spinach artichoke lasagna

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 jar (16 ounces) roasted garlic Parmesan or roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
• ASSEMBLY:
• 12 no-cook lasagna noodles
• 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup crumbled tomato and basil feta cheese or feta cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon each dried oregano, parsley flakes and basil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in broth, artichokes, spinach and seasonings; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in Alfredo sauce; remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers three times. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with feta cheese, garlic powder and herbs.

Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until noodles are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

everyday pancakes

I've been making a batch of these pancakes from Mark Bittman every Sunday for months. They freeze and microwave well so the kids can eat them all week for breakfast.

spinach artichoke dip

My favorite spinach artichoke dip, mostly because it's mayo free and I hate hot mayo.

hot and sour soup

A great lunch soup for cold weather or fighting a cold!

fried chicken sliders

We all love this ATK recipe for fried chicken sandwiches. I cut the chicken a bit bigger than nugget size and serve it with pickles, cheddar, and mayo as sliders on Hawaiian rolls.

welsh eggs

Another recipe we tried for Cael's school project, "Foods of my Family Tree," these Welsh Eggs were delicious and couldn't have been easier. They will definitely be added to our breakfast for dinner rotation.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mild cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 12 eggs
• salt

  Directions:

  1. Butter 6 ovenproof dishes lavishly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the grated cheese in the bottom of each buttered dish.
  2. Break the eggs in a saucer and then slip the eggs (2) over the surface of the cheese. Take care not to break yolk. Allow 2 eggs per dish.
  3. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the surface of each dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place in a 325° oven for 20 minutes or until the eggs are fairly firm and just coated over. Serve at once.
  5. Serve with wedges of buttered toast for dipping into the egg yolk and the melted cheese.

appelflappen

We tried this Dutch recipe from Holland.com as part of Cael's school project, "Foods of my Family Tree." Elle didn't like this one, but it was Cael's favorite recipe of everything we tried. We used dried cranberries instead of currants.

Appelflappen

• 20 grams (0.7 oz) currants
• 20 grams (0.7 oz) raisins
• 3 dried apricots
• 100 ml (3.3 fl oz) apple juice
• 2 Jonagold apples (or similar crisp red apples)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1 package puff pastry (usually ten squares)
• Coarse sugar

Add the currants, raisins and apricots to the apple juice and allow to soak, preferably overnight, but at least for a good hour. Allow the puff pastry to thaw, while you peel and core the apples. Chop the apples into small pieces. Drain the soaked fruit, but keep the water. Finely chop the apricots and add them together with the currants and raisins to the apples and stir.  Then add the sugar and the cinnamon and stir until everything is well mixed. Set aside.

Peel the separate squares of puff pastry apart. Place them before you with one corner pointing downwards. Place approximately 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling on the bottom half of the square, wet the edges of the dough with some of the soaking water that you saved before and fold the top part over, forming a triangle. Carefully press the dough around the filling and on the edges, making sure they are sealed.

Place the triangles on parchment paper on a baking sheet and place in the fridge while you pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F).

Remove the baking sheet from the fridge, and moisten the top of each triangle with a little bit of water, before sprinkling the coarse sugar on top. Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf in the oven, and bake the turnovers for 20 minutes or until golden. Can be eaten warm or cold.

kolaches

Elle, Gage, and I made these kolaches as part of Cael's school project, "Foods of my Family Tree" (Cael tasted, rated, and wrote up the project...). They were great and will definitely be a recipe that we make again to celebrate our Polish heritage.

Ingredients 

makes 2 dozen 

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar 

  Directions

• Beat butter and cream cheese in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition.
• Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch circles. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon jam into center of each circle. Fold opposite edges together, slightly overlapping edges.
• Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

chicken tikka masala

This was a great recipe for lunches from the kitchn. I did freeze several individual portions and the reheated really well. The chicken thighs did completely fall apart in the crock pot, but it was still amazing.

Serves 4 to 6

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece whole ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 to 2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
Fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups cooked rice, to serve
Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of garam masala, paprika, and kosher salt until the chicken is evenly covered with spices. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices.
→ If you have the time: Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup yogurt for up to 6 hours. Shake to remove excess yogurt before transferring to the slow cooker.
→ If you have the time: Sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet until softened, then stir in the ginger, tomato paste, and spices until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker with the chicken and diced tomatoes. This will give your tikka masala more depth of flavor.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the heavy cream. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Taste and add more garam masala or salt to taste.
Serve over rice with fresh cilantro sprinkled over the top of each serving. The tikka masala can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.

 

mushroom stroganoff

This was a very simple lunch for the week from Amuse your Bouche-- made in the crockpot and served over farro.

Slow cooker mushroom stroganoff


Serves 3
500g mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
1tbsp butter
1 stock cube, made up in 600ml hot water
2tbsp tomato ketchup
3tsp paprika
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4tbsp sour cream (heaped)
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
In a large pan, melt the butter and gently cook the onion and mushroom for 5-10 minutes, until they are slightly softened and beginning to shrink in size, but are still not yet fully cooked. Transfer these to the slow cooker, and add the stock, kethcup, paprika and sliced garlic. Cook on high for 4 hours.
When cooked, stir in the sour cream and chopped parsley.
I liked my stroganoff as it was, but if you would like it to be thicker, just transfer it to a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce it slightly.
Serve with pasta or rice.

rhubarb cheesecake bars

Kory raved about this dessert recipe from Taste of Home more than he has done over anything I've made in a while. We both thought the crust was amazing and stayed incredibly crispy even after a few days in the refrigerator. Elle didn't love the topping, as she doesn't care much for rhubarb, but I think we could easily make this with strawberries instead of rhubarb and everyone would love it!


Photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cold butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup water 3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts and vanilla. Press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until lightly and fluffy. Add egg; beat on low speed just until combined. Add vanilla. Pour over the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until center is set and edges are light brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Add rhubarb. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Pour over filling. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Editor's Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

rhubarb bread

Back in the midwest and surrounded by rhubarb at the early summer farmer's markets, we have been making this bread recipe from Taste of Home weekly. The boys all especially love it and eat it every day for breakfast. Two loaves sadly only last them about three days!

Photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cups packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups finely diced rhubarb, 1/4-inch cuts
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the sugar and oil; blend in egg, vanilla and milk. Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; add to moist ingredients. Stir in rhubarb and nuts. Transfer to two well-greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans.
2. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

buffalo chicken cheese balls

These buffalo chicken cheese balls from food network are not very spicy and have been a huge hit in our house.

Ingredients

1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups sharp Cheddar
1/4 cup freshly sliced scallions
1 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Have oil heated to 350 degrees F.

Pick the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the hot sauce, pepper, cheese, and scallions, and toss to combine. Roll the chicken into 2-ounce balls, about the size of a golf ball.

Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Roll each ball in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs. Set aside.

When the oil is hot fry the chicken balls in batches. Cook for about 2 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.

Serve with blue cheese dressing.

Everyone in the family loved this simple recipe from epicurious, but Kory would prefer it with a side of marinara in the future. The thin cutlets cooked quickly and were incredibly tender.

 
 photo by Gentl & Hyers

Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 4 small skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total), pounded to 1/4" thickness
• 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, halved

Preparation

Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan, and mustard powder in a third shallow bowl and season mixture with salt and pepper.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be breaded 3 months in advance. Place between pieces of freezer paper or waxed paper and freeze in resealable freezer bags. Thaw before continuing.
Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cutlets, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan between batches, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with lemon.

 

A great recipe from Giada De Laurentiis that everyone liked well enough to make again.

Chicken Carbonara

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.