Portobella Mushroom Lasagna

I made this Lasagna last week and I thought it was AMAZING.  It really was easy and would be delicious if you added some spinach or even more mushrooms than recommended.  Mushrooms cook down so much that I think the more the better!! The best part about the recipe is that you can make the entire thing ahead of time too.  So I made it all during nap time and then it was ready to just throw in the oven when we were ready to eat.

 I thought it was fitting to share an Ina Garten recipe today because I just got notice that her new cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey, just shipped to me!!! Yippy!!  I can't wait to read it.

Portabello Mushroom Lasagna
via

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

I hope you enjoy :)

Sweet Potato + Kale + Quinoa Fritters

These little fritters caught my eye because we love sweet potatoes in my family and I thought the kids might like them too.  I knew the fritters alone would not qualify as a complete dinner for hubby, so we grilled some chicken along with these.  I thought they were really tasty and a great way to sneak some greens in for the kids.  

I will admit that they were a little labor intensive.  But it helps if you can do a little bit ahead of time like cooking the sweet potatoes and quinoa and then you can assemble it all and just fry them up when it's time for dinner!  

It made a lot and we froze the extras too :)

Sweet Potato, Kale and Quinoa Fritters

via

Ingredients

3 cups Sweet potato, about 1 large-2 medium potatoes, stemmed and pureed.

2 cups Quinoa, cooked

2 cups Kale, chopped chiffonade

2 Eggs

3 teaspoons Cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 pinch smoked paprika

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4-6 tablespoons grape seed oil, or coconut oil, to pan fry them

Dipping Sauce:

(we just used a little sour cream as sauce but you can make this)

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 pinch salt

1 pinch black pepper

Sriracha Sauce, to taste.

Instructions

1. De vein the Kale, make it into a tight roll and chop chiffonade style.

2. In a medium size bowl, place all ingredients and mix well.

3. In a medium size pan heat up about 4-6 tablespoons of grape seed oil, peanut oil or coconut oil. With a small Ice cream scooper scoop about 6 patties into the pan and slightly flatten the tops. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

4.Cool them on a rack.

5. Mix all ingredients of the dipping sauce on a small bowl.

Serve fritters while warm or at room temperature, with the ginger sauce on the side and some hot sauce of your preference. I highly recommend Sriracha…I love it….Enjoy!

Happy cooking!

 

Chicken Piccata + Cucumber Tomato Salad

After Matt's surgery on Monday, my Mom was kind enough to come over and cook some dinner for us all.  She made the best chicken piccata and a simple little salad.  We are huge fans of Italian around here.  They are usually pretty easy and can just be served with salad and some garlic bread if you want.  Here's the recipe that she whipped up for us:

Chicken Piccata
adapted via

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut in half so they aren't so thick then pounded if needed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock or broth

1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

This salad is so easy but really is delicious. 

Fresh Mozzarella 

Good Tomato

Cucumbers

Sliced Onion

Italian Dressing

Cut your vegetables and then toss everything together with Italian dressing. Refreshing and delicious! 

Some of our other Italian favorites:

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

Crockpot Eggplant Parmesan

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Bolognese 

Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

Chicken Marsala is one of my favorites and I can't believe I haven't shared that one on here yet!

 

Hot Sausage Buffalo Dip

I made this dip for Labor Day weekend football games and it was licked clean.  When someone asked the name of it, they were shocked to hear that it was made with sausage instead of chicken. It was so good and easy to make.  I highly recommend it!

Hot Sausage Buffalo Dip

via Plain Chicken

1 lb turkey sausage or regular sausage, cooked and crumbled

1 (8oz) package Greek cream cheese or regular cream cheese, softened 

1/4 to 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce 

1/4 cup prepared ranch dressing 

1/4 cup sour cream 

1 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 green onion, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl combine sausage, cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, wings sauce, and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 8x8 baking dish. Top the dip with chopped green onion and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Great with Tostito or Frito Scoops

 

The BEST truffled Mac & Cheese

I have made a ton of different home made Mac & Cheese dishes over the years and have never shared one with you guys because we can't seem to find the perfect one.  We love it creamy and have tried using velveeta , cream cheese, gourmet cheese, lobster, bacon, you name it, to try and get it just right and always fall short. Because apparently we were missing the key ingredient...truffle oil.  It's such a small amount, but adds so much flavor. Wait until you try this.

Truffled Mac & Cheese

via William Sonoma

Comforting macaroni and cheese reaches a new level with a drizzle of sumptuous truffle oil. 

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter for baking dish, plus 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) 

Salt, to taste

1 lb. elbow macaroni 

2 tsp. truffle oil 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 tsp. sweet paprika 

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard 

2 cups milk 

1 cup half-and-half

Freshly ground pepper, to taste 

1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese 

1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese 

2 Tbs. minced fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, drizzle with the truffle oil and stir well.

Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and melt the 4 Tbs. butter. Add the flour, paprika and mustard and cook, stirring well, until no visible flour remains, 1 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half-and-half and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, whisking frequently to smooth out any lumps, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add a pinch of pepper and 1 cup each of the Gruyère and cheddar. Stir until smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce onto the macaroni, add the chives and stir well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma One Pot of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2012).

:: Love this Idea ::

Try baking individual portions in buttered muffin pans, and pass a tray of mini macs at your next party.

 

Veal Parmesan Recipe

We were talking about Italian food all weekend long, so when I was in the grocery today; I thought I would try my hand at some veal parmesan.  We love chicken parmesan and have cooked that several times, but I don't think I've ever used veal at home.  It turned out pretty delicious and a nice change since we eat chicken a lot around here. 

Don't be intimidated if it looks like a lot of steps.  It's really simple.  I was able to prep the veal ahead of time and then throw it in a frying pan and then into the oven when we were ready to eat. 

Veal Parmesan 

via

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry, unseasoned bread crumbs (I used panko)

1 cup, plus 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon each minced fresh parsley and basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon water

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

8 veal scallops (scallopine)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (I love Mario Batali Tomato Basil)

8 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, salt and pepper in a pie plate. Set aside. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and water. Set aside. 

On a plate, spread the all-purpose flour. Coat the veal scallops with the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg mixture and then coat with the bread crumb mixture, patting with your fingers to make the crumbs adhere.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veal and saute until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cutlets and cook, 2 to 3 minutes more, adding a little more oil if the pan looks dry. Remove veal scallops to a plate and blot with paper towels.

Lightly oil a baking pan or shallow baking dish. Spoon into the pan 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Arrange the veal scallops over the sauce, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with the mozzarella slices and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. 

If you wish to brown the top, remove the foil and run the dish briefly under a broiler.

Serve over angel hair pasta

Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

I've always wanted to try doing a stuff pepper or stuffed zucchini boat recipe, but never have.  I finally tried one last night and it was quite delicious.  When I was strolling through Target, I found a bad of shredded cauliflower.  I was so excited because I had also been wanting to do some cauliflower rice.  I mostly just made up this recipe as I went along and really there are a lot of variations you could do with it.  My husband ate a stuffed red pepper and then also grabbed a tortilla and made one taco.  It is a perfect meal to be flexible with and use what you have around the house.  Here is what I threw together!

Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 Bell Peppers

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 packet taco seasoning 

1/2 large onion diced

1 can Rotel tomatoes

2 ears of corn

1 bag shredded cauliflower or use regular rice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Slice tops off of bell peppers and clean out the seeds.  Place in casserole dish standing up and bake on 350 for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile,  boil water to cook corn and sauté the beef.  Drain and add in taco seasoning.  In a separate pan, saute onion and cauliflower in a little olive oil for 5 minutes or so.  Add to beef.  Add in the corn cut off the cob.  Pour filling into each bell pepper, top with shredded cheese and stick back in the oven for about 10 minutes.   Top with sour cream. 

All the stuffing put together... You can also eat this by itself or throw on top of some shredded lettuce.

How awesome is this??

Hope you enjoy as much as we did!