Friday, May 31, 2013

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients
8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 pound lean spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until not quite tender, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.
  4. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
  5. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
  6. Add sausage; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes.
  7. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until it is cooked through, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  8. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
  9. Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
  10. To assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish.
  11. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary.
  12. Evenly dollop half the ricotta over the noodles.
  13. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella.
  14. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half the remaining tomatoes and half the remaining mozzarella.
  15. Top with a third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes.
  16. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
  17. Remove the foil; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
  18. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  19. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Broccoli, Rice, and Ham Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked ham
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen broccoli
1 cup cooked rice
1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
 Directions:
  1. Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs.
  2. In a 2- to 2 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish, combine ham, broccoli, cooked rice, soup, cheese, onion, and sour cream.
  3. Spread bread crumbs over top.
  4. Bake 55 to 65 minutes at 325°, or until browned and bubbly.
 
Serves 4.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Zesty Southwest Burgers with Cilantro Slaw

(burger minus the cilantro slaw)

I originally found this recipe in the Sunday coupon insert years ago.  You can find the original here:  Zesty Southwest Burgers with Cilantro Slaw.

Ingredients:
1 bag Success® White Rice, Success® Brown Rice, or Success® Jasmine Rice 
1/2 C. Ranch salad dressing 
2 C. shredded cabbage 
3 T. cilantro, minced 
1 lb. ground chuck 
2 1/2 T. hot and spicy taco seasoning mix 
2 T. vegetable oil 
4 each hamburger buns
Directions:
  1. To make the cilantro slaw:  In a large bowl combine ranch salad dressing, cabbage and cilantro. 
  2. Toss to combine; cover and refrigerate until serving.
  3. Prepare rice according to package directions. 
  4. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl, combine rice, ground chuck and taco seasoning mix. 
  6. Form into four patties sized slightly larger than hamburger buns. 
  7. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
  8. Add patties and cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium well doneness (165°F), turning once.
  9. To serve, on each hamburger bottom bun, place a cooked patty, an equal amount of slaw and top bun. 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Italian Pork and Vegetable Saute

 
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless pork sirloin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 T. olive oil, divided
1-2 large diced bell peppers, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Coarse salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 T. all-purpose flour
½ c. dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, or non-alcoholic varietal grape juice
Directions
  1. Heat 1 T. oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add red pepper and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute.
  3. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in scallions and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
  5. Transfer to plate.
  6. Season pork with ½ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper.
  7. Add remaining 1 T. oil to skillet and heat.
  8. Add pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and meat is slightly pink when pierced to the center with tip of sharp knife, about 5 minutes.
  9. Sprinkle with flour and stir with wooden spoon to coat pork.
  10. Add wine and ½ c. water and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits in pan with wooden spoon.
  11. Return vegetables to pan and cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute.
  12. Season with salt and pepper.
  13. Serve hot. 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Paula Deen's Favorite Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:
12 oz. lasagna noodles
 2 T. olive oil
 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
 1 lb. ground beef
 ½ t. salt
 ¼ t. black pepper
 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
 5 oz. cream cheese, cut into bits
 1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
 1 ½ C. grated Parmesan cheese (about 6 ounces)
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
  3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, parboil the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  7. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.
  9. Add spaghetti sauce and cream cheese.
  10. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
  11. Spoon ½ cup of meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  12. Top with a single layer of noodles, 1 cup of sauce, ⅓ of the mozzarella, and ½ cup of Parmesan.
  13. Repeat the layering two more times, until all of the ingredients have been used, ending with a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan.
  14. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden on top and bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes.
I found this recipe on the NBC website after watching the Tonight Show segment.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Grandma's Homemade Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground lean beef
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 C. parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 C. bread crumbs
1/8 C. milk
chopped parsley to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C. canola oil
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly.
  3. Begin to roll meatballs to desired size.
  4. Heat a non-stick skillet and add canola oil.
  5. Fry each meatball to golden brown (it is okay if they are not yet cooked through).
  6. Remove meatballs to a paper towel covered plate to drain while cooking the remaining meatballs.
  7. Place meatballs on tray and bake for 30 minutes.

Note:
This recipe will also make great hamburgers.  For every pound of ground beef it makes 4 good sized hamburgers.


Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 1/2 pounds)
1 cup long-grain white rice
 
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and 1/4 cup of the teriyaki sauce.
  2. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover, and let marinate for 30 minutes
  3. Cook the rice according to the package directions.
  4. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees F.
  5. Place the chicken o a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast, basting with the remaining 1/3 cup of teriyaki sauce, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
  6. Serve over cooked rice.

Tip:
To make your own teriyaki sauce, whisk together 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 clove garlic (chopped), and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger.