spaghetti squash w/ chicken sausage & curry pumpkin kale sauce

oh yeah, that's right, sausage...as in chicken apple sausage.  this is super healthy for you...and perfect for staying in on those crisp, autumn nights.  i was experimenting in the kitchen (as usual), trying to come up w/ a new dish for dinner that evening for my man.  i totally lucked out by the way, in that my guy loves eating all the same kinds of food as me, in addition to his willingness to try anything i create.  he's a keeper.  big grin!

so needless to say this dish was a hit, and i will no doubt be making it again sometime soon.  i swear i could eat spaghetti squash almost every day.

recipe: serves 3 (my man had lunch the next day)

roasted veggies ingredients
brussel sprouts
cauliflower
evoo
curry powder
s & p

roast for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing occasionally.  you can also roast the spaghetti squash, halved, along w/ the other veggies, but let it cool before trying to scrape it out.

cook 2 chicken apple sausages, sliced, in a skillet over med heat just to warm through (we get the pre-cooked ones).  toss the squash and sausages together, and add it s & p and roasted garlic...or whatever you prefer.  i add roasted garlic to everything!

add the roasted veggies next.  then we'll get to the sauce...

sauce ingredients

kale (i used frozen from trader joe's)
canned pumpkin
shallot
roasted garlic
half & half
1% milk
evoo
curry powder
s & p



saute shallots in evoo until softened.  add roasted garlic, pumpkin and kale.  stir until combined, and then add half & half (just about 1/4 cup) and some milk.  season the sauce w/ curry powder and s & p, and let sauce thicken over low-med heat.  pour over the squash and sausage combo and mix gently.  top w/ a hard, white cheese such as pecorino.  you won't need much, but it really adds to the dish!

the perfect balance of beans, acorn squash, kale & chicken apple sausage makes for a warming stew on a rainy day

this morning was epic when i awoke.  i bet you'll never guess since you're under the impression that the weather in southern cali is always perfect, which by the way is not a false statement, "if" your idea of perfect weather is nearly 300 days of sunshine per year.  personally, i find it repulsive...and so when i woke up to rain today, needless to say, i was rejuvenated!  i felt as if i was back in the northwest, and it felt so incredibly right (and perfect).

the first thing i did when i got back home this afternoon was throw on a cozy sweater (w/ my cut-offs and flip flops, of course) and nook me a bowl of stew i whipped up a couple days ago.  i topped my lunch off w/ some plain greek yogurt, fresh avo and tons of hot sauce and cracked black pepper...because that's what i always do.  then i dug in, cozy sweater and all, and had a warming and calming bowl of goodness filling up my tummy.

recipe: makes 10-12 servings

ingredients
beans (i used a medley and i also used about 2 cups, dried)
carrots
celery
onion
fresh garlic
fresh rosemary sprigs (remove after cooking)
chicken stock & water
chicken carcass/bones (placed in cheese cloth during cooking process & removed at completion)
kale
s & p
cumin
smoked paprika
chicken apple sausages
acorn squash**
plain greek yogurt**
avocado**  
hot sauce**

**optional: i roasted an acorn squash after i halved it and used it as my stew bowl for one meal.  for this lunch, i scooped out the squash from the skin and just combined it w/ my stew.  it's delish either way.

cheers to the rain in southern cali today!  i hope tomorrow's a repeat.