Lasagna Rolls

I got the inspiration for this recipe from the Whole Foods website. They turned out really well and I will definitely be making them again.

1 box of lasagna pasta
pasta sauce
ricotta cheese (I used the low fat kind)
shredded mozzarella cheese (I used vegan cheese in half for my husband)
spinach
ground turkey (1/2 lb is good for about 10 rolls)

Directions:
Put a large pot of water on high to boil. Once it starts boiling, add lasagna pasta and cook according to directions. While the pasta is boiling, cook the ground turkey. Once the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water.

On a clean work surface, lay out the pasta. Add a thin layer of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach leaves, ground turkey, and pasta sauce. Roll up and place into a cooking pan with tall sides. Continue until all are rolled. Then top with some more pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the center is warm.


Picture of them all rolled up before they were topped with sauce and cheese.

Mushroom Risotto

One of my favorite things lately is risotto. It is easy to make, but it needs a little attention.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 medium onion diced small
1 8 ounce package of white mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
chopped garlic
1 cup of arborio rice
32 ounces of low sodium chicken stock (one box of stock)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, plus some for topping

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chopped mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock to a small pot and heat until just about boiling. In another saute pan heat another tablespoon of olive oil. Add diced onions and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes until onions start to turn transparent. Add rice and saute for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and saute until absorbed. Continue to add 1/2 cup of stock at a time until all of the stock is absorbed. Remove from heat and mix in 1/4 cup of cheese, cooked mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Plate and sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top.

Home Made Pizza

So I absolutely love pizza. I think I love it a little to much because I always want it. I think I could eat pizza everyday of the week. But unfortunately my husband has high cholesterol so he doesn’t eat anything dairy, so cheese pizza is out. So I started making our own at home, and the great thing is it can be made faster than a delivery guy could make it to our house. I can make half of the pizza with non-dairy veggie cheese and the other half with real cheese for me. It is the best of both worlds!

So what you need -
Pizza Dough - at Whole Foods it is in the freezer next to the pizzas and at some other stores it is in a refrigerator
Toppings - we just use veggies such as onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and spinach, but anything you like will work
Pasta Sauce - I just use past sauce because we always have some in the refrigerator
Olive Oil
Shredded Cheese - any kind you like will work
Salt
Cooking Spray

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with cooking spray. Spread out the pizza dough. Brush on olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spoon on a spread out pasta sauce so that there is a thin layer. Add toppings, then sprinkle on cheese. Bake at the temperature and time that the pizza dough package says. Only takes about 20 minutes, then you are enjoying hot pizza.

Onion, Mushroom, and Spinach Quesadillas

I love making these quesadillas. They are really easy and taste just as good without chicken as they do with. Also I love making these because there is so much good stuff in them you barely need to use any cheese in them unlike traditional quesadillas that have a ton of cheese.








Ingredients:
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 large onion, sliced
8 ounce mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 handfuls of baby spinach
2 tortillas (I use flourless sprout tortillas)
part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
cooking spray

In a large skillet on medium heat add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until all of the liquid from the mushrooms is gone and the mushrooms and onions start to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted (about 2 minutes).

Lay out the 2 tortillas and add about 1/2 cup of cheese on each of them. Add half of the onion mixture on half of one of the tortillas, then fold over side. Repeat on second tortilla.

On a large skillet over medium to high heat, spray cooking spray and put on quesadilla. Heat till cheese is melted and then flip to other side. Repeat to second quesadilla.

Note: If you want to add chicken, add pre cooked chicken after the mushrooms and warm, then add spinach.

Beer and Onion Braised Chicken Carbonnade

I got this recipe from from the January issue of Bon Appetit magazine, but I did make a few changes. It is really good and chicken thighs are cheap. You can double the recipe for more people.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
serving: 2

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
ground allspice
salt
pepper
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer (I like Saint Arnold’s Stout, but any dark beer will work)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
pasta (any kind you have on hand, make enough for 2)

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet (one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice on both sides. Add chicken to skillet until brown (about 3 minutes) then flip to other side and brown. Transfer to a plate.

Add onions and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and saute until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining brown sugar. Add chicken, then beer, broth, and red wine vinegar. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Turn water on for pasta to make sure it is done around the same time. Uncover skillet and simmer until sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Serve over pasta and you are done. Very easy!