Busy Fall Week

It was a busy work week.  I need to catch you up on the week's fare.  Can you believe we are still reaping a great harvest from the garden?  Actually I feel badly that there is too much for me to use up.  You will tell by the recipes I planned around the Fall garden.  This week was a real coup!  4 days, 3 meals a day, for 2....I spent less than $30!  It was garden, food I put up in the freezer and rummaging through the pantry....come on you all have stuff in your pantry and you keep buying more!  It is amazing what you can come up with!  Yea, yea, I am not at all tooting my own horn-i was simply not wanting to go out and hit the grocery store!

Orzo Stuffed Peppers
printable recipe

1 (28 oz.) can of tomatoes
2 small eggplant, grated (you could substitute zucchini)
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1//2 c. grated Parmesan, plus some for topping
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
4 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. orzo
6 sweet bell peppers

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl.  Break them up with a spoon into pieces.  Add the eggplant, basil, cheese, oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the orzo.  Cook for 4 minutes.  Orzo will be partially cooked.  Scoop the pasta out using a mesh spoon and add to the tomato mixture.

Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove the ribs. Fill them up with the pasta mixture and stand them up in a baking dish.

Pour the chicken stock around the peppers.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15 more minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage
printable recipe

1 T. olive oil
1 lb. Italian Sausage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
4-8 sprigs of sage cut into a chiffonade, about 2 T.
2 c. chicken stock
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
Pinch of cinnamon
kosher salt and pepper
1 lb. pasta
Parmesan for grating

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 T. oil to the pan.  Add the sausage and brown until cooked and crumbly.  Remove the sausage form the pan.

If needed add a bit more oil to the pan.  Add the garlic and onion.  Saute 3-5 minutes until onion is soft.

Add bay leaf, sage and stock to the pan.  Reduce to about half.  Add pumpkin and stir to combine. 

Return the sausage to the pan.  Heat through.  Reduce heat.  Stir in cream.

Season the sauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and add to the sauce.  Toss to coat.

Serve with grated Parmesan.