Veggie lasagna

TLC

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Serves: 8-10

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
• 2 small yellow squash, sliced into rounds
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, steamed, squeezed dry and chopped
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup store-bought pesto, or Buddy's Master Pesto recipe
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese (the non water-packed kind), torn into pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Butter a 9 x 13" baking dish.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and let cool.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini and yellow squash with another pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened and exuded their juices.
4. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium to low heat to avoid scalding. Then, heat the butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour to the butter and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, to remove the raw flour taste and completely melt the butter. Gradually whisk in heated milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture for top of the lasagna.
6. In a small bowl combine the ricotta and the pesto.
7. Spread a thin layer of spinach mixture in the bottom of prepared pan. Add a layer of noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the vegetables, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, 1/4 of the mozzarella. Repeat this layering two more times. Finish with a top layer of noodles, the reserved spinach mixture, the remaining mozzarella and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
8. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10-20 minutes before serving.

This is a yummy one from the good ole cake boss!

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 c Butter
1 3-oz Cream Cheese
1 pint Heavy Cream
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 c Parm Cheese
1 lb Fettuccine

1.Melt butter in sauce pan. Mix in cream cheese. Stir in cream and garlic powder. Increase heat bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer. Stirring often. If thin, add tsp flour 1 at a time.

2. Stir in Parm and salt n pepper to taste.

Italian Bread

3 c Warm Water
1.5 TB
2 TB
1 TB Salt
1/4 c Butter (melted)
7-9 c Flour

Butter
Egg

1. Combine water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir until yeast dissolves. Cover 5-10 minutes.
2. Large bowl: Mix salt, 2 TB sugar, butter, yeast mix, 3.5 c flour. Add flour .5 c at a time up to 3.5 c (7 total).
3. Knead 10 minutes on low. Transfer to greased large bowl. Let rise 20 to 40 minutes.
4. Punch down & divide in half. Roll into 10" baguette. Make 3 cuts in top. Beat egg whites and brush over dough.
5. Preheat oven to 350'. When dough doubles bake 30 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

3 whole (to 4) Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt
Ground Coriander
Cumin, To Taste
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Large Onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 piece (approximately 2 Inches) Chunk Fresh Ginger
Garam Masala
1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
Sugar
1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 cups Basmati Rice
_____
OPTIONAL:
Fresh Cilantro
Chili Peppers
Turmeric
Frozen Peas


Preparation Instructions
Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with some kosher salt. Next sprinkle them on both sides with some coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.
Next dice one large onion. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince your garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Also throw in about 1 tablespoon of salt.
Next you are going to add about 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. And if you like it hot, this is also when you will add your hot chili peppers. Serranos work well. Now you are going to add your can of diced tomatoes. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Add about 1 tablespoon sugar. Let this mixture simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.
To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 4 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual but make sure that you use Basmati rice.
After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, add in the 1 ½ cups of heavy cream. Now, chop up your chicken breasts into chunks and stir them into the Tikka Masala sauce. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro is a nice addition if you like cilantro. You can also throw some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas. It tastes great and gives another nice dash of color. Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top.

Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too. (see below)

Naan

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill.

Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares (Am's Recipe)

2c All Purpose Flour

*1 TB Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

1c Unsalted Butter (room temp)

1 1/4c Sugar

1 egg

2 tsp Vanilla

1c canned pumpkin puree

1 pkg (12 oz) Chocolate Chips

*if you don't have Pumpkin Pie Spice:

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 tsp Ginger

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 allspice

1/8 cloves

(all ground)

Preheat oven 350'

Grease 9x13" pan line w foil

in med bowl whisk together first 4 ingredients (set aside)

cream together butter and sugar until smooth

beat in egg and vanilla until combined

beat in pumpkin puree (may appear curdled)

reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until just combined.

Fold in Chocolate chips

Pour mixture into pan

Bake 350' 30-40 mins

Cool completely in pan!!

makes 24

Thanksgiving Tip...

When making mashed potatoes, heat the milk and butter together, over medium heat, until thoroughly warmed and the butter is melted (there should also be a few bubbles forming on the surface of the mixture). THEN add the milk/butter mixture to the hot, cooked potatoes. Apparently it is supposed to be way better than dumping in the cold butter and milk. 

Also, mash with a fork if you have the patience.  Supposed to give them a great texture!

Bon appetit!

Adobo chicken

So I'm on a crusade to try all the recipes I pulled from my cooking light mags and deem them yummy or not. Here is the first one, we liked it!

Ingredients:

1 tbls canola oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

2 cups chopped onion

5 garlic cloves, minced

6 tbls soy sauce

3 tbls water

3 tbls white vinegar

2 tbls honey

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken sauté 4 mins on each side or until browned. Remove chicken. Add onions sauté 3 mins. Add garlic; sauté 1 min, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce, and next 5 ingredients ( through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 12 mins. Uncover and cook 20 mins or until Chicken is done and sauce thickens. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice!

It also says to serve with sliced oranges.

Pulled Pork

Honestly, this is the best thing ever-- spend 5 seconds to make a dinner that will last all week. And its delicious.

1. Have a crock pot.  (I bought one for this.  Worth it.)
2. Put 3 Ingredients in the pot.  I used:

• pork shoulder aka pork butt (I bought a huge thing from Costco, 8 lbs)
• 1 full bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's, and 
• 2 cans of soda (you can use Dr Pepper, root beer, Cherry Cola... whatevs-- I did caffeine-free Coke).  Some people also say to use your favorite seasoning on the pork before you put it in-- up to you. I did a little salt and a little Lowry's.  I don't think it is necessary, but again, up to you.

3. Turn on crock pot and let cook on high for 6-8 hours.
4. Shred meat and call to tell me how awesome I am for sharing this with you.

pic via

Serve on Heather's awesome homemade rolls. Add cheese if you're "like that."

PS Also it's the BEST thing to make if you're bringing dinner to people because it is delicious comfort food, cheap, and super simple. You can also freeze the leftovers or feed an army-- when I made this it lasted for at least 16 servings.  Prob more like 20. And cost way less than $20 total. Serious.

Its-The-Most-Wonderful-Time-Of-The-Year-Bread

I have an obsession with fall, and my husband has an obsession with with pumpkin bread.  That makes this the most wonderful time of the year (contrary to popular belief). We start with the pumpkin bread in September and keep it going well into March.  It is amazing.  My mother-in-law shared this recipe with me and it is to-die-for.  My personal additions are noted with the *

3.5 c flour (*I like baking flour)
3 c sugar
2 tsp soda
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg (*I do a little less because I don't like this flavor to over power)
1 tsp cinnamon (*I do a tiny bit more because I love this flavor)
1 c corn oil (*or canola)
4 eggs
2/3 c water
2 c pumpkin

(*I separate the batter in two and make 1/2 of it with chocolate chips and the other half without.  I mix the chocolate chips with a couple teaspoons of flour before adding to the batter to make sure they don't just all sink to the bottom of the pan). 

Mix dry, add wet (*I like to mix eggs together before adding to the rest). Bake at 350 for appx 1 hour in 2 greased loaf pans (or several small disposable loaf pans and give them to people-- best gift ever.)

*Baking times vary, so depending on the oven or the size of my pan, I bake for 50 minutes and check back every 5 minutes until the middle is no longer jiggly. 

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

This is from my sister-in-law Jenn, and its so yummy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf

1 package lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (preferably one without sugar)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and spices and cook until it simmers. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the ground turkey, oat bran, egg, and tomato mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Pack into an 8 X 4 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf, about 4-6 servings.