Lasagna with Yellow Lentil Noodles

 I have been asked to post my lasagna recipe, although I will tell you that this will only be the actual construction of the lasagna.  I make my lasagna with whatever sauce I happen to have made.  This latest version uses a fresh sauce with ground turkey, red and yellow peppers, and yellow squash.  I of course used some fresh tomatoes and some of the fresh basil I have been maintaining over the winter, but that is a different recipe.

Lasagna with Yellow Lentil Noodles

4 cups Spaghetti sauce (I used turkey vegetable sauce)

24 oz low-fat cottage cheese

2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan

2 eggs

1 pkg Simply Nature Yellow Lentil Lasagna Sheets (from Aldi)

Filling: Mix Cottage cheese, eggs and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan until will mixed.  Set aside.

To construct the lasagna, spray a baking dish (I used a half pan banquet pan, or you could use a 9 x 13 x 2 baking pan).  Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce in the bottom of the baking pan.  Place one layer of lasagna sheets over the sauce.  Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Italian cheese blend and a handful of the parmesan.  Spread 1/3 of remaining sauce over cheese.  Repeat layers ending with a layer of noodles.  Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.  Cover and bake 30 minutes covered.  Remove the foil and bake 25 minutes longer uncovered.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

To be honest, I do not know why I don't make lasagna more often.  As you can see, it is very simple and you no longer have to cook the noodles before putting it all together.

Labor Day Quiche

So, today I will start out with what I cooked for breakfast.  I will be posting other recipes, but I will do them one at a time to make it easier to look them up.  This morning, I had some roasted vegetables that my mom made this week.  She roasted eggplant, potatoes, onions, red, yellow and green peppers, brussels sprouts (yep, brussels sprouts!  Yum!!!) and zucchini.  So, I picked some up thinking I could make a quiche out of it.  So, that's what I did this morning.  If I haven't mentioned this yet, I am quickly falling in love with including bleu cheese in my quiches.  I guess it's time to try Gruyere.

Roasted Vegetable Quiche

• 1 cup roasted vegetables
• 2 oz bleu cheese
• 2 oz sharp cheddar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups 1% milk
• cayenne
• Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare round baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread roasted vegetables in bottom of pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Whip eggs with milk and seasonings.  Pour over fillings.  Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.  Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

I Love Jambalaya!

My favorite recipe used to be ratatouille but it no longer fits into my diet as a main dish anymore. In an attempt to find a dish which allows me vegetables, but also has enough protein, I discovered jambalaya. I love the complete flavors, but most jambalaya is made with rice and I don't get along with rice anymore. However, there's this great grain called quinoa which doesn't expand in my stomach like rice does. But the other wonderful thing about quinoa is that it is a complete protein so, it lets me get my carb fix without overfilling me AND helps me make my protein quota.

 Andouille Quinoa Jambalaya

•  2 cups quinoa, dry
•  2 cups water
•  1 medium green pepper*
•  1 medium red pepper*
•  2 cans Rotel
•  1 cup salsa
•  2 links andouille sausage*
•  1 tsp areole seasoning
•  3 cloves garlic*
•  1 tsp ground cumin

 Place all ingredients into rice cooker bowl. Set rice cooker to porridge and press cook. When done cooking, fluff with a fork.

 *CSA ingredients

Pork Loin

Okay, I admit it! I sometimes can still be a lazy chef. When I cooked meat in the past, especially when cooking in a slow cooker, I often (almost always) skipped the searing step. With stews and fatty meats it didn't seem to make a big difference, so I just kept doing it. However, when cooking lean meats, the slow cooker always seemed to dry them out and make them fall apart and become stringy. Yesterday, I decided to try, once again, to cook a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. I had finally purchased some nice smoked paprika last week, so I was looking for a paprikash recipe.  In my search, I found this interesting balsamic and paprika pork loin recipe and decided to give it a try. After finishing the dish, I have made a vow to never skip the searing step again!

 Balsamic and Smoked Paprika Glazed Pork Tenderloin
 Adapted from: www.porkbeinspired.com/RecipeView.aspx?RID=2213

• 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin*, trimmed
•  1 tsp kosher salt
•  1 tsp fresh ground pepper
•  2 Tbsp olive oil
•   1 14-1/2 oz can whole tomatoes, broken up
•  1 medium sweet onion*, sliced
•  1 red bell pepper*, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic*, minced
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey*
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides until browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Place undrained tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and garlic in bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork tenderloins on top. Combine stock, vinegar, honey and paprika in a medium bowl; Pour mixture over pork and vegetables and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Occasionally stir ingredients to ensure even cooking.

Remove tenderloins and rest, tented, for 10minutes. Slice in thick slices.

I served over an Italian quinoa pilaf.

*CSA ingredients

Eggplant

We actually seem to have gotten more eggplant this year than last.  If you have followed my blog, you know that I love ratatouille, however, because of my dietary needs due to gastric surgery, that is no longer a dish that I can enjoy as an entree.  So I have been trying to find ways to use eggplant in dishes that are higher in protein and more appropriate for my dietary needs.

As I was perusing eggplant recipes, there seemed to be a theme of tomato based eggplant stew recipes.  Many with beef, a couple just vegetarian, and even a couple that had chickpeas in them.  The one combination that I DO like is eggplant and lamb.  I have loved moussaka since I was a child, but that type of casserole seems to be difficult for me these days.  However, I did have some ground lamb in my refrigerator and decided to take all of the eggplant stew recipe ideas, but use lamb and garbanzo beans for my protein.  I am happy to say that I was able to share this lovely stew with my mom who had come to visit for the night.  It was kind of neat to have the stew fresh with crostata and boursin cheese on the side and then to be able to send some of the stew home with her so Dad could enjoy some too.  The recipe that became the base of the stew will be referenced below:

Eggplant Stew with Lamb and Garbanzo Beans
Adapted from: http://teriskitchen.com/soups/eggplant-b.html

• About 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 1 red pepper*, chopped
• 2 medium rainbow carrots*, chopped
• 8 oz button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves*, minced
• 2 medium eggplants* 1/2" dice (I used one purple and one white)
• 2 cans (28-oz) whole tomatoes in juice, hand-crushed
• 1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 lb ground lamb, sauteed
• 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• Freshly grated Romano cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion, pepper and carrots, stir and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and garlic, toss and cook about 2 minutes.  Add eggplant, tomatoes, stock, water and spices.  Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Saute lamb in a skillet, drain and add to the stew.  Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and add to the stew.  Cover and cook about 30 minutes, or until eggplant is cooked through.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve with fresh Romano cheese.

*CSA ingredients

Chorizo and Corn

I have the most amazing smell in my apartment right now! I had thawed a pound of local chorizo this week. I also had six ears of corn I needed to use. So, as I usually do, I  Googled recipes with these ingredients. There are a lot of ideas out there from frittatas to soup. I finally decided on a chorizo and black bean soup made with a beer base. I just happen to have a partial 6-pack of Oktoberfest in the refrigerator and thought that would make an interesting base. I have to say it was interesting starting this today because I am still unpacking my kitchen. It was an adventure going through bags and boxes to find everything I needed. There were some ingredients I didn't have, so , I just increased the corn and added a poblano pepper as a substitute.

 Black Bean Chorizo Soup with Beer
 Adapted from: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Negra-Modelo-Chorizo-_-Black-Bean-Soup-Recipezaar

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•  1 lb chorizo*
•  1 lg onion*, diced
•  1 red pepper*, diced
•  1 poblano pepper*, diced
•  3 cloves garlic *, minced
•  2 quarts water
•   36 oz beer (l used Oktoberfest)
•  4 cups fresh corn kernels *, (from approx. 6 ears corn)
•  2 (15-oz) cans black beans, with liquid
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
•  1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
•  1/2 tsp fresh-ground pepper
•  2 Tbsp lime juice

 Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, breaking the chorizo up as you cook, until pink.

 
Dice the onion and peppers; mince garlic.

Add vegetables to chorizo; cook until onion is translucent.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 hours or until vegetables are cooked.

Note: I did not have carrots this time, but I think I would add them if I did to make this even heartier. Because of the bean liquid, I didn't feel this soup needed anymore salt, however, feel free to add salt if you feel it's needed You may also add cayenne if you want more spice.

 *CSA ingredients

Ratatouille

I know it's late in summer for me to admit that I have made my first ratatouille of the season.  However, this is my favorite dish when I have summer squashes available.  Since I am limited in volume that I can eat, I suppose I have avoided making this because I don't know how I will use it.  However, I will give you some ideas at the end of the recipe.  Since it is still quite warm (and thus, my apartment is warm), I am still not willing to use my oven or stovetop to cook, so this recipe is developed for a slow cooker.  I will also mention that I make many different varieties of ratatouille, including one that is sort of a tomato-based sauce-like version.  This version, is more based on eggplant and squash and has an entirely different taste and feel, but there is a pleasant sweetness that I really enjoy.

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

• 1 medium eggplant, diced
• 1 large sweet onion*, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic*, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small yellow zucchini*, sliced (may use green zucchini if you have them)
• 1 medium crookneck squash*, halved and sliced
• 4 small tomatoes*, thin wedges
• 8 small bell peppers, mixed colors, large dice
•  1 Tbsp dried herbs (I use basil, but you could also use oregano, marjarom or whatever you like)

 Prepare vegetables.  Turn slow cooker to HIGH; add onion slices, garlic and eggplant.  Drizzle with olive oil; cover and cook for 1 hour, or until onions are soft. Turn cooker to LOW; add remaining ingredients.  Cook for 6-8 hours until vegetables are soft, but not mushy.

Note: this recipe, while it has tomatoes in it, is not as tomato-based as many versions are.  However, there is a nice sweetness from the eggplant and onions that is unique to ratatouille.  Serving possibilities: as a side dish, over pasta as a sort of primevera sauce, use as a filling for omelets, used as a wrap filling.  While I would love to use this as an entree, since I've had gastric surgery, I can only use it as a side dish or in omelets.  There is not enough protein to warrent using it as a meal.  

*CSA Ingredients