Best Lasagna Ever

Meal planning.  What does that mean anyway? I barely even plan for the next day, much less what I plan to eat every day.  But man, oh man, does it save time and money!  I have been doing this for a few weeks now (part of the whole 2013 resolution movement) and as much as I love to go grocery shopping, it's great not having to go to the store multiple times during the week after work to pick up a few ingredients and leave with an entire basket and bird crap on my car. 

It works great when I make a list on Sunday mornings of what meals I want to make for the week, usually 3-4, and then go through my pantry and fridge to see what I need to restock.  I make one big trip to HEB and other stores, get everything I need, and get a kiss from my husband for saving him money and keeping our bellies full! 

Granted, I have times where I realize I missed a key ingredient (I suck at making thorough lists) and have to make a quick stop at the store or veer away from my actual meal plans.  But this is a work in progress and I am definitely doing a lot better than I used to!  When the HEB greeter knows who you are and knowing EXACTLY where everything is on each aisle, some by aisle numbers, makes you realize how frequent a customer you really are. Yeast?  Top shelf towards the end of aisle 9.  Nutella?  Very top shelf above the peanut butter. Pomegranate molasses?  International aisle, bottom shelf.  Ask me anything.

So here are my meals I plan to make this week!

Tuesday:  Lasagna
Wednesday:  Chicken and black bean tacos
Thursday:  Seafood Rice

Here is the recipe for tonight's meal, lasagna.  It was delicious, creamy, and so filling!  Let's begin first with the best marinara ever in life.  I will never ever go back to ready made sauce.

Lasagna Recipe:

Sauce:

2 tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tbs. red pepper flakes
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano are the best)
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water

Rest of the lasagna:

1 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground meat (I used ground beef, but you can use turkey or chicken)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 cup cooking white wine
2 cups shredded mozarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
8 oz. low fat (neufchatel) cream cheese, softened
9 lasagna noodles, cooked before al-dente stage (they will cook more in the oven)

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the onions and garlic begin browning.  The more color on the onions and garlic, the deeper the flavor of the sauce.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir until smooth.

Add sugar, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and water.  Stir and reduce heat to the lowest setting.  Cover, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.

As the sauce is cooking, begin making your meat mixture, boiling your noodles, and preheat the oven to 375.

Heat oil over medium, add your meat of choice, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.  Brown the meat.  Once browned, turn the heat up to high to burn off any water.  Add wine, heat on high until the wine has evaporated.

Reserve 1/2 cup of mozarella cheese and then in a separate bowl, combine the 3 cheeses.  It will be goopy, so it may be easier to combine with a fork or your fingers ;)

Take out your large baking dish and let's begin the layering process!

bottom layer: 1 cup of sauce
1st layer: 3 noodles, drops of cheese mixture, half of the beef mixture, ladle on some sauce.
2nd layer:  Same as first layer, finishing off the rest of the beef mixture
3rd layer: drops of cheese mixture, rest of the sauce, top with reserved shredded cheese

Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until noodles are cooked through and the dish is bubbly.  Let rest for 5 minutes after taking out of the oven and then serve!  Garnish with parsley.

Enjoy! Enjoy!

Cooking Essentials

Hello hello!

I hope all is well with everyone!  I have a lot of good things to share today and I hope my long post won't scare people away.  But I promise you, it'll be worth it to go through! 

Good thing #1:  Cooking Essentials

A friend of a friend suggested I do a post about basic cooking essentials, which I thought was brilliant!  He's a bachelor living a solo life out in DC and wants to learn how to cook, but gets intimidated by recipes because of the supplies and ingredients needed.  Like anything in life, you gotta learn the basics in order to build on a skill, so I sincerely hope the following helps anyone who is lost in the kitchen and wants to learn the basics of cooking.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/12491070/bird-measuring-spoons

 Essential kitchen items:

• Set of measuring cups and measuring spoons

Most, if not all, recipes include measurements.  A drinking cup or spoon does not give accurate measurements, which is very important when baking.  Not so much when cooking, but most people look frightened when I say I don't measure and cook with a "feeling," so now I try my best to use measurements when sending out a recipe to a friend or into the internet world.

• Non-stick skillet

A good quality skillet, in my opinion, is a necessity in the kitchen!  You can do so much with just one pan.  Literally, an entire meal can be made in a skillet.  Buy a good quality, non-stick pan that is medium to large in size, has a good, sturdy handle, and has a little depth for sauces and pastas.

• Set of accessories (wooden spoon, spatula, serving spoon, whisk)

These are your accessories that will make life easier for you in the kitchen.  You need to be able to stir, flip, and serve whatever you cook without damaging your pots and pans.

• Sharp, solid knife

You will use this knife ALL THE TIME.  So invest in an awesome one that will allow you to chop up vegetables and cut meats.  Not at the same time I hope...hygiene 101.

• Good-sized medium-large pot and 1 small pot

How else will you boil potatoes, pasta, or eggs?

• Set of glass baking pans

 You can bake, roast, and serve in these.

• Large mixing bowl

You know, to mix things in.

• Pantry and refrigerator essentials

Basic spices such as sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning.  Other essentials include flour, sugar, butter, assorted fresh vegetables and fruits, onions, garlic, baking soda, baking powder, pasta, milk, peanut butter, olive oil, rice, vanilla extract...just to name a few.  Take a big visit to the grocery store and before you know it you'll have a stocked up kitchen!

Good Thing #2:  Green Smoothie Delicious-ness

Please don't run away, I assure you this is so good and so good for you!  Win, win.  I used to shy away from any healthy green smoothies because of the incorporation of spinach and it being green, but lately I have been having hair issues. If you don't already know, I am very vain when it comes to my hair and I have learned that spinach is very good for hair, nails, and skin.  So why not give spinach a chance in my smoothie?  If it means better hair, I will try it!

Although this smoothie is full of spinach, I promise you do not taste it!  It's the other goodies that go into this smoothie that make it taste more like a sweet shake.  This smoothie is great after a workout, which is usually when I have it since it also counts as my breakfast.

Green Smoothie:

3 cups baby spinach
1 frozen banana (cut-up before freezing)
1/2 cup of greek 0% yogurt (I prefer vanilla or honey vanilla in mine)
1 tbs natural peanut butter (I have used the natural peanut butter with honey, and it's even better)
1 cup milk (almond, soy, low fat, skim, whatever you like)

Throw all this into the blender (I love my magic bullet), and blend until completely smooth.  Enjoy!

Good Thing #3:  Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Mashed Red Potatoes

This recipe is considered Luby's night in my house because pot roast is my husband's favorite meal there (my husband and I are old souls, don't judge). This meal is great because the roast slow cooks all day, while you are out doing the whole work or staying busy thing.

Pot Roast:

2 lb roast, frozen or thawed (I used frozen this time)
3 cups beef broth
3 peeled carrots cut in large chunks
1 large onion cut into quarter chunks
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs sea salt
1 tbs ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 10 hours (frozen)/ 8 hours (thawed) until tender and then place on warm while making your sides.

Mashed Red Potatoes:

5-7 red potatoes, cut in half
1 cup warm milk
3 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Boil potatoes in a large pot of water over high heat until tender.  Drain and put potatoes back into the hot pot.  Smash them with a fork or smashing gadget.  Add half of the milk and mash some more.  Add the butter and smash more.  If you like your potatoes creamier, add more milk.  I ended up using my whole cup of milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy:

1 cup pot roast juices
1 tbs flour
2 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add flour and whisk until brown-ish in color.  Slowly pour in the pot roast liquid and whisk, whisk, whisk to get rid of any clumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until desired thickness.

Enjoy this comforting dinner!

Cardamom and Vanilla Ricotta Fritters

I hope all of you had a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving holiday with family, friends, and pets and didn't do too much damage when it came to food consumption or black Friday shopping!

What was your favorite Thanksgiving memory, eats, or buy this year?  Did you maybe get some good news this Thanksgiving?  Did your mom/grandmother/sister/cousin/great great great aunt blow your mind with their pecan/pumpkin pie?  Did you score your dream TV because you camped out a week before and had your Thanksgiving meal on the concrete outside of Best Buy?  Do share!

My favorite moment this Thanksgiving had to be the morning of.  My baby sister, she's 7, stayed the night with me and my husband, so when we woke up, we stayed in our pjs, grabbed doughnuts, hunted down the newspapers (took 3 gas stations and an HEB before we found one), and picked up our favorite Starbucks drinks and headed home to watch the parade on TV.  Best morning ever.  Nothing like seeing your cutie pie of a sister sipping on her hot chocolate and reading the comics under a blanket.

And then I had to bake a few loaves of bread, a cake, and stuffing. Morning over.

Well, speaking of food (as always)...considering I'm an obsessive dessert lover, I've noticed I haven't shared many dessert recipes through my blog.  I mean I'm the girl who eats dessert before my main course; who scopes out the dessert menu before looking at the food menu in a restaurant; who will STILL have dessert even though I have just gotten through one of my husband's anti-dessert lectures; and I'm also the one who almost always brings the dessert to the party.  People NEED dessert as a part of their lives. And I am happy to provide it! 

SOOOOO...

Make these fritters today. Seriously, it's super quick to throw together and just melt in your mouth AMAZING-ness.  The basic recipe (minus cardamom) is so versatile!  You could literally make them so many ways: lemon fritters, chocolate fritters, plain vanilla fritters, vanilla bean fritters, pumpkin spice fritters, and I could go on....GET CREATIVE!  These are great as an after dinner treat, but also really great for Sunday breakfast!  They're basically really rich amped up doughnuts perfect with your favorite cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Cardamom and Vanilla Ricotta Fritters:

2 cups oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
powder sugar/cocoa powder, for dusting

Heat 2 cups oil over medium heat.  I used a dutch oven which worked great.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Add the ricotta and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and cardamom powder.

Add the flour to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

Use an ice cream scooper or 2 spoons to drop balls into the hot oil.

Have a plate with the sugar and cinnamon mixed up.  Once the fritters are golden on both sides, drain on a paper towel and then toss them in the sugar cinnamon mixture.

Once all of the fritters have been tossed in the sugar cinnamon mixture you can dust them with powdered sugar and/or cocoa. 

Devour immediately! Preferably with someone you love. Or at least like :)

Chicken Soup for the Soul

When you think of something that is good for the soul, what do you think of?  I automatically think of chicken soup!  And then I think of those cheesy, but entertaining, chicken soup for the soul books...remember those?  I'm not ashamed to admit I've read most of the series...well, maybe I'm a little ashamed.

I was originally making this soup yesterday, but then was forced to get sidetracked because of my sister, who was meeting me up for a run, was having cheeseburger cravings.  Before I knew it, I was sticking the cooked chicken in the fridge, dragging my husband into the car, getting cheeseburgers, and baking sea salt chocolate chip cookies as soon as we got home.  It turned into a "let's be fatties" night.  Needless to say, she is no longer allowed over during the weekdays!

Speaking of running, if you're looking to become a better runner, I suggest you download the couch to 5K app on your smartphone.  It is so awesome!  I have never enjoyed running because I am like an old lady and power walk.  My excuse is the horrible shin pain and my horrible ankles...old lady excuses.  Anyway, it's a great app to teach you how to get used to running and get ready to do a 5K.  I have one coming up next weekend, which I am super excited about!

So today, AFTER MY RUN, I resumed last night's dinner, chicken noodle soup and pesto grilled cheese sandwiches.

This recipe does take a little time since it is from scratch, but it's totally worth it and you have leftover soup for lunch the next day!

Chicken Noodle Soup:

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs minced garlic
1 cut up whole chicken, rinsed, and patted dry
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
8 cups water
1 tbs salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 sliced carrot
1 cup dry egg noodles
fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large pot to medium high with 2 tbs olive oil.  Add onion and garlic, saute until edges of onions begin to brown. Add chicken and let lightly brown on all sides.

Add bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, water, salt, and plenty of black pepper.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 20 minutes with the pot partially covered.

Remove chicken to a plate to cool.  Drain the broth through a sieve into a bowl.  Be careful, the broth is super hot!  You'll be left with a somewhat clear broth.  Give the pot a quick rinse and pour in your broth.

Bring the broth back to a simmer.  At this time you can add some extra salt to flavor, but be careful not to over salt the broth!  Add the veggies very carefully trying not to splatter yourself.  Let the veggies simmer in the broth for about 10 min.  Add the dry egg noodles and let cook for about 8 or so minutes.

In the meantime, shred up the chicken.  Once the veggies and noodles have cooked a bit, add the chicken and let simmer.  The soup is cooked!

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Pesto Grilled Cheese Sammies:

4 slices sourdough bread
butter
4 slices of any cheese, I used colby jack
Jarred pesto, a good quality kind

Preheat the griddle or pan on medium heat.  Spread pesto on both sides of bread and top with cheese.  Butter the top of each sandwich.  Start by toasting the buttered side first and as it is browning, spread butter on the other side.  Flip once golden and let the other side brown up.  Cut in half.

Enjoy, Enjoy!

Chicken and Lime Soup

Sometimes I feel like the weather dictates what I cook for dinner.  Hot days might be a salad or something grilled outside, cold days may be something comforting like pasta, or on rainy days I'll make a batch of soup.

Yesterday was rainy. I made soup.

I saw a great recipe for chicken and lime soup on this awesome blog called Budget Bytes.  The author has really awesome recipes that I make often! They're easy and the ingredients are things that you probably already have at home, which is always fantastic.

This soup is full of yummy goodness and hit the spot on a rainy, lazy night.  A saute, shred, boil, and simmer away, dinner was cooked!

Chicken and Lime Soup (serves 6)

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 tbs olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced
2 tbs garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes with chilies
1 can whole kernel corn, unsalted, drained
6 cups chicken broth (I used chili lime broth)
hot sauce
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
sea salt
black pepper
1 lime, to squeeze in soup
1 lime, sliced, for garnish
cilantro, chopped
avocado, sliced
shredded cheese

Saute celery, onion, garlic, and jalapeño in olive oil until soft.  Add diced tomatoes, broth, corn, a few splashes of hot sauce and all the spices.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes on low.  Add the shredded chicken and and squeeze in one lime.  Continue simmering for 30-40 min with the lid on.

Right before serving, throw in a handful of chopped cilantro, stir, and serve.  Garnish with sliced avocados, shredded cheese, and extra cilantro.  Serve with sliced limes.

We had our soup with a slice of jalapeno cheese bread.  Enjoy!

Pho-tastic Pho and Shrimp Summer Rolls

Thank you Houston for your bipolar weather ways.  One day it'll be a cool, boots and tights kind of day, and the next it'll be a steamy, frizzy haired, hot as hades kind of day.  You never know in Houston.

On these WARM/HOT fall weather days, I pretend it's nice and cool outside, and begin craving pho.  One of my ultimate comfort foods, after mac n' cheese, but before chicken pot pie.

For those of you who are pho virgins, you are missing out big time.  Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup made with a slow simmered, flavorful, usually beef, broth, topped with rice noodles, and meat.  I always get mine with the lean uncooked beef that is dropped into my bowl at the last moment and cooked in the broth. You an also get it with cooked beef, beef tendon, meatballs, chicken, and other various meats.  Then you get a heaping plate of condiments, usually basil, mint, cilantro, jalapenos, limes, bean sprouts, hoisin, and sriracha (i put this s**t on everything).

I haven't had the time to experiment making pho the real way, simmering beef bones and spices for hours.  Instead, I ran across an organic pho soup starter at Fiesta, and decided to give it a go.  But before diving into a big bowl of pho, shrimp summer/spring rolls are. a. must.

Honestly though, you can get a good bowl of pho and a summer roll for under $7 at any vietnamese restaurant if you don't feel like cooking it.  But I love to try things that seem challenging and make it at home, which I hope you do too.  Plus, I control what goes into it.  Give it a try!

Many of the ingredients can be found in the Asian Market of your choice.  However, I found the pho starter at Fiesta.

Summer Rolls: (makes 4 small)

4 medium rice paper
6 cooked shrimp, sliced where the vein is
thin slices of cucumber
shredded cabbage
shredded carrot
bean sprouts
basil
mint

Dipping Sauce:

2 tbs. honey
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbs. chili garlic paste

Working on one roll at a time, take one sheet of rice paper, run under warm water until pliable.  Lay out on a cutting board or plate and lay down 3 shrimp, then lay on some cucumber, cabbage, carrot, and top with mint and basil.  Fold the two smaller sides in and then roll like a burrito.  It's okay if some carrot or cucumber sticks out on one of the ends, I think it looks pretty.

For the dipping sauce, whisk together honey, rice wine vinegar, and the chili garlic paste.

Easy Pho: (serves 2-4)

1 container organic Pho Starter (I got mine at Fiesta)
2 cups beef broth
1 small thinly sliced onion
slices of thinly sliced beef (bought "pho" beef at the Asian Market)
fresh rice noodles (Asian Market), run under warm water for a few minutes for easier handling

Condiments:

basil
mint
sliced Jalapenos
sliced Limes
bean Sprouts
sriracha
hoisin sauce

Pour pho starter and beef broth into a deep pot along with the sliced onion.  Cover pot and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Bring down to a simmer.  At this point, you can add your beef to cook for a minute, and then add your noodles.  They'll soften in a matter of seconds.  Your pho is ready to eat!  Now wasn't that crazy easy to do??  Just make sure to use tongs to get the noodles out into your bowl and then ladle in your broth.  Eat hot with plenty of fixin's.  Enjoy!!

Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

breezy weather-fall festivals-pumpkin spice lattes-cardigans-boots-Halloween-Thanksgiving-pho


Those are just a few of the things that make me happy during this time of year.  Although the beginning of fall was a couple weeks ago, fall appropriate weather was today!  It made me forget today was a Monday and put me in such a fantastic mood all day!  All kinds of excited for fall funsies :)

Tonight I made a meal that is great eats for this beautiful weather, flavorful and juicy chicken thighs that are seared and roasted along with cauliflower and sweet potatoes.  Perfect weather calls for a perfect meal.


Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes: (serves 4)

- 4 skinless chicken thighs
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1/2 large sweet potato, cut into chunks
- olive oil
- sea salt
- black pepper
- paprika
- cumin
- garlic powder
- minced garlic

Preheat oven to 475.  Clean the chicken thighs and pat dry (dry chicken gives you a pretty caramel color when seared). Season both sides with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. I like extra black pepper on mine.

Heat up a skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tbs olive oil.  Once hot, add the chicken thighs and sear both sides for 5 min on each side.  As chicken is searing, toss the cauliflower and sweet potatoes with olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, paprika, and black pepper.

Once chicken is seared, place in a large baking dish that will fit the chicken and vegetables.  In the same skillet, throw in the vegetables and toss for a few minutes til vegetables begin to brown.  Add the vegetables to the baking dish.

Roast the chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes until sweet potatoes have softened.

Wait 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy and cuddle up :)