I mentioned before how I was always on the lookout for good veggie recipes. I have a hard time being motivated enough to incorporate vegetables into our diets. We eat a lot of salads, and a good amount of fruit, but I'm terrible about getting the green (or orange, or yellow, or red) stuff on our plates.
One veg that I have particular problems with: green beans. I love green bean casserole, but who doesn't? It's not exactly a health-fest, is it? Fresh beans, on the other hand, I'm not a fan of.
I think I finally figured out what's wrong with beans and me: the cooking time. Most veggies I like barely cooked, just faintly tender. Green beans are too tough and weirdly...hairy? Furry? I don't know, but the texture of barely cooked green beans is grody to me. My mom made green beans when she was here early last fall, and she cooked the HECK out of them, and they were delicious.
So other than just cooking them until they lose their will to live, what can I do with green beans? This weekend, I tried The Pioneer Woman's green beans recipe. I adapted the recipe somewhat: I didn't have bacon grease (shame, that) so I used butter and olive oil. I'm not a huge fan of red pepper, so I omitted it. Somehow mine never carmelized the way she said it should, but it was still delicious. Even Charlotte liked it!
The next veggie to tackle: cauliflower.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Lasagna
I love lasagna. It's one of those meals that I make and then think "Why don't I make this more often?" There's something about lasagna that seems inherently complicated, something about the multiple bowls used to make the different layers. Whatever it is, it keeps me from making lasagna more often.
However, last weekend we had family in town for Sam's baptism, and I decided to make lasagna for a couple reasons. One was that it's something many (if not most) people like, so I wouldn't have to worry about grossing someone out with fish or pork or spiciness. The other reason, one that I will write about more sometime over the next couple of weeks, is that I've started making my own cheese. My first two (fortunately successful) attempts were fresh mozzarella and whole-milk ricotta, which, of course, are two key ingredients in lasagna.
This recipe would work just as easily with store-bought mozzarella and ricotta, of course. But I have to say that the fresh mozz was so amazing in this lasagna. It was creamy and light and melty and fabulous. So consider using fresh mozz (the little balls packed in water) in this recipe sometime instead of the bagged shredded kind.
Basic Lasagna
Meat Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped (I used half, not wanting to overwhelm anyone, but I think a whole onion would be good, too).
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1-2 jars basic spaghetti sauce (seriously, the cheap stuff is fine here, and any flavor/style is good, too).
Saute the onion in olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Turn the flame down to medium and add the garlic. Saute a few minutes more. Add the meat and break up with a potato masher or spoon, stirring. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper, then spaghetti sauce, and stir. Turn heat to low and simmer while you mix the cheese layer.
Cheese mixture:
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
Chopped fresh basil and parsley OR dried basil and parsley (I find fresh herbs make all the difference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Now, people differ on what to do with your lasagna noodles. Do you cook them thoroughly in a pot of boiling water? Do you not cook them at all, and add moisture to your sauce? I think I struck on the perfect compromise. Lay 12 lasagna noodles in your casserole dish. Boil a kettle of water and dump on top of the noodles. Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes. The noodles will be softened but not completely cooked. They'll finish cooking in the oven.
After you've softened your noodles (heh), begin layering your lasagna. You'll also need your sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese (12-16 ounces) and shredded parmesan (8 ounces) at this time.
First, ladle some of your meat sauce into the bottom of your dish. Layer lasagna noodles on top, slightly overlapping the noodles (like shingles). Then spread on a layer of the ricotta mixture, topped with sliced/shredded mozz. Ladle half the remaining meat sauce on top. Then repeat: noodles, ricotta, mozz, meat sauce. Sprinkle the parm on the very top.
At this point, you can bake the lasagna at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or you can refrigerate until you are ready to bake. If you bake the lasagna right out of the fridge, you might need to add some extra time.
Enjoy!
However, last weekend we had family in town for Sam's baptism, and I decided to make lasagna for a couple reasons. One was that it's something many (if not most) people like, so I wouldn't have to worry about grossing someone out with fish or pork or spiciness. The other reason, one that I will write about more sometime over the next couple of weeks, is that I've started making my own cheese. My first two (fortunately successful) attempts were fresh mozzarella and whole-milk ricotta, which, of course, are two key ingredients in lasagna.
This recipe would work just as easily with store-bought mozzarella and ricotta, of course. But I have to say that the fresh mozz was so amazing in this lasagna. It was creamy and light and melty and fabulous. So consider using fresh mozz (the little balls packed in water) in this recipe sometime instead of the bagged shredded kind.
Basic Lasagna
Meat Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped (I used half, not wanting to overwhelm anyone, but I think a whole onion would be good, too).
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1 t. salt
pepper to taste
1-2 jars basic spaghetti sauce (seriously, the cheap stuff is fine here, and any flavor/style is good, too).
Saute the onion in olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Turn the flame down to medium and add the garlic. Saute a few minutes more. Add the meat and break up with a potato masher or spoon, stirring. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper, then spaghetti sauce, and stir. Turn heat to low and simmer while you mix the cheese layer.
Cheese mixture:
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
Chopped fresh basil and parsley OR dried basil and parsley (I find fresh herbs make all the difference)
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Now, people differ on what to do with your lasagna noodles. Do you cook them thoroughly in a pot of boiling water? Do you not cook them at all, and add moisture to your sauce? I think I struck on the perfect compromise. Lay 12 lasagna noodles in your casserole dish. Boil a kettle of water and dump on top of the noodles. Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes. The noodles will be softened but not completely cooked. They'll finish cooking in the oven.
After you've softened your noodles (heh), begin layering your lasagna. You'll also need your sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese (12-16 ounces) and shredded parmesan (8 ounces) at this time.
First, ladle some of your meat sauce into the bottom of your dish. Layer lasagna noodles on top, slightly overlapping the noodles (like shingles). Then spread on a layer of the ricotta mixture, topped with sliced/shredded mozz. Ladle half the remaining meat sauce on top. Then repeat: noodles, ricotta, mozz, meat sauce. Sprinkle the parm on the very top.
At this point, you can bake the lasagna at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or you can refrigerate until you are ready to bake. If you bake the lasagna right out of the fridge, you might need to add some extra time.
Enjoy!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Orange Broccoli
I have a hard time knowing what to do with vegetables. As in, how to prepare them. Beyond the basics (steaming, roasting) I have no idea. I've spent a lot of time over the years searching for good veggie recipes that don't involve slathering the veggies in cream or cheese or mushroom soup and thus dislodging any health benefits of said veg. And I've collected maybe two recipes. Total, that is...not two per vegetable. That's pathetic.
Last night, in despair, I made up my own recipe for broccoli. I had a bag of prewashed florets in the fridge and I wasn't about to let them go bad (that happens more often than I'd like to admit). It ended up being very easy and quick and most importantly, delicious. I could tell I was eating broccoli, but the flavors of the recipe augmented the veg nicely.
Essentially, I dumped half the bag into a bowl and microwave-steamed the broccoli for a minute. Then I melted a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, added some orange zest, dumped the broccoli in the pan, and squeezed half the orange over top. Another minute or two in the pan (not too much, nothing worse than soggy broccoli) and it was ready.
The results:
Jana: This is the easiest recipe ever and it tastes good. Hallelujah.
Jeff: He actually ATE BROCCOLI THAT WAS COOKED. This is a miracle.
Charlotte: Ate about half of what I gave her, which seems pretty good to me.
The verdict: Make it again!
Last night, in despair, I made up my own recipe for broccoli. I had a bag of prewashed florets in the fridge and I wasn't about to let them go bad (that happens more often than I'd like to admit). It ended up being very easy and quick and most importantly, delicious. I could tell I was eating broccoli, but the flavors of the recipe augmented the veg nicely.
Essentially, I dumped half the bag into a bowl and microwave-steamed the broccoli for a minute. Then I melted a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, added some orange zest, dumped the broccoli in the pan, and squeezed half the orange over top. Another minute or two in the pan (not too much, nothing worse than soggy broccoli) and it was ready.
The results:
Jana: This is the easiest recipe ever and it tastes good. Hallelujah.
Jeff: He actually ATE BROCCOLI THAT WAS COOKED. This is a miracle.
Charlotte: Ate about half of what I gave her, which seems pretty good to me.
The verdict: Make it again!
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