Dave and I probably ate off this recipe for at least 5 meals haha. I guess it wasn't so smart to make an entire lasagna and not invite anyone over to share, but it was a new recipe! I had a bunch of homemade sauce left over, and some already cooked Italian sausages (hot and mild), but jarred sauce is an easy substitute! Lasagna is not for the faint of heart, but since this lasagna is so saucy, no need to cook the noodles, just add extra cook time!
Ingredients:
1 recipe of Giada de Laurentis' pesto, see the bottom of the Quick and Easy Scallops recipe (or you can use a 7 oz. store bought pesto)
16 oz of Ricotta (I used the low fat kind)
8-10 Italian sausages, cooked, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick (your choice hot, mild, or a mixture)
1 box of whole grain lasagna noodles (you won't use them all, depends on your lasagna dish)
5-ish cups prepared sauce (or about 1 1/2 jars of store-bought sauce, your favorite kind)
Salt and pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella (I use skim, you use what you like)
Prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the pesto and ricotta and season to taste with salt and pepper (FYI this spread is delicious and makes extra, spread it on toast. DELICIOUS).
Now, let the layering begin! Spread 1/3 of sauce in your lasagna pan (should be around 13 x 9 inches, I think my All-Clad pan is around 14 x 11... it's a monster). Make a layer of the uncooked noodles. Make sure to press into the sauce. Next spread 1/2 (or less if you want some extra) of the ricotta-pesto mixture on top of the noodles. Then create a layer of sausage slices. Repeat with the second third of the sauce, noodles, other half of ricotta-pesto mixture, and sausage slices. Top with remainder of sauce and final layer of noodles. Make sure that you press the noodles into the sauce so that the sauce covers the noodles. At this point, you can refrigerate and bake the next day.
Cover with foil, and bake in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Uncover and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Served with a simple salad dressed with oil, vinegar, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and maybe some crusty bread, this could easily serve 8 (maybe 10-12). Enjoy!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
It's freezing outside. Let's have soup!
Williams-Sonoma's Broccoli and Leek Soup. I know it's not as cold everywhere as it is in Virginia, but this will warm you up no matter how cold (or not cold) it is outside. Serve with a section of sourdough, brushed with olive oil, and toasted in the broiler (keep watch so it doesn't burn)!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, including tender parts, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb broccoli, trimmed, florets and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock or prepared broth
salt and freshly ground white pepper (I just used black, same thing)
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (they didn't have any at the store, no biggie)
Prepare:
Clean leeks. To do this, fill a large bowl with water, chop up the leeks, and put them in the water. The sandy grit that the leeks grow in will all fall to the bottom. It's that simple! Chop up the broccoli.
Cook:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the broccoli and continue to saute, stirring frequently until slightly softened, about 2 minutes longer.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover partially and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pan until smooth. (I used a food processor). Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and white (or black) pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sour cream and chives. Serve immediately.
(serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, including tender parts, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb broccoli, trimmed, florets and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock or prepared broth
salt and freshly ground white pepper (I just used black, same thing)
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives (they didn't have any at the store, no biggie)
Prepare:
Clean leeks. To do this, fill a large bowl with water, chop up the leeks, and put them in the water. The sandy grit that the leeks grow in will all fall to the bottom. It's that simple! Chop up the broccoli.
Cook:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks and saute until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the broccoli and continue to saute, stirring frequently until slightly softened, about 2 minutes longer.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover partially and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pan until smooth. (I used a food processor). Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and white (or black) pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the sour cream and chives. Serve immediately.
(serves 4)
It's a new year...
so instead of embarking on a new workout plan, I decided to make Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes!! I changed some of the ingredients slightly, and I used store bought frosting, so here's the link to the original recipe: Cupcakes!!!
The original recipe makes 24 cupcakes, since it's just Dave and I, and neither of us want to be obese, I only made 12!! I halfed the ingredients (except for the chocolate):
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (heaping) tsp of cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tbsp red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Store bought vanilla frosting
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
Bake:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer (I used my standalone KitchenAid).
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet (gradually to avoid lumps) and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Frost and EAT (uh... I mean serve... :P )
The original recipe makes 24 cupcakes, since it's just Dave and I, and neither of us want to be obese, I only made 12!! I halfed the ingredients (except for the chocolate):
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (heaping) tsp of cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tbsp red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Store bought vanilla frosting
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
Bake:
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer (I used my standalone KitchenAid).
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet (gradually to avoid lumps) and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Frost and EAT (uh... I mean serve... :P )
Thursday, December 4, 2008
My First Endeavour in Indian Food
I've been wanting to make some Indian food for awhile. I also was extremely tired, and didn't want to use a lot of dishes. I went to cookstr and did a search for chicken, one-pot meals, and easy skill level and found this recipe: Chicken Biryani
All I did differently was use 1/2 tsp of cinnamon instead of the cardamom because cardamom is EXPENSIVE!!!
Enjoy; it is delicious.
All I did differently was use 1/2 tsp of cinnamon instead of the cardamom because cardamom is EXPENSIVE!!!
Enjoy; it is delicious.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
No soup for you! (ok just kidding)
Perfect for a chilly evening. Chicken soup with a mexican twist! This is Williams-Sonoma's "Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Avocado" from their Soup cookbook.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro (it's worth it even if you're not a huge fan of cilantro)
1 cup drained canned plum (Roma) tomatoes
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups of chicken stock or prepared broth
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, about 1/2 lb., cut into bite-sized strips
Salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, preferably stale and dry
1 dried chile such as ancho, seeded (I couldn't find any in my store, so I used Hot Mexican Chili Powder)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced (mine rotted, but its fine without it if you can't find any good ones, although it's great with the avocado to be sure)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used the Mexican 4-cheese blend)
2 tsp fresh lime juice
Prepare:
Do all required chopping. Start the tomatoes draining.
Cook:
In a frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and the 2 tsp of cilantro, and saute just until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine the sauteed mixture and the tomatoes and process until smooth.
In the same frying pan over medium-high heat, warm another 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the tomato mixture and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and darkened, 5-6 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the stock. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken strips and simmer until they are just opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tortillas in half and slice each half into thin strips. Spread the tortilla strips evenly on a baking sheet along with the chile and bake until crisp and beginning to brown, 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Crumble the chile and set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Divide the tortilla strips, crumbled chile (or sprinkle with the hot chili powder, a couple good shakes), 1/4 cup cilantro, avocado, cheese, and lime juice evenly among the bowls and serve immediately.
Muy delicioso!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro (it's worth it even if you're not a huge fan of cilantro)
1 cup drained canned plum (Roma) tomatoes
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups of chicken stock or prepared broth
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, about 1/2 lb., cut into bite-sized strips
Salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, preferably stale and dry
1 dried chile such as ancho, seeded (I couldn't find any in my store, so I used Hot Mexican Chili Powder)
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced (mine rotted, but its fine without it if you can't find any good ones, although it's great with the avocado to be sure)
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used the Mexican 4-cheese blend)
2 tsp fresh lime juice
Prepare:
Do all required chopping. Start the tomatoes draining.
Cook:
In a frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the onion, garlic, and the 2 tsp of cilantro, and saute just until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine the sauteed mixture and the tomatoes and process until smooth.
In the same frying pan over medium-high heat, warm another 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the tomato mixture and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and darkened, 5-6 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the stock. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken strips and simmer until they are just opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tortillas in half and slice each half into thin strips. Spread the tortilla strips evenly on a baking sheet along with the chile and bake until crisp and beginning to brown, 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Crumble the chile and set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Divide the tortilla strips, crumbled chile (or sprinkle with the hot chili powder, a couple good shakes), 1/4 cup cilantro, avocado, cheese, and lime juice evenly among the bowls and serve immediately.
Muy delicioso!
A Recipe to Make Your House Smell Good
Seriously the easiest, best smelling, greatest tasting salmon recipe ever! This is from Bon Appetit's Every-Night Cooking. Serve with your favorite boxed cous cous and greens dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette (3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio, season with salt and pepper).
Rosemary-roasted Salmon
Ingredients:
2 large bunches fresh rosemary (2 of those small plastic boxes they sell it in)
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 2-pound center-cut salmon fillet with skin
2 large lemons, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil (I actually missed this somehow, and the salmon was not lacking at all)
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Do all chopping.
Cook:
Arrange half of rosemary sprigs in a single layer in center of heavy baking sheet. Arrange sliced red onion atop rosemary. Place salmon, skin side down, atop red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover salmon with remaining rosemary sprigs. Arrange lemon slices over rosemary. Drizzle oil over and sprinkle ahead with salt (this is the part I skipped, on accident). The previous can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Roast salmon until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer salmon to plates. Serve immediately with roasted onions and lemon slices.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the cous cous and salad. Fluff the cous cous just before serving.
Rosemary-roasted Salmon
Ingredients:
2 large bunches fresh rosemary (2 of those small plastic boxes they sell it in)
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 2-pound center-cut salmon fillet with skin
2 large lemons, thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil (I actually missed this somehow, and the salmon was not lacking at all)
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Do all chopping.
Cook:
Arrange half of rosemary sprigs in a single layer in center of heavy baking sheet. Arrange sliced red onion atop rosemary. Place salmon, skin side down, atop red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover salmon with remaining rosemary sprigs. Arrange lemon slices over rosemary. Drizzle oil over and sprinkle ahead with salt (this is the part I skipped, on accident). The previous can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Roast salmon until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer salmon to plates. Serve immediately with roasted onions and lemon slices.
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the cous cous and salad. Fluff the cous cous just before serving.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Good Fall Meal
Fall reminds me of squash: butternut squash, acorn squash, and pumpkins, too. I made this recipe with my mom a couple of years ago, and it was delicious. This is Dave Lieberman's "Penne With Butternut Squash, Fresh Chorizo, and Thyme" from Dave's Dinners.
Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate (I used rotini because I had it)
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. fresh chorizo, casing removed and meat chopped
1/2 lb. peeled butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I don't know how much 1/2 a lb. is, but I used a whole squash before reading the 1/2 lb. part, and it was lovely)
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
About 10 thyme sprigs
15 grinds fresh black pepper
Prepare:
Get the water boiling for the pasta, and do all the chopping.
Cook:
In a large pot, cook the penne in the boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown the chopped sausage meat (cook through), then transfer to a plate but leave the fat in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan.
Add the squash and cook 5 minutes, not stirring too often, so the squash gets some color. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, thyme, pepper, and browned sausage, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing often, until squash is fork-tender but not falling apart. Toss with the pasta and garnish with a thyme sprig or two from the pan.
Serves 6.
We had a pumpkin ale with this dish, and it was DELICIOUS. This would also pair nicely with a dry white wine, a sauvignon blanc, perhaps.
Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate (I used rotini because I had it)
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. fresh chorizo, casing removed and meat chopped
1/2 lb. peeled butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I don't know how much 1/2 a lb. is, but I used a whole squash before reading the 1/2 lb. part, and it was lovely)
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
About 10 thyme sprigs
15 grinds fresh black pepper
Prepare:
Get the water boiling for the pasta, and do all the chopping.
Cook:
In a large pot, cook the penne in the boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Brown the chopped sausage meat (cook through), then transfer to a plate but leave the fat in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the pan.
Add the squash and cook 5 minutes, not stirring too often, so the squash gets some color. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, thyme, pepper, and browned sausage, and cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing often, until squash is fork-tender but not falling apart. Toss with the pasta and garnish with a thyme sprig or two from the pan.
Serves 6.
We had a pumpkin ale with this dish, and it was DELICIOUS. This would also pair nicely with a dry white wine, a sauvignon blanc, perhaps.
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