Spinach Lasagna. ~ Vegan

Spinach Lasagna

This spinach lasagna is gloriously cheesy, perfectly saucy, and fully loaded with fresh sautéed spinach. It’s worthy of special occasions and holidays, and such a treat on a chilly weekend.  If you’re craving a meatless main dish with familiar flavors, this spinach lasagna is the answer. The sauce is made from scratch and sets this lasagna apart from your average recipe.

Ingredients:
Tomato sauce (or substitute 2 cups jarred marinara sauce)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Spinach mixture
2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small-to-medium yellow onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon fine salt
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Remaining lasagna ingredients
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle of additional chopped fresh basil, for garnish 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the tomato sauce, pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and let them drain off excess juice for a minute. Transfer drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper flakes (if using). Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have about 2 cups of sauce).

Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine. Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach. Continue cooking for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach has dramatically reduced in volume and very little moisture remains in the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the contents are finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 12 to 15 times. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with remaining cottage cheese and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!

Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch square baker. Layer three lasagna noodles on top, overlapping their edges as necessary. Spread half of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

Top with three more noodles, followed by the remaining spinach mixture. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top. (We’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Top with three more noodles, then spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top so the noodles are evenly covered. Sprinkle evenly with all of the remaining cheese.

Wrap the lasagna with a layer of parchment paper over the top (or cover tightly with aluminum foil, but don’t let the foil touch the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180 degrees and continue cooking for about 12 to 17 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.

Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 minutes before sprinkling with chopped basil and slicing.

Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Seafood has become so expensive that beloved bacon-wrapped scallops have been eliminated from many people’s budgets. However, if you swap the bivalves for Brussels sprouts—a natural with bacon—you’ve got a tasty hors d’oeuvre destined to become a new holiday tradition. For an easy dip, you could serve them with bottled blue cheese dressing. Makes 24
Ingredients:
12 slices bacon (not thick-cut), halved lengthwise
24 Brussels sprouts, trimmed
24 toothpicks
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp (10 mL) coarsely chopped rosemary
2 tbsp (30 mL) honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) white or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

Working one at a time, wrap a piece of bacon around a Brussels sprout, secure with toothpick and place in a casserole dish just large enough to hold all wrapped sprouts snugly. Repeat with remaining bacon and Brussels sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and gently loosen with a spatula. Sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle in honey, vinegar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) water. Bake until sprouts are tender and bacon is crisp, about 20 minutes more.

Remove from oven. Using a pastry brush, brush sprouts with liquid in pan. Let sit for 10 minutes—they will be very hot—before serving. Remove toothpicks, if desired.

Pasta Cacio e Uova (Neapolitan Pasta With Eggs and Cheese)

Pasta Cacio e Uova 

Neopolitan Pasta With Eggs And Cheese

Why It Works:  Throwing an additional yolk in with the whole eggs increases the overall creaminess without exaggerating the egginess.

The hot pasta cooking water and the residual heat from the toasted pasta indirectly and gently cooks the eggs without scrambling them. Just a little garlic gives flavor depth to this quick and simple dish.With constant stirring and tossing, the eggs tighten up just enough to form a silky sauce. I like to finish the dish with a handful of chopped parsley for a little freshness to cut through the richness of the eggs and cheese. Next time you're out of guanciale or pancetta, but in the mood for carbonara, don't despair! Make cas' e ova instead.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs (110g), plus 1 large egg yolk (15g)
2 ounces (60g) finely grated Pecorino Romano
2 ounces (60g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or lard 
2 medium garlic cloves (10g), lightly crushed
Kosher salt
12 ounces (340g) dried small tubular pasta such as tubetti, mezze maniche, maccheroncini, or mezzi rigatoni (see note)
1 loosely packed cup (1/2 ounce; 15g) fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:
In a large heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together whole eggs and yolk, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring and turning cloves occasionally, until garlic begins to soften and turn pale golden, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Right before pasta finishes cooking, remove garlic cloves from skillet and discard. Using a spider skimmer, transfer pasta to skillet; be sure not to drain boiling pasta cooking water, and reduce heat to a simmer.

Stir and toss pasta rapidly in skillet to evenly coat with butter, then transfer to bowl with egg-cheese mixture, using a rubber spatula to scrape all of the butter into the bowl. Add 3/4 cup (180ml) of reserved pasta cooking water to bowl, and stir to thoroughly combine.

Set bowl over pot of simmering pasta cooking water (making sure bottom of bowl does not touch water) and cook, stirring and scraping down sides of bowl constantly with a rubber spatula, until sauce thickens to a creamy, silky consistency and leaves trails as you stir, about 1 minute, adding more pasta cooking water in 1 tablespoon (15ml) increments as needed to adjust consistency of the sauce.

Remove bowl from heat, add parsley (if using), and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Divide between warmed serving bowls, and serve.

Classic Egg Salad

Classic Egg Salad

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1/4 cup quality mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white wine

   vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup finely diced celery, from 1 stalk

3 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, from 2 to 3 

   scallions

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Place the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer, and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Carefully pour out the hot water; place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the pan is lukewarm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes. Gently crack the eggs all over and peel under running water. Dry the eggs, then chop into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the chopped eggs, celery, scallions, and parsley. Using a rubber spatula, fold to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve or refrigerate until ready to use. 

(If you refrigerate the egg salad, be sure to taste it again before serving and adjust the seasoning; I find the flavors mellow out a bit after some time in the fridge.)

Make Ahead: The eggs can be cooked, peeled, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3 days ahead. If you keep the eggs in their shell, they can last for up to a week. The egg salad will keep well in a covered container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Tip: When peeling an egg, start at the wider end -- there's usually a small air pocket in there.

Servings: Makes 2-1/2 cups, or enough for 4 sandwiches                   

Longhorn Steakhouse Prairie Dust ~ Steak Seasoning

Longhorn Steakhouse Prairie Dust

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions:

Blend all ingredients well. Season your favorite meat.