Creamy Sausage and Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

Hello, beautiful!

This is a pasta dish we must talk about right now.

This is my Creamy Sausage and Roasted Cauliflower Pasta and it is about to be your new favorite. It's comfort food which means it's meant to soothe your soul. We aren't apologizing for eating pasta because we love it and it's delicious. This particular dish also has plenty of vegetables packed into each bite, so this is a well-rounded meal you can feel happy serving to your whole family!

Let's talk about cauliflower quick. A few weeks ago, I had a moment where I was like, "wait a minute...do I not like cauliflower?!" Every time I made a dish with cauliflower in it, I was sooo disappointed and wished I was eating anything else. This comes after years of never having any sort of aversion to it. After thinking about it for a bit, I realized that what I actually didn't like was frozen cauliflower...I wanted cauliflower that still had a bite to it. Roasted cauliflower that had a few charred bits to it, well - THAT'S really what I wanted, and that is exactly what I'm mixing in to this dish.

To compliment the cauliflower, I am browning up a bit of sweet sausage. Something about pasta and sausage - it just makes SENSE to me. We'll then make a quick, creamy sauce, wilt some fresh spinach in it, load it up with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley and finish it with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. I mean, what is there NOT to love?!

In terms of the actual pasta, I used a whole wheat rotini. This was actually O Organics brand and I think it's my favorite rotini. The spirals are really tight and hold up well even after being cooked. It was the perfect shape to trap all that luscious sauce! But, really, any small cut pasta will do. You do you!

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Ooh ooh! Look! Comfort food!

And not just any comfort food. This has everything you need, including but not limited to pasta, fontina cheese, sausage, pumpkin and accompanying seasonal spices. So many flavors in each delightful little bite!

These Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Cream Sauce are a wonderful Fall spin on a classic dish. Even though I love basically every baked good made with pumpkin ever, this season I've been trying to incorporate pumpkin into more savory dishes. And, based on how ah-mazing this recipe turned out, that happens to be a very, very good idea.

The idea for these stuffed shells was born first and foremost from my desire to make a pumpkin and sage cream sauce, filled with nutty fontina cheese, creamy pumpkin, fresh sage plus cinnamon, nutmeg and a little red pepper flake. I knew I wanted these shells to be both meaty and cheesy, so I built the filling around savory ground sausage to really bring out the sage. Combine that with a bit of ricotta cheese, more pumpkin, spinach and parmesan and you will be well on your way to the ultimate Fall pasta dish!

Are you hosting a holiday party or Friendsgiving this year? Have you been tasked with bringing the first course to a family dinner? Look no further than this recipe right here! Don't be intimidated by the number of steps - everything about making this dish is therapeutic plus you have the promise of aaaall this deliciousness at the finish line!

Spinach and Artichoke Hummus Dip

These are truly a few of my favorite things!! Look!

The ultimate dip mash-up. Perfect for pita chips, chopped veggies, spread on toast, straight off the spoon...

Don't judge me, guys. This Spinach and Artichoke Hummus Dip is everything we always wanted but never knew we needed. Smooth and creamy, bold and full of flavor.

I was inspired to make this dip when I was eating a (ready-made) spinach hummus and thought...we could do better. We can kick things up a notch. Everyone loves spinach and artichoke dip, so why shouldn't we combine it with a smooth homemade hummus, another universally loved dip? The answer is clear: we should combine them, and I did just that and will never go back.

Although the classic spinach dip is made with cream cheese and mayonnaise, I decided to add Mediterranean flare by using greek yogurt and feta cheese. Both yogurt and feta are delicious with hummus, like on a gyro or falafel plate, so it is natural to mix them all together for our dip smash-up!

Prep of this dip couldn't be easier...I simply prepare each dip separately, then gently fold them together like folding egg whites into a cake batter. This ensures that we can taste the components of each dip while at the same time creating a cohesive and smooth spread. Season along the way, as well as one more time at the end. This is a real crowd-pleaser and I can't wait for you guys to try it!!

Ground Lamb and Pearl Cous Cous Stew

Hi there my blog-loves!

I've been kind of MIA for the past few weeks. I'm sorry about that. This hiatus is just temporary, I promise. I have just been a busy little bee with work, and studying, and wedding planning and life in general. I am cooking though, I promise, and I am cooking things that I absolutely want to share with you!

Fall is my favorite time of year to cook, so expect me back in full force come mid-October. Although I will try to get a few tasty recipes to you between now and then, I can't make any solid promises. However, I will be posting some throwback recipes on my Facebook page to get us ready for fall--I'm talking all thing pumpkin, apples, warm casseroles, and delicious soups!

Be sure to like my Facebook page HERE  and share with your friends to keep up with those posts, as well as any new posts so you never ever miss a recipe!

Today I have a wonderful recipe for Ground Lamb and Pearl Cous Cous Stew. This stew is rich and warm, with rustic Middle Eastern flavors throughout every bite.

I absolutely love ground lamb and encourage you to give it a try in this recipe if you've never cooked with it before (previously here, here, and here on GSG and boy do they need new pictures!). It has a uniquely gamey taste that pairs well with tomatoes, cinnamon (seriously!), oregano and thyme.

This stew is a one pot meal--hooray--that comes together in just about 30 minutes. In my original vision, I would have made meatballs out of the lamb, but I didn't defrost my meat soon enough so I had to keep it ground. Turns out, it worked just as well as I could have hoped and made the meal come together that much sooner.

Cuddle up to a big bowl of this hearty stew and welcome the cool weather with open arms.

Simple Sides: Garlicky Spinach with Crispy Bacon

I have this vision for a new series and as you can see I am calling it "Simple Sides."

Oftentimes I feel like we all get bogged down with the main course that sometimes the hardest thing to do is pull together some delicious side dishes to round out the meal.

This happened to me this past weekend. I was cooking oven roasted chicken thighs that I wanted to have a really delicious crisp skin and juicy meat. After I popped the chicken in the oven I realized that I hadn't made any plan on what to serve alongside this chicken. Panic ensued and I went scurrying through my fridge and freezer trying to see what veggies I had on hand.

Luckily this story has a happy ending and this Garlicky Spinach with Crispy Bacon is just that. This side dish comes together in a flash and it is packed with great flavor. Anything that has bacon in it HAS to be good, so this should seem like a no-brainer. Add tasty garlic and protein-packed spinach to that equation and we are in side dish heaven.

I don't know about you, but at big holiday meals I am always loading up on extra potatoes and veggies rather than turkey or ham and if this spinach was part of that, Lord knows I'd be going back for seconds and thirds.

The recipe below is a perfect side for two, but it can easily be multiplied to serve a larger crowd.

If there are more vegetables or side dishes you'd like me to try out as a Simple Side, feel free to leave a comment below!

My Favorite Green Smoothie

Have you noticed how everyone on Pinterest just LOVES green smoothies? Right after mason jar crafts and high end fashion a normal human could never pull off, green smoothies are the IT thing, if we take Pinterest's word for it.

I la-la-love a good smoothie. When the weather gets warmer, smoothies are a great quick meal or snack.

Green smoothies are super popular because you are generally adding a protein packed veggie such as kale or spinach. I have tried smoothies with both and find spinach to be the better of the two. Spinach is much softer and more tender than kale and the flavor is gentler.

My Favorite Green Smoothie is sweet and fulfilling and packed with goodies. Like all smoothies, a frozen banana is a great place to start. I also add frozen mango chunks for their tangy sweetness, half of an avocado for a rich smoothness, a handful of fresh spinach and bind it all together with unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Whether you need to refuel after a workout, are looking for a breakfast to take on the go, or need a quick meal that is tasty and satisfying, this smoothie is for you!

Vegetable Skillet Lasagna

This idea of one-pan dinners is a life saver. I love you, one-pot meals. You make my heart go pitter patter.

I feel like all I keep saying to you is how hectic my life has been. And I know it's really lame to complain about things like that so let me just say this -- I have been wildly appreciative of quick weeknight meals that result in very few dirty dishes but still taste delicious.

Enter: Skillet Lasagna. There are tons of variations of skillet lasagna out there. Some use lasagna noodles, some use regular pasta, others have ground meat in them, some are loaded with veggies and other good stuff.

This recipe for Skillet Vegetable Lasagna is so simple but the flavors are bold and delicious. Fresh carrots, zucchini, and spinach make for a robust pasta, even without meat. Try this for Meatless Monday--it won't disappoint!

Also, if you don't have an oven-proof skillet, just use a big skillet with a tight-fitting lid. You can melt the cheese over the top by covering the pan on the stove top after assembling all the layers.

Though this is a good time to plug my love for my Cast Iron Skillet. I've used it many times before (like biscuits and steak roll-ups). It is such a great kitchen staple that will last you for years!

Chicken and Sausage Spinach Burgers

Happy First Day of Summer! Could this weekend look to be any more beautiful? This will be a refreshing change from the rainy and cloudy weekends we've been seeing here in the Boston area.

In honor of summer, I wanted to celebrate with a delicious burger recipe that is sure to impress your friends and family at your next barbeque or cookout. I would even go so far as to say this burger is a great summer dinner party dish -- it's everything you want in a burger with a surprising twist.

I got the idea to make this burger from a restaurant in Boston's theater district called Rock Bottom. Hilarious name and surprisingly good bar food along with their own craft beers. This is a win-win-win situation.

These Chicken and Sausage Spinach burgers are packed with flavor and beg to be eaten atop a soft potato bun with all the fixings. I personally enjoyed mine with lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and a touch of canola-oil mayo. Cory gobbled his up in no time, and decided to make it a cheeseburger by melting on a slice of provolone cheese. I have a feeling these burgers will be a regular in our dinner rotation!

What makes these burgers so special? Let me show you.

It starts off with a simple and lean base of ground chicken. Into that, we mix in 2 links of sweet Italian sausage--TRUST ME on this one. It's not enough to be overpowering but just enough to turn the white palette of ground chicken into something delicious.

For an additional boost, baby spinach is sliced into thin ribbons. The spinach is soft and tender, a lovely and healthy way to stretch your dollar. For extra flavor, thinly sliced green onions and fresh chopped parsley go in to brighten up each burger. To keep the burgers all together, the finishing touches include a small handful of whole wheat breadcrumbs as well as a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I mean, COME ON! Burger paradise.

The burgers are best grilled on a BBQ or indoor grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet. All of these tools will give the burgers an irresistibly crunchy crust and moist, juicy center. I used my trusty cast-iron skillet lightly coated in olive oil over medium heat.

Recipe below will serve 4 large burgers or about 8 generously sized sliders. For a low-carb option, these burgers are flavorful enough on their own and are just delicious alongside a marinated cucumber and red onion salad!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Steak Rolls

Every now and then, you need to take life to a new level.

Maybe you go on an outdoor adventure like zip lining in the mountains or skydiving over some beautiful beach.

You might want to go for a whole new look and cut your hair short or paint your nails neon green.

Sometimes it means putting the chicken away and making some steak for dinner.

I love steak. I'm a total carnivore and believe a good steak is the way to a man's heart. It can be intimidating, however, to whip up a beautiful Filet Mignon. Imagine ruining a really expensive cut of meat by overcooking it or over-seasoning it?! No, this is my nightmare. 

All of this shouldn't deter you from making steak at home. There are really tasty and elegant steak dishes that can be made at home without breaking the bank or your self-esteem. These Spinach and Goat Cheese Steak Rolls are one such example.

These tasty bites are made with flank steak, which is one of the most underestimated cuts of steak in my opinion! It is really flavorful and stays tender even if you prefer your steak well-done. Since it is a fairly thin cut to begin with, it is the perfect candidate for stuffing!

I sliced my flank steak diagonally against the grain into 5 rectangular pieces. There is no real science to it, and you should work with what you've got. You should just be sure that it is long enough to be rolled and wide enough to hold a good amount of filling.

After slicing the steak, I used a meat mallet to flatten them out just a bit more. This is easily done by covering the top of the meat with a piece of saran wrap.

Stuffing the meat is the fun part. About 1 tablespoon of goat cheese gets spread onto the steak, leaving a small amount of space at each end. I then pressed a few pieces of baby spinach on top of the cheese and laid a few thinly sliced roasted red pepper pieces on top. Roll it up tightly and secure with a tooth pick.

I knew I wanted to make a pan sauce to spoon over these delicious steaks, so to cook them I first seared them in a hot frying pan before transferring to the oven. I adapted my pan sauce from my French Onion Pasta post...wow, was this good!

Shallots and garlic get cooked down in a bit of butter and olive oil. A dry red wine delgazes the pan. Beef broth gets stirred in along with flour to create a thick and flavorful sauce. Fresh parsley ends this sauce with a beautifully fresh taste.

I served these delicious and melty steak roll ups on top of a heaping mound of homemade mashed potatoes. My fellow steak loving boyfriend couldn't get enough of it! If you want to make a really amazing dinner, give these steak rolls a try--they are totally on the next level!