Mini Pesto Lasagna Stacks

Who knew you could use wonton wrappers to make lasagna? Well, you can and with a few minor tweaks, I will again for sure.

The stacks were easy to assemble and make it possible to throw together a "lasagna" on a week night. I worried that there would be too much liquid by using both the sauce and the pesto, but it actually could have used a little more. Next time I'll put some sauce down on the bottom of the dish first.

Since there is no such thing as a meatless any-day-of-the-week in our house, I grilled up some hot sausages to go along with these. Much to Brian's dismay (and he knew it IMMEDIATELY), they were chicken sausages, but they were delicious regardless.

Delicious and easy: what more can you ask for?

Ingredients:

• 1 package of wonton wrappers (like the original recipe recommended, my grocery store also carries Nasoya - they come 50 to a  package)
• ¾ C pesto (if using prepared, make sure you drain off some of the excess oil)
• 1-1/2 C marinara sauce
• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• freshly ground pepper 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Prepare either a baking dish or four small gratin dishes by spraying with a little nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Layer the four lasagna stacks by starting with a square of pasta, spreading about a teaspoon of marinara sauce on top and then about a teaspoon of pesto on that.  
3. Add another square of pasta and repeat.  I did every other layer after that - pesto then marinara, etc. Repeat layers until you have used 12 squares for each stack.  
4. Top with marinara, some pesto and a sprinkling of the mozzarella.  Add a few pine nuts on top of each stack and then a pinch of the oregano and some freshly ground pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
5. If using individual gratin dishes, place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the lasagna for about 20 minutes and then remove foil. Bake for an additional 7 -10 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted to your liking. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes to set up a little before serving.

Source: The Italian Dish

Antipasti Stuffed Chicken

Antipasti plates always seem so...messy...  Or something. Finger food is great, but when it's a little oil and vinegar-y, it's drippy. Messy.

So, while I love every single thing on the plate, I have never ordered one. So when I saw this recipe, with all of the things that make an antipasti plate delicious chopped up and stuffed into baked chicken, I had to try it. The pepperoncini give it a nice bite and cheese gets nice and melty. The dressing is an Italian dressing-like compliment and I basted the chicken with it while it was baking. Juicy and delicious.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 slices Genoa salami (2 ounces), chopped
• 4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
• 4 slices provolone cheese (4 ounces), chopped
• 4 large pepperoncini, stemmed, chopped
• 1 whole roasted red peppers, chopped
• Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kitchen twine

Method:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
2. For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, oregano, fennel seed, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Gradually whisk in the oil.
3. For the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the salami, pepperoncini, prosciutto, provolone and peppers with 1/4 cup of the dressing; toss to blend evenly.
4. Butterfly chicken and pound to about 1/4" thick. (There are explicit instructions in the original recipe.) Lay over 3 pieces of kitchen twine.
5. Mound a fourth of the stuffing onto the chicken then roll firmly. Tie with twine.
6. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing.Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Don't ask how I know that.) Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a sheet of foil. Let rest 5 minutes.

Bad day at work?  Nothing like cooking and a glass of wine.

Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness and lay over three pieces of kitchen twine.
(This exercise helps with the really bad day, too.)

Mound each piece of chicken with a quarter of the stuffing.

Roll and tie, then trim the excess twine.

Don't forget the wine!

Source: Food Network

Caprese Skewers

I sometimes hesitate to post "recipes" like this one. Ones I'm sure everyone must already know how to make.

Well, I made these last night for a girls' happy hour. I wanted something cool and summery, and super quick and easy - since the girls would arrive shortly after I got home from work. They were gone in no time and at one point my friend Lynn said, "I never would have thought of doing that."

And so here's the recipe for anyone else who loves a traditional Caprese salad, but is looking for something more cocktail party friendly.

Ingredients:

• 18 boccacini (small mozzarella balls - I got mine at the deli counter)
• 18 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 18 pieces of fresh, torn basil
• toothpicks
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Method:

1. Combine cheese, tomatoes, vinegar, oil, and pepper in a bowl; toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Thread onto each toothpick a piece of cheese, then a  piece of basil, then a tomato. I alternated the order just so it looked a little prettier.
3. Sprinkle with the salt.

Adolfo's

Brian's Auntie Deb & Uncle Gary gave me a cool dining out restaurant journal for my birthday. It will be a great way to keep note of restaurants I want to blog about and will provide a great template so all straight-up restaurant reviews looks similar. 

Adolfo's Ristorante
Worthington St., Springfield MA

Day / Date / Time: Saturday, Jan. 8, reservation for 8:00, we were seated around 8:30
Type of food: Italian
Occasion / Event: My 39th birthday!
Dined with: Sue & Kevin, Joe & Maria, and Brian
Ambiance / Entertainment: I love the family kitchen feel of the country tables and chairs they use; they make you feel as though you are a guest in some one's home. The music, while eclectic and fun, was LOUD - we were practically shouting at each other, and the waiter had to lean down in order to hear our order. There were couples, families, and what looked like a really fun girls' night out and all seemed to be having a great time. There's a nice bar with some tall bar tables, and then a dining room with booths and tables.
Wine / Cocktails:  We had a great 2009 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir - delicious!
Appetizers: We tried the fried calamari and jalapeno scallops.  The calamari was good, but nothing out of the ordinary - it was lightly fried with banana peppers and served with a chunky tomato sauce. The scallops were wrapped in jalapeno bacon and had a great spicy kick - they were excellent! The bread was steaming hot and was served with olive oil for dipping...hard not to eat too much before dinner came.
Entrees: Our table tried veal and shrimp francese dishes, chicken marsala, veal saltimbocca, and veal capicola. Besides my marsala I only tried Maria's shrimp francese - would get either again. Brian started, at the hostess's recommendation, with the twin pork chops. Sadly, they were very overdone and terribly dry. As soon as he mentioned it to our waiter, Johan - who was later deemed by the owner as "the best waiter in western Massachusetts" - that meal was whisked away and replaced at no charge with the saltimbocca.
Desserts: It being my birthday and all, I had to have dessert and went with the lemoncello mousse cake. To. Die. For. (I must confess that lemoncello is my favorite liqueur!)  Kevin ordered a chocolately concoction that looked very decadent.
Average price range: Apps are generally in the $8 -$12 range. No one in our party got pasta, but they are about $15. House specialities and entrees run about $20 - $25.  Salad isn't included with any meal as far as I can tell, but you can get a side salad for about $4.  Neither of the desserts we got are on their on-line menu, but those desserts that are, are around $6.
House favorites / Signature dishes to reorder:  With the exception of the pork chop, I think it's safe to say everyone would order their meals again...but next time I'm going to try bolognese - just to see how it compares to mine! ;-)
Final comments: My biggest dining pet peeve is when they begin to clear the table before everyone is finished eating. I had to tell three different people not to clear until we were all through. Seems like something a restaurant like this should have down...especially the "best waiter in western Mass"!

39 and Counting

We spent the weekend on Plum Island celebrating B's birthday...the countdown to the 40th has officially begun!

The fun started Friday night on our way in. We stopped in town at The Grog, one of our favorites local bars. They have, without fail, the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Add a little of their hot sauce and it can't be beat. Some of their sandwiches are ok, and they make great flatbread. It's always been a place where we had a drink and a cup of soup...until, a few weeks ago, we ordered burgers. To die for.

Most everyone there at 10 on a Friday night are locals, and we know - and meet - more of them each time we go. Best spot in town and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday!

Saturday morning we were up and out early and spent the day in Portsmouth. We found the more commercial side of town and spent some time checking out the Nook at Barnes & Noble. (More on that later.) But the best part of Portsmouth is downtown, on the water. I did a little Christmas shopping and B asked the gal in the kitchen store for a lunch recommendation. I had my heart set on The Press Room, a place we stumbled on when last we were there, but she insisted the Coat of Arms was a better pub.

Not so. It seemed to have good potential as an after-work kind of place - pool table, darts, fireplace - but the waiter was crabby and the food was just OK. It's always good to try something new, but we should have held out for live jazz and falafel at the Press Room....

Lest we go hungry, S&K treated us to dinner at Joseph's Winter Street Cafe Saturday night. (Anyone who's been to the Plum knows that the day starts with a committee meeting, where we decide what, where, and when we are going to eat and drink...it's pretty bad when you're planning tomorrow's dinner before today's coffee...)

When last we were there, B and the chef almost came to blows - literally - over their interpretations of steak au poivre. (Let's just say the chef had a very loose interpretation.) It's a beautiful restaurant and the owner is someone B and his family remember from a restaurant they used to go to in Hampton, so he decided to give it another try for his birthday. The owner was as lovely as ever, and our food was delicious.

B started with raw oysters, which he said were excellent (I'll take his word for it), and we got mushroom sardi - sauteed mushrooms on toast with sour cream. I think I liked them more than the others did and would like to try making them - how hard can it be? I tried the bolognese (good, but mine's better!), B and S had different fish dishes, and K had osso bucu. Their presentation is really pretty and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner (they must have been good - there wasn't a lot of sharing or left overs!). We tried creme brulee and tiramisu for dessert - they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I think I'd opt for more mushrooms next time, instead! ;-)

This coming weekend we are celebrating Christmas with B's family - there'll be lots of recipes to share!

Thanks to JW for kindly reminding me that there's no sense in starting a blog if you aren't actually going to blog...point well-taken!