. Divide the turkey mixture among the squash halves. Crumple the goat cheese over the tops, place under the broiler just until the cheese is warm. Garnish with a bit of parsley, serve and enjoy!

Baked Quinoa e Fagioli with Veggies for the Whole Family

I kind of stumbled on this meal when I was making dinner the other night. My plan was to make one of our family favorites Pasta Fagioli, but when I looked in the pantry I discovered we had no pasta! The only thing we had was a half empty box of lasagna noodles, rice, and quinoa (yes I realized immediately I really needed to go grocery shopping). I thought about breaking up the lasagna noodles, but didn't think there would be enough food. Then I got an idea, why not try quinoa and make it like the Quinoa Casserole I made a few weeks ago. Luckily it worked, and was really delicious (love when things work out like that!). You can puree this for little ones 8+ months or feed as is for little ones 10+ months.

Here is what you need for 4 to 6 servings:
1 cup organic quinoa
1 can cannellini beans
2 garlic cloves minced
3 zucchini's chopped
1 package frozen organic peas, carrots, greenbeans and corn
1 14 1/2 oz can organic diced tomatoes
1/2 cup organic marinara sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Cook quinoa according to box. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chopped zucchini and cannellini beans and saute for 5 or so minutes. Add frozen veggies, can of diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce and mix together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spray a deep baking dish with cooking spray and transfer quinoa mixture to baking dish. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Let cool and then serve. If pureeing, puree your little one's portion with a little water and blend until desired texture. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butter Stuffed Crescent Rolls

I've been testing out some new recipes for Thanksgiving, and came up with this pumpkin butter recipe yesterday. Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love pumpkin butter. Unfortunately it is only sold in stores for a very short time, so I decided to try making my own. This is so easy to make, it literally took me maybe 5 or 10 minutes! You can eat this pumpkin butter on almost anything, but I'm planning on serving it inside crescent rolls for Thanksgiving, so that's my focus today :) These crescent rolls were so delicious. They tasted like a pumpkin spiced cinnamon bun (which was exactly what I was going for!) You can serve these to little one's ready for finger foods, and whoever else might be sitting around your Thanksgiving table!

Here's what you need for 8 crescent rolls:
1 package Pillsbury crescent roll dough

Pumpkin butter:
1/2 cup canned organic pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp honey (more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out crescent roll dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Mix all ingredients for pumpkin butter together until smooth. Spread about a tbsp of pumpkin butter on each triangle of dough and then roll into a crescent. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool for a minute and serve. Put the rest of your pumpkin butter in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It should keep for 3 to 5 days. Enjoy!

Win 2 Tickets to Babes & Babies a San Francisco Event for Moms and Tots!

Attention Bay Area Moms! Mommy and Baby Food is teaming up with Appel & Frank to giveaway 2 pairs of tickets to their Babes & Babies event Saturday November 3rd in San Francisco! To enter visit my facebook page here and leave a comment under the Babes & Babies post about the moment you first felt like a mom. If you are a mom to be share your favorite pregnancy moment so far. One comment per entry. Contest ends Sunday 10/21/12. Good luck!

Moms are invited to shop from 65 designers and companies offering baby and toddler clothing, accessories, gear, toys, local resources and much more...at discounted prices. There will be free speakers and seminars on topics including sleep training, cord blood registry, hiring a caregiver and more! Additionally, there will be lush gift bags for the first 200 families, on-site photo shoots, play spaces & activities for kids run by MyGym and Peekadoodle, as well as a raffle with incredible prizes, including a Stokke highchair, Joovy Stroller and a Medela Pump in Style Breastpump! The event will be held on Saturday, November 3rd from 9:30am - 2:00pm at the St. Mary's Cathedral, Patron's Hall (1111 Gough Street @ Geary) in San Francisco. Admission is 2 for $8 at appelandfrank.com or $5 each or at the door. 

Butternut Squash Quinoa with Pancetta, Sage and Pine Nuts for the Whole Family

As I mentioned in my previous post, once autumn hits I am always on the hunt for winter squash recipes. I found this recipe in the February 2011 Bon Appetit magazine (yes I hold on to cooking magazines for a really long time ha!).  I changed a few things from the original recipe to make it more kid friendly, and a little healthier. This recipe is for little ones 10+ months who are ready for finger food and Mommies and Daddies of all ages. You can also puree this for little ones 8+ months.

Here's what you need for 4 to 6 servings:
1 medium size butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 medium size onion finely chopped
1 1/2 cups organic quinoa
1 1/2 cups organic chicken broth
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Shaved parmesan cheese (to put on top at end)
4 oz diced pancetta cooked crisply
Olive oil
salt

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the squash and season with a little salt and saute until it begins to brown, stirring often (approx 5 minutes).  Reduce heat to medium, and add the chopped sage, cook until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove to plate and wipe skillet clean. While squash is cooking put quinoa in pot with 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low or simmer. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Heat 2 tsp olive oil, in same large skillet that was used for squash, over medium high heat. Add chopped onions and a pinch or 2 of salt and saute until onions are tender and beginning to brown (approx 5 or 6 minutes). Add cooked quinoa, grated parmesan, pine nuts and pancetta to onions in skillet and toss. Cook for 2 minutes, add squash and season with a little salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cook for a few more minutes and then transfer quinoa to a large serving bowl. Top with shaved parmesan, serve and enjoy! If you are pureeing, place your little one's portion (4 to 5 oz) into a food processor and add water until you get the desired texture.

Butternut Squash Stuffed Meatballs for the Whole Family

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned in the past how much I love autumn. I get so excited when I start to see pumpkins and other squash in the grocery stores. I immediately start to brainstorm new recipes I can cook with them, and this is one those recipes I thought up. As you probably can tell from the multiple types of meatball recipes on my blog, my family loves meatballs, so here's another one. These meatballs are a tad sweeter than your average meatball, and are so yummy. They are fall wrapped up in one tiny bite! These meatballs are stuffed with butternut squash, spinach, and flax meal. Served alone, or with pasta, this is a delicious and healthy meal your whole family can enjoy starting at 10+ months.

Here's what you need for 4 to 6 servings:

1 lb lean ground turkey meat

1 cup butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes

Handful organic baby spinach

1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp flax meal

Handful pine nuts

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground sage

1 egg beaten

1 tsp salt

Ground pepper

1 1/2 jars salt free organic marinara

Olive oil

Put butternut squash and spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Mix turkey, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, flax meal, pine nuts, nutmeg, and sage in a large mixing bowl. Add butternut squash and spinach mixture to mixing bowl. Add beaten egg and salt and pepper. Mix together and then form into small balls. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook until golden brown on the outside flipping so all sides get cooked (approx 5 to 7 minutes). While meatballs are cooking heat the marinara sauce in a medium to large covered pot and let simmer. Add cooked meatballs to the sauce pot and let simmer for 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool and serve alone or with your choice of pasta. Make sure to cut your little one's portion up into bite size pieces. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think. I love to hear from my readers :)