Dining In - Creamy Pumpkin Penne with Crispy Sage and Toasted Pecans

Creamy Pumpkin Penne with Crispy Sage and Toasted Pecans - Chef Chloe

In the spirit of fall, it's time for pumpkin! I love autumn, at least for the first couple of weeks :) the chill in the air, pumpkins on doorsteps, apple cider, the flame-colored leaves. Life got a little busy with summer and I got a little lazy, so there wasn't as much cooking these past few weeks. However, I'm back at it!

I found this recipe on Chloe Coscarelli's website (link here). I was excited for this creamy pumpkin-sweet pasta dish. It was simple to prepare - requiring a pot for the pasta, skillet for the onions and garlic, and a blender for the sauce. Overall I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. It had a kick to it, from the garlic and nutmeg, and it was a little soupier than I had hoped. I still gobbled it right up and loved the toasted pecans, something I'd never tried with pasta. I'll let you be the judge - if you're a fan of pumpkin it's certainly worth a shot!



16 oz. (1 lb.) penne pasta

Pumpkin Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can organic pumpkin (found at Trader Joe's, see photo)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups plain almond milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons sea salt (would reduce this a tad next time)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Crispy Sage
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 sage leaves


Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic to skillet and cook for about two more minutes, until you can smell the garlic. Remove from heat.

To Prepare Pumpkin Cream Sauce:

In a blender, add cooked onion and garlic, pumpkin, tomato paste, almond milk, nutmeg, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Blend until all combined - sauce will be a light orange color.

To Prepare Crispy Sage:

To crisp the sage leaves, heat oil in a skillet on low-medium. Add sage leaves and watch while cooking to avoid burning. Flip after about a minute. Remove after other side has crisped and put on a plate with a paper towel.

To prepare pasta dish, toss pasta with sauce, toasted pecans, and fresh sage, then garnish with crispy sage.

Dining Out in Boston - Root

Root Burger with Herbed Fries - root

My belly is full and my taste-buds are happy as I write this. I stopped in to the newly opened "root" in Allston and brought my parents along for what turned out to be a delicious vegan meal.

Inspired by Yelp reviews, we started with an order of Sweet Corn and Jalapeño Hushpuppies served with housemade ketchup and garlic aioli over a bed of arugula. They were mildly spicy, which I preferred, and fried to a nice golden crisp. I really liked the dips they were served with.

Sweet Corn & Jalapeño Hushpuppies - root

 Po' Boy with Side of Dressed Greens - root

For entrees, my parents both ordered the root Burger with Herbed Fries on the side, served with a yummy housemade ketchup. The burger is made of black beans and quinoa served with Boston lettuce, tomato, crispy onions and garlic aioli on a bun. It was hearty with great flavor. I ordered the Po' Boy - a huge sandwich with crispy cauliflower, sweet pickles, tomato, lettuce, and a spicy housemade remoulade. It was much spicier than I had expected, especially since the menu made no mention of "spicy" or "hot," but I managed to get through it...slowly. It was all served on a fresh Iggy's bun. I would have enjoyed it more with less bread and the heat turned down a notch. I ordered it with a side of greens since I was sharing stealing the fries from my parents' plates. The salad was fresh with a tasty light dressing.

The atmosphere is modern with an industrial, earthly feel. Though small, you can still have a nice casual dining in experience. The tables are copper with wooden benches. You can serve yourself water in mason jars and your food order is brought to your table. The staff was friendly and helpful, just like at their sister spot FoMu. Other items on the menu include salads, juices, and other sandwiches. If you want dessert just walk a few doors down and grab a delicious scoop of dairy-free ice cream.

I'll be back to try some of the other recommended items. This one is good in my book!


Photos of the Restaurant:

       

root Restaurant

487 Cambridge Street

Allston, MA 02134

root Website 

Dining Out in Boston - Veggie Planet

Peanut Curry with Coconut Rice - Veggie Planet

Sister restaurant to Veggie Galaxy in Central Square, Veggie Planet is best known for having a now 50 year old folk music club called Club Passim within the restaurant - the main dining area converts into a setting for live music. It's located in Harvard Square on a small side street, almost like an alley. I haven't actually eaten at the restaurant, but I have gotten takeout here twice. The takeout process is a bit awkward because you sort of feel like you're waiting in the kitchen when you checkout. The space is pretty small, but I have not ventured into the main dining area. Both times I ordered the same delicious dish! It was the Peanut Curry with Coconut Rice that comes with fried tofu cubes, roasted peanuts, steamed broccoli, and Thai peanut curry sauce, all over yummy, sticky coconut rice. My non-vegan boyfriend also got the same dish twice - creatures of habit! - The Mexican Bean served with black bean puree, pepperjack cheese, salsa, and fried garlic over brown rice. This can be turned into a vegan meal by substituting the cheese for Daiya cheese. 

Their menu consists of all vegetarian dishes, you won't find any meat here. Most of the items can be made vegan if they are not already. You can choose between a small or large portion size. I found the large size worked well for a full second meal from the leftovers. The variety of entrees are featured as either pizzas or rice dishes (coconut or brown rice). We've only tried them as rice dishes, but I imagine pizza with these unique toppings would be great, as well. They also offer soups, salads and veg-friendly desserts like Taza Fudge Brownie or Cookies.

I will most likely continue to order takeout here, unless of course we decide to come listen to a band play. I'm eager to try some of the other dishes, especially a slice of the Cake of the Night, since Veggie Galaxy was one of the very generous donors who provided two amazing cakes for my Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale in April!

Veggie Planet in Harvard Square

Veggie Planet

47 Palmer Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

Veggie Planet Website

Dining Out in Maine - Silly's

Tofu in a Dinghy - Silly's Restaurant

I'm so glad I got the chance to try Silly's! My boyfriend and I stopped in on our drive back from a great weekend in Vinalhaven. It was another instance of me quickly researching on my phone for nearby vegan-friendly places and stumbling upon a gem. It reminded me of Friendly Toast, with it's quirky, retro decor, including old school lunch boxes for menu holders, and friendly staff. The diner-style menu is large with numerous options for vegans that all sounded delicious - it was tough to pick! They note that there are separate gluten-free and vegan friers to prep the food. I love how open and honest this place is - check out their website for info on how they source their food - almost everything is homemade and local! 

We arrived there right before the end of Sunday brunch, which included some amazing vegan dishes, but I opted for lunch instead. I was in the mood for some junk food and threw caution to the wind by ordering their famous Fried Pickles for an appetizer and Tofu in a Dinghy for my entree. I was determined to get a milkshake when I saw the long list of vegan-friendly options, but sadly I stuffed myself and couldn't do it. 

Milkshake Menu

The Fried Pickles are normally vegetarian, not vegan, because they are coated with buttermilk, but the waitstaff immediately offered us the option of making them vegan and it sounded like that was a common request. The dill pickle slices were coated in spicy breading and served with a homemade, creamy spice dip. I loved that I could enjoy a dip like this, since usually any kind of dip, sauce, or dressing that even looks creamy is off-limits. Yum! It was my first time trying fried pickles and despite a minor stomachache from all the excess oil I give it a thumbs up! I guess they could have been a little crispier, but the flavor was there.

Vegan Fried Pickles - Silly's Restaurant

My waiter had suggested Peace, Love, and Veggies for an entree, which sounded delicious and likely the healthiest dish on the menu, but again I was not holding back for this meal, so Tofu in a Dinghy was my choice. It was essentially an order of Pad Thai with Tofu rolled up in a tortilla and then fried - yeah, once again, I did not hold back for this meal! Here's the real description: Thai ginger peanut sauce, rice noodles, fried tofu, vegan mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, scallions in a flour tortilla deep fried in a chimi style, served with mandarin oranges and fresh baby spinach on the side (which sadly got ignored). I killed the whole tortilla, after already diving into the Fried Pickles, turned down the milkshake at the end, and then rolled myself out of there, happy and full! Thanks, Silly's.

I can't wait to go back! There are so many more things I want to try here :)

Silly's Restaurant

40 Washington Avenue

Portland, ME 04101

Silly's Website

Silly's Menu - PDF

Dining In - Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies - Chloe's Vegan Desserts

Salty and sweet is one of my favorite dessert flavor combinations, that's why I love peanut butter. I eat it many times a week, if not every day. It's a great source of protein, but it also contains quite a bit of sugar, fat and calories. To move towards cleaner eating I switched over to natural peanut butter and try to stick with the unsalted variety, so the only ingredient is... peanuts. Plain and simple, but still delicious. 

These cookies were just how I remembered the peanut butter cookies from my childhood (the non-vegan version). I love the fork marks, too! They were crunchy along the edges and moist in the middle. If you like crunchier cookies you can use crunchy peanut butter, flatten them more before baking, and bake for a few extra minutes. You can find the full recipe in Chloe's Vegan Desserts (buy your copy here) 


1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar, vanilla and water. Beat together on slow speed until combined and fluffy.

Add in dry ingredient mixture on slow speed. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) if the dough is too dry.

Scoop an overflowing tablespoon of dough and place on baking sheet. Leave about 2-3 inches between each cookie.

Using a fork, score each cookie by gently pressing back of fork into cookie and then doing it again to create a criss-cross pattern.

Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from pan.