Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

The perfect Halloween meal.

Martha Stewart is great about creating festive meals for Halloween and other holidays, but I have yet to see this unmistakable ghost-shaped pasta featured in any spooky dishes. I found a wonderful pumpkin pasta sauce last year after I discovered how healthy and nutritious pumpkin is for us, especially canned pumpkin . . . regardless of how much my husband insists we can simply eat pumpkin pie to fulfill our vitamin needs. Canned pumpkin is just short of the nutrients of raw spinach and beats out raved vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and mustard greens.

Canned pumpkin is without a doubt the easiest way to get your pumpkin pure. You can get pumpkin at it's peak ripeness

and even organic pumpkin pure is reasonably priced. Be sure to check the ingredients carefully - do not get pumpkin pie filling, which includes spices. The ingredients should only include pumpkin and perhaps salt or other preservative.

Recently, I was craving pumpkin before the season was ready. Having mid-90 degree temperatures on the first day of fall will do that to you. So I had to buy a sugar pumpkin and make my own. If you also find yourself in this predicament, here is how to pure a whole pumpkin: stab pumpkin and microwave for five minutes or until soft. The pumpkin will "whistle" because it is letting our moisture but don't be alarmed. Once cool, cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, rub with olive oil a

nd sprinkle with salt (be sparing). Place face down on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, turning half way through. Time will vary depending on size and weight of pumpkin. Scrape pumpkin squash out and mash using a potato masher or food processor. This also works well with all fall squashes to make pure for soups or pasta bakes.

Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

12 ounces perline pasta, cheese or mushroom flavored

1/2 bag baby spinach, stemmed (optional)

1 quart baby bellow mushrooms (optional)

Coarse salt

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, ground

1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree OR one sugar pumpkin

5 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup half-and-half OR soy milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

I normally take a recipe and add tons of fresh and nutritious vegetables to get a heartier meal. but what I've found with pumpkin is that it doesn't go with everything, so less is more in this case. Some options are to add spinach and mushrooms, but allow for the pumpkin to be the masking taste of the meal. Using stuffed pasta also adds depth but simple cheese flavors do not compete with the fall aroma of pumpkin.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta, cover and set aside.

In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. A

dd garlic and mushrooms, if using, and stir until brown and soft. Add pumpkin puree, half-and-half (or soy milk), Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. If using, stir in spinach until wilted. Assuming you don't have to make your own pumpkin pure, this is a fairly fast meal.

Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. I also added a little more soy milk

since I had not saved enough pasta water. Season with salt or garlic salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with grated Parmesan and red-pepper flakes. Enjoy your ghostly treat and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Deviled Eggs

Worried about eggs going bad? A healthy snack and simple deviled egg recipe will do the trick. I make these using only what I have in my refrigerator door. I try not to eat more than two eggs a day so it's ideal for taking out the last of the eggs before the expiration date.

My husband is stubborn about eating hardboiled eggs, but they are incredibly healthy for you, despite anti-cholesterol posters, and simple to make low-fat. Eggs are great for the eyes and may reduce the risk of cataracts due to their carotenoid content. One egg contains six grams of protein and only 1.5 grams saturated fat. Eggs are also naturally rich in Vitamin D and sulpher, which promotes healthy hair and nails. Be sure to buy organic or free-range chicken eggs.

Deviled Eggs

4 eggs (2 to share)

2 tbsp low-fat, olive oil mayonnaise e.g. Smart Balance or Kraft

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)

hot sauce, to taste

garlic salt and pepper

2 tsp dill relish

1 scallion or 1/2 tsp onion powder

paprika or crushed red pepper

Set eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Heat pot until water boils, turn off heat (do not remove from stove) and cover. Let stand 13 minutes. This is a fool-proof method for perfect eggs. It seems unpredictable, but it works.

Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and slice in half long ways. Using a small spoon, scoop out egg yoke (it should come out easily if the eggs are cooked correctly) and add to a medium bowl. Add mayo, mustard, and relish. If you are using Tabasco sauce, you do not need to add anymore vinegar - the eggs will taste too bitter. If you are using a less vinegary hot sauce, such as Louisiana, add the white wine vinegar. I still prefer Nandos, but it's only available in Africa in care packages from my sister.

I think scallion tastes great in eggs, but this is supposed to be a cabinet stables kind of recipe so substitute a little bit of onion powder instead. Season with garlic salt and pepper. You may want to add more hot sauce or relish depending on how you want your eggs to taste. Be sparing when adding mayo and mustard since you won't be able to lessen those portions.

Use a small fork to reload deviled eggs with filling. They will be full. The fork makes a nice indention in the egg, although the icing bag is ideal. Unfortunately I don't have one. Top your eggs with paprika or crushed red pepper - for a bigger kick.

Italian Pasta Salad

Happy Labor Day weekend! Here is a quick recipe to include in your holiday celebrations.

Sometimes it is easy to let vegetables go bad before you have something to make with them. That has been especially difficult this year with gathering CSA vegetables every week. I try not to meal plan until Tuesday's pick-up, but not everything in-season is always the most convenient.

One trick I have learned is making pasta salad with leftover vegetables and cabinet staples. And you don't have to make a ton of it either. Just boil enough pasta to about half the amount of vegetables you plan to use. I will not include measurements so you can use your own portions based on what you have and what you like. This also makes a great side dish for weekend barbecues and outdoor dining.

Italian Pasta Salad

rotini pasta

fresh tomatoes and/or jarred sundried tomatoes, chopped

red or green bell pepper, chopped

red onion or shallot, chopped

shredded carrot

jarred, pitted black olives, sliced

dried or fresh basil

Italian dressing, low fat

shredded Parmesan cheese

I prefer Trader Joe's rotini pasta because it is multi-colored and makes for a more colorful presentation. I never use an entire bag of pasta in one setting because I am usually only making food for two people. It is easy to pour what I want to use and store the rest. Be aware that pasta swells when it is cooked so use less than what you think you need.

I've said before I do not care for raw vegetables, although most vegetables are more nutritious when they are served raw. I sauté the bell pepper, onion and carrot and let them cool before mixing my salad. You may even want to boil or steam the vegetables to avoid added fat and over heating. Any of these techniques are acceptable, even if you want a quick side dish that calls for raw vegetables.

Once vegetables cool to room temperature, mix with pasta and basil. Slowly add Italian dressing one teaspoon at a time until you get a coating that suites you. If you do include olives, their natural fat will make up for taste from low-fat dressing. Mix in shredded Parmesan last.

Vegetable Pad Thai (Quick Meal)

This is a recipe I found in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. I was actually somewhat disappointed in the description of "vegetable" which only consists of three scallions. So we had to fix that.

Continuing my excitement over my CSA vegetables, I picked up a pound of pak choi, which is a kind of baby bok choy with more leafy greens and less stalk. They could be related, but I am not sure. I also picked up some summer onions, which look like over-sized green onions. The ones I picked up even came in red onion. So cute. So this was my first real CSA dinner.

Vegetable Pad Thai

8 oz (half a box) of linguine pasta or flat rice noodles

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 bunch spring onions (more or less depending on the size)

1 tsp garlic or one minced garlic clove

1 pint whole mushrooms

2 eggs, beaten

1 lb bok choy or pak choi (about 2), lightly chopped

cilantro

cashews or peanuts, roasted and salted

Wisk together brown sugar, lime juice and soy sauce and let sit. Boil pasta or noodles until aldente. Drain and keep covered to retain moisture and heat.

Heat oil in skillet and add garlic and onions. I used six spring onions and about 4 scallions I had leftover in the fridge. I had a good bunch of onions. Trader Joes sells huge scallions so you can get a lot of onion from those too. The State Farmer's Market sells big spring onions as well.

Stem and half the mushrooms. A trick a friend told me was to keep the mushrooms rather big so they have a meatier texture to them. Add mushrooms to pan and sauté. Once vegetables look soft add beaten eggs and slowly stir until eggs are almost set, maybe 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan and keep in a bowl. Add another tsp of oil to pan and add leafy bok choy to pan. I did not chop very deep into the root so I had just the tender leaves. Sauté until vegetables are reduced to 1/3 original size. Add bok choy to vegetable bowl.

Add warm pasta to pan and pour soy sauce mix over pasta, mixing well. Make sure pasta is coated with sauce and add vegetables back to pan. Mix thoroughly but remove from heat quickly. Leaving the meal on stove top too long will dry out the pasta. Serve with roasted nuts and cilantro. I don't keep peanuts in the house (one of the few nuts/legumes I don't keep in stock), but I did have cashews, which I think matched the meal better.

I have seen versions of pad thai with chicken and shrimp. You can also garnish with chives from your green onions, but I think that is a tad too much onion for me. I thought the mushrooms and the eggs gave this meal a meaty taste. I was really surprised how much I liked it. I only made it because pak choi was with my CSA and it looked like it would be a good add-in.

Not to mention how fast this meal takes. I was rushing to cook for some company coming in and it was done in 15-20 minutes. The pasta took the longest at 9 minutes. Everything else sautés fast and then you just mix.