Seasonal Salad

" 'Tis the Season" Salad

Merry Christmas 2014!!! I hope everyone who is celebrating has a fantastic and fun filled day.  I am sure most of you, like myself, are not eating spectacularly healthy meals like this one today!  I made this a week ago for my husband and I for lunch and it looked so pretty and so "Christmassy" that I had to post it.  I have recently found myself ordering salads in restaurants featuring beets, goat cheese and fruit, three foods I never used to like, or like in salads (fruit).  Honestly the taste of goat cheese alone turns me off, but when mixed together in a salad like this, I love it.  The dark natural colors give away the intense nutrient benefit of the dish, and yet the taste cannot even be described.  The sweetness of the beets, the spicy peppers, the crunch of the pumpkin seeds and the creamy goat cheese, blend together so well that for once, I promise, a completely vegetarian salad is a fulfilling meal.  So maybe not today, but perhaps tomorrow, or as a side dish to some delectable holiday main course, I guarantee this salad will delight both your palate and your eyes. "Tis the season!"

Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi

Creamy Pumpkin Gnocchi

This recipe is a slight twist on the pumpkin pasta in my All About Pumpkin post, using what I had on hand and switching out the pasta for my favorite: potato gnocchi.  I love the soft, chewy, heaviness of gnocchi, especially on a cool night when all I want is a nice warm, full belly.  Gnocchi is as versatile as pasta and is good with all sorts of sauces, so I thought I would put my freshly roasted sugar pumpkins to good use and make a deliciously simple, and very gourmet tasting meal.  This was my first attempt at roasting pumpkins and it was super easy (as long as you have a sharp knife).  It made the house smell delicious and I know it made a huge difference in the quality of the sauce.  Of course you could easily use canned pumpkin and it would be equally as satisfying.  But for the minimal effort required, this dish tastes like something truly extraordinary.  I hope you try it and serve it to your friends!