Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagne

Lasagne is one of those one dish meals that can be time consuming so I usually save it for a weekend when I can devote the time. This lasagne veers from the traditional in that there is no tomato sauce. The combination of italian sausage and squash with a creamy beschamel is very comforting. I like to serve mine with a green salad.

1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
2 10 oz packages of frozen butternut squash, defrosted
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 package of lasagne noodles, par boiled
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozarella cheese
salt and pepper

In a sauce pot, brown the sausage with the onions,garlic, fennel seeds and sage over medium/high heat. Add the squash and the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter or margarine. Add the flour and stir until combined and the butter is absorbed into the flour. Add the milk and half and half. Whisk until the butter and flour are well combined and there are no lumps. Season with salt and nutmeg. Stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon. Add the ricotta and 1 cup of mozarella. Turn off the heat and whisk the sauce until the cheese has melted.
Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an oblong baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of cheese sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish and lay 3 lasagne noodles over the cheese sauce.
Make sure the noodles are touching each other side by side. Spoon on a layer of sausage and squash. Pour a small amount of cheese sauce over that and sprinkle with some of the remaining mozarella. Repeat the process 2 more times. Finish with a layer of noodles. Spoon the remaining cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with the last of the cheese. Cove with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to let the top brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and Serve.

Banana Buttermilk Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Honey Frosting

I love banana bread but sometimes I need to shake it up and do something a bit different.

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 large very rip bananas, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Cheese Honey Frosting

8 oz of marscapone cheese, softened
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 12 cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Put the flour and baking powder into a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside. In a large bowl with a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas. With mixer on low add half the flour mixture, follow with the buttermilk and finish with the last of the flour. Mix until just combined. Using an ice-cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner to 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Honey Frosting

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and set aside in the frig. Whip the cheeses together with the honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. Frost the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a fresh banana slice if desired. Store cupcakes in a covered container in the frig.

Turkey Chili- Cincinnati Style

Our son, Christopher, requested this dish from me. Never having made Cincinnati Chili I had some homework to do. There isn't much difference from the chili I regularly make. But it's the presentation that is different. The chili is served over spaghetti with beans, onions and cheddar cheese. I was skeptical but surprisingly, it was very good. This will be my third pantry meal for the week. I'm making extra to freeze for Christopher to have the next time he's home.


Serves 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 28 oz can of tomato puree
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
salt and pepper

In an 8 quart stock pot, heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add the turkey and start browning, breaking it apart. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is cooked through and the onions are soft. Add the chili powders, cumin, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Pour the stock over all and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat has fallen apart. Add the tomato puree and vinegar. Continue to simmer for 1 1/2 hours more. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve with cooked spaghetti, cooked kidney beans, chopped onions and cheddar cheese.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Carrots, Fennel and Onions

Here's my second pantry and freezer meal. Any recipe that calls for braising is perfect for the slow cooker. Unlike the braised method, the slow cooker does not have to have a baby sitter during the cooking process. So you can literally prep it and leave it. I plan to serve this with brown rice.

Serves 6

6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs or a whole cut up chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
5-6 carrots peeled and cut into thirds
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 fennel bulbs, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup of dry white wine
salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the oil and the chicken to the pan, skin side down. Brown the chicken on both sides. Remove to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan and add the onions, fennel and garlic to the hot skillet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute the veggies scraping the brown bits from the pan as you stir. Spray the insert of a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the carrots on the bottom of the insert. Spoon the sauted veggies over the carrots. Finish with the chicken on top. Pour the wine over all. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Tart Tatin

This dessert is rustic which makes it a snap to prepare. I found a box of puff pastry in the freezer and staying true to my pantry meals this week, I combined that with the apples I bought on sale at the store. But don't just limit this tart to apples. Pears, peaches, nectarines or plums would be equally delicious.

Serves 8

6 medium crisp apples, peeled, cored and cut into 6 slices per apple
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. In a large 12 inch oven-proof skillet over medium/high heat, melt the sugar, water and lemon juice together. Cook stirring often until the mixture reduces and thickens. This may take about 7-10 minutes. Add the butter, stir until melted. Lower the heat to low and arrange the apple slices in a circular design in hot syrup. Raise the heat to medium and let the fruit cook in the syrup for another 7 minutes. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 11 inches. Turn the heat off of the fruit. Lay the pastry over the fruit tucking in the edges. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15 miutes. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool another 15 minutes. Run a kinife around the edge of the tart and carefully invert it onto a serving platter. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Grilled Pineapple Salad

This recipe could easily be used as a condiment for fish.

Serves 8

1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 4ths
1-2 jalapeno peppers ribs and seeds removed and diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro diced
1/2 of a small red onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar
1-2 teaspoons of chili powder
cannola oil
Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill. Lightly coat the pan with oil. I use a heat resistant brush for this. Lightly dust the pineapple with chili powser and grill until lightly browned. Cut to bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the remianing ingredients to the bowl,toss and serve.

Smokey Ranchero Beans

This dish is a nice change from refried beans.

Serves 6

3 pieces of bacon diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 an onion diced
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
2 15 oz cans of pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pot. Cook the bacon over medium high heat. When the bacon has begun to release some of its fat, add the onion,garlic and jalapeno. Continue to cook until onion is translucent. Add the beans, stock, salt and pepper. Heat until mixture comes to a boil and serve.

Smoky Shredded Beef Tacos

I'm cooking from the pantry this week. I want to see just what I can create. My pantry has gotten pretty full and I want to thin it out. My first offering are these shredded beef tacos. I plan to serve these with my ranchero beans and a grilled pineapple salad. Condiments for the tacos will be an avocado relish and cilantro and lime sour cream.

Serves 8

1 3-4 pound beef chuck roast, trimmed well of fat and cut into chunks.
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
1 cup mild red chili sauce
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried mexican sage
5 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion diced
1-2 teaspoons chipolte chili powder or 2 chopped chipotle chili's in adobo
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Spray the insert to a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Put the meat on the bottom of the insert. Put the garlic and onion over the meat. Sprinkle on the paprika, chili powders or chili's, cumin, sage and salt. Pour the tomato and chili sauce over all. Mix well to combine and set the pot on high to cook for 6 hours. Remove meat from the cooking liquid and shred with 2 forks. Skim the fat from the liquid and use just enough to moisten the meat. Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve with toasted corn tortillas and desired toppings.

Chocolate Rice Pudding

I was never a huge fan of rice pudding growing up. We rarely had dessert so we ate it and were grateful. My mom always baked hers with cinnamon and raisins. My husband loves rice pudding(its a Scandanavian thing). When I made my mom's version for him, I was informed that real rice pudding was not baked it was made on the stove-top. All-righty then, I'm back at the stove trying it again. This time I'm making a chocolate version and using Aborio rice. So far I'm liking the results. The rice gives off a creamy starch that makes the pudding silky with a rich taste and you don't have to use full fat milk to achieve it. I think this recipe will make my picky husband very happy.

Cook's Notes- If you don't like orange. You can add instant espresso powder mixed in a little hot water, flavored vodka, chocolate or hazelnut liqueur. Just about anything will work.

3 cups 1% milk
3 cups fat free half and half
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup grand marnier
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 1 small orange
2 cups of aborio rice
10 oz of bittersweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter

In a medium sauce pan bring the milk, half and half and sugar to a simmer. Add the orange zest, grand marnier, and the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Turn the heat to low and add the vanilla. In a large sauce pot, melt the butter and add the rice. Cook until the rice is heated through and the pot is hot. Turn the heat down to medium and ladle 1 cup of liquid into the rice pot, stir until mostly absorbed. Continue to ladle the hot milk into the rice pot 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Keep doing this until all the milk is added and the rice is al dente. This should take 20-25 minutes. You need to stir continuously throughout the cooking process. The stirring releases the starch and thickens the pudding. Turn off the heat, cover and let the rice pudding stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish each bowl with chopped hazel nuts or fresh berries and whipped cream.

Confetti Corn Chowder

It's a blustery day which is perfect soup weather. I like to serve soup often because it is a great way to eat light and I can load up on the veggies. Try this soup in the summer when fresh corn is in season. Cut the kernels off of the cob before adding to the pot.

Serves 8-10

6 slices of bacon chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 pounds frozen corn, defrosted
3/4 cup flour
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup fat-free half and half
2 cups 1% milk
1 1/2 cups each of reduced fat shredded jack and cheddar cheeses
several dashes of tobasco sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions

In a large pot cook the bacon until crisp, rendering the fat. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and add the onions. Cook on medium/high heat until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and celery. Cook another 5 minutes. Add the corn and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the broth has thickened. Add the half and half, tobasco, and the cheese. Cook over simmer until heated through and the cheese has melted. Stir in the green onions just before serving.

Chocolate Cookies

Valentine's Day is Tuesday and I can't celebrate without chocolate of some kind. Three of my four valentines are home this weekend so I'm starting early. Our youngest son, Ryan, attends a wonderful school for Autistic children and they like to celebrate everything. Ryan wants to take cookies as valentines this year and I want to give my students each a cookie to take home on Tuesday, so I'm doubling the batch. Here it is.

Yields about 36

2 sticks of butter softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour

In a large bowl with a mixer cream the butter, sugar and cocoa together. Add the egg and vanilla
mix to combine. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add flour and baking powder and continue to mix with the mixer on low to start. Continue to mix until the dough comes together. Place the dough in the center of a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the edges of the wrap to help you, form the dough into a disc, wrap completely and place in the frig for 2 hours. Lightly dust a counter top or cutting board with flour along with your rolling pin and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutter, rerolling the scraps as you go. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake 7-9 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on a wire rack.

Serving and decorating suggestions- You can sandwich softened ice-cream or sorbet in between 2 cookies for ice-cream sandwiches. I like to use raspberry sorbet, strawberry or coffee ice-cream.
You can melt white chocolate with a little heavy cream to make a ganache. Pour it into a squeeze bottle and drizzle it over each cookie. Sprinkle red or pink sprinkles over the chocolate drizzle before it sets.

Onion and Bacon Dip

If I were going to be stranded on a desert island and could only have one food to take with me, it would be bacon. There would be no second guessing to that decision as it has to be one of my all time favorite foods. You could spread this dip on your tennis shoe and it would taste delicious. Takes the old time onion dip to a whole new level. I really hope my doctor isn't reading this!

1/2 pound applewood smoked bacon
1 tablespoon of bacon drippings
2 onions, small dice
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup light mayo
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Lemon juice to taste
Pita chips or fresh cut-up vegetables

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.Using a pair of heavy kitchen shears, cut the bacon into chunks. Cook over medium/high heat until the bacon is crisp and golden. Remove from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan. Add the onions, lower the heat to medium and saute until they are pale golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and the fennel seeds and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onions are light golden brown. Add the vinegar and thyme and cook until the vinegar has evaporated. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper and let cool completely. Mix the onions

in a large bowl with the bacon, mayo, yogurt and parsley. If necessary, strain any excess liquid from the yogurt before mixing with the peppers and onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then refrigerate until serving.
Serve with chips or vegetables

Guacamole

Super Bowl just wouldn't be the same without a big bowl of Guacamole. San Diego County is the largest producer of avocados in the U.S. That's all the excuse I needed to post my recipe which happens to be my mom's. The Wishbone dressing sounds odd but it has the right combination of lemon juice, vinegar and garlic which gives it a zesty punch and keeps the avocados from turning brown. I never have leftovers!

Cook's Shortcut- If you don't have the time or inclination to chop the onions, tomatoes, cilantro just pick up a container of fresh pico de gallo at the store and dump it in. I wish I could take credit for this great idea but this one goes to the Pioneer Woman. Check out her blog, it's listed below.



3-4 large avocados, cubed
juice of half a lemon
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced cilantro(optional)
tobasco or your favorite hot sauce
2-3 tablespoons of Wishbone Light Italian dressing or as much as you like

Put the avocados and lemon juice into a bowl and give them a rough mash with the back of a fork. Leave some avocado chunks. Add the tomoato and onion and stir to combine. Add the salad dressing, salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt as the dressing has salt in it. I usually start with just a sprinkle. Mix in the hot sauce if you like a kick. Serve with tortilla chips or mexican food.

Italian Sausage and Pepper Subs

I'm keeping it simple for Super Bowl. I'm fighting a cold this weekend and so I just don't have the energy to do a lot of cooking. Besides it's just us and my folks if they want to brave the germs. Italian sausage subs are super easy and will give the bbq fanatic in your life an excuse to break out the grill. If you get the best ingredients you can afford, the subs don't need any other adornment. I plan to serve these with my mom's potato salad( MaryLou's Italian Potato Salad)and Ryan's favorite Buttermilk Brownies with lots of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Serves 6
6 sweet or hot turkey Italian sausages
2 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced into strips
1 large onion, halved and peeled and thinly sliced
6 slices of provolone cheese
6 hoagie rolls
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Put your sausages on the grill. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium/high heat. Add the onions and pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the peppers become soft and the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. Split the rolls and put them on the grill to toast. While the rolls are hot, lay the cheese inside, place on a sheet pan and place in a warm oven(200 degrees) to melt and keep warm. When ready to serve, place a sausage into the cheesey roll and top with the warm peppers and onions.