Skillet Lasagna

One of my favorite Christmas gifts I received this year was a cast iron skillet. I have been wanting one for awhile, so I had several dishes in mind that I wanted to try.  So far I have used it to make jalepeno cornbread, crab cakes, seared salmon and skillet potatoes/hash browns, all which were delicious.

My most recent experiment using my cast iron skillet was veggie lasagna.  When I first heard about this, I thought that the lasagna would be assembled in the skillet and then baked in the oven just like a regular lasagna, but that's not the case.  The cool thing is that the lasagna gets assembled in the skillet while it is on the burner and then stays there until it's cooked through.  The result was a fabulous tasting lasagna in about half the time.  

I did look at a couple recipes before doing this, mostly for technique, but as far as measurements and ingredients used, I did not follow a specific recipe. 

What you will need:

Sauce - I used a jar of low country tomato sauce from my sister in Charleston.  It's so good and adds so much flavor, but homemade or any jarred sauce will do.
Cheese - I used ricotta, parm and asiago, but mozzerella would obviously work too.
Noodles - You may use pre-boiled noodles, but I only had regular ones, so I soaked them in hot water before adding.
Veggies - I had asparagus, mushrooms and kale on hand, but any veggies would do, just make sure you par-cook them first if needed (I sauteed the mushrooms and asparagus but put in the chopped kale raw and it worked fine).

Method:

Place skilled over medium heat, add a layer of sauce, then noodles, then cheese mixture (15oz ricotta, 1 egg, parm, salt and pepper), then veggies.  Repeat layers until you get to the last set of noodles - top those with sauce and your melting cheese - in this case, asiago.  Cover and simmer lasagna on stove top for about 20 minutes.  For the last 5 minutes, take cover off and place under broiler so the top gets crispy and brown. 

It would be best to let this sit about 10 minutes before cutting into, but as usual, we could not wait a minute longer to start digging in.  I bet the leftovers will be even better!

Frittata Time

Happy almost-Thanksgiving!  It is hard to believe we have reached the busiest time of year. So, I thought it would be appropriate to post a great meal idea for any time of day that is perfect for one or for many:  The Frittata.

A frittata to me means "open-faced omelette".  I am not sure if this is what it is really supposed to be, but that's how I think of it.  I have had frittatas with leftover spaghetti, chick peas, potatoes, all sorts of veggies and cheeses (not necessarily all together).  It is a great dish to make in a pinch when trying to get rid of leftovers in the fridge.  It is also the perfect weeknight meal because it is so easy to make and requires little time.  The best part about the frittata is it can be made with so many different ingredient options for 1 person or a crowd; a perfect brunch option if you have visitors this holiday season. 

Here's how it's done: Basic Frittata

1. Chop up any veggies (and/or meat) you plan to add. 

2. Place appropriate sized pan (I use a 10 inch for 2 people) on burner and melt butter under medium heat.  Add veggies/meat to (oven safe) pan and saute a few minutes until softened.

3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs (2 per person) and some milk.  When veggies are softened, add egg mixture to pan.  Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

4. Cook over low-medium heat until eggs are almost cooked through. 
5. Turn on broiler.  Top egg with shredded or sliced cheese.

6. Place frittata under broiler until cheese is melted and gets crusty on top.  Take out and cut into servings.  

The frittata pictured was asparagus, crab and brie.  A very tasty combo!

Corn and Chick Pea Salad

Hello, there!  It's been quite a while since I have posted.  August came and went so quickly, I just didn't have enough time to post much.  Hopefully, this will not be the case this fall.

My first entry of September will highlight the delicious corn I have been eating this summer.  It's bicolor corn from a farm in NY and it has been spectacular.  I have been buying a surplus every week and then making this salad with the leftovers.  Try it out while the corn is still good!

Corn and Chick Pea Salad

2-3 ears corn that have been boiled a few minutes

1 can chick peas, drained

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2-3 scallions, diced

salt and pepper

few splashes each of olive oil and red wine vinegar

Carefully cut corn off ears.  Place all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well and chill for an hour or so (to incorporate flavors).  When serving, garnish with avocado and/or feta cheese if desired.

A Perfect Pantry Meal - Penne Alla Vodka

Since we were away this weekend, I did not have a fresh supply of groceries on hand for Sunday dinner.  This resulted in one of my favorite dishes on the planet - Penne Alla Vodka.  

The recipe I use is based on the version in the Williams-Sonoma Pasta Cookbook.  It is absolutely delicious, super easy to make and surprisingly light.  The best part may be that all the ingredients in this dish are probably things you already have on hand. 

Penne Alla Vodka
adapted from Williams-Sonoma

serves 2-3

8 oz penne

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup vodka

couple shakes of red pepper flakes

1 can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

parmesan cheese to garnish

In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until just starting to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the stovetop and add the vodka. Return the pan to medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and add the pasta to the pan.

Add the cream and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the parsley and combine. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Black Bean Burgers

I love trying new recipes for veggie burgers.  Recently, I was in the mood for a Mexican-inspired burger so I found this recipe on Epicurious for black bean burgers and gave them a shot.   They are very good and hold up well on the grill, which to me is the best part!  Top with traditional fixins or like I did: with guacamole, jack cheese, jalapenos and fresh salsa.  Mmmmm...

Black Bean Burgers
adapted from Epicurious
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 (4-ounce) can green chilis
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Pulse 1 can beans in a food processor with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, chilis, cumin, oregano, and cayenne until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining can beans. Add more bread crumbs if mixture is too wet.  Form into 4-5 patties.  Refrigerate before grilling; this will help to solidify the patties so that hey hold up on the grill.  When grilling, patties do not have to be in direct heat - just enough to heat through.
May freeze any unused patties for later use.

Indian Egg Curry

 

I love Indian flavors, and am always looking to incorporate them into my cooking.  Sometimes I find recipes that look good but require too many ingredients that I don't have.  But when I stumbled across this recipe and realized find the only extra ingredient I had to buy was tumeric, I wanted to give it a try.  I was also intrigued by the sound of this dish.  Hard-boiled eggs in a curry?  I couldn't imagine what it would be like.  Both my husband and I liked this dish very much.  The eggs held their flavor and provided a creaminess to the dish. I served it over brown basmati rice and had plenty of leftovers for lunch!

Egg Curry

adapted from Honey, What's Cooking?

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp tumeric powder

1 inch piece ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 jalepenos, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

6 hardboiled eggs, peeled

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 tsp garam masala

2 handfuls cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat pot on stove under medium heat.  Add olive oil and mustard seeds.

2. Once seeds start to pop, add cumin and tumeric.  Saute for 10 secs.

3. Add ginger, garlic, and jalepenos. Saute 30 secs.

4. Add onions and some salt.  Stir and allow the onions to become golden, about 10 minutes, stirring every so often.

5. Once onions are golden, add tomatoes, chili powder, coriander, and a little more salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the onions and tomatoes become a paste consistency.  Stir every so often.  Here is where I added the sour cream (not in original recipe).

6. Add water and lower the heat. Cut the eggs in half and add to curry. Stir gently to combine. 

7. Cover and let cook 15 more minutes.

8. Turn off stove and add garam masala and cilantro.  Add salt to taste.
9. Serve on its own or over rice. Add hot sauce if you would like!

Zucchini Bread Cupcakes and Tomato Pie!

My youngest sister lives in historic and beautiful Charleston, SC.  Her boyfriend has always been in the food biz, which is very big down there as it is an huge tourist and foodie destination.  Most recently, he has been working for a farm out on Wadmalaw Island and therefore has access to fresh organic produce.   My sister has recently taken advantage of this and made the most of what he has brought home.  She sent me these pictures this morning and they looked so good I immediately had to post them.  So here it is: Zucchini Bread Cupcakes (ZBC's) and Tomato Pie!

ZBC's

Cupcake:

3 eggs

1 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 C sugar

2 C medium-fine grated zucchini

2 tsp vanilla

3 C flour
3 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Either grease cupcake tin or line with paper cups.

3. Beat the eggs with a whisk.  Mix in oil and sugar and then zucchini and vanilla.

4. Add flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt and mix.  (Then add nuts, if using.)

5. Pour batter into cupcake cups (distribute equally to make 24 cupcakes).

6. Bake for 20 minutes (25 max).

 

Cream Cheese Icing:

8 oz package cream cheese

1/2 stick (4 oz) butter

1 lb confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla

 

1. Soften the cream cheese and butter (but don't melt).  Beat until smooth.

2. Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

3. Slather onto room-temp cupcakes.

 

 

Tomato Pie 

Frozen pie shell (or make your own)

Spicy brown mustard

Grated cheese

Tomatoes (she used heirloom green and striped tomatoes)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

(Other herbs or grated vegetables can be added as well)

 

1. Defrost pie shell. 

2. Cover bottom of pie shell generously with spicy mustard.

3. Add layer of grated cheese.

4. Add layer of sliced tomatoes.

5. Sprinkle olive oil and salt and pepper on tomatoes.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 until pie is filled, leaving room for the top layer to be a tomato layer.  (Can substitute a layer of tomatoes with another veggie, ie: shredded zucchini.)

7. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Goat Cheese

Happy Summer!  Technically it is not yet summer, but it sure feels like it.  Here is a perfect pasta dish to make during the summer months.  The lemon in this dish really goes well with the goat cheese and asparagus.  It's light, refreshing and oh-so delicious.

Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Goat Cheese
serves 4 

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta - I used ziti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

handful of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Procedure

Heat oil in pan.  Add in sundried tomatoes and cook for a minute.  Add asparagus and some kosher salt and  sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Add cooked pasta to pan.  Add goat cheese and lemon juice and stir until pasta is coated.  Add cream and pasta water to thin out the cheese and make a sauce.

When pasta is coated, add lemon peel, parsley, and basil to pan. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

White Bean Dip

A quick and easy recipe for a variation of hummus.  Serve with veggies and pita chips.

White Bean Dip

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

1 can white (cannellini) beans

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.  Chill to allow flavors to combine.  I think next time I will add a couple sprinkles of red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit!

Mediterranean Pasta

I always have a lot of veggies in the house.  Both my husband and I love vegetables.  To save time during the week, I will often cook them ahead of time (either by roasting or sauteing) so they are ready to heat up and use in salads, sandwiches, omelets and pasta.  This week I had  eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes which I thought would be a perfect pasta combination.  Throw in some olives and feta, and you got yourself what I call Mediterranean Pasta.

Mediterranean Pasta 
serves 4 
Olive oil
1/2-1 eggplant, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup Greek olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Herbs - I used fresh basil and parsley, but oregano and dill would be good too
8 oz pasta (I used multigrain penne)
Crumbled or shredded cheese - I think feta would be best, but I used fresh mozzarella since it is what I had on hand.

Heat oil in pan.  Add eggplant and zucchini; add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and saute. Add a little more oil or even some water to keep the pan from drying out.  Cover.
When soft, add olives, pine nuts, tomatoes and a little more salt.  Mix in with other veggies.  Add some herbs.  
[This part can be done ahead of time and kept refrigerated for a couple days until you are ready to prepare the pasta.  Reheat in pan while pasta is cooking].
Bring large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook al dente according to package directions.  Drain pasta, but reserve a ladle or two of the pasta water to add to the sauce if needed. 
Add pasta to pan with the veggies. Stir to combine, adding some pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.  Add cheese and combine.

Best of all, this dish is mega-healthy.  The vegetable-pasta ratio is about half and half.

Veggie Burgers

When you hear veggie burger, what do you picture?  A flimsy frozen patty that tastes like  cardboard?  Well think again....

While I do eat premade veggie burgers for the convenience factor, nothing beats this homemade version.  I found this recipe online after watching Guy's Big Bite on Food Network.  The episode was highlighting his sister's vegetarian recipes and this burger looked so good I had to try it.  Don't let the lengthy list of ingredients turn you away; I only used spices I had on hand.  Also, feel free to add or take out anything you wish.  Be creative! 

Morgan's Veggie Patties 

(my version)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons diced black olives

2 teaspoons diced jalapeno
1 tablespoon diced artichoke
4 ounces black beans, drained
4 ounces chickpeas, drained
4 ounces white beans, drained
6 ounces rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

salt & pepper
1 egg

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, red onion and red pepper.  Saute until translucent.  Remove and cool.

Add all ingredients to food processor with metal blade.  Pulse until combined.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, pulse again.  If the mixture is too sticky and wet, add more oats until it is a good texture.  Form mixture into 4-5 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  (Any unused patties may be frozen in individual foil packets for further use).

In the same saute pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side. 

I tend to go heavy on the garnishes, but the burger is very flavorful on its own.  This time I made a spicy mayo to accompany my burger and sweet potato fries on the side.

Spicy Mayo

3-4 tablespoons lowfat mayo

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or any hot sauce)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together and chill so flavors combine. 

Add more mayo or hot sauce to reach desired spicyness.

Falafel Sandwiches

As a chick pea lover, I am constantly finding ways to incorporate them into my diet.  I eat a lot of hummus and often add them into salads, pasta, veggie burgers and veggie chili.  I also love falafel and have recently started to make my own.  Falafel is usually formed into a ball shape and deep fried.  Because I am not very good at deep frying, I shape mine into patties and pan fry (similar to how I would make crab cakes).  This results in a healthier, albeit less crunchy falafel.  With the right sauce and toppings, it still tastes pretty darn good. 

Falafel Sandwiches
adapted from Ellie Krieger's Baked Falafel

Falafel Patties:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup minced onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup parsley leaves

1 tablespoons olive oil

bread crumbs, as needed

Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs in a food processor until it forms a course meal.  Transfer mixture to bowl and add bread crumbs as needed (mixture should not be too wet).  Form into patties (size of a small crab cake) and put aside.  

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in large pan over med-high heat.  When pan is hot, add falafel patties to pan.  Pan fry for about 5 minutes on each side, making sure they don't burn and there is enough oil in pan (the patties will absorb some oil). 

Spicy Tahini Sauce:

1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

2-3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (depending on how spicy you like)

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

water, if needed to thin out

Combine all ingredients until mixture is smooth and well incorporated.  For best results, make a day in advance.

Salad:

Chop up some romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.  Toss and dress with a lemon vinaigrette (I use Newman's Own Lite Italian con Limone).

To assemble the sandwiches:

Lay out a piece of flatbread.  Liberally spread sauce in middle of bread.  Top one side of bread with patties (so that bread can be folded).  Top that with the salad.  Fold flatbread in half and devour.  Dip into more sauce if necessary!

Sunday Dinner

This weekend we got our first taste of spring.  It was wonderful.  Having the sun out and windows open just transforms my mood.  Hopefully, it's here to stay!

While doing some things around the house, I had on an episode of Barefoot Contessa.  She was making all sorts of things with fresh produce.  One of the dishes was something she calls Scalloped Tomatoes.  When I hear the word "scalloped" I usually associate it with the creamy, heavy potato dish that I would prefer to eat on a cold winter night.  This was nothing like that.  This dish screamed spring to me.  Right away, I knew what I was making for dinner.  

Here is how I made it,  I changed the name to what I thought was more appropriate.


Baked Bruschetta

Ingredients
olive oil
12" Italian baguette
1-2 cloves minced garlic
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I would have used more if I had)
pinch of sugar or splenda
salt and pepper
fresh basil, chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preaheat oven to 350. 
Coat large pan with olive oil on medium heat.  Cut baguette into cubes; add to pan.
Coat bread cubes with oil.  Heat for 5 minutes to toast on all sides. 
In the meantime, combine tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and garlic into a bowl.  [I like to use a microplane grater for my garlic -I find it's easier that mincing with a knife].
Add tomato mixture to pan.   Cook for another 5 minutes. Take off heat and mix in basil. 
Put into sprayed casserole dish.  Grate lots of fresh parm on top.  
Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve!

This made 3 - 4 servings as a side dish.  Next time I make it, I will definitely plan to use more tomatoes.  I suppose you could use canned diced tomatoes in a pinch, but would drain them first because the extra moisture might change the bread's consistency. 

I served it with spinach and walnut stuffed founder.  I wanted to keep the meal light and felt like this would be a perfect fish in keeping with my spring theme.  While the fish was excellent, I think the star of the show was the bruschetta.  I will definitely be making this again!

Pizza, Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, hands down.  I have been eating really good pizza all my life, but my favorite is still the kind I make at home.  I have tried making my own crust, but actually prefer to skip that part and use pre-made dough.  My favorite brand is House of Pasta - it comes frozen with two separate doughs inside the package.  Just leave it out for a few hours to thaw and rise, and the dough is ready.  One dough will make a pretty good sized pizza (enough for 2 - 4 people depending on appetites).  Instead of making one big pie, I usually split the dough and press it into two lightly-oiled 9" cake pans.  It's easier to work with and not as messy when the dough contained.  It also allows me to make 2 kinds of pies without the different toppings running together.

So, last night I was in the mood for pizza but didn't have any tomato sauce or mozzarella cheese. No problemo.  I had fresh basil.  I made a quick pesto with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, freshly grated parm, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil using my mini-prep food processor.  Pesto served as the sauce on my first pie.  I topped it with goat cheese and (after the pizza was cooked) sundried tomatoes.

I made the second pie in the style of a white pizza.  I topped the crust with slices of provolone then added a mixture of sauteed onion, spinach, artichokes and ricotta cheese.  After baking in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, dinner was ready.  I think my favorite last night was the white pie - it was fabulous.

The beauty of it all is that although I did not have traditional pizza ingredients, I was still able to make delicious pies with other ingredients I already had in the fridge.  Yet another reason to love pizza...it can be anything you want!