Pizza Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large or 2 regular carrots, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white or red wine (optional)
4 ounces curly kale leaves, chopped or torn
2 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes (28-ounce minus 1 cup; reserve the rest for another use)
1 pound cooked firm-tender giant white beans
Up to 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 pound mozzarella, coarsely grated
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Prepare the beans and vegetables: Heat the oven to 475 degrees. In a 2 1/2-to-3-quart (ideally oven-safe) deep sauté pan, braiser, or shallow Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion, celery, and carrots.
2. Season well with salt and black or red pepper. Cook, sautéing, until the vegetables brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine, if using, to scrape up any stuck bits, then simmer until it disappears, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until collapsed, then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the beans, and, if the mixture looks too dry or thick (canned tomatoes range quite a bit in juiciness), add up to 3/4 cup broth, 1/4 cup at a time. Simmer the mixture together over medium for about 10 minutes, adjusting the seasonings as needed.
3. If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish.
4. Bake: Sprinkle the beans first with the mozzarella, then the Parmesan, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on top. If you’re impatient and want a deeper color, you can run it under the broiler. Finish with parsley, if desired.

Note: Freezes well.  For a meaty variation, brown some fresh sweet or spicy Italian sausages (about 3/4 pound) with the vegetables.

Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/09/pizza-beans-cookbook-preview/

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cup sugar (can reduce to 1 1/2 cup)
2 cups (or 16 oz can) pureed pumpkin
1 cup oil
4 eggs

1. Sift dry ingredients into bowl.  Set aside.
2. Combine pumpkin, oil, and eggs.  Mix for 3-5 minutes with electric mixer.  Add sugar and mix for one minute more.
3. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
4. Bake in a greased and floured 10x15 inch jell roll at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Alternatively, can use a 9x13 inch cake pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
8 Tbsp butter (at room temperature)
1 tsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup powedered sugar

Mix all frosting ingredients with electric mixer (whisk attachment) for approximately 5 minutes.

Source: My friend Jessica!