Week 94: Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pitas

Do you know what happens when you roast veggies?  They become sweetly delicious?  And when you pair it with some goat cheese?  SWEET + SALTY = Match made in heaven.

I originally wanted to make my own pitas, but alas, I didn't have enough time for all that dough-rising business, so I bought some at the grocery store.

This was an easy and delicious meal, that was just was good leftover!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 small zucchini, sliced

2 small yellow squashes, sliced
1 large portobella mushroom, stem removed and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thick
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
fresh crumbled goat cheese
whole wheat pitas

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.


Scatter veggies over baking sheet and then drizzle olive oil and vinegar over all and toss well. Sprinkle with salt.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat pitas then slice and stuff each with 1/4 cup goat cheese. When veggies are done, stuff into pitas and eat warm.

Recipe courtesy of Eat, Live, Run

Week 93: Vegetarian Polenta Lasagna

I love that this vegetarian lasagna uses polenta instead of noodles.  While it was a welcome change, the texture was a little mushy for my liking.  I did love, however, that this recipe allowed me to use all of the veggies that I happened to have in my fridge.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 cups low-sodium, fat free chicken broth

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

About 3 cups assorted roasted vegetables, your choice, roughly chopped (I used whatever I randomly had in my fridge.)

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

3-4 cloves minced garlic
pinch of oregano and crushed red pepper

1 cup shredded cheese, an Italian blend is good

DIRECTIONS
Bring the chicken broth to a boil and slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Line a 13x18 rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper, and spread the polenta in an even layer in the pan. Chill overnight.


Saute garlic in a bit of nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add crushed tomatoes and seasonings, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

When ready to assemble, cut the polenta into squares. In a deep 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce, then create a layer of polenta squares. Top with half of the vegetables and some of the sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of polenta squares, the remaining vegetables, and some sauce, and another 1/3 of the cheese. Finish with a third layer of polenta, and the remaining sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubble. Cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 4 servings.

 
 

Recipe courtesy of Cara's Cravings

Week 91: Sourdough and Tomato Soup

Today's assignment: make a delicious tomato soup, only make it BETTER by adding delicious carbs.  Dream come true?  Pretty much.

My only complaint with this soup was that the tomato part tasted a little like pasta sauce.  I'm not sure what was needed to make it taste less saucy, and more soupy.  I just imagined that I was using yummy bread to sop up the extra sauce from my pasta, and all was good.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sourdough bread, without crusts, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup grated ricotta salata
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Core and quarter plum tomatoes. Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse to chop, but not too fine.


2. Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes and their juices. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a slow simmer and cook 45 minutes, covered, stirring from time to time.

3. When the soup has simmered for 45 minutes, stir the bread cubes into the soup and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Check the seasoning.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, with grated ricotta salata and minced basil strewn on each serving.

Recipe courtesy of The Wednesday Chef

Week 89: Mediterranean Farro Salad

I'm always looking for new ways to use the yummy bulk grains that I keep in my pantry, so as soon as I found this farro salad I knew that it would be made soon.

The most notable thing that I learned from this recipe: I think that chives taste (and smell) like dog poo. I would be pretty okay with never adding those to anything I plan on eating ever again.

Otherwise, this salad was lovely. Good texture. Good flavor. The only thing I might add would be some feta.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)
3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch chives, snipped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss to combine and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentis

Week 88: Beet Soup

It seems I am in a bit of a predicament. As you might have noticed, I haven't been keeping up with blogging quite as I should have been. Abby and I have still been cooking weekly. I have still been taking pictures of what we have made. I have even used my fancy-schmancy iPhone to start drafts of each recipe as we have made them. I just haven't gone so far as to stick the recipes in there, and publish. Because of that, the recipes I put in here might not be EXACTLY what we made since we get our recipes from ALL over the place, but I'll get as close as I can...

This soup was really interesting. I have been under the impression for years that I simply do NOT like beets. This soup made a pretty good case for beets, but I still prefered the spoonfuls that had a good amount of goat cheese in them. Goat cheese just makes everything better.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable Stock
Fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 ounces of crumbled goat cheese or 1/4 cup of sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean beets and trim the greens from the bulbs. Slice the beets in half and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Clean the shallot similarly, slicing off the two ends of the onion and removing any papery skin. Slice the onion into fourths and place alongside beets. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the beets are soft and tender when poked with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool slightly before scooping the soft flesh from the skin and placing into a blender. Add the roasted onion, vegetable stock, and fresh thyme. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a small pot, heat until steaming. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese or sour cream. Enjoy.

Week 87: Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Recipe courtesy of: Fat Girl in a Skinny Body

I know what you're thinking. I can hear you know:

"But, Jennifer, you guys have already made lettuce wraps. Isn't the point to make something NEW???"

This is true. Only these lettuce wraps are different because they're vegetarian. Instead of chicken, they use tofu.

Another important difference was the Peanut Satay Sauce. No lettuce wraps needed...just grab a spoon. I won't judge.

Sidenote: Does anyone else find it horribly difficult to get whole lettuce leaves off of the head that are actually good for holding all the filling? I find this to be SO hard.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
Lettuce Wraps:
14 ounces firm tofu, drained
2 cups diced mushrooms (shitake are best, but any will do)
1 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup stir fry sauce (I used one from Trader Joe's)
1 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp brown sugar

1 head iceburg lettuce

Peanut Satay Sauce:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine stir fry sauce, sherry, soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until almost translucent, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes then add crumbled tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sauce.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces to a consistency you like.

To make the satay sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Put out at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. If the sauce if too thick for you, just whisk in some water.

To serve, place desired amount of tofu mixture in lettuce leaf, spoon on peanut satay and wrap to enclose.

Week 83: Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

My dear Meester sent me this recipe. Said that they looked like my style. Nobody knows you like your sisters!

These were both healthy and flavorful. I concluded that they wouldn't suffice if I were having a serious BURGER craving, but for those times when I don't absolutely NEED red meat, these would do the job. We ate them on sandwich-thin buns with red onion, fresh spinach, and dijon mustard. We doubled the recipe so we could have plenty leftover for lunches this week, and we even froze a few each for later.

I really liked how these were pretty easy to make, as there were few ingredients, and you simply mix them all together. The most difficult part would be going back and forth between making the patties and cooking them since your hands get really gunky. I was glad to have Abby there so she could do all the patty-flipping.

Would you judge me if I told you that the brown crispies on the bottom of the cooking pan and on the spatula were one of the best parts of this meal? Yes? Then I totally didn't scavenge every single last one before I did the dishes. Nope...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS


INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
5 oz frozen spinach (about half of a box), defrosted
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet at medium to medium-high. Mix together all ingredients with your hands and form four medium sized patties. Cook patties in a skillet for about 6 minutes per side, or until meat is completely cooked. Serve on toasted buns with extra feta, hot sauce, sliced onion, lettuce, and mustard.

Week 82: Power Frittata

I don't know if I'm the way my pants have been fitting me lately is just very motivating, or if it's the warmer weather we've been getting glimpses of that has put me in the mood, but I have been wanting to eat all of the veggies that I can lately. I was excited when Abby told me she had chosen for us to make this week, because a frittata is a GREAT and YUMMY way to get more veggies into a meal. We adapted the recipe we found on a blog by adding/nixing/replacing some of the add-in ingredients to fit our likes and dislikes. The original recipe calls for asparagus. Abs says she doesn't like asparagus, but it is now on my to-do list to prepare some asparagus on the GRILL for her and see if she can still resist it...

I was also excited to have a great use for my iron skillet, as we could use it on the stovetop, and then put it directly into the oven to finish cooking the frittata.

I expected this to taste good, but honestly I was surprised at just how flavorful it was since we didn't add ANY seasonings, spices, or additional salt. We ate our frittatas topped with a healthy dollop of light sour cream. Leftovers were just as delicious!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS




INGREDIENTS
5 whole eggs, beaten
2 oz feta cheese
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
5 large kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced and rinsed well

DIRECTIONS
Saute chopped broccoli and onion in olive oil in an iron skillet until slightly soft. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover with a plate, and cook on medium-low for about 8 minutes. Remove from the stove, and broil on low for 2-3 minutes until the top of the frittata looks set and slightly golden-brown. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Week 80: Pesto Gnocchi Salad

When Abby showed up at my house this afternoon claiming that she was hungry, so we were making something easy and fast, I was on board. Because, really, when do I not want to eat RIGHTTHISMINUTE? Never. Or always. However you look at it.

Anyway, this was a yummy spin on a pasta salad. I always love the chewiness of gnocchi, and the way the pesto/ricotta mixture coated everything was delicious. Abby had printed off a recipe, but we pretty much just did things our own way.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS

Gnocchi from the refrigerated section of the grocery store (we used some yummy whole-wheat sweet potato variety)
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh baby spinach
1 cup pesto
Part-skim ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. You could, of course, make your own gnocchi from scratch. But then you would probably be showing off. And this is not a task you should attempt when you are already hungry before you even start cooking. Let the gnocchi drain and cool while you work on the rest of the salad.

Quarter the cherry tomatoes.

Cut the spinach into pieces that will fit into a nice bite. I cut ours roughly in half.

In a bowl, mix the pesto with a couple of spoonfuls of ricotta. Toss the gnocchi, tomatoes, and spinach in the pesto mixture. Salt and pepper to taste, and top with a dollop of ricotta.

Week 79: Red Lentil Soup and Oat Soda Bread

I made this soup because:

-The blog I found it on made it sound like it was one of the greatest soups to ever be slurped.
-It's stinkin' cold outside. Can you say Blizzard 2011?
-Red lentils intrigue me. (Even though they were hard to find. Thanks, Whole Foods.)
-It was an excuse to use my immersion blender. What a fun tool that is.

I made the bread because:

-I love carbs.
-Sorry if you thought I had more reasons than that.

The soup was delicious. I ended up pureeing more than the recipe said to simply because I wasn't in the mood for a very chunky soup. I loved how pureeing the beans and veggies gave the soup a creamy, thick texture, but was still so healthy. It inspired me to try playing around my immersion blender with other combinations of beans and veggies. I'll let you know if I find anything great.

The bread was good for what it was. I loved that it was easy since it was a soda bread, and didn't require any yeast. Yeast intimidates me. The seeds on top of the bread were a good addition, and my favorite was the flavor of the caraway seeds. The bread was pretty dense, but was yummy warm with melted butter, or with honey. I may also be a little bitter because of the fact that I sawed into my finger when trying to slice the bread, so I may or may not be holding on to that grudge as I write this review...

SOUP Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

SOUP INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder, more to taste
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

SOUP DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add broth, lentils and carrots. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice.

BREAD Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

BREAD INGREDIENTS

2 cups (minus about 2 tablespoons) oat flour
~2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk, plus more if needed, and 2T. for brushing
mixed seeds - sesame, caraway, poppy

BREAD DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle of the oven. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until everything comes together into a dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 30 seconds or so, just long enough for the dough to come together into a cohesive, slightly flattened ball without many cracks or fissures. If your dough is on the dry side, add more buttermilk a small splash at a time. Now ease the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.

Brush all over the top and sides with buttermilk and sprinkle generously with mixed seeds or flour, 2 tablespoons or so. Slice a few deep slashes across the top of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes, then quickly (without letting all the hot air out of the oven), move the rack and the bread up a level, so the top of the bread gets nice and toasted. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a hard crust forms and the bread is baked through. It will feel very solid and sound hollow when you knock on it.

Carefully lift it out of the pan, in a timely fashion, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a good slathering of salted butter.

Week 78: Chicken Fried Quinoa

This week Abby read my mind. Just days before we got together to cook, I had expressed my desire to try to make chicken fried rice. When Abby showed up at my house telling me that we were making that, ONLY BETTER because we would be using quinoa instead of rice, I was so excited. I do love my quinoa.

This recipe was easy, and was yummy both right away and for lunch for the next couple of days. Especially drenched in soy sauce. Mmmm...salt...

I think next time I'd like to add more vegetables. Maybe some broccoli and sugar snap peas would be good.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked quinoa
½ lb chicken cut into cubes
1/3 cup pre-cooked fresh corn cut from the cob
1/3 cup pre-cooked fresh peas
1/3 cup cut diced carrots
2 eggs
2-3 tbsp green onions diced (use as much as you prefer)
1 tbsp soy sauce (plus more to taste after cooking)
1 can sliced water chestnuts (we used about 3/4 of the can)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Cook the quinoa first and let it stand and cool down. It’s important to let the quinoa sit in its water for at least ½ an hour before you start cooking it so you get no bitter taste.

• In a saucepan big enough to hold all the Quinoa Fried Rice, heat some oil and then stir fry the chicken until it’s mostly cooked. Add salt & pepper to taste.

• Add in the carrots, and sautee about a minute with the chicken to start softening the carrots up a bit.

• Add in the peas and corn and sautee with the chicken and carrots for about a minute.

• Scramble the eggs in a cup and then pour in with the chicken, carrots, peas, and corn. It is important to cook the scramble eggs before adding in the quinoa. If you pour the raw egg onto the quinoa, the quinoa will get soggy.

• When the eggs are scrambled, pour in the quinoa, water chestnuts, and the green onions along with the soy sauce. Mix all ingredients together well. Let cook in pan, stirring continually for about 1-2 minutes.

Week 77: Tamale Pie with Pumpkin Cornbread

I am sorry to have to say that this recipe started out with some disappointment, but don't worry, it has a happier ending.

I was really excited to make this tamale pie because it was supposed to be a "one skillet" meal. The plan was to saute the vegetables in a cast-iron skillet, which I am always looking to get more use of, then it was to go straight into the oven after covering the pie filling with cornbread batter. Once I put the peppers and onions in the skillet to saute, it was quite obvious that it was not big enough for the rest of the ingredients. Instead I moved everything to a large, glass, rectangular casserole dish. wWhile there were now more dishes to wash, and the whole "pie" was probably thinner than it was supposed to be, it turned out to be something I enjoyed eating anyway.

The filling was a little liquidy, so I wonder how that would have changed if it were cooked in a cast-iron skillet. I also would like to try to use some kind of meat to this in the future.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 package Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. skim milk
1/2 c. solid pack pumpkin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 ears of corn kernels or 1 c. frozen corn kernels
1 yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with jalapeños
2 c. cooked pinto beans
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350*

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. EVOO, peppers, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 10 minutes, until vegetables have softened. While veggies cook, in a mixing bowl whisk together egg, milk, and pumpkin.

Add cornbread mix, sprinkle of cayenne, and stir until mixture just comes together.

Drain tomatoes and add to vegetables along with the corn.

Add beans and spices to vegetables, stir well and taste, adjust seasonings.

Pour the cornbread topping over the vegetable mixture and spread to the edges of the skillet. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and set.

Spoon into a dish and serve with garnishes. We used sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Dinners with the Readmans

To start off winter break, I got to eat dinner with the Readmans a couple of evenings. The first night I made Mushroom Lasagna (slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen). It was slightly labor-intensive with the bechemel sauce, but I liked how I could prep and assemble it earlier in the day, throw it in the fridge, and pull it out to cook at the Readmans' house. This way we could enjoy the lasagna straight out of the oven, and we could basically relax right before dinner. Or sew...or play video games...or learn how much you have missed about the logistics of helping almost-2-year-old boys go to the bathroom when you didn't grow up with any brothers... Can you guess who was doing which activities?

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS (Joel liked it, too!)

INGREDIENTS
salt
olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds baby portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated parmesan

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large, wide pot of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Make béchamel: Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. If your name is Deb, you will probably brown this butter, too. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. Set aside.

Prepare mushrooms: Trim the ends of the mushroom stems. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. Cook half the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms.

Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. (Ina recommends the former, I only had the latter; if you’d like to freeze or give this dish as a gift, remember to use a foil pan). Arrange a layer of noodles on top*, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. To freeze for future use, allow it to cool completely and wrap two to three times in plastic wrap before freezing.

The next night was a Thursday, which means pizza in the Readman house. I suggested a recipe that I had been interested from Annie's Eats for Mexican Pizza. Lisa has a great, easy crust that she makes, and Lucas is in charge of the grill (I don't know if you were aware of this, but grilling pizza pretty much always raises the level of deliciousness).

I really liked this pizza for what it was. If you are craving traditional pizza with tomato sauce, this might not be the thing to make, but if it's Mexican flavors that you're in the mood for, this fresh, hearty pizza fits the bill! I especially liked the black bean puree that was used for a sauce.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS


INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (we used 1 2/3 c. cooked dried beans)
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. chicken broth, veggie broth or water
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese
1 jalapeño, seeded, ribs removed, and diced
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup tomato, seeded and diced
1/3 cup corn (we used frozen)
3-4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the grill, and roll out the pizza crust dough. Our dough was square! Put the crust on the grill, cook the bottom until slightly golden, and then bring back inside, flip it over, and get ready to top it. Make sure to put the toppings on the side of the crust that's already been cooked.

Combine the black beans, cumin, paprika and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until ground into a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chicken broth to the food processor and run until a smooth mixture is formed. Spread the bean puree onto the shaped pizza crust in an even layer. Layer evenly with the cheddar and monterey jack cheese. Sprinkle the jalapeño, red onion, tomato, corn and cilantro over the cheese layer.

Put back on the grill. The pizza is done when the side of the crust that's on the grill is cooked, and the cheese is melty. Enjoy!

Week 73: Sweet Potato, Apple, and Caramelized Onion Gratin

Have you ever found a recipe that, after trying it, you wanted to immediately make it for everyone you know? You feel like you have hit a culinary jackpot, and you just need to share the wealth?

For example, when I first made Poblano and Mushroom Tacos from Epicurious, I wanted to quit my day job and spend eternity making these vegetarian masterpieces. Okay...maybe a SLIGHT exaggeration.

Well, I have struck gold once again, my friends. I knew that this dish had potential. When I saw all of those ingredients that I loved in the TITLE of the dish, and saw it was followed by a word synonymous with CHEESE, I knew I was in for a treat.

Here's the thing, though: It is not in the least bit healthy. I'm talking heavy whipping cream, FULL fat sour cream, and cheddar cheese. This is okay for the occasional treat, but if I make this a habit, I'm going to have to invest in a new wardrobe in the next size up. If you know how many clothes I tend to buy, this could get quite expensive. AND THEN I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BUY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS DISH! Woe.

Year of Yum Rating: 5 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 medium sweet potato, (ridiculously) thinly sliced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup caramelized onions
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup full fat sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 375F and spray a small casserole dish with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl mix the cornstarch into the cream, then blend in the sour cream. Set aside.

In another small bowl mix together the salt, cinnamon, coriander, and smoked paprika until evenly mixed. Set aside.

In the prepared casserole dish layer 1/3 of the sweet potatoes, apples, and caramelized onions. Dust with 1/3 of the spice mixture then add 1/3 of the cheese and pour over 1/3 of the cream mixture. Repeat two more times.

Bake the gratin covered in foil for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, our until the gratin is bubbling and the cheese has browned.

Easy + Cozy = DELICIOUS

My favorite thing about crockpot recipes is that you can put the ingredients in before work, and you can come home to a completed home-cooked meal. Sometimes I don't try slow-cooker recipes because I am going to be gone longer than I am supposed to cook it for. So until I get a crockpot with a timer, I will be looking for recipes that cook for 8-10 hours.

This minestrone soup had a lot of things going for it:

Healthy? Check! (Seriously...look at all those veggies!)

Easy? Check! (It just required a little bit of veggie-chopping the night before, and then I was able to throw it all in the crockpot that morning.)

Long cook-time? Check! (I was able to not worry about it all day.)

I also liked that I got to add in uncooked pasta about 30 minutes before I wanted to eat the soup.

INGREDIENTS
8 cups beef broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can, Italian-seasoned)
1 cup dry beans: I used mixed soup beans, --- rinsed in hot water
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 small onion, finely diced)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked pasta

DIRECTIONS
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth into your cooker, and add tomatoes and the beans.

Add vegetables, seasoning, and thawed spinach. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are soft. Add dry pasta, and cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite tender. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Week 71: Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi

This recipe for gnocchi intrigued me because it didn't contain any potato. I'm also a huge fan of lemon in pasta, so that always catches my eye.

We had to change the recipe as we went, because the dough was way too sticky with the amount of flour that it called for. The recipe below reflects the recipe as we made it (more or less).

Next I want to try this. Pan-frying gnocchi sounds pretty much like perfection.

I wanted to try to make a light tomato sauce to top the gnocchi. I don't know that it turned out to be very "light," but it sure was yummy, cheap, and easy! Now I'm motivated to try to make more of my own sauce, and to experiment with different flavors.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
For the gnocchi:
1 1/2 15-oz containers of whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups of flour (give or take...we just added flour until the dough was easy enough to work with)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
zest of 2 small-ish lemons

For the sauce:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 large garlic clove, crushed
several basil leaves, roughly chopped
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Start the sauce by just throwing all the ingredients in a large, shallow pot, and allow to simmer while you're working your gnocchi magic.

2. Spread the flour out on a clean, dry work surface. Place the ricotta, salt, black pepper, egg, and zest on top of the flour and lightly knead it with your hands bringing together all the ingredients. Gently knead the dough into an 10-inch log and allow it to rest a few minutes.

2. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Cut the log into four equal pieces. Gingerly, lightly, roll each piece into a 1-inch thick piece of rope. Cut the gnocchi into 1/2-inch pillows.

To Cook: Place gnocchi in boiling salted water. When the gnocchi have floated to the top, allow them to cook for another two minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and serve.

Week 65: Cold Farro Salad

I am always in search of wonderful new grains to use in the kitchen. I love making cold salads that I can keep in the refrigerator and eat for lunch throughout the workweek. Quinoa has been a standby ever since Costco started selling large bags of the organic stuff for a great price. A couple of weeks ago I saw that the same brand was selling farro in bulk at Costco, so I snatched some up. I didn't really use a recipe, but just threw some stuff in there that I already had in the fridge, and I knew would work. The finished product was a grain that was nutty and chewy, which was great with cold, crisp vegetables. I enjoyed this with cheese; some days goat and some days feta.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 cup farro
3 cups water
bell pepper (I used the miniature ones from Costco that come in bags with red, orange, and yellow), diced
1 seedless cucumber, diced
olive oil
lemon
salt
pepper
cheese if desired

DIRECTIONS
Cook the farro according to package directions. It called for 3 cups of liquid to one cup of dry farro. I put some salt in the water while it was cooking. I also ended up with extra water in the pot after I deemed the farro to be done, so I just threw it in a strainer.

When dicing the peppers and cukes, I scraped the "guts" out of the cucumber even though it was seedless. I didn't want my salad to get too wet and soupy.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon, and add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss with the farro and veggies. Let chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Week 62: Greek Chopped Salad

Lately I have been craving a good, fresh salad. The only thing is that sometimes salads are hard to eat, especially if you want a little of everything in each bite. My solution was to find a good chopped salad. Everything is chopped in to little pieces so you can get all those great flavors on your fork at one time.

There were a lot of chopped salad options, but I knew the search was over when I found this recipe because I love pretty much all of the ingredients typically used in Greek foods. Onions, olives, feta, lemon juice, yum!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

(I struggled with this rating. It was a truly GREAT salad, but I couldn't decide if I should rate it in only the SALAD category, or if it was fair to compare it to other foods. If I had to choose between this salad and, say, macaroni and cheese, it would be a REALLY tough decision...)

INGREDIENTS
2 Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 (6 ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lemon, juiced
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large salad bowl, combine the Romaine, onion, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese.



2. Whisk together the olive oil, oregano, lemon juice and black pepper. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.

Week 59: Primavera Risotto Nests with Fried Eggs

This was our first real risotto recipe. I attempted one before, but couldn't find the right kind of rice, so it didn't count. Risotto does require a lot of attention and stirring, but it wasn't extremely difficult, and I loved the creaminess of the result. Other things I loved: all of the veggies, how I could taste the wine that the rice soaked up, and the way the fried egg complimented the risotto.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
2 cups chopped button mushrooms (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth, divided
3/4 cup 1/3-inch cubes carrots
2 cups diced trimmed asparagus (about 9 ounces)
3 cups (or more) water
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/2 cup shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for drizzling
4 large eggs

DIRECTIONS
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir until translucent at edges, 5 minutes. Add wine. Stir until liquid is absorbed, 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, and 1 cup broth. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to add remaining broth, then water, 1 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, stirring often and letting almost all liquid be absorbed after each addition, about 25 minutes total.

Stir 1 cup cheese, peas, parsley, and mushrooms into risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat some butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggs, without turning, until whites are cooked through and yolks are cooked to desired doneness. (Our eggs were pretty done, but my yolk was just a little runny...)

Mound 1 cup risotto on each of 4 plates. Using back of spoon, make hollow in top of each mound. Top each with egg; drizzle with oil. Serve, passing additional cheese.



Recipe from Epicurious...I LOVE that app on my iPod Touch!

Week 58: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Abby and I love hummus. Every time I make it, I tell myself that I need to make it more often. It's easy now that I have a food processor, and it's yummy to have in the fridge to snack on. In fact, I think I just might make more this weekend...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 16-oz. can chilled chickpeas, drained
Juice of one fresh lemon
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/3 cup roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Pinch of sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor until creamy smooth.

Taste test and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Cover and chill until serving. We ate it with some yummy pita chips. I need to work on forcing myself to dip something non-carby in my hummus, like veggies!


Recipe from Gluten Free Goddess.