Mozzarella-Stuffed Bruschetta Turkey Burgers with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

I started the gym again and after the pain I put myself through on that elliptical, I didn't want to just blow it on something super fattening.  I was in the mood for a nice satisfying dinner that was also healthy.  I saw this recipe on foodgawker,  last year and added it to my favorites.  I have been meaning to make it for some time now, and was glad I thought of it last night.   The recipe was easy to make, high in protein, low in carbs and full of fresh veggies.  I think this is going to make a comeback again real soon in my kitchen.

Recipe Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats, serves 6

For the burger:
2.5 lbs. lean ground turkey
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 red onion, grated
1 tsp. olive oil
6 tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by placing the ground turkey into a mixing bowl.  Add the Parmesan cheese, the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the bowl.  Next add in the grated garlic, onion and olive oil and combine well.   Form a thin patty and then place one tbsp. of the mozzarella cheese on top of the patty leaving a rim around the edge with no cheese.  Place some more of the burger mixture on top of the patty, covering the cheese and pinching the edges to lock in the cheese.  Place a non-stick skillet (one with a lid) on medium high heat and let the pan get hot.  Place the burgers in the pan and brown well.  Flip the burgers over and allow them to brown on the other side.  These burgers are sort of thick, but you'll have to cook them all the way through since you're using poultry.  An easy way to do this is to place the lid on the pan and bring the heat down to low.  Allow the burgers to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.

For the brushetta topping:
8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp. freshly chopped basil
1 tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste ( I used lots of freshly grated pepper for this)

While the burgers cook, begin making the topping and balsamic glaze (recipe to follow).  Begin by dicing the tomatoes and adding them to a mixing bowl.  Finely dice the onions and add them to the bowl, along with the grated garlic clove.  Chop the parsley and basil and toss into the bowl.  Next add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and combine everything well.

For the Balsamic Glaze:
1  1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 of a  small garlic clove, grated
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and let it simmer on medium heat until it reduces to the consistency of maple syrup.  Assemble the burgers by placing the brushetta topping on top of each burger and then drizzling with the balsamic glaze.  I served this with a garlicky pea puree.

White Bean and Chicken Pasta Fagiole

Spring is just around the corner, but winter seems to be lingering still.  I thought I'd bid the cold weather farewell with a hearty comforting soup.  This is reminiscent of a Pasta e Fagiole soup, but I created a white version using white beans, chicken sausage and herbs.  It was topped with a little shredded Parmesan cheese and a garlicky- parsley aioli. Serve with a crusty baguette and a crisp green salad and you've got a great and satisfying meal.

Ingredients for the Chicken Sausage:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 1.5 lbs. ground chicken)
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp. ground sage
1 tsp. ground marjoram
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh ground pepper.

If you're using the chicken breasts, grind them up in a food processor until you have a ground consistency.  Dump the ground chicken into a bowl and crack in the eggs and blend.  Grate the garlic and add it to the bowl.  If you're using the boneless, skinless chicken breasts add in one tbsp. of olive oil to avoid having dry sausage. Next add in the herbs, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.  Blend everything well and begin browning the sausage in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil.

Ingredients for the soup:
1 package dry white beans  ( I used navy beans but Cannelini or great northern would work well too. I'd use any except Garbanzo beans.)
8 cups water or chicken stock (if using stock make sure to adjust salt to account for the salt already in the stock)
1.5 lbs  chicken sausage (recipe listed above)
1 large onion
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 (1lb.) box of short pasta like tubetti, elbow or shells.  ( I used shells)
1 lemon (juice)
1 Parmesan rind- optional (I save the rinds of cheese blocks for soups like this, but you can omit this and it won't make that big a difference, it just adds a little depth)
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, plus one tbsp. for garnish
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

First add your dry beans to a pressure cooker with the water or stock.  If you don't have a pressure cooker or are running low on time, go ahead and use the canned variety.  Just add in 2 cans of  the beans with their liquid into a stock pot,  plus another 3 cups of water or stock.   While the beans cook, begin dicing your onion and grating 4 of the garlic cloves.  Add the olive oil to a non-stick pan and turn the heat up to medium high.  Add in the onions and garlic and cook until they become tender, about 5 minutes.  Next add in the sausage and blend with the onions and garlic.  Once the beans are cooked, add in the sausage, Parmesan rind, garlic and onions to the stock pot.  If the liquid had reduced too much, add more to have more of a soupy consistency, bearing in mind that the liquid will thicken at the end of cooking a bit. Taste for salt and pepper and season to your liking.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, and add in the pasta shells.  Allow the pasta to cook until it's al dente. Grate the last two garlic cloves and give the soup a good stir.  Lastly add in the parsley and top with the garlic and parsley aioli.

For the Aioli:
4 tbsp. light mayo
2 tbsp. water
1 garlic clove grated
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Add the mayo and water into a bowl and whisk well.  Next grate in the garlic clove and add the lemon juice.  Add in the parsley and whisk everything well, making sure to remove any lumps.

Zucchini Carpaccio

You know what I love about this dish? The texture of the super ultra thin zucchini and onions and the tang of the lemon juice.  I love how simple this dish is too. Not too much going on and the vegetable is the star of the show here.  The next time you want to make an elegant appetizer that is also healthy, this is an excellent option.

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
1/4  of a small onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. capers
juice of about half a lemon
lots of fresh cracked pepper and a little sea salt

Wash the zucchini well and dry it.  Using a mandolin, begin thinly slicing the zucchini.  Assemble the zucchini on a platter gently laying one slice over the other, overlapping the zucchini in a pretty pattern.  Slice the onion into really really thin slices and sprinkle over the zucchini.  Next sprinkle the capers over the platter.  Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, squeeze a little lemon juice over the top and season everything with some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. Voila... there you have a beautifully appetizing dish that took about 10 minutes to make.

Also, I noticed when I was looking at the shots, that in the picture below, it looks like there is a sad zucchini face.

Spaghetti a la' Carbonara... Using, Wait For it.... Fresh Pasta!

As you may have seen in my previous post, I tried making fresh pasta the other day.  I wanted to make something classic that I hadn't already made so I decided on spaghetti Carbonara.  If you don't have fresh pasta, you can certainly use the boxed kind.

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 package turkey bacon
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 whole onion
5 egg yolks
6 tbsp. cream
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping at the end
2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground would be best
3 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water used to cook the spaghetti
salt to taste

First thing to do is add water to your pasta pot and bring it to a boil, making sure to season the water with some salt.   While the water boils, dice the onion, mince the garlic and cube the bacon and transfer everything to a skillet with one tbsp. of olive oil.  Stir around and cook until the bacon is really crispy, reserving a bit to garnish with at the end. Turn the heat off, but don't remove from the stove because we will be putting the pasta together in this pot later.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cream, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, and a little salt and whisk well.  Set this mixture aside.   If you're using fresh pasta, it will only take about 3 minutes to cook, and this dish has to be assembled really quickly, so make sure everything is done before cooking the pasta.  If you use the boxed kind, it will take about 8 minutes or so which leaves a little more prep time.  Chop the parsley and set aside for now.   Remember the pan with your bacon and onion and garlic? Now we're going to turn the heat of that pan to medium.  Drain the pasta, reserving about half a cup of the starchy pasta water to thin out the Carbonara sauce later.

OK, now we have to work fast. Turn off the heat of the bacon pan, we just turned it back on for a minute to get the pan hot again.  Transfer the pasta into this pan with another tbsp. of olive oil and coat everything around.  Making sure the bacon, onion and garlic are evenly distributed throughout the dish. Next take the egg mixture and add it into the pan with the pasta, whisking really well, but gently enough that you don't break the pasta.  It's important to have the heat turned off at this point because you don't want the egg to scramble.  I found that mixing it with the cream helps to alleviate this problem.  Next add in the pasta water and continue to combine all of the ingredients gently.  I was a little freaked out about eating raw egg so adding in the boiling water of the pasta, along with the heat of the spaghetti noodles, and the heat of the pan, you should be fine.  Me personally, though, that's not enough.  I know Carbonara purists will not agree on this point, but once everything was combined, I turned the heat back up to low and tossed everything around in the pan for about two minutes to make sure this dish was salmonella free.  It was probably fine before, but I didn't want to take the chance.   Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl, top with a little some of the bacon you reserved, a little parsley, some freshly ground black pepper and a little Parmesan, and there you have it folks- Spaghetti a la' Carbonara.

Here are a few action shots of how this dish came together...

Fresh Pasta

As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather has bee absolutely horrific. To the point that my job was closed as of  Tuesday of last week.   By Thursday morning I was feeling a little stir crazy since I hadn't stepped foot outside since Monday evening. I decided to brave the weather and drive to the shopping center that has a Marshall's, Ross and Target right by my house.  Half way through my little excursion I realized that maybe this hadn't been such a good idea since there was ice all over the place.  But when I got to Ross, I changed my mind.  It was one of those days where you find a million things you want or need. And with these kinds of stores it's hit or miss.  Sometimes they have tons of stuff and other times they have nothing.  To my surprise they had a pasta machine on clearance for 19 bucks.  How could I pass up the opportunity to try my hand at fresh pasta?  Here is the recipe and pictures of my first attempt, which I must say was a huge success.  I'll post the Spaghetti Carbonara recipe I made using the fresh pasta next time.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semolina flour
1 tsp. salt
6 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil

Combine the semolina flour, the regular flour and the salt in a bowl.  Using a whisk or fork, blend everything really well.  I totally cheated and used my bread machine to do the kneading for me.  If you have a bread machine just add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl and create a well with your finger or spatula to drop the eggs and oil into.  Use the "dough" setting and allow the machine to do all of the work while you sip on a glass of wine or something.  You could also use a food processor or a stand mixer with the dough attachment too.  If you don't have any of these what you'd do is  mix the flour and dump it onto a work surface. Then you'd create a well in the center and add in the eggs.  Combine all of the ingredients well and knead until the dough comes together nicely.

It doesn't matter how to get there, but whatever method you choose, you'll want to follow with these next steps.  Create a ball of dough, wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling it out.

Set up your pasta machine.  Flour a work surface close to the machine so you'll have a place to lay the pasta and dust it with flour to prevent sticking.  Now to begin rolling it.  First, press down on the ball of dough to create a disk.  Don't worry about getting it too flat.  Using a serrated knife, cut a slice of dough and roll it out using a rolling pin.  Adjust the dial of the pasta machine to your desired thickness and place the slab of dough over the top of the rollers.  Turn the crank on the machine to create smooth, thin sheets of pasta.  Run the sheet of pasta through one of cutting attachments.  I used the spaghetti cutter since I was making Carbonara.  If you were making lasagna you'd just use the flat sheet you had before cutting.  You'd also use this to make shapes like ravioli or tortellini.  Dust with a little flour to prevent sticking.  When cooking, it's important to keep in mind that you'll only need to boil the pasta for 2-3 minutes.

Here are a few action shots:

Easy Parmesan Veggie Dip

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups roughly chopped spinach
1 cup shredded carrots (I used a julienne tool, but a box grate would work too)
1 cup broccoli florets cut into small pieces
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tbsp. dry white wine like sherry
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup half &half

The first thing to do is to wash your veggies and cut them up as directed in the ingredient list and set aside.  Begin to melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the flour once it's melted to make a roux.  Next add the chicken stock and half and half, and wine and blend well, making sure to dissolve the flour into the liquid.  Grate the garlic and add it into the sauce along with the nutmeg and salt, making sure to combine well.  Add in the cheeses and allow them to melt.  Using a spatula, stir this mixture to make sure the cheese is well incorporated before tossing in the veggies.  Coat all the veggies with the sauce and allow them to cook until they're tender but still retain a bit of their bite.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve with crusty garlic bread or crudites.

Roasted Tomato Tart

This tart is really quite simply to make and will wow your guests.  The only stipulation is that you have to use good juicy and ripe tomatoes... mealy tasteless tomatoes won't work at all.

Ingredients for the crust:
2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
8 tbs butter, chopped into small squares
1/3  cup ice water (plus more if needed)
1/2 cup  grated Parmesan cheese

Process the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Cut the butter into squares and add to the food processor along with the Parmesan cheese and pulse until you have coarse crumbles. Add 4 Tbs of ice water and pulse the mixture until the dough begins to come together, adding more water as needed. It's okay if you have visible pieces of butter throughout the dough, this will yield a flaky crust.

Press the dough into the bottom of a tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough up the sides about two-thirds of the way up.  Even out the dough well,  smoothing over any uneven pieces.  Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 45 minutes or until it is firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and place the tart pan over a cookie sheet.  Cover the crust with foil and place pie weights or dry beans on top of the foil to keep the crust from rising.  Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven.

For the filling:
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, grated
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. fresh chopped oregano
1 tsbp. fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

Add the ricotta cheese to  the food processor and blend on high speed until you have a much smoother consistency- about 2 minutes.  Next grate the garlic clove  and add to the food processor along with the lemon juice.  Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the herbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and lemon zest. Once the mixture is blended well, spread this mixture evenly over the tart crust.

For the toppings:
3 large ripe tomatoes
1 onion
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and arrange on top of the ricotta mixture.  Slice the onion and arrange on top and in between the tomato slices.  Sprinkle the top of the tart with mozzarella cheese and the dried oregano.   Transfer to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes.  Gently remove the bottom of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter.

Chicken Parmesan: You'll Never Know it Wasn't Fried

 I'd like to start by saying that I love Chicken Parmesan.  But I hate frying food.  I also hate feeling guilty after I eat a meal.  I modified the traditional recipe by baking the chicken instead of frying. Also, instead of covering the chicken with a ton of cheese, I simply put a small slice of buffalo mozzarella over each piece.  Lastly, I made the sauce too instead of buying the bottled variety. Granted, I am not terribly opposed to bottled sauces(if they're of a good quality), but they're really overpriced sometimes, and making your own is simple- not to mention, delicious and YOU control what's going into them.

 For the chicken:
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 -2 tsp. salt
mister with neutral flavored oil (like canola) or butter flavor cooking spray
4  1/4" slices fresh buffalo mozzarella
1 tbsp fresh chopped basil for garnish


For the sauce:
1 onion (very finely diced)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh basil (chopped)
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried nutmeg (I know it sounds weird but it works- trust me)
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 cup whole cherry tomatoes

The first thing to do is pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  For this particular recipe, I decided not to butterfly the chicken breasts because I thought they'd be too thin.  Instead, I placed the chicken breast on a cutting board (I use one of those thin overlays just for meat) and placed a piece of plastic wrap over the top. Gently pound out the breast until you have a pretty even piece.  Repeat until you've done this to the four pieces.  Season each piece of chicken with salt.  Now we're ready to create the breading station.  In three separate pans, add the flour, bread crumbs, and beaten egg.  Before diving into the breading process, have your baking sheet ready to go.  For this particular dish, I lined my cookie sheet with a silicone mat- if you don't have a silicone mat, then use parchment paper.  This step is important because, although most cookie sheets are non-stick, the breading tends to stick anyways.  Using parchment or a silicone mat will prevent this from happening this is also true since we're not using a ton of oil or butter for the baking.  Begin breading the chicken by dredging the chicken into the flour, then the egg, then the panko bread crumbs.  I used to think the flour part was unnecessary until I tried it.  This step really helps the crumbs adhere to the chicken, creating a nice even crust.  Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet.  Now spray each chicken on both sides with the cooking spray or the oil mister.  Make sure you have a fair amount before putting the chicken in the oven.  Bake for about 8 minutes on each side.  Flipping the breasts, once to make sure all the sides are crunchy.

While the chicken cooks, let’s begin making the sauce.  Begin dicing your onion and garlic into the smallest pieces possible.  Add the olive oil to a pan and turn up the heat to medium high.  Add the onions and garlic and let them cook for about 5 minutes.  Next open the cans of crush tomatoes, and the tomato sauce and transfer to the pan. Add the ketchup next, stirring the sauce to blend everything well.  Now let’s start adding the seasonings: nutmeg, salt, oregano, and chopped up basil. Add the cherry tomatoes. Stir again and let the sauce simmer on low heat until the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken from the oven and ladle the sauce over each piece.  Top with the slice of buffalo mozzarella and bake for another five minutes.

Garnish with some freshly chopped basil.  I served this with grilled zucchini that was simply seasoned with sea salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper- grilled in a little olive oil.

P.S. - Just look at how beautiful those little cherry tomatoes look in the sauce... aren't they cute?

Caprese Salad

This salad is delicious and so straightforward.  Just a few basic ingredients and you have the most stunning dish!

Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes
8 slices fresh buffalo mozzarella
8 large basil leaves (fresh)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

First you slice your tomatoes in slices about 1/4 inch.  One tomato should yield 4 nice slices.  Arrange 8 slices of tomatoes on the bottom of your platter and season with salt and pepper.  Next slice the mozzarella into 1/4" thick slices and place one slice over the bottom layer of tomatoes.  Place one nice big piece of fresh basil over each piece of cheese.  Top the cheese and basil with the other slice of tomato.  Drizzle a little olive oil and the balsamic vinegar over the salad.  Lastly, season with fresh cracked pepper and salt.

Side note: You want to make sure that the tomatoes you pick for this salad are really ripe- they should be a deep red and really juicy.  The dish just won't be the same with mealy tasteless tomatoes.  Even if it means paying a little more for a better looking variety- go for it.  Besides, buffalo mozzarella isn't cheap so you need a flavorful juicy tomato to stand up it.

Lentil-Ricotta Meatballs

I know what you're thinking... lentil meatballs??!   I know it was my same reaction too, but I stumbled across this recipe from "In Jennie's Kitchen" and thought I had to try it.  For one, lentils are packed with Fiber and Iron, and really really cheap. The meatballs looked exactly like a real meatball would.  They tasted really good too. I adapted the recipe a tiny little bit, but really followed the original closely.  I think you could basically just make the meatballs the same way you would a regular meat one. So if you have a meatball recipe you like just try subbing the meat for the lentils.   They don't quite taste like meat, but they are still tasty and a different take on the classic version.   Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package lentils (roughly two cups cooked, pureed)
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. fresh basil
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
3 large garlic cloves, grated
3/4 cup bread crumbs
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook the lentils in water until they're tender- the water should be about 1/2" above the lentils.  Run through the food processor until you have a thick paste.  Transfer the lentils to a bowl and add the ricotta cheese.  Combine well.  Finely chop the herbs and add to the lentils. Crack in the eggs, blend them in.  Next add the bread crumbs, salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Begin forming the meat balls.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and drizzle a little olive oil on it- enough to coat the bottom. Place the meatballs onto the cookie sheet and bake until they're nice and browned on all sides.  You'll have to turn them occasionally to get them evenly browned.   Serve with marinara and pasta, or as a sub, or with a spinach salad which is how we ate them.

Low- Carb Lasagna

Pasta is totally an example of those things you miss when you're watching your carbs.  This is a clever way to eat more veggies and still enjoy the comfort food you crave.  If you're not watching your carbs, just follow the same recipe and substitute the the zucchini noodles for lasagna. When I make the traditional lasagna, I soak the noodles in hot water until it's time to assemble so they're pliable. No need to cook them through because they'll cook in the oven.  Just be sure to be generous with the sauce if you do it this way.

Ingredients:
ground chicken (2.5 lbs)
4 garlic cloves
1 large onion
2 tbsp. fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup unflavored whey protein powder
3 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
2 large zucchinis
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 tsp. nutmeg, grated
salt and pepper to taste

The first thing to do, is pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Next remove the ground chicken from the package and put in a mixing bowl.  Grate 3 large garlic cloves into the bowl.  Now take your onion and remove the skin.  Cut it in half and grate the half into the bowl.  Reserve the other half for the tomato sauce.  Crack one egg into the bowl and combine.  Add the Parmesan cheese and whey powder to the bowl (this will sub as the bread crumbs in the traditional recipe).  Add a little salt, but go easy because the cheese is salty.  Next throw in a pinch of the oregano and one tbsp. of the fresh parsley.  If you like you can also add a little basil.  I left it out this time though.   Combine all of the ingredients well and add a little olive oil to a skillet.  Once it gets hot, add the ground chicken and begin cooking through.

While the chicken is browning, you can begin slicing the zucchini.  I used a mandolin to get even slices.  The trick is to slice them lengthwise so that they resemble lasagna noodles.  Set aside until you're ready to assemble the lasagna.

I am not a big fan of ricotta in lasagna because I find that it can be kind of gritty instead of creamy and smooth.  I found a way to help remedy this issue.  I put the ricotta into a food processor and let it run on high for about 1 minute.  Next I crack the eggs in and turn on the processor again.  I transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl.  Add the nutmeg and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and incorporate well.

The last step before we begin the assembly of the lasagna is to make the sauce.  If you're not up to making the sauce from scratch, you can use a bottled one.  I LOVE Emeril's "Roasted Gaaahlic" sauce. Any who to make the sauce, just dice up the onion and grate the garlic.  Sauté in olive oil and add the tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Add the chicken stock and combine well.  Add the spices and allow for the sauce to simmer until the consistency is to your liking.

Now to assemble the lasagna.  Add a ladle full of sauce to the bottom of the lasagna pan and spread evenly.  Lay down the first layer of zucchini noodles.  Next top with the ground chicken.  After that add the ricotta mixture and spread. I find a spatula or butter knife works well for this.  Take another ladle full of sauce and spoon over the top. Lastly add some mozzarella cheese.  Repeat this process till you get to the top of the pan.  Top with mozzarella and bake until the cheese is bubbly- about 30 minutes.

Three Burglars and a Pizza

I have not posted anything in such a long time. My mom arrived last Wednesday from Miami. Although I am thrilled she's here, it has not been a good week. The day after she arrived, three burglars came into the house and had a gun. My mom was home alone and heard a really loud noise from the back of the house. She went to investigate and was met with a pointed gun and three delinquents. Thankfully my mom started screaming like a mad woman and they left before doing any damage- other than leaving her seriously shaken, and breaking the lock and patio door frame. Several trips to home depot, about 6 hours of paid labor to fix the door, and a bill of about $650.00 everything is back to normal. About 3 days after that, I came down with the most awful flu I can remember having in a LONG time. I started feeling sick on Monday night and today is Friday and I am still feeling sick. My week has been filled with rising and falling temperatures, horrible headaches and the most painful sore throat I ever had. I went to the Doc. and she told me it wasn't strep so I guess that was the silver lining. Why am I posting all of this you ask? Well, the truth is that I had been on a food blogging kick. I was posting a lot more frequently and really enjoying it. I kind of feel bad that I've fallen of the blogging wagon (and shhhhh- the workout wagon went to hell too). Here is my feeble attempt at a come-back. I hope you guys enjoy this! Who could turn down a piece of home-made pizza?

Pizza Dough Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp baking powder
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp. cornmeal

Add the ingredients to your bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Mine said to add all of the wet ingredients first then add the dry ingredients(with the exception of the cornmeal- that's for later). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. I turned the bread machine on to the the dough setting and let it do its thing. The pizzas I made had a really thin crust. To achieve this, roll out the dough till it is about 1/8" thick- make sure to flour your surface and your rolling pin so that the dough does not stick. Next take your pizza pan and add a little canola oil to the bottom. With a pastry brush, make sure to get all of the bottom of the pan coated. Take the cornmeal and sprinkle evenly over the pan. After that, take your pizza crust and drape over your pan. When you roll it out, you want to try and roll it into a similar shape of the pan you're using, leaving about a 1/4" overlap so you can create a crust. Once you position the dough in the pan, fold the edges over and lightly pinch to secure. Take your silicone brush and spread an even layer of olive oil over the top. At this point you're ready to bake it in the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven to begin adding your toppings.

Toppings For pizza #1
2 hand fulls mozzarella cheese
1 handful shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese
1 small white onion
6 cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil


Topping For Pizza #2
2 hand fulls mozzarella cheese
1 handful shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese
1 small red onion
1 ripe tomato, diced
6 black olives, sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil

While your dough is pre-baking, you can begin to cut up your toppings. This pizza was not your traditional one since I did not include a sauce. I added a little olive oil after removing the pan from the oven. I made two varieties, one with just cheese, garlic and onions. The other had red onion, garlic, tomatoes and olives. After you assemble each pizza, drizzle with some olive oil and bake until the crust is somewhat crispy and the cheese is bubbling.

Stuffed Sundried Tomato, Feta, & Mushroom Chicken with WhippedPotatoes & Steamed Asparagus

This dish is one that you can make when you have a small group of guests coming over or for a nice hearty meal to share with your loved ones. Sun-dried tomatoes make everything taste great, add a little garlic and white wine and you'll start to have the beginnings of a great meal. This dish is one you'll want to make time and time again and so will your family and friends. I started thinking about what I could do with chicken breasts. I knew I felt like eating mashed potatoes, so I started with that and then developed this recipe with ingredients I had in the fridge. So here's how you make it.


Ingredients for the chicken:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar sun dried tomatoes
2 containers button or cremini mushrooms
1 container reduced fat feta cheese ( I think it's 8 oz.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. milk
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup flour
4 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and pat the chicken breast dry. Butterfly the breasts and place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken. With a meat mallet, pound the breasts until they're about 1/8 of an inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all of the chicken breasts are done. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a pan add 2 tbsp. of butter, slice the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat. Throw in the boxes of mushrooms and saute. Roughly chop the sun dried tomatoes and add to the pan. After cooking for about 8 minutes, add the white wine. Allow this mix to cook for 15 minutes. on medium heat. Add the milk and blend well. Remove from heat and add this mixture to a mixing bowl. Crumble the feta and add to the mix. Add the Parmesan and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs too. Blend well. Now take your chicken and form pockets by fastening each side with toothpicks. Spoon a generous amount of the filling. In a shallow dish combine the flour, remaining bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and blend well. Lightly dredge the chicken in this mix and place in a baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is done. Take the remaining butter and melt. Pour over the chicken and put in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Ingredients for the Whipped Potatoes:
8 large potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup half& half
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste


For the whipped potatoes, boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender. Once cooked, drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Warm the stock and half&half and reserve. Add the potatoes to a food processor and begin adding the stock, butter and chicken stock. Adding more liquid as needed. In a small saucier finely mince garlic and add to the pot with butter and allow to cook until the garlic becomes softened. Add to the the mashed potatoes and mix well. You might have to blend this in batches so it will fit in the food processor and then mix both batches before serving.

I made a little tomato-garlic sauce to go on top of the chicken as well. The ingredients for the sauce was a can of tomato paste, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup white wine and a splash of milk. I let it cook down a bit and stirred it well.

Steam some fresh asparagus for a few minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. If you like you can also drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, but that's totally optional.

Veggie Lasagna

This meal is a great way to eats loads of veggies, and enjoy them. I tried to really lower the fat and calorie count by limiting the butter and using reduced fat items. I also used whole wheat lasagna noodles for a little added fiber. You would never know you were eating a reduced fat lasagna unless I told you. So here's how you make it.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 carrots

2 heads of broccoli

10 cups fresh spinach (or about 4 cups cooked spinach)

1 small onion

4 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup flour

cooking spray

2 tbsp. butter

1 cup reduced fat grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

6 cups 1% or 2% milk

3 tbsp. cream

1/2 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

The first thing to do is bring water to a rolling boil in a deep pot. Liberally salt the water and add the pasta. Next, finely dice the onions and add to a non-stick pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the onions, allowing them to cook on medium heat. Next julienne the carrots so you have little matchstick pieces. I have this really nifty tool that looks like a peeler, but juliennes instead. While this is going on, take a pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes. You don't want to cook it longer than that because the veggies will continue to cook after the lasagna is assembled, and no one likes mushy veggies. Take the broccoli out of the pot and cut in small pieces. in the pan with the onions, add the spinach and allow it to cook well. After it has shrunk down and released most of it's liquid, drain and add the other veggies.

Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You might need to add a little more cooking spray to the veggies so they don't stick. Next take your zester and grate about 2 or 3 cloves of garlic into this mix. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes and then set aside. In a saucepan add the butter and flour and create a roux. Add the milk and cream and whisk well. Once the sauce is incorporated well, grate the garlic clove and nutmeg and blend. To this, add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and allow the sauce to thicken. Turn off the heat. Periodically, check on the noodles and drain once they're al dente. Maybe a little firmer than al dente since they'll continue to cook in the oven. Now you're ready to assemble.
Place a ladle of the sauce to the bottom of your pan, and begin to line with the lasagna noodles. Next take a liberal amount of veggies and spread evenly over this mix. Add a light layer of mozzarella and a little more sauce. Next add another layer of noodles and continue assembling. You should end with a layer of noodles on top to which you'll add a little sauce. The thing I love about this lasagna is that the veggies still have a little bite to them. Cooking veggies too much removes a lot of the valuable antioxidants and minerals from them. If you like you can eve skip the blanching process all together. I just blanch the broccoli because its quite fibrous, but it certainly wouldn't be the end of the world if you just threw the pieces in raw and allowed them to cook in the oven. In a zip lock bag, add the Ritz crackers and crush with a rolling pin. Add them to a pan and spray with a little pam. Add these crumbs to the top of your lasagna and bake for about 30 minutes.

Tiramisu

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  If it is on the menu I am always tempted to order it.  I love the flavors and textures in this amazing treat.

For the Sabayon and Cream mixture:
10 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Marsala wine or brandy
2 cups whipping cream
6 tbsp. sugar (for the whipping cream)
2 8 oz. containers of Mascarpone
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin ( I used kosher gelatin)

Using a double boiler, bring the water to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the eggs and sugar to a pot and with a hand mixer (or by whipping by hand) begin to beat the eggs and cream together. After beating for about one minute, add the Marsala. Keep on beating this mixture. You'll do this for what feels like an eternity- but its actually only like 8 minutes. This part is really important because you want to make sure the eggs are cooked and no one gets sick from salmonella poisoning. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula frequently. After about 8 minutes, put this mix in a container and refrigerate until completely cooled.

In a separate bowl, begin to whip the cream until it forms nice peaks. Remember to add the sugar while whipping. next take your sabayon from the fridge and begin to genlty mix with the whipping cream. To this add the mascarpone and begin to fold into the mix. Lastly, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and add to this cream mixture.

More ingredients you'll need:
2 packages lady fingers
1 1/2 cups espresso
1/2 cup coffee liquer
1/4 cup Disaronno
2 tbsp. sugar

To assemble take a 9x13 pan and begin laying the lady fingers on the bottom of the pan. The method of assembling a tiramisu is a lot like how you would make a lasagna. Once the lady fingers are in place, mix the coffee, liqueurs, and sugar. Take a tablespoon and begin to soak the lady fingers. I would say that two spoonfuls of this mixture per lady finger is good. Once all the lady fingers in this layer are soaked, spoon the cream mixture over them. Next lay another layer of the lady fingers and repeat the soaking process. You can make as many layers as you like. I only did four layers. Two layers of lady fingers and two of cream. You should always end with a cream layer on top. Refrigerate for at least four hours or over night. Right before serving, dust with instant coffee and good quality cocoa powder.

Salmon Piccata, Herbed-Linguine, Salad & Garlic Bread

This salmon Piccata was done exactly as I did when I made the Turkey Piccata dish- except I didn't pound the salmon fillets as that would destroy the flakiness not to mention shape of the fish. Either way, here's the recipe for the Salmon:

8 pieces salmon- filleted, skin removed
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp.  light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion
3 tbsp. capers
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Season the fish with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the salmon and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the salmon. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.

For the linguine:
1 box linguine
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 large shallot
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, slice the shallots and garlic and saute in a large pan with butter and olive oil once the shallots and garlic are tender, add the white wine and allow it to cook down a little bit before tossing the pasta in. To this add the parsley, salt, pepper and cheese and combine well.

For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 a small purple cabbage
2 carrots
1 bottle hearts of palm

Chop the romaine lettuce and cabbage well. Julienne the carrots and slice the hearts of palm. Assemble the salad by adding the lettuce, then pile the cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and heart of palm. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.

Pasta e Fagiole and Pesto-Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

If you want to make a hearty soup that's loaded with protein and flavor, pasta e fagiole is the soup for you. Eat this with Tyler Florence's Italian inspired grilled cheese and you will never look at the soup and sandwich combo the same again.


Pasta e Fagiole:
1 quart chicken stock
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 onions
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup bread crumbs
6 garlic cloves
1 can butter beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can canelli beans
1 sprig rosemary
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 pinch dry oregano
1 Parmesan rind- optional (if you save these this would be a good time to use it)
2 cups egg noodles or any short pasta you like like elbow
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First take your ground beef or ground turkey and mix with the shredded Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, rosemary, eggs, salt and pepper and fold all ingredients together well. Saute the ground beef until fully cooked through and set aside in a bowl.

In the same pan (to make sure you get all the yummy goodness that's left behind in the pan) add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery and allow to cook until cooked through but not mushy. Next transfer this and the ground turkey to a soup pot. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and incorporate well. let it simmer and add the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, dried oregano and egg noodles. Add the egg noodles and then add the beans. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes on med. heat. Once the soup has reached the thickness and consistency you want, turn off the heat and serve. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Grilled Cheese

I saw this recipe on Tyler Florence's show and it is a really delicious version of a grilled cheese.  It is easy and perfect for eating with soup on a rainy or cold day.


Ingredients:
2 slices of artisan bread
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp pesto
3 or 4 slices of thick sliced fresh water- packed buffalo mozzarella
1/4 small onion sliced very thinly and caramelized
salt and pepper to taste

Take 1 tsp of butter and saute the onions until caramelized make sure to season with salt and pepper. Then just assemble the sandwich by spreading the pesto on both sides of the inside of the sandwich, adding the onions and cheese. Then grill on med low heat until the outside is nice and toasty and the cheese is oozing.

Turkey Scallopini Piccata, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed GreenBeans

We are on Vacation and our apartment has a full kitchen so we decided to save some money and eat in every once in a while. Today was one of those days and I wanted to make something satisfying and hearty. I personally think turkey is one of the most underrated meats anyway so I decided to change up the classic chicken piccata and use turkey cutlets instead. So here's how you make it:

Ingredients (for the turkey piccata)

1 pkg. sliced turkey breast

1 cup flour

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp.  light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion)

2 tbsp. capers

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine ( I used prosecco because it's all I had on hand- the fizz dies when cooked)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes:

6 large potatoes peeled and cubed

1/3 cup chicken stock

3 cloves garlic

3 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup half& half

salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Green Beans:

1 bag frozen french cut green beans

1/2 a small onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To make the turkey, rinse each breast and pat it dry. Next take two pieces of plastic wrap and place the turkey between the sheets. Pound until the breast is 1/8th of an inch thick. Next season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the turkey and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the turkey breasts. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.

For the mashed potatoes, boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender. Once cooked, drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Warm the stock and half&half and add to the bowl along with the butter and salt. With an electric mixer, whip until nice and fluffy, adding more liquid as needed. In a small saucier finely mince garlic and add to the pot with butter and allow to cook until the garlic becomes softened. add to the the mashed potatoes and mix well.

For the green beans blanch them for 2 minutes and drain well. Dice the onions and mince the garlic and saute in a pan until they become soft and slightly browned. Add the green beans and saute, adding salt and pepper as need.

Spaghetti Bolognese

You ever have one of those days when you can't decide what to make? I defrosted some ground turkey and didn't want to make the usual meatloaf. Then I remembered the dish someone had ordered at this Italian restaurant my husband  and I went to on Friday night. Spaghetti Bolognese is what it looked like to me, but at the time I had my sights set on something else on the menu. But today is a different day, and Spaghetti Bolongese is the perfect end to a perfect, albeit short, weekend. So here's how you make it. (I took the recipe from Emeril live and modified it a bit).

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 cups finely chopped onions

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped carrots

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ground turkey

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)

2 teaspoons salt

2 bay leaves

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 cup extra dry vermouth

1/2 cup evaporated milk

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir the celery, carrots and garlic into the pot and cook until the vegetables are wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey to the vegetables, stirring to mix and break up the meat, and cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Season the meat with the herbs (fresh and dried), and salt, to taste.


Add all remaining ingredients except the milk and cheese, lower the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time. Immediately prior to serving, add the milk and cheese to the sauce and stir well to incorporate. Serve with capellini, top with grated parmigiano and garnish with fresh basil.



P.S. You'll notice on the labels to this post I added "beef" as a category because technically this dish is really made with beef and is totally interchangeable with turkey.