Tag: milk
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
I thought I would continue the pasta theme and post one of my favorite recipes. We all love lasagna in our family. I used the meat sauce from yesterdays post. The dish was even quicker to make than usual since most of the work was done. I usually eliminate the ricotta but I decided to add it to this dish. I added tons of flavor including parsley, cheese and garlic.
All in all, it was a delicious lasagna…
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Sausage and Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese
One can’t go wrong with macaroni and cheese! Especially one that is made with sausage and mushrooms. I always have chicken sausage and Cremini mushrooms in my fridge. They are my ‘to go’ ingredients- it is amazing what all I can make with just these two items.
This is a typical, from scratch macaroni and cheese- quite easy to make.. so next time you pick up the boxed variety.. think about making this one…
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Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage with Herbed Polenta
I saw this dish on Rachel Ray’s show. I can’t remember exactly what she did but it definitely inspired this recipe. I love buying the already cut up butternut squash from Trader Joes– I can’t help myself- I just pick it up. The problem is, my daughter is not a big fan- she doesn’t care for the texture. I get it- everyone has something they don’t like.. so I don’t push it.
I love the healthy, orange vegetable. I especially like it with sausage. I roasted the squash and an apple chicken sausage I got from Trader Joes as well. In case you didn’t guess, I am at TJs almost everyday.
I made herbed polenta which is the easiest starch to make. Try this dish- very easy to make…
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 pound cooked chicken sausages (apple and chardonnay), sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Transfer the squash, sausage, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and olive oil to a lined cookie sheet. Roast till the squash is tender and sausage is warmed through- about 40 minutes, while tossing one time in between. Drizzle the balsamic glaze, mix well. Keep aside.
Herbed Polenta
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons sage, chopped
- 2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Add the milk, broth (you may need to adjust quantity according to your polenta package instructions), sage, rosemary, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions. Once the polenta is done, add salt and cheese. Serve with the roasted squash and sausage.
Chorizo Lasagna with Poblano Bechamel Sauce
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…
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Indian Style Meatballs
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.
Cinnamon and Vanilla Oatmeal- For the Week
I have been making this oatmeal for my daughter for over five years now. She has it everyday- five times a week. On the weekends we mix it up a bit with eggs, etc.
I started making the oatmeal for the week when I realized she loved it so much. I use the old fashioned kind which takes a few minutes to cook since it is a bit better for you than the instant kind- less processed. I usually make it on Sundays for the week and save a lot of time in the morning through the week. I just add some for her in a bowl, top it with milk and heat it up. I slice half a banana and my daughter absolutely loves it.
I cook the oatmeal in milk. I add high quality maple syrup and cinnamon to it. A dash of salt brings out the flavor and makes it delicious. I finish it off with good vanilla extract- yum!
Last year my daughter announced she was not eating oatmeal every day. She wanted variety. I started giving her cereal, eggs, waffles, etc- but what do you know. After a few weeks- she started asking for oatmeal again- she missed it. She is a creature of habit like her mom. I can eat the same breakfast everyday- and I do.
Anyway, make this oatmeal for your kids- it is healthy and delicious!
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Greek Style Spaghetti and Meatballs
My daughter claimed these were the best meatballs I have ever made. After a compliment like that- I had to share the recipe.
I started the meatballs with my usual ground turkey meat. Any meat can be used buy I prefer turkey as it is healthier with less calories.
I wanted to make Greek style meatballs so I thought of fresh oregano and feta cheese. Garlic, shallots and parsley made them even better.
I soaked some panko crumbs in milk and added the mixture to the meat. It makes the meatballs very soft and delicious. The last thing was crumbled feta- it has great a great salty flavor.
I think the key is the homemade tomato sauce. I cooked the meatballs in the delicious sauce and served them with some yummy flavored spaghetti.
All in all it was a great meal- with a green salad and red wine on the side. Try these Greek style meatballs soon….
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