Tiramisu

This is our new favorite dessert.  Not an exaggeration -- we were talking to some family about favorite desserts and this tiramisu topped both of our lists.  I had been talking about making tiramisu for a while but had never gotten around to it.  Partly because I would forget about it and partly because I was intimidated by it.  It just sounds fancy...and hard.  My husband recently requested this for his birthday dessert which forced me to finally make it.

I had only had tiramisu a few times before and my husband had it in Italy so I knew he would have high standards.  Well, this was amazing - beyond my expectations.  And it does take a little bit of work but it's not hard by any means.  The steps are so easy to follow that it was easy for me to make during naptime.  It's recommended to make ahead of time which is perfect for serving at a party or with guests.

We had the leftovers the next two nights and they were just as delicious, too!

Tiramisu

Taken from The Best of America's Test Kitchen

serves 10-12

• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp rum
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 pound mascarpone (8 oz), NOT at room temperature
• 1/4 cup cold heavy cream
• 18 lady fingers
• 1 oz grated bittersweet chocolate

1. Stir coffee and 1 tablespoon of rum in wide bowl or baking dish; set aside.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a heat-proof bowl or stainless steel bowl of a standing mixer. Beat yolk mixture at medium-high speed until it is thick, creamy and pale yellow, about 4 minutes (if beating by hand with a whisk, this will take you more like 8 minutes). Stir in cream.
3. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly until mixture registers 160 degrees with an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. 
4. Remove bowl from pan and from the heat. Set in fridge to cool to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. Once at room temperature, add mascarpone and 2 tablespoons rum to the bowl and beat at medium speed.  (The mixture will look thin and curdled.) Raise to medium-high and beat until smooth and very thick, about 3 minutes.
6. One at a time, quickly dip the ladyfingers cookies in the the coffee mixture, turning just once to lightly moisten (you want to work fast so the ladyfingers don't get too soaked and break apart).  Cover the bottom of a 8 x 8 glass or ceramic baking dish with 9 moistened cookies.  With a spatula, spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.  Sprinkle with half the grated chocolate.  Repeat with layers of remaining ladyfingers, mascarpone mixture and chocolate. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4-24 hours.  
7. Cut into pieces and serve chilled.

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Eggplant Parmesan (Lightened)

Before we left for Texas, one of our last meals in our old apartment was this lightened eggplant parmesan.  I had actually made this recipe before, about a year or two ago, but finally got around to making it again and actually taking a picture of it.  This was also a special request from my uncle since one of his favorite meals happens to be eggplant parmesan (he's also so easy to cook for since he seems to enjoy almost everything I make!).  This is a lighter take on eggplant parmesan -- there's no frying and panko breadcrumbs only go on the top half of the eggplant.  However, it's still delicious and four of us devoured almost the whole thing, with just a simple salad on the side.

I did some of the prep work in advance, which made meal time easy.  You could even prep the whole thing in advance (and then bake it right before dinnertime), although the breadcrumbs won't be as crispy. I stopped short of baking the eggplant rounds since I wanted the breadcrumbs on the crispier side.  The recipe includes a marinara sauce which I made but feel free to use another recipe (or jarred would work just as well).

Lightened Eggplant Parmesan
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated
Serves 6

For the sauce:

• Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper

For the eggplant

• 2 eggplants (about 1 pound each), ends trimmed, sliced into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
• Salt
• Vegetable oil spray
• 1 ½ cups panko (see note)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• Pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 8 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. For the sauce (can be made a day in advance): Pulse 1 can of the tomatoes, with their juice, in a food processor until mostly smooth, about 11 pulses. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 can tomatoes; set aside. Cook the ­garlic, tomato paste, oil, and pepper flakes (if using) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the processed tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until needed.
3. For the eggplant: Meanwhile, toss half of the eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then place in a large colander set over a bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon more salt, and transfer to the colander with the first batch. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes to drain.
4. Spread the eggplant over several layers of paper towels. Firmly press the tops of the eggplant dry with more paper towels.
5. While the eggplant is drying, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.
6. Combine the panko and oil in a 12-inch skillet, and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Spread the panko in a shallow dish and let cool slightly, then stir in the Parmesan. In a second shallow dish, whisk the flour, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg and water together.
7. Season the eggplant with pepper. Lightly dredge one side of each eggplant slice in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured side of the ­eggplant into the egg, then coat the same side with the panko, pressing to help the crumbs adhere. Lay the eggplant slices, breaded-side up, on the baking sheets in a single layer.
8. Lightly coat the top of the eggplant slices with vegetable oil spray. Bake until the tops are crisp and golden, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
9. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Position half of the eggplant slices, breaded-side up, on top of the sauce, overlapping the slices to fit. Distribute 1/2 cup more sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Layer in the remaining eggplant, breaded-side up, and dot with 1 cup more sauce, leaving the majority of the eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
10. Bake until bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

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Skillet Pasta Primavera

Wow, this has probably been my longest blogging hiatus yet.  But between finding out at the last minute that we had to move ourselves (thanks, military...for nothing), actually driving halfway across the country, closing on our home, and then finding out the previous owners left the home really dirty (who does that?), blogging has taken a backseat.

However, the cooking continues since I did bring enough kitchen equipment with us in the move.   And thankfully, there are recipes like this skillet pasta.  This isn't so much a recipe as it is an incredibly simple method for cooking pasta.

I've always heard that you need a LOT of water for cooking pasta.  And since I just brought a non-stick skillet and a sauce pan, I clearly didn't have a pot big enough for that.  But Cook's Illustrated found a way to make pasta dishes truly one-dish meals.  Instead of cooking the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, you actually cook it in a 12-inch non-stick skillet.  And it tastes just the same! I added whatever vegetables I had on hand to make it a pasta primavera and topped it off with marinara sauce.  However, feel free to add any meats or vegetables you like.  I have serious doubts that I'll ever go back to the boiling water method!

Skillet Pasta Primavera
Method taken from: Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 4 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth or a combination (I just used water)
• 8 ounces (2 1/2 cups) penne pasta (I used bow-tie pasta so feel free to use any short pasta)
• Any vegetables you like: I used about 4 ounces of baby spinach, leftover cooked broccoli, and frozen cut bell peppers and onions
• For serving: grated Parmesan cheese (optional; I omitted), marinara sauce

1. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Simmer Penne: Stir in broth/w, water, penne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until penne is tender and liquid has thickened, 15 to 18 minutes.  Add additional water if needed until pasta is tender.
3. Add vegetables and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with Parmesan and marinara sauce.

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Classic Marinara Sauce

For as long as I can remember, I've been a HUGE marinara sauce fan.  I always use a significant amount (read: too much) on my pasta or pretty much any other Italian food which it seems like acceptable to use red sauce.

However, up until now, I hadn't really found a marinara recipe that I liked.  They all had something that wasn't quite right - too sweet, too tangy, too watery, etc, etc.  I was so glad that I stumbled on this recipe because, to me, it was the perfect balance of all the flavors and exactly what marinara sauce should taste like.  And it couldn't have come at a better time because with our baby due this month (!!!!), I've been wanting to make things that freeze easily and can be turned into a quick meal.  This marinara sauce fit the bill exactly. 

I'm also excited to try this on homemade pizza because I think it'll make a good pizza sauce, too. 

Classic Marinara Sauce
Taken from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Makes about 7 cups of sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (28-ounce each) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons butter (optional but delicious; I use 1 tbsp)

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring very frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until all the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano and bay leaves and simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, until slightly thickened and the vegetables are completely tender. Stir in the brown sugar. Taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper as needed. Add the butter and stir to combine if you want to round out the flavors and add a dimension of silkiness.
2. Remove the bay leaves. In a blender or food processor (or with a hand blender), blend the sauce (in several batches, if necessary) until it is the consistency you like (most people probably like the sauce to be smooth but since we like it on the chunkier side, I only blend about half the sauce).
3. The sauce can be frozen once it is cooled completely in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 6 months.

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Arugula Pizza

Our Superbowl was a quiet one. We didn't really have a dog in the fight and I like to go to bed at a ridiculously early hour so we stayed in.  However, even though it was just the two of us, I still wanted us to have some Superbowl party worthy food.  Also, we had recently gone to a great pizza place with my sister and had a delicious arugula pizza; while I couldn't replicate wood-fired oven pizza, I could still find a way to make my own arugula pizza.


While I was making the pizza, I was worried the ingredients wouldn't be enough -- I wasn't sure that the dough would stretch enough to fill the pan (it did) and that the toppings would be too scarce (they weren't). I also wondered at adding the cheese first and then topping with the tomato mixture.  However, I figured the people at Cook's Country knew what they were doing so I forged ahead.

Although the original recipe for this pizza doesn't even have arugula, it still seemed like something that would work. And it worked so well!  The crust was delicious and crisp and thanks to a few tablespoons of olive oil, felt very rich ("buttery" as my husband called it).  The toppings were in just the right proportions, too.  My only additions were that I added fresh mozzarella and arugula, both of which were wonderful - highly recommended!

Arugula Pizza
Taken from: Ezra Pound Cake
Serves 4-6

Dough:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) bread flour (I used 3/4 cup all purposed and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used about 1 cup of part-skim mozzarella and 1 cup of chopped fresh mozzarella)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• Approx 2 cups of arugula (I didn't measure this)

1. For the Dough: Measure 2 tablespoons olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet (18″ by 13″), and use your fingers to coat the sheet with oil.
2. Measure water and remaining 1 tablespoon oil into a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt on low speed. With the mixer running, slowly add water mixture, and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute.
4. Increase speed to medium-low, and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
5. Place the dough on the oiled baking sheet, and turn to coat. Stretch dough to 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 
6. Stretch dough to corners of pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes.
7. While dough is on the second rise, adjust oven rack to lowest position, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
8. For the Topping: Place tomatoes in colander, and drain really well.
9. In a medium bowl, combine drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt. Set aside.
10. In a second bowl, combine mozzarella and Parmesan. Set aside.
11. Sprinkle cheese mixture over the dough, leaving 1/2-inch border on all sides.
12. Top with tomato mixture, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until well browned and bubbling, about 12 minutes. (If the oven starts to smoke, lower the temperature or move your pizza up a rack.)
13. Slide pizza onto a wire rack, sprinkle with basil and then arugula, and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

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Chicken Rollatini

The lighting in the photo was a little off which made the chicken look pink!

This chicken rollatini recipe is a cross between chicken parmesan and stuffed shells and it tastes just as good as it sounds.  Even for a hot summer night, it was still delicious with the creamy inside and panko/parmesan-crusted outside.  All topped with the Italian essentials, marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.

This recipe is so good and tastes so comforting and homey; however, it still is good for you with chopped spinach, low-fat cottage cheese and boneless skinless chicken breast (altogether, the recipe is about 200 calories per serving). I was very satisfied with one chicken cutlet and Bryant with two.  It would be easy to double this recipe to serve a larger crowd or halve it like I did (although the leftovers were really good).

I served this with a balsamic salad, some baguette slices topped with roasted garlic and a glass of red wine.  A delicious meal for any season!

PS - Check out the new recipe index at the top of the page to help find all the recipes on From Anne's Kitchen!

Chicken Rollatini
Taken from: Skinny Taste
Serves 8

• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
• 1/3-1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg, beaten, divided
• 9 oz fresh spinach, chopped and sauteed (or 5 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry of any liquid)
• 6 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese (I used 2% cottage cheese instead which is high in protein)
• 6 oz part skim mozzarella
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• salt and pepper to taste 

1. Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tbsp grated cheese in one bowl and beaten egg (save 1 Tbsp of beaten egg for next step) in another.
3. Shred or finely chop 1.5 oz of mozzarella cheese and 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese, spinach (make sure you squeeze it dry), 1 tbsp of beaten egg, and ricotta/cottage cheese
4. Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.
5. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken, placing each chicken roll next to one another. When finished, lightly spray tops of chicken with cooking spray.
6. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sauce then cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 3 more minutes. Serve with additional sauce on the side.

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Turkey Cannelloni with Roasted Red Peppers

Italian is serious comfort food to me...well, probably because I would devour anything with tomato base to it.  This meal was no exception.  I think it's similar to manicotti as well as to the shells that my mom used to make - pasta stuffed with cheese, ground turkey, spinach and spices and then topped with tomato sauce. How could you go wrong?

It was also an excuse to use up more of the greens that we received from our CSA box!  I have to admit, I couldn't bear the thought of having kale/collards/spinach every week all.winter.long.  So I chickened out and didn't start our weekly CSA box until beginning of March.  But we are loving it so far!

Turkey Cannelloni with Roasted Peppers & Spinach
Taken from: Cookin' Canuck
Serves 6-8

• 8-12 "No-boil" lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2-1 lb. ground turkey, (I used about 2/3 lb of 93% lean turkey)
• 1 cup (packed) baby spinach leaves (I used collard greens - since they are a little more coarse, I cooked them in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then drained in a colander and chopped into smallish pieces)
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, thinly sliced*
• 1 cup. low-fat ricotta cheese (I used nonfat cottage cheese)
• 1/2-1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used a mix of Parmesan and mozzarella)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (I omitted)
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cups tomato sauce

 *To roast your own red peppers (so easy!), follow this post here

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add no-boil lasagne noodles. Stir gently while cooking so that the noodle do not stick to each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place the noodles directly into a bowl of cold water.
2. Gently lay the noodles on a clean kitchen towel and dab off moisture with paper towel.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute until they are just turning brown, about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for additional 30 seconds. Add ground turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook, breaking up with wooden spoon, until turkey is cooked through. Put a lid on top (slightly askew) and pour any accumulated juice out of the pan. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl.
5. Stir in baby spinach leaves (or any greens you are using) and roasted red peppers. Mix well.
6. Allow the mixture to cool, then stir in ricotta and 1/2 cup of cheese, dried chile flakes, nutmeg, basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. At one short end of each lasagne noodle, place 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Roll up noodles to form tubes.
8. Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan by spreading 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange pasta tubes, seam-sides down, in the pan. Spread additional 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving

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Crisp Ravioli

Forgive all the ravioli recipes but this was just too good to pass up.  After making homemade ravioli, I usually boil it for a quick and delicious meal.  However, this was a great twist on the usual ravioli - it's lightly breaded with a panko/parmesan mixture and then pan fried in a little olive oil. And another plus? It doesn't take much longer than boiling ravioli. So, so good!

We served it with a homemade chunky tomato sauce which just put it over the top.  In the dead of winter, we don't have basil around but I can't wait for summer to use this recipe with basil.


Crisp Ravioli
Taken from: Handle the Heat via Cooking Light

•  2 tablespoons water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup panko (or substitute breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 (9-ounce) package fresh ravioli (or make your own! Be careful using frozen, however.)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• basil, chopped (optional; delicious when it's in season!)

-Heat broiler.  On a baking sheet (preferably lined with aluminum foil for easy clean up), toss tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper and garlic cloves together.  Broil for 5-8 minutes, until lightly charred, stirring halfway through.
-Combine 2 tablespoons water and egg in a shallow dish, mixing well. Using a fork, combine panko and cheese in a second shallow dish. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture then coat in panko mixture.
-Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan to coat. Add half  of ravioli to pan in a single layer (I had to do one-third); sauté 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove ravioli from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and ravioli. Wipe skillet with paper towels.
-Serve ravioli with broiled tomatoes, tomato sauce and basil.

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Homemade Ravioli & Week's Menu Plan

With a long weekend, I definitely plan to put it to good use: making homemade ravioli.  It's incredibly simple to make but you do need some extra time on your hands.  However, once the ravioli is made, you can refrigerate it or freeze it to make a delicious homemade dinner about 5 minutes flat.

If you're ambitious and have the right tools, you can actually make the ravioli pasta yourself.  But for everyone else, store-bought wonton wrappers are the surprising choice for the pasta. They provide a light and delicate wrap and are just the right size.  You can stuff anything you'd like in the ravioli - cheese, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc.  My choice is spinach and ground turkey breast.

Homemade Ravioli
Makes 30-40 ravioli
 
Ravioli filling:
Taken from: AllRecipes

• 4 ounces (1/4 pound) ground turkey breast or ground beef
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs or panko
• 1/4 teaspoon dried spices (I use a 1/4 teaspoon of each: oregano, thyme, basil, onion powder and garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg white
• salt and ground pepper

-Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground turkey/beef. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the turkey/beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
-Transfer the turkey/beef mixture to a bowl. Add the Parmesan, parsley, bread crumbs, olive oil, egg, garlic salt, and pepper and mix well. Run the filling through a grinder until smooth (or puree in a food processor until smooth).
 
Ravioli preparation:
Taken from: Faithful Provisions

• Wonton wrappers (approximately 40)
• Small dish of water

-Lay wonton wrappers out on workspace, have a small dish of water to dip your fingers in to wet wonton so it will seal.
-Lay out two wrappers, and top one with approximately one tablespoon of filling of choice.
-Brush the edges of the wrapper with water and lay the second wrapper on top, seal edges (I also press down with edge of a fork to help seal the edges).  Continue until you use all the filling.
-To freeze the ravioli: Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay ravioli in a single layer and place in freezer for about 30 minutes.  Once ravioli is frozen, it can be placed in a freezer bag and stored for up to 3 months.  This helps to ensure that the ravioli do not stick to one another.
-To cook ravioli: This can be cooked from fresh or directly from frozen.  Boil a pot of water and cook ravioli for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Keep it at a low boil.  Drain and serve.

Week's Menu Plan 

Sunday: Mango chicken salad sandwich

Monday: pizza
 
Tuesday :  crisp ravioli  (homemade) served with steamed artichokes

Wednesday: Mujadara and spanakopita

Thursday: Chicken cacciatore with roasted cauliflower

Friday: appetizers

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Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza & Menu Plan

This wasn't even supposed to be our main meal of the day. This was the kind of lunch where you scrounge through the refrigerator to see what you can throw together.  And luckily for us, that something that started as the last ingredients in our fridge ended with a delicious roasted butternut squash pizza with caramelized red onions, sauteed spinach and rosemary. 

We love, love, love pizza but I'm such a marinara fan that I've only made pizza with different toppings on top of tomato sauce. However, I had some leftover pizza dough that needed to be used today (since it wasn't on my menu plan for the week). However, we didn't have any good toppings to be used on tomato sauce and wasn't about to go to the store.  I did, however, have a leftover half of a butternut squash, half a bag of baby spinach and leftover fresh mozzarella.  I vaguely remembered reading that that to use up leftover butternut squash, someone suggested making a pizza of roasted butternut squash, spinach, feta and pine nuts. And this is a very versatile recipe. I added caramelized red onions but nixed the pine nuts. Feel free to do the same - throw in something extra or leave out what you don't have.  Even as a marinara lover, I highly recommend this pizza!

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza
Adapted from: A Hint of Honey

• 1/2 of no-rise pizza dough recipe or any other pizza dough of your liking
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• fresh chopped rosemary or dried (and any other herbs you want to throw on - I used dried thyme)
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Asiago/mozzarella/fresh mozzarella, grated
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• Spinach or baby spinach, washed

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Prepare no-rise pizza dough.
-If using caramelized onions, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and caramelized, 30-40 minutes.
-Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F. Spread cubed squash on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Toss with minced garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
-In a skillet over medium to medium-high heat in skillet (could be the same skillet as the onions), add a little olive oil or cooking spray.  Add spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until completely wilted.
-Add pizza stone to oven and cover with cornmeal.  Let heat for 10 minutes.
-While stone is heating, roll out the dough into a thin crust.  Transfer dough carefully to pizza stone.
-Bake crust 8-9 minutes (mine actually puffed up and I had to press down with a spatula to let out the air).
-Brush the crust with the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary (I also threw in some dried thyme). Sprinkle with a little cheese. Distribute the roasted squash, caramelized onions, sauteed spinach and feta over the crust. Top with any remaining cheese.
-Bake in oven for about 8 minutes until cheese has melted.
-Remove from the oven and let cool several minutes before slicing. 


Menu Plan

Sunday: Balsamic roasted chicken with couscous and salad

Monday: Ground turkey and spinach ravioli

Tuesday: Cajun Shrimp Po'Boys with sweet potato fries and Napa cabbage salad

Wednesday: Mexican seven-layer dip

Thursday:  Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry with rice and green peas

Friday: Buffalo Chicken Calzones (For dessert: Apple Caramel Crisp)

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Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I hadn't made this lasagna in almost a year but I definitely remembered it.  It had been on my to-make list while I (impatiently) waited for the right season.  And even though we had unseasonably warm weather this week, I decided I had waited long enough.

I made it for dinner Friday night. I roasted the vegetables the night before and it still took me an hour to make and cook after getting home on Friday.  The reason I say this is not to scare you from making it - it is SO, SO worth it! - but to warn you about trying to make it for a quick weeknight meal.  However, if you do the prep work ahead of time, it could be an easy dinner to stick in the oven. And since lasagna typically makes a lot, the leftovers can also be a quick meal (lasagna is also known for being an easily freezable meal, too)!

While I like meat, I didn't even miss it one bit in this lasagna.  It's incredibly hearty and the flavors meld really well together. I love lots of sauce and this roasted tomato sauce is pretty delicious (I added a little extra marinara because I didn't have enough). There are tons of layers in this lasagna, too - it was almost overflowing out of the pan.

To sum it up, let's just say it was so good, we even took pictures!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Taken from: Everyday Food
Serves 6-8

• 14 plum tomatoes (about 3 pounds total), halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced inch thick
• Feel free to add in extra vegetables - I roasted zucchini and red pepper (but you could also use onions, green peppers, etc) 
• 2 pounds spinach, trimmed and washed (I had some kale to use, so I did about 1/3 kale and 2/3 baby spinach; swiss chard or mustard greens would work well, too)
• 1 container (15 ounces) skim-milk cottage cheese (you can also use ricotta, which is more classic but I prefer cottage cheese)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 9 to 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (preferably whole-wheat)
• 1/3 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into pieces 

You can actually prep all the steps up to assembling the lasagna ahead of time (up to 2 days before): 
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, oregano, and 2 cloves chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper (I also threw cut zucchini and red pepper on one side of this baking sheet, too).
-Brush another rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange squash in one layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast squash until tender, about 20 minutes, and tomatoes until slightly shriveled, about 40 minutes.  Stir veggies about every 10 minutes). In a blender, puree 20 tomato halves. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. 

-In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually add 2 pounds spinach and toss until wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer spinach to a strainer and press to release liquid. When cool, chop spinach and season with salt and pepper.
-In a large bowl, mix ricotta/cottage cheese, cup Parmesan, egg, and nutmeg until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
-Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread one-quarter the tomato sauce in dish (I used about 5-6 oz of sauce), top with 3 to 4 noodles, breaking to fit as needed. Top with half the ricotta mixture, squash (and any other roasted vegetables), one-quarter the tomato sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining ricotta mixture, cooked spinach, one-quarter the sauce, and 3 to 4 noodles. Top with remaining sauce, mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

 -Set rack in middle of oven. Bake lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown at 400 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Let lasagna cool 15 minutes before serving.

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Pizza Sauce, Pesto and Cranberry Vinaigrette for an Apple Walnut Salad

This was a weekend of lasts and firsts.  It was my last local farmers market of the year on Saturday (although I'll see if there's an open farmers market close by since I can't seem to let go).  Since it was the last, I strayed from my weekly list and got extra items, including lots of tomatoes (which will be made into pizza sauce, salsa and tikka masala sauce), cantelope and fresh basil.  The basil smelled irresistible and while there's a ton of basil in this one bunch, I'm slightly kicking myself for not getting an extra bunch or two.  Since I have the last of the fresh tomatoes and basil, it only seemed appropriate to make homemade tomato sauce for a margharita pizza as well as homemade pesto.

However, it's also a first for our area because we finally got rain today! And a great, soaking rain. I can hear it patter outside.  After an October mostly with 80 degree weather and a summer without absolutely no rain (not even clouds), it's a welcome change.  Don't get me wrong - I've loved the summer weather but I'm excited for some true fall weather.  And what better way to spend a rainy day than drinking coffee and cooking (especially with simmering something on the stove)?

Pizza Sauce
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Makes approx. 1 cup of sauce (enough for a small/medium pizza)

• 4-5 roma tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Splash of red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

-Bring medium pot of water to a boil. On the bottom of each tomato, slit the skin making an small X mark with a knife.  Poach the tomatoes for one minute only, and then drain them. As soon as they are cooled off enough that you can touch them, peel them (I ran mine under a bit of cold water to speed the cooling process).
-Drain and dry the pot. Put it back on the burner over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and let it heat completely before adding the garlic and stirring it for a minute with a wooden spoon. Add the red pepper flakes and stir it for anther minute. You do not want the garlic to brown. Put the peeled tomatoes in the pot, along with the wine, sugar and salt. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon.
Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down. Carefully taste without burning your tongue and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil, roughly torn (I find the basil at the grocery store really expensive and very small portions; I highly recommend a farmers market or at least Trader Joe's which gives you a lot more for your money)
• 1/4 c. pine nuts (I always have walnuts in the house so I use that instead)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. of grated parmesan cheese, if desired (I often omit)

-Place basil, nuts, garlic, salt and parmesan (if using) in a blender or food processor.  Blend, gradually adding oil until mix is thickened.  Taste and adjust accordingly.
-If not using the pesto right away or if you have leftovers, freeze the pesto in an ice-cube tray and then place in the individual pesto portions in a freezer bag for future meals.

Cranberry Vinaigrette for an Apple Walnut Salad
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 5-6 servings

• 2 tablespoons cranberries (if you use dried cranberries that have sugar already, omit sugar)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white sugar (omit if you're using dried cranberries)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

-In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, sugar (if necessary), and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper.
-For an excellent salad for this dressing, combine 1/4 chopped walnuts (toasted, if you'd like), 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, 1-2 sliced apples and lots of greens in a large bowl and then drizzle on cranberry vinaigrette.

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Stuffed Bell Peppers & Week's Menu Plan

Stuffed bell peppers was one of the first meals I ever made...actually, it was the first meal I ever remade, straying from the exact recipe and making my own changes to make the dish healthier.  Although most of my changes are now forgotten, I do remember one as switching from a combination of ground pork and ground beef to lean ground turkey (ground beef could work but just try to make it at least 90% lean).  I have no idea where the recipe was originally from but on the index card, I have the title as "Big John's Stuffed Bell Peppers."  Maybe Big John wouldn't be so big if he had made some of these updates! It's delicious as a one-dish meal and is a recipe that I keep coming back to. It's especially good now that bell peppers are in season here.

As I was making my farmers market grocery list for this coming week's meal plans, I realized that I'm using just about every vegetable that our market offers. While I didn't do it on purpose, I'm happy to fully take advantage of having such a variety of fresh vegetables while I can!

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 6

• 6 bell peppers, tops removed and ribs and seeds removed (any color but our favorite is red)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• leftover bell peppers tops, diced 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
• 3/4-1 lb. ground turkey, 93% lean (you could also use lean ground beef)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup marinara sauce 
• cheese, if desired (we often grate a bit of mozzarella cheese on top) 

-Make sure to cook brown rice beforehand. 
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In a large pot of boiling water, boil prepped bell peppers for 5-7 minutes until peppers are fairly soft.  Drain on paper towels and then put peppers in 9 by 13 baking dish.  Add water to the bottom of the baking dish until the bottom of the dish is barely covered.
-While bell peppers are in boiling water, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil and cook garlic, onions and peppers tops until soft, 5-7 minutes.
-Add ground turkey, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Cook until brown and all pink is gone, about 5 minutes.   Drain off extra grease.
-Add brown rice and marinara sauce.  Combine and remove from heat.
-Spoon mixture into bell peppers.  Cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Add grated cheese, if desired, on top and cook for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
-Serve with additional marinara sauce.


Week's Menu Plan

Saturday: Spicy Chicken Avocado Sandwich with steamed artichokes

Sunday: Ratatouille

Monday: Chicken Piccata with summer Vegetables

Tuesday: Italian wedding soup

Wednesday: Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce (served with steamed broccoli)

Thursday: Bryant makes dinner!

Friday: steak fajitas (pear butterscotch pie for dessert)

Saturday:  Chicken, Apple & Cheese Quesadillas

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Eggplant Parmesan & Week's Menu Plan

This non-meat meal of the week was delicious. I had never made (or had!) eggplant parmesan before but it's a favorite meal of one of my uncles. I also know that eggplant is a very meaty type of vegetable so it can take the place of meat pretty well. I really enjoyed it, especially because it had tons of marinara sauce in it (which, in case you haven't figured that out, I would live off if I could). You could also reduce the marinara a bit if you aren't as crazy about it as me. Also, I think we'll play around with this recipe next time - my husband suggested adding ground turkey or beef (either in a meat sauce or as a layer in the dish) which would be excellent. I would probably try to hide in some sauteed zucchini, squash, red bell pepper or chopped spinach to add extra nutrients and vegetables (without altering the flavor too much). You could always up the amount of cheese to make this extra gooey, too.

The eggplant parmesan recipe would take a while to do start to finish so I cooked the eggplant in advance and refrigerated the slices. That way, when we got home in the evening, I just popped the eggplant back in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp, made the dish and cook for 15 minutes - a lot easier on our evening!

This week's menu plan has a birthday celebration (chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey's Irish cream icing, combining my love of chocolate and my husband's love of Guinness), a last burst of summer with tomato gazpacho, leftover vegetables for stir fry and finally, a bit more Latin food in our life, thanks to my cousin Dan for sending some recipes! I'm really excited to try these recipes. Also, I really hope we get around to making the shrimp and grits finally because I've been wanting to try them for weeks!

Also, this is my last week before I start my new job! We are really excited about it and feel so blessed by the Lord's provision. I've loved being at home but really excited to start working again! This, of course, means that meals might have to be shorter and quicker during the week (more people can relate to that idea, anyway!) and save the more elaborate dishes for the weekend.

Eggplant Parmesan
Taken from: Martha Stewart
Serves 4 (I halved the recipe as it originally served 8. It would be really easy to make it for 8 and freeze for future meals!)

• 1 large egg 
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan (additional 2 tablespoons for topping, optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large eggplant or 2 small (1 1/4 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 6 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade; you can use this recipe for Martha's Chunky Tomato Sauce if you'd like) 
• 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil (to reduce cleanup) and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.

-Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. (At this point, you can refrigerate the eggplant until ready to use and then bake it at 400 for about 5 minutes to make the eggplant crispy)
-Increase oven heat to 400 degrees. Spread 1 cup sauce in a 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 1 cup sauce, then 1/4 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
-Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, if desired. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Week's Menu Plan

Friday: butter chickpea curry, beef samosas, coffee cake for dessert (and breakfast IF there's any leftover!)

Saturday: fish tacos with avocado relish, black bean and corn salad
chocolate stout cupcakes with irish cream frosting for dessert

Sunday: gazpacho with tomato chickpea crostini

Monday: chicken stir fry

Tuesday: shrimp and grits with homemade polenta

Wednesday: pasta with spicy sausage and spinach (Everyday Italian cookbook)

Thursday: Spanish Tortilla

Friday: Greek meal: chicken skewers, tzatiki, Greek salad

Saturday: rice and beans (thanks to my cousin Dan!)

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Pasta Primavera & Peach Cobbler

A dish like this is comfort food to me. I don't really crave the more typical American comfort foods (mac and cheese just doesn't do anything for me). However, whole wheat pasta, roasted vegetables, marinara sauce and served with a glass of (2 Buck Chuck) Cabernet...now that's more like it.

I checked out Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis from the library and while I love that you can check out cookbooks for free, there's so many promising recipes, so little time! I've bookmarked about 12 recipes to try so I think I'll be renewing this book for a while. This pasta primavera recipe is great; I did cut the amount of pasta in half and we still have tons of leftovers (I kept the amount of vegetables the same because I really like roasted vegetables). And since the vegetables are from the farmers market, they're even more delicious.

I had originally planned on making the peach cobbler on Saturday night but my husband and I ended up falling asleep around 9 pm (he's on a hard rotation now but I have no excuse). So I made it last night and it was delicious. (I might have even had a little this morning, too.) It's the perfect season for peaches here and they are incredibly sweet - I cut down on the amount of sugar added to the peaches and definitely did not miss it. If your peaches are not quite as sweet, keep the full amount of sugar. You could also add other fruit to this dish...blackberries, blueberries, anything that's in season for you!

Pasta Primavera
Taken from: Everyday Italian
Serves approximately 6

• 4 carrots, peeled
• 2 medium zucchini (or one large)
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 red/yellow/orange bell peppers
• 1 onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp of dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. dried parsley and 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/2 lb. whole wheat short pasta (farfalle, rigatoni, penne...whatever you have on hand)
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• Marinara sauce and parmesan cheese for serving

-Preheat the oven to 450. Cut carrots, zucchini, squash, bell peppers and onion into thin 2-inch-long strips. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss vegetables (except tomatoes) with oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Transfer half of the vegetables to another aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and arrange vegetables in a single, even layer.
-Bake, stirring after 10 minutes. Bake for 20 total minutes until carrots are tender and other vegetables begin to brown.
-If your cherry tomatoes are more mediocre (meaning from the grocery store as opposed to farmers market or garden), add 1/8 tsp. sugar to the tomatoes to enhance the flavors.
-While the vegetables start to bake, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until tender (check the cooking time on the pasta box). Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
-In a large bowl, toss pasta with cooked vegetables, tomatoes and enough cooking liquid to moisten.
-Serve pasta with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.


Peach Cobbler
Taken from: AllRecipes
Serves 4-6

• 3 large or 4 medium peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 2 Tbsp. white sugar (if your peaches are very sweet, only add about 1 Tbsp. white sugar)
  
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. white sugar
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 2 Tbsp. boiling water
• 1/4 cup rolled oats (optional)
  

• 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
-In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1-2 Tbsp white sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 2 Tbsp white sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined and then add rolled oats.
-Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 25-30 minutes.

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Chicken Caprese & Homemade Croutons

Finally...a picture of a meal! It only took me about 2 months to remember to take a picture (pretty pathetic learning curve, I'd say). But this dinner was so pretty with such vibrant colors, how could I forget?

After serving my husband eggplant curry and spanakopita for back-to-back dinners, I figured I'd have to tone it down a bit for the next meal (not to mention finally add some meat). So although we had never tried this dish, when I saw it, I knew he would like it. It's basically an insalata caprese (an Italian salad made from sliced tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil) on top of marinated chicken. The chicken is actually marinated in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil and baked, adding the mozzarella at the very end so it melts nicely on top of the chicken.

Since this recipe only has a few ingredients, it's always good to try to get the best ingredients within your budget. I'll admit, we didn't have the nicest balsamic vinegar but it still tasted delicious. However, we did have wonderful farmers market tomatoes (if at all possible, get them from a farmers market or steal them from someone's garden...grocery store tomatoes just don't compare). And although I'm not much of a cheese person, I love fresh mozzarella. It's very mild tasting and creamy; also, it has a low fat content and is still fairly high in protein and calcium. I'm already planning to use the leftovers for homemade pizza, paninis (and maybe even an actual insalata caprese!). I'm learning more and more to build my menu plan around what we already have in our pantry and fridge and trying to resist the temptation to just make any recipes that sounds good. It cuts down on waste and you're obviously getting a lot more for your money that way!

As far as croutons go, I have never liked them. I found them to be dry and unnecessary on a salad. Also, I figured that they couldn't be that good for you, either. However, I've found a recipe to make my own whole-wheat version and I can't stop eating them! I made them out of whole-wheat hamburger buns that I had purchased for burgers. You could also use bread or a baguette but if you can, whole-wheat hamburger or hot dog buns are less dense than bread which makes a great crouton. All you have to do is toss the pieces in olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper and bake for about 10 minutes; they can even be made several days ahead of time!

Chicken Caprese
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 0.75-1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast halves (to shorten the cooking time, cut the chicken breast into thinner strips before marinating)
• 1/2-1 tomato, sliced
• fresh mozzarella, sliced (I used about 4 thin slices)
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
• salt and pepper, to taste

Balsamic Vinaigrette Marinade (if you have a balsamic vinaigrette already, feel free to use that!):

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• dash of salt and pepper

-Combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, basil, garlic, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

-Bake chicken in the oven at 375 F for about 20-30 minutes, until juices run clear (will depend on the thickness of the chicken). If you have an instant-read thermometer, make sure the chicken registers at 165 degrees in the thickest part. For the last 5 minutes, top with fresh mozzarella and continue baking until melted.

-Arrange chicken on a serving platter. Place basil leaves on top of the cheese and cover with slices of tomato. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the platter.

Homemade Croutons
Taken from: Everyday Food

• 1 whole-wheat hamburger bun, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (makes about 2 cups)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• pinch of salt and ground pepper
-Preheat oven to 375. -Toss bread cubes in olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper. -On a foil lined baking sheet, spread cubes in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes and then toss. Cook for 3-7 more minutes until croutons are golden brown and crunchy. -They can also be easily warmed in a 375-degree oven for a minute or two before serving, if desired. -Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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Homemade Marinara Sauce & Ways to Save Money

I love tomato sauce. Love it. I use loads of any tomato-based sauce like salsa, pico de gallo and marinara whenever I can (I don't, however, like plain tomatoes which I find weird). As my friend Becca says, "I could eat salsa with a spoon." And I'm right next to her, spoon in hand.

However, while I've made fresh salsa, for some reason, I've never tried making my own marinara sauce. I don't know why it's taken me so much time! It's delicious. My husband thought this was a great "summertime" marinara sauce. Light and fresh. We still have leftovers and I froze half so we'll be enjoying this for quite some time!

A couple changes I made: I used both fresh tomatoes from the farmers market as well as canned whole tomatoes in this sauce although you could use 2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes (Cook's Illustrated recommends Muir Glen brand for crushed tomatoes). Another difference was that I cooked mine in a slow cooker although the original recipe is on the stove. Finally, I added more spices and 1/4 cup of red wine to give a bit more richness to the sauce.

Also, before I share the recipe, I wanted to share a way to save money on groceries! I'm always looking for ways to save - I look at grocery circulars, compare prices (my dad and I sometime discuss milk prices at grocery stores), cut coupons, print internet coupons...you get the point. However, one way that is a GREAT way to save money in the kitchen is your local co-operative. A co-op has the BEST prices on spices, hands down. I recently refilled my bay leaf container for 26 CENTS and my dried oregano container for 25 cents. They're typically $2-3 at the grocery store. That really adds up! Also, you can buy as much or as little as you like. So, for example, I had been putting off trying recipes because you only needed a teaspoon of dried ginger and I just couldn't justify shelling out a few bucks for an entire container. However, at a co-op I could get just a tiny amount of these lesser-used spices. They also have cheap bulk foods with different kinds of oats, flours, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, etc. I even found REAL maple syrup in bulk - grade B, of course. (My family is a bunch of maple syrup snobs. Seriously. We bring our own to restaurants.)

One thing about co-ops is that I believe they are often in cities so just check the internet for the closest one to you. The closest one for us is 45 minutes away so I don't go there a lot. Instead, I save up a list and pair it with some other shopping or errands to do in the city anyway.

Homemade Marinara Sauce
Taken from: AllRecipes (also, the meatball part of this recipe is excellent although I didn't use it this time)

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen recommended by Cook's Illustrated) OR 56 oz. of fresh tomatoes crushed in a food processor (6-7 large tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine

-In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
-Add cooked onions and garlic to a slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaves.
-Cover, set on low (you can change to high if pressed for time) and cook 5-6 hours (2 hours on high). Stir in tomato paste, dried spices, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and red wine and cook on high for 30 min (or set to low and let simmer until you're ready for dinner).
-If you like a smoother marinara sauce, take about 1/4 -1/2 of the sauce and add to a blender. Blend on high for a few seconds. Add back to slow cooker. Serve with pasta.

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Gnocchi with White Beans and Spinach

So I'm afraid I've been giving you a lot of recipes with chopping lately. Of course, I think the recipes are definitely worth the effort (or I wouldn't tell you about them!) and there is so much fresh produce is in season now but I do realize that not everyone has the time or interest in chopping away. So to make up for that, I'm sharing this recipe with you. The gnocchi with white beans and spinach was great and requires very little prep work from you. However, my only complaint about the original recipe is its lack of seasoning anything. I understand (and appreciate) trying to cut down on sodium but it definitely needed some seasoning or it comes out a bit bland. So with some salt and pepper thrown in there, this would be an excellent dish. I served this one-pot meal with marinara (however, I always serve pasta dishes with marinara because I like it so much).

One nice thing about this recipe is that you can buy everything ready to go or you can save a little and make it on your own. Any packaged gnocchi at the grocery store would work really well but we actually had homemade gnocchi in ours. I made gnocchi about a month ago and froze half of it. It took a bit of time but its cheaper, tastier and probably better for you (I, of course, used whole wheat flour). So for those interested, my gnocchi recipe is below. I'm still perfecting the gnocchi technique - quite a few of mine fell apart although they still tasted delicious.

Gnocchi with White Beans and Spinach
Taken from: Eating Well
Serves 4

• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi OR homemade gnocchi
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped spinach or swiss chard leaves
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings OR 2 tomatoes, chopped and seasoned with dried thyme, oregano and parsley
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

-Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
-Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic to pan over medium heat and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds), stirring.
-Add onion to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Add water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.
-Stir in tomatoes, beans and pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
-Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Homemade Gnocchi
Taken from: A Hint of Honey
Serves 8 (could be easily halved or half of this frozen for a future meal)

• 2 lb. russet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed
• 1- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

-Boil the unpeeled potatoes in a large pot until tender (easily pierced with a knife), about 30 minutes. Drain. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle. peel off the skins and mash until light and fluffy (or run them through a ricer if you have one). Let cool to room temperature.
-In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the egg. Add the flour (starting with about 1 cup) and salt. Mix with your hands until the flour is moistened and the dough starts to clump together (adding more flour if necessary). Form the dough into a large ball. Knead gently until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough is soft, smooth, and a little sticky, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Don't overmix it, or the gnocchi will be tough; the dough should feel very delicate.) Cover the formed dough with a clean kitchen towel.
-Lightly flour your work surface. Tear off a lemon-sized piece of dough (covering the rest with the towel so it doesn't dry out). With the palms of your hands, roll the dough on the floured surface into a rope (about 3/4 inch in diameter). With a sharp knife cut the rope crosswise into square gnocchi. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet (sprinkled with flour) to prevent sticking. Repeat until you have used all the dough, reflouring the work surface as needed.

NOTE: At this point the gnocchi can be kept at room temperature for several hours or refrigerated if longer. Gnocchi can also be frozen and then directly boiled at a later time. To prevent clumping, I suggest sticking the entire pan of gnocchi into the freezer for 2-3 hours until they have partially hardened. At that point they can be combined in freezer-safe storage containers without risk of clumping.

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Minestrone Soup and How to Cook Dried Beans

So many recipes to share, so little time. It was a serious debate with my husband about which of the past weekend's meals I should share. We decided on the minestrone soup but the blueberry scone and the quiche recipes are sure to follow.

Minestrone soup is probably my favorite soup. Whenever I see it at a restaurant, I always want to get it (but often balk at paying $5 for a cup of soup). So of course, making it at home is a lot cheaper! Also, it has so many fresh vegetables that summer is the best season for it.

This recipe makes a lot of meals. It says that it serves 8 but I think we're going to get more than that out of it. We had it for dinner Saturday night, then I had it for lunch 3 days in a row and I still froze about half of it for a future meal! Definitely worth all the chopping.

Minestrone Soup
Taken from: Allrecipes

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 5 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups tomato sauce OR 4 cups crushed tomatoes OR 6 fresh tomatoes (crushed in the food processor)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 cup kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup white beans, drained (I used canario)
• 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
• 3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano OR 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil OR 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup whole wheat short pasta (I used rotini)
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese for topping

-In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
-Add chicken broth, water, tomatoes and red wine, bring to boil, stirring frequently.
-Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, white beans, spinach, zucchini, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
-Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.-Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to taste.
Cooking Dried Beans

Also, I've finally figured out how to cook dried beans! Sad, but true. My husband and I had a black bean fiasco a couple months ago where we decided to soak the entire bag about 3 weeks before we moved to California. Needless to say, we had a lot of black beans before we left. I definitely had to get creative to use those up...and probably cleared out our systems in the process!

So I hadn't bought dried beans since...until they had some at the farmers market on Saturday and was going to make minestrone soup that night. My husband reminded me of "the incident" so after searching the internet, I found that you some easy directions to follow AND they don't require overnight soaking.

Also, since dried beans are cheaper than canned, it always helps our budget (my husband lovingly calls me "the budget nazi" thanks to my extensive excel sheet, large collection of coupons and money-saving tips). Cooked beans can also be frozen so unless you're moving in 3 weeks, you could always make a few cups at a time and freeze them for easy future uses (as I mention below, dried beans will typically triple in volume). Finally, any time you can get away from added sodium and preservatives, found in canned beans, is always a benefit!

-Rinse beans to be cooked (dried beans will typically triple in volume so 1 cup of dried beans makes 3 cups of cooked) and pick out any bad ones.
-In a large pot halfway full of water (do not add salt), bring them to a boil and boil for at LEAST 10 minutes. (Apparently, dried beans have low levels of a toxin so you need to boil for 10 minutes to make sure the toxin is removed.)
-Drain beans. Place beans in slow cooker and add 3 cups of water for every one cup of beans. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for approximately 4-6 hours. Cooking times can vary by bean type.

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