Recipe for Success

Skillet Lasagna

2009-09-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

I know all my recipes have been from foodnetwork.com lately, but I do really love that web site! And I can just cut and paste onto the blog! I will try to expand for next time, but for now:

Skillet Lasagna

As a disclaimer, this lasagna is NOT as good as my mom's secret recipe lasagna. It was a little easier than real lasagna and didn't take as long, due to the no-boil noodles. The spinach and fresh mozzarella were the key. Few things in life are better than real, honest to God, fresh mozzarella. Yum!! I am sure the meatless version is to die for. Brock happens to think that if there is no meat, it's not a real meal. So, I added a pound of mild Italian sausage (put it over the Spinach layer). Anyway, let me know what you think! Oh, and before I forget: I would not actually attempt pureeing the tomato sauce unless you are MUCH smarter than me and realize that putting a very hot liquid in your blender = a very hot mess all over your kitchen! :) The sauce is fine chunky, and it saves you a dish to wash.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
6 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
3 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/3 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Directions
Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook until golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook until saucy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree. Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 3 tablespoons herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.

Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

I don't usually do this, but...

2009-08-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

This recipe seems too good not to post! I'm going to try it this week, so I"ll let you know. I love Edamame (thanks to Allie) and I LOVE hummus, so the combination may possibly be the greatest thing ever! I'll let you know!

Ellie Krieger's Edamame Hummus

Ingredients
2 cups shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup silken tofu, briefly drained of excess liquid
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice, plus more, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, plus more, for garnish

Directions
Set 1 tablespoon of edamame aside for a garnish. Place the rest of the edamame, tofu, salt, garlic, oil, lemon juice[, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, plus more lemon juice, if desired. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with reserved edamame, and some cumin.

Creamed Corn

2009-08-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

This is a completely simple side--a little labor intensive with the corn shucking and cutting, but well worth the effort. Brock's mom loved it and that is a big enough confirmation for me!

Ingredients
12 ears fresh corn, shucked
8 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Directions
Remove corn from cob using a corn grater or knife, and mash the whole kernels a little. Place corn in a glass dish and add the butter on top. Cook in the microwave on high for 7 to 10 minutes, stopping to turn and stir a couple of times. Be careful not to over cook the corn. If corn seems too dry, add a little milk or water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve as a side dish with favorite meal.

Glorious Shrimp

2009-07-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here is recipe number 2 from my Adventures in Seafood. I don't know why, but I've always been too intimidated to buy fresh fish or seafood at grocery stores. I know the people at the counter are there to help me--what's the worst that could happen, right? Despite this, I chickened out and just went frozen. Although, according to many articles I read, buying frozen should be OK as long as there are no ice crystals on the packaging. Next time, I'm going to make it to the counter. I'll let you know how it goes!

Here is Giada's recipe for Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce (yum!)

Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Adventures in Seafood

2009-07-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

After spending the last couple of weeks on a couple different beach vacations, I was inspired to try a little seafood myself. Here are a couple of recipes I tried that were really good!

This is Barefoot Contessa's Mustard Roasted Fish. It was super easy and very moist. I got the creme fraiche at Trader Joe's. It's the only place I've seen it. I used Tilapia, though I'm sure you could use your favorite fish and it would be equally as tasty! My friend Paul, who came over to eat dinner with us, said he could have used the sauce as a salad dressing. You could have given me a glass to drink it, personally! :)

Ingredients
4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Note: Recipe halved for TV

Sorry for the extended absence..

2009-03-11T16:39:00.001-07:00

OK...I know its been since before Thanksgiving since I blogged and that is totally lame. I have been cooking, though, so I'm going to have to do some major remembering of recipes. I'm going out on a limb here and posting before I actually eat this. I'll let you know what I think after I eat! Here's what's on the table tonight:

Italian Meatloaf--Michael Chiarello

Cook Time
1 hr 0 min

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, small diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the marinara. Pack the meat mixture into an oiled loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top with the marinara making sure to spread evenly over the top.

Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

Do ya'll have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe you'd like to share? I thought it would be fun to post your favorite dishes for a holiday dedicated almost solely to food. I mean, wow--what an awesome holiday? E-mail me at klou.evans@gmail.com if you'd like me to post yours!

Katie

2008-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

This Rachael Ray recipe came from Ellen--the Turkey Burgers were awesome. I didn't love the onion rings, but maybe it was because they weren't fried. If you try frying them instead of baking, let me know. The spice of the chipotle was really good with the corn meal, and I may play around with the recipe some more and let you know! Enjoy!

Inside Out Turkey Burgers With Smoky Oven O-Rings

Ingredients
5 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1 cup cornmeal
1 to 2 teaspoons (about a palmful) smoked chipotle powder
1 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
1 cup buttermilk
1 large sweet onion, sliced quarter-inch thick and pulled apart into rings
1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground turkey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup aged sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (the sharper the better!)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 to 3 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
5 to 6 Kosher dill pickles, chopped

Aired on:
June 23, 2008
September 11, 2007

Recipe Categories:
Picky Eaters
Great for Kids
Family Favorites
Meat

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation
Preheat your oven to 425º F and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
In the skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, 4-5 minutes, then set aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the fat rendered from the bacon in the skillet to cook the burgers in.
While the bacon is crisping, combine the cornmeal and chipotle powder in a bowl with high sides. Set up two more small bowls with high sides, filling one with the flour and other with the buttermilk. Dip the onion rings first in the buttermilk, then dredge them in the flour, tossing them lightly in your hands to remove any excess. Dip them once again in the buttermilk, and finally coat them completely with the cornmeal mixture. Place the dredged rings on a cookie sheet and bake until crispy, about 20 minutes.
While the onion rings are baking, place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Season it with salt and pepper, and add the mustard. Work the meat with your hands to incorporate the seasoning. Divide the meat into 4 equal parts and form patties out of each portion, making a well in the center of each one. Fill the well of each burger with some of the crisped bacon and 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Then carefully form the burger around the cheese and bacon filling, making sure the fillings are completely covered with the meat.
When all the patties are done, drizzle the EVOO into the skillet the bacon was cooked in, and place each burger into the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook burgers 7-8 minutes longer, turning occasionally. Do not press down on the burgers as they cook.
Serve each burger on a bed of lettuce and tomato. Top each burger with pickles and a few crispy onion rings.

Chicken Salsa Verde Bake

2008-11-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

I made this dish last Thursday and ate it last night for dinner as left overs. It is really tasty and even better after a few days. Don't you just love food that makes good leftovers? You can determine this spicy-ness of this one by the type of Salsa you use. It's very easy to make, besides all the chicken shredding! I gave up after a while and just started chopping. Enjoy!

2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
2 1/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Two 16 oz. jars salsa verde
One 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
One 8 oz. bag shredded Mexican-style cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand until cool, then shred the meat into a large bowl. Stir in the salsa, kidney beans, onion and sour cream.

2. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, scatter 1 cup tortilla chips on the bottom and top with half of the chicken mixutre and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers and cover with the remaining 1 cup tortilla chips. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

This recipe is from the Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, November 2008

Sweet Potato Fries from Ellen

2008-10-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here is another of Ellen's recipes--her Pumpkin Bread is already a fan favorite around my house (I've eaten half the loaf personally)! Thanks Ellen! I miss and love you! I'm posting this just as a "side" because I don't know if a potato is a vegetable or not! Is it?

sweet potato fries

just take a sweet potato, and cut it into strips or your desired chunkiness for eating

spread some extra virgin olive oil on a cooking sheet, and throw the sweet potato strips on the sheet.

mix the potatoes around the oil with your fingers, you'll get messy!

sprinkle some sea salt or regular salt over them and pop in the oven 400 degrees for about 15 min, or your desired crispiness.

sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and antioxidants and loaded with vitamin A and have a tiny bit of calcium. - sorry i have to include the healthiness of why it's good for you :)

Apple Ice Cream Floats...OH baby

2008-10-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hey--just made a great, EASY dessert! It would be good with Caramel Ice Cream topping if you had some, too!

Frosty Glasses
Vanilla Ice Cream
Apple Cider or Juice (I am so into "Simply Apple" Apple juice right now--it's by far the best Apple Juice I've ever had!)
Nutmeg

Put Ice Cream in the frosty mug and fill the glass the rest of the way up with Apple Juice. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

That's it! This recipe is out of Taste of Home November 2008.

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread

2008-10-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to Ellen for sending me this recipe! If anyone else would like to e-mail recipes, I'll be so glad to post them, as well. I can't wait to try this one!

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a bread pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and combine. Add the pumpkin, yogurt, honey and vanilla and combine until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger and allspice. Fold this mixture into the pumpkin mixture and combine until smooth.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serving Size: 1 slice of bread

Number of Servings: 8
Per Serving
Calories 170 Carbohydrate 33 g
Fat 4 g Fiber 1 g
Protein 3 g Saturated Fat 2 g
Sodium 77 mg

Chicken and Tomato Risotto

2008-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

October is officially comfort food month. I've made this dish twice now, and while it's not something you can should make if you will be distracted in the kitchen, it is definitely worth the effort! Of course, I didn't have arborio rice (why can I never actually have all the ingredients?? ) but used Orzo pasta instead. It worked out just fine! This is from August/September 2008 issue of Taste of Home Magazine (love that magazine!).

1 Cup chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs butter
1 Cup uncooked arborio rice
1 Cup Meatless spaghetti sauce
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, heat broth and keep warm. In a large skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms onion and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Add rice, cook and stir for about 3 minutes. Carefully stir in 1 cup warm broth. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. (Cooking time is about 20 minutes).

Stir in the spaghetti sauce, cheese and reserved chicken; cook and stir until thickened. Serve immediately. (Yields 4 servings)

Healthy Sloppy Joe's???

2008-10-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from foodnetwork.com. It's one of Ellie Krieger's recipes. In true Katie Evans fashion, I didn't have all the ingredients when I started making it. So, instead of Worcestershire sauce I used Soy sauce, and instead of molasses I used brown sugar. Don't ask me how much brown sugar I added because, again, in typical Katie Evans fashion, I dumped a whole lot into the skillet accidentally. It sure was good and sweet! It was even better the 2nd day. Don't be weirded out by the beans--it makes it go really far. It would also be good served over pasta! Allie, you don't have to add beans, cause I know you wouldn't anyway.

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole-wheat burger buns

Directions:

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

Enjoy!

Ro-Tel Tomato Casserole

2008-10-20T19:57:00.001-07:00

I fixed this recipe for dinner tonight--definitely NOT healthy, but perfect for a cool night and comfort food. I made this before, and Brock loved it so much he requested it specially this week. This recipe is out of Grade A+ Recipes from Mount Pisgah Christian School.

4 Chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken, boiled and cut into pieces

12 oz spaghetti, cooked in chicken broth

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 C. celery, chopped

1.5 lb. Velveeta

1 can Ro-Tel (original)

1 can ripe black olives, sliced

1 stick butter (for sauteing)

Boil chicken until done. Cook spaghetti in broth until done. Drain. Saute onion, bell pepper and celery until crisp in large saucepan. Add Velveeta and stir until melted. Add Ro-Tel tomatoes, chicken, spaghetti and olives. Stir and serve.

In the Beginning...

2008-10-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

OK--so everyone in the universe has a blog except me. I get it. The problem is, and continues to be, what in the world do I have going on in my life that is interesting? Do people really care about things I have to say? And the answer is--NO. But, I do love to cook. So I thought I would create a blog where I posted recipes I have used, and where readers can post thoughts and recipes as well. Sort of like an online cookbook for my friends. And, voila! I am beginning one now. So, please feel free to add your recent recipes as well. I'm not too passionate about much--there are only a few things in life that really get me excited...but food is one of them. Thanks in advance for your posts!