Chicken Tortilla Soup

On a crisp fall evening a nice bowl of soup always hits the spot.  This soup has a little spice to it also to really warm you up.   My husband has been asking for this soup recently since I hadn't made it in awhile and he loves it.  I had come across the recipe originally in a USA magazine in the Sunday paper and then misplaced the recipe. We tried a different one, but we like this one so much better. And I think it is a simple soup that is quick to pull together.

Recipe:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breast, split
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 yellow onion diced
3 garlic gloves minced
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobe sauce seeded and minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernals
tortilla chips
avocado (to top)
lime wedges
shredded cheese, cheddar or mexican blend

In a bowl combine chicken with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and chili powder.  In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Brown chicken on each side about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pot allow to cool and shred.  Add onion to pot and cook about 3-4 minutes until golden and soft.  Add garlic and chipotle peppers, cook another 1 minute until fragrant.   Add tomatoes and beans to the pot.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer 5 minutes.  Add corn and shredded chicken to soup.  Allow to simmer another 10-15 minutes. 
To serve place tortilla chips in bottom of bowl, ladle soup on top.  Serve topped with avocado slices, shredded cheese and lime wedges.

Chicken Burger with Parsnip "Fries"

In my ever quest to use leaner meats in my cooking I atempted my first chicken burger.  Yes the chicken is a better option then beef, however I'm not saying this is the perfect healthy burger as it has nice bits of bacon throughout!  The use of shredded apple and honey keep the burger moist a little sweet.  We found that a little honey mustard on this burger with some spinach worked very well.  To give the affect of french fries with all that fat we made parnsip fries.  These were seasoned and tossed with a little olive oil and roasted in the oven.  All around a very flavorful meal.

Burger:

1 lb ground chicken

1 stalk of celery finely chopped

1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning

1 apple shredded (medium sized, I used mactintosh but granny smith would work well)

2 tablespoons honey

salt and pepper to taste

4 strips of cooked bacon crumbled

Toasted buns

Optional Toppings:

dijon or honey mustard

spinach

cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl combine seasoning, celery, apple, bacon, honey.  Add in chicken and mis to just combined, don't over mix.  Form into four patties.  Cook on grill or griddle, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Place on bun and add optional toppings.

* Since this recipe makes four patties I did freeze two cooked patties between parchment paper for another night.

Keep scrolling for Parnsip Fries recipe

Parsnip Fries:
2-3 parsnips peeled and sliced into sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried thyme crushed (or Rosemary)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parnsips on a foil lined baking sheet.  Toss to olive oil and all seasonings.  Bake 10 minutes then turn parsnips over. Bake another 10 minutes.  Should be golden brown and fork tender.

Roasted Crusted Winter Squash

Yummy Winter Squash

This is the time of year for lots of squash.  It's is in abundance in the markets.  I was recently given a winter squash from relatives.  I stared at it for a few days not sure what I wanted to do with it.  I came up with this easy side to serve along with some fish.  And since I am always trying to eat more vegetables we also had broccoli with this meal.  Winter squash can also be used roasted simply and tossed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.  This would also work well mashed with a little maple syrup as this squash had a little sweetness to it.  So I am slowly learning what to make with all those different squash I see in the produce section right now.

Recipe:

1 winter squash, peeled and seeded

1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash into 1 inch wedges.  Spray one side with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.  Mix rest of ingredients together.  Dip squash into mixture, sprayed side into mixture.  Place on a baking sheet.   Bake about 20 minutes or until fork tender.  

I like to cover my baking sheets with foil for easy clean up!

2 Unique Uses for Hot Dog Buns

I think most people find themselves with the dilemma of having leftover hot dog buns.  It's one of life's great mysteries why the amount of hot dogs in a package do not match the number of buns in a package.  So lately instead of letting the buns become a science experiment in my bread drawer I have been trying to use them in other ways besides just holding my hot dog.  So far this is what I have some up with, please if you have more ideas share them!

1. Surpising the hot dog buns make wonderful french toast.  They soak up the butter that they are cooked in and are light.  Simple make a mixture of egg, little bit of milk, spinkle or two of cinnamin and a splash of vanilla.  Dip the buns in the mixture and cook them on a buttered griddle.  To make a complete meal you may leave the buns connected when cooking and place a sausage link or bacon inside to make a breakfast sandwich.
2. Recently I made a pot of soup and was looking for some bread to dunk in my bowl.  Again staring at me from the counter were some leftover hot dog buns.  I decided to turn them into crispy flavorful croutons to place in my bowl.  I cut up the buns into chunks and tossed them in a bowl with italian seasoing, garlic powder, onion powder, and olive oil.  Lay them flat in one layer on a baking sheet  and toast in a 375 oven until golden brown. 

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

 

This was a delicious meatless meal.  It is easy to make.  Takes a little time to roast the spaghetti squash but easy.  I admit my husband said in his mind when smelling it and looking at it he expected there to be some meat inside, so it took a few bites to get his head wrapped around what he was eating. 

 

Recipe:

 

1 spaghetti squash

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 onion diced

1 cup shredded cheese

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon of oregano

avocado slices and salsa to serve (optional but recommended)

 

heat oven to 375 degrees.  Split squash in half and place face side up on a baking sheet.  Roast for 50-55 minutes.  Allow to cool enough to handle and using a fork shred the squash into "noodles"

 

In a large skillet heat olive oil.  Add the onion, peppers, garlic.  Saute 3-4 minutes.  Add cumin, chili, powder, and oregano. Cook another minute.  Add the black beans and corn cook through. 2-3 minutes.  Add spaghetti squash to mixture and stir to combine.  Place mixture into shells of the squash top with cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is melted.  Top with avocado slices and your favorite salsa and enjoy. 

Leftover Roasted Chicken

This past Sunday my husband and I enjoyed a delicious roast chicken.  However we are only two people with a 7lb chicken! So needless to say over the next few days we saw that chicken used in a few other ways.  I think leftover roast chicken or a rotisserie chicken is one of the easiest things to use.  Below are three ways we used the chicken.

A delicious chicken salad sandwich: chicken, mashed avocado, little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Topped with spinach, tomato and a slice of cheddar cheese.

BBQ Chicken Taco:  Mix some leftover chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce and warm in microwave.  Warm tortilla in a pan. Add some cheese, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro.



Open Face Chicken Sandwich:  In a pan heat gravy and chicken together.  Meanwhile toast some bread topping with little olive oil and garlic powder.  Place chicken and gravy on top of toast.

Roast Chicken with Vegetables

Ahhh nothing more satisfying then the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven on a cool Autumn day.  A recent trip to a fall festival meant that we came home with a bountiful of apples and vegetables.  A sale on whole chickens at the grocery also spurred this meal on! And this chicken will feed us for a couple of days, as it is just my husband and I.  I think one of my favorite vegetables roasted has to be carrots.  I love this meal also for the fact that onions on the bottom of the pan give everything a hint of the sweetness that comes from onions caramelizing.  This was the first time I roasted radishes and we enjoyed them greatly.  Some potatoes round the group being roasted.  

With a chicken like this I look forward to using leftovers for different sandwiches for lunch in the up coming days.  But I think tomorrow night will be some open faced chicken and gravy sandwiches!

Recipe:

5-7 lb chicken

1/2 lemon

3-4 garlic cloves

olive oil

1 tablespoon of herbs de provence

salt and pepper

Vegetables:

1 onion cut in wedges

5-6 red potatoes quartered

4-5 radishes halved

3-4 carrots cut into chunks

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon herb de provence

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove giblets, rinse chicken inside and out.  Dry with paper towels.  Season inside of chicken with salt and pepper.  Place garlic cloves and lemon inside chicken.  Season outside of chicken with herbs de provence and salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and massage oil and herbs into chicken.  

On a ridged baking sheet place onion on bottom.  In a bowl mix remaining vegetables with herbs and olive oil.  Place chicken on top of onions with breast side up.  Arrange vegetables around the chicken.  Place in oven.  Cook 1/2-2 hours depending on size of chicken.  Cook until meat thermometer measures 165 degrees.  If chicken starts to brown too much tent with foil.  Allow chicken to rest about 15 minutes before slicing.  

Tasted great served with pan gravy or pan juices.  Get all that yummy flavor from the chicken and the vegetables.

Couscous with Corn and Zucchini

This recipe was created as I was cooking dinner one evening.  Looking to use some zucchini and an ear of corn I had on hand this side dish was made.  It was the perfect dish to accompany some baked chicken.  Even better is the ease and quickness of this dish.  We also enjoyed the leftovers as a quick lunch the next day.  

Recipe:

1 cup of couscous

1 1/4 chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 zucchini cup into bite size pieces

2 ears of corn, kernels removed

1/3 cup of tomato sauce

1 teaspoon of herbs de provence

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

grated parmesan cheese to top

In a medium pot bring broth and couscous to boil.  Simmer covered until most of liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile in a medium pan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the zucchini and corn kernels.  Cook until zucchini is soft. Season with herb de provence.  Add the tomato sauce and cook 3-4 minutes.  Add cooked couscous to pan and cook another minute mixing with vegetable mixture.  Serve with a little grated parmesan cheese on top.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

 

Fall is here, you can tell by all the pumpkin offereings in the stores. From pumpkin munchkins at Dunkin Donuts to all the pumpkin lattes in the coffee places.  It is something I am always eager for the arrival of and sad to see it leave.  Seems like pumpkins are everywhere this season.  I will have to get out to do some pumpkin picking next weekend.  I love to carve a nice jack-o-lantern and roast the seeds.  For today however I am using canned pumpkin puree to make a very moist pumpkin crumb cake.  I will be honest the taste of pumpkin is not strong in this cake, but the pumpkin helps to keep this cake moist.  It does have walnuts in the cake but that is optional and if there are any nut allergies simply leave them out.

 

Recipe:   (taken from Entenmann's Big Book of Baking)

 

Cake Batter1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

2-3 tablespoons of Confectioner's sugar sifted for  dusting on top

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease cake pan 13x9.

To make the topping, combine 2/3 cup oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Add butter and cut in until crumbly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oats. Set to one side.

Sift the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar and 1 egg at a time. Add the pumpkin and vanilla extract to the wet batter mix. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the batter. Slowly add the milk and stir in the walnuts (optional). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread with the topping.  Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool.

 

 

 

Creamy Tortellini with Asparagus

 

This is a quick easy creamy pasta dish that can be served as a side or a full meal.  This is also a nice change up from regular marina sauce.  We ate this along with some stuffed flank steak, so definitely a treat night for as we don't always eat red meat or a creamy alfredo sauce.  I had a bunch of asparagus on hand so used that along with the pasta, but peas or any other vegetable would work well. 

 

Recipe:

 

1lb. of tortellini pasta

1 bunch of asparagus trimmed and cut into pieces

1 cup of milk

1 shallot thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Bring pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta.  In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil.  Saute shallot and asparagus for 2-3 minutes until golden and soft.  Stir in flour.  Whisk in milk slowly and bring to boil.  Add cooked pasta, cheese, and salt and pepper.  Serve.

 

 

 

 

Stuffed Flank Steak

Lately we do not eat a lot of red meat.  However a few times a month we just have to have some.  This week I went with some flank steak.  I saw an interesting recipe online, sadly I did not have all the ingredients.  So I was forced to improvise with what I had in the fridge.  This delicious steak is stuffed with salami, provolone, spinach, and red peppers. All the favors worked beautifully together.  It paired well with a side of creamy tortellini pasta with asparagus.

Recipe:

2 lb flank steak, pounded little thin

2 roasted red peppers ( I had some in a jar)

5 slices of genoa salami , enough to cover meat in one layer ( or prosciutto)

4 slices of provolone, enough to cover meat in one layer

1 1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach 

Lay steak flat, layer salami, cheese, peppers, and spinach on top.  Roll steak and secure with cooking twine. ( or if like me and don't have any on hand some toothpicks). In a skillet with little olive oil cook 3-4 minutes on each side.  Place in a roasting pan and in a oven at 375 cook for 20 minutes.  Test with meat thermometer to make sure meat is 155-160. 

"Octoberfest" Turkey Burger

On eof the best things about fall is the change of menu.  Bringing in apples, pumpkin, and more comfort foods.  Beign that today is October 1st it seems like a good time to also think about octoberfest. This is a delicious perfect burger for October.  I discovered this in EveryDay with Rachel Ray it was the burger of the month.   It sounded interesting and I happened to have some ground turkey on hand.  So why not give it a try. I think the flavors worked well together and it will stay moist. The added bacon drippings help a lot.  And it pairs very well with a pale ale or your favorite lager.  Serve it at your  Octoberfest party.  My husband must have liked it as he rated it blog-worthy!

Recipe: (from EveryDay with Rachel Ray October 2013)

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 slices bacon, finely chopped

1/2 cupped onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp superfine sugar or 1 tbsp light agave nectar
2 tbsp cidar vinegar
1 1/2-2 lbs ground turkey
salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 slices mustard seed- flavored Beemster (gouda) OR smoked Gouda
4 rolls split toasted (I used a brioche, but a pretzel roll would be awesome)
spicy brown mustard
sauerkraut, warmed
bread and butter pickles

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  crisp the bacon bits, 2-3 minutes, keep stirring. Add in the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring 2-3 minutes.  Add the sugar and vinegar, stir.  Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl, season the turkey with and pepper.  Add the parsley, Worcestershire and the cooked bacon mixture and drippings.  Stir to combine, then form 4 patties.  Heat skillet over medium-high.  Add burger and cook, 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping only once. Place cheese on top and melt.  Slather bun with mustard, top with saurkraut and pickles.  Enjoy. 

Mini Banana Nut Muffins

I like making mini muffins since they allow for portion control.  Sometime a big muffins is just too much, and what are you going to do start to eat it and get partway through and stop!  No, you must finish it.  Mini muffins allow for a smaller portion and most of the time just enough of a good thing.  These are like banana bread with yummy crumb topping.  With these, yes the base is good, but the crumb topping is a must.  Enjoy!

Recipe:

1 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 over ripe mashed bananas

1/2 c sugar

1 egg

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• TOPPING
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp butter
• GREASE OR LINE MINI MUFFIN TIN WITH BAKN PAPER CUPS.
• IN A LARGE BOWL MIX FLOUR, BAKN POWDER, BAKN SODA, N SALT. IN ANOTHER BOWL MIX MASHD BANANAS, VANILLA EXTRACT, MELTD BUTTER, BEATN EGG N SUGAR. STIR BANANA MIXTURE INTO FLOUR MIXTURE JUST UNTIL MOISTENED.
• WITH A SMALL SPOON FILL PAPER CUP LINERS WITH BATTER...LEAVN A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM FOR CRUMB TOPPN. PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.
• IN A SMALL BOWL MIX BROWN SUGAR, FLOUR, CINNAMON. CUT BUTTER INTO THIS MIXTURE...I USED MY FINGERS N ROLLD IT INTO MIXTURE. TOP EACH MUFFIN W/CRUMB TOPPING. 
• BAKE FOR 10-12 MIN

 **I did find that these froze well.  As there is just my husband and I most baking recipes just make too much to keep around the house.  So I try to freeze items to use later.

Eggplant "Meatballs"

As summer is coming to a close my husband garden is still producing plenty of eggplant.  We've tried some different eggplant recipes this summer along with some old favorites.  This morning I already had the plan to make my Eggplant Lasagna, however there were two eggplants in my fridge.  And sadly both needed to be used or they were going to go bad shortly.  I prepped and made the lasagna so that it could just go right into the oven later.  This took care of one eggplant.  The other one seemed to mock me from the fridge waiting for what it's fate would be.  After some exploring on Pinterest I came across a recipe for eggplant meatballs.  I came across my delerious kitchen's version.  I based mine on their recipe but made some alterations.  

I found that one ball on a piece of an onion roll with some basil pesto was a perfect light lunch.  They would also work with any other sauce that one might eat a regular meatball with.  I am happy with the turnout of these.  They are certainly a healthier option to friend meatballs, as these are meatless, and baked.

Recipe:

2tablespoons of Olive oil

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon basil

2 teaspoons oregano

3 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup of bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons of parsley.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with oil.  

In a medium pan heat olive oil on medium heat.  Saute garlic, once fragrant add basil and oregano.  Saute about 1 minute.  Add the eggplant and cook until golden.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover.  Steam the eggplant until very soft, approximately 10- 15 minutes.  Place eggplant into a bowl and allow to cool.  

Into the bowl add the cheeses, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, and salt/pepper to taste.  Mix until just combined.  Form balls and place on cooking sheet.  Cook 30 minutes, turning halfway.  

Chewy Granola Bars

My husband and I are huge granola bar eaters.  They are usually our go to snack in the afternoon or a quick grab rushing out the door in the morning.  I have tried to make them in the past and for whatever reason never quite got them right.  This recipe is just what was needed.  These came out so delicious.  They are a chewy bar, which is what we like.  I do admit I goofed on these but have to say my goof worked and they tasted great!  I decided to add chocolate chips but they wound up melting into the bars. So every bite has a nice chocolate taste, what could be wrong with that?  Key is to make sure to let them cool completely before touching them.

1 cup butter

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 cups oats

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1 Tbsp flour

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. 

  

In a medium saucepan place butter, honey, sugar, and melt over a medium-low heat. About 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, cranberries, chocolate chips, flour, and salt.  Add the butter mixture folding into dry mixture until just combined. (this is where I goofed and it melted my chocolate chips....but oh so yummy).  Gently press mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Using parchment paper overhang transfer to cutting board to cut.

*I kept my in a rubbermaid container in layers separated by parchment paper.

Ricotta Pancakes

Recently my husband made his own ricotta cheese, and one afternoon I bought a container of ricotta cheese forgetting we had homemade in the fridge.  So now we had a lot of ricotta and what to do with it all.  After browsing a few different recipes on pinterest I decided to try and make ricotta pancakes.  It seemed like perfect timing for a Sunday morning, and a uneventful one also.  I have to say I love these pancakes.  They are very light and fluffy.  And perfect with fresh fruit on top.  We found too that no butter  was needed as they are cooked with some.  I was also amazed how easy they were to cook.  Nothing stuck and since they are so light they were very easy to flip.  And being that it is just the two of us We made all the batter and I am freezing them, hopefully they will taste just as good during the week!

1 1/3 cup ricotta (I threw whole 15 oz container in)
1 cup flour
4 eggs separated
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk
zest of one lemon
Fresh fruit and maple syrup to serve

Mix together egg yolks and milk in a large bowl.  Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into the batter. Add the lemon zest and ricotta cheese, mix.  Make sure not to over mix some lumps of cheese are good.  Heat a griddle with butter and using 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake cook about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden.


**I made all the batter then laid the extra pancakes on a sheet pan on top of a silicone mat. I placed the pan in the freezer and froze pancakes.  Separate each pancake with parchment paper and store in a container.  Reheat in the toaster.

Eggplant Lasagna

So far this summer my husband's garden is not yielding a lot of produce. One thing we seem to have a lot of every week are plum tomatoes.  Making me crush and make lots of homemade tomato sauce.  We have had pizza a few nights to enjoy that sauce.  This week also he plucked an eggplant from the garden.  A recent cleaning out of the pantry I discovered a box of lasagna noodles hiding in the back.  And it was that box that prompted this meal.  It was also the perfect time in the week to make a bigger meal that would yield plenty of leftovers for us since I know tomorrow night our schedules will not match up and we would each be on our own for dinner.  Also looking at the basket of tomatoes and the eggplant on my counter I knew I had to do something with it all since we had some plans to eat out this week it was now or never before the produce went bad.  And I could not let that happen.  So we instead enjoyed this wonderful meal.  And as my husband noted he did not miss the usual meat that was typically found in lasagna. 

Lasagna Recipe:

28 oz tomato sauce

1-2 eggplant thinly sliced (depending on size) *I like to peel mine but you don't have to

1 15oz. container ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 box no boil lasagna noodles

1 teaspoon oregano

1  egg

1 cup mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet place eggplant slices sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast ten minutes, flipping halfway through

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. In a medium bowl mix ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup parmesan, and oregano.  In a lasagna pan (I only had an oval casserole dish so I wound up breaking noodles to fit) place sauce in bottom of dish to coat.  Place a layer of noodles. Layer with eggplant.  Spread some cheese mixture on eggplant then coat with sauce.  Repeat this process.  Make sure to top with a layer of lasagna noodles covered with sauce, then remaining parmesan and mozzarella.  Bake about 50 minutes covered with foil until bubbling. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes.

Homemade Tomato Sauce:

plum tomatoes ( I had a colander full)

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 onion diced

5-6 leaves fresh basil

1/2 tablespoon oregano

pinch of red pepper flake

salt and pepper

In a pot of water boil tomatoes about 10 minutes or until skins crack.  Drain.  Place tomatoes in a mill and churn until only skins are left.  In a skillet heat olive oil and add onion, cook about 203 minutes until softened.  Add garlic cook another minute.  Add rest of spices.  Add tomato sauce.  Simmer 15 minutes.  

Pressed Vegetable Picnic Sandwich

Summer is the perfect time to plan a picnic.  And nothing travels better then a pressed sandwich.  This one is inspired by a french pan bagnat.  This is a meatless sandwich consistently of mainly vegetables. I also love the combination of pesto and olive tapenade on this sandwich. All are layered on the bread then wrapped and pressed using a heavy skillet or pan while it chills in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight.  I think mine could have pressed a little longer.  I could barely fit my mouth around this monster of a sandwich! Sadly I had prepared these sandwiches to take to a outdoor movie night in the local park, however due to rain we ate at our kitchen table and rented a movie to watch from our couch.  

Sandwich pairs well with a nice glass of wine and a tomato/cucumber salad.




Sandwiches:

crusty bread (ciabatta, baguette etc..)
Roasted vegetables, I used 1 small zucchini, 1 small eggplant, 1 bell pepper  (slice all vegetables toss with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and herb de provence place on baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 15 minutes at 375)
4 oz goat cheese
2 tablespoons of pesto
2 tablespoons of olive tapenade*
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Allow vegetables to cool.  Cut bread, remove some of the inside if very thick.  On one half spread the pesto, on the other half spread the olive tapenade.  On the pesto side spread goat cheese.  Layer vegetables on bread.  Top with drizzle of olive oil and spinach. Close sandwich.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in Ziploc bag.  Place in fridge with a heavy skillet or pan on top.  Chill 4 hours or overnight.


*Olive Tapenade:
2 anchovy fillet ( used a teaspoon of anchovy paste)
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mash all ingredients (except olive oil) together to form a paste,  whisk in olive oil

Summer Side Salad

This summer  it's all about different cold salads.  They are easy, and are portable for lunches.  This one uses quinoa, wheat berries, and couscous as the base.  Added to that are some fresh garden vegetables, dressed with a  simple vinaigrette.   This can be used as a side or even as a meal when served over some fresh spinach with some grilled chicken.

If you have not had wheat berries they add a nice nutty taste. Quinoa are small grains that are a filling whole grain.  Couscous are little pearls of pasta. 

I admit I am not a fan of fresh tomatoes I am often picking them out of things
but my husband loves them so for this I only placed one little chopped tomato
in. Please feel free to add more!


Salad:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (*I cooked the quinoa and wheat berries together as they took the same amount of time and water)
1/2 cup cooked wheat berries
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 small carrot peeled and diced
1-2 green onion diced
1/2 zucchini diced
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons  red wine vinegar
4 tabelspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon herb de provence
salt and pepper to taste

Cook grains according to package.  While they cook dice vegetables.  Once grain are cooked place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking and allow to cool.  Add chopped vegetables.  Drizzle with vinaigrette when serving.






Works well paired up with some fresh baby spinach

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

A stir fry is a great meal to use whatever you have on hand.  The protein can be changed, I used pork, but chicken, steak, and/or shrimp can be used.  It's also easy enough to change up the vegetables to use whatever you have on hand.  The original version of this recipe called for red bell pepper and snow peas.  I had leftover zucchini and carrot cut from making carrot zucchini muffins so they made their way into the stir fry along with snow peas.  Other veggies that will be wonderful in here would be mushrooms, bell peppers, and baby corn.  Another easy enough swamp would be to switch up the cashews for peanuts.  I used packages of ramen noodles since that is what I had on hand, but any other type of noodle or rice can be used. It's part of the ease of a stir fry is that are easy enough to adapt to what you have.

Recipe:

1 lime juiced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons chili sauce
8 oz boneless thin cut pork cutlets (I have three pieces)
3 packages of ramen noodles (udon noodles, lo mein noodles, or spaghetti can also be used)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups  sliced vegetables, I used sliced carrots, zucchini, and snow peas cut in half
1 green onion thinly sliced, green and white parts
1/3 cup of cashews

In a bowl whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, cornstarch, honey, and chili sauce.  Toss the pork in the marinate and set aside.

Prepare noodles in boiling water.  Once noodles are cooked drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to keep from sticking.

Heat vegetable oil in pan.  Once hot add garlic and then pork.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add the marinade also.  Add in the vegetables.  Cook about 5 minutes until vegetable soften.  Add noodles in pan to coat. Serve topped with sliced green onion and cashews.

Zucchini Carrot Mini Muffins

(now the carrots and zucchini need to be grated these were my leftovers I cut for use in my dinner but figured the picture would look good!)

Summer's bounty of fresh veggies from the garden make for a great reason to make these delicious little treats.  These are the perfect size for a breakfast on the go or an afternoon snack.  I think being loaded with all the veggies keep these very moist. Now the original recipes I came across left them open to add some walnuts if you like, but I did not have any on hand so I added some raisins I found in my cupboard.  Feel free to leave out the raisins if you like.

** if you do not want to eat them all at once these can be frozen for up to three months.

Zucchini Carrot Mini Muffins

1/2 c. brown sugar  

2 Tablespoons canola oil

big pinch of kosher salt

1 lg. egg

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 cup carrots, grated

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to  375 degrees F and lightly spray min- muffin pans or place liners in the pan.

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, oil, salt, and egg.  Add the zucchini, carrot and mix well.  In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet mixture, mix in raisins, working the batter only just until all ingredients are moistened.  Divide the batter evenly into the cups and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center is removed clean, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to sit in the cups about 5 minutes before turning out on a baking rack to cool completely.