Fresh Vegetable Lasagna

This was OMG so freaking good!  I used an 8oz package of sliced mushrooms, so that was a little more than called for in the recipe, but we all love mushrooms so that just made it even more yummy.  I also tried using the "oven ready" lasagna noodles, but the top layer didn't cook through so it ended up a bit crunchy and chewy.  Next time I will cook the noodles as directed.

8oz uncooked lasagna noodles

1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper (1-inch pieces)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped

2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Rinse under cold water; drain well.  Set aside.

2.  Preheat oven to 375.  Combine spinach, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper in large bowl; set aside.

3.  Combine ricotta cheese, buttermilk, eggs, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt in food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.

4.  Spray 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Arrange 1/3 of lasagna noodles in bottom of pan.  Spread with half of cheese mixture, half of vegetable mixture, half of mushrooms, half of artichokes, and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with noodles on top.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

5.  Cover; bake 30 minutes.  Remove cover; bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.

Halibut Provencal

 I fixed this tonight with a vegetable lasagna (recipe here).  I substituted mahi mahi for the halibut, and celery for the fennel bulb

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cups thinly sliced and chopped fennel bulb

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes

2 tbsp minced orange peel

2 tsp herbes de Provence

4  (4oz) halibut steaks (1/2 inch thick)

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

minced fresh basil or parsley (optional)

1.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add tomatoes, orange peel, and herbes de Provence; cook and stir 10 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, paprika, pepper, and salt in small bowl.

3.  Place halibut over vegetables; drizzle with remaining oil.  Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over fish.  Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until fish begins to flake when tested with fork.  Garnish with basil.

Tip:  for a golden, crispy topping, preheat broiler.  Place skillet under broiler; broil 1-2 minutes or until bread crumb mixture is golden brown.  Sprinkle fish with mined basil, if desired.

Italian Salad Dressing

makes 2/3 cup

3 tbsp white or red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

pinch red pepper flakes

black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1.  Combine vinegar, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, onion powder, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper in small bowl.

2.  Whisk in vegetable oil and olive oil in thin steady stream until well blended.  Or combine all ingredients in jar with tight-fitting lid; cover jar and shake well until blended.  Store in refrigerator.

Grilled Tuna Nicoise with Citrus Marinade

 Clydie, Jessie and I enjoyed this dish Friday night - very filling with the tuna, potatoes, and green beans.

Citrus Marinade

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 green onions, chopped

1 tsp dried tarragon

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Salad

1 tuna steak (about 1 pound)

2 cups fresh green beans

4 cups romaine lettuce leaves, washed and torn

8 small red potatoes, cooked and quartered

1 cup chopped seeded fresh tomato

4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

sliced red onion

chopped black olives

Italian Dressing - ingredients and directions are in this post 

1. Prepare dressing.

2.  For marinade, whisk lime juice, oil, green onions, tarragon, garlic powder, salt and pepper in medium bowl.  Place tuna in a ziploc bag; add marinade.  Seal bag; turn to coat.  Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

3.  Prepare grill for direct cooking.  Drain tuna; discard marinade.  Grill 8-10 minutes or until tuna begins to flake when tested with a fork, turning once.  (Or broil tuna 4 inches from heat, 8-10 minutes, turning once.)  Slice tuna into 1/4 inch thick slices; set aside.

4.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.  Add beans; cook 2 minutes.  Drain; rinse under cold water.

5.  Place lettuce on large serving platter (or in separate dishes).  Arrange tuna, beans, potatoes, tomato, eggs, onions, and olives on lettuce.  Serve with dressing.

Greek Pasta Salad

 I made this one yesterday.  I think next time I will cut the recipe in half, as using a whole box of rotini (1lb) was a bit much and a little more than the recipe called for.  I didn't adjust the dressing ingredients, so it's a little dry.

pasta salad

6 cups cooked regular or multigrain rotini pasta

1 1/2 cups diced cucumber

1 cup diced tomatoes (about 2 medium)

1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)

1-4oz package crumbled feta cheese

12 medium pitted black olives, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp black pepper

1.  For pasta salad, combine pasta, cucumber, tomatoes bell pepper, feta cheese, olives and dill in large bowl.

2. For dressing, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano and black pepper in small bowl.  Pour over salad mixture; toss well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I used about 1 1/2 Tbsp dried dill, and a small can of sliced olives instead of the fresh dill and olives.

Fresh Garlic Shrimp Linguine

 This was a quick and easy dish that I fixed tonight (I doubled the recipe for our family of 4)

6oz uncooked linguine

8oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp seafood seasoning

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1.  Bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta; cook 6 minutes.  Add shrimp; cook 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque and pasta is desired tenderness.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.

2.  Add cheese, oil, garlic, and seafood seasoning; toss gently to coat.  Drizzle in a bit of reserved cooking water to make sauce that coats pasta.  Add parsley and salt; toss to combine.

Adjust cook time as needed based on type of pasta, if you use something other than linguine.

Chicken Cassoulet

We had this one yesterday, and it was 4 thumbs up from the family.

4 slices bacon

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

salt & black pepper

1 3/4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces

2 chicken sausages (2 1/4oz each), cooked and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

12 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups diced red and green bell peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

k1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

2-15oz cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  

2.  Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp; drain on paper towels.  Cut into 1-inch pieces.  Pour off all but 2 Tbsp drippings.

3.  Place flour in a shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Dip chicken pieces into flour mixture; shake off excess.  Brown chicken in batches in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; transfer to plate.  Lightly brown sausages in same Dutch oven; transfer to plate.

4.  Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and thyme to Dutch oven; cook and stir over medium heat 5 minutes or until softened, adding oil as needed to prevent sticking.  Add wine; cook and stir over medium heat, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.  Add beans, mix well.  Top with chicken, sausages, and bacon.

5.  Cover and bake 40 minutes.  Remove cover; bake 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.