YUM
josh came home on friday night at 10 pm to a JUST-out-of-the-oven homemade lasagna. and that's why i am the best wife ever.
Creamy Spinach Lasagna10/2007 Cooking LightIngredients1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
PreparationPreheat oven to 375°.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.
Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.
with love from miami
i brought back some avocados from the tree that grows in josh's parents' yard in miami beach. the last time i did this, i made guacamole that was other-worldly. this time, for some reason i thought it was just 'pretty good'. i hope i'm not losing my touch.
from 7/2002 cook's illustratedFresh GuacamoleMakes about 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS2 small avocados , ripe, (preferably Haas)
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press
1/2 small jalapeño chile , minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Table salt
1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 lime
DIRECITONS1. Halve 1 avocado, remove pit, and scoop flesh into medium bowl. Using fork, mash lightly with onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until just combined.
2. Halve and pit remaining avocado. Using a dinner knife, carefully make 1/2-inch cross-hatch incisions in flesh, cutting down to but not through skin, (see illustrations below). Using a soupspoon, gently scoop flesh from skin; transfer to bowl with mashed avocado mixture. Sprinkle lime juice over and mix lightly with fork until combined but still chunky. Adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto surface of mixture, and refrigerated up to 1 day. Return guacamole to room temperature, removing plastic wrap just before serving.)
fall fantasy
despite the 90-plus temperatures, i'm going to pretend it's fall. since it's, you know, october and all. last night, in honor of the pseudo-season, i made a very fall-esque soup. and enjoyed it, even if it does feel like august.
Sweet Potato and White Bean Soup with Sage-Walnut PestoCooking Light 10/2007Ingredients Soup:
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 medium)
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
4 cups chopped Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pesto:
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
PreparationTo prepare the soup, heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add leek to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Add potato; cook 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in chard, pepper, salt, and beans; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.
To prepare the pesto, combine cheese and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with about 2 teaspoons pesto.
a little help, here . . .
sometimes i like to make dinner all by myself. other times, it is just too lonely in the kitchen. tonight was one of those nights and josh was very cooperative and helpful and we crafted an AWESOME dinner together. we had:
Chicken and Asparagus in White Wineoctober 2007 cooking lightexcept i used broccoli where it says 'asparagus.' it worked.
Ingredients4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
PreparationPlace each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and juice. Serve asparagus and sauce with chicken.
i also made this, from the same magazine:
Hearty Quinoa with Sautéed Apples and AlmondsIngredients1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup finely diced carrot (about 2)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups finely diced unpeeled Granny Smith apple (about 1)
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
PreparationPlace quinoa in a fine sieve; place sieve in a large bowl. Cover quinoa with water. Using your hands, rub grains together for 30 seconds; rinse and drain. Repeat procedure twice. Drain well.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender and carrot begins to brown. Stir in broth, quinoa, salt, and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork; keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until apple begins to brown. Add apple, almonds, and pepper to quinoa, tossing to combine. Serve warm.
our mutual verdict on quinoa was: it's good.
