Veggie and Bean Chili

This is Rachael Ray's take on veggie chili...I loved the idea of adding in refried beans at the end to thicken it up. This was great and even better reheated. It came together really quickly and is a filling lunch!

Veg-Head Three-Bean Chili

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

I'm probably getting obnoxious with talking about how much I love summer produce and how everything tastes like summer, but this is another one of those. I loved this salad and you could really customize it however you want as far as veggies and grain. Don't change the dressing--it's so good and a great balance with all of the other flavors! Enjoy summer produce while it's here!!!

Fresh Corn and Blueberry Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well (I used millet)

2 cups chicken broth


3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
1 cup blueberries
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped small (peeled if outside is thick and tough)
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped basil
1/2 jalapeno, minced


1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey


salt & pepper


Rinse quinoa or millet very well in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water. Add to a saucepan with the chicken broth then bring the broth to a boil. Place a lid on top, lower the heat to medium-low, then cook until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely.
For the dressing: Combine lemon zest and juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
Combine corn, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, basil, jalapeno, and cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and mix well to combine. Serve with grilled or sauteed shrimp, chicken, or fish.


from Iowa Girl Eats

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I have to borrow Kalyn's line for this: "If you like zucchini, fresh basil, and cheese, you'll love this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake." Girl is right--this stuff is so good. Like, I was eating it with my fingers when I should have been putting it in a container good. I know, again with the zucchini, but take advantage of what's good in the garden right now and make some of this! It would probably be close to free for some of you--zucchini and basil from the garden and I guess if you milk your own animals and make cheese, you can even save there:) I kept talking about this the whole time we were eating. I could have had just this for dinner. It was totally the star of my plate and took up the most space! It's light and filling and absolutely delicious!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

makes 4 side servings (I only made half the original recipe, which said it made six, but those would be gigantic servings even for me, the lover of this stuff)

1 zucchini, cut into half-moons (rondelle)
1 yellow squash, cut into half-moons (rondelle)
2-4 T chopped fresh basil
2 T thinly sliced green onions
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cheese, divided (suggested: pizza blend cheese, mozzarella, or grated Parmesan)
salt and pepper, to taste

Spray 8x8 pan or a small rectangular pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine everything but cheese in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese and mix thoroughly.
Bake for 25 minutes uncovered, then add cheese and bake for another 15.



Mini Quiche

The thing I love about food presented as small bites is the same thing I love about self-serve froyo places: I don't have to commit to any one dish or flavor. I can have a little of each and try it all. These little quiche are not only cute, portable, and easy to eat, but the crust is flaky and puffy and the filling is excellent. The most time consuming part is pressing the crust into the tins, but even that doesn't take long. They're also great because, if you don't have a warming tray, these can be served at room temperature and still taste great. (the food safety person in me needs to tell you not to just leave these sitting out overnight or all afternoon, though!)

Mini Quiche

makes 40 mini quiche

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

6 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

2 eggs

1 cup half-and-half cream (can use fat free half and half or evaporated skim milk)

1 cup shredded cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or ground black pepper
filling of your choice
          example: 1 large bell pepper, chopped and 2 tbsp chopped green onions was enough veggie for the whole recipe. You could choose sausage, mushrooms, onions, or even just keep it simple and don't add anything to the mixture!

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and flour until smooth. (I thought it made it easier that, at this point, I refrigerated the dough and then took it out about an hour before using it the next day to soften up some. It made it harder and not so sticky). Take one tablespoon of dough and flatten it into a circle. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups.

In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Stir in flavorings. Pour into shells. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until browned. Serve warm.

adapted from allrecipes

We also had fruit parfaits for the shower. Thank you to Gram, Granddad, and my parents for helping tie tiny little bows and dip marshmallows in chocolate and sprinkles!!!

Creamy Radish Dip

After being gone for almost two weeks, I just went to the grocery store for the first time in quite a while! I was checking out summer's bounty in the produce department and got some juicy peaches and cherries. Love this time of year! I also spotted radishes on super sale, so I picked up a bag. I thought I'd just put them on salads, but that gets boring, so I found this dip and it's awesome. I made a dinner out of this with cucumbers and wheat crackers dipped in it. I think even non radish lovers would like this. You could use greek yogurt or sour cream or a mixture of the two, which is what I did. Wish I would have found this before we just went to all of the get togethers that are perfect to bring dips to! (although then I would have had to share....:)

Creamy Radish Dip

1 cup radishes, diced
1/2 cup low fat sour cream, 2% plain Greek yogurt, or a combo of the two
8 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
dried dill, to taste (optional...I liked it both ways)

Combine all ingredients and serve with crackers and/or cucumbers. On the site I found the recipe, she suggested putting it as a spread on wrap, which I also think would be really great!
Oh, and according to the source I got this from, the whole recipe has under 110 calories, so it's okay to eat up!:)


slightly adapted from Prevention RD and Taste of Home

Summer Corn Salad

I recently got together with some girlfriends for a Pinterest party where everyone brought the ingredients to make something they found on Pinterest. Everyone picked a number to find out what course they got and then picked something from Pinterest (which could really be anything from the internet since you can "pin" from any site). We didn't put a theme to it and wound up with some really great dishes.

I got the side for the main dish and knew I wanted something summery. This salad tasted like summer to me (not like sand and suntan lotion, but the food of summer!) and we polished off a big bowl of it. I've made it a few times since then and some of the other girls have made it--it's a definite crowd pleaser!

Summer Corn Salad

6 ears of corn, shucked (I also supplemented with steamed frozen corn when I didn't have enough fresh and it turned out fine), cooked, cooled, and cut off the cob (I like some chunks...to cook it I boil it for about 14 minutes)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves

Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add onions, corn, and tomatoes and toss in dressing. Stir in basil just before serving and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

This is how Bear makes sure he isn't left behind (he hasn't ever been left, but I think sometimes he just wants to be sure). Lay by my stuff and hook his leg in my purse!

Barley Salad

We kicked off summer with a trip to the lake. It was too windy to be out on the boat much, but it was fun and relaxing. We floated around in the lake since we couldn't be out on the boat, so it gave me my water fix for the weekend. My friend Allyson made a pasta salad with a little extra pesto she had around and chopped zucchini, and I was craving it when I got home. I had barley in the cabinet, which is a great grain, so decided to use her idea and make my own spin. This made a great light, refreshing summer lunch with a piece of fruit.

Barley Salad

1 cup pearled barley

2 cups water or chicken stock

grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

feta cheese, to taste

zucchini, quartered and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp prepared pesto

salt, pepper, and dried basil, to taste

Bring water/stock to a boil, add barley, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. Remove from heat (still covered) and let stand for about five minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork, and set aside to cool.
Combine oil, vinegar, pesto, and seasonings. Pour over cooled barley. Mix in veggies and cheese. Chill before serving.

The "dog spot" at the lake. Bruno and Bear love this spot, and Norris and Deb tell me that their dogs growing up loved the same spot. In the shade, but with a view of the action!

Dear friends and college roommates at Stacy's wedding in Hays in May!

Jalapeno corn cakes with roasted tomatoes

It's ProStart week!! Competition time is finally here! I am bringing more kids than ever this week--two culinary teams of four plus one alternate each and two edible centerpiece competitors. That means there have been a LOT of trips to the grocery store lately and I have my list pretty much memorized over the last two weeks because they practice the same dishes they're taking to competition in the final days. We'll spend Tuesday putting finishing touches on any dishes, doing a little knife skills practice, packing up all of our food and totes, then they go check their food in and bounce around in a playhouse for a few hours to shake off some nerves! On Wednesday, we have competitors pretty much all day, so there will always be something to watch. One of the students on team 2 was just recognized as the district's Culinary Arts student of the year, which was a pretty great honor. I'm excited to see what some of these kids do with their careers in the culinary world after high school.
Last week, they had their menus all set when they decided they needed to add something to their appetizer. I was thinking the same thing, but it's a STUDENT run competition, so I try to just give nudges in the right direction while letting them have the decision rights, which is sometimes difficult for me to do, but makes it really a student competition instead of the teacher's best dishes going up against each other. They were thinking something crunchy to go with their soup shooters (more on those another day) and they came across this recipe idea from Paula Deen. I get really nervous when they randomly search the internet for ideas, because although there are many good ones, anyone can post anything (yep, this blog is no exception, although I only post things I would want to make again) and I don't want to waste money on ingredients. Thankfully, these were delicious! We had to adapt them some since okra wasn't available in the store. After finding them from Paula, they searched the internet for other people who had made them and Annie from Annie's Eats had a beautiful picture. After combining ideas from both women, they're the perfect accompaniment to the soup and I'm proud of them for adding them to their menu!

Jalapeno cornmeal cakes with roasted tomatoes

makes 10 small cakes

roasted tomatoes:
~1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved and seeded (just give 'em a squeeze)
salt and pepper, to taste

cakes:
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 egg (beat a whole egg, then just use 1/4 of it)
~1/2  cup water
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
oil for frying

cotija or goat cheese for serving

To roast tomatoes (since the kids can only use two butane burners and no ovens), heat small saute pan over medium heat and toss tomatoes on. Cook for about four minutes, or until skin is blistered and slightly blackened, stirring occasionally.

For the cakes, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and water. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until combined. Fold in jalapeno and garlic. Let stand while oil heats. Cornmeal will soak up water. Adjust water/cornmeal as needed for a consistency you can form into a shape to drop in skillet.

Heat 1/2 inch oil in small saute pan. Drop cakes in desired shapes into oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side, until golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

Top with cheese and roasted tomatoes and serve.

Adapted from Paula Deen and Annie's Eats



Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

After smashing the first potato, I thought I was destined to be the next entry on craftfail. (If you have ever heard of Pinterest, or even if you haven't, you have to check out that site. hilarious!!) The directions specifically say that you should smash them but leave them in one piece. I am not a very gentle person, so smashing something to me means you should really smash it. It burst and spewed out all sides of the towel. I started using the side of my bench scraper and just slowly pressing down on that and it worked beautifully. Now don't get worried--this is not a difficult recipe!! In fact, I like that it is broken up into three fifteen minute chunks because I had time to do other stuff in between, like respond to a few emails, work on homework, and walk Bear around the block(not a long attention span for the first two items on that list!).
I LOVE vinegar. I used to think salt and vinegar chips and anyone who ate them were disgusting. Now I'm one of those disgusting people who loves them. My roommate in college (hi, Gma!) would tell me that they're so gross, they're good. Well they're totally not gross, but I can finally understand where she's coming from!
Good tip from Ms. Stewart herself (doubt she learned this in prison): you can boil and smash these, then refrigerate them until you're close to service time and bake them off when you're ready. Great for dinner parties or just planning ahead!
Well, enough dialogue about potatoes. I served them with some steamed peas and thyme roasted chicken drumsticks. And a couple thin mints for dessert:)

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

serves 4

12 red, fingerling, or golden sweet yellow baby potatoes

Olive oil cooking spray or olive oil (time to get a Misto!!)

Sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Malt vinegar, to taste (~1/4 cup)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, then reduce heat to a "rapid simmer" and cook potatoes in water for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain potatoes.

While potatoes cook, preheat oven to 450 F.

Lay a dish towel or paper towel flat and place a few potatoes on it. Lay a paper towel over the top. Carefully (ha!) smash the potato with the heel of your hand or the side of a bench scraper. It should be kind of flat but all in one piece. Do this to all of the potatoes, then carefully place on a lined baking sheet. Spray the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15-20 minutes on each side, then sprinkle with malt vinegar, to taste.

found on Pinterest and traced back to Martha


Had a great time at the Martina McBride/George Strait concert this weekend! We had really good seats and as soon as I figured out the flash, I got some better pictures. Martina is so awesome in person. No zoom on that pic of George walking in...but yes, there was some zoom used on the singing shot! Great concert!



Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

My Valentine loves mushrooms, so I put this on our menu for the 14th. He got me a beautiful orchid and some of my favorite treats, and he got mushrooms in return:) The only thing I'd change for next time is to add mustard into the sauce to add to the flavor, so I'm adding that in to the recipe here. If you love mushrooms and pasta, this is one of the many I have here suited perfectly for you!

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

serves 4
8 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta

2 tsp butter

1/4 cup diced onion
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour

2 cups skim milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup grated Italian blend cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.

Spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about two minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms, thyme, s&p, garlic, and W sauce. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from pan.

Add the flour to the pan and start whisking. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk to form a ball, then slowly pour the remaining milk in, whisking constantly. Stir in the mustard and simmer for about five minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings (can add your favorite seasonings here...nutmeg, cayenne, whatever you like).

Remove sauce from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture. Pour into baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven, let stand for five minutes, then serve.

adapted from Cooking Light

The "octagon of doom" packed with purple for the K-State/KU game! We put up a decent fight, but left without the W. We had fun and totally paid for it the next day after getting home from Manhattan at around 1 AM!

Pumpkin Bean Soup

As much as I've always loved pumpkin, I haven't had it in savory dishes but a few times. I have seen recipes for  pumpkin soup for a long time now, but was nervous to try it since in my mind, pumpkin goes with spices and sugar. Since I do love to try new things and old things in new ways, I decided to try this. It had some familiar flavors like peppers, onions, beans, corn, and tomatoes, but just a hint of pumpkin. Like the pureed carrots in my favorite cream of carrot soup, the pumpkin really thickened this soup without adding cream or flour (making it healthier) plus packs a lot of great nutrition. Don't worry, this does not taste at all like pumpkin pie!! Give it a try. It reheats wonderfully for lunches all week!

Pumpkin Bean Soup

from allrecipes via Taking back my twenties
Makes 4 large servings (I would call it 5)


2 tsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used green)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the bell pepper and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring, for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the pumpkin puree, black beans, corn, chicken broth, tomato sauce, and 1 teaspoon cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a gentle boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.Adjust seasonings according to your taste preferences.

"The Best Vegetable Soup"

Still on the soup kick. I have been trying to kick a sickness or allergies, whatever this is, and soup and spicy foods are especially great for that. This reheats wonderfully and even freezes well, so I made enough for this week plus 2 more servings and in a couple weeks I'll have a week of a different soup every day for lunch...wow, my life is exciting, huh??
This is called "The Best Vegetable Soup" so I'm sticking with the name. And for the taste and nutrition information balance, I'd say this is definitely a contender for best vegetable soup. I think I still like the Quick Fall Minestrone the best, but this is also tasty and a great way to get your veggies on!

The Best Vegetable Soup

adapted from Prevention RD
Serves 6

1/2 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 dried bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
32 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large russet potato, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup frozen green beans
5 oz condensed tomato soup
5 oz water
1/4 lemon, juiced

Saute onion in oil over medium heat for five minutes or until softened. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf and cook another minute.
Add stock, canned tomatoes, and juices to pot and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover pot. Simmer 15 minutes.
Add carrots, celery, and squash. Simmer another 12 minutes.
Add corn and green beans and simmer another 10 minutes.
Add soup, water, and lemon juice, heat through, season to taste, and serve.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

Oh man, this stuff was good! (Dad, I always think of you when I say "oh man"!!)
I like that you can adapt this recipe to whatever you have on hand and whatever flavors you like. I would have LOVED it with roasted jalapeno peppers, but my husband wouldn't have appreciated that at all, so I had to settle for topping it with jalapenos. This is something I was actually excited to eat leftovers of.
When I was making the sour cream mixture in the beginning, it reminded me almost exactly of the dip Norris likes to make for tailgating and parties. It does taste pretty great! It's basically his dip mixed with cooked rice and baked. Add in some cooked chicken and dinner's ready!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups light sour cream
6 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
(OR instead of the seasonings, you could use a packet of taco seasoning if that's more convenient for you)
2 jalapenos, roasted then chopped
2 c frozen corn
1/2 can black beans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a square or 9x13 casserole dish.
Bring broth to a boil, stir in rice, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Meanwhile, combine sour cream, cream cheese, seasnonings, corn, black beans, and 3/4 cup of cheese.

After rice is cooked, stir it into the sour cream mixture. Pour into greased pan and top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until liquid is semi-absorbed and it looks creamy, but not runny. OR if you bake this in a 9x13, bake for 30 minutes covered.

Vegetarian Chili

I recently learned from our chili cookoff champion friend that real chili, the kind that you can win the main event for at those contests, just has the meat and sauce. That sounds pretty boring to me! I like veggies, beans, and all sorts of other things in my chili. If you are a chili purist, this recipe will definitely not pass your test, but for everyone else, try this soon! This is another meal that I made on a Sunday and ate for lunch all week. This filled me up far past the end of the school day. If I were making it for dinner, it would be perfect with some cornbread on the side!

"The Best Vegetarian Chili in the world" (as named by the recipe author!)

adapted from All Recipes

makes 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 medium onion, chopped
 1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz can chopped green chile peppers, drained
34 oz crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 cup frozen corn
15 oz garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
~1/2-1 cup stock or water
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion to pan and saute for one minute. Add seasonings (except for chili powder) and saute until onion is tender. Add veggies and green chiles and cook until heated through, about three minutes. Add tomatoes to pot and simmer five minutes. Add chili powder, beans, and corn. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add stock or water as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Quick Fall Minestrone

It's officially fall, which means it's officially soup season again for this girl! With the cooler temperatures comes all things fall food, which makes me really excited since I love soups and pumpkin everything. As I've said before, I like to make a batch of soup on Sundays and have it for lunch every day. Yes, it sounds boring, but I make something I really like and it's easy, homemade, and healthier than many other options. Here is the short list of other soups I like that reheat well throughout the week:
Hearty Tomato Soup
Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup
Corn and Bacon Chowder
Spicy Poblano and Corn Soup
Pan Roasted Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
Taco Soup
Black Bean Salsa Chili
Loaded Potato Soup
Turkey Chili Taco Soup
Black Bean Soup
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Creamy Potato Soup with Ham


This minestrone is from Cooking Light. I changed it a lot based on what I had and what looked good at the store, so here is my adapted version. Mmmm....fall!!

Quick Fall Minestrone

adapted from Cooking Light


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 yellow squash, quartered and sliced
2 small baking potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup uncooked orzo
16 oz white beans, drained and rinsed
topping: croutons and Parmesan cheese


Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, until soft. Add broth, potatoes, carrots, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and simmer another 3 minutes. Add orzo, beans, and spinach and simmer for 5 more minutes.



Mushroom Lasagna

WOW, this was excellent. This would be a great company meal--you can make it ahead of time and just bake it when you're ready. It also makes a great freezer meal--bake it, then wrap it well, thaw it out and heat it up. That's if it makes it to the freezer....it's so good! It's like a creamy alfredo pasta with mushrooms but layered and pretty. Norris, who as a kid declared "I don't want no basagna!" loved it. So good!!
This was one of those meals that I made on a Sunday cooking spree and tasted as I went (hey, practice what I preach at school, right??), which made me excited all day Monday about having it for dinner. The sauce, the noodles, the mushrooms, so good. I would even add some sauteed spinach next time for another flavor dimension. I just sprinkled crushed red pepper on top and it was perfect.

Mushroom Lasagna

from Ina Garten

Ingredients

salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I added this based on reviews)
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided (I used 1 stick...couldn't quite go for 1 1/2 sticks of butter in one dish)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used about 1/3 tsp)
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms (I used a little over a pound of button mushrooms), stemmed and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (added this in)
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper until they release juices and are tender, about five minutes.

For the white sauce, bring the milk and garlic to a simmer in a saucepan (I heated milk and garlic in the microwave). Set aside. Melt  butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. After working in the milk, add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.
To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8x12x2 or 9x13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Mushroom Risotto

While I admit that a 112 degree day was not the ideal day to make risotto, it was worth every minute of standing by the stove. I don't typically go for hot filling meals in the summertime, but this creamy and hearty risotto was so good that I snuck a couple of extra bites while packaging up the leftovers (looking at a couple of uses for those right now!).
I made this from just knowing the basic risotto method, which is something I learned in culinary classes and books. You could substitue any kind of broth (mushroom broth, anyone??), add/subtract butter, change up/add/subtract the cheese, play with the spices, swap in different vegetables, add meat...you can do a lot of things with the basic recipe! I don't like wine in risotto, but many classical recipes call for it. If you are going to use wine, use about 1/2 cup of dry white and add it at the very beginning before any broth.

Mushroom Risotto

~5 cups hot chicken broth
~1 1/2 cups arborio rice (the bag at my store has a tiny bit over this, so I go with that)
1 small onion, finely minced
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
~2 tbsp butter
~1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
parsley for garnish
parmesan cheese for garnish

Saute mushrooms and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic powder. Saute onion for about two minutes.
Add rice and stir to coat.
This is the point where you start adding the broth--1 ladle or so at a time. As soon as the rice looks almost dry, add another ladle. Someone told me a great tip of setting your timer for 18 minutes when you start your rice because it does always take about that long to cook completely. The rice should be al dente (not mushy but not crunchy) and really creamy. It shouldn't be glue-y but it shouldn't be runny either.
When you have about two ladles of liquid left, stir in your mushrooms. Finish cooking the rice, then stir in the remaining butter and cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Honey

We had some fun guests in town this weekend--my parents and our cousins Kim and Paul! We decided to meet here since it's right in between their houses and had a great weekend. I was looking for a few new recipes to make and found this twist on bruschetta. I knew we'd be out and about all day Saturday and would be ready for something to eat right when we got back, and these delivered--they were quick and easy to put together (thanks, sis!) and they tasted great. I knew not everyone likes gorgonzola, so we put mozzarella and a pepperoni on half so those people could enjoy a different flavor. I loved the balance of the gorgonzola and the honey--these are a must try if you like gorgonzola!

Gorgonzola Bruschetta with Honey

1 baguette, cut in small slices

crumbled gorgonzola

honey

Preheat broiler on low. Crisp bread in oven for a few minutes. Top with gorgonzola and put back under the broiler for about three more minutes. Drizzle with honey and serve.

from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations