Classic Lasagna

Oct 15, 2012 by Lindsey

Today was a magical day.

I have been so busy lately buzzing from one project to another that I rarely have time to just cook. Some nights, I whip up some stir fry, tortellini, pizza, or other 15-minute meals that my husband and I can enjoy after we have both worked late into the evening. Today was different though. I tied my apron on and chopped, boiled, rinsed, simmered, baked, and grated. It was so cathartic! If preparing this recipe does not make your heart soar like it does mine, then eating it surely will.

 

 

Here is how to make my favorite, heart-warming lasagna.

Ingredients

1 box of lasagna noodles

1 cup yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tbps olive oil

1 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed

28 oz crushed tomatoes with basil

6 oz tomato paste

1 egg, beaten

6 oz goat cheese

12 oz riccotta cheese

1 lb mozzarella cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1.5 cup freshly grated parmesean

1 pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a large casserole dish.

Start by soaking the lasagna noodles in a bowl of hot tap water. Let them sit until you are ready to assemble the casserole. *Tip: Soak your onion in there also so you do not cry when chopping

In a large pan, simmer the onion for five minutes in olive oil. After 5 minutes, add the chopped garlic and stir for one minute.

Add the sausage and break apart. Cook until no longer pink. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Now is time for an important step. Put away your Kraft Parmesan powder and grate yourself some real, fresh parmesan cheese. A $30 box grater will change your life. The real cheese makes all the difference!

While the sauce is simmering, combine the egg, ricotta, goat cheese, fresh Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

 After the sauce has simmered for 10 to 15 minutes, pour 1/2 of the sauce onto the bottom of a casserole dish.

Everything that is right in the world is about to happen in this pan. Get ready. After the first layer of sauce goes down, drain the noodles from the water and place a layer across the pan.  (I am such a geek, I just typed “lawyer” instead of “layer.” Pathetic!) Next, a layer half of the ricotta mixture topped with half of the mozzarella.

Now, do it all again. Layer the remainder of the sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella.

Top with some freshly-grated parmesan cheese and a dash of red pepper. I was feeling a little spicy tonight. Put in the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered.

The end result is a golden, bubbly, delicious-smelling miracle right on your stovetop. Let it sit for 10 minutes before diving in.

 How can you not love this? The goat cheese is the perfect savory ingredient to this dish; harmonizing with the sweet italian sausage and salty parmesan cheese. Jason and I enjoyed this meal watching our latest TV-obsession, “Damages” with Glenn Close. We are almost done with Season 2 and are dying to know who put the hit on Uncle Pete. And where does Ellen get her fabulous lawyer-chic wardrobe? Everything about this show intrigues me lately. Luckily, the comforting effects of this lasagna has kept us calm and collected.  You should see what it does for you!

See you guys next time! Thank you for reading my blog, and enjoy!

Lindsey

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Texas Macaroni & Cheese

May 20, 2012 by Lindsey

Macaroni and cheese is a dish that you should learn to make. No, not the kind that calls for powdered cheese and a microwave.  I am talking about real macaroni and cheese made with real ingredients, like noodles, butter, milk, and fresh-grated cheddar cheese. Very few dishes taste better than this natural combination. This week, I took my favorite mac & cheese recipe and “Texified” it by adding some seasoned ground turkey, bell pepper, and jalapeno.

Put this recipe in your “priority” box so you can enjoy a taste of comfort at your kitchen table tonight! My favorite part of this recipe is the evaporated milk – it is a small item that packs a big punch of creaminess and richness to the final pasta. You will never look at another mac and cheese recipe again after trying this.

INGREDIENTS

1 box elbow macaroni or spiral pasta (shown)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1 lb ground turkey sausage

6 oz evaporated milk

2 eggs

4 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

1 package “taco” seasoning (or a mixture of some cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, paprika, and onion powder)

1 cup fresh-grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by cooking the pasta (not shown). While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the remainder of the ingredients. I recommend chopping your veggies and grating the cheese now.

Next, brown the turkey in a skillet along with a bit of olive oil and the packet of taco seasoning. Halfway through, add the peppers into the pot and soften them while the turkey finishes.

When the pasta is finished, drain the water using a collander and return the pasta to the pot. Return to burner at low heat. Stir in butter over hot pasta.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour over pasta and stir for approximatley one minute to fully incorporate.

Next, add the shredded cheese and stir.

Lastly, add the skillet contents (turkey and peppers) to the mac and cheese to welcome the recipe home to Texas. You can omit these ingredients if you cannot resist the simple, rich macaroni and cheese on its own. To me, nothing says ”Texas cuisine” like cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and cream.

Yum! What do you think? Are you ready to start cooking yet? This recipe makes fantastic leftovers that can be enjoyed at any time throughout the week. I like that I can diversify a “normal” macaroni and cheese recipe by adding a few Tex-Mex ingredients. That kind of creativity will keep your dining companions always on their toes. Enjoy, everyone! Have a happy week!

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Law School Graduation = Done!

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Pasta Primavera

Mar 19, 2012 by Lindsey

The warm afternoons that we have been enjoying in North Texas mean that spring has finally arrived. My herb garden is planted, my tank tops and sundresses are unpacked from storage, and the Mayflies are taking over our house. This week I celebrated the changing seasons with a dinner of colorful, healthy Pasta Primavera. This is a very simple recipe and makes a plenty of leftovers to be enjoyed later. Pasta Primavera is a traditional italian dish that incorporates a small-spiraled pasta with lots of fresh, springtime vegetables in a light cream sauce. The hardest part is chopping all of the vegetables! It is as colorful as a spring garden and bursts with zesty lemon pepper flavor. You won’t regret making this light, veggie-packed dinner tonight.

Here is how to do it:

INGREDIENTS (makes approximately 6 servings)

1 tbsp butter

2 chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes (** TIP: if dicing your own chicken makes you squirm, borrow some latex gloves from the butcher to use so you don’t have to touch it with your hands!)

salt and freshly-ground pepper

1 box bowtie pasta

1/3 cup of lowfat milk

1 cup of freshly grated parmesean cheese

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 sliced yellow squash

1 head chopped broccolini

1/2 cup chopped portobello mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped asparagus

1/2 cup frozen sweet corn

1/2 cup chopped carrots

Instructions

Start by cooking the pasta according to instructions. The thickness of bowtie pasta means that it takes longer to cook and must be started early. While the pasta is underway, sautee the chicken breast cubes in 1 tbsp melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Cook thoroughly (10 minutes over medium-high heat) and set aside to incorporate later.

Set the chicken pieces aside on a paper towel to drain off any excess grease. In the remaining butter,  sweat the garlic until translucent and fragrant.

Add the vegetables (yes, all of them) to the pan and drizzle with olive oil. The olive oil keeps plenty of moisture in the pan and prevents the vegetables from smoking or drying out. Season generously with salt and freshly-cracked pepper. This is one of the few opportunities you have to add seasonings to this low-fat dish. Lower the heat to medium and let the vegetables cook through for approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.

When the vegetables are cooked to the point that they are hot and firm, but not mushy, you may begin adding the ingredients for the sauce. Add the chicken back to the vegetable skillet. Pour in 1/3 cup of lowfat milk, lemon zest, and parmesean to the vegetables. Simmer for 2 minutes while the pasta finishes cooking.

When the pasta is cooked and drained, add all of the ingredients to one pot (veggies, chicken & pasta). I used my my pasta pot to finish the dish because I knew it had the largest capacity. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the pasta and add any additional seasonings to taste.

Let cool for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and absorb into the first layer of the pasta. If you wish, you can add a bit of heavy cream or some flour to thicken the sauce, but you can trust me that this tastes great without these added calories!

Top with a little bit of extra freshly shredded parmesean and serve. We were both famished and ate ours in no time.

You are going to be so pleased with yourself after making this easy-peasy pasta primavera. It is a great way to sneak some vegetables into your diet — even some vegetables you have never tried before! Broccolini and squash are certainly not regulars in my kitchen, but we are loving them this week.

Happy Monday and see y’all next week!

Lindsey

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Lemon Sole with Baked Pasta

Mar 12, 2012 by Lindsey

Tonight’s dinner was easy, healthy, and extremely affordable. For less than $5 a plate, I put together two servings of delicious lemon sole with sides of baked penne pasta and asparagus.

You can tell from my previous recipes that I rarely cook fish. However, this lemon sole has me excited to change my ways and cook more fish in the future. Three pacific-caught dover sole fillets used in tonight’s dish only cost $3.99 and cooked in two minutes. I even checked on the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommendations to ensure that this was the best quality and eco-friendly fish that we could eat.

This blog post features recipes for both the lemon sole and the easy pasta bake. They were a great pairing because the dense pasta provided a nice escape from the light texture of the dover sole. Hope you enjoy!

 

Lemon Sole:

All you need for delicious lemon sole is a few fish fillets, 1 1/2 tbsp butter, 1/2 half cup of flour, one sliced lemon, and salt and pepper.

In a large ziploc bag or mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Coat the fish with the mixture while you melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the fish on the butter and cook for 1 minute.

After one minute, flip the fish and top with the lemon slices. Cook for another 1 minute and 30 seconds until the fish is completely translucent.

Serve without the lemon slices. This is a fantastic dish to serve when you are looking for a light, fluffy, and summery dinner. The fish falls apart easily, so be careful when transferring to your plates!

Easy Pasta Bake

This pasta dish is about as easy as they come. All you need is 1 lb penne pasta, 3/4 cup of olive oil, a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, and fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and toss the uncooked pasta with 3/4 cup of olive oil. Allow the pasta to soak in the oil in a large baking dish until the oven is preheated. When the oven is ready, toss the pasta with the can of crushed tomatoes and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Add a little salt and pepper if you’re into that.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the pasta every 10 minutes to ensure that the pieces on the bottom do not burn.

When finished, toss with plenty of parmesan cheese and serve.

How easy was that? Each of these recipes is great on its own merits, but we devoured them when served together. I also made a bit of sauteed asparagus for something green and crunchy. I hope you enjoy this dinner that won’t bust your budget or your waistline. Jason and I welcomed something light and satisfying after spending our afternoons running and biking around White Rock Lake!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

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Hearty Lasagna Soup

Jan 23, 2012 by Lindsey

This weekend was a blur. I am in class 7 days a week, so my Mondays feel like Saturdays, albeit with better TV. A lot of great things went on, though. I made this amazing soup on Sunday night, had dinner with friends on Friday, and I got a new dishwasher!

To many of you, this is understandably not a big deal. However, once you live for two months without a functioning dishwasher, you would understand why I did a happy dance when it was installed. I’m pretty certain that women like me were using dishwashers before they could legally vote, so I am glad to be caught up now. What did I cook to celebrate this week?

My version of Lasagna Soup.

My shiny new dishwasher was put to use quickly, as I had been waiting for it to be installed to cook this wonderful soup. I loosely based my version of lasgana soup from this one, substituting a few things like whole turkey sausage, beef stock, and cavatelli pasta. It was a hit in my house! This is more of a “stew” than a soup because the pasta absorbs so much of the liquid in the broth. You’ll find that serving up bowls of hot sausage, pasta, and cheese with fresh italian rolls just feels right on a wintery Sunday night. It tastes like a sweet, tomato-y, cheesy version of your favorite lasagna. We were happy campers at the end of this dish.

You really must know how I did this.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 links of italian turkey sausage, halved and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 medium can of diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
• 1 box small pasta, like cavatelli (fusilli would also be great)
• Cheese Topping: 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Using a large soup pot, brown the sausage in olive oil.

After 2-3 minutes, add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and sautee over medium-high heat.

When the onions are translucent and fragrant, add the tomato paste and stir for about four minutes, until it begins to turn a “burnt,” dark red color.

When the tomato sauce has begun to change colors, add the diced tomatoes and beef broth. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

At this point, it smelled so good that I was nudging hungry puppies and fiancees aside to keep them out of my blog photographs. They were all interested in what was going on! As soon as the soup begins to boil, add the whole box of cavatelli pasta. These little shells look so inviting!

Turn the heat down to a simmer and allow the pasta to cook  in the soup for approximately 8 minutes. Turn the heat off when the pasta is al dente (slightly firm), and the noodles will continue to cook fully while soup comes to room temperature.

While the pasta was cooking, I put 8 Whole-Foods brand frozen french rolls in the oven to serve with the soup. I was not excited about these rolls at first, but my goodness! They were delicious! Hot, fluffy, and hearty enough to hold up next to this robust lasagna soup. I’ll be buying these again.

Before serving the soup, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesean, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Top each bowl of soup with a generous tablespoon or two of the cheese mixture. As you eat, the cheese will permeate every nook and cranny of the noodles and sausage. A sprinkle of low-fat shredded mozzarella never hurt anyone, either. This is what puts the “lasagna” in lasagna soup.

Yum. This soup is surpringly sweet, tomato-y, cheesy and extremely hearty. The rolls were a perfect accompaniment to our dinner. I loved mixing the cheese in and watching it melt into the nooks of the tiny cavatelli noodles.

You’re going to love this. It’s one of the best soup recipes I’ve ever made.

I hope this brightens your week! Back to the books for this girl!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

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