Monday, November 30, 2009

Pesto Pasta

1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups torn baby spinach leaves
1 tsp dried basil
4 oz cooked spaghetti
2 Tbs shredded mozzarella

1) Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the nuts and toast them for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, spinach and basil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, turning frequently.
2) Toss with the cooked pasta and top with cheese.

Review:  I pulled my food processor out of the cabinet before I read the instructions, since I always use it when making pesto.  However, this was not a pesto!!  I'm not sure how they came up with the name for this dish.  It lacked a strong taste, even after I tossed it all in roasted walnut oil.  Hm, it needs a little something and I'm not sure what that would be. 

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Dinner 2009

Mm, a nut loaf, stuffing, roasted root vegetables, pie and pinot grigio champagne. It doesn't get much better than this! See below for all the recipes I used for my super yummy Thanksgiving dinner!!!



Vegetarian Nut Loaf

2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 Tbs butter
3 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups soft whole wheat bread crumbs

1) In a nonstick skillet, saute onions, mushrooms and green pepper in butter until tender. In a bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, carrots, celery, eggs, walnut, sunflower kernels, salt, basil, oregano and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs.
2) Coat by 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with waxed paper. Transfer vegetable mixture to a prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 160F. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Review: This was exciting, as it's seriously the first time I've made a loaf of any sort that was actually able to stand on it's own! I also used parchment paper for the first time (worried wax would have smoked) and I think it's awesome!!! This was super yummy. I'm tempted to tweak the recipe and add more nuts. Hm, walnuts, almonds and cashews?

Savory Spinach & Artichoke Stuffing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 lbs spinach, washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 Tbs roughly chopped garlic
1 Tbs, plus 2 tsp, Italian seasoning blend
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 (8 1/2oz) cans quartered artichoke hearts, any tough outer leaves removed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbs lemon juice
12 to 14 cups cubed (1 inch), day old French bread (1 loaf)
1 lb Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with 1 Tbs olive oil.
2) Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible, then roughly chop and reserve.
3) Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 tsp of Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
4) Combine the eggs, cream, broth, lemon juice, remaining 1 Tbs Italian seasoning, remaining 2 tsp salt and remaining 1 tsp pepper in large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan and parsley. Stir to combine. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately, then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.
5) Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 Tbs olive oil. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

Review: Once again, we omitted the lemon juice. It just works better. We used a big bag of croutons (the only unseasoned bread cubes we could find), instead of a loaf of bread. It worked well. This was unbelievably yummy and I can't wait to have it again as leftovers. I definitely have plenty!!!!!!



Roasted Vegetables With Thyme

2 lb baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into medium-sized chunks
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks
1/2 lb parsnips, trimmed and cut into medium-sized chunks
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375F.
2) In a large bowl, toss potatoes, carrots and parsnips with olive oil and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer vegetables to a large roasting pan.
3) Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.

Review: Oops, forgot to take a pic! We omitted carrots and substituted one turnip. Yay, it was uniform white chunks and tasty. It did take longer than expected to bake, but I suspect we may have used too many potatoes. We do have a large box of them and have added more than necessary to most of our recipes to use them up!

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus 2 Tbs divided
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
12oz container (4 1/2 cups) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
1 prepared chocolate pie crust
11.75oz jar hot fudge spoonable ice cream topping, divided

1) Beat together 1 cup peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium until well combined. Gently mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Gently mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into pie crust. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie.
2) Reserve 2 Tbs of hot fudge topping in the corner of a resealable food storage bag; set aside. Microwave remaining topping on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir. Spread topping over pie, covering entire peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining whipped topping (1 1/2 cups) over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers.
3) Cut a small corner from bag containing topping. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Place remaining 2 Tbs peanut butter in a resealable food storage bag; cut bag corner and squeeze to drizzle in opposite direction from topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Review: Careful with the hot fudge - mine exploded out of the jar in the microwave! This was unbelievably rich and very strong on the peanut butter taste. Yum!!


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Soba Noodle Salad With Ginger Peanut Dressing

6oz soba noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbs agave nectar or maple syrup
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1 large carrot, grated
2 Tbs chopped peanuts, optional

1) Cook noodles in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
2) Puree peanut butter, vinegar, agave nectar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and 1/4 cup of cilantro in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, adding 2 to 3 Tbs warm water to thin, if necessary.
3) Toss together noodles, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and peanut butter mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro and chopped peanuts, if using.

Review: I substituted zucchini for the cucumber, because I really don't like cucumbers. Mike actually made the recipe, which was my favorite part. A whole box of spaghetti was used instead of the soba. It was good to increase the pasta, as the sauce is pretty potent. It was yummy, but had quite a distinct taste.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Vegetable Moussaka

1 4-lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 10-oz container white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced yellow squash
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup, plus 4 Tbs, grated Parmesan
4 Tbs unsalted butter
5 Tbs all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
7 oz Greek yogurt
2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Lay eggplant slices on paper towels and salt both sides; let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Brush both sides with olive oil (1/4 cup total) and place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes, turning slices and rotating pans halfway through. Remove eggplant from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
2) In a large skillet with a lid, heat remaining oil. Add onion, mushrooms, zucchini and squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, covered, over low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove lid, turn heat to high and cook until liquid evaporates. Add garlic, oregano, tomatoes and puree and parsley and cook until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
3) Mist a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cover bottom of dish with eggplant rounds, spoon half of vegetable sauce on top and sprinkle with 2 Tbs Parmesan. Repeat with remaining eggplant and sauce and 2 Tbs Parmesan, finishing with a top layer of eggplant.
4) Melt butter in pan and whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and yogurt and stir until smooth. Whisk in eggs and yolks.
5) Pour cheese sauce over eggplant. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until heated through and top is browned, about 70 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Review: I replaced the eggplant with zucchini, doubled the yellow squash and omitted the 1 cup diced zucchini the recipe originally called for. I've never liked eggplant and have found that zucchini typically works well instead. It seemed to do the job for this dish! Because I used zucchini, I omitted the step of roasting, but I did sweat the zucchini. This dish made about 8 servings, so we had plenty of delicious food.


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sesame-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges With Broccoli

4 cups bite-size broccoli florets, halved lengthwise
2 small sweet potatoes, each cut into 16 wedges (1 lb)
6 green onions, each cut into 4 segments
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil, divided
1/4 tsp coarse salt
2 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs mirin
1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups baby spinach

1) Preheat oven to 450F. Place broccoli, sweet potato wedges and green onions in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbs sesame oil and salt; toss well to coat. Spread vegetables on baking sheet, and roast 20 minutes, turning with spatula 2 or 3 times. Increase oven temperature to 500F. Roast vegetables 10 minutes more, or until tender and browned.
2) Meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, tamari, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic and remaining 1 Tbs sesame oil in small bowl. Place spinach in large serving bowl, add roasted vegetables and orange juice mixture, and toss well to mix.

Review: My broccoli began to burn at 20 minutes and the potatoes were done, so I did not roast them for another 10 minutes. This was really yummy and had a great flavor, though I am a big fan of sesame oil. I served this over some bulgur to stretch it into more servings. I think it would have been better to have less spinach and more potatoes and broccoli!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Steamed Vegetables With Ginger Miso Dressing

3 Tbs yellow miso
2 Tbs water
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated
1/2 to 1 Thai bird chile, minced with seeds
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/2 bunch broccoli, cut in large florets
1/2 bunch cauliflower, cut in large florets
2 carrots, cut in thick slices
1 yellow or zucchini squash, cut in thick rounds
1/2 to 1 head fennel, cut into thin wedges
1 bunch asparagus
8 cloves garlic
1 bunch scallions

1) For the dressing: Whisk the miso, water, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chile, to taste, in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing. Serve or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
2) For the vegetables: Pour 1-inch or more of water in a wok or skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the vegetables in a bamboo or collapsible steamer. Set the steamer over the boiling water, cover, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or just until the vegetables are crisp tender. Serve warm or at a room temperature with the dressing.

Review: I left out the fennel, because I don't like fennel (tastes like licorice). I substituted a zucchini, instead. It worked really well and I can't even imagine this dish with fennel. This was super yummy. Mike especially liked the dressing and it might be a good one to make and have with regular salads.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Golden Glow Stuffed Squash (crockpot recipe)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, minced
1 medium-sized carrot, coarsely shredded
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
1 Tbs minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp dried thyme or ground sage
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large winter squash (butternut, buttercup, kabocha or acorn), halved and seeded
1 cup hot water

1) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and turmeric, then stir in the rice, parsley and thyme, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and spoon the mixture into the squash cavities.
2) Pour the water into a 6-qt oval slow cooker and add the squash halves, stuffing side up. Cover and cook on Low until the squash is tender, about 6 hours. Serve hot.

Review: My squash didn't fit in my slow cooker, so I had to layer them and then smoosh them in after a few hours of baking. It turned out to be quite delectable. I scooped out the squash from the rind and mixed it with the "stuffing" to make it easy to package leftovers. I used a buttercup squash. :)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Field Greens With Pomegranate Vinaigrette

6 cups washed and dried field greens
1/4 cup blue cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pecans, halves and pieces
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
1/2 cup pomegranate balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

1) To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl until combined. Add the oil in a stream continuously whisking until emulsified. Set aside.
2) Prepare the salad by adding 1/2 of the greens to a large bowl and gently toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Add the remaining greens and toss. Add additional dressing as necessary to just coat the greens. Add HALF of the cheese crumbles, the pecan pieces and the pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries), reserving the remaining half of each to use as a topping.
3) To serve: Arrange 1/4 of the prepared salad on each of 4 chilled salad plates. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese crumbles, the pecan pieces and the pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries). Serve at once.

Review: We bought pomegranate balsamic vinegar a couple of weeks ago, when we found it on sale, with a coupon, for about a dollar. I finally found a way to use it! This was unbelievably good and would make a great salad for fancy occasions when you need to impress someone, but need an easy way to do it! I wanted to get the pomegranate seeds from Costco, as they're already shelled. Mike opted to buy a pomegranate from the store. After he tore it apart, he regretted not buying the Costco seeds. Learn from his error!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Asian Vegetable Cakes With Crunchy Cabbage Salad

1 14.1 oz vegetarian split pea soup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup sugar snap peas, coarsely chopped
1 cup julienned or grated carrots
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
4 green onions, white and green parts chopped
2 Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
low-fat Asian salad dressing, optional
Sriracha chile sauce, optional
4 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (about 1 head)
1 cup julienned or grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Asian dressing

1) Whisk together soup and eggs in bowl. Stir in cornmeal, then sugar snap peas, carrots, corn, green onions, oil, tamari/soy sauce and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
2) Toss together all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.
3) Heat nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Scoop pea mixture onto skillet in 1/4-cup dollops, and cook 5 minutes, or until golden on one side. Flip, and cook 5 minutes more. Transfer to plate, and repeat with remaining pea mixture until you have 12 cakes.
4) To serve: Divide salad among plates. Top each serving with 2 cakes. Serve with Asian dressing and Sriracha, if using.

Review: This made about 8 servings - we had so much food! Fortunately, this was supremely yummy. We used Newman's Sesame & Ginger dressing which was really good.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Root Vegetable Curry

1/2 lb baby carrots, halved
1 cup frozen peas
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 lb daikon, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Tbs olive or canola oil
2 Tbs dried minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder or more to taste
3 cups vegetable broth
1 lb turnips or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1) In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add curry powder and stir until powder is heated and aromatic, but not browned. Add broth and vegetables. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes.
2) In small cup, whisk flour into water until smooth. Add to curry, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Review: Oops, our baby carrots went bad. However, we have a 50lb box of potatoes, so I tossed one of those in, keeping the skin on. I added the peas about 5 minutes before the flour mixture, as they really don't need to cook as long. It was pretty hearty and made five bowls, which was more than I expected!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Smothered Cajun-Spiced Squash

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
2 butternut squash, quartered and seeded, each quarter halved
2 Tbs, plus 8 tsp Cajun seasoning, or more to taste, divided
4 large onions, halved and sliced
4 medium red or green bell peppers, quartered and sliced
8 large celery ribs, sliced on the bias
5 Tbs flour
1 1/2 Tbs cider vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 1 Tbs oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic-oil mixture over butternut squash pieces, and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle each squash piece with 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until squash pieces are tender enough to easily pierce with fork.
2) Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers and celery, and cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until vegetable are soft and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally.
3) Stir flour into onion mixture, and cook 1 minute, or until flour begins to brown, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, remaining 2 Tbs Cajun seasoning, and 6 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
4) To serve: Place 2 squash pieces on plate. "Smother" with 1 cup onion mixture.

Review: The recipe said to serve with rice or grits. I served this over bulgur. This was super yummy. The butternut squash with Cajun seasoning was AMAZING. I used the diced stuff from Costco to make my life easier. And, I used only 1 onion and decreased the water to 2 1/2 cups. This made quite a bit of food for me, which means I get this again for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Walnut Miso Noodle

4 oz spaghetti or linguini
1 small bunch of asparagus, sliced thinly
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, peeled
2 Tbs mellow white miso paste
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 big pinches salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup+ warm water

Topping ideas: sliced green onions, chopped chard stems and leaves that have been cooked for a minute or two in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and salt, chopped fresh chives, toasted walnuts

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and cook the pasta per package instructions, being careful to not overcook. About 10 seconds before you are going to drain the noodles, add the asparagus to the pot. Drain and set aside.
2) Meanwhile, puree the walnuts, olive oil, garlic, miso paste, vinegar and honey in a blender. Add the warm water a bit at a time until the dressing is the consistency of a heavy cream. Taste and add salt if you think it needs it.
3) Toss the pasta/asparagus with about 1/2 the walnut-miso dressing. Add additional dressing to taste and serve.

Review: I somehow missed the asparagus when I made the grocery list. Oops. So I added some frozen broccoli that I found in the freezer. I really liked this dish, though it oddly tastes a bit like ramen noodles. I guess this is a healthier option, though.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Swiss Chard Ricotta Gnudi With Fall Mushrooms

Gnudi
1 lb Swiss chard, stem ends trimmed
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1/4 cup coarsely chopped shallot
1 large egg
1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour, plus additional for shaping dumplings

Broth
6 cups vegetable broth
2 shallots, thickly sliced
1 lb assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, chanterelle and cremini), stems trimmed and reserved, caps thinly sliced
6 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, divided
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
coarse kosher salt

Gnudi
1) Cut chard leaves from each side of center stem. Cut stems into matchstick-size strips. Cover and refrigerate stems; reserve for sauce.
2) Cook chard leaves in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; cool. Squeeze chard leaves until very dry; place in processor. Using on/off turns, finely chop chard. Add ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, shallot, egg, coarse salt and pepper; process to blend. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate dough overnight.

Broth
1) Bring vegetable broth, sliced shallots and mushroom stems to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 cups, 35 to 40 minutes. Strain. Return broth to saucepan; discard solids in strainer.
2) Melt 2 Tbs butter with 2 Tbs oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat; add sliced mushroom caps. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; saute until mushrooms are tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Heat remaining 1 Tbs oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add reserved thinly sliced chard stems and saute until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
3) Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon some flour onto large plate. Working in batches, drop heaping teaspoonfuls gnudi dough (size of small walnuts) onto plate with flour to form about 36 gnudi. Using floured hands, gently shape each into 1 1/2 inch long, 1/2 inch thick oval. Tap off excess flour; transfer gnudi to prepared baking sheet.
4) Bring large wide pot of salted water to boil. Slide gnudi into pot; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, whisk remaining 4 Tbs butter into hot broth. Season broth to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
6) Divide mushrooms and chard stems among 6 bowls. Add broth, dividing equally (about 1/2 cup each). Using slotted spoon, divide gnudi among bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Review: This was soooooooooo much work. Mike rolled the gnudi and I expected it to be a lot like gnocchi. However, it didn't adhere as well and ended up dissipating some in the broth. It was yummy, but not so yummy that it was worth this much work. I won't make this again.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Zucchini Lasagna

8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 container (15oz) ricotta cheese
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced thinly crosswise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly oil an 8x8 inch square baking dish; set aside.
2) In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, combine zucchini, garlic and oregano; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
3) Spread 1/3 zucchini mixture in prepared baking dish; top with two lasagna noodles, then 1/3 ricotta mixture. Repeat twice with remaining zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
4) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil; bake until bubbly and noodles are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Review: I doubled this recipe, though I can understand a smaller lasagna can sometimes be nice. This was really yummy, mostly due to the vast amount of cream cheese. Yum.