Leftover Chicken Lasagna
After I made the delicious stew, I had some chicken left over- this is a great way to make a completely new dish!!! If you haven’t cooked the stew and don’t have leftover chicken- just buy a rotisserie chicken…
- Leftover chicken breast, meat taken off and chopped, mixed with any leftover gravy. It should be about a cup.
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and keep aside.
- 3 to 4 cups fresh tomato sauce
- 9 lasagna noodles (I used no bake ones)
- 1 medium sized oven proof dish
- 5 to 6 small slices of fresh mozzarella
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dip the no bake noodles in tomato sauce and place three at the bottom of the dish. Add half the amount of ricotta cheese mixture and top with half the amount of chicken. Top with three more no bake noodles (dipped in tomato sauce) and repeat the process. Finally top with the last three no bake noodles (dipped in tomato sauce) and add at least a cup of tomato sauce on top, covering all corners (add more sauce if needed). Top with fresh mozzarella and then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Take out and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash
This is my current favorite snack. I buy the already cut up butternut squash or sweet potatoes- I know that is quite lazy but I chose to look at the big picture… it enables me to eat healthy, delicious things. Anyway, I have been roasted a tray full every few days and eat some for either a meal or a snack. I roast the sweet squash with smoked paprika and dried jalapeño pepper. The spices give the dish a yummy smoky and spicy flavor. I highly recommend this one- low in calories and high in flavor… best of all, it is good for you. Make this part of your healthy eating repertoire…
- 2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried jalapeno pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the butternut squash on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, smoked paprika and jalapeno pepper. Mix well and roast in oven for 45 to 55 minutes till soft and golden brown. Take out and serve.
Hoppin John- A New Year’s Eve Tradition
I was doing an article for the patch for New Years. My editor told me something about a tradition in the South called Hoppin John. I had never heard to the dish or the tradition and decided to do some research.
Turns out it is a dish made with rice and beans. It is to be eaten at midnight, New Year’s eve to bring good luck. The idea is to eat poor that night and eat rich the rest of the year.
Sounded good to me. As I read a bit more, I noticed it is usually made with some pork product and is served with some Southern style greens. I started thinking and decided to make mine with pancetta. I added some onions, garlic and green peppers to that. I also added dried thyme and made it mine by adding- yes, you guessed it- smoked paprika. I sauteed the mixture and added a can of black eyed peas, the rice and chicken broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a lot of baby spinach.
I decided to make this into a one pot meal and healthy. Since traditionally the dish is served with greens, I decided to add mine right into the rice and beans.
The result was a delicious and quick comforting dish. Definitely make this for New Year’s Eve to ensure good luck for the rest of the Year- and Happy New Year to you and your family!
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can of black eyed peas
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces baby spinach
Heat a saucepan with the pancetta and olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and mix well. Add the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan half way. Simmer for 10 minutes and cover all the way and lower the heat. Cook for another ten minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for ten minutes and add the spinach, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.
Gingerbread Cake with Whipped Cream and Candied Ginger & Chocolate Ganache
Here are some dessert ideas for the holidays…
- 2½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup extra light olive oil
- ½ cup evaporated cane juice
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup molasses mixed with 1 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and line two 9 inch round pans.
Combine the flour, baking soda, spices and the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk and keep aside.
Beat together the oil and sugar with an electric mixture for a minute. Add the egg and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. In 3 batches, alternately bean in flour mixture and molasses mixture on a low speed. Beat till smooth and pour batter into the two pans dividing equally. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
Take out and let cool.
Filling
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped
Beat the cream with an electric beater till stiff peaks are formed. Add the sugar and ginger and mix well.
Place the first layer of cake onto a cake stand and add the filling, smoothing it all over. Place the second layer and gently press down, cleaning up any filling spilling out of the cakes.
Topping
- 6 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cups whipping cream
Heat the cream in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the edges, turn the heat off and take the pan off the stove. Add the chocolate and stir until it melts. Let cool and pour the ganache over the cake covering the sides evenly.
Top the cake with candied ginger for decoration.
Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup oat bran
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.
In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.
Roasted Shallot and Dill Cheese Burgers
- 1 large shallot, ends cut off
- 3 garlic cloves, ends cut off
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the shallot and garlic cloves on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of oil and roast in oven for 30 to 40 minutes, till soft. Take out of foil and cool. Squeeze the garlic and shallot out of the skin and chop if needed. Add to the ground turkey.
- 1 pound dark meat ground turkey
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cheddar cheese slices
- 4 ciabatta rolls, sliced
Transfer the ground turkey, roasted shallot, roasted garlic, cilantro, mint, dill, egg and salt into a bowl. Mix well and form into four patties. Grill or cook the burgers on the stovetop. Top with cheese and place on ciabatta rolls. Dress the burgers with tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise.
Shami Kebab
These are kebabs typically made out of beef- very prevalent in Pakistani cuisine. They are one of my favorites- but I had never made them before…
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 1/3 cup channa dal
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup nutmeg powder
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoon extra light olive oil
Soak the channa dal in half a cup of water for an hour. Transfer the beef, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger, onion, yogurt, salt and the channa dal with the water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook on a simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat until all the liquid is cooked off. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Once the mixture is fully cooled, transfer into a food processor and add the egg, cilantro, mint and salt. Process till everything is smooth and incorporated. Form flat patties by using a tablespoon measure. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the patties, about 3 to 4 at a time and brown on each side. Serve warm with cilantro chutney.