American Lasagna

The last time I remember making lasagna was in college, a couple years ago, for a big group of friends. This is really the only lasagna I've ever made - its meaty, cheesy, saucy...and delicious!!! Sometime I would like to try a "fun" lasagna like vegetarian, or spinach alfredo lasagna. But for now, this more than meets my lasagna cravings!!!

This recipe, like any from-scratch italian recipe, is quite a bit of work - but in my opinion, pretty foolproof if you just follow the directions! I was pretty exhausted by the end of the preparation but its nothing that a glass of wine won't cure :-) Be careful moving the pan to and from the oven - it seriously weighs about 6 or 8 pounds! The original recipe also states that this can be made two days ahead of time, and just pop in the fridge until you're ready to bake.

I doubt I will ever go searching for a basic lasagna recipe again - there's just no need!



American Lasagna

2 lb ground beef/turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3-4 cloves)
1 TBS chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 TBS brown sugar
salt + pepper
29 oz can diced tomatoes + 15 oz can diced tomatoes (juice drained)
2 6-oz can tomato paste
12 cooked lasagna noodles - blotted dry - cook just a few minutes too short, so not quite al dente
3 eggs beaten
1.5 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C parmesan cheese
2 TBS dried parsely
1 lb. mozzerela cheese

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt/pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: the measurements are just a start. Make the sauce your own and save yourself a few dishes - add things as you like - if you like sweet meat sauce, go heavy on the brown sugar.

2. Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, ricotta, parmesan, parsely, and a pinch of salt.

3. Take the largest glass baking pan that you have. Put down a layer of noodles. Cover with 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/2 of mozzerela cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. If you have extra of certain ingredients, just keep creating layers until you run out of room! Word of advice - ensure that your top layer is never noodles - it needs to be covered with something or you'll have a nice crunchy top layer. And the very top layer should be sprinkled with cheese!

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note - my layers were basically overflowing my 9x13 pan. I covered with foil in an attempt to hold everything in. I also put my dish on a larger cookie sheet in the oven, in case anything overflowed.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

This past weekend, we joined Brett's parents and their good friends Jim and Susie for an awesome getaway at the lake of the Ozarks. It's amazing how just three days away can be so refreshing - we spent our time taking the boat out, drinking sangria in the water, playing Farkel and Catchphrase, waterskiing, jetskiing, shooting the minnow....and of course eating tons of delicious food!!! I feel so spoiled at the lake - but I love it!

My "assignment" was to make an appetizer for Saturday night. Truthfully, I felt like my options were fairly limited - I couldn't make any of Ellen's recipes, and I couldn't make anything with too many refridgerated ingredients (we had a 5 hour car drive to get there,) and I couldn't even make a few of my tried-and-true recipes which I'd given to Ellen. I wanted something original, something flavorful, and something that everyone would love!

After a good online search, I came across this recipe on Allrecipes - what could be more summery than tomatoes, garlic and olive oil brushed onto some crispy bread?! This bruschetta recipe is TO DIE FOR - though I do have several recommendations! I will make this over and over again - if I'm lucky, it might become a lake tradition!!



Double Tomato Bruschetta
6 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 C. sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped (I used food processor)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 C olive oil - plus a bit more for brushing on the bread
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1/4 C fresh basil(I implore you to not use dried herbs in this recipe)
salt + pepper
1 French baguette
2 C shredded mozzerela

1. Mix sundried tomtoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit in fridge overnight.
2. About half-hour before serving, add chopped roma tomatoes and basil. Set aside.
3. Cut baguette into slices and brush with olive oil. Put in the oven (broil) for several minutes until toasted. Hint: Use a wire rack pan, if you have one - this lets the heat come on all sides of the toast.
4. Take the bread out of the oven. Top with tomato mixture and cheese. Put back into the oven until cheese is toasted.

And just a final thought: Susie made a great suggestion, that instead of mozzerella, using something more creamy (like goat cheese) would be the perfect topping to this already delicious appetizer. I will definitely be trying this next time!

Shrimp Rice Bowl

As I'm sure you all realize by now, my list of stir-fries or other Asian-inspired dishes can go on and on.... but what can I say?! Cooking fresh veggies in a sweet and spicy sauce over hot oil, then eating alongside yummy jasmine rice....well, it's about as good as it gets! This dish is extra fun because it literally is a rice bowl - you stuff a small bowl with sticky jasmine rice like this:



Then flip into a second bowl for eating out of:

..and top with your delicious shrimp and veggies:

...TA-DA!!!

This recipe is something I sort of just made up, and that's not saying anything special - you could substitute beef/chicken/scallops, use whatever fun veggies are on sale, and switch up the sauces. I do think the pineapple is a must, however - it adds a sweet touch to an otherwise spicy and salty dish.

Shrimp Rice Bowls

15-20 large shrimp, raw and de-shelled
2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into chunks
1/2 can pineapple cubes
1 TBS fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
a couple drops of sesame oil
1/4 C Stir-fry sauce (I used Kikkoman's)
1/4 C Bangkok Hot Peanut Sauce
jasmine rice, cooked

1. Sautee shrimp and garlic in a bit of olive oil, with several drops of sesame oil. Cook just until pink (1-2 minutes) - you do not want to overcook the shrimp or the texture will be tough! Remove shrimp and set aside.

2. Add more olive oil to pan and sautee peppers, onion, and ginger over high heat. Turn heat to low. Add sauce, cooked shrimp and pineapple. Heat through. Spoon over hot rice.

Mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe on my blog yet...but better late than never! I consider my mom's chicken broccoli casserole to be a real comfort food - it's rich (as in, a-cup-of-mayonnaise-rich!), it's piping hot, and the flavor is something that brings me waaaay back to when I was young and Mom would make this on my visits to Cali. I love classic dishes like this that are always good and have a story attached - someday I will pass this recipe on to my own kids but by then, it will be "grandma's chicken broccoli casserole"!!!

I've got no secrets or hints for this one - it's straightforward enough! It does bake for an hour, so factor that into your cooking time. This would be a good one to make ahead for a weeknight dinner, and if you can't eat the whole pan, just freeze half of it for another time.

Kudos to Mom!

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

2 10-oz packages of frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 C real Hellman's mayo
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 C toasted almonds
1/2 C toasted bread crumbs
2 TBS melted butter

Put broccoli in bottom of 9x11 greased casserole pan; spread diced chicken over the top of the broccoli. In a medium bowl, mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, curry, cheese and almonds. Pour over chicken. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil for last ten minutes to toast bread crumbs. Let sit five minutes before eating.

Gary's World-Famous Sloppy Joes...

Any time I complement Brett's dad, I'm accused of trying to get "brownie points." Now that I'm posting his world-famous sloppy joe recipe, I can already see it comin'.....

Sloppy joes are one of those super-cheap-and-easy-to-go-to meals. Brown a little meat, add a few seasonings, bam, let's eat. Normally I use the William's dry seasoning mix but upon mentioning sloppy joes to Brett a few weeks back, he begged me to get his dad's recipe. Great, I thought, sloppy joes made from scratch? So much for super-cheap-and-easy-to-go-to! I sent Gary a quick text message, and he sent the recipe back almost immediately - with THREE ingredients! Oh yeah, I can handle that.

Gary's World-Famous Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 16-oz can Manwich BOLD sloppy joe sauce
1 jalepeno, minced

Brown beef. Add sauce. Add jalepeno. Stir. Heat. Eat.

Emeril's Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

I'll be the first to admit, I have never been a huge fan of Emeril Lagasse. His energy is amazing but sometimes, too much - I like it in small doses, you know? A few years ago, I happened to watch one of his episodes where he was putting these wraps together. I don't remember why I was intrigued, or why I chose to write down the name of the recipe, or why I later went back and googled it. Whatever the reasons, I'm glad I did!!

This recipe is, well, FUN! It's relatively easy to make, always delicious, and a very pretty layout on the table - cool lettuce wraps, hot marinated pork, a spicy and sweet sauce.

I think the least fun part of this recipe is finding a way to successfully come up with 6-8 pretty lettuce cups. I always buy the biggest head of lettuce I can find, spend 15 minutes slowly peeling away layers, and I STILL don't know the secret. That's something I need to google, as I'm sure there's an easier way. When I re-heated leftovers on day 2, I actually just used chopped lettuce, like for a salad. Of course it tastes the same, but it isn't nearly as fun :)

PS - I served this with homemade asian slaw.

Emeril's Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

medium pork tenderloin, trimmed (1-1.5 lb)
1/2 C soy sauce
1 TBS sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 C chopped green onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS fresh minced ginger
2 TBS hot chili sauce
2 TBS honey
vegetable oil
seasame seeds
2 C cooked jasmine rice
1 large head letteuce, leaves separated, washed and patted dry

After trimming the fat off the pork, wrap tightly in several sheets of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 40 mins. You want it to be the shape of a slender log.

In a large casserole dish, add soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, green onion, garlic and ginger. Whisk together. Take the pork out of the freezer and cut into half-inch medallions. Place the pork in the marinade, cover and put in fridge for 1 hour-overnight.

In a small mixing bowl, combine hot sauce and honey. [note - this is the sauce noted in the original recipe. You can have fun with this part - I sometimes add hoison, horseradish, orange marmalade, etc.]

When the pork has marinated, remove from fridge and let sit 15 minutes. Heat several TBS of oil in a large skillet and carefully add pork medallions - be careful!!! It will splatter some oil - ensure your oil isn't too hot. Cook the pork for several minutes on each side, until cooked.



Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To serve, lay out the lettuce wraps, rice, pork and sauce. Take a lettuce cup, put rice inside, and a pork medallion, and drizzle some sauce. Wrap up and eat!

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricassee

Before I get started, its worth nothing that Brett gave this a 5 - he NEVER gives out fives! I was so excited when he gave his "official rating." We're nerds, huh?

Today I found myself getting a little bit too excited to come home and cook dinner - but I honestly think I'm over the month-long break where I was just too busy/concerned with other things. You always go back to the things that mean the most, right? Cooking has been a hobby of mine for nearly 4 years now...and though our upcoming wedding is at the forefront of my mind, cooking is not something that will so easily fall by the wayside.

I stumbled across this recipe in one of my Cooking Light magazines a few months back...on the page, it not only looked delicious, but featured one key ingredient that I have been wanting to use - Dijon mustard. I'm not a huge mustard fan but in the right dish, the flavor can be delicious. So today after work, I bought a bottle of good Chardonnay and put this dish together. The result? Incredible. I made it with mashed potatoes (WITH skin) and my hunch was correct - the gravy that goes over the chicken tastes just as good over the potatoes.

Have fun! Thanks for sticking around :)

Dijon Mustard Chicken Fricassee
1/4 C. Dijon mustard
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley (I used dried herbs)
1 TBS chopped fresh thyme
4-5 chicken breasts
salt, pepper olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C dry white wine
1 C chicken broth

1. Combine mustard, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. In a ziploc plastic bag, toss chicken in this marinade. Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and don't touch them (!) so they brown nicely. Cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts from the pan and set aside.

3. Add chopped onion to pan (still over medium-high heat - add more oil if needed.) Cook several minutes, until tender and translucent. Add garlic. Cook one minute, then add chicken broth and wine. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

4. Bring remaining sauce to boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken before serving.

And for a better picture/original recipe, see link

Next week's menu...

....Dijon-marinated chicken from Cooking Light.
Tuna and shells from Rachael Ray.
And turkey meat tacos from, well, me!

Pina Coladas!!!

The week of March 17, 2007, Brett and I embarked on our first big, alone trip. We took a lovely vaca to the Bahamas on the Royal Caribbean cruiseline. To this day, I call it "the best week of my life." Tango lessons, endless beaches, steak with scallops, aqua water, and all-you-can-drink Pina Coladas...that is just the beginning of it. The best part of it all, of course, is that Brett and I were there together. We left Miami on the last day, talking about the next time we would see the beach together....

....and I have this little inkling that it will be next summer!!! On, oh, maybe a honeymoon??!! Probably not the Bahamas but somewhere tropical, you bet.

In honor of the past and the future... here is a yet-to-be-tried Pina Colada recipe. But, it's very fitting that I went searching for this recipe today. This Saturday is Brett's big graduation party, and you better believe I am whipping some of these up and garnishing with sweet pineapple!


Celebratory Pina Colada's!!!

1 C coconut milk or cream of coconut
1 C pineapple juice
1/2 C rum
4 TBS white sugar
2 C ice

Blend all in a blender. Pour into glass. Garnish as desired.

...A Post this Week, I PROMISE!!!

I am determined to not let my new-found wedding planning interrupt my other passions...now that things have cooled off a *tiny* bit (who am I kidding?) I promise to post a blog entry this week. Hang in there with me!!!

Thai Curry Soup

I have to admit...I have been SO bad about cooking new, original, healthy, delicious meals lately! I don't know what has gotten into me. A sampling of last week's dinners included Subway and macaroni...pitiful!

I promise this is just a temporary phase. Brett moves home FOUR weeks from today (!!) and I can't wait for "meal-planning" evenings. That basically consists of throwing on some PJs, grabbing a beer, and flipping through my magazines and recipe books to choose dinners for the next two weeks. That's my kinda night!

This is something I made a few weeks back. I was trying to clear out my pantry and I did an ingredient search on a couple random things I had, including coconut milk and rice noodles. This recipe was really, really good. I left out the shrimp and instead, used chicken (but only because I had chicken in the freezer!) If you do use chicken, ensure that its fully cooked before you add to the soup. I also left out the spinach because I haven't had the best of luck using spinach in soups...it tends to get wilt-y. Yuck!

World Market sells red curry paste, by the way. Also, I love spicy food, and I simply could not get this soup to be spicy enough. I increased the curry paste, I added red pepper flakes...and finally, I resorted to my most fool-proof SPICE enhancer...cayenne pepper. I didn't want to alter the flavor of the soup (cayenne pepper has sort of a smoky flavor) so I added as much as possible without overdoing it.

Thai Curry Soup

• 2 ounces rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced lemon grass (I omitted b/c I couldn't find any)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh)
  
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste (I used 3-4 TBS)
  
• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water to stop the cooking; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, lemon grass, and ginger; cook and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the curry paste, and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, and stir until the curry paste has dissolved, then pour in the remaining chicken stock along with the soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Stir in coconut milk, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, lime juice, and cilantro. Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. To serve, place some rice noodles into each serving bowl and ladle soup on top of them. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of sliced green onion.

Shrimp Limone

Zio's Italian Restaurant in Olathe, KS...one of my all-time favorite Italian restaurants (and even one of my first employers, from my high school days!) I always order one of two things: Spaghetti with meat sauce and alfredo (trust me, it's a-MA-zing) or a super delicious dish called "Shrimp Limone."

I am proud to say that I have artfully mastered - yes, nearly mastered! - this dish to the point of tasting nearly identical to the restaurant. My first attempt was in college and while it was good, I didn't quite understand the principle of creating good cream sauces. Practice makes perfect, right?

I guesstimated the proportions listed below, and every time it's even better and closer to the real thing. Why am I posting this today, you might wonder? Well, tomorrow night, Brett is taking me on a date at Zios - and even better, it was HIS idea! Since I just made Shrimp Limone last week, I might have to go with the spaghetti tomorrow night...we will see!

Shrimp Limone

2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1 pint half & half (2% milk will work, too)
salt, pepper, oregano
2 TBS lemon juice

1-2 TBS olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
frozen cooked shrimp, thawed
angel hair pasta

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, and whisk for 1 minute. Add half & half, and raise heat until sauce is boiling. Reduce to a simmer, and continue to whisk to remove lumps. Add salt, pepper, oregano and lemon juice. Adjust/add seasonings to taste.

2. In large skillet, sautee garlic in olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes, shrimp, and cream sauce to pan. Cook all until heated through.

3. Boil angel hair pasta as directed. Serve shrimp mixture over angel hair.

Mom's Poppy Seed Bread

A short story...
On this shelf of mine, I have a very special cookbook, given to me by Mom a few years back.




I go through it ALL the time and am dreading the day when I have to decide what to do - oh my! - when it fills up.



Mom spent a lot of time on this, you can tell...and probably far too long in the Hobby Lobby sticker aisle.




Every now and then, I get the urge to bake a treat for myself. Since it's only me for the time being, a loaf of bread or batch of cookies generally lasts me all week. While flipping through Mom's cookbook, I decided to give her poppy seed bread a try. I remember her making it for co-workers when I was a kid, and wrapping it in cellophane, then giving away as gifts. Mom, I might steal your idea and give it away myself this Christmas!

It's simply awesome. So moist, very fluffy yet dense at the same time, sweet enough without being too sweet, and it goes perfect with a glass of milk before bedtime. What's even better is that there's no "mix dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, blah blah blah" - you get ONE bowl and add FIVE things (okay, six, but water doesn't count.) Then stir, and bake. Ta da!



Mom's Poppy Seed Bread

1 pkg yellow cake mix (2 layer)
1 pkg instant coconut pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 C oil
1 C hot water
1/4 C poppy seeds

Using mixer, mix all ingredients for 4 minutes. Bake in 2 loaf pans for 35 minutes at 350.
(PS - it freezes wonderfully!)

BBQ Beef and Cornbread Casserole

Yes, it sounds really weird, I know. It sounds so weird, I almost didn't make it. But then I thought to myself, "how hypocritical - I call myself 'adventurous' and 'willing to try new things' yet I am so quick to steer clear of a recipe that SOUNDS odd?" So, possibly for no reason other than to fulfill my own claims, I wrote down a grocery list and gave this one a try.

This recipe was good but didn't quite hit it outta the ballpark. I don't want to scare you away - "it sounds weird AND she says its just okay..." - because it IS good and I WILL make it again, definitely. The cornbread bakes on top of the ground beef mixture and stays surprisingly crunchy (i.e. not soggy at all) and the beef mixture has an awesome flavor. In some ways, this recipe is exactly like chili but baked in a casserole pan and made with BBQ sauce rather than chili powder.

Without further ado!

BBQ Beef and Cornbread Casserole

2 lb ground beef (I use 93/7 so no need to drain fat)
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
10 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1C your favorite BBQ sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 pkgs corn bread mix (to prepare, may need eggs/milk depending on brand)

1. Brown meat (drain grease if needed.) Add onion and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add corn, BBQ sauce and tomatoes.

2. Prepare corn bread batter as directed.

3. In 9x13 casserole dish, pour beef mixture on bottom and spoon cornbread batter on top, smoothing out to cover beef mixture.

4. Bake in 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cornbread comes out clean.

Thai'd Peanut Chicken

...complements of Chase and Morgan!

I guess people are learning that if they have a good recipe, I'd like to know. Chase and Morgan, two of my good friends, told me about this dish last week. The first thing that caught my eye is that is has six (yes, six) ingredients - and it looks delicious even on paper. I'm always a fan of saving money...maybe it goes back to that finance thing?...so when I see a recipe that calls for a handful of ingredients and incorporates some really awesome Asian flavors, I'm gonna go for it!

As always, I made a few small alterations to this recipe to make it just how I like it...I added the General Tso sauce because I had it in the fridge, but it would be great with hoison sauce or teriyaki (or none - the original recipe only has the peanut butter and soy sauce.) I also tossed the chicken in red pepper flakes before sauteeing and I used a bright orange pepper, which has a very yummy flavor!

Also, use the measurements below as a starting point - if you looooove soy sauce, add more. If you hate garlic, leave it out. One of my favorite things about cooking is that you make the rules. Make it your own and have fun with it!

Thai'd Peanut Chicken

2 TBS peanut butter
2 TBS soy sauce
3 TBS General Tso's sauce (or other Asian sauce of your choice)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 bell peppers, cut into cubes
1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 pkg wide rice noodles, cooked and drained

1. In large sautee pan, cook chicken until juices run clear. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper if desired. Add bell peppers and garlic and sautee until tender.
2. Add peanut butter, soy sauce and other Asian-insprired sauce of your choice. Add rice noodles. Mix well and heat through.

Greek Pasta

I love cooking healthy. Well, I also love cooking unhealthy (fried chicken, for example) but it leaves you with that full, bloated, greasy feeling...you know what I mean? Last weekend I was looking for something (a) easy and quick to put together (b) mostly free of fat, esp. unhealthy fats - I'm always okay with olive oil, nuts, etc. and (c) something nutritious with vibrant flavors. I thought something more ethnic would be fun, too, but I'm a bit burnt out on Asian-inspired dishes and Mexican wasn't sounding so wonderful.

I ended up finding a highly-rated Green Chicken Pasta recipe. While I almost decided to make the recipe word-for-word with chicken, Brett agreed that a vegetarian version would be even more healthy - of course we aren't vegetarians but meat can be overrated on occasion.

If there is one word to describe this dish, it's flavorful. There isn't really a sauce, per se, but moreso a bit of melted feta coating the entire dish that is lemon-y, garlic-y, with sweet red onion and artichoke hearts throughout. I served with a loaf of Asiago bread and some olive oil with herbs and sweet vinegar for dipping. This dish will certainly be on my go-to list in the future and has sparked a bit of inspiration of me...I'm on the lookout for a good Mediterranean cookbook now!

Greek Pasta

1 lb uncooked pasta - penne or rotini
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red onion, chopped
14 oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 jar Kalamata olives, drained
1/2 C. crumbled feta cheese (I used low-fat, can't tell the difference)
2 TBS lemon juice
parsely, oregano, salt, pepper to taste
grilled, sliced cooked chicken (optional) or shrimp

1. Cook pasta as directed.
2. In large skillet, sautee garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is translucent and tender. Add artichoke hearts, tomato, olives, lemon juice and herbs (and cooked chicken/shrimp if applicable.) Stir and let heat through for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add feta cheese and pasta; toss, heating through for several minutes. Serve.

Apple-Raisin French Toast Casserole

Yes, you read it right.

It started like this: about 7 am this cold Sunday morning, hunger hit. I did the whole eggs + bacon + fried potatoes route yesterday, and my cholesterol couldn't take another hit. Today I wanted something...sweet. And rich. And comforting, and hot. Pancakes? I never was too good at flipping them... waffles? Those always seem to burn....French toast? Yes, getting closer... French toast drenched in apples and butter and cinnamon that bakes happily in the oven while I lay around in pajamas? Yes, perfect. (okay, so maybe my cholesterol DID take another hit....)

This ultimate breakfast comfort food was so yummy, I had seconds about an hour before dinner because I couldn't stop thinking about it. And actually, it would go splendid with a scoop of ice cream for dessert, and maybe some hot brandy syrup poured over the top.

Tip - the original recipe calls for this to be refrigerated overnight. I didn't realize this until halfway through putting it together so I went forward with it anyway. Looking back, I have no idea why it would need to be refrigerated that long - the bread was plenty moist and fluffy.

Apple-Raisin French Toast Casserole

3/4 C. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C melted butter
3 red or golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 loaf raisin bread (cinnamon-raisin bread is okay too)
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 C milk
1/2 TBS vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon

1. Spray PAM on a 9x13 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix apple slices, brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Mix in melted butter. Layer the apples on the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and 2 tsp cinnamon in a medium bowl. Take each slice of bread and dunk it in the egg mixture for a minute or two until soggy. Then place the bread slices over the apples, covering the apples with 1-2 slices of bread.
3. Cover with aluminum foil and you may either refrigerate overnight or bake now.
4. Heat oven to 375 and bake for 40 minutes, covered. Remove foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Ham in Cream Sauce

I was walking through World Market with Brett and his mom a few weeks back and decided to buy something that has tempted me many a time...fresh gnocchi. For those of you who don't know, gnocchi is basically a mashed potato noodle, much like a dumpling. I wasn't able to find many recipes online that include gnocchi and I think this sort of intimidated me a bit. Finally, I decided to do my own creation and give it a whirl (after getting a teeny bit of inspiration from other recipes.)

My first question was, tomato- or cream-based sauce? Always a fan of butter and milk, I chose cream-based. What sort of meats? Chicken is white, and the gnocchi is white, so that wasn't enough color for me. Pork and beef didn't seem right. Shrimp sounded great, but I didn't want to dish out the cash if only cooking for myself. So I chose cubed ham. What sort of veggies? Asparagus, heck yeah! Mushrooms, you bet. And I had an onion I needed to use, so I threw that in too. Other than that, a simple roux with some milk and white wine was all I needed to pull it together.

The verdict? Very good but...different. I am used to dumplings in soup, but not so much as a main dish. I would be interested in knowing Bobby Flay's opinion of this dish - I mean, it's not totally wild and I think the crunchy asparagus is a nice contrast to the soft gnocchi. But maybe I went overboard with the wine? Who knows. If nothing else, go buy yourself some gnocchi and have fun with it. Isn't cooking all about experimentation? I'm looking forward to leftovers tonight, so I consider that success!

Gnocchi with Asparagus and Ham in Cream Sauce

Small onion, diced
8-10 stalks of asparagus, cut in half
8 oz sliced mushrooms
20 oz fresh gnocchi
1 C cubed ham
3/4 C chicken broth
1/2 C milk
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter
1 TBS flour
2 TBS white wine
salt, pepper, sage, lemon juice and parmesan to taste

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onion, asparagus and mushrooms until onion is translucent.

2. Cook gnocchi as directed (it's done when they float to the top, 3-4 mins. Do not overcook!)

3. In the skillet, push the veggies to the side. Put butter and flour in the center and stir with a whisk until the flour has no clumps. Add white wine, and stir everything for 30 seconds while white wine evaporates.

4. Add chicken broth and milk. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and sage (roughly 1/2 tsp. dried sage and 1/4 tsp. lemon juice.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and let sauce thicken for several minutes. Add gnocchi and ham, heat through and serve immediately. Top with parmesan before serving.

Homemade Salsa

First, let me start with two apologies -
(1) I apologize for not posting in two weeks. Truth is, I haven't really cooked much the past couple of weeks. No reason, just staying later at work, etc.
(2) I apologize that this recipe doesn't have a picture. It's salsa, so I think it's pretty easy to imagine, but I promise that next time I make it (summer is coming and that means delicious tomatoes) I will take a pic and post it.

Last year, I made homemade salsa for the first time. I've made a few alterations and additions and I think I've almost perfected it. Some advice...roma or plum tomatoes hold up best; putting some tomatoes in the food processor and leaving others just diced makes for a much more interesting texture; it is simply not possible to use too much cilantro; and, never ever EVER touch your face after chopping jalepenos.

I like to make a big batch and - what else - snack on with tortilla chips. It also goes great alongside chicken enchiladas...which gives me an idea for a future post....

Homemade Salsa

1 can stewed tomatoes
Several small fresh tomatoes (plum or roma - these are naturally fairly small)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
salt/pepper to taste
small jalepeno, minced (no seeds)...OR you can sub. 4oz can green chiles
chopped FRESH cilantro (start with a small handful)

1. Put stewed tomatoes in food processor and pulse until mostly pureed (2-3 pulses). Put into medium bowl and add remaining ingredients. Let sit for several hours so the flavors can meld.

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

This recipe is certainly not a new one for me. The first time I made it back in college, I was craving cookies and only had some butter, some jelly....typical college kid. I typed those ingredients into a recipe search and these came up - definitely one of the most delicious and pretty cookies ever! I brought them to Kellie's for July 4th of last year and was so proud when Ryan said, "do these have almond paste or something in them?" (it's actually almond extract but I was thrilled someone knew what that yummy flavor was!)

Have fun with these cookies - when Mom sends loads of homemade cherry preserves, I make them with cherry. When I want a certain color (i.e. red and blue for July 4th) I buy jams in that color. Last week I made them with orange marmalade and brought them into work - they lasted about half-hour! They are rather addicting...

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

1 C. butter, softened
2/3 C. white sugar
1/2 tsp. real almond extract
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam (or jam of your choice)

1/2 C. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. real almond extract
several TBS milk

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using the back of a teaspoon, imprint holes into each dough ball. Carefully, put a bit of jam into each hole.
3. Put the unbaked cookies into the fridge for approx. 15 minutes.
4. Take the cookies out of the fridge and put into the oven to bake. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully - though the dough may look white and uncooked, shortbread is naturally white and the edges may burn without you knowing it. Watch the edges closest to the pan and when they are light brown, the cookies are done.
5. Cool the cookies at least 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until the icing is thin enough to drizzle over the cookies.