Veggie Blues

google image

I have been feeling very *blah* lately, and so decided I need to get better with eating my vegetables. Also, it is winter time here in Utah, though it doesn't feel like it, and that means very soon we will have the worst air in the nation. A perfect breeding ground for germs and sicknesses.

Enter meal planning again!

I am going to try to make at least one new thing each week, just to add some spice to our monotonous menus and excite our palates.

This week I will be making several new things, though. Ambitious, I know. But I am excited for the meals this week, and especially that most all of them are easy.  The only one that scares me are the pupusas, but I have to conquer my fear eventually.

This week, we will be eating well!

Sunday: Easy crock pot chicken chili
Monday: Kale and potato hash with fried eggs
Tuesday: Pupusas with cortido
Wednesday: Monte Cristo sandwiches and broccoli soup
Thursday: Sweet potato chicken and quinoa soup
Friday: curry with naan
Saturday: leftovers/ whatever we want

This is going to be a full week, and I know I am being ambitious, especially because I will be watching 2 extra kids all day, but I am excited nonetheless. I like cooking, and I love trying new things.

Bring on the new week!

Greek Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

3 lbs potatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon oregano (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (optional or to taste)
salt and pepper
1/2-3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or to taste)
chopped fresh parsley
Directions:

1
Set oven to 375 degrees.
2
Butter a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes.
3
Peel and cut the potatoes into large wedges and place into the prepared baking dish.
4
In a bowl combine the broth, lemon juice, butter, oregano, salt, pepper and minced garlic (if using); mix well to combine.
5
Pour over potatoes in the dish and stir to coat well.
6
Cover the dish tightly with foil.
7
Bake for about 40 minutes.
8
Uncover and turn potatoes.
9
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and return to oven (uncovered).
10
Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are done to desired tenderness.
11
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
12
*NOTE* the Parmesan may be sprinkled on just after baking if desired.

Enchilada Sauce

I want to write something so clever with this, but the fact of the matter is I am so tired right now, I just can't get my mind to work, any more than just to copy and paste this little bit.  Sigh.  Hopefully I will remember to update it when I actually make it.


Ingredients
3 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Salt/pepper
Optional: cayenne pepper, ground chipotle, paprika, etc.

Directions
In a small bowl, combine flour, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add tomato paste, and the bowl of flour and spices.
Cook 1 minute, whisking continuously.
Whisk in broth, increase heat, and bring to a light boil.
Reduce to simmer. Cook about 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally.
Salt/pepper to taste.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Adapted from Garden Grazer

Any type of latin food is just better with a side of rice!  Here is the perfect complimentary dish.


Ingredients
1 cup uncooked white basmati rice
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3/4 cup cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Optional add-ins: lime zest, sweet corn, jalapeno, green onion, garlic

Directions
Cook rice according to package instructions. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
In a bowl, add cooked rice, cilantro, and lime juice. (The heat from the rice will slightly wilt the cilantro.)
Stir well to combine. Salt to taste.

Bean Enchiladas

Adapted from The Garden Grazer

I have been in search of a delicious enchilada for quite some time now.  I found one I am eager to try.
Ingredients
Two 15 oz. cans black beans
15 oz. can vegetarian-style refried beans
10 oz. enchilada sauce (try homemade!)
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
3-4 green onions
1 tsp. cumin
Shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, etc.)
6 large tortillas
Tomatoes for topping

Directions
Dice onion, mince garlic. Saute onion and garlic with cumin and salt over med-high heat for about 7 minutes.
Lower heat to med-low, add refried beans and stir with a spatula until beans soften.
Rinse and drain black beans, add to pan. Stir to combine.
Preheat oven to 325.
Evenly distribute bean mixture to the center of tortillas, leaving space to fold ends in.
Sprinkle some cheese on top of the bean mixture, then roll up with ends tucked in.
Place seam side down in a lightly sprayed 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
Pour enchilada sauce over the top, then shredded cheese and sliced green onions (or add the green onions after baking).
Bake for about 25 minutes. Top with diced tomatoes.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Adapted from The Garden Grazer 

Cilantro lime, and tomatillo ranch dressings are my favorite.  Oh so good.

This is a great recipe for the cilantro lime, and I am anxious to try it out.

Ingredients:
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp salt


Directions:
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Add to salad, burritos, whatever you like.Guaranteed to enjoy your food just that much more.

Cabbage and Leek Cheese Pie

image

Remember when I made Chinese food?  Well, it called for cabbage.  Instead of letting half a head of cabbage sit around in my fridge until I felt guilty and it was starting to show age spots, I decided to plan ahead and make a meal out of it before it could go bad.

Enter Cabbage and Leek Cheese Pie.

So yum!  I had to improvise, mainly because some of the ingredients were not readily available in my grocery store, and those that were, were ridiculously expensive.

Instead of making this into a pie (which now that I have made it would be delicious in a regular pie crust), I bought little philo pastry shells that were mini muffin sized.  Perfect for appetizers  not so much for a main course.  This was so good, though, and I will absolutely make it again.  

What you need:

6 thick phyllo pastry sheets

olive oil for greasing the pan and the pastry sheets

1/2 medium cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium leek (only the white part), finely sliced in rounds

2 large carrots, grated

1 small celeriac, peeled and roughly grated

1 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup greek kasseri cheese (I used provolone), grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

salt

black pepper

What to do:

• In a large pot combine 1/2 cup of water, or more as needed, the cabbage, the leek, the carrots and the celeriac.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer in low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are softened and their liquids are released.
• Transfer in a colander and leave until they are well dreained.  Transfer to a large bowl and add plenty of pepper, the Feta and the Kasseri cheese and the eggs.  Stir very well and leave aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 350*.  Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of a round oven pan.
• Lay a pastry sheet on the dish, letting the edges hang over the rim and brush with oil.  Place a second sheet cross-wise over the first and brush with oil.  Then lay a third sheet which you put slanted to the previous one, making sure that no part of the pan is uncovered and again brush with oil.
• Empty the filling on top of the pastry and smooth with a spatula.  Bring the edges back over the top of the filing and then lay three more pastry sheets on top in the same way you did beore, brushing each one with some oil.
• Tuck the edges into the side of the dish and under the bottom pastry sheet, as if you were tucking in a bedsheet, so to seal the filling.
• Using a sharp knife, gently score the top pastry sheet into square (or diamond) shape pieces but without cutting right through.
• Put the pan in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes until golden and crispy.

Making this with little pastry shells didn't use a lot of the cabbage mixture.  In fact, it only used about half.  Which was just as well, because I was able to save the rest and freeze it for a future date.  It was a big hit, which is always wonderful.

Chicken Lo Mein

image

It is no secret, I do not like Chinese food.  I never have.  It is far too greasy and salty for me.  Not to mention all the MSG in it.  And meat.  I am a vegetarian so I am not a fan of the meat.  Unfortunately, my husband is a carnivore who happens to love Chinese food.  I don't make Chinese food ever, and we eat it on New Years Eve, and that is it.  Because I really don't like it, and since I am in charge of meals, I get to say what we eat.

While perusing Pinterest a while back, Jeffrey happened to glance over my shoulder and saw a pin for some Chicken Lo Mein.  He begged for it, and so I decided I would try it.

It wasn't bad.  I am not a fan of any of the flavors of Chinese food, so I am not going to rave about this one, but Jeffrey really liked it.  It had far too much chicken. Said the vegetarian who is on a brief hiatus of being a vegetarian.

What you need:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

black pepper to taste

2-3 TBSP vegetable oil

4-5 small packages of Yaki Soba noodles 

2/3 cup chopped celery (cut diagonally)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cups chopped cabbage

1-2 cups shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken

What to do

• In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper.  Set aside.
• Remove the noodles from the packages and throw away the flavor packets.  Rinse the noodles and drain.
• Heat oil in a large wok.  Add the celery and the onion.  Saute for a few minutes or until the onions start to become soft and translucent.  Add cabbage and saute the mixture for another minute.
• Toss the noodles, chicken, and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium high heat for another 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are heated through.

Jeffrey loved it.  I am glad, and may make it more than once a year.  We will see.

Avocado Egg Rolls

image

I can't believe I didn't post this yet, it was so incredibly good!  I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, but optimistic.   I got the recipe for the Cheesecake Factory Avocado egg rolls from Lil' Luna, and they are absolutely in a class of their own.  I have never been to the cheesecake factory but now I want to go.  The egg rolls are far fancier than I usually prepare, but so good, I want to make them all the time now.  And the sauce that goes with it?  I don't like cashews.  I don't like cilantro.  The sauce was made out of both and somehow it is out of this world delicious!  I used the dipping sauce in my sandwiches for a week!

What you need for the egg rolls:

1 large avocado

1 TBSP sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 tsp salt

3 egg roll wraps

1 egg

What you need for the Dipping Sauce:

1/4 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 c honey

1 pinch powdered saffron

1/2 cup chopped cashews

2/3 cup fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 c olive oil

What to do:

• In a bowl, stir together vinegars, honey and saffron.  Heat for one minute in the microwave.
• Puree this mixture in a blender adding cashews, 2/3 c cilantro, garlic, sugar, pepper, and cumin.  Pour into a bowl and add the oil.  Stir and refrigerate.
• In a bowl, stir together acvocado, tomatoes, 1 tsp cilantro and salt.  Add 1/3 of the mixture onto the center of each egg roll wrapper.
• Position the wrapper so the corner is pointing towards you.  Fold the bottom corner up over the filing.  Fold remaining corners up over the filing and brushing the corners with egg to secure in place.  Roll up from the bottom folding the top corner over all.  Seal with egg and repeat for remaining wrappers.
• Fry egg rolls for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve with dipping sauce.

These will make your mouth so happy, you might even do a happy dance when biting into them.  I know I did!

Home Made Tortillas

Jeffrey called during his lunch today.  I love when he does that!  We chatted for a bit, and then he asked what I was making for dinner.  I told him I was planning on Cafe Rio for dinner, and he said "Oh, are you tired today?  Do you not feel like cooking?"  I had to laugh, because I meant the homemade Cafe Rio.  He was glad, because he likes homemade food.  There is more of a chance for leftovers that way, and he has more interesting lunches than just his typical frozen burritos.

As I was getting ready to make dinner, a recipe caught my eye.  It was for home made tortillas.  They are good and a lot healthier than the recipe I know.  My friend from Mexico taught me to make tortillas.  She said you just grab a few handfuls of flour, add a little salt, and then shortening.  Add some warm water and mix it with your hands, form little balls, and roll them out.  So yummy, but so hard to replicate them.  At least for me.  When I saw this recipe, I was very excited as it is a lot healthier, and lets be honest, I do better with more direction than "a handful, a bit, some, etc."

This recipe came from Petitelephant.com and has enough guidance to make it helpful, but enough leway for me to make it my own.

This is how I made them:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup hot water

Mix all the dry ingredients thoroughly.  In a separate container, mix the oil and water.  Gradually add the water to the dry ingredients and mix.  Little by little add the water and mix after each little addition.  I just put everything in my Bosch and let it mix itself while slowly pouring the water in.  Let the dough knead (or do it by hand if you are ambitious) until it is smooth.  When it feels ready, separate into little balls.  This recipe makes about 9 or 10.  Cover with a damp cloth and leave somewhere warm for about 20 minutes.  

When the 20 minutes are up, knead each ball, (I just squoze them in my hands for a bit) and return them to the plate, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Oil your counter and hands.  Roll each ball out until it is paper thin.  The thinner the better.  Heat up a frying pan, add a bit of oil, and toss the dough on one at a time.  When it begins to bubble it is ready to flip.  Cook until they are just golden in the center.

These are perfect with the Cafe Rio meal (did I already mention that?), and would probably make incredible tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Cannoli

Vegetarian Canaloni

1 onion finely chopped
few tbsp olive oil in hot pot.
slowly fry the onions.
3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped and add to onions.
fresh sweet marjoram taken off of the stock.  Finely chopped or bashed up in a pestal and mortar.
fresh nutmeg (1/2) grated.
1/2 cube butter sliced up.
Mix it all together.  Let it bubble, mix it together until fragrant
Add a bunch of washed spinach until bright green.
Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, mix it together.

Buy fresh pasta squares, put the spinach mixture in the middle, open it out so it is nice and thin, so when it is rolled up it is all over.

Get some ricotta cheese (or buffalo) and crumble on top of spinach.  SPrinkle a bit of salt and a bit of pepper above.  Shred some parmesean cheese on top of it all.

Get some nice vine tomatoes.  Bosch them in a food processer.  Whiz them up with a few handfuls of basil it will be fresh and delicate, and the perfectly compliment to the pasta.  Season it with a little salt and pepper. 

Pour the tomato sauce in the bottom of a pan. 

Rolll up pasta and set in tomato sauce pan.  Squeeze them on. 

Get the lovely bits that have fallen out and sprinkle it on top.

Slice up some fresh buffalo mozzarella and put on top of each pasta.  Then grate a bunch of parmesean on top.

Cook for about half an hour at 250.


** Again, no pictures.  Just try it and love it, though, okay?**

Curry

Wicked Southern Indian Red Curry

Get a casserole type pan.  Add about 4 Tbsp of sunflower oil and heat.

Get some ground coriander.  About a heaping cereal spoon.  Add that to the oil.
Get another spoon of fenegreek and add it.
Also, 4 Tbsp of paprika, 1 corriander and some black mustard seeds (2), and curry leaves.  Pull them off the stalks.  Give it a little stir.  The base is one of the most important parts of the food.  Stir continuially.

Take the ends off the onion (2), half it, and peel it.  Toss it into a chopper (or go by hand but a chopper is much quicker.  7 cloves of garlic.  smash them to get the peel off, and cut off ends.  Throw them in with the onions and give them a little whiz.  Add onions and garlic to base to saute them.  But don't cook them too quickly, a medium heat.  If the base is too dry, add a bit of oil and mix it up.

Next, get a nice big bit of ginger.  Cut the ends off and peel it.  Toss into the chopper.  3 thumb sized peices of gingewr.  Get some stalks of corriander and toss those in the chopper as well.  Save the leaves for later.  Whiz it all together, and add some frsh tomatoes.  (6).  To go with the paprika, toss in 2 fresh chilies, seeds and all.  Pour that mixture in with the base and mix it up.

Now put a nob of tamarind, minus the seeds.  (a slight pinch).  Now get a pint or so of water, add it to the pan and bring it to a boil.  Add a bit of salt.  let it simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

get some mixed veggies and fry them up in a pan.  When the 20 minutes are over, add the base to the veggies, add 2 cans of coconut milk and eat up with some good naan.

***I have no pictures for this recipe as of yet.  Trust me.  It is delicious!***

Paneer

4 pints of whole fat milk.  Let it simmer.  Add 1 wine glass of whtie wine vinegar.  The milk will split.  Let it split.  Pass it through a sive.  On top you have lovely curds of cheese.  Let it drip for 30-45 minutes.

Add some sunflower oil to a nice pan.  Get it nice and hot, and coated with the oil.  Sprinkle in a bit of salt, and then knock the cheese out in the pan.  Get a bit more oil over the top, a bit more salt and pepper, and fry it until it is nice and golden on the bottom.  Flip it.

Think of flavors.  Chile, or whatever to cook in the pan with it.  When it is finished, get yourself some nice fresh corriander, chop it and sprinkle it over the top and it is ready to be served.

That with some rice and curry, whew!  you will be sitting pretty.

Bombay Potatoes

Get a hot pan with 3 tbsp of sunflower oil and 1 heap tsp of black mustard seeds, a pinch of ground cumin, tsp tumeric, tsp ground corriander,  tsp gara masala mix,  and tsp chile.  shake the pan around a bit to get the flavors to meet and greet.

Once the spices have melded a bit to eachother, pop in 1/2 cube of butter.  Grate a peeled ginger in, and give it another shake.

Boil some potatoes.  quarter them, then cut them into three.  Let it sit a few minutes, and add the potatoes.  Chop up a few tomatoes (3) and add them to the potatoes.  Chop up a bunch of corriander leaves and toss it into the pan as well.  Sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper.

Horchata

While in California on my mission, I fell in love with a little drink called Horchata (pronounced Or-cha-ta).  It is a Mexican rice milk drink that is absolutely delicious!

When I am feeling ambitious, I sometimes make it.  It is so soothing and delicious on a hot summer day.

What you need:

• 1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup white sugar

What you do:

• Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours (or overnight)

• Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar into the rice water.  Let sit for three hours and then strain through a coffee filter.  Chill and stir before serving over ice.

Cinco De Mayo Meal, Baby!

Today is Cinco de Mayo. What that means is the Mexicans beat Napolean's army and drove the French from their lands on this day in 1862.  Pretty amazing since the French army had not been beaten for over 50 years!  Go Mexicans!

As it is well known, I find any reason I can to celebrate.  No, I am not Mexican, but I do love the people, culture, and food. 

Today in honor of the Mexican holiday, we ate in style.

We had Cafe Rio style burritos.  They are Jeffrey's favorite and I quite like them as well.  I found the recipe at Favorite Family Recipes and adapted it a little to suit our tastes.  Enjoy!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

I also bought some enchilada sauce and poured it over the burritos, sprinkling Tapatio hot sauce and cheese over the top and popped them in the broiler (the oven turned to broil).  When the cheese was melted, they were done.  Add some pico de gallo and a little bit of crema and it is ready for the eating!

Mexican Rice

On Sunday I gave a lesson on time management. I used rice and water as part of my object lesson then realized I had a ton left over. Not wanting to waste it, I took it home and cooked it. Needless to say, cooking with rice has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

Yesterday I found a recipe and used it as a guide for dinner. I was worried it wouldn't be very good, but it was actually delicious!

What You Need:

4 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups cheese
spinach leaves

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.
Spread rice in a casserole dish. Mix in seasoning, tomatoes, sauce, beans and 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake until cheese is melted and all is heated through- about 20 minutes.
Serve on bed of spinach.

This would also make a great burrito stuffer. I think we are going to try that out tonight... or enchilada! That would be yummy too. At any rate, enjoy, and

Buen Provecho!

Yiddish Food

I am so excited to try this recipe! It is in the oven as we speak and I can't wait to try it. In honor of Hanukkah, I had to try this traditional Jewish dish. I hear this is something that is served for Hanukkah and since I love trying new things, I thought I would give this a go.

Cheese Blintz Casserole

What You need:

16 oz. cottage cheese

16 oz. cream cheese

4 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp. baking powder

pinch salt

juice of 1 lemon

What to do:

1.) Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 Pyrex.

2.) Mix the filling in 1 bowl: cream the cream cheese & cottage cheese. Add 2 eggs, 1 cup of the sugar, salt, and lemon juice.

3.) In ANOTHER bowl, mix the batter: butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 eggs, flour, baking powder, milk, & vanilla.

4.) Pour 1/4 of the batter in, then all of the filling. Top with remaining batter.

5.) Bake for 45-60 minutes. Top should be slightly browned.

You can serve this with fruit on top, or sour cream or even applesauce. Use your imagination! Enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Jeffrey simply adores Italian foods. If he could have married pasta, I think he would have. He really does have a love affair with carbs, though. If I cook lots of veggies for dinner, he will eat them, say he is full, and be back 20 minutes later for a sandwich because he has to have carbs to feel full.
So I try to make lots of Italian foods for him. Lasagna is one of his favorites, but finding a good vegetarian lasagna recipe is quite difficult. So we just don't eat lasagna often.

Until now.

I just found the most divine butternut squash lasagna recipe ever! We both absolutely loved it and I want to make it often. But you can't go into it expecting it to taste just like lasagna. For starters there are no tomatoes in it at all, so the marinara sauce taste wont be there. But as I was eating it I felt really good. Not heavy like I generally do after eating Italian. So, I hope you enjoy it, as it has become one of my faaaaaaavorite recipes.

Source

Butternut Squash Lasagna

What You Need:

2 medium butternut squashes

1 onion, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups apple cider

1/2 t. white pepper

3/4 t. ground sage

1 t. sea salt

1/4 t. grated nutmeg

3 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese*

1 egg

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesano-Reggiano

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, break up with your hands or grate

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 package of no-boil lasagna noodles

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

olive oil

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400*. Slice your butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on a oiled baking sheet. Alternately you can cook the squash in the microwave if you short on time (just microwave cut side down until tender). Roast the squash for 1 hour. When cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.

While the squash is cooking, heat a skillet and then add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the onion until beginning to brown, when the onion softens add the minced garlic. Add the cider to the skillet and scrape up the browned bits in the pan. Add to bowl that the squash has an appointment with as well. Add the white pepper, sage and sea salt. Mash it all up with the squash (just like potatoes). It should have a easily-spreadable consistency- think really soft mashed potatoes. If you need additional liquid add a bit of water.

Get your 9x13 baking dish and place all of the noodles inside. Cover with hot tap water and let sit while you prepare the rest (at least 5 minutes). This guarantees only perfect, non-crunchy noodles.

In a separate bowl mix the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and nutmeg.

Adjust the oven temperature to 375*. Spread a thin layer of the squash mix. Place four noodles down, slightly overlapping each other. Layer squash, cheese mix and then some fresh mozzarella, noodles and repeat. End the final layer: squash, noodles, cheese mix, mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve with toasted hazelnuts sprinkled over the top.

*If you are unable to procure ricotta cheese or just need to use up what is already in the fridge go for the cottage cheese; but (and this is important to fool the naysayers and get a better end product) pulse the cottage cheese with a hand blender, in a blender or a food processor until it looks just like ricotta. Ta-da.

Just a few notes, I accidently bought acorn squash instead of the butternut, but it still was great. I imagine you can use virtually any type of winter squash with great results. Also, I used a colby jack cheese because that is what I had on hand.

It is absolutely divine, and I am sure you will love it. Just give it a try!

Buen Provecho!

Skinny Enchilada Soup

This soup is absolutely delicious! I love it, and when we are craving a nice hot soup (such as today) I just whip it together. It is probably one of the simpler soups I have ever made. With the calander telling us it is long into Spring, and the weather telling us it is still Winter, we need a little warmth, comfort and stability in our bellies. This soup does the trick perfectly!

What You Need:
1 Can refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
dash or two of cumin
optional: 1/2 packet of fajitta or taco or even enchilada seasoning
2 cups cheddar cheese, divided
tortilla chips (I like to use Fritos)

What You Do:
In a nice sized pot (or even a crock pot; I like to let mine sit a couple of hours for the flavors to fuse) combine the all ingredients but cheese and chips. Bring it all to a boil. Add 1 cup of cheese and stir over low heat until it is all melted. Serve topped with as much cheese and chips as you deem necessary.


Buen Provecho!