3 Course Meal for Two!

Sorry I haven't posted recently!  I am so excited to be back to blogging and can't wait to share these recipes.

My husband Ryan and I just celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary and decided to make dinner together at home instead of going out to an expensive restaurant.  I wanted to develop a menu that we could cook one course at a time and enjoy together.  It was awesome!  This meal was 100% Gluten Free as well!

First Course - Cream of Asparagus Soup (Gluten Free)
Suggested Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay

Ingredients:
1 lb. green asparagus,
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
1/3 c. heavy cream + 1 Tbsp for drizzling
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pre heat medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add 2 Tbsp. butter and melt, then add onion and sauté until soft, stirring frequently (about 5-7 minutes). While onion cooks, cut the tips from some of the asparagus spears
2.  While onion cooks, cut the tips from some of the asparagus spears and reserve for garnish.  Cut all the remaining asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. When onion is soft, add asparagus, sea salt and pepper and continue cooking and stirring for about 5 more minutes.  Add broth and bring to a simmer, covered, until asparagus is tender (10-15 minutes).

3. While soup timers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking.

4. Puree soup with a hand blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until very smooth.  Stir in heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.  Bring soup to a brief boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter.

5. Just before serving, add the lemon juice.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved asparagus tips and a few dribbles of cream.

Adapted from: Dinner is Served

Second Course - Cheese Ravioli with a Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay or Pinot Noir

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
1 Pkg. Cheese Ravioli, (I used gluten free ravioli)
Salt and Pepper
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions:
1.  Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat.  Melt butter and sauté until it starts to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add sage and stir for about 1-2 minutes. 

2. Add ravioli, salt and pepper and toss until sauce reaches a rich golden brown.

3. Serve ravioli, drizzled with butter and topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Third Course - Filet and Lobster Tail with a Red Wine and Balsamic Reduction
Suggested Wine Pairing: Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon

Ingredients:
2 4-5oz. Filets (remove from fridge 30-40 min before cooking to bring to room temperature)
Salt and Pepper
4 Tbsp. Dry Red Wine
4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Liberally salt and pepper filets and place in hot pan for 1 minute on each side (steak will release from the pan once it gets a good sear).  

2.  Remove from heat and carefully add red wine and balsamic vinegar.  Return to medium-low heat and cover, cooking 4 minutes per side basting regularly.

Adapted from: Allrecipes

3. Remove steaks to warm plate and cover in tin foil to rest for 5-10 minutes while you cook the lobster.

Lobster Ingredients:

2 small Lobster tails (you could use shrimp if you prefer)

2 Tbsp. Ghee, clarified butter or butter (careful not to heat to high and let the emulsion break if using regular butter)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tsp. dried basil

Directions:

1. Melt Ghee in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.  Add wine and basil, bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Add lobster and baste regularly until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve Filet with remaining wine and vinegar pan sauce poured over it and add the lobster tail on top.   I served our Filet over my favorite mashed potato recipe.  You can serve this dish over your favorite starch (ie. polenta, potato, risotto, etc...)

Thank you for checking out my blog!  Please share with your friends and family!

Roasted Asparagus & Almond Pesto Risotto

Hello All! I'm back and excited to continue to share some of my favorite recipes with you :).

You can make your asparagus pesto ahead of time or if you are a good multitasking in the kitchen, you can make it while you are making your risotto.   

Asparagus & Almond Pesto

1 bunch  Fresh Asparagus

2 Tbsp.  Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c.      Almonds, slivered or sliced

1/4 c.      Fresh Basil

1/4 c.      Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 425°F.  Toss asparagus with a little extra virgin olive oil and sea salt on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes until bright green and tender.  When finished, cut off asparagus tips and set aside.  Chop asparagus stalks and toss them into a food processor.

2.  Add remaining ingredients into food processor with the asparagus and pulse until mixture comes together in a coarse pesto.  Set aside.

This pesto is also great on pasta with the roasted tomatoes.

Roasted Tomatoes:

I use 1 pint of red cherry tomatoes and 1 pint of golden tomatoes.  You can use whatever you'd like.  

Drizzle tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt on a rimmed baking sheet, roast tomatoes at 425°F for 10-15 minutes until they collapse.  This can easily be done while you are working on your risotto. The tomatoes add a great freshness to the richness of the risotto!  I love how they balance everything out.

Basic Risotto:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1            Medium Onion, chopped

1 1/2 c.  Arborio Rice

3/4 c.     Dry White Wine

4 c.         Low Sodium Chicken Stock (gluten free if you desire)

Sea Salt

1.  Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.  Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and add the onion.  Sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.  

2.  While the onion cooks, add the chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and keep on the verge of a simmer nearby the risotto pan.

3.  Add rice to the onions and sauté until the edges are translucent, add the wine and stir constantly until absorbed.  Once wine is absorbed, add a ladle of the hot chicken stock, stir frequently until absorbed and repeat for the next 20 minutes or so, until all the stock is absorbed, the risotto is a creamy texture and the rice has just a little bite left.

Stir in asparagus pesto and asparagus tips.  Serve with roasted tomatoes and grated parmesan cheese on top.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!  This recipe is gluten free and can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Thanks for checking out my blog and stay tuned for more great recipes coming soon!

Cleanse Day 2 & 3

I didn't get home until 9:30pm last night so I am blogging yesterday and today together. 

Day 3

WOO HOO!!! I stepped on the scale this morning to a very plesant surprise!  I am down 4.5lbs!!!!!

 

Breakfast: Smoothie Day

1/3 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 c. frozen strawberries

2 c.    fresh spinach

1 c.    unsweetened almond milk

 

Snack: Apple

 

Lunch:

I was hungry and happy I brought left over Turkey Chili for lunch.  So hearty and delicious.

 

When I got home today snacked on some carrots and hummus, I was more hungry to day than the last 2 days and didn't want to wait until dinner.

Dinner:

For Dinner I made Lemon and Pepper Cod on a bed of spinach that I sautéed with garlic.  I served this with brown rice and the rest of the asparagus tips from Tuesday nights' dinner.  

I am not a big cooked fish eater, but I alway try it because It is such a great alternative to meat.   I have found that adding lemon really helps me like fish more.  I find this very strange because I love sashimi and tuna tartar as you'll read below, but there is something about cooked fish that is hard for me.

Ingredients:

1lb.  Cod, cut into 4 pieces

Fresh cracked black pepper

Sea salt

Fresh lemon juice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Brown rice (cooked according to package directions)

3 c.   Fresh spinach

1       Garlic clove, minced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Asparagus tips

Black Pepper

Sea Salt

1.  Get rice on the stove simmering.  While rice is cooking, sprinkle the Cod pieces with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  

2.  Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add a swirl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Sautee Cod for about 3 minutes per side until flaky.  While fish cooks, heat a medium skillet on medium heat.  Add garlic and sautee for 1 minute.  Add spinach and a pinch of sea salt and sauté until soft.  

3.  You can either roast the asparagus drizzled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper in an oven set at 400°F for about 3 minutes, or do what I did (didn't want to turn the oven on for a little asparagus) and just toss them in the same pan as the spinach for a couple minutes until tender.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2

 

I am not a morning person, so when I found out you could cook Steel Cut Oats in a crockpot overnight I was excited.  I started breakfast for Wednesday morning on Tuesday night, and woke up to perfectly cooked oats in the morning.  Here is the recipe:

 

Breakfast:

1 c.  organic/gluten free steel cut oats

2 c.  water

pinch of sea salt

 

1/4 c. blueberries (or your favorite berry)

1/4 c. almond milk

 

1. Mix oats, salt and weter together in a small crock pot (or double the recipe for more servings).  Feel free to add nuts and/or dried fruit to your oats before they cook. Set your crockpot to low and let cook overnight for about 7-8 hours.  Mix and serve with berries and almond milk, or your favorite combination.

 

250-300 calories, 50g Carbs, 5g Fat, 9g, Protein, 2g, Sugar

 

 

Morning Snack:

2 Celery Stalks and 2 Tbsp. Almond Butter

200 Calories, 18g Fat, 6g Carb, 7g Protein, 2g Sugar

 

 

Lunch: Leftovers!!

 

I made enough Roasted Vegetable Quiona and Chicken to have leftovers for lunch for Ryan and I one day this week.  I'm not usually the biggest fan of certain left overs, but this re-heated really well at work and I had a great healthy lunch!

 

 

Dinner: Out with a Girlfriend

 

I had plans to go out with my girlfriend, Lezlee, last night and didn't want to totally fall off the wagon because I am already feeling great from this cleanse.  I chose a great restaurant Downtown Minneapolis callWe ed Marin.  They list all the nutrition information on their menu and offer tons of gluten free and vegan options.  This was a great test for me to work on how to stay healthy while being able to still go out to dinner.

 

We started with Spiced Cauliflower Hummus and Pita.  The hummus was gluten free, however the pita is not, so I asked for some carrots and celery on the side.  This dish is listed as vegan, so I knew there was no dairy to worry about either.  All I can say is YUMMY!! This hummus is seriously the best hummus I have ever had. It comes with pieces of spiced roasted cauliflower and some kind of chili oil or sauce...OMG YUM.

Nutrition Information per dish:  (including pita): 490 Calories, 33g Fat, 10g Protein, 48g Carbs (much less for me since I didn't eat the pita), 3g Fiber.

 

Then we had fresh and delicious Vegetable-Soba Spring Rolls.  I get these every time I go to Marin, they are amazing and the sauce has a little kick.  These Spring Rolls are gluten free and vegan, so no worries about gluten or dairy here either. 

Nutrition Information per dish: 90 Calories, 1g Fat, 4g Protein, 18g Carbs, 2g Fiber.

 

Our final dish of the evening was my favorite!  We ordered an excellent Tuna Tartar served with a Mango Mustard, Avocado and a Chili powder and it was unbelievale.  The tuna was so fresh and chilled and when eaten with a little bit of all the garnish it was so tasty.  This dish was gluten free.  I really don't think there was dairy in it either, however I am not positive. 

Nutrition Information per dish: 180 Calories, 10g Fat, 14g Protein, 8g Carbs, 2g Fiber.

 

I felt like I did great at sticking to my cleanse while being able to go out as well....UNTIL I totally cheated and had a couple glasses of Red Wine.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it though.  We had a great time catching up and had many things to cheers to!  Thanks for a great night out, Lezlee!!!

 

 

 

Cleanse Day 1

And the Cleanse has begun!!!

 

Throughout the day I drank 64oz. of water with fresh lemon.

 

Breakfast Smoothie:

1/3 c. Frozen Blueberries

1/2 c. Frozen Strawberrues

2 c.    Fresh Spinach

1 c.    Almond Milk

 

Very basic but also delicious.  I sipped on this on my way to work at 8am and felt satisfied for breakfast. 

 

Snack:

I started to get hungry for a snack around 10:30am so I decided to have a medium organic Honeycrisp Apple.

 

Lunch:

Last night I made Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free Turkey Chili so I would have something to bring to work for lunch today. 

 

Turkey Chili - Serves 8

Ingreedients:

2 Tbs.  extra virgin olive oil, divided

1lb.      ground turkey breast

1         large onion, chopped, organic if possible

1-2       jalapeno(s) seeded and finely chopped (depending on your spice preference)

2         fresh garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs.  chili powder

1 Tbs.  ground cumin 

1 c.     organic vegetable stock

15oz    organic tomato sauce

15oz    organic diced tomatoes, including liquid

15oz   organic black beans, drained and rinsed

15oz   organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

15oz   organic  red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Sea Salt

Black pepper

 

1. Heat 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil in a large pot of dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add turkey breast, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper; cook until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and drain. 

 

2. Heat remaining oil in pan on medium heat, add onion and cook until translucent, about 10 min.  Add jalapeno and saute for additional 5 minutes, then add garlic for about 1 minute.  Add the turkey, chili powder, cumin and sea salt and pepper to taste, mix well. 

 

3.  Add vegetable stock, tomato sauce an diced tomatoes, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Add beans and simmer for 2 hours. 

275 Calories, 36g Carb, 5g Fat, 23g Protein, 5g Sugar

I enjoyed a nice warm cup of Green Tea for my afternoon snack on this cold day.

Dinner:

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa and Chicken Breast - Serves 4

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

1         green pepper (organic), roughly chopped

1         red pepper (organic)

1/2      green zucchini (organic)

1/3c.   red onion, roughly chopped

1/2      bunch asparagus tips, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

Pam Spray

Quinoa:

1 c.     Rainbow Quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 c.     organic vegetable stock or broth

Chicken:

2         6oz chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise

Sea Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine vegetable stock and quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes until quinoa sprouts and liquid is absorbed.  

2.  Spray a large baking sheet with pam spray, and spread all vegetables except asparagus tips on pan.   Spray with pam or mix with oil if you prefer to coat, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  Roast for 10 minutes.  Add asparagus, toss and continue to roast for 10 more minutes.  

3.  Heat oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.  Sprinkle chicken breast with sea salt and black pepper.   Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side until golden and internal temperature reaches 160°F.  

4.  Mix Quinoa and vegetables together in a bowl.  Slice chicken and serve over Quinoa.

320 Calories, 37 Carbs, 7g Fat, 28g Protein, 2g Sugar

I am not an expert, and I am sure I broke some cleansing rules.  But I am satisfied after this day of cleansing and am looking forward to what tomorrow holds!

Goodnight!

 

Time to Cleanse!!!

Gluten & Dairy Free Adventure

 

I am calling this an adventure, as I believe that is exactly what it will be for us.  My husband, Ryan, and I are excited to kick start our goal to live an overall healthier lifestyle.

 

A little background on this new adventure:

 

I am one of those people who loves food.  I love it. I love eating, I love going out to eat, I love cooking.  My weight has fluctuated throughout the years (10-15lbs here and there), but I could always get back to my "happy weight" by slight changes in my diet to drop any added weight I had gained after a vacation, or over the holidays.  Then I turned 28. Now, I know that this is still very young, but my body has decided that it doesn't want to drop the weight as easily as it used to.  I have tried, low carb, low fat and counting calories, all things that in the past have easily worked for me, but the weight is not coming off! 

 

I have a great friend who has motivated me to take a bigger step not just in my journey to drop my added pounds but also improve the overall health of my body and be more conscious about what I put into it.  I hightly recommend checking out her website at laura-madden.com.  She is amazing and is the most positive and motivating person I have ever met!  

 

I mentioned to her that I wanted to try one of those juice cleanses where you drink 6 different juices everyday for 5 days.  While she thought a cleanse was a good idea, she thought this may be a little drastic and that a lot of weight lost that way is just water weight.  She suggested I cut out Gluten, Dairy, Red Meat, and adopt the "Clean" eating strategy to help cleanse my body.  I was entrigued by this because as I mentioned before, I love food, so being able to eat and cleanse at the same time sounds more up my alley. 

 

So, with that said, my husband and I will be beginning our new food adventure tomorrow morning!  We plan to do it for 7 days, and then I hope to continue eating clean and gluten-free.

Stay tuned for recipes and updates!!

Roasted Chicken Breast w/ Balsamic Bell Peppers

I recently went back to work, and with that, I went back to my favorite easy, healthy and delicious weeknight dinner favorites.  I got home at 6PM, unloaded groceries and had dinner on the table by 6:45.  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

¾ tsp.       Salt, divided
¾ tsp. Fennel seeds, crushed
½ tsp. Black Pepper, divided
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Dried Oregano
4 (6oz.) Chicken Breasts, boneless,
                 skinless
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
Cooking Spray
2 Medium Red Bell Peppers, sliced
1 Medium Green, Yellow or Orange (I mix it up, you can choose your favorite)
½ c. Shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp.    Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 c. Fat-Free, Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Combine ½ teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.  Brush chicken with 1 ½ teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken.  Add 1 ½ teaspoons oil to pan.  Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned.  Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute.  Arrange chicken in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 450F for 10 minutes or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes.  

Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Stir in vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  

Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Tonight we did a lower carb version and I served this over fresh Baby Spinach. The remaining balsamic sauce slightly wilts the spinach as you top it with the Chicken and Peppers which is delicious!

We have also enjoyed this dish over couscous and brown rice.  

Andouille & Chicken Jambalaya

Today is bitter cold here in MN so I thought I would post something comforting and warming!

This is my mom's Jambalaya recipe and on one of my husbands favorites.

Ingredients:

½ c. Vegetable Oil
3 c. Onion, chopped
1 c. Green Bell Pepper, chopped
3 tsp. Salt, divided
1 ¼ tsp. Cayenne, divided
1 lb. Andouille Sausage, cut
                 crosswise into 1 inch pieces
1 ½ lbs. Boneless which chicken
                 breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 Bay Leaves
3 c. Medium Grain White Rice
6 c. Water
1 c. Green Onion, chopped

1.Heat oil in large cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onion, bell peppers, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. cayenne.  Stirring often, brown vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles.

2.Season the chicken with the remaining 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. cayenne.  Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot.  Brown the chicken for 8-10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen browned particles.

3.Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes to coat evenly.  Add water, stir to combine, and cover.  Cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.  Remove the pot from heat and let stand, covered, for 2-3 minutes.  Remove bay leaves and stir in green onions.  Serve.

Bloody Mary Brunch!

Hello and Happy Monday!

I invited some friends over on Saturday to taste test a new Habanero & Jalapeño vodka infusion I made to make spicy Bloody Mary's.

Take 3-4 Jalapeños and 6-10 Habaneros (depending on your desire for heat). Slice Jalapeños and cut the stems off the Habaneros.  Place in a large jar with a tight seal, pour 1 liter of vodka in, and close it up for 3-4 days, stirring once a day.  Strain vodka through a sieve and serve with your favorite Bloody Mary mix.

Note:  I always wear gloves when handling peppers, ESPECIALLY with Habaneros.

This taste test turned into a full on brunch for 12 people!  I had about 36 hours to figure out what I wanted to do and here is what I came up with.

Easy go to brunch items:
Egg Bakes
Bagels
Fruit
Danish


I made 2 different egg bakes.  The wonderful thing about egg bakes is they usually need to sit overnight, so it is super easy to make them a day in advance, then all you have to do is get up, turn on the oven and throw the bake in.

The first one was a bacon and veggie egg bake, my classic go.  This one changes every time because I usually just use whatever veggies I have in the fridge. You can mix up the meats and veggies all you want in this one.

6 c.        frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed
1lb.        bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c.        red bell pepper
1/2 c.     green onion, chopped
1 c.        shredded cheddar cheese
10          large eggs
14.5oz   evaporated milk
Seasoning salt
1 c.        shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cracked black pepper

1.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and layer hash browns evenly along the bottom of the dish.  Top with red bell pepper, bacon and green onions.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, evaporated milk, seasoning salt and black pepper.  Evenly pour egg mixture over potatoes, veggies and bacon.  Top with cheddar cheese, cover and refrigerate overnight.

3.  Heat oven to 350° F.  Bake egg bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes until set.  Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.



The next egg bake I made was one my mom made last time we had brunch together.  It is out of one of our favorite cook books, Pot-luck for 33,000, Recipes from the great Dayton's, Hudson's and Marshall Field's cook off, a benefit for the United Way.

4 c.         frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed
10           eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
8oz.        shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 pint   heavy whipping cream or half & half
1/2 c.      chopped onion
1/2 c.      green bell pepper, chopped
1lb.         sausage, ham or bacon (I used turkey sausage)

1.  Spray bottom and sides of 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Line bottom of pan with hash browns.  Crack eggs on top of hash browns and break yolks.  (Do not scramble.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then half of cheese.  Pour cream over layers in pans.  Sprinkle with onion, green pepper, meat and remaining cheese.  Cover; refrigerate overnight.

2.  Heat oven to 350° F.  Bake about 40-50 minutes until set.  Serve.

I just added some plain and everything bagels from Costco and a few different cream cheeses, fresh fruit salad and some friends brought danish.

I hope you enjoy!

Vegetable Lasagna

A few years ago I had a delicious vegetarian lasagna at a restaurant in Minnetonka, MN called Spasso.  I am not a vegetarian, but they suggested it as a specialty and I fell in love with this dish.  I have tried to find something similar at many restaurants and have not had success in my search.  I decided I would try to re-create this dish on my own.  

I went online to look for different recipes for vegetable lasagna and didn't find any that looked like this one, so I took inspiration from multiple recipes as well as my memory of this dish.  This lasagna turned out better than I ever imagined, especially since I had never made anything like it before.  It was given high praise from my taste testers (my husband, Ryan and our friend Jasen).

This lasagna is gluten free, low carb and low calorie but still gives you the satisfaction of a comfort food classic.

Serves: 8   

Ingredients:

3-4        medium zucchini, ends removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

3-4        medium golden zucchini, ends removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

2           large portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced into strips

1           large eggplant, ends removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

2           jarred roasted red peppers, sliced, (if packed in oil, dry with paper towel)

1-28oz  can crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp  garlic powder

1/2 tsp  onion powder

1/2 tsp  Italian seasoning

8 oz.     frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and patted dry

1           large egg

2 cups   ricotta cheese, (I use whole ricotta because I prefer the texture, you can use skim if preferred)

1 Tbsp  chipped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp  salt (sea-salt preferred)

1/2 tsp  fresh cracked black pepper

Dash ground nutmeg

8 oz.     shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 oz.     parmesan - reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Lay several paper towels next to the stove; as you cook the veggies, transfer them to the paper towels to drain excess moisture.  Bring a very large grill pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove.  Add zucchini, golden zucchini, portabella mushrooms and eggplant, and cook until softened, about 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine crushed tomatoes with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

4.  In another large bowl, combine spinach, egg substitute, ricotta cheese, basil, salt, and nutmeg.  Mix thoroughly and set aside.

5. Evenly coat the bottom of a 9"x13" pan with 1/2 cup of the seasoned crushed tomatoes.  Evenly layer half of the sliced veggies over the tomatoes.  Spread half of the spinach mixture into an even layer over the veggies.  Evenly top the cheese mixture with half of remaining crushed tomato mixture.  Continue with 1 more even layer of remaining veggies, followed by the remaining spinach mixture.  Evenly cover with remaining seasoned crushed tomatoes.  Evenly distribute mozzarella cheese then grated parmesan over the crushed tomatoes.

6.  Bake in the oven until lasagne is hot and mozzarella cheese is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, about 15-20 minutes, serve.

Chicken, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Rolls

The other night we had an impromptu guest for dinner.  I didn't have enough of what I had planned to make for 3 people, so I had to get creative.  I came up with this simple, healthy and delicious chicken recipe that I am excited to share with you.  My taste testers gave it 2 thumbs up!

Ingredients:
4 - 5oz      Chicken Breasts
1 bundle   Asparagus
4oz.          Goat Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Toothpicks
4oz.          Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Cooking Spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
2.  Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound to 1/2" thickness.  Sprinkle chicken with salty and pepper.  Crumble 1oz. of goat cheese on each chicken breast.  Take 3-4 asparagus spears and roll chicken around asparagus securing with 2 toothpicks.  Place chicken roll ups on baking.  Spray chicken roll ups with cooking spray and sprinkle a little more salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
3.  Sprinkle each roll up with 1oz. parmesan cheese and broil for 10 more minutes until golden brown and chicken registers at 160°F.
4. Remove chicken and serve.


Simple, low carb and delicious!

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did :).

Quick, Easy and Fancy Cheese Tray

With the holidays coming up, I thought I would share one of my favorite easy appetizers for all occasions.

This cheese tray never fails to impress.  It is so quick and easy to put together too!!!

I usually use 5 cheeses of different flavors and hardness.

My favorite 5 are:

Jarlsberg
Aged Cheddar
Blue Cheese
Pepper Cheese
Goat Cheese (drizzled with a little olive oil and black pepper)

I simply arrange the cheeses on a platter with grapes, strawberries and nuts.  Serve with your favorite crackers or flatbreads and voila, instant appetizer.

I hope you can enjoy this at your next event!

Classic Chili on a Chilly Fall Night

Today was a cold dreary day in Minneapolis so I decided it was the perfect night to make some Chili.

My Classic Chili recipe is a combination of Betty Crocker's and Better Homes' cook books along with a little bit of me.

Prep: 25 min
Cook Time: 90 min
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 lbs.            90/10 Ground Beef (you can use 85/15 if you prefer more fat)
1                   Yellow Onion (1 large or 2 medium)
2                   Green Bell Peppers
3-4                Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1-28oz. can   Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1-15oz. can   Tomato Sauce
2 Tbs.            Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp.       Cumin
1/4 - 1 tsp.     Cayenne, based on desired heat level
1 tsp.             Dried Basil
1 tsp.             Salt
1 tsp.             Black Pepper
2-15oz. cans  Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

1.  Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.  In 3 batches, brown ground beef with onion, peppers and garlic.  I do this in 3 batches to make sure the meat gets browned instead of just steamed.  Drain each batch into a bowl lined with paper towel.

2.  Return meat mixture to dutch oven, add diced tomatoes and next 7 ingredients through black pepper.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3. Add kidney beans and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.  Serve.

I serve this chili with elbow macaroni (or brown rice elbow macaroni for gluten free), reduced-fat cheddar cheese, a little extra chopped raw onion and sour cream.


Since I am usually only cooking for 2 on weeknights, I still make the full batch and freeze half of the batch for another easy chilly day meal.



Fun Kitchen Gadget:

My friends have always laughed at how many random kitchen gadgets I have and tonight I got to use one of my favorites!! I have to share this with you all.  When you chop garlic, do you ever notice how sticky it is and then how your hands smell like garlic for a week no matter how much you wash them? Well, this little gadget will be your new best friend!!!

Introducing the Garlic Zoom:

These are available at amazon.com, and many specialty grocery and general stores for under $10.  I use it almost ever time I cook!  All you have to do is peel the garlic, pop the cloves into your zoom, and roll it on your cutting board for perfectly minced garlic.

Apple Cinnamon Infused Vodka

Hello and welcome to my blog!

Today I started making my Apple Cinnamon Infused Vodka.

Here is how to make it:

Large Jar that has an airtight seal (sanitized with boiling water).
3         Honey Crisp Apples
1.75L Vodka (no need to use premium brands)
2         Cinnamon Sticks

1. Core and thinly slice apples, and place them in the jar.  Pour vodka into jar and seal.
2. Place sealed jar in a dark room temperature location (kitchen cabinet, closet, etc...) for 5 days, stirring once every day.
3.  Add cinnamon sticks to the jar for days 6 and 7.
4.  At the end of day 7, strain mixture through a thin sieve or cheesecloth.

My favorite way to enjoy this vodka is mixed with my favorite cider beer, Crispin.

My friends and family are my taste testers and we have also mixed this vodka with Ginger Beer, Club Soda, Ginger Ale, Apple Cider, Earl Grey Hot Tea and More!

Let me know your favorite combination!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and friends do.