Tag Archives: Food

Pumpkin Lasagna with Red Sauce, Broccoli + Kale

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Lasagna. One of the best meals ever, I think.

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The best for the person who eats it and for the person who makes it. 

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For the one who eats it: delicious, fulfilling, comforting, all around good.

For the one who makes it: fun, room for creativity, room for error, fulfilling, comforting, all around good. 

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Over the years, I’ve made so many versions of lasagna, I’ve lost track. It’s one of those things that if you know the general concept, you don’t really need a recipe. Come up with a flavor combo, figure out how you’ll layer it and you’re set. 

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I recently came up with this flavor combo and just had to share. It’s so good that I made it twice in five days. With just two of us here to eat, that’s a lot of lasagna, but Greg and I agree: lasagna leftovers are the best. 

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Let’s talk about the recipe:

Per usual, this recipe has no meat and is loaded with veggies. I chose broccoli and kale because I thought they’d go wonderfully with the pumpkin. I chose red sauce because although I love white sauce, red sauce is healthier for everyday. I went with a classic ricotta cheese layer. And then the pumpkin layer. I kept it super simple. Pureed pumpkin seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper, some nutmeg and some parmesan cheese. That pumpkin layer is so good.  

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There are several parts to making this lasagna but all are super easy. Once all parts are ready, all you need to do is layer, cover then bake! I love that about lasagna.

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Let me tell you quickly about the noodles I use. I use regular lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind) and I do not boil them before baking. I have experimented with boiling them before and using the no-boil kind, but my preference is to use the regular and not boil them. It works, but it does take longer to bake. Use whatever noodles you like for this recipe, though!

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It is cloudy and chilly here today and I am thinking lasagna leftovers will be perfect for lunch. I hope this post inspires you to make this dish and to enjoy something warm and comforting for yourself!

Pumpkin Lasagna with Red Sauce, Broccoli + Kale
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For the sauce
  1. Olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 6 shallots, sliced
  4. 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  5. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  6. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  7. 2/3 cup coconut milk (or any milk!)
For the cheese filling
  1. 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  4. 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  5. Salt and pepper
For the pumpkin filling
  1. 1 1/2 cups or 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  2. 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  3. Pinch of nutmeg
  4. Salt and pepper
Other
  1. 9 lasagna noodles
  2. ~2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
  3. ~2 large handfuls baby kale
  4. ~1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
  2. Start with the sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sliced shallots. Cook several minutes, until shallots have softened. Add the balsamic vinegar to the pot, and cook several more minutes, until the vinegar has reduced. Add the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and coconut milk. Stir, and cook over medium-low heat while you prepare the other things.
  3. For the cheese filling: combine the ricotta, egg, dried basil and oregano in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir well. Set aside.
  4. For the pumpkin filling: combine the pumpkin puree, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir together well. Set aside.
  5. I used a 9x13 baking pan. Using a soup ladle, ladle one scoop of sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Place three lasagna noodle on top of the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture. Layer 1/2 of the broccoli on top of the pumpkin layer followed by a large handful of baby kale.
  6. Using the soup ladle, ladle another scoop of sauce on top of the veggies, trying to cover all lasagna noodles.
  7. Do another layer of three noodles, ricotta, pumpkin, the last of the veggies and then more sauce.
  8. Finish the layers with three noodles, the rest of the ricotta and pumpkin, the rest of the sauce and then a large covering of parmesan cheese.
  9. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 - 1.5 hours, or until noodles are soft.
Notes
  1. I used regular lasagna noodles and did not cook them before making the lasagna. I always do this and it always works for me, although it does take longer to bake.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Vegan Sweet Potato + Black Bean Chili

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Happy November, everyone!

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This chili definitely matches the weather here. There is a definite chill in the air, making me crave warm, comforting things. 

This chili also matches the colors here. Oranges, reds, yellows. 

This chili + autumn right now = meant to be. 

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Let me tell you about it.

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It is packed with veggies. It’s mildly spicy (you can make it spicier!) and has a hint of sweet. It’s warm, filling and comforting. It’s healthy, gluten free and secretly vegan. 

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I started with my favorite classic base of red onion, garlic, carrots and celery. I added a ton of assorted peppers – some sweet some spicy. Then came the sweet potato and black beans. You just can’t go wrong with that combo. I added some diced tomatoes and some crushed, for texture. There is chili powder, paprika and cumin for smoky, spicy flavor, and some cinnamon for some sweet, curious flavor. You have got to add the cinnamon, you guys. It adds something so special. And, of course, I added baby kale. I told you I’ve been adding it to everything lately. I finished the chili off with a touch of coconut milk. The coconut milk makes it so creamy and keeps it completely vegan!

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Now let’s talk about how to make it your own! Use as many and whatever variety of peppers that you please. Want to keep this chili on the mild side? Use all sweet peppers. Want a major kick? Load it up with spicy peppers! The spices. I used chili powder, paprika and cumin, which is a pretty good combo, but go with the amounts that you like. Start with a little and add more as you go and taste. You can always add more spice but you cant take it away (I learned this the hard way with chili once). 

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Make this chili, serve it to someone you love and enjoy this beautiful season! 

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Enjoy! 🙂

Vegan Sweet Potato + Black Bean Chili
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Ingredients
  1. Olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 1 medium red onion
  4. 2 celery stalks
  5. 2 medium carrots
  6. 1 large sweet potato
  7. 1-2 cups assorted sweet + hot peppers
  8. 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  9. 1 tablespoon chili powder
  10. 1 teaspoon paprika
  11. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  12. Large pinch of cinnamon
  13. Salt and pepper, to taste
  14. 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  15. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  16. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  17. 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
  18. Several large handfuls of baby kale
Instructions
  1. Start by prepping all of the veggies. Dice the red onion, celery, carrots, sweet potato and peppers to all the same size (mine were relatively small).
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot. Once hot, add the minced garlic and diced onion and cook for several minutes, until the onion has softened.
  3. Add the celery, carrots and peppers and cook several more minutes, slightly softening the veggies.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes, and again, cook several more minutes to cook veggies.
  5. Add the black beans and chili powder, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir well to incorporate the spices.
  6. Add both cans of tomatoes, brown sugar and coconut milk to the pot. Stir well.
  7. Bring the chili to a boil and then cover the pot and reduce heat. Simmer over low heat until sweet potatoes are tender.
  8. Taste the chili along the way and add more seasoning according to your taste.
  9. Before serving, add several handfuls of baby kale and stir, until kale has wilted.
  10. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Kale, Cranberry + Walnut Stuffing (stuffed in a pumpkin!)

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I’ve got something to tell you.

I am OBSESSED with stuffing.

Oh my goodness do I love it.

When I tell people that I don’t eat turkey on Thanksgiving, I often get the response, “If you don’t eat turkey, then what do you eat?”

I eat stuffing. Lots and lots of stuffing. 

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I’m not sure when exactly this obsession started, but I’m glad it did. Stuffing makes me so happy. I even “liked” stuffing on Facebook. I’m not sure why you can do that (or how I discovered that you could), but I did. And every year around Thanksgiving, “Stuffing” begins to post on Facebook. And I secretly love it!

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I think my mom makes the best stuffing. It’s very simple and very classic, but so delicious. It has the perfect flavor. And it is so moist. It doesn’t need gravy, although I put gravy on it anyway because I also love gravy. 

And while I love and wouldn’t want to go without my mom’s amazing, classic stuffing, it is fun to experiment with it a bit, too. As far as I’m concerned, the more stuffing, the better. 🙂

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The story behind this kale, cranberry + walnut stuffing:

When I came home from Florida last week, a beautiful pumpkin was sitting on the table waiting just for me (and flowers, too!). Greg picked out the pumpkin for me at the farmers market when I was away. He said he talked to a woman about stuffing the pumpkin, and thought that I would love the idea. He knows me too well – there is nothing I would rather do this time of the year than stuff a pumpkin with stuffing! 

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I bought some multigrain bread (my favorite) and then searched my fridge and pantry for the perfect add-ins for the stuffing. I love the classic flavor combo of fresh garlic, shallots, carrots and celery so I thought that would be my base. I added baby kale because I am obsessed with adding it to everything lately. To the bread, I added dried cranberries and walnuts, just because I thought it would work. I spiced it up with plenty of dried thyme, sage, nutmeg, salt, pepper and some fresh rosemary. I used fresh rosemary because I love the flavor of fresh over dried and I know that I will use the entire package when I buy it. The only binding ingredient in this stuffing is chicken broth (use veggie broth to make it completely vegetarian!). I didn’t want to add egg, so I tried just the broth and it worked perfectly as a binder.

And just a note: stuffing doesn’t have to be wildly unhealthy to be delicious! This stuffing has only 2 tablespoons of butter in the entire thing. I used multigrain bread, nuts, dried fruit and a ton of veggies. I’m not saying it’s a health food, but you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in this!

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My origianl plan was to cut the pumpkin top off, jack-o-lantern style. Just as if I were carving the pumpkin. But, this pumpkins skin was very thick and hard to cut through. I tried but decided I just couldn’t do it. I decided to cut the pumpkin in half, take the seeds out and stuff some stuffing into each side. It worked very well, and I think that anyway you can cut your pumpkin would work, too. 

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The flavor of this stuffing is amazing. It is everything I hoped for. The cranberries and walnuts add great texture. It is perfectly moist. Greg and I agreed that gravy is not necessary for it. 

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And the pumpkin presentation is fun and cool. I think that it would be a fun dish to take to a family or friend Thanksgiving get-together. And as far the the pumpkin flesh, it can be scraped out and eaten with the stuffing, or scraped out and used for another recipe. Don’t let that pumpkin go to waste!

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So, what do you think? Will you stuff some stuffing into a pumpkin this season? Even if you have a traditional stuffing recipe, I encourage you to give this one a try too. It’s fun, delicious and like I said above, there can never be too much stuffing. 🙂 Enjoy!

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Kale, Cranberry + Walnut Stuffing
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Ingredients
  1. 5 cups multigrain bread, cut into cubes
  2. 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  3. 1/2 cup walnuts
  4. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  5. 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
  6. 1/2 tablespoon dried sage
  7. Pinch of nutmeg
  8. Salt and pepper
  9. 1 tablespoon butter
  10. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  11. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  12. 8 small shallots, sliced
  13. 2 medium carrots, diced
  14. 3 celery stalks, diced
  15. 2 ounces baby kale
  16. 2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian!)
  17. 1 large baking pumpkin
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Prep your pumpkin. Do what seems to work best. You could cut it as if you were carving a pumpkin, or like me, cut the pumpkin in half. Clean out the pumpkin seeds.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cubed bread, dried cranberries, walnuts, rosemary, thyme, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallots. Cook several minutes, until shallots soften.
  5. Add the carrots and celery and cook several more minutes, until veggies begin to become tender. Once tender, add the baby kale and cook, stirring until kale is wilted.
  6. Add the cooked veggies to the bread combo. Add the chicken broth and stir, until well combined and all bread is wet.
  7. Stuff the stuffing into the hollow, cleaned out pumpkin. Place the pumpkin in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1-1.5 hours, or until stuffing is cooked through and the pumpkin flesh is fork tender.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Roasted Veggie Pizza with Hummus + Goat Cheese

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October! Where did you come from? It seems like just yesterday I was giving you guys a recap of August. It was another good month here on The Dreaming Foodie. My views nearly tripled from August! I am so unbelievably grateful for every single reader, all the time. Thank you, thank you so so much! I am grateful and very excited to see where October takes us!

Before I get to today’s recipe, let’s do a little review. 

September recipes:            

Chai Muffins with Pistachios + White Chocolate 
Curry Eggplant Pizza
Curry Stuffed Peppers with Chickpeas + Carrots
Go-To Granola
4-Ingredient Pumpkin Smoothie
Mediterranean Pasta

We also planted a garden and celebrated Amanda’s birthday!

I also wanted to share with you some old recipes we’ve made this month.

Loving lately:

Shrimp + Rice + Veggie Cabbage Wraps
Rosemary + Goat Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes 
Simple Bruschetta
Summertime Pasta Salad
Smoked Salmon Quiche
Smoky Black Bean + Cilantro Veggie Burgers
Almond Milk

Now, onto a new month with an amazing new recipe!

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This recipe is inspired by the cafe where I work. We serve a grilled veggie wrap with grilled veggies, hummus and goat cheese, all wrapped up tight, cut in half and served pretty on a plate.

Every time I make one to serve, I want to eat it myself. It has all the things I love. A ton of different veggies, creamy hummus and the best ever: goat cheese. I think about the wrap all the time and one day I thought, how about making this into a pizza?

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I really liked this curry eggplant pizza, but if curry isn’t your thing and eggplant isn’t your thing but you want to try a hummus pizza, this could be your new thing!

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We usually grill the veggies at The Cedars House, but to be honest, I’m kind of not ready to use our grill by myself. Greg and I are getting better and better at doing the charcoal thing, but it’s just not time for me to do it myself yet. Being that I make most recipes for this blog during the day while Greg’s gone, I decided to roast the veggies rather than grill them. That being said, if you want to grill the veggies for this pizza, I know that it’d be excellent. 

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I also made my own hummus for this pizza but you can do what is best for you! I bought a container of hummus at the store for Greg and I and I was just not in love with it at all. I bought it to save time and for convenience, but decided after eating it that I would make an extra effort to make my own from now on. It truly is so easy to make your own hummus and you can control what flavors go into it. 

My recipe for hummus was so simple. I used: chickpeas, lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil. I skipped the tahini because I didn’t have any and it is not necessary to use it, in my own opinion. I went heavy on the lemon juice because I just love that lemony flavor in the hummus and I left out fresh garlic because I knew I had put some on both the crust and the veggies. 

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This is definitely nothing close to a traditional pizza. I baked the crust first, let it cool and then topped it and ate it without putting it back into the oven. The crust was crispy + garlicy, the hummus creamy + lemony and the veggies tender + flavorful. I did not try this myself but I imagine these toppings going great on a pita round. It would be quicker but just as delicious, I think. 

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Also, after I was done topping the pizza, I “accidentally” had leftover roasted veggies and hummus, and thought it was excellent to dip those veggies in that hummus. Yum. Perfect little snack.

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This is a quick weeknight meal made just for you. Go get some veggies, roast them up, spread some hummus, crumble some cheese and enjoy!

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Roasted Veggie Pizza with Hummus + Goat Cheese
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pizza crust
  2. 1 garlic clove, minced
  3. 1 small eggplant
  4. 1 small zucchini
  5. 1 small yellow squash
  6. 1 medium bell pepper
  7. 1 medium red onion
  8. 2 small portobello mushrooms
  9. Olive oil
  10. Garlic salt
  11. Pepper
  12. Goat cheese
For the hummus
  1. 1 can chickpeas, 1/2 of the liquid drained
  2. Olive oil
  3. Juice from 1/2 a lemon
  4. Salt
  5. Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
  2. Prepare the crust. I rolled mine out onto a pizza stone, drizzled with olive oil and a minced garlic clove. I baked it in the oven for 20 minutes, until crispy.
  3. While the crust is baking, cut the eggplant, zucchini, squash, pepper, onion and mushrooms into equal size cubes.
  4. Place on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
  5. Roast the veggies in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned.
  6. While the veggies are roasting, make the hummus.
  7. Combine the chickpeas and lemon juice in a food processor.
  8. Process for about 30 seconds and then drizzle in olive oil, until it has reached your desired consistency.
  9. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
  10. When the veggies are done roasting, let cool slightly, then spread the hummus over the cooled crust.
  11. Top with roasted veggies and crumbled goat cheese.
  12. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Mediterranean Pasta

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I’ll never forget the first time I had this pasta.

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It was the end of the summer of 2011. I had just returned home from working in Florida for the summer. I was at my parents house, and Greg was there, too. My mom had told me that she just made a new pasta recipe and she could not wait for me to try it.

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We sat outside for this meal and I remember sitting there, huge plate of pasta in front of me.

I will never forget that first bite. I’m like that. I forget a lot of things (like important things). But I never forget the first bite of something completely decadent.

I don’t remember exactly how much I ate that night, but I know that it was a lot. That pasta was like the best new thing for me.

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My mom and I have each made this pasta many times since that night in summer of 2011. This version, the one I am sharing with you today, is my favorite way to do it. It is a staple dinner, although admittedly, one that I haven’t made for awhile. It was so nice to have this pasta again. 

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The first time I ate this Mediterranean pasta, it had shrimp in it. It is amazing that way. If you have a desire to put shrimp in it, do it. You’ll be happy. But rest assured, it is just as good without. For a quick yet delicious weeknight dinner, I prefer it without. It comes together more quickly. 

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The roasted tomatoes in this pasta are mind-blowing. Use any tomatoes that you have. We often times use cherry tomatoes, but when I made it for this post, I had a couple of different varieties from Three Springs. The flavor + texture that roasted tomatoes lend to pasta is truly perfect. Add in some feta cheese and you’ll never want another pasta again. Promise.

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I load my Mediterranean pasta with spinach for health and bulk. I love me some pasta loaded with greens. And olives, a Mediterranean staple, are fantastic in this. 

You’ll see in the recipe that I gave ranges for the amount of feta and olives you add. Use more or less depending on your own specific taste. The combination of flavors is what is important, the amounts are up to you. 🙂

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This is a simple, healthy and filling meal. I hope that you get to try this pasta and that your first bite is just as memorable as mine. 🙂

Mediterranean Pasta
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Ingredients
  1. 1 package noodles (I prefer a thick noodle, like fettuccine)
  2. 2 cups tomatoes
  3. Olive oil
  4. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  5. Salt and pepper
  6. 1/2 - 3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
  7. About 5 handfuls baby spinach
  8. 1/2 - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Cut tomatoes into small chunks, all about equal in size.
  3. Place tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until soft and slightly caramelized.
  5. While tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
  6. When tomatoes and noodles are done cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the empty pasta cooking pot.
  7. Add the minced garlic and cook for several minutes.
  8. Add in the spinach, roughly tearing the leaves as you add them to the pot.
  9. Stir the spinach and garlic.
  10. Add the cooked noodles, roasted tomatoes, chopped olives and crumbled feta.
  11. Stir together well.
  12. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. The amounts of olives, spinach and feta are up to you. If you love olives, add more, if not, add less. Same with feta and spinach. Use amounts that make you happy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/