My Lasagna

Happy Groundhog Day! Ah, let's kick off my first post of 2019 with a recipe I thought I had already posted--one of my own creations, my version of lasagna! Like most of my other recipes, I was inspired to create it when I could not find a recipe that matched what I wanted. I love mushrooms, I had some fresh basil (it was last summer...), and I did not want to have to mess with making my own sauce. I've made this a few times now and everyone that has had it has loved it. I've even left out the sausage on part of it for my brother and it was still quite tasty. Enjoy!

Update! Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/4r4KbSNVPrw

Ingredients:

16 lasagna noodles

1 package (5 links/~16-19 oz.) hot Italian sausage

olive oil or butter

16 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

1 T. jarred minced garlic (or 6 cloves fresh, if preferred)

~2 T. chopped fresh basil

15 oz. whole or part-skim milk ricotta

½ c. shredded Parmesan

1 (8 oz.) bag Italian blend cheese

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 egg

1 jar Classico tomato & basil sauce

1 jar Classico four cheese sauce

1 (16 oz.--I think) bag Mozzarella

extra Parmesan for top

if desired: shredded Fontina cheese for top (I have done it both with and without this)

Directions:

1. Cook lasagna according to package directions.

2. Remove casings from sausages and cook in a skillet, over medium high heat, breaking up into crumbles, until sausage is cooked through.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pan (transfer to a bowl), leaving rendered grease behind in pan. Lower heat to medium, add a little olive oil or butter to the grease, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until mushrooms are softened/done, then remove from heat and stir in basil. Set aside.

4. Combine next 5 ingredients (ricotta through egg) in a medium bowl.

5. Blend the 2 jars of sauces together (I use my food processor, as we don't prefer chunky tomatoes. If you use a food processor, you may have to combine half of each jar at a time--look for the 'max liquid' level).

6. Heat oven to 375°F.

7. Construct lasagna: start with a small amount of sauce to coat bottom of pan.

8. Add a layer of 4 noodles, then top with a thin layer of around 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.

9. Top ricotta mixture with around 1/3 of mushroom mixture, followed by around 1/3 of crumbled sausage. (I forgot to take the pic with the sausage on)

10. Top with around 1/4 of the Mozzarella, followed by around 1/4 of sauce.

11. Repeat layering (starting with noodles) 2 more times. Top with a layer of noodles, followed by the last 1/4 of the sauce and last 1/4 of the Mozzarella. Sprinkle Fontina over top of Mozzarella (if desired/using). (And I forgot to get pic with the cheese on, d'oh!)

12. Bake, uncovered, for 45 min. Let cool/rest for 10 min, then serve and enjoy!!

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

...or spicy heaven on Earth?  Yeah, they really are, I swear.  Hi, it's me, that person that loves to cook yet has 3,657,982 other things that seem to interfere lol.  Anyway, I decided to indulge myself a bit and finally cook something new this Labor day weekend.  As I have done many times, I looked around for recipes, found inspiration but not exactly what I wanted, and created my own.  And, oh, how glad I am that I did!  It's so easy and tasty...yep, another 10...and I already want to make it again!  Enjoy :)  P.S. I wasn't sure if it would turn out, so I only have a pic of the end result for now; will post step pictures after next time I make.

Ingredients:

4 poblano peppers
12 oz. mild (or spicy, if you like) chorizo sausage, casings removed
6 oz. tomato sauce
heavy cream (I did not measure--am guessing around 1/4 to 1/3c.)
1 T. taco seasoning (I use McCormick brand)
Shredded Chihuahua cheese, to taste/for topping (I think I used around 2 oz.)

Instructions:

1. Turn broiler on HI.  Cut poblanos in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place on a broiler pan.  Broil with cut side up for 5-7 min., then turn over and broil for additional 4 min.

2. Remove from oven and place poblanos in a plastic zip bag.  Let them rest for a few minutes, then remove and peel off loose skin pieces.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chorizo sausage, chopping into crumbles as you cook it.  Drain off fat from skillet.

4. Add tomato sauce, cream, and taco seasoning to skillet.  Stir and cook for around 2 minutes more (I did not time this).

5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place poblanos cut side up on prepared sheet, then fill each with chorizo mixture.

6. Top each filled pepper with cheese, then return to broiler for 2-3 minutes (until cheese has melted).  Serve with desired side and enjoy! (I served with Rice-A-Roni Mexican Rice and chips and salsa, mmm!  Oh, and a margarita to drink :D )

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet with Veggies

This is a recipe I tried out with my mom during my most recent visit to her place.  There aren't many pictures because it's a very simple/easy recipe.  We modified a bit, especially when it came to the amount of zucchini and summer squash.  It seemed to be turning out larger than perhaps the original recipe had intended, so I went with 3 T. of cajun spice instead of the 2 in the original recipe.  This made it VERY spicy; I will use the 2 T. next time, so that is what I wrote in the recipe below.  It's a super delicious way to get in lots of veggies, so I'm giving it a 9.5--might go 10 if the spice balance is better when I make this next time (will update then).  Enjoy!

Original recipe link: https://therecipecritic.com/cajun-shrimp-and-sausage-vegetable-skillet/

Ingredients:

12 oz. frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed (we used the pink/pre-cooked, but think you could use either)
14 oz. Kielbasa sausage
3 to 4 cups sliced/chopped zucchini  (I used 2 good size zucchini, sliced them in the food processor, then cut the slices in fourths)
1 yellow summer squash, slices/chopped (same as zucchini)
1 bunch asparagus, snapped and top part cut into bite-size pieces (discard lower halves)
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, sliced in thin strips
salt and pepper, to taste (I think I may leave out the pepper next time)
2 T. Cajun spice
2-3 T. olive oil

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients except olive oil together in a large bowl (we had to use mom's Tupperware 'fix and mix' to hold it all).

2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over med-high heat.  Add olive oil to coat bottom, then add the contents of bowl to pan.  (Note: we had to cook in 2 batches because it would not all fit in her largest cast iron skillet!)

3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies have softened (around 8 minutes).  Serve up and enjoy!

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Chicken

Pardon my absence of the last couple of months--it's been hectic with the moving in to the new place, so I haven't gotten a lot of cooking in.  And even when I have, I haven't managed to blog about it, so I have a few to catch up on once I get back in the flow.
As for this dish, it's an absolute 10 all the way--so very tasty!  So much so that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before we all dove in...oops.  I will do my best to get a pic up of the finished product next time I make it...or the next...or the next after that...
Enjoy!

Adapted from this recipe: https://therecipecritic.com/creamy-bacon-mushroom-thyme-chicken/

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into small strips
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Italian seasoning (I did not measure)
Kosher salt (did not measure)
coarse ground black pepper (did not measure)
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
~1 T. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook bacon strips over medium heat (in cast iron skillet if possible) until starting to crisp at the edges.  Transfer out of skillet to drain on a paper towel.

2. Season chicken thighs with Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper.  Place thighs in the skillet (in rendered fat from the bacon, still over medium heat).  Cook, turning occasionally, until no pink remains and thighs are starting to brown well.  Transfer thighs to a plate.

3. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook, frequently, until mushrooms have rendered their moisture.  As more moisture is released, scrape the browned bits from the chicken that loosen while stirring.

4. Return cooked bacon pieces to pan and add all remaining ingredients.  Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up remaining browned bits from chicken, until sauce begins to thicken slightly.

5. Return chicken to pan and stir to coat in the sauce.  Serve with desired side and enjoy!  (I served this with rosemary potatoes, paired perfectly :))

Chicken, Sausage, Mushrooms, and Potatoes

Made on 27 Jan 2018
As I think I have mentioned previously, I've been trying to use up items in my freezer in order to prepare for moving soon (hopefully this week...fingers crossed!)  I had some chicken thighs and some Italian sausage links, tried to find a recipe that sounded good to use both, yet none were standing out to me.  Then an idea hit me: I could try using the mixture that I use for roasted Parmesan potatoes on chicken and sausage.  And add in potatoes. And mushrooms!  Yes, this sounded great!  And guess what--it was :)  I'll rate this a 9 out of 10, as it's super good, but not quite mind-blowing level.  I will definitely make again, it's quite easy and satisfying!

Ingredients:

15 petite golden potatoes (the ones that look bite-size from Little Potato Company are what I used), cut in quarters
3 mild Italian sausage links, cut in 1/2" slices
8 oz. button mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed, and quartered
splash of olive oil
1 package of Kirkland brand boneless, skinless chicken thighs (not sure what this actually weighs--they are the ones you can get from Costco that come in 6-packs), cut in large chunks
3 T. canola oil
6 T. grated Parmesan cheese (should have been 9, but I oopsed--think I will go 9 next time)
2 T. dried parsley
1/2 T. garlic powder
3/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt* (I also oopsed on salt--left it out entirely somehow!  We ended up salting after it cooked, so I think it could use at least 1 tsp, up to 1 T.  Will note result when I make this next time and add in.  I left out the paprika on purpose, as I was not sure if it would go with the sausage.)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray (**I tried going without the spray this time and regretted it).

2. Place potatoes in a small microwave safe bowl and cover.  Cook in microwave for 5 min.  Leave in microwave until needed.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat (7 on my stove), brown sausage all over.  Transfer to a bowl, leaving rendered fat in skillet.

4. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up their liquid and brown a bit.  Transfer to same bowl as sausage.

5. Add a splash of olive oil to skillet and cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned all over.  Transfer chicken to same bowl as sausage-mushroom mixture.

6. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients.

7. Add potatoes and sausage mixture to large bowl and stir until all is coated evenly with seasoning mixture.

8. Pour mixture and spread evenly on prepared baking sheet.  Transfer to oven and bake for 20 min.  Serve up and enjoy!

Easy Crispy Mongolian Beef

Mmm.  This was a great little recipe to try on a weeknight for something different and easy.  It's quite tasty--another 9 out of 10 (not mind blowing, but pretty dang good!)  Will make again soon, probably with just half the sauce (see note below).  Enjoy!

link to original recipe: http://www.scrambledchefs.com/easy-crispy-mongolian-beef-recipe/

Ingredients:

for the meat--
1 lb. flank steak (or beef tenderloin, beef chuck), cut in strips  (**note to self: next time, pat dry with paper towels after cutting)
1/4 c. cornstarch
oil for deep frying

for the sauce (this is actually enough for 2 lbs of meat, but I forgot and made this much for 1 lb)--
2 T. cooking oil
1 T. ginger root, minced
1 T. garlic, minced
1/2 c. soy sauce (I used, and suggest, low sodium version)
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. hoisin sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch, whisked in 1 T. water
*optional: 1 tsp. red pepper flakes*
1/2 c. green onion, chopped in 1" pieces (**I did not use, as I didn't have any on hand and hubby doesn't like)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in deep fryer.  (**No temp was indicated for this in the original recipe, so I went with 350°F.  I think next time I will try 325°F, as the beef fried very quickly and think it could get a better crispiness if it went longer.)

2. Toss the beef strips in the cornstarch, then fry, in batches, until appears crisped on outside (this was about 2 minutes per batch at 350°F, thus a longer time will be needed at a lower temp).

3. Make sauce: add the 2 T. of oil to a medium saucepan over high heat.

4. When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger and garlic quickly and stir constantly for 10 seconds.

5. Immediately add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and hoisin sauce.  Stir together and bring to a rapid boil.

6. Add the brown sugar and cornstarch mixture, stirring to combine.

7. Add in the beef strips and let cook for 2 minutes.

8. If using, add in the red pepper flakes and green onions. Cook for 1 additional minute.

9. Serve with desired side (I chose basmati rice) and enjoy!

**Original recipe indicates that if you desire a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch by 1 tsp. and mix 2 additional 2 tsp. of water in with it.  I think I will try this next time I make.**

Iced Oatmeal Cookies (soft)

This is another one of those "stop what you are doing now and make these!" recipes--if you like oatmeal cookies, anyway.  Seriously.  Do it.  Now!  Ok, fine, wait until you are in the kitchen.  Get there already and start up the oven, it's yummy time!  These are just wonderful.  10+.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/a5BqD9084s4

Link to original recipe: http://www.motherthyme.com/2013/11/iced-oatmeal-cookies.html

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

for the icing--
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment (or spray with non-stick cooking spray).

2. Pulse rolled oats a few times in a food processor, just enough to break into coarse chunks/crumbs.

3. In a large bowl, combine processed oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar in the bowl of a stand/electric mixer.

5. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.

6. Gradually add in flour mixture, mixing just until combined (**I will use dough hook next time for this step).

7. Form dough balls size of around 2 T. and place on prepared baking sheet, 2" apart. (**I used my cookie scoop, which I think is actually 1.5 T and it worked great.)

8. Bake for 10-12 min, or until golden brown at edges (was 11 min. for mine).

9. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

10. Prepare icing:  Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together in a bowl that is wider than the cookies (I used my 4 c. Pyrex glass measure and it worked perfectly).

11. Dip top of each cookie in the icing and then set on wire rack to let icing set (and any excess drip off).

12. Grab a glass of milk and try not to eat the whole batch at once :)