This Norwegian just made PUMPKIN CANNOLI that would make any Italian mother proud. And the real showstopper is the dairy-free pumpkin ricotta made from creamy cashews soaked overnight and blended with almond milk, maple syrup and a touch of vanilla and pumpkin puree. Top with some carob chips and you wouldn’t know there isn’t an ounce of Italian in me. Check out the dEATs for this cannoli hack that uses pre-made pie crust to speed up the process. 

I’m starting to believe that there isn’t a single thing that cashews can’t become or do. They’re seriously the super hero of the kitchen. So far, I’ve made an amazing red pepper crema that is equally good in tacos, as a veggie dip or pasta sauce, a blueberry vanilla cheesecake that was a top 20 finalist in the Live Naturally plant-based recipe contest, and finally this sweet pumpkin ricotta (above), which can be used to fill these delicious little cannoli bundles or atop toast, as a fruit dip – you name it!

I’ve never baked a pie for a reason. Patience. I don’t have an ounce of it. So when I found this hack for making cannoli with a pre-made pie crust on delish, I couldn’t wait to experiment with my own variation. I started with Immaculate Pie Crust, which I like because there’s no bleached flour, no artificial flavors or preservatives and no hydrogenated oils. You do need a little bit of patience to let the pie crust come to room temperature before spreading it out, otherwise it will crack. And to create the perfect little 2-3 inch circle, I used a plastic punch cup leftover from a summer fiesta who knows how long ago.

The next hack, involves creating the cannoli shape. I hate recipes that require you to buy a gadget that you’ll never use again – hello cannoli mold. No thanks. To hack this, create a a long cylinder by tightly rolling tin foil. You want it to be a half in around max, otherwise you won’t be able to wrap the dough around it. After rolling, generously spray the tin foil with your cooking spray of choice. This prevents the dough from sticking to your MacGyvered (yes, I am making this into a verb) cannoli mold.

The final  hack is creating a piping bag with a plastic sandwich bag. Simply take a scissors and snip a hole in one of the corners of the plastic sandwich bag. Then load it up with the pumpkin ricotta, squeezing the mixture into the corner without sealing the bag, or letting it explode to the top.  Viola! Piping magic. While this recipe will take a bit of time, it won’t take the hours that it might have without these 3 simple hacks – 1.) pre-made pie crust 2.) alumunim foil cannoli mold and 3.) plastic sandwich piping bag.

Oh, and did I mention that the pumpkin ricotta is amazingly creamy, not overly sweet and loaded with the goodness of pumpkin? Even if you don’t make the cannoli, definitely go for the ricotta!

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Cannoli
Makes: 12 cannoli

Ingredients:
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Ricotta
– 1 1/2 C of cashews soaked in water overnight (or at least 4 hours)
– 1/4 C vanilla unsweetened almond milk
– 1/2 tsp vanilla
– 3 T maple syrup
– 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
– 1/4 C pumpkin puree
Crust
– 2 refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crusts
Toppings
– optional carob or chocolate chips, powdered sugar, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Instructions:
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a non-stick baking sheet with your cooking spray of choice. Tear 4 large squares of tin foil, then roll into a long and tight cylinder. Place the rolls on the cookie sheet and spray all sides with cooking oil.
Step 2: Make the ricotta by placing all of the ricotta ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Prep the dough by allowing it to warm to room temperature before rolling out (20-30 minutes). This ensures the dough doesn’t crack. Once warmed, place on a counter top with a dusting of the flour of your choice. Option to sprinkle the dough with a bit of cinnamon. Using a circular biscuit cutter, a cup or a mason jar that is 2-3 inches in diameter, cut 6 circles from the dough.
Step 4: Wrap each of the circular dough pieces around the aluminum foil rods to form a cannoli shape. Pinch the seems together at the top, avoiding pressing against the foil or it will be difficult to remove the pastry from the foil. Once all 12 are wrapped around the foil. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the shells are golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Pipe the ricotta into the shells. Add optional toppings and enjoy!

*To make your own pumpkin spice: mix 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg.

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My favorite color is fall. If that’s cheating, then lock me away in a forest filled with leaves of every color and a year’s supply of squash, apples and pumpkin everything. As much as I love summer, there’s nothing like crispy, cool fall weather to get you in the mood for all the comfort foods. While the leaves haven’t hit their peak yet in Chicago, this squash is definitely picking up the slack with vibrant hues of greens, oranges and heaven-sent gold. Whether a special occasion or just a dinner in, this recipe isn’t nearly as complicated it looks and is sure to impress! Get toasty with this delightful Quinoa, Kale & Apple Stuffed Squash recipe below and get the lowdown on all the produce that fall has to offer.

Sunday nights I always like to try out new recipes. And this weekend, I was feeling extra fall. We visited Jack’s Pop-Up Pumpkin Saturday night – 2 acres of fall adventure on Goose Island in the heart of Chicago. I was skeptical about the corn maze, but it was pretty legit. The husks were strung together in dense clusters that came pretty close to the real deal. Loads of carved pumpkins, hot cider (with some adult additions) and carnival games filled the space. While the corn maze was impressive, the cover was still a bit atrocious for basically an outdoor-themed bar. We got our fall fill though without having to drive an hour out to the ‘burbs though.

I often get my inspiration from perusing the grocery story for what looks interesting and seasonal. This is also why Whole Foods is called “whole paycheck”. On this trip, the carnival squash caught my eye with all of the bright splattered colors. I’d never heard of a carnival squash, but I’m always up for trying new things, so assumed I’d figure out what to do with it – or use it as fall decor! Here’s what I learned about the plethora of winter squash after a little sleuthing:

According to Specialty Produce, Carnival Squash is actually a hybrid of sweet dumpling and acorn squash. The strips are due to seasonal temperature changes, with warmer temperatures resulting in more green striping. The flesh is slightly sweet and nutty, reminiscent of butternut squash. It’s ripe with nutrients like potassium, Vitamins A and C, calcium, magnesium, folate and both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Basically, a total powerhouse!

If you’re not able to find Carnival Squash, you can also sub Acorn Squash in this recipe. This squash is similarly small, but primarily deep green on the exterior and shaped like (surprise surprise) an acorn.  It has a mild nutty flavor that makes it highly versatile. It’s just as dense with nutrients like potassium, Vitamins A and C, thiamin, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous and calcium.

The other parental half of Carnival Squash is sweet Dumpling Squash, which is similar in size, but primarily pale yellow on the exterior with some green striping and a pale yellow interior flesh. It’s also milder in flavor than a butternut squash, but slightly sweet with a flavor most like a combination of sweet corn and sweet potatoes.  It contains a wealth of nutrients including Vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, thiamin and beta-carotene.

My mom loved to roast acorn squash with butter and brown sugar growing up. I wasn’t particularly adventurous as a kid though, so I never really picked up on this. Also, I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar since it’s so addictive in nature and wreaks havoc on blood sugar. So for this recipe, I went savory with some of my other favorite fall produce: honey crisp apples. For a little protein, I added quinoa to this stuffing (which I always cook in broth to add more flavor) and chicken sausage, which is a bit leaner than standard pork sausage. You can certainly forgo the chicken sausage if you’re vegetarian or vegan, but I’d suggest adding some pecans for crunch and added protein (otherwise the stuffing paired with the squash can be a bit soft all around in texture and not very interesting to the palette). Whenever I make a recipe, I like it to be flavorful, full of texture and to draw you in with delicious scents. The fresh herbs stir all the senses and will your home with all the fall smells, so I’d encourage you not to skip out!

Quinoa, Kale & Apple Stuffed Squash
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
– 2 carnival, acorn, delicata or dumpling squash (carnival shown)
– 1 C of quinoa
– 1 1/2 C of water or broth of choice
– 1 lb  of chicken sausage (or sub for pecans if vegetarian)
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1 onion, small diced
– 1 C of chopped apple (1-2 apples)
– 1 bunch of Lacinato kale, torn (or sub for spinach)
– 1 T of fresh rosemary, chopped
– 1 tsp of fresh thyme, chopped
– 2-4 tsp olive oil or ghee
– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Rub the flesh of each half with a bit of olive oil or ghee and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray a sheet pan or baking dish with oil of choice or lay parchment paper over the sheet. Place the squash on the pan flesh side down and bake until tender, approximately 20-30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce it with a fork. Remove from the oven.
Step 2: While the squash cooks, make the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa and add to a small sauce pan along with the water or broth (broth will add more flavor). Turn the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa fluffs up.
Step 3: While the quinoa cooks, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil or ghee to a frying pan.  Turn the heat to medium and add the diced onion. Cook until browned and translucent. Add the garlic to the pan, cooking for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant, stirring frequently so you don’t burn it. Add the chicken sausage. Use a spatula to break up the sausage into crumbles, cooking until just browned. Scoop the chicken sausage from the pan into a medium bowl. In the same pan, add another teaspoon of olive oil or ghee. Place the chopped apples and herbs in the pan and allow to cook a few minutes until the apples are softened, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cooking for a few minutes until slightly wilted.
Step 4: Turn your oven broiler on high. Add the apple, kale and herb mixture to the medium bowl, mixing with the chicken sausage and onions. Add the quinoa to the bowl, mixing until combined. Place a heaping scoop or two of the mixture into the cavity of each of the squash halves (you likely will have extra). Put back in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the top gets nice and toasty.

Now go out and impress your friends with something that looks super fancy, but is actually super easy!

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