lasagne with an insalata caprese starter

Easy: ****
Tasty: ****1/2

This lasagne is very easy to make and is always a hit. And it is very adaptable to however you prefer to make it. I use ground sirloin, but any ground meat will do fine. Don't want to use ricotta? Cottage cheese makes a fine substitute. Less garlic, more garlic, no green peppers, add mushrooms - whatever you like!

The one thing I will recommend is the chopped tomatoes: I use Pomi/Parmalat, sold in the canned vegetable aisle, though in a waxboard carton. These tomatoes are generally less acidic and have WAY less sodium.

The Insalata Caprese can be made first, and served just as the lasagne is coming out of the oven. That gives you a little appetizer while the entree cools :)

One final note: these are my own recipes, so I have included no measures for the Insalata Caprese (make as much/little as you want) and the Lasagne measurements are as approximated.

Insalata Caprese

soft mozzarella
plum tomatoes
basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
oregano
salt & pepper

If tomatoes have been stored in the refrigerator, let warm to room temperature before slicing.

Wash & slice tomatoes into ¼ inch thick disks. Arrange in a single layer on a plate or platter.

Slice mozzarella into pieces a little thinner than the tomatoes; put a slice of mozzarella on each tomato.

Put a single basil leaf on each mozzarella slice; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.

Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil.

Serve at room temperature.


Lasagne

½ or 1 lb box lasagne pasta
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium green pepper
2 medium ripe plum tomatoes
2 to 4 cloves of garlic
½ to 1 lb ground sirloin
½ to 1 lb mild Italian sausage, with casings removed
26 to 32 oz crushed or chopped tomatoes
6 fresh basil leaves
1 pint ricotta cheese
2 cups grated parmesan
3 cups shredded mozzarella
extra virgin olive oil
oregano
salt & pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large pot, boil water to cook pasta. Salt the water, and to prevent sticking add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once boiling, add pasta to water and cook for 10-11 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While water is heating and/or pasta is cooking, chop onion and green pepper. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat; sauté onion until it begins to be translucent. Add green pepper and sauté until green pepper has started to soften. Stir often to prevent scorching. Chop tomatoes and add to onions/peppers. Crush/chop garlic and add to pan. Continue to cook until tomatoes are soft, but not mush. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.

Add ground sirloin and sausage to pan; season with salt & pepper. With a spatula, break into small-ish pieces and continue to cook until completely browned. Remove pan from heat and soak up majority of the grease with paper towel(s). The grease adds to the flavor of the meat, but you can remove as much as you like.

Return the pan to burner and add back in the onion/pepper/tomato mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes and heat until it begins to bubble. Chop basil leaves and stir in. Add about a palm full of oregano (more or less to taste). Again, simmer until bubbling. Remove from heat.

Coat the inside of a glass 9X13 baking dish with a thin coating of olive oil. Put down a layer of noodles, cover with sauce; add a few dollops of ricotta, sprinkle lightly with parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat this entire layer once more. On the third layer, put pasta, remainder of sauce, and remainder of mozzarella. The mozzarella should cover this layer completely.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more or until cheese has browned.

Let cool a bit before eating.

paella

Easy: **1/2
Tasty: ****1/2

John prepared another delicious meal tonight - Paella. It was so delicious, a great way to eat seafood. We used shrimp, scallops, and mussels; but you can also use squuid tubes, fish, chicken, or any combination of ingredients.

Paella

1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, pureed (skin discarded)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
½ lb shrimp
½ lb bay scallops
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1½ cups white rice
1 packet of yellow rice flavoring & coloring (available in the ethnic food aisle)
3 cups chicken stock or broth
extra virgin olive oil
½ cup water
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
½ cup frozen green peas, defrosted
lemon wedges


Start by making the sofrito. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium heat and cook the chopped red onion, cilantro and 3 of the chopped garlic cloves for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pureed tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of paprika and cook until all the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the sofrito has the consistency of jam. Transfer the sofrito to a small bowl and wipe clean the paella pan.

While the sofrito is cooking, place the mussels in a saucepan with half a cup of simmering water. Cover and steam on a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove mussels and set aside, discarding any that haven't opened.

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove of chopped garlic and the shrimp and cook for 1½ minutes, tossing continuously. Add the scallops and cook for a further 1½ minutes. Remove the shrimp and scallops from the paella pan and lightly season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium heat and cook the diced red and green peppers for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the sofrito back to the pan along with 1½ cups of rice and yellow rice flavoring and cook for a minute, stirring to coat the grains.

Add 3 cups of heated chicken stock, 1½ teaspoons sea salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered without stirring. (To make sure the rice cooks evenly you will need to regularly move the paella pan around the heat source, or you can straddle the paella pan over two burners.)

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes without stirring. After 15 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high for a minute or so until you can smell the rice toasting at the bottom, then remove the paella pan from the heat. (The toasted rice bottom of a paella is called socorrat and is highly prized.)

Push the reserved shrimp, mussels and squid into the cooked rice, and scatter with half a cup of defrosted green peas. Cover the pan with foil or a clean cloth, and let the paella rest for 5 minutes.

Present the paella in the pan at the table with lemon wedges on the side for drizzling.


(adapted from mediterrasian.com)

pasta fagioli

Easy: *****
Tasty: *****

This comfort food is a very easy one-pot dish that is just as good - if not better - the second day. John makes this very thick so it is basically a meal by itself; but you can make it thinner if you'd like to have it as a soup.


Pasta Fagioli

1 stick of pepperoni
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ cup wine
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2.5 tomato cans of water
1 lb ditalini pasta (or elbows)
2 cans kidney beans, preferably dark red
1 tablespoon olive oil
S&P to taste

Slice pepperoni into disks. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat; add pepperoni and sauté for 2-3 minutes – oil should start turning red from the pepperoni.

Add onion. Sauté until onion starts to cook. Add wine, Italian seasoning and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add to pot crushed tomatoes, water, and salt and pepper. For a more soup-y consistency, add one extra can of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add pasta; stir well.

Drain & rinse both cans of beans. Add to pot. Stir to keep pasta from sticking

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked.

Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with grated Parmesan.


Recipe courtesy of John's mom Eleanor.

fish tacos with homemade salsa verde & black bean soup

Easy: ***
Tasty: ***1/2

Tonight I made a Mexican influenced dinner of fish tacos with salsa verde and black bean soup. The fish tacos were great! The salsa verde was awesome! The black bean soup... Well, it was fine. And it's getting better at this very moment!

I began making the soup and the salsa at the same time. The soup needs to cook a few hours, and the salsa needs to cool in the refrigerator for a while. Even making these the day before would be good.

I followed the instructions of the soup, but I found that it needed to cook longer. The beans had not absorbed enough water. John also commented that most black beans in soup are mashed, and there needed to be more vinegar (you should be able to taste it a bit). We have put the soup back on the stove, mashed those suckers, added vinegar until it was a smidge tangy, and are seeing what a bit more cooking will do.

During the first part of cooking the soup (before sauteing the onions and peppers), I prepared the salsa. This was simple to make and it turned out deeeeee-licious!!! I poured it into a jar & refrigerated it for about 2.5 hours before eating.

For the tacos, I used tilapia, but any white fish will work fine. I seasoned the filets with coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, cumin, and paprika, and cooked them with olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. It took about 10 minutes. You can also use a fish coating or even broil the fish. Once the fish is cooked, I cut it into 1" strips.

I also made a side of packaged yellow rice. This can be layered in the taco and/or served on the side. I used low-fat, low-carb spinach wraps (though they weren't as soft as a flour tortilla would've been). I layered the fish, rice, diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, and salsa verde to make the tacos.

I topped the soup with a little shredded cheese and sour cream.

Black Bean Soup

1 pound dry black beans
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
1 Italian frying pepper or Cubanelle, halved
Olive oil, for sautéing, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, large diced
1 red pepper, large diced
1 green pepper, large diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 cup white vinegar
Salt

Sort through the beans to remove any split beans and stones (which are frequenly in the package).

In a large stockpot, cover the beans with water, covering them by 2 inches. Add bay leaf, cumin, oregano, and Italian pepper. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. (OR LONGER!!!)

After 45 minutes, remove the pepper.

In a sauté pan, sauté onions, and red and green peppers until translucent. Puree in a blender. Add to the beans.

In the same pan, sauté the garlic. Add to the beans, along with 1/4-cup olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Season with salt and continue to cook until very thick, about 45 minutes. (OR LONGER!!!) Garnish with finely chopped red onion, shredded cheese, and sour cream.


(adapted from Alex Garcia via the Food Network)


Salsa Verde

1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, juice of one lime, onions, cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.


(adapted from Simply Recipes)

authentic greek meal

Easy: ***
Tasty: ****1/2

Tonight, John cooked us an authentic Greek meal of Avgolemono soup, Dolmathes, and Souvlaki. Hard to pronounce, but not to make! John said it was easy to prepare; but it was a bit time consuming, since the Dolmathes are served cold and the Souvlaki meat has to marinate.

This was as delicious a meal as any we've had in our favorite Greek restaurants :)     OPA!!!!!

All recipes are from Eat Greek Tonight

Avgolemono Soup (Lemon Grass Soup)

4 cups Chicken Broth
3 whole Eggs, separated
1 1/2 Whole Lemons Squeezed
1/3 cup Rice, cooked for 10 minutes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Beat egg whites and beat yolks separately and then mix together. Add lemon juice to mixture and beat again.

Heat chicken broth in a stock pot. Add some hot chicken broth to bowl with egg mixture. Gradually (by spoonfuls) add the entire egg mixture into stock pot with remaining chicken broth.

Do this slowly...adding a little at a time, as not to curdle.

Heat soup over a very low heat and stir constantly. Add the cooked rice, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings to taste.

Do not boil.


Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

1/2 lb Grape Leaves
1 lb Yellow Onions finely chopped
1 bunch Dill finely chopped
1 bunch Mint finely chopped
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Rice
2 Lemons


Briefly dip grape leaves in boiling water then rinse them with cold water and wipe dry.

Mix the onions with half the olive oil. After a while, mix in the rice, 1 cup hot water, mint, dill, and juice of one lemon.

Boil the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes.

Wrap one tablespoon of the mixture with one grape leaf and repeat until completed.

Carefully place the dolmathes in the bottom of a pot with some space between them. Cover the dolmathes with a plate a add the rest of the oil and lemon juice with 2 cups of water.

Boil at low heat for 30 minutes, until some water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Serve cold with slices of lemon.


Souvlaki (Meat on a Stick)

5 Cloves Garlic Finely chopped
2 lb Meat (Lamb or Chicken)
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1/2 Tablespoon chopped Mint leaves
1-2 lemons
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut the meat into 2 x 2 inch cubes.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients and marinate, preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.

Skewer with or without your favorite vegetables and grill over medium heat.

Baste with leftover marinade.

Serve by itself, on a Greek salad, or in a pita.

pork chops with portobellos & peppers

Easy: ****
Tasty: ****1/2

This is a fairly easy meal to make. The main thing is to make sure not to overcook the pork chops or burn the veggies - these aren't dishes you can walk away from while they're cooking. To make things easier, I did all the prep work first (cutting veggies/herbs, mixing vinaigrette, etc). It took about 30-40 mins in all to prepare.

Instead of grilling the vegetables on the outside grill, I used a cast-iron grill pan so I could do the pork chops and veggies at the same time. I served with sun-dried tomato couscous on the side.

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops With Sage and Garlic

four 5-6 oz. lean pork chops
10-15 fresh sage leaves
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 lemons
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
cracked black pepper
salt

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop sage leaves into oil and let sizzle for thirty seconds or so until they begin to curl and crisp. Do not burn! Remove sage with a slotted spoon or fork and set aside on a plate. Drop the sliced garlic into the oil and sauté until golden. Do not burn! Remove with a slotted spoon or fork and add to the plate with the sage.

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan with the olive oil, now infused with sage and garlic. Cook the pork chops mainly on one side until the surface has browned and caramelized, flip them, and then cook them on the other side for a few minutes until the meat is fully cooked. Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm.

Return the reserved sage and garlic to the pan, along with the juice of one lemon. If the juice evaporates immediately, add more. Swirl together the lemon, sage, garlic, and browned bits scraped from the bottom of the pan to form a sauce. Once it comes together, pour sauce over chops and serve immediately.

(adapted from Suzanne Dunaway via thefoodsection.com)


Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, Sweet Peppers and Onions

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 clove crushed/chopped garlic
6 4-inch portobello mushrooms, stemmed, gills cut out and discarded
2 large red bell peppers, halved, seeded
2 large yellow bell peppers, halved, seeded
2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Whisk vinegar, oil, thyme, lemon peel and garlic in large bowl to blend well. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush vinaigrette over vegetables. Grill until mushrooms are tender and juicy, and peppers and onions are crisp-tender, about 12 minutes per side.

Cut mushrooms and peppers into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss mushrooms, peppers and onions in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

(adapted from epicurious.com)

When I finished making these veggies, I saved the leftover vinaigrette to use as a salad dressing. Mmmmmm! Mmmmmmm!