Roasted Broccolini

I love baby broccoli - or, if you buy it at Trader Joe's "Broccolini."  A crazy lady I used to nanny for used to have broccolini in her house ALL THE TIME and I had to steam it for her kiddos anytime I made them dinner.  If I recall the kiddos never ate the steamed version & now I know why...  BECAUSE ROASTED BROCCOLINI is THE BEST!  :)  This is how I made our broccolini tonight.

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Rinse broccolini and pat dry
3.  Take out a cookie sheet and spread rinsed/dried broccolini on cookie sheet
4.  Drizzle EVOO over broccolini - toss with your hands to evenly cover broccolini with EVOO
5.  Sprinkle some good sea salt over EVOO coated broccolini
6.  Place cookie sheet in oven and roast broccolini until crispy (about 15-20minutes) - It's almost like broccolini chippies!
7.  Let cool slightly and serve as a side.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Photo courtesy of www.bhg.com

This recipe is one of my most favorite things to make in the fall!  I got it out of a Better Homes & Gardens Italian Cooking magazines a few years ago.  It's been a hit in our house ever since!  :)  One of the best things about it is that you don't have to roast the squash ahead of time.  Just peel, cube, and throw it in your lasagna layers!  :)  Sometimes I add ham if John is feeling the need for "meat."  :)  Oh & the no-boil noodles to make this SUPER easy!  :)

• 3
  pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 3
  tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/4
  cup butter
• 6
  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4
  cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 4
  cups milk
• 1
  tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
• 9
  no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 1/3
  cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese (5-1/2 oz.)
• 1
  cup whipping cream  (I usually just use milk)
  
  
  Directions:
  1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Place squash in the prepared baking pan. Add oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss gently to coat. Spread in an even layer. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring once. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

  2.For sauce: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in squash and rosemary.

  3.Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole. To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the the prepared baking dish. Layer three of the noodles in dish. Spread with one-third of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the Pamesan cheese. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese two more times. Pour whipping cream evenly over layers in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

  4.Cover dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more or until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
  
  
  
  

Spaghetti Squash with Veggies and Cheese

Do you love spaghetti squash but run out of inventive ways to cook it for dinner? I ran across this simple recipe today on allrecipes.com and was shocked at how amazing it turned out. I made a few tweaks of my own. The original recipe did not include the sausage, zucchini or green pepper but I think either way it would be delicious.

1 spaghetti squash halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tb. EVOO
1 yellow onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 zucchini sliced in half moons
1 can diced tomatoes (italian style) drained
1 small can sliced black olives
1 Lb. spicy italian sausage
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tb. fresh chopped basil
4oz cheese of your choice ie: italian mix, parmesan, feta etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place squash cut side down on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30-40 min. or until skin pierces easily with a fork.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet and sautee onions, green peppers, and sausage until sausage is nearly cooked through.
3. Add zucchini, and garlic and stir gently until sausage is cooked through and zucchini is soft and opaque.
4. Add tomatos, olives and basil and heat until warmed through.
5. Remove squash from oven and place aside until cool enough to handle.
6. Remove strands of squash and toss with skillet mixture and cheese (and butter if you're in the mood).

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

1 lb. spaghetti

1/3 c. olive oil

8 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c. freshly minced parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)

1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

Directions:

Bring water to boil, add 2 Tbs. salt and cook pasta according to directions on pkg. Reserve 1 1/2 c. water before draining pasta

Heat olive oil in large pot and cook garlic for 2 min. or until it turns golden on edges, stirring frequently; Add red pepper flakes, then reserve pasta water; Bring to a boil and then lower heat, add 1 tsp. salt and simmer for 5 min. until liquid is reduced by about a third

Add pasta to garlic sauce and toss; Off heat, add cheese and parsley and mix well; Allow pasta to rest 5 min. before serving ENJOY!!!!!

Homemade Vegetable Broccoli Soup!

Sorry no picture, but if you can imagine green creamy soup, that's what this looks like :)
I actually found this recipe online from a website called homemademothering. It is easy, yummy and great for those picky eaters when it comes to vegetables.

2 TBSP butter
1 Onion - diced
4-5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 C carrotts - diced
4 Medium Potatoes (I like 5 or 6 to make it a little thicker)
8 C liquid (water or broth)
3 medium heads of broccoli - chopped
(The recipe doesn't call for Cauliflower but I think it would be a great addition or use it in place of some of the potatoes for less carbs)

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat.
Add onions and saute until soft, about 6 minutes.
Add potatoes and carrotts, cook 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
Pour in liquid and bring to a boil.
Cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in chopped broccoli flourets and stems and cool until just begining to soften.
Puree using a handheld immersion blender or in batches using a regular counter top blender.

(note: I don't have an immersion blender so I used my counter top blender, let the soup cool down a little first!! I might be stating the obviouse but when I did it I was in such a hurry to get to work that I didn't have time to let it cool and the lid blew off from the pressure making a big green mess in the kitchen. Just fyi)

Red Pepper, Corn, Tomato Soup

April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day!

I decided to make a red pepper, corn, tomato soup to go with our grilled cheese on National Grilled Cheese Day! This recipe calls for fresh whole cherry tomatoes, whenever you get a bite with a cherry tomato in it there is a burst of sweetness! (That was my husbands favorite part.) The soup turned out really great, a little spicy but that's how I like my tomato soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 package of cherry tomatoes, keep whole
• 1 package of frozen corn, slightly thawed
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 small jar of salsa, I use Trader Joe's classic salsa
• a few dashes of hot sauce to add some spice
• S&P
• 2 tbl. EVOO
• Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Pour EVOO in a medium-large size pot, turn heat on medium high. Put onions in the pot and saute for about 3-4 minutes stirring around. Add bell peppers and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add corn and tomatoes to the pot, saute until corn is warmed about another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add broth, salsa and as much hot sauce as desired. Salt and pepper the soup.
4. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Blend about 1/3 of the soup in a blender, when returning the liquid to the pot pour through a colander with small holes to keep some of the tomato and bell pepper skins out. I wasn't super particular about this and my soup ended up a bit chunky but I was okay with that. Don't forget to let the soup cool a bit before you try to blend it.
6. Serve the soup with a bit of crumbled feta on top and a grilled cheese!

Tortellini SALAD

Tortellini Salad, a summer favorite in our house! This salad can be served warm or chilled. A great side dish for a summer BBQ's or potlucks! Can even be served as an entree with garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• one package of frozen or fresh tortellini (I prefer 3 cheese filling for this recipe)
• one container cherry/grape tomatoes
• 6 tbl. chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c. EVOO
• 2 tbl. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain pasta and run cold water over it once it's done cooking to cool it down a bit. Place in desired serving bowl.
2. Slice tomatoes in half, add to the pasta.
3. Prepare dressing, crush garlic in a small bowl, add chopped basil, EVOO, white vinegar, salt and sugar. Whisk together and drizzle over pasta and tomatoes. Toss to combine then chill in refrigerator or serve right away.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

I love a good Caesar salad in a restaurant but am often disappointed when I try and recreate the dish at home. Often times I'm disappointed because I fall back on a bottled Caesar dressing. This recipe offers an easy dressing that will knock your 'garlic' socks off! :-)

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves
• S&P
• rustic French bread (crusts removed, cut into small crouton size pieces)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 heads Romain lettuce (outer leaves discarded, inner leaves cut into strips)
• cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, crush 1 garlic clove and blend with some salt and 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Spread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, crush remaining garlic clove (I was tempted to add another garlic clove but was happy that I didn't; since the garlic is raw in the dressing it keeps its strength.) whisk in lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard and pepper. Slowly whisk in the EVOO.
3. In a large serving bowl, toss lettuce and tomatoes with vinaigrette and croutons. Serve immediately , garnished with shaved Parmesan.

Salmon Niçoise Salad

This easy french niçoise salad (pronounced ni-swaa) is a great fresh tasting main course! I was first introduced to this salad during my bridal shower. I loved the blanched vegetables and potatoes! This particular recipe calls for salmon which was a nice addition but not mandatory if you are looking for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 2 skinless salmon fillets (or about a 1lb. piece)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 heads of Romain lettuce
• Steamed Green Beans
• Fingerling Potatoes
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 3 Hard-Cooked Eggs
• 1 medium red onion
• 1/4 cup Kalamata (or black) olives
• Dijon Vinaigrette (see recipe below) 

Directions:

 

1. If you haven't already hard boiled your eggs, do that first so you can place them in an ice bath allowing them to cool down while you prepare everything else.

2. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil; add fingerling potatoes about four to five per person for each person you'll be serving. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 14 to 16 minutes.

3. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a bowl salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Add a generous handful of green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cool water, and set aside.

4. This recipe suggests you cook your salmon in a skillet on your range. I always cook my salmon under the broiler so I opted for that method. If you decide to broil your salmon place it on some foil S&P it and set it under the broiler for 7-10 minutes; until it is opaque throughout. Here is the skillet method: Fill a deep skillet with 1/4 inch water. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper; place in skillet. Bring water to a gentle simmer; cover, and cook until salmon is opaque throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate; flake with a fork, and let cool.

5. While salmon is cooking, tear lettuce into pieces, quarter potatoes and tomatoes, peel and quarter eggs, and thinly slice onion.

6. On a large platter (or four serving plates), arrange lettuce, salmon, green beans, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, onion, and olives. Serve with Dijon Vinaigrette on the side.

 

Dijon Vinaigrette:
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Garden Style Lasagna

photo from Cooking Light

This lasagna is so delicious!!!! I can't emphasize how good it was! I found the recipe in Cooking Light magazine, I've been getting this magazine for years but have never tried any recipes. I was a little hesitant at first because I've had the occasional vegi lasagna that has an over powering spinach taste or that just tastes bland, but this met and exceeded my every expectation. I did make a few changes to the recipe, for example it called for cottage cheese for the filling but I used ricotta cheese. I'm sure cottage cheese would've been "lighter" but I wanted to go with the more traditional lasagna filling.

This recipe does have a lot of steps and did take some time, but the end result is worth all the hard work you'll put into it. One tip, prep all your vegetables before you start cooking. It will allow for a much smoother cooking process!

Ingredients:

Serves 8

• 1 chopped onion
  
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
  
• EVOO
  
• 1 chopped zucchini
  
• 1 chopped yellow squash
  
• 3 thinly sliced carrot
  
• 1 bunch of broccoli chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 cups low-fat milk
  
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  
• Dash of nutmeg (optional)
  
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
  
• 2 cups preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, divided
• S&P
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with 1 tablespoons of EVOO. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with salt; toss well to combine.
5. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, S&P, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
6. Combine ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of ricotta cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
7. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Almond-Apple-Cherry Rice

When I first saw this recipe, it looked intimidating for some reason and sounded weird, but it turned out to be a wonderful vegetarian dinner. It was pretty easy and Kerry didn't even miss the meat :).

1cu. brown basmati rice (prepare according to package)

Cooking Spray

2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded

1Tb. olive oil

1 onion minced

1/3cu. chopped almonds

1/4tsp. minced garlic

1/4tsp. salt

1 unpeeled apple, chopped

1/4cu. dried cherries

Cook Rice according to package (basmati usually takes 30-40min.)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Place squash on sheet, cut side down. Roast for 35-40min or until you can pierce skin easily with a fork. Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash and rice are cooking, heat skillet over med heat, add olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and cook stirring often, for about 7min. Add almonds and cook stirring frequently for 5-7min. Stir in garlic and salt and cook for 5min. Remove from heat. Fluff rice and transfer to bowl. Add skillet mixture, apples and cherries to rice and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into squash.

Update and Sauteed Mushrooms

I've had a few people ask if I've been sticking with my resolution to make every recipe out of my magazine clipping collection before I have any repeats. The answer is YES! It has been fun, but sometimes Ben gets depressed when I make something he really likes. He says, "You're really not going to make this again until your done trying every recipe?" I suppose I can make a exception here and there but so far I haven't had any repeats. The following posts are a few of my newest finds/favorites.

I've had fun tracking our poll lately. Soup continues to be the winner, so all you Dinner-Belles out there lets post some good soup recipes! Here are the rest of the results to the poll for those who are wondering:

Soup - 25%

Dessert- 14%

Easy Meals (5 Items or less) - 14%

Gluten Free - 14%

Crockpot - 11%

Salads - 7%

Vegetarian - 7%

Steak - 4%

Pork - 4%

Chicken - 0%

Now for the sauteed mushrooms... I was making a salmon dish one night and decided to serve it with mushrooms. Things got a little crazy, I had too many pots going at once so I hollered for Ben to help. He happily took care of the mushrooms. As he was making the mushrooms he was quoting from Julie and Julia, "don't crowd the mushrooms!"

Ben did an excellent job at sauteeing the mushrooms they turned out to be the best thing on the plate that night. The salmon I was making had a white sauce over it and neither of us cared for the sauce, so I won't be posting that one!

These mushrooms are truly tasty and would be a great side kick to any meal, try em out!

Ingredients:

Serves 2

• >1 tsp. EVOO
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms (I got the cheap cremini kind)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; season with S&P, and cook until tender and lightly browned, 12-13 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar.

Baked Ziti with Crunch Garlic Bread

photo from: Everyday Food

This recipe is easy and quick to make and the crunchy garlic bread is a nice addition!  Ben and I are trying to have one meatless meal a week, we've found that it cuts down on our grocery bill and makes us (me) be more creative in meal planning.  I know pasta isn't that crazy of an alternative to meat but this was our meatless for the week.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 8 ounces ziti rigate (I used rigatoni)
  
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
  
• 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups) I LOVE Classico Brand, Spicy Tomato Basil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
   
3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
   
5. Serve with your favorite salad!