Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Noodles, Corn and Brussel Sprouts

I know I've posted a pumpkin soup recipe before but I wanted to post anew since this one is a bit different. That and a friend told me that this was "fanfuckingtastic" (thanks Claire).

Prepare:
-Chop up and peel half a large pumpkin
-Lightly coat with olive oil and place in a roasting tray
-Thinly slice 1 large yellow onion
-~5 dried dates
-Dekernel one corn
-Halve about 7 or 8 brussel sprouts
-Get about 1 cup of cooked chick peas
-Dice 1-3 hot chili peppers
-1 cup dried pasta (I used wholemeal spirals)
-Spices and seasonings... bay leaf, salt, pepper, honey, cinnamon, cloves...

Cook:
-Roast at ~ 400F/200C for about an hour, putting about half a head of garlic still in the peel in the tray after 30 min-Once the pumpkin is ready, lightly sautée onion for about 5 minutes -When onion is translucent, add pumpkin and roasted garlic (remove the peel!) to the pot, cover with water and stock powder or stock
-Bring to a boil, add bay leaves and chili
-Turn heat to a simmer, cover and leave alone for about 15 min
-Once pumpkin starts falling apart, add the chickpeas and dates, mix through and then puree using hand-blender and attain even mixture
-Keep heat at a simmer
-Add pasta and brussel sprouts
-Add 1-2 tbsp honey
-About 5 minutes later, add the corn kernels
-Mix 1 tsp of cinnamon and cloves each through
-Once pasta is done, take off heat. Serve immediately with toasted breadTips:
-I added the chickpeas mainly to give a bit of protein and thicken it up without using cream or anything - I couldn't really taste them, though. If you wanted a more beany taste, using a stronger bean like butter beans or borlotti beans would be best, as would upping the amount used and perhaps reserving some for after blending
-The corn and brussel sprouts worked quite well... the corn gave a sweet crunchiness and the sprouts a nice green solid feel. Broccoli or cauliflower would work quite well, put in a bit after the pasta
-The dates, honey, cinnamon, and cloves helped to make the soup a bit sweet and really complement the roasted pumpkin taste. The chili gave a bit of a bite that worked quite well with the the mellowness of the rest of the soup. It wasn't too sweet by any means; just had a nice richness to it
-Cream (coconut, especially) would not hurt this soup
-Make a large batch! This freezes quite well (almost better the 2nd day)

Carbonara Pasta

For those of you who think I'm all about the health food, thesedays, this oughta abed your fears. Originally created as a breakfast for Italian laborers, without cream, this pasta has evolved to be a creamy sensation. I had it at my friend Ben's house for lunch a couple weeks ago and it hit the spot in ways I never imagined possible. Mine turned out so delicious and not too greasy for how much fat is in it. There's probably a way to make it more healthy, but why bother?
Prepare (for 2 servings):
-Dice half an onion
-Crush 2-4 cloves garlic
-1-2 chopped chili peppers (optional but I like my spice)
-Cut 2-4 strips of bacon (you should end up with around 1 cup)-Lightly beat 1 egg -Prepare 1/4 cup whole cream
-A handful of pasta... fettuccine works best for this but I only had spaghetti
-Seasonings: fresh/dried basil, crushed red pepper, Parmesan
Cook:
-Set water to boil, add pasta, cook til al dente, drain, rinse in cold water, set aside (this should be done while cooking the sauce)
-In a big, deep fry pan or a wok, add a bit of olive oil and a couple pieces of butter (you read that right; the olive oil stops the butter from burning), medium heat-Add crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute
-Add onion and bacon and fry for about 10 minutes or until bacon starts to crisp-Lift pan off heat, lower heat to medium-low, and add cream (otherwise cream may burn)
-Mix, simmer for about 5 minutes, turn off the heat-Throw in pasta, mix for about 3 minutes-Throw in egg, mix thoroughly for 30 seconds, then serve
-Garnish with basil, crushed red pepper, Parmesan, salt to taste
Tips:
-While it may be heresy, I think this dish would only benefit from broccoli. I'd steam it lightly and add it with the pasta in the cream.
-If you like bacon even crispier, chuck it in a minute or 2 before the onion. Also, I used red onion and you might get a better taste with yellow onion or shallots
-As this is Italian, a nice pancetta would be even tastier than bacon, presumably

Eggplant Parmesan with homemade Spinach & Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Eggplant Parmesan is a tasty little dish. Moderately healthy and meat-free, this dish take a bit of work but is worth it. I decided to make my own tomato sauce, just to make it more work.

Prepare Tomato Sauce:
-Dice some tomatoes (I used 2), as well as some onion, garlic, mushroom (I used portabella) and shred some spinach
Cook:
-In a pot or wok, sautée garlic and onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes-Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes
-Add spinach and cook until wilted-Throw in some salt, pepper, basil (fresh or dry if you have it, I didn't!)
-Add diced tomatoes and 1 can of crushed, peeled tomatoes, reduce heat-Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring constantly, until most of the tomato is reduced-Puree-Mix in cheese if you'd like (I used cream cheese to see how it'd be, but I think something like parmesan or even feta would be good)
*note: it pains me to say this, but my sauce was not that great. I was not pleased. The cheese helped a lot, as did adding some more salt, sage, and chives, and cooking longer to reduce it further, eventually it got alright... okay enough for the parmesan


Prepare Eggplant:
-Preheat oven to 350F
-Peel the eggplant and cut into slices lengthwise, so you get around 4-5 slices per eggplant-Put salt on the surfaces, rub it in, and put it in the fridge for an hour (this sweats the eggplant and reduces the bitterness. It's optional but getting a big bite of bitter eggplant is unpleasant)
-Rinse the eggplants and thoroughly dry them
-Beat 1-2 eggs (1 egg per eggplant)
-Prepare batter mixture: breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan and dried basil is ideal. I had none so I used flour-Lay eggplants in egg, then breadcrumbs (on both sides) and set on an oven pan
-Meanwhile, slice cheese. I used a mixture of fresh mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar. I also had some grated parmesan
-Optional: dice some broccoli. I find that broccoli works amazingly in this dish and so I throw it in
Cook:
-Put pan in oven for about 5-10 minutes, until starts to crisp, and then flip over and another 5-10 minutes-Alternatively, you can fry the eggplant... this is a bit easier but less healthy, so do as you wish
-Layer eggplant in casserole/any deep oven-proof dish as such: eggplant (+ broccoli), sauce, cheese,eggplant, sauce, cheese, eggplant, sauce, cheese, with the parmesan on the topmost layer, if you have fresh basil, you can put that on top too-Put in oven for about 25 minutes, or until top is bubblyTips:
-Enjoy with a nice wine and salad. I made a simple lettuce, lime juice, olive oil, and salt salad and roasted some pumpkin
-I'm pretty sure this exact recipe would work for chicken, veal, or even plain lasagna. Feel free to add any vegetables that you like in the mix, like (roasted) pepper or sun-dried tomatoes or somethingUpdate: I made essentially the same thing with chicken. I sliced chicken breast halfway through (so less wide) and baked on each side for ~15 minutes (note, it shouldn't look "done" in the way fried chicken works one both sides, as that dries it out... when you take it out it should be moist and a tiny bit pink)The ones in the top rack are good, the ones in the bottom were too cooked!

Pesto Pasta with Garlic Bread

Who doesn't love pesto? It's usually so expensive to buy those tiny jars, but it's amazing how easy it is to make. I served this with garlic bread since that, too, is easy to make and delicious.
Prepare Pesto:
-Destem a bunch of basil, wash the leaves well
-In a food processor, mix some pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan (optional), and the basil leaves: the proportions should be to taste and the olive oil to consistency. Start out with half the basil, a couple cloves of garlic, and maybe 1 tbsp of pine nuts... adjust as you tasteCook:
-Prepare some pasta, al dente
-Mix with pesto
-Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan
Prepare Garlic Bread:
-Crush garlic
-In a small bowl, mash garlic and butter. -Spread onto pieces of bread
-I sprinkled some cheese on top of the bread, too.
Cook:
-Put bread in an oven/toaster oven for about 10 minutes or until bread is slightly brown and butter is completely meltedTips:
-The pasta goes well with sauteed onions and tomatoes, as well as chicken. Smear some pesto on halfway-cooked chicken breast and serve with the meal.
-For the garlic bread, I used regular sliced 9grain bread because that's all I had. This works better with baguette, French bread, Turkish bread, or anything else.
-For the garlic butter, you can add in some dried basil, crushed red pepper, or Parmesan to give it extra flavor.
Drink with a nice wine and enjoy!