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

Portabello Stroganoff with Goat Cheese

When I first saw this recipe prepared on TV, it was presented as a meat-free alternative to beef stroganoff. While it sounded delicious to me, I couldn't really see it being "the" meal, so I halved the recipe - thank god, otherwise we'd have eaten it for an entire week - and served it along side pork schnitzel.

It turned out just as I expected. And, it heated up beautifully the next day for lunch. The only thing I'd change: I would have liked just a little more sauce - easy enough to remedy next time with a bit more stock and an extra dollop of goat cheese.

We both really like how this turned out and I'll definitely be making it again!

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 portabella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced and white bottoms and green tops separated
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 14 ounces beef stock
• 8 ounces plain fat free Greek yogurt
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more for garnish

Method:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch straight-sided saute pan set over medium-high heat. Increase the heat to high, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Saute until they darken in color, soften and give off their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the white bottoms of the green onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Cook until the flour disappears and the bottom of the pan turns dark brown, about 1 minute. Deglaze with the beef stock.
5. Bring to a simmer and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, and then add the yogurt, cheese, and black pepper. Stir to combine, and then partially cover and bring to a simmer to warm through, 2 to 4 minutes.
6. Drain the noodles, add to the pan and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Source: Food Network

Lazy Pierogi

I love pierogi. I think potato and cheese is my favorite. (Of course I would love the pasta that is filled with potato!) Sauerkraut is good, too.

However, I've never cooked prepared pierogi at home and have never made them from scratch, which I understand is a labor of love. This lazy pierogi is equally loving, but with far less work. Satisfying, warm, and comforting...nice dish to nourish the soul. It made me wish Brian's Gramp was still living above Bri - I think he'd love it!

When Sue emailed us this recipe, she warned me that I would use every pot in the kitchen.
She was right! But it was pretty easy to put together after work on a week night.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut
• 1 box bow tie pasta (I'd only use half a box next time)
• 2 sticks margarine
• 2 onions, diced
• 8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. caraway seed
• 1 kielbasa, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 low sodium beef bouillon cubes

Method:

1. Drain sauerkraut, rinse in cold water. Put in saucepan and add enough water to just cover
   sauerkraut and simmer 30. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cooking liquid.
3. At the same time, sauté onion in margarine until soft. (I found it was more like a braise than a sauté, because of the amount of margarine.) Add mushrooms and cook through. Stir in pepper and caraway seeds. Add kielbasa and combine well.
4. Dissolve bouillon in reserved pasta water. Stir into onion mixture.
5. Fold in drained sauerkraut and pasta. Mix well.
6. Serve hot.

Source: SuSu

Bolognese Sauce

I thought I had a great bolognese sauce. I added a little of this, a little less of that, tested and tweaked. And, when I finally thought I had it just right, our beloved friends promptly assured me otherwise and I lost my first (though sadly, not last) throwdown to a restaurant recipe for my favorite pasta sauce. I was annoyed, I was disappointed, and I was still sure I had the best bolognese.

Then, I watched an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Made...Family Dinners" on Food Network. And my mouth watered listening to the chef describe a bolognese that sounded almost as good as my original recipe. And so I tried it. And it was good....very good. Not better than the original - they are very different recipes. But very, very good and definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 pound spicy sausage, removed from casing
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large can San Marzano crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 box thin spaghetti (or whatever pasta you prefer)
• 1/2 cup ground Pecorino Romano cheese

Method:

1. In a large cast-iron or Dutch oven casserole over medium heat, heat some olive oil and then add the pancetta, garlic, onions and carrots. They should cook slow and lightly brown, about 20 minutes. When finished, deglaze the pot with the vegetables by adding 1 cup of the red wine.
2. In another large casserole over medium heat, brown the meat slowly in olive oil until it is a nice even brown color. This process should take around 30 minutes and the mixture should be stirred frequently so it will not stick. Salt and pepper liberally. Then add the tomato paste and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the vegetables and pancetta to the pot with the meat. Then add the remaining red wine to deglaze the pot. Scrape all the bits and pieces that might accumulate and reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Then add the chicken stock, milk, and crushed tomatoes and simmer very gently for 2 hours.
4. Let the sauce sit and cool down before using; it's even better the next day! Finish the sauce with the basil and thyme.
5. Boil 2 gallons of salted water and add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and put the pasta directly into the pot of bolognese sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to incorporate the sauce into the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as necessary. Finish with the ground Pecorino Romano, torn basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on top.

Source: Food Network

On Top of Spaghetti, All Covered in Sauce

Otherwise known as: Mmmmeatballs!

In addition to an immersion blender, Santa also brought me the meat grinder and pasta maker attachments for our Kitchen Aid mixer. I've wanted to try making my own ground meat for a while, especially after reading this post from one of my favorite bloggers: Elaine at The Italian Dish.

After speaking with a butcher, I left the store with a chuck roast. That's the same cut of beef that Elaine recommended, so I was confident it would be delicious.  Boy, was I right!

I ground the meat twice - again, a recommendation of the butcher. I wish I had had a small amount of store-ground beef to be able to show you the difference between it and the freshly ground.  They didn't even look like the same ingredient. While store-bought ground meat is dense and ropey, freshly ground chuck is...fluffy. I was especially careful when I mixed and formed the meatballs to make sure the meat stayed as light as it was when it was first ground.

I also put the onion through the meat grinder, to ensure we had all the flavor of the onion, but no large, sharp-tasting chunks. The onion "juice" also added a nice moisture to the meatballs.

In a word, they were perfect.  They held their shape perfectly, but were incredibly tender - practically melted in your mouth! They had a distinctively beefy flavor, but you could taste every other ingredient as well. The meatballs went perfectly with the simple tomato sauce we made - I wanted something that would really highlight the beef, not compete with it.

We served these with freshly made fettuccine from the whole wheat pasta recipe that came with the pasta attachment. The pasta was very hearty - almost too much for the sauce and meatballs. I have a few other recipes I'd like to try, and will post the best one here.

Mmmmballs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck, freshly twice-ground
• 1 medium onion, freshly ground
• 3 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 TBL Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
• 1/2 - 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400. Generously spray rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Grind the beef and onion into a mixing bowl. Season with salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce; mix to combine, but do not overmix. 
3. Add the milk and Parmesan cheese, and enough bread crumbs to just hold together. Mix lightly until evenly blended
4. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto the baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. If making ahead, store in the fridge, then warm in the pot of sauce until ready to serve.

Basic Marinara

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 medium onion, medium diced
• 2 (16 ounce) cans San Marzano roasted whole tomatoes
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 12 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn (plus more, for garnishing)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over low heat and saute onion until softened but not browned. Add garlic and saute until soft; be careful not to burn. Just as the garlic begins to turn brown, remove pan from heat.
2. Allow pan to cool, and add tomatoes, wine, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
4. Blend with immersion blender until desired texture.

Lazy Day Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite meals. So much so that when I was a little girl, I always picked lasagna for my birthday dinner. My dad's birthday was just four days before mine, so we often celebrated our birthday dinner  together with lasagna and carrot cake, a memory I am so grateful for.

I never really learned how my mom made her lasagna, but do remember it involved cottage cheese....which sounds unappealing, but the end result was amazing. 

My brother Eric makes the best lasagna now, and any time I make it myself, his is the recipe I try to replicate.

While it's not difficult to make, lasagna takes some time. I am so thankful Sue found this recipe and to now have it my own recipe collection. Quick, easy, and really really good.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 (26 oz. each) jars marinara sauce
3 (13. oz.) packages frozen ravioli
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. grated mozzarella
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9-by-13 in. baking pan.
3. Arrange ravioli in a single layer, then add half the spinach, half the marinara, and half the mozzarella.
4. Repeat layers. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
6. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and pasta is cooked.
7. Place under broiler for 2 minutes to brown cheese.
8. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

My blogger friend Kim recently posted a similar recipe, hers made in a crock pot.  That's even easier - can't wait to try that, too!

Pick Up Artist

My friends often ask how I got into cooking, many assuming it must have been my mom. I usually answer that my mom taught me how to cook, but not what to cook, since I don't think she'd like many of foods I enjoy cooking and eating.

She did teach me how to cook, though. I remember how she'd let me pull my stool up to the counter and mix together anything I could find in the cabinet. I made some pretty gross looking concoctions, but she assured me someday I'd be a great cook! She knew how to change a recipe up depending on what you like, and she was especially good at what she called "pick up" suppers.

I think I'm pretty good at "pick up" meals, too, checking out what's in the fridge and cabinet and coming up with something that is quick and easy to prepare. Most times, they're also pretty tasty even if not gourmet. That's how this Spinach & Sausage Pasta came about - I had all the fixings for pizza but was too impatient to wait for it to bake. The solution? Make enough for one and toss it all with pasta!

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
sausage - hot or sweet, loose or removed from casing, about 6 oz.
2 - 3 T chicken stock
1 C fresh spinach
2 T reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/2 C dry pasta, cooked and drained - doesn't seem like a lot, but I use whole wheat and it is pretty hearty

1. Warm oil in saute pan over medium heat.
2. Saute onions and garlic until soft.
3. Add sausage (I use hot turkey sausage) and cook until brown.
4. Add chicken stock and cook 2 - 3 minutes or until hot.
5. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt.
6. Dollop cheese over sausage and veggie mixture.
7. Sprinkle on hot, drained pasta.
8. Stir to combine and serve hot.

I acknowledge this isn't the most appetizing-looking dish, but I implore you to reserve judgement until you've tried it! Enjoy

Mushroom Orz-otto

After have seen all 10 of the Best Picture nominees in this year's Oscar race, Brian and I had a bet on who could pick the most winners in 18 catagories. In the end, we tied in five categories, neither of us picked the winner in another five, I picked three winners, and Brian picked five...another bet lost.  (When will I learn?!)

The winner got to pick any meal that the loser would make. I'm paying up today, and Brian picked Steakhouse Steaks with steamed asparagus. He didn't have a preference on another side, so I decided to make Mushroom Orz-otto, a rich, delicous, risotto-like dish that's much lighter than traditional risotto.

And, apparently, I'm a slow learner - this bet wasn't even paid off and I'm in the red again, this time thanks to Phil Mickelson's win. Unbelievable...

Mushroom Orz-otto
1 T butter, divided
1 T olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
10 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 C orzo pasta - I used whole wheat
3 C chicken stock, warmed - I heat mine in the microwave
1 T finely minced fresh rosemary
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1/2 T butter and 1/2 T olive oil in saute pan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic, and saute until translucent
3. Add orzo and toss to coat. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add 1 C chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium.
5. Stir in rosemary.
6. Continue to cook, stirring occassionally, and adding additional stock - 1/2 C at a time - until pasta is tender and has absorbed all stock.
7. Meanwhile, in another saute pan, heat the remaining butter and oil over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms, then set aside. (You can probably saute the mushrooms with the onions and the garlic, but I don't like when my mushrooms become water-logged and chewy. I prefer to saute them separately, then fold them in at the end.)
8. Remove from  heat and stir in mushrooms and parmesan cheese.

Ask yourself this...

...are you ready for a throw down?!?

At our annual Christmas celebration at The Fort, my friend Gwen and I realized we each have a bolognese recipe we love. Within  minutes, Brian had organized a throw down that Bobby Flay himself would have been proud of and last week we put our recipes to the test.

Gwen's recipe comes from Carmine's Family Style Cookbook, from the famous restaurant in New York. Mine is a compilation of recipes I've found online and on the Food Network.

I thought that Gwen's sauce was excellent, and our judges agreed....she won the first of what I hope are many friendly and delicious throw downs!! Next up, she and Jay will challenge Russ and Hil...can't wait to see what they come up with!

So, it's not a truly winning recipe, but it's pretty scrumptious. Here's my take on a (slightly less) traditional bolognese sauce!

Jen's Bolognese

1 T extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. pancetta, diced
1 large onion
2 large carrots
3 celery ribs
4 cloves garlic
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 t dried thyme
1/4 t dried oregano
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2 lb meatloaf mix (ground beef, veal, and pork)
2 T tomato paste
1 C red wine
2 (14 1/2 oz) can crushed tomatoes and their juice
1 (14 1/2 oz) can tomato sauce
1 C beef broth
2 t sugar
1/4 C heavy cream
2 T butter
3 T chopped parsley
1 lb pasta
1 C freshly grated Parmesan

1. In a food processor, puree vegetables in batches into a course paste.
2. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and fat is rendered, 4 - 5 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the pan to a medium high heat and cook until the water evaporates and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently. This will take any where from 20 - 30 minutes or more, depending on how much water are in the vegetables.
5. Add the seasonings and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Add the tomato paste, stir and cook until brown, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the ground meat and brown; again this will take anywhere from 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Add the wine and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and until half the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes.
9. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato sauce, beef broth, and sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
10. Add the cream, butter, and parsley; stir well. Simmer for two minutes. Discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
11. Toss cooked pasta with a few ladles full of sauce, ladle more on top, and serve with cheese.

Now, mark your calendar for January 4, 2012. We may have missed National Spaghetti Day 2010, but there's always next year. And, what better way to celebrate than with a big, steaming bowl of spaghetti bolognese?!

Mangia!