Main Dishes – Page 43 – The Pajama Chef

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, aka “Pumpfredo”

November 3, 2010September 26, 2016 Sarah

Welcome to Day Three of Pumpkin Week on The Pajama Chef!

Let me begin by providing a theoretical scenario of what might happen when someone loves a certain seasonal ingredient a little too much. Please remember that the following text is completely theoretical.

Sometimes, to satisfy a love for a seasonal ingredient, it is necessary to become inventive in the use of it. Consequently, said ingredient can be used in a plethora of ways… some of which are a little, shall we say, nontraditional. For those who are not as obsessed in love with delighted by that ingredient, these “nontraditional” uses may be borderline weird, disgusting, or nasty, at an extreme level, or just odd and unappealing at a more tolerant level. And then the ingredient lover winds up having to make not just one, but two dinners in order to satisfy both parties.

Okay. Don’t forget that the above was all theoretical, not at all based in reality. Got it? Good. Because that two-dinner thing didn’t happen in our household on Saturday. No siree Bob. Not at all. *ahem… The following Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, aptly named “Pumpfredo” by the husband during his bite off my plate for its similarity in texture and consistency to Alfredo sauce. But let me tell you… this is one heck of a substitution for high fat and calorie laden Alfredo sauce. [For the record, I’m not into calorie counting or dieting or any of that, but I do try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and I’m well aware that Alfredo sauce is not the healthiest Italian dish on the planet.] Continuing on…

This Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is one of the tastiest nontraditional pasta toppings I’ve had of late. It is creamy, tangy, and light, while still being rich in flavor and high in taste. The pumpkin adds a savory depth of flavor, while the dijon mustard and sage add tang and spice to the mix. Served atop a bed of baby spinach, whole wheat penne, and a chopped turkey Italian sausage, this is a great, filling meal for any pumpkin lover. If there are any apathetic pumpkin-eaters at your table, then that’s okay… more for you; more for me! 🙂

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, aka 'Pumpfredo'

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, or a combination of both
1 tablespoon fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
a few dashes of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk together to combine. Cover and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes or until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Serve as desired.

Question of the Day: What do you say to those who don’t love pumpkin [or any other seasonal food] as much as you do? Your answers can give me ammo rationale for dealing with those in my life who do not share my sentiments… 🙂 so they are much appreciated and enjoyed!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Pumpkin Soup and Homemade Croutons

November 1, 2010September 26, 2016 Sarah

Welcome to Day One of Pumpkin Week on The Pajama Chef!

Pumpkin Soup with Homemade Croutons via thepajamachef.com — Pumpkin soup gets the husband thumbs up!

Are you a matchy-matchy, “together” sort of person? I am. I love coordination and rules, such as not mixing black and brown, or brown with navy, or navy with black. Those color combinations just drive me nuts! In college, one of my sorority sisters and I would “argue” over outfit choices [oooh that sounds very stereotypical sorority girl-esque right there… I promise that sororities at my small liberal arts college were NOT like the movies!]. Anyway, it became a joking matter between us and every so often, I’ll receive a text from her saying, “wearing navy flats with black pants!” or the like. Fun times, fun times.

Despite my tendencies towards coordination, with food, I like to step away from the ordinary and the expected at times. Sometimes I just love finding ways to blend together the old and the new, the familiar and the unknown into a comfortable mix of happiness. Pumpkin and soup don’t necessarily go together in my book, but in this soup, they are a match made in heaven!

I made Pumpkin Soup for the first time on Halloween weekend last year and I think it is going to be a fall tradition for us now. This soup is truly a taste of fall… creamy, comforting, and just bold enough to stand out from your average creamy savory squash dish. [Can you say that five times fast? Whew!] Plus, it smells a-m-a-z-ing as it simmers away on the stovetop. Add a side salad, some bread and butter, and some homemade croutons on top for a bit of crunch and you have yourself one great meal!

Pumpkin Soup

Servings: 4
Time: 75 minutes
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from a recipe that I cut out from the newspaper awhile ago…

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped [or 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley]
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons half and half
salt and pepper [to taste]

Directions:

In a medium pot, combine all ingredients except half and half; stir to combine. Simmer for about 30 minutes; remove from heat and let cool. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth–or better yet, use an immersion blender, then return to pot and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Stir in half and half and serve with homemade croutons — see recipe below.

Note:

Do not puree hot soup! It will end poorly and could hurt you and/or your blender/food processor! So give yourself adequate time and allow the soup to cool first. If you need to, stick the whole pot in the fridge or a sink full of ice water for a little bit to cool it down enough to blend.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
olive oil or cooking spray
salt and pepper
dried parsley
parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and prepare a rimmed baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray or greasing with a bit of olive oil. In a bowl, combine bread cubes with a drizzling of olive oil or a generous spraying with cooking spray. Add in salt, pepper, and parsley [or other herbs/spices] to taste. I usually start small and work my way up. Toss to coat. Spread on prepared baking sheet in a single layer, shake on a bit of parmesan, and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and golden brown. Serve with soup or salad.

Question of the Day: Are you into coordination, or are you more free-spirited? Or are you like me and vary based on the category [clothes vs. food]?

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

October 28, 2010December 14, 2015 Sarah

I’m not entirely sure what is wrong with me. My tastes are a-changin’. I didn’t used to like peas, but now I made a dish and purposely bought peas to put in it. I didn’t used to really like soup, and since beginning this blog in July, have made soup at least twice [and that’s a LOT for me!]. I usually just tolerated it when it was on the menu, with the rare exception of a few varieties, but now I’m saving recipes for soup left and right!

My latest soup creation was Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot. It was so easy and I bet you even have most of the ingredients in your pantry/fridge already! You can just put everything in the crock pot in the morning and presto! Dinner is served. There’s just something really satisfying about getting home and having a ready-made, tasty dinner.

Rich in flavor and in spicy goodness, a steaming bowl of this Chicken Tortilla Soup is the perfect end to a blustery fall day. In each delicious bite the spices that absorbed into the broth and chicken during the hours of simmering can be tasted and savored. The soup is spicy with just enough zest and zing for the spice lover of your family [Benjamin!], but mild enough for a more delicate palate [me!]. Even the kitty wanted some too! You should probably make this over the weekend… it’s supposed to be on the chilly side!

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 8-10
Time: 8 hours
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Ingredients:

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
6 cups chicken broth
15 ounce can diced tomatoes w/ green chilis
12 ounces frozen corn
2 cups black beans [drained and rinsed if from a can; I cooked some dried black beans up the night before but you can use either.]
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
couple dashes red pepper flakes
couple dashes cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
broken tortilla chips

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips in a crock pot and stir several times to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaf and enjoy! Serves 8-10.

Note:

To make this without a crock pot, combine all the ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer, covered, for at least an hour to get the same effect.

Question of the Day: How have your tastes changed over the years?

Chicken, Main Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Asian Chicken Bowls

October 27, 2010October 29, 2015 Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Ah yes, some of my favorite food ever is Asian cuisine. Or perhaps more accurately, Asian food that’s been Americanized into a fast food format. Yum. But this is my take on Asian-inspired food that’s simple and delicious.

Asian Chicken Bowls

Servings: 3-4
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

Asian rice sticks (or another form of pasta or even rice)
1 lb chicken
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables (or the same ones fresh-style that would probably cost a small fortune at your local grocery store)
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 T soy sauce
3 T Szcehuan sauce
1/4 t Chinese 5-spice
1/2 t sesame seeds
dash of red pepper flakes

Directions: Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. My bites may be larger than yours so adjust according to mouth size. Heat the oil in a large skillet on the stove (or better yet, in a wok if you have one…I don’t…). Place the chicken in the skillet and cook. Flip after several minutes and cook until golden brown. Add water, frozen vegetables, soy sauce, and szechaun sauce. Cover and let cook for several minutes. Meanwhile, begin making the rice sticks. Back to the chicken mixture, add Chinese spice, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Stir and let cook until vegetables are tender. When rice sticks are finished cooking, drain and add to chicken/vegetable mixture. Stir together and serve. Obviously, the amounts of sauces and seasonings can be adjusted. I used enough pepper flakes and szechuan to give it some kick. But for a sweeter sauce, add more Chinese spice and less pepper flakes and szechuan. If there isn’t much sauce at the end, add some more water.

Question of the Day: Since Halloween is nearly here, what’s the best person/thing/whatever you’ve ever been for Halloween?

Main Dishes, Recipes, Tofu

You, Too, Can Like… Tofu! In Tofu Shrimp Bowls, that is.

October 21, 2010December 14, 2015 Sarah

…TOFU!

You don’t have to be a vegetarian. Or a vegan. Or really weird. Or any of the excuses you’ve made over the years for avoiding tofu.

If this guy… this bacon loving man likes tofu…

…then you can too!

It’s not slimy. It’s not smelly. It’s not mushy. I promise!

Just give it a try… these tofu shrimp bowls I made the other night don’t really have a recipe, per se, but here’s what I did.

Tofu Shrimp Bowls

Servings: 2-3
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Ingredients:

1 block tofu
8 ounces cooked cocktail shrimp
1/2 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen peas
salt
pepper
cooked rice
1/3 cup water

Directions:

Prepare tofu according to The Front Burner Blog’s tutorial. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, place water, shrimp, lima beans, and peas. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer until heated through. Prepare your rice according to package directions, and combine rice, shrimp/veggie mixture, and tofu in a bowl to serve. Enjoy! We found everything very flavorful on its own, but you could experiment with soy sauce, teriyaki, etc. if you’d like an extra boost of flavor!

Question of the Day:

On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about tofu? 1=EWWWW gross, I’d never eat it if I was starving in the desert and 10=tofu is the BEST thing EVER!!!!! I’m about an 8… I won’t go so far as to say it’s my absolute favorite food ever, and I wouldn’t eat it once a day [or once a week even], but I’ll eat it a few times a month.