Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

Being that it is currently fall (my favorite time of year) and October (my favorite month), I decided to try out another Rachel Ray recipe. Pumpkin may sound like a strange pairing with pasta, but this dish is fall incarnate. For the wine in the recipe, I used Yellowtail Riesling, mostly because we had it on hand, but also because it's one of our favorites. I will warn, this recipe makes an ungodly amount of food, so you may want to halve it. I kind of wish I had, because I'm sure that 4 days from now, we will never want to smell pumpkin again...

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms
serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lbs ground sweet Italian sausage (I just took the casings off of links... it's the same thing)
1/4 lbs shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
(I also added a 1/4 cup oyster mushrooms because I had them and I didn't want them to go bad)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14 oz. can of pumpkin puree (Or fresh! Carve a Jack O'Lantern and be slimy!)
1/2 cup cream
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
a pinch of cinnamon
1 lbs penne or cellantani pasta
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet (I used a wok) over medium-high heat.
3. Add the olive oil and sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon.
4. Move the sausage to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the other side of the pan. Cook until the mushrooms are brown, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Combine the sausage and vegetables and deglaze the pan with the wine.
6. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute.
7. Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it will be thick.
8. Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.
9. Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture.
10. Top with cheese and chives.

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Lime-and-Honey Glazed Salmon

Ok, so... I love Rachel Ray. Not watching her necessarily, but her recipes are usually really delicious. So here is one that I tried out tonight from her "365: No Repeats" cookbook. It was awesome, especially with the deal we got on salmon fillets at Ralph's. $2.33 for 2 wild caught fresh fillets! Insanity. I served it with a variation of her Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad... minus the corn, because I didn't realize that we had none. Surprisingly, Nick ended up finishing my salad after he cleaned off his plate. He loved it!

Lime-and-Honey Glazed Salmon
serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper
4 6-oz salmon fillets

1. Preheat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
2. In a shallow dish, combine the lime juice, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the salmon fillets and toss to coat thoroughly.
3. Add the seasoned salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad
serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 10 oz. box or bag of frozen corn kernels, defrosted (RR also suggests fresh corn if you have it... we had none, so I left it out. It was still awesome!)
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, chopped (Uncle Steve, I know you will omit this)
6 cups baby spinach

1. Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
2. Add the bell peppers and corn and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken stock and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the black beans and cook until the beans are heated through.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lime juice, cilantro, and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and adjust seasoning if needed.