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This lasagna is a bit involved and may take a bit longer than your regular, run of the mill lasagna- but it is so worth it! The flavor is unbelievable. I decided to give the lasagna a huge punch of flavor by using, my favorite, Latin flavors!

I first roasted a medley of veggies including poblano pepper, onion, garlic and combined them all with fresh cilantro in a blender. I had a thick paste which I added to a white sauce also known as a béchamel sauce. The sauce had an amazing, smoky flavor.

I then made the meat mixture with turkey meat, onion, garlic and fresh chorizo. I also added chipotle pepper to the mix to mimic the smokey flavor of the green sauce. I always have fresh tomato sauce which I used in conjunction with the green béchamel sauce to make the dish.

I layered the lasagna with a mixture of shredded Mexican cheese- it brought the flavor profile to another level. This is one of my favorite lasagnas.. so please try it…
Click here for the recipe… »

I have mentioned this many times- my daughter loves meatballs. In fact, her birthday is coming up and I already know what she will be asking for her special meal. The great thing is that she comes up with really good ideas for new and different ingredients to add to meatballs.

I have to give her full credit for this recipe. She is the one who suggested I make Indian style meatballs. She loves the Indian style burgers I make quite often- in fact she doesn’t like to eat plain burgers restaurants as she only likes the ones I make at home.

So, I ran with her idea and came up with this delicious recipe. I added the usual suspects including ginger, garlic and a shallot. I also added cilantro, coriander powder and garam masala. All of these ingredients created delicious and flavorful meatballs.

I cooked them in my favorite homemade tomato sauce. You can use your favorite store bought tomato sauce as well but nothing like the homemade variety.

This is a great way to change up your usual meatball recipe and make things a bit more interesting…

• 1 pound ground turkey (dark meat)
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro

Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cilantro into a food processor and process till smooth.
Take the mixture out into a medium bowl.

• ½ cup panko crumbs
• ¼ cup milk

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 15 minutes.

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons salt

Add the soaked breadcrumbs, egg, garam masala, coriander, and salt into the shallot mixture. Mix well and add to the ground turkey. Mix with both hands. Keep aside for 2 to 3 hours.

• 3 cups marinara sauce

Heat the sauce in a large saucepan.

In the meantime form meatballs (the mixture makes about 14 meatballs). Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce as you form them. Once all the meatballs are in the saucepan, simmer covered for 15 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with spaghetti.

A Latin style risotto, you ask? Well, why not?? Risotto is one of our favorite things to eat and I am always trying to make it in new and different ways incorporating new ingredients every time. Risotto is made with Arborio rice which is a thick grained rice. It is white rice and thus processed- the key is to use the best ingredients one can find while making risotto and eat it in moderation. Usually risotto is finished with cream, butter and cheese making it quite heavy. It can be made lighter and healthier by using good olive oil and a moderate amounts of cheese.

This risotto is a bit different from the Italian variety. I decided to use some Latin flavors… so, I marinated the shrimp with some smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. I then sautéed some shallots and garlic. I added the rice, kidney beans. I cooked the risotto with chicken broth and added fresh baby spinach. The addition of all these yummy ingredients make this risotto quite light and very delicious. The key to making light dishes is to boost the flavor factor- in this case, it is the delicious marinated shrimp.

Try this dish next time you want to have a delicious, healthy and different risotto- try this one..
Click here for the recipe… »

Vegetarian dish number three- this is a really delicious one…. it is hard to remember it is made without any meat. One of my husband’s favorite pasta dishes is pasta primavera. It is typically made with seasonal vegetables, a delicious marinara sauce and pasta of choice. I have made many different versions of it over the years but I have to say, this one is my favorite.

I roasted some red pepper, squash and zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roasting vegetables brings out the nutty, sweetness which is delicious in this dish. I mixed the veggies in a mixture of pesto and homemade marinara sauce. To make even more different, I tossed the pasta with some chopped fresh mozzarella.

I then roasted the dish in the oven till the cheese became soft and oozy. I served it with some delicious garlic bread and a yummy red wine… and we did not miss the meat…
Click here for the recipe… »

I made this dish with the citrus chicken. I love making broccoli and sometimes run out of ways of reinventing the vegetable. I sautéed up some sliced garlic to start with. I then added the broccoli. I added some delicious white wine, orange juice and zest.

This dish has incredible flavor thanks to the garlic, wine and orange zest. It is simple to make and it complements the citrus chicken beautifully.

Make this side dish next time you are confused about how to make your broccoli!
Click here for the recipe… »