noodleless lasagna

I made AMAZING lasagna this weekend and it's already gone! Sadly, there are no photos.

Here's the deal: no noodles! Instead, slice a zucchini and/or yellow squash length-wise and use those. Here's the deets:

Slice squash or zucchini thinly.
Make or buy tomato sauce.
Combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese and one egg.
Add garlic salt, Italian seasoning or anything else yummy to the cheesy goodness.

Layer in the pan:
1. sauce
2. zucchini
3. cheesy goodness
until you're outta stuff.

On top, pile on baby kale (Tear as you pile. It will make the bites more manageable.)

Top with freshly grated cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Be well,
M

brussels sprouts

Ah, Brussels sprouts. I have really grown to love these tiny, cabbagy veggies. Back in the day, I only knew them as mushy things that come in a frozen state and smell like feet. Once I found out about fresh, raw "sprouts," I was converted. Plus, do you know how they grow?

How cool???

Anyway, I buy them whenever they're on sale (because that's usually how I grocery shop) and I love to roast them! This time, I'll start with roasting, and then put my spin on the decadent braised sprouts we had at Thanksgiving. Don't think about calories. Don't do it. ;-)

It's all about the green!

Begin by rinsing your sprouts. How lovely and fresh!

Depending on the size of your sprouts, you'll want to first trim off the brown stem and then halve or quarter each sprout. They are a little tough, so the smaller you cut them, the less cook time required.

I quartered most of mine because they were pretty large. You'll get a good feel for this as you begin cutting. If leaves fall off as you're working through, keep them! They'll get golden brown and crispy and you will eat them right off the pan!

Evenly spread your pieces on a baking sheet and evenly coat with EVOO, salt and pepper. Of course, you can add spices to your liking. Give it a good toss with your hands.

Roast your pan of sprouts at 450 for 30 minutes, turning about half-way through. If you want to eat the roasted sprouts, you may want to cook them longer.

Now, this is a perfectly acceptable (and delicious) way to eat Brussels sprouts, but if you want to kick it up a notch, continue below. I didn't add photos because it would make you so hungry that you wouldn't be able to stand it. That's why. Definitely not because I forgot to take any. Nope.

In a medium pan, melt butter, then add and heat heavy cream (or, if you're me and don't have heavy cream on hand, almond milk) until it just begins to bubble. Dump your roasty, toasty Brussels sprouts carefully into the mixture and incorporate. At this point, you may season with more salt and pepper or anything else that tickles your fancy.

Reduce the heat and cover, stirring occasionally. Once a majority of the liquid has reduced and you're lefty with soupy sprouts, take them off the heat and serve by plating the sprouts and pouring the creamy mixture over the top. Guaranteed love!

Enjoy and please let me know your favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts!

Be well,

M

my boys

Today, I want to shine the spotlight on the men in my life. When it comes to food, my hubs and my dad could not be more opposite, but they each present a fun challenge when I get to cook for them!

Here's Dru helping out in the kitchen, which he is happy to do (mostly in the reaching things up high category), and showing off one of his favorite things I've ever made.

The man loves carbohydrates and cheese. Anything Italian in nature is usually a winner. As you know, cheese is not something I try to eat a lot of, so this can be difficult. This tomato basil tart was a real winner at Sunday brunch, and I have to tell you, I also thought it was pretty darn good. A nice compromise for us - that we both actually really like - is margherita anything.

Here's the tart recipe:

Ingredients

- Pastry for a single-crust pie (9 inches)

- 1 1/2 cups shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

- 5 to 6 fresh plum tomatoes

- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

- 4 garlic cloves

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise

- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Roll pastry to fit a 9" tart pan or pie plate; place in pan. Do not prick. Line pastry shell with foil.

2. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 minutes more. Remove from the over, reduce heat to 375° and sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the hot crust.

3. Cut each tomato into eight wedges and arrange over the cheese.

4. In a food processor, process the basil and garlic until coarsely chipped; sprinkle over the tomatoes.

5. Combine mayo, Parmesan, pepper and remaining mozzarella, spoon over basil. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly. :)

As for my dad, he is the opposite of picky. I think the only thing he doesn't like is Parmesan cheese. Specific, I know, but he doesn't dislike any major group of food. The thing that can be tricky is that he often wants things to taste just like my grandma made when he was a kid. So, I think the thing he liked best that I've made was these dumplings. :)

Here's the low-down on Old Fashioned Dumplings (just came up with that name):

Ingredients

- 2 cups flour

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp baking powder

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 1 cup lukewarm water

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together, then add oil and mix with a fork. Add water to create the consistency you like. Drop a spoonful of dumpling mixture into water (or the broth of your choice) and let steam for 4 minutes. Repeat for as many as you can make. That's it!

Of course, these were steamed in water and pretty flavorless. You can add any seasoning you want or steam them in another liquid, if you want to create more flavor. They are really easy, great additions to soups, stews or anything else. Try it! You will like it.

Here's to the men in our lives and the things they like to eat! Let me know what some of your favorite comfort foods are!

Be well,

M

stuffed artichokes

Let’s talk about artichokes. Until recently, I had only really eaten artichoke hearts, already prepared by someone more skilled than I. A few months ago, I saw a perfect package of three whole, fresh artichokes and thought, “This is my excuse to find out more!” So, I just Googled artichoke recipes and quickly discovered the magic of stuffed artichokes. So yum!

I always seem to be drawn to Martha Stewart’s recipes and this one seemed easy enough (and it was), so I definitely recommend this beginner recipe to get you started:

INGREDIENTS

·         1 lemon, halved

·         6 whole artichokes

·         3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

·         1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

·         1 small garlic clove, minced

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

·         Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1.       Squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves. Snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.

2.      In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, and parsley and season with pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily. Make sure the water doesn't boil dry. Add more water if necessary.

3.      Serve each artichoke hot, on an individual plate.

I have learned a couple things about artichokes, including the fact that, steamed, they are super dippable and even dipping them in melted butter, infused with garlic, they are delectable. Do that.

They tend to be dirty (like, literally they have dirt all up in ‘em), so soaking them is recommended. Also, use some kitchen shears or a pair of scissors to trim the pokey edges off the leaves. You don’t want to deal with that.

The meatier part of the leaves is toward the inside, and the farther down you work, the meatier the leaves are, so don’t be instantly disappointed when you take out your gorgeous, prepared artichoke and pull off a top leaf and it isn’t very fruitful. You’re just warming up.

This is the most disappointing thing. I didn’t know where the heart was or how to get to it, so I threw several away. One day, my mom stopped me, saved me, and dug it out. YUM!

Here’s a video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV7iU0NoYSs

Don’t be intimidated by artichokes, even though they have the work “choke” in their name. Enjoy!

Be Well,

M