Classic Change-Up

In most cases messing with the classics seems ludicrous.  Some recipes are so perfect in their intended form that there is no reason to tinker with them in any way or make any adjustments.  The entire time I was making this recipe I was worried that I would end up wishing I had trusted my instincts and left lasagna alone -  let it do what it does best, ground beef and red sauce.  But I was so wrong, this spin on the traditional lasagna was so delicious.  It was satisfying and comforting.  It didn't leave us wishing we were eating the "original", it was in a class of its own.  It was very different, but in an extremely pleasing way.  This is a new favorite in our household.  Even Rex approved!  And any recipe that can get a two year old to eat spinach will definitely be making a reappearance on our meal rotation.

 

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna
Adapted from Cooking Light March 2013

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 8-ounces turkey breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning 
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 Tbs fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently.



Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Spread 1 cup milk mixture in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons water and spinach to pan;



cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.



Drain spinach, pressing until barely moist. Increase heat to medium-high. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.



Remove sausage from pan. Add shallots and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in remaining milk mixture, spinach, and cooked sausage. Remove pan from heat.



4. Combine Ricotta, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and Italian seasoning.

5. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture in baking dish; top with 1/2 cup ricotta mixture and one-third spinach mixture.



Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.



Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Remove foil.

6. Preheat broiler to high.

7. Broil 4 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Pantry Poultry

I am not sure how this recipe hasn't ended up on my blog yet.  I have been making this chicken dish for a while now.  It is the perfect recipe to have in your back pocket.  It's everything a go-to weeknight recipe should be: quick, easy, made solely with pantry staples, interesting and most importantly delicious.  This recipe is so full of flavor and I love to make these chicken thighs when we get bored of plain grilled chicken, but I don't have time for an overly involved recipe.  I love the spicy and sweet aspect of this recipe, it can't be beat.  And the best part is that you can have this on the table in less than 20 minutes, including prep time!

 

Spiced Honey Brushed Chicken Thighs
Adapted from Cooking Light September 2012

 

 Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs 
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

 

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.



Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat.



Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well.



Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture.



Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

 

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Foods I Fancy

I tend to get on food kicks.  My latest obsession is raw oysters.  Forrest and I went on a date to a local oyster bar for my birthday earlier in the year and it was fabulous.  The oysters were perfection and I loved dining right up at the bar and talking with the "Shuckers".  Well I can't stop eating raw oysters since then, I have probably been back 6 times with anyone I can convince to tag along.  Six revisits is a lot considering my birthday was only three weeks ago and I have a two year old which makes family visits near impossible.

These little food crushes aren't new.  I can remember a time in college where I became infatuated with eating seafood gumbo and I had it for every meal for several weeks.  When I like something, I REALLY like it when it comes to food.  My Mom describes it as extreme, and she tends to believe it applies to other parts of my personality as well - but that is irrelevant (maybe).

This recipe came at a time when I was enamored with the idea of a poached or fried egg on everything.  I just can't get enough of the rich runny yolk and the flavor element it adds to a dish.  This meal was awesome and I loved the addition of the andouille sausage to the grits, oh so Southern!

Pigs in Poke
Adapted from Cooking Light November 2012

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 ounce andouille sausage, diced and skin removed
• 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup uncooked stone-ground grits
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/3 cup of shredded Gouda cheese
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

 

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Stir in 3 cups milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Add grits; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes



or until tender, stirring frequently.



Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cheese.




2. Bring 8 cups water and vinegar to a simmer in a large saucepan.   Crack each egg into a small bowl. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to spin the water into a little cyclone-like formation. Gently slide eggs into water;



cook 3 minutes or until whites are just set and the egg floats to the surface.



Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

3. Divide grits evenly among 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 poached egg; sprinkle eggs evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and parsley.



 Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe.

Hot Liquid Food For Me

 We have been having some yucky weather in New Orleans, very yucky - I'm talking cold, grey, foggy and rainy - total soup weather.  I think I have made 3 soups in the last 5 days. I have never been a big tomato basil soup fan, but since I am on a soup roll I decided to give this one a try.  I like the creaminess that the cream cheese adds and I think next time I would blend for longer to ensure more of a smooth consistency, but overall this was a good starter recipe.

 

Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light March 2012

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 cups 1% low-fat milk 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.



 Add basil and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

 

2.  Stir in cheese



until melted.



Place mixture in blender or use an immersion blender (this is easier in my opinion), and blend until smooth.



Return to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Return to medium-high; cook 2 minutes.

Serve Immediatley.


Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Across the Pond, and Back

I was fortunate to travel to the UK when I was fourteen and it happened to be the one and only time I had ever eaten Beef Stroganoff.  I actually remember it being a pretty pitiful experience.  I think I recall adjectives like gross, inedible and yucky.  As bad food experiences tend to do, it turned me off of the dish for the last 15 or so years.  I never desired to give Beef Stroganoff another try until I saw this recipe in the latest edition of my favorite magazine.  I considered that I was a picky 14 year old, it was a hotel banquet type dinner and I was in another country (one that isn't typically known for its cuisine).  And not to say that the dish wasn't actually bad, but all of these factors certainly could have contributed to my opinion at the time.  I love beef and mushrooms and sour cream, so I had high hopes that my first impression of this dish would be wrong.  And it was!  I really liked this; it was flavorful, hearty and comforting. 

Beef Stroganoff
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2013

Ingredients

• 6 1/2 cups water, divided
• 6 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 (6-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup lower-sodium beef broth, divided
• 5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream 
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Preparation

1. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles; cook 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

2. Cut beef across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces.



3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.



Remove beef from pan leaving juices in the pan. Add 1 cup onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, paprika, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium.




4. Combine 1/4 cup beef broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture,



beef, remaining 3/4 cup broth, green onions and remaining 1/2 cup water to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.



Cover and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and butter.



Serve beef mixture over egg noodles; sprinkle with parsley.


Click Here for My Printable Adapted Recipe.

"Rock"ing around the Christmas Tree

I was recently given the opportunity to receive some complimentary treats for Holiday baking from an awesome company called Oh Nuts.  I picked something a little less conventional than chocolate chips or pecans.  I was surely going to use my choice for the holidays, but it wouldn't be for baking.  I saw the image below on Pinterest and knew that I would have to recreate it on my own.  Rock Candy is such a fun and rarely seen treat and I LOVE champagne.  This picture is from the original source, as my pictures weren't nearly as gorgeous so I decided to share my inspiration picture instead.  Even though I don't have photographic evidence, this was still so pretty and fun in person.  The rock candy makes the champagne fizzle when you first drop it in and then as it sits in the champagne it slightly sweetens the bubbly.  This is a must do for Christmas or for New Year's Eve!

** Image Credit: Hostess with the Mostess

And since I didn't include my own picture of the champagne/rock candy concoction, enjoy some pictures below of my Casual Christmas Table Setting.

This is how I set my table in our breakfast area for our upcoming Christmas get togethers that are less formal.

I love to decorate for Christmas and had so much fun with this laid back theme using Christmas plaid and natural elements like burlap, fake snow and berries.

 

I love being able to use my white everyday china and mix it up to match the specified holiday and decor.

I am obsessed with the recently ubiquitous antlers in decorating right now, so I instantly fell in love with these deer silhouette glasses.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wishlist 2012

My last post got quite a bit of positive feedback.  Several of you expressed your pleasure with the "round-up" format I did earlier in the week so I decided to do one more similar post while people are still in shopping mode.  My last list was made up of things I own, love and can attest to their benefits.  This group is my Christmas Wish List.  I channeled my 7 year old self and made a long list of things I want Santa to bring me with zero regard for price, availability or practicality.  And since Santa no longer leaves this Momma gifts under the tree, this is pretty much just a list of amazing gift ideas for YOUR foodie friends and family.  Enjoy!

1./2./3./4./5./6./7./8.

1.   I have recently been bitten by the Blue and White China/Pottery bug.  I want to collect bunches of beautiful pieces and group them on top of my kitchen cabinets.  This ginger jar is very pricey, but insanely beautiful.  If you keep your eye out, you can find similar pieces at antique shops and on Etsy that are much more inexpensive.

2.  Gift cards are boring, but the latest gift card offering from Cleaver & Co. is pure genius.  Here is the explanation from their website "Explore your way through the animal with the Cleaver & Co. whole animal card. With this card you can get a tour of every section of the animal, sampling a cut from each primal. Cards are available for beef and pork and function as a punch card as you explore your way through the animal, picking up your cuts when you want them and in the order you want."  Amazing, no?!?!  I really think this is the coolest thing ever.  A gift card that just keeps giving, and when the giving comes in the form of meat..... I am sold!

3.  I love the look of these antique dough bowls.  They are so pretty and organic and I would love to have one as an everyday center piece on my long rectangular breakfast table.  I would have a blast changing out what I put inside.  

4.  In the last post I expressed my love of fancy salts.  And fancy salts deserve an equally fancy receptacle.  I would love this olive wood salt keeper to place next to my stove for quick access during cooking.  And you can get this version monogrammed.  Be still my heart!  This Southern girl loves a good monogram.  Absolutely geourgeous!

5.  Although I love my cookbooks, probably 80% of the recipes I cook from these days are accessed on my iPad.  When I saw this accessory I was immediately in love.  Sturdy, eye-level and in the precise most convenient location. 

6.  So this isn't an item you can order online or purchase at a Brick & Mortar store.  This is one of those gifts that require time, dedication and love. I.E. someone has to make it (Forrest, wink wink!).  I really really want my own herb garden, but I want something simple and low maintenance.  How about unique and eye pleasing too?  I saw this tiny herb garden on Pinterest about six months ago and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.  So clever!

7.  One thing I would love to receive as a gift anytime of year is another set of my formal china.  I was lucky enough to amass ten place settings as wedding gifts, but I have a large family on both sides and would love to have enough place settings to use my china for nice adult gatherings.  Twelve place settings would be ideal for my needs.  I don't plan on letting these pretties sit in a cabinet.  I use them and want to continue to every chance I can.  I think a good source of gift ideas is someone's old wedding registry.  What part of their registry was never complete?  It is a sure fire way to ensure they will love their gift, since they asked for it after all ;-)

8.  I love this Le Crueset Utensil Crock.  In fact, I already own one.  But mine is red and it doesn't match my kitchen decor.  I want it in white so I can retire my useful but out of place fire engine red version. 

**Note: I have not been compensated by any of these brands for this post.  These are simply products that I think would make lovely Christmas gifts for your loved ones or for me ;-)