Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

I made another casserole tonight. This time, instead of being Mexican inspired, it was Italian inspired. And, no, I didn't take pictures. Taking care of a sick kid with bronchitis makes me forgetful. But, that is beside the point. I just thought I should mention that it is good and that you should make it. Enjoy!

To get this recipe go here. (I did make three minor changes to the recipe. I added 2 chopped zucchini to the tomato/vegetable sauce, I only used about 2 cups of mozzarella instead of 4, and I used about a cup pf parmesan instead of 1/2 c.)

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I don't make a ton of casseroles. I'm not really sure why because I really like them. In fact, I like everything about them. I like that the whole meal is contained in one pan, which means that clean up is a breeze. I like that they are usually pretty easy to assemble. And, best of all, something about them always tastes delicious. When I feel like a good casserole, this is usually the one that I make. Because a big, steaming pan of enchiladas always sounds good.

Enchilada Casserole

3 chicken breast halves
1 brick (for lack of a better word) cream cheese, softened
8-9 roasted green chiles, chopped
1 bottle Herdez salsa verde
3/4 lb. spinach, sauteed and chopped
corn tortillas
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
shredded Chihuahua cheese (or Mozzarella)

Boil the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Put the chicken in a bowl with the cream cheese and green chiles and mix well until creamy. To assemble the casserole: pour a thin layer of the salsa verde into the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Next, tear a few corn tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan. Then, spread half of the creamy chicken mixture on top of the tortillas. Put half of the spinach on top of the chicken and put a bit more of the salsa verde on top of the spinach. Top that with some shredded cheese. Repeat that again making another layer. To finish the casserole, end with a layer of torn tortillas, completely covered with the salsa verde and a lot of cheese. Bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes and uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Let the casserole cool for about 10-15 minutes so it doesn't fall apart when you cut it. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Beef Stew

I think in my previous life I must have lived in a cold climate. All year long I wait until it is "soup weather." Unfortunately, that's about 15 days out of the year in Austin. That means that we end up eating soups and stews long before it is cold enough. That's okay though, I just put the air down to 65&deg and put on a sweatshirt. There's nothing wrong with pretending, right?

A few days ago it just so happened that I had everything on hand to make beef stew and I had been craving it for a week or two. I love when the stars align for me like that. I just hate going to the store. For the beef stew recipe go here.


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

Doesn't this sound so fancy? I think anything stuffed with crab sounds absolutely exquisite. Not only does this sound fancy, it sounds downright extravagant. But, never fear, this was as easy as 1-2-3.

I knew when I went to the store the other day that I wanted to have fish that night, I just wasn't sure what kind I wanted to make. The Dover sole was both fresh (not previously frozen) and wild caught (not farm raised), so I knew that would do just fine. Only problem was that I had never made that kind of fish before. Not to worry, the fish dude at Central Market was full of good ideas. He told me his favorite way to make Dover sole was to put some of their pre-made crab cakes in the middle of the fillet and wrap it up and bake it. Sold! That sounded delicious and totally easy. And it was. (Absolutely to die for, that is.)

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

6 Dover sole fillets
1 pre-made crab cake (I imagine that lump crab meat would also be good)
seasoned or plain breadcrumbs
melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place fish fillets out on a flat surface and season the top with salt and pepper. Place a small amount (between 1 and 2 T) of the crab cake in the center of the fillet. Wrap the fish around the crab and cover the roll in breadcrumbs. Place the fish seam side down on a baking sheet and repeat. Drizzle all of the fish rolls with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Next, put the fish under the broiler for a minute or two just so the fish gets a bit more browned. That's it!

I guess that is more like easy as 1-2-3-4-5...


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Pesto Panini

Mmmm... These were delicious! What's not to like about pesto, fresh mozzarella, and ciabatta bread? It is a winning combination. I love to make grilled panini because they are they are so easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal. And you can stuff them with whatever you happen to have on hand. So, not only are they a breeze to make, but you also get to clean out your fridge. It's a win-win situation, really.

I had a red pepper that needed to be used so I roasted it for the sandwiches. You can roast red peppers in the oven if you'd like, but I am lazy and opt to roast mine on top of the stove. Then I don't have to worry about dirtying a baking sheet. (I really don't care for dishes, so the fewer the better.) And, fresh roasted red peppers are much tastier than the jarred variety. Trust me. So, just place the red pepper directly over the flame. Like so:
Once the pepper is totally black and charred, remove from the flame and place it in a paper bag. Roll the up tightly so that it is sealed. Leave it alone for about an hour. Don't open the bag. The steam from pepper will make the skin just slip right off. When the pepper has cooled off, take it out of the bag and remove the skin. Set your roasted red pepper aside until you are ready to use it.

Next, get the chicken ready. You want it to be thin so you can really smoosh the sandwich and have it be relatively compact. So, pound the chicken, season it with salt and pepper on both sides, and cook it in olive oil on top of the stove. Set it aside until you are ready to make your panini.

To assemble: I recommend ciabatta bread (cut in half horizontally, of course) with pesto generously slathered on each side. Top that with fresh mozzarella, the chicken, roasted red pepper slices, and more fresh mozzarella. Close the sandwich and grill. If you have a panini press then, by all means, use that. But, if you are like me, this is your panini maker. It's not as sad as it looks, I promise. It actually works really well.

And that's it. Pretty simple, very fast, and just plain heavenly.


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Rosemary White Bean Soup

I made this soup last year and I loved it. I couldn't wait for it to get cooler here so I could make it again. It was just as good this time as it was before. And, it smelled so good cooking. I wish I could have bottled it up. This soup is pretty simple, with not many ingredients. And, it has a great flavor. The best thing is that, start to finish, it is ready in an hour (aside from soaking the beans overnight.) The recipe calls for 2 quarts of chicken broth and I think that is way too much. I think it would be best to only put in 1 quart while the beans cook and add more if it needs it. I ended up ladling some out because the soup was too thin. I also had to let the soup simmer longer than the recipe called for so that it would reduce some of the broth and thicken the soup. I garnished the soup with Romano cheese and crumbled bacon. It was delish! Jeff said it reminded him of Campbell's White Bean and Bacon soup. I'm not really sure what to make of that.

Rosemary White Bean Soup
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

1 lb. dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced yellow onions (I just used 1 yellow onion, chopped)
1/4 c. good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6 or 7 inches)
2 quarts chicken stock (again, I think just 1 quart and then adding more if necessary)
1 bay leaf
2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 1o to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf.



Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. (I used an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Pumpkin Puree

I really try to stay away from anything canned like The Plague. I usually try to use unprocessed food anytime I can. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't ever use processed food. I just prefer not to if possible. So, I thought I would make fresh pumpkin puree to make some pumpkins muffins. I make my own baby food, so I figured this wouldn't be too different. Hmm... think again. Who knew that cutting, gutting and cleaning a couple of tiny pumpkins would take so long? Certainly not me. It took forever. Before I was done the 3-year-old must have said the word "mama" about 200 times and the 9-month-old was trying to pull up on my legs. They both needed a lot of attention this morning. But it sure does make for some delicious baked goods. And, bonus, babies love it too!


Pumpkin Puree

2 Sugar Pie Pumpkins
water

This yields about 4.5 cups of puree. Freeze anything that is not used immediately.

To make pumpkin puree, use the pumpkins that are designated as "pie pumpkins" because they are sweeter than the really big ones. I'm sure the big ones would also work, but I have not tried it. Preheat oven to 400°. Clean out the pumpkin like you would a cantaloupe — cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and slimeyness. (I actually did it like a jack-o-lantern, cutting a hole in the top and scooping from above. That may have been what took so long.) Cut the pumpkin halves into quarters and place them skin side down on a baking sheet. Roast them for 45 minutes to an hour. The skin on the bottom should be bubbly and should peel away from the pumpkin meat easily. Once the pumpkins have been peeled place them in small batches in a food processor (or other mashing device.)

Puree the pumpkin until it is smooth. Add water slowly while the motor is running if it seems dry.

And there you have it. Just like the stuff out the can. Sort of.

Bon Appetit!
Jen