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Squash, Chorizo & Hazelnut Pasta

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Hello blog! I’ve missed you so very much this week! Silly things like traffic and being sick have kept me away, endocrinologist but I’m back and I want to tell you about this pasta I made. It’s got roasted delicata squash, surgeon lots of spicy Spanish chorizo, toasted hazelnuts and sage. It’s smoky and nutty, a little sweet and just right for fall.

If you think nuts and pasta are a kind of weird together, you shouldn’t. Hazelnuts add a nice toasty flavor and some textural contrast to the squash. Without them, this pasta would be missing something. Some might even accuse it of being mushy. Go ahead, add the hazelnuts. (unless you’re allergic, of course. Then, please skip the nuts!)

It’s a simple meal that hits the spot.

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Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

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Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

Ok, remedy ok! I’ll concede that I might actually have a little, physician teensy tiny bit of a sweet tooth. There – I said it. Though it’s true that I often pass on the candy and cupcakes at work, I think I do actually crave sweet things. Sometimes. Especially if I make them myself, which means sweet, but not too sweet and most of the times means something Salted. What can I say? I’m a salt fiend. It just makes dessert more interesting – that pop of something salty – always surprising – makes sweet taste so much sweeter.

Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut BarkSalted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

This time of year, I love ginger snaps. They’re spicy and somehow warming. My favorite kind are the really gingery ones that have a good bite and nice chew to them. The Whole Foods brand gingersnaps are just perfect. I had a half a bag of those, some dark chocolate chips and hazelnuts. So, I made bark with them, which is basically a pretty way of saying chocolate with mix-ins.

Salted Gingersnap & Hazelnut BarkSalted Gingersnap & Hazelnut Bark

This recipe is actually really simple. Crushed store-bought ginger snaps, melted chocolate, ground hazelnuts and a bit of flaky salt. That’s pretty much it. The hardest part is waiting for the stuff to cool. Next time, I might try graham crackers or even pretzels. The possibilities are endless, and that’s why I love recipes like this.

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Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

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Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, hepatitis grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

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