Lasagna... a bit lighter

Lasagna...a bit lighter.

I came up with this recipe after looking at a few lasagna recipes in all sorts of magazines. I combined a few techniques to come up with my own version that is a bit more on the lighter side. Granted it still has cheese and meat. But, I opted to use ground turkey and cut back on the amount of cheese.

I make a bechamel sauce to make it creamier....becomes the White Sauce. I also make my own tomato sauce that I combine with the meat...which becomes the Meat Sauce. I like making lasagna because you can assemble it and freeze it for another day. All you have to do is place it in the oven(frozen) covered until almost done in the center....remove the cover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until nice and bubbly. Just give yourself plenty of time for it to defrost in the oven as it bakes.(1-2 hrs)

Of course, you can easily play around with this recipe and amounts to make it your own! But, this is my version. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: for a 13x9 pan and a little leftover for a smaller pan(5x5?)

1 package of lasagna noodles, prepared according to the directions on the box

Meat Sauce:

2 cups diced onion

5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 TBS oil

2lbs ground turkey

6 oz can tomato paste

28 oz can of whole tomatoes in juice

14.5 oz can whole tomatoes in juice

1 tsp sugar

2 TBS red wine

2-3 bay leaves

1 TBS + 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

pepper to taste

dried basil to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor, process whole tomatoes till nice and smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large soup pot, add oil and heat on med till oil is hot.

3. Add onion and cook till soft about 5-7 minutes.

4. Add ground turkey.

5. Crumble over med heat. Cook till no longer pink.

6. Add garlic stir and cook for 30 seconds.

7. Add tomato paste and processed whole tomatoes....stir.

8. Season with salt, pepper, wine, sugar and spices.

9. Lower heat, simmer and cook for about 1 hr stirring every so often.

Mushroom Layer:

16 oz sliced mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. While the sauce is cooking, you can saute the mushrooms in a skillet with a bit of salt on med-high heat till nicely browned. Set the mushrooms aside.

Ricotta Layer:

32 oz carton of ricotta cheese

3 TBS minced fresh parsley

2-3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a med. bowl mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Bechamel (White) Sauce:

1 TBS olive oil

3 TBS flour

1 1/2 cups milk, if you need more you can add an additional 1/2 cup

1/2 -1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt,pepper, and nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, add oil and flour. Stir to combine.

2. Add milk and stir to combine. Cook until the mixture is thickened about 3 minutes.

3. Add cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Assemble the lasagna:

You will need some dried basil for sprinkling in between the layers and on top.

You will need extra shredded mozzarella cheese for layering. You can use as much or little as you want. You can also use a mixture to include provolone, spicy jack, fontina, or muenster cheese. You get the idea!

Directions:

1. Place about 1/2 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 pan and spread it evenly.

2. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top.

3. Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce on top of the noodles.

4. On top of the meat sauce, add about 1 cup of ricotta cheese spread evenly.

5. Spread some of the reserved mushrooms over the ricotta layer.

6. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and basil... or skip the mozzarella if you want it even lighter.

7. Repeat layer(or layers if you have a deeper pan).... Otherwise use an overflow small pan for the rest.

8. To the top layer, add bechamel white sauce and sprinkle with some shredded cheese(or use sliced cheese or a mixture of both) and basil. Do the same for the overflow pan, if using

9. At this point, you can bake the lasagna in a preheated 375 deg F oven ...for about 50+ minutes. Make sure you cover the pan with a lightly greased foil. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or till heated through.

Or

You can cover and place in freezer for a later date. Just bake frozen lasagna covered first and then remove cover and bake until nice and bubbly. Remember to give yourself plenty of time as the frozen lasagna will take quite a bit longer to bake. Let rest for 5- 10 minutes so the filling will not ooze out.

Soft Dinner Rolls

Soft Dinner Rolls.... This recipe came about after an attempt at making bagels one day. I had bought a bagel book and wanted to try out a few varieties. They all looked good! So I made the classic New York Bagel...but, the Egg Bagel also looked pretty neat. Well, since it was my first attempt at making bagels, I didn't realize how much time it required....boiling and all. Of course I was really being brave by making 2 different recipes. So as you can imagine, I ran out of time and decided not to boil the egg bagel. That's when I thought of making some plain bread rolls instead...the result?...Best-ever soft dinner rolls!

Funny, I never ventured to do the egg bagel. I really love making these rolls and freeze them to have on hand. The rolls stay soft and pillowy... and they taste taste! I pretty much like the fact that it comes out every time, and they are great for a variety of uses. Love making mini burgers. I also use this recipe to make regular size hamburger buns... and sprinke sesame seeds on top. I've even made hot dog buns... just a great recipe to keep. I am sure you can substitute some whole wheat flour for the white flour... A good ratio is 1/3 of the white flour could be substitued by whole wheat. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

3 1/3 cup bread flour

1 tsp salt (not kosher)

2 tsp instant yeast

2 TBS sugar

2 TBS oil

1 cup warm water (110 deg F)

1 large egg, beaten

1 egg beaten for brushing the tops of the rolls

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt and yeast in your kitchen aid mixer.

2. Add sugar, oil and beaten egg to the water. Pour over dry flour mixture.

3. Mix on low/med for 5-6 minutes. You want the dough to be sort of tacky but not sticky. You don't want the dough to be dry or dense. If you notice that the dough is dry add a bit more warm water 1 TBS at a time while kneading.

4. Form into a ball and put it into an oiled bowl. I just leave mine in the mixer bowl. Cover with plastic. I heat my oven for 1 minute or 2 on low and turn it off. This method, I noticed, provides a proofing environment for the dough to rise free from drafts. If you feel the oven is too hot, keep the door ajar and let it cool some. You are better off with a cooler oven than too hot of an oven.

5. Let rise till doubled..about an hour. Usually, recipes say to punch dough down. I find that it releases too much of the good bubbles that makes the dough fluffy...so, I don't. I just grab a small golf size(or a bit bigger) piece of dough and form into a ball. If, it is too sticky to form use oiled/wet hands to form the rolls.

6. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with beaten egg. You can sprinkle sesame seed/poppy seeds at this point if you want.

7. Let rise till doubled... in warm environment( I like to place a greased plastic wrap over the rolls).

8. Preheat the oven to 375 deg F. Bake for 12 -15 minutes. Just check to see that the tops are golden.

Three Way Stuffed Chicken

Three Way Stuffed Chicken... I tried this recipe one day and really liked the results. We love mushrooms, cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Since I had all the ingredients at home, I decided to make this recipe. So, I ventured to try a trio of stuffed chicken.

I ended up using 3 half chicken breasts. Each chicken breast is cut in half and then pounded thinly. So this way you don't have a big piece of chicken stuffed with ingredients. They actually come out as little small round logs that are about 2 inches in diameter. The pictures make it look like they are huge...but, they are not.

These rolls are perfect as an appetizer or lunch/dinner. You can easily make a nice pan sauce to drizzle on top. Easy to do in advance as you can freeze the rolls and take out to defrost at a later day. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

• 3 half chicken breasts(each breast is split in 2... yields 6 thinly sliced chicken breasts)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Filling of choice from below

Mushroom Filling: For 2 split chicken breasts

• 2-3 oz softened cream cheese
• 5-6 sliced mushrooms
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tsp oil

In a skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until nicely browned on med heat mixing often to not burn. You want a nice carmel color on them. Add shallots and cook for an additional minute or so. season.

Mix with cream cheese.

Ham and Parmesan filling: For 2 split chicken breasts

• 2-3 oz cream cheese
• 3 slices thinly sliced ham
• 2 TBS Parmesan
• parsley or chives (optional)

Mix Parmesan, parsley with cream cheese.

Sun dried Tomato Filling: For 2 split chicken breasts

• 2-3 oz cream cheese
• 2 TBS sun dried tomatoes (chopped)
• Basil to taste

Mix sun dried tomatoes , basil and cream cheese.

Directions:

1. Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. You should have 6 thinly sliced pieces.

2. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap.

3. Pound with a mallet to about a 1/4 in thick. Basically, you want it a bit thinner. Be careful not to pound to hard or you will tear the chicken.

4. Divide the filling so that you have enough for 2 chicken breasts.

5. Put filling in the middle and roll tucking in the side ends so that you will not have the filling spill out later. Do the same with the rest of the chicken pieces.

6. Wrap the rolled chicken breasts with prosciutto ham to encase the roll.( I actually forgot to add the prosciutto... and ended up adding it later. Pictures reflect that.)

7. Place prosciutto wrapped rolls onto a large piece of aluminum foil. Roll up... this keeps the shape of the rolls taut. But, if you prefer you can use plastic wrap/ parchment paper with rubber bands on the end. At this point, you can freeze for use at a later date. But, you can also keep them in the fridge for a few hours and then bake them the same day.

8. Take off the foil.(Add prosciutto ham if you have not already done so).

9. Bake at 375-400 Deg F for 15-20 minutes. I used my toaster oven at 425.

10. Let sit for 5 minutes and slice at a bias. Serve as an appetizer or main course.

Hash Browns

Hash Browns...easy to do at home from a fresh potato. If you want a change from regular baked potatoes, try this version. Hash browns are fun to make and pretty easy I think! There is a trick or two that I use when making these. I don't know if it helps greatly but, over the years I have tried different ways of making hash browns at home without all the oil it requires for them to get golden and crispy. I have noticed if I squeeze the potatoes dry they become crispier with minimal amount of oil. So here is my recipe... my way. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: Feel free to add some herbs or chives in the potato mixture...

You will need: you can easily make more by doubling/tripling recipe

1 large russet potato

2-3 tsp granulated onion, optional

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and peel the potato.

2. Grate the potato.

3. Squeeze dry potatoes using 2 paper towels. Be careful when wringing the potatoes dry as the paper towel can break....or use a cheese cloth.

4. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper and onion(if using).

5. In a large skillet on med/high heat. Add a few drops of oil for each mound of potatoes.

6. Flatten the mounds. I usually make them no bigger than 2-3 in in diameter. This ensures that I can turn them easily and they cook faster. Plus, portions are smaller!

7. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until nicely browned when you peek under.

8. Turn on second side and add a few drops of oil underneath each mound.

9. Cook and additional 3-5 minutes or until nicely browned. If you feel they need more browning ...you can turn them again on the other side and cook some more until you are satisfied with the result.

10. Place hash browns on a paper towel and continue with the rest of the hash browns.

Spritz Cookies (lemon and almond)

Spritz Cookies (lemon and almond)...These cookies are great buttery cookies. I tried this recipe and did a variation by adding 2 flavors to the original recipe. I love lemon flavored cookies and my husband loves almond flavored...so what better way than to split the dough in two and make both!

These tender cookies are great with a cup of coffee or tea. They are cute and small. You can use whatever method you like to form the cookies. I freeze mine so that we don't eat the whole lot...and take out one or two for a treat. You can definitely dip them in chocolate, sprinkle some powdered sugar or just leave them plain. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: adapted from America's Test Kitchen Baking Cookbook

1 large yolk

1 TBS heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract*

16 TBS (2 sticks) butter, very soft

2/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 deg F.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Whisk the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl.

Make sure the butter is at room temp for about 2 hours. You want the butter to bend.

4. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt together with an electric mixer on med - high until light and fluffy 3-6 minutes.

5. Beat in the yolk-cream mixture until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed.

6. Reduce the speed to low and slowly mix in the flour until combined about 30 sec.

The original recipe has you add the variation flavoring(lemon juice/almond flavoring) into the yolk mixture and the finely ground almond/peel into the flour mixture.

* After I split the dough in two...I added the grated rind of a small lemon and 2 -3 tsp lemon juice to one portion of the dough and 1/4 cup finely ground almonds and 1-2 tsp almond flavoring to the second portion. Mix thoroughly to combine.

7. Pipe (or form into balls/logs and press with a fork) onto prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

8. Bake cookies one sheet at a time until they are light golden brown, 10 -12 minutes.

~Baking time depends on how big your cookies are...just check to not over burn. If you under bake them they will be on the moist side and not crispy . That is what I did to the almond ones. You can see that that they are lighter in color. I think these cookies are better crispier. ~

9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. That is key! I tasted one when it was warm and one when they were completely cooled. They are much better (flavor wise when allowed to cool completely).

Chipotle Flavored Beef Stew (my way)

Chipotle Flavored Beef Stew (my way)... I love making this stew in the crock pot. Ideal dish to make on a busy day or for Sunday supper. I have made this recipe without browning the beef on the stove top as well and it comes out delicious. But, I feel that the browning gives it a more deeper flavor. So, when I have time I usually brown it....like I did for this recipe.

You can definitely other vegetables, such as carrots or celery. This time around I omitted the carrots and celery. I prefer using a red wine for this recipe as it brings the stew up a notch. The flavor can't be beat. But, if you don't have any wine you can definitely use stock or even water....but, I would use carrots /celery and onion to improve on the flavors.

Ideally, the best cut of meat for this stew would be something like beef chuck. Actually, it is ideal for this type of stew.... moist and flavorful. But if you have another cut like rump/round, it will also work... just maybe be a bit more dry and not as flavorful. I also used chipotle peppers to flavor the stew.... wanted something new and different. I love the tinge of spiciness and the robust smoked flavor it imparts. But, that is optional. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

2 lbs beef chuck (cut in 2 inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion

1 shallot minced

3 garlic cloves minced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 TBS sauce

1 cup red wine

1/4 cup water mixed with 1 1/2 TBS tomato paste

1 TBS flour

3 TBS oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season beef with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large heavy pot and add 1 TBS oil.

3. Add cut up beef in batches using about 1 TBS of oil for each batch. You want to sear the meat and get some browned bits on the bottom of the pot. The browned bits have a ton of flavor. I usually, heat my pot on medium heat. But, check the heat every so often so the meat doesn't burn.

4. Place seared beef in crock pot.

5. To the browned bits in the pan, add the diced onion and shallots.

6. Keep the heat on low and add about 2 TBS water to help release the bits....or deglaze. Scraping often until all the browned bits have been released.

7. Add the garlic let it cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook for about 2-3 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol. Pour this over the beef in the crock pot.

8. Add the water and tomato paste mixture. Add flour and mix everything well.

9. Add the chipotle and adobo sauce (if using).

10. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hrs. Check after 4 hrs to see if the sauce is thickened up and the beef is tender. The onions should have melted into the sauce.

This stew is great over pasta/rice as well as mashed potatoes.