Not just any snickerdoodle

What is better than a snickerdoodle? A pumpkin snickerdoodle! You heard that right, pumpkin has met snickerdoodle and history has been made. These cookies were just the right amount of pillowy goodness - go make these, then give them to everyone you know. Right now is the perfect time to be using pumpkin, too; these would be great for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Dash of allspice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Bring on the burritos

I think I've mentioned before that I love burritos. This is a fun Greek version of the burrito, and it was so good! I loved the tzatziki sauce, and I added spinach to up the greens in this recipe. I used ground pork instead of the suggested lamb or beef and also used sprouted whole wheat tortillas instead of the flour tortillas.

Greek Burritos

Ingredients:Lamb:
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ c finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1/3 c water
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cloves

4 large flour tortillas
2 c cooked rice
¾ c crumbled feta cheese
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, chopped

Quick tzatziki sauce (see below- combine all and chill for 1 hour) 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 c plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1 tsp minced, fresh oregano
1 small garlic clove, minced

Directions:

For the lamb: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Add onion, and cook until softened. Add garlic and tomato paste, and sauté until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add lamb and brown. Drain some of the fat from the pan. Add water and spices, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stack tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in microwave for about 30 seconds so they become pliable. Place some rice, meat, feta, cucumber, tomato, and tzatziki sauce on each tortilla. Fold ends up and roll.

Homemade Chili Mac

You heard that right - it's homemade and healthier than the from-the-box chili mac that you're probably used to. As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to try it, and I also knew that we'd probably love it. Chili Mac is comfort food, but luckily this recipe wasn't too unhealthy. I subbed in ground chicken for the beef, and the rest of the ingredients are pretty good for you! Use a low-sodium broth if you want to help reduce the sodium in this dish. I also used no-salt tomato paste and beans.

This recipe makes a ton of food, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the leftovers the husband thought they were a tad soggy. Next time I'd probably only make half the recipe.

Chili Mac

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground hamburger
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
chili powder to taste (optional)
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
1 – 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups beef stock
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups mild cheddar shredded cheese
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, or 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
olive oil
freshly chopped cilantro, as garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat a large skillet. Drizzle with olive oil. Add ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic. Cook until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.

2. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, cilantro and salt and pepper to ground beef. Add chili powder at this step if you want a spicier dish. Add tomato paste, kidney beans, diced or canned tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil and add macaroni.

3. Turn to a simmer and cover. Cook until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and mix until blended.

Give me a G! For Gnocchi!

I think gnocchi is just so tasty and fun, I love cooking with it. I haven't tried making my own, although I'm sure it would be a lovely experience. I picked up a package of multicolor gnocchi at Target (yes, in their new extended grocery aisles), and I was excited to use it in this recipe. This meal was very filling, and it came together in no time at all. It's a nice change from spaghetti or some other noodle with a red sauce.

Rossi's Sausage Gnocchi

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Italian sausage links

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt (**omitted, the sausage was enough salt for this meal**)

1 teaspoon white sugar (**omitted - you don't need to always add sugar to sauces!**)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (1 pound) package fresh gnocchi

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until browned and firm, about 10 minutes. Cut sausages into 1/2 inch slices, return to the skillet, and continue cooking until no longer pink. Drain sausage slices on a paper towel lined plate.Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; cook until the garlic softens, about 2 minutes. Pour in crushed tomatoes, water, salt, sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pasta floats; drain.

Meanwhile, stir Italian sausage slices into sauce to rewarm. Toss pasta with sauce, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Romano cheese to serve.

Cherry tomatoes? Who am I?

I am not a fan of tomatoes. I'll eat them when they're super cooked and perhaps turned into a wonderful runny pasta sauce, but I'm not known to eat them whole or raw or anything. I think they're slimy and they just taste gross.

In my Freggies order, which I blogged about earlier, I received a carton of cherry tomatoes, and I knew it was my duty to you - the readers! :) - to use them! I searched around for a recipe that sounded OK to me, and this is what I found. I even liked it, whole tomatoes and all. To be fair, these tomatoes were so roasted they barely resembled tomatoes anymore, but I'm still patting myself on the back for eating them. :)

I got this recipe from Confessions of a Foodie Bride, check it out!

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 gloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper
1 box of penne pasta
6oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss tomatoes and garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a pan and bake for 45 minutes, until the skins are wrinkled.2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of water before draining the pasta (I forgot to do this, but the pasta still tasted great).
3. Return pasta to the pot and add a little water, then add the cheese and finally add the tomatoes and garlic. Toss lightly, top with basil and serve!

Pork Sandwiches = Another win!

I don't normally make sandwiches for dinner, but this recipe looked awesome, and I was super excited to eat it. :) Everything about these sandwiches was fantastic, from the slightly spicy pork meatballs to the tasty sauce that went on top. Definitely a winning recipe!

Spicy Pork Po' Boys
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (omitted)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 medium kosher dill pickles, finely chopped
1/2 small shallot, minced

For the sandwiches:
4 (8-inch) soft baguettes, split (or hoagie rolls)
Shredded iceberg lettuce
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce (I omitted)

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the ground pork and all of the spices for the meatballs. Mix thoroughly using your hands until the mixture is well combined. Form the pork into 12 half-inch thick patties. Preheat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. Grill the patties, turning once, about 8 minutes total, until cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the ingredients for the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and spread the sauce onto the split baguettes.

Place pork patties on each baguette and top with lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.