Pumpkin Lasagna

And continuing with my Fall squash obsession...



I have explored quite a few different ways to use squash this season. And by quite a few, let's just say I read all of my 40-something food blogs all day at work every day this Fall (well, I guess not all day...but close!) At least there is no harm in the obsession. It can't hurt me. It'll actually probably help me out...in numerous ways. 1. It's healthy. Most helpful during the holiday season considering the amount of cookies we will all consume!! 2. It's cheap and I can get at least 2 meals out of like 1 butternut squash. I actually got a lot of meals out of the one can of pumpkin that I used below (Luckily, pasta is also cheap. Too bad its not as healthy as squash). 3. It's simple. Anyone could make squash, even if you claim that you do not go near kitchens/ovens/stoves/etc. Usually you can just chop them up, scoop out the seeds and other gook, and throw them in the oven. 4. It's good. Duh.

Anyway, this Pumpkin Lasagna was a favorite. It is possible that it may have had something to do with all the cheese that was used, but I'd really rather just ignore that thought.


Pumpkin Lasagna Adapted from Food Mayhem

Pumpkin Lasagna
~about 9 servings

* 1 pound 5 ounces (or 21 ounces) fresh mozzarella, divided
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in a few pieces
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
* 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon maple syrup (preferably grade B)
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* pinch white pepper
* 1 (1 lb) box lasagna sheets

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Shred 12 ounces of mozzarella and mix with the ricotta in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a 2 quart pot, melt butter on low heat. Add garlic and brown lightly. Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until it’s all warm. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Smear a thin layer of pumpkin mixture on the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish.

5. Place 3 lasagna sheets across. Smooth a layer of ricotta/mozzarella on. Smooth a layer of pumpkin mixture on top. Repeat until you have 5 layers of pasta, cheese, pumpkin. (You will use 15 lasagna sheets in total so there may be extra sheets in the box.)








6.Slice the remaining 9 ounces of mozzarella. Arrange in one layer on top.








7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Manic Mondays

I can't create Bibimbap everyday. Some days I am not incredibly motivated to make something that requires turning on the stove. I like my microwave...and quite frankly, I'm not too concerned with the bad rep it gets. (My co-worker, Sarah, told me that if I just don't stand in front of it when I open the door, the radiation won't get me. Hope you're right, Sarah!!) Anyway, so instead of having to brainstorm, turn on the stove, and wash dishes, I simply made some leftovers using my microwave (I also wrote this on Tuesday). Who doesn't love leftovers? I know I certainly do. In fact, I even love most of them cold (especially cold pizza). I decided though, that leftover chili, specifically Pumpkin Turkey chili...in the winter, is best served warm.



Pumpkin Turkey Chili adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can red kidney beans
2 cups (1 14.5 ounce can) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (at least 3 good shakes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Procedure

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Saute onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper (I actually used a whole yellow pepper), green chiles, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Make room in the center of the skillet, add turkey, and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

3. Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro. You can serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream. However, I did not have sour cream so I used cottage cheese (totally acceptable, and really..are you surprised?) I also used leftover chip crumbs for a little crunch. I used Garden Salsa Sunchips.

I love fall. It is most likely my favorite season. One of its perks is that squash is widely abundant. This fall I've been trying to incorporate squash into a lot of my meals because it is delicious, filling and really healthy. I did not LOVE the pumpkin in this dish because it didn't provide a strong pumpkin taste. It may have added a bit of a sweeter bite, but had I not told anyone it was there, they probably would not have realized. It definitely was a texture thing. Usually it is the canned tomatoes that give chili it's almost-soup like texture, but this recipe calls for less tomato while the pumpkin makes up for the rest. However, while it may not have satisfied my need for squash, the chili was definitely still a good, hearty meal on a chilly night (pun intended).