The Real Deal

So when you go shopping, you find a pair of tennis shoes, you try them on and they're the best shoes you've ever tried on in your life. You buy them and after a couple days you just say to yourself, man, I wish I would have found these shoes a long time ago, my feet have never been more comfortable in their life! Well, that just happened with dinner tonight!! Why have I ever in my life, made lasagna with pasta? One will never know!!



Cheese Noodle Lasagna 
(Serves 4)

Noodles:
2 large Eggs
4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder


Filling
1 lb Ground Beef, 85% lean
1 1/2 cups Rao Marinara Sauce
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Basil
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

Noodles:
1) Preheat the oven to 375F and line a 9"x13" (or larger) baking dish with parchment paper. Using a mixer, blend together the eggs and cream cheese until nice and smooth. Add the Parmesan and spices and blend until combined. Add the mozzarella to the mixture and fold it in with a wooden spoon or spatula, don't use the mixer.
2) Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before cutting in half.

Filling & Assembly:
1) In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add spices and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2) Put 1/3 of the beef mixture in the bottom of an 8"x8" baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the noodle sheet. Layer another third of the sauce on the noodle. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan over sauce. Top with second 1/2 of the noodle. Use the remaining meat sauce to cover the noodle and sprinkle remaining mozzarella on the meat sauce. Sprinkle with parsley for added color if desired.
3) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes until bubbly and hot.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Calories: 540
Fat: 38g
Carb: 5  Net Carb: 4
Protein: 39

This lasagna is seriously the best lasagna you will ever eat! The texture is amazing, the flavors are spot on and the cheese noodles stand up to the test! Italian eating is no longer off the menu, in fact, it'll definitely be on there more often!

Everybody loves Taco Pie!

I'll never work through my 3 years of "Cuisine At Home" but I'm sure going to give it a valiant effort!  I had a full menu already planned and shopped for so I had to use up those items before moving on to the challenge.  Now, the next week is all planned and shopped for and is nothing but those recipes so hopefully my blog will once again be flowing!  On another note, I'm so lucky to have a husband, family and friends that go along with all my whims - they will truly understand the topsy turvy nature of my blog!

This Taco Pie is a little different than any taco pie I've tried or made.  But then it comes from the magazine "Cuisine At Home" so I expected it to be wonderfully different (even with some minor modifications).  It definitely did not let me down!  The magazine describes it like this and it hits the nail on the head:

"Tender like a tamale but filled with all the best parts of a taco, this pie will be a hit."

Taco Pie
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups masa harina
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp each garlic powder & ground cumin
1/4 tsp each dried oregano & ground coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup onion, grated
1 lb ground beef, lean
1 large chipotle chile in adobo, minced
1 tbsp adobo sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1 cup cheese, grated
2 cups corn chips, broken in pieces
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream

~ Preheat oven to 350F
~ For the crust, cook water, masa harina and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until very thick, about 6 minutes.  (Seriously THICK and seriously 6 minutes).  Spread dough onto parchment paper to speed cooling.  Once cool enough to handle, press dough into an oiled 8" cast-iron skillet with greased hands; bake until firm, 30-45 minutes.
~  For the first layer, cook garlic powder, cumin, oregano and coriander in 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add beans; cook until heated through.  Spread mixture into bottom of cooked crust.
~ For second layer, saute onion in 1 tbsp oil over high heat for 1 minute.  Add ground beef; saute until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Drain all but 2 tbsp drippings, reduce heat to medium, stir in chipotle, adobo, and chili powder; season with salt and pepper.  Spread mixture over beans and transfer to oven to keep pie warm while preparing avocado mixture.
~  Puree avocado, cream cheese, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth; season with salt and pepper.  Remove pie from oven and spread over beef mixture.
~  Garnish with remaining ingredients, slice and serve!

This will serve about 6 people depending on appetites!  Might only serve four if you've got some good eaters because trust me, they will eat this!  

The adobo gives this pie a wonderful smokey flavor and the chili powder gives it just a tiny tiny bit of heat.  Definitely add more adobo or chili powder if you like heat!  Now, remember the magazine quote I added in the beginning of the post?  The part about the tamale?  That's very important to remember because this is definitely not your traditional pie!  If you want a crunchy crust use pie crust - this is a soft, warm, tender crust that screams tamale while the top side is a wonderful laid back taco!

Enjoy!

Taste Buds & Texture

Meatloaf?

I've never liked meatloaf...  never!  To me it's dry, bland and mundane no matter what sauce you add or how many eggs, bacon and Velveeta slices are put in or on it!  Even though hubby loves it, kids devour it and diners and cafes serve it for lunch and dinner, I only make it once or twice a year to spoil the family!

Not anymore!  I finally found a recipe that is called meatloaf but is so much more.  It's not only got taste, it's got texture and lots of it!

Meatloaf Cupcakes
1 egg
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, part skim
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
9 oz frozen spinach (box)
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 1/2 lb ground beef, 96%
Brown gravy mix

Mashed Potatoes
3 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 lb cauliflower florets
1/3 cup buttermilk, 1%
3 tbsp cream cheese, fat free

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix first 8 ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Add ground beef and mix lightly with a large fork until just combined, do not over mix or your meatloaf may end up dry.  Use aluminum muffin cups for the best results and fill them using a large ice cream scoop.  Bake approximately 30 minutes until no longer pink.  While meatloaf is baking, boil potatoes and cauliflower until soft; drain well. Transfer potatoes and cauliflower to a food processor or electric mixer bowl, add buttermilk and cream cheese.  Process/mix until smooth and creamy.  Prepare gravy mix according to package directions.  Pipe/spoon potato mixture onto tops of meatloaf muffins to resemble frosting and sprinkle with pine nuts.  Drizzle prepared gravy over the top.  Makes 12 cupcakes, 2 per serving, 10 points+ per serving.

After making these a second time, I have resolved that I will never again make ordinary meatloaf!  The taste and texture of these beautiful cupcakes is like nothing I've eaten before.  Try them and
I'm sure you'll agree!

Surprises at the dinner table!

Kids...  aren't they precious!

Mine aren't really what you would call picky eaters since they have to put up with me and all my fancies in the kitchen but they do tend to push a lot of the more colorful things off to the side.  I encourage them (basically force them) to try everything just in case it tastes different than the last time and they usually indulge me.  Last night was no different!  They took one look at the red pepper and said "We only eat the inside, right"?  I informed them to try a bite with both the inside AND a piece of the pepper and guess what?

SURPRISE!

All three of them agreed it was pretty darn good!  The sweet pepper really added to the spices and flavors of the filling.  Now you try...

Sante Fe Stuffed Peppers (6 servings)

3 large red bell peppers

1 lb ground beef, 95% lean

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 (11 oz) can Steam Crisp Mexi-Corn

6 (or more) pickled Jalapeno sliced, chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp cilantro, dried

2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup chicken broth, fat free

1 cup colby jack cheese, 2%, shredded

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove all the seeds and membrane.  The stem may be left on or removed.  Place in a deep roasting pan and set aside.  In a large skillet, begin browning the ground beef.  When partially cooked, add the onion, green bell pepper and garlic and continue to cook until ground beef is no longer pink.  Add the black beans, corn, jalapenos, tomatoes and spices.  Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until flavors have combined and any juices have evaporated.  Divide the cooked mixture evenly into the prepared red bell peppers.  Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan and cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and divide the cheese evenly on top of each pepper.  Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.  Serve piping hot!

I will definitely add these to my favorites and next time I might even spice them up a bit more!  This recipe will serve 6 people with average appetites and is only 7 WW points plus.  I'm thinking maybe some rice in there the next time to make them just a tad bit more filling and to provide those ever-loving carbs!

So what's the next surprise for the kids?  How about some seafood, that's always fun!

Tropics in the Fall

I'm back!  It feels so good!

Now it's time to get back in the kitchen and create!  This week will be spent on all the wonderful food and treats for the Dia De Los Muertos Halloween Party but I thought I'd jump on here real quick and jot something down and share a recipe just to get back in the swing of things.

Typically, when I make a meal, everything has the same ethnic or cultural background.  When I saw the idea for a Hungry Hawaiian Burger I knew it was time for a Tropical BBQ, complete with Hawaiian Pasta Salad!  As I glance up outside and see the fall colors and the misty sky, and I feel the coldness on my bare toes, I think it's time, once again, for a Tropical BBQ!

Hungry Hawaiian Burgers
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
6 large mushrooms, sliced
1 pineapple, cored and sliced
1 recipe (below) homemade teriyaki sauce
6 slices Havarti cheese
6 Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns
Romaine lettuce
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter

Season the ground beef with salt and pepper.  The homemade teriyaki sauce and grilled pineapple are the flavors here so don't over do the seasonings.  Shape the ground beef into thick patties and set aside at room temperature.  Saute the mushrooms in butter, adding a pinch of salt and pepper while cooking.  Don't overcook them, cook them just until soft.  Remove from heat and set aside.  We'll be grilling the beef patties and pineapple slices until nice grill marks appear and burgers are at the proper temperature as soon as the teriyaki sauce is done!

Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
Juice of 2 fresh orange wedges
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
Dash of ground ginger

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small saucepan.  Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until it starts to reach a boil.  Remove from heat and stir again.  Set aside while you grill the burgers and pineapple slices (I lightly grill the buns too, they look pretty and they stand up to all the dripping just a little bit better).

Assemble the burgers:  Open bun, place burger on the bottom half of the bun, add a slice of the Havarti cheese, a few mushroom slices on that and then a grilled pineapple slice.  Spoon some sweet aromatic teriyaki sauce over that beautiful stack, add some Romaine lettuce and the top of the bun and enjoy!

My mouth is watering!  Time to make the grocery list and include these ingredients.  Oh, by the way, when I was in Hawaii at the Dole Plantation I learned to pick a fresh pineapple - the only way to know if it's perfect on the inside is to look at the eyes on the outside - they must all be the same size.  Don't worry about color and definitely not the smell (too ripe if you can smell it), just go by the size of the eyes.  And also, always rinse the pineapple in cold water before serving or grilling and it won't "burn" your mouth!

Aloha!

Special Requests

Writing this blog is like my food journal.  I started it for two reasons:  1) putting my recipes in a place where they won't get lost and 2) giving my friends access to some of my favorite recipes.  When a friend asks for a specific recipe it sure does validate that second reason!

Barry put on his facebook status today something about having Salisbury Steak for lunch.  That was dinner last night and I usually make sure I make enough so he has leftovers the next day for lunch.  Especially when it's a "Man Dinner" like Salisbury Steak!

Not only is Barry smiling with a satisfied tummy, I'm smiling because a friend has asked for a specific recipe!  This one's for you Kim!

Salisbury Steak and Potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

2 lbs ground beef (96/4)

2 garlic bulbs

4 slices turkey bacon, crumbled

2 tsp steak seasoning

3 pkgs brown gravy mix, prepared

7 medium russet potatoes

1/2 cup cream cheese, fat free

1/2 cup half & half, fat free

2 tbsp butter

 

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Slice the top off the garlic bulbs so every clove is exposed.  Place on a small square of foil and drizzle with olive oil.  Fold edges of foil together making a sealed bundle.  Bake 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the bulb.  When cool enough to handle remove the cloves by gently squeezing the bulb.

Add 2 tsp of olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat.  Once hot, add the chopped onion and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Set aside.
Peel and boil potatoes.  When soft, drain and add cream cheese, half & half and butter.  Mash until creamy.  Cover and keep warm.

Combine the ground beef, bacon bits, onion, roasted garlic and seasonings.  Form into oval shaped patties.  Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet.  Once hot, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Place in a warm oven while preparing gravy.

Add 2 tsp olive oil to the skillet.  Add the mushrooms and let them sit, without stirring or flipping, for 3-4 minutes.  Flip the mushrooms and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Add the prepared gravy.

There are also some little tricks and ideas that I do different depending on my mood.  For instance, if I have some red wine on hand I'll deglaze the skillet after browning the mushrooms...  what am I talking about, I always have red wine on hand!!  Of course if I haven't been to the grocery store specifically for this recipe I make the gravy from scratch (1/2 cup flour to the mushroom pan, add some beef stock, a little worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and the red wine).  Not to mention the order of the recipe...  it's hard to put it into recipe form but really you have to do all of it all at the same time!  While the potatoes are boiling make the patties and start cooking them and while they're cooking you drain the potatoes and while those are draining....  aw heck, you get the idea!

Any other special requests?

Exterior Makeover

Everybody knows that when you don't like the outside of something you generally don't like the "something" and most of the time won't try it. That's true for food, clothing, people, restaurants, hotels... you name it. We all know the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but are we really good at following that advice? The media would definitely say no - beauty sells! An ugly meal on the cover of a cookbook is not going to sell the cookbook no matter how healthy, nutritious or tasty it is. And who knows this better than our kids?!

For this reason I decided to create one of my favorite comfort meals with a whole new "cover". By changing the outside I figured I may be able to get my daughters to at least take a bite! And not knowing what it was... they did!! They loved it!

Try it for yourself and get those picky eaters to eat an old favorite!

In-Side Out Cabbage Rolls

1 lb lean ground beef (96%)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup beef broth
8 oz pizza sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, reduced fat, shredded

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink; drain as needed. Stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, pizza sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender. Stir in the rice and heat through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and let it stand until the cheese is melted.

I served it in bowls to allow all the juices to stay with it and a slice of garlic toast made with Sarah Lee Delightful 45 calorie bread. For 1 1/2 cups and the slice of bread it was only 6 WW PointsPlus value!! That serving size is rather large too so the points can be adjusted with the serving size.

The family has gotten used to not asking what's in something so I lucked out! Had the kids known it was cabbage I may not have succeeded at giving this not-so-pretty meal a much needed makeover! Will they ever learn not to judge by the outside? I'm not so sure about that but I'm doing my part to teach them well!

This makes me want a haircut and some new foundation...