vegetable lasagna

i have finally gotten to the point in life where i can make up my own lasagna recipe.  i feel like there should be some kind of award for this... but i'll take the whopping pan of wonderfulness as my reward.  :)

i LOVE making lasagna.  i don't know why - something about bringing together all the different parts to form something truly delicious... it makes me feel strong and confident and like this one pan is proof that i actually CAN cook.  i don't make it too often though because, lets face it, it's a bit of a production.  i end up using almost every dish in the house just getting it ready.  but ooohhh is it worth it, and it freezes and reheats great.

Vegetable Lasagna - serves 6-8
prep time: forever  cook time: 1hr-ish

1 onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 zuchinni, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 pepper, colour of your choice, chopped - note: you can add whatever veggies you like.  i really wanted to add eggplant this time but there weren't any at the grocery store, so this was what i used.  but really, use up whatever you've got in the house or whatever sounds good to you
4 cups tomato sauce - canned, homemade, seasoned, whatever floats your lasagna loving boat.
12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 cup light cottage cheese
1 cup light ricotta cheese
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 egg (optional)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
seasoning: basil, oregano, parsley, salt & pepper to taste - i go big on basil because the husband likes it that way, but oregano is a good dominating flavour too.

the complicated bit:

prepare the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.  drain, rinse, and set aside.

saute the onions, garlic, and celery in a large skillet in a bit of olive oil for 2ish minutes.  add the rest of the vegetables and some seasonings and cook until just beginning to soften.  set aside.

mix the cottage cheese, ricotta, 1/2 the mozzarella, and the egg together with some seasonings.  set aside.

in a 9x13 glass baking dish, assemble as follows:
a bit of tomato sauce on the bottom
4 lasagna noodles
1/3 sauce on top of the noodles
1/2 the veggies
1/2 the cheese mixture
4 more noodles
1/3 sauce
1/2 the veggies
1/2 the cheese mixture
last 4 noodles
rest of the sauce

cover and bake at 350 for 45mins - 1hr, checking to see if it's heating all the way through in the middle.  when it looks done, add the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.  remove from the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes.  serve, enjoy, and greatly inflate your personal sense of culinary ability.

honey barbecued chicken kabobs

i wish i had taken a picture of wednesday night's dinner, it was so pretty!  but it was also sooo gooood and i was ravenous and it was gone before i had any thoughts of photos or blogging.  so you'll have to use your imagination.  but trust me, it was a pleasing plate full of colours and deliciousness.  quick to make and easy on the budget without lacking in flavour!


Honey Barbecued Chicken Kabobs
prep time: 10mins  cook time: 10-20mins
serves 2

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 of each red, yellow, and green peppers, cut into chunks
1 onion, cut into 8ths and separated two or three layers thick
a bit of fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

sauce:
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
sprinkle of ginger powder or some fresh grated ginger

arrange the ingredients on wooden skewers (pre-soaked) in a colourful and delightful manner.
brush with sauce.  barbecue until the chicken is done, brushing with sauce occasionally.  devour.


these would make really nice summer company food, but since the husband doesn't mind barbecuing in february, they also make a really nice mid-winter meal!  they'd be great served with a grain and a salad - we had edamame with ours, which was also very yummy, but more importantly, quick.  i already want this dinner again!

squash with cranberry rice stuffing

we made this recipe a while ago and i LOVED it!  i should have posted it over christmas (instead of eating cookies every day) because it's a lovely holiday dish.  my apologies.  it would make a great side dish, but it also makes a decent light lunch.  not to mention it's a great way to cook in season, using the abundance of squash in the stores this time of year.


Squash with Cranberry Rice Stuffing
adapted from:  Sobey's Inspired Magazine, Fall 2010
prep time: 20 mins   cook time: 60 mins

1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 tbsp melted butter, divided - or your favourite low fat alternative
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded - save those seeds!  see below.
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnut halves - high in omega-3's!  yum
2 tbsp dried cranberries - kudos if you dried your own, we keep meaning to but haven't yet
1/2 cup long grain and wild rice - we just used brown basmati, the wild rice is a bit too pricey, but would be ooooh so delicious
1 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
fresh ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup water

preheat the oven to 350.  combine brown sugar, half the salt, and half the butter in a small bowl.  place acorn squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet.  brush the butter and sugar mixture evenly inside squash.  cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender.

heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute onion for 2 mins.  stir in garlic, walnuts, cranberries, rice, half the thyme, the rest of the salt, and pepper.  saute for another minute.  add water and bring to a simmer.  cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

fill cooked squash halves with cooked rice mixture.  drizzle each half with remaining butter and thyme.  cover with foil and return to oven for 5 mins before serving.

YUMMY!


bonus recipe!

Roasted Squash Seeds

my mom always roasted the pumpkin seeds for us when we were kids and now i always roast my pumpkin or squash seeds.  they take a bit of preparation but i simply can't bare the thought of throwing them away now when i know such a delicious treat is waiting!

separate the seeds from the guts.  rinse the seeds well and then spread them out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry completely (i usually leave them overnight).  once dry, drizzle them with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 350-375 until golden.  stir them at least once and keep an eye on them - if they start popping, they're done.

if you want, get fancy and add some seasonings.  garlic powder, spices, whatever you like.  this time, i added brown sugar and cinnamon and i might never go back!

roasted root vegetables

eating on a budget means buying in season.  but there's just not that much freshness to be had in these winter months.  what's a gal to do?

if you take a quick stroll through the grocery store these days, you'll notice the obscenely low prices on things like squash, turnips, and beets.  i don't usually cook with these vegetables, but i'd like to learn to do more in order to make the most of this season.  and since roasting veggies is already a favourite meal in our house (especially after a week on the road eating too much junk food!), it seemed like a good option.  i've tried a winter medley before with mediocre success (i believe the recipe called for parsnips.  blech.), but this particular blend was better.  we served it over brown rice and were quite satisfied.


Roasted Root Vegetables - adapted from What to Eat When You're Expecting, pg.411
serves 4
prep time: 30 mins  cook time: 45 mins

olive oil
seasoning of your choice - salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary - i used rosemary
assortment of winter veggies of your choice (i used acorn squash, carrots, turnip, and potatoes):
squash - acorn was good, butternut is probably much easier to prepare
carrots
potatoes - red.  yum.
turnip
beets
rutabaga
fennel
sweet onions, pearl onions, red onion
garlic cloves

preheat oven to 425.

scrub, peel, and chop veggies into big bite-sized pieces.  spray roasting pan with olive oil and arrange veggies.  brush the veggies with olive oil and season to taste.  cover and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.  remove cover and continue to bake until tender and golden, about 20 minutes.


this makes a lovely side dish, but it also makes a nice light entree if you serve it with a grain.  next time i'm going to go wild and add beets and red onion.  if you discover a favourite blend or have ideas of what else to add, let me know!

homemade vegetable soup

i'm embarrassed at how long it's been since i've posted to this blog... but when i look at my life since july i don't feel quite so bad.  in the past three months we've been to new mexico, pennsylvania, maryland, and ontario.  and at least half of that time was blessed with morning sickness to boot - eating food has been enough of a challenge, let alone writing about it!  but we're home again now and i think i'm regaining my appetite (speaking in faith here).  this weekend at least has been a hit in the kitchen, so maybe it's time to start sharing again!

my sweet husband woke up stuffy and miserable this morning, so i wanted to make some comfort food with enough good stuff in it to hopefully help him feel better.  vegetable soup it is.  i totally made up this recipe and was amazed how well it turned out - we both had two bowls full.  i especially loved that i didn't have to go out for any special ingredients.  unfortunately i wasn't writing anything down as i made it and i'm not much into measuring so... everything below is a best estimate.  it's pretty basic though, i think you could easily tweak it to suit your taste.


Homemade Vegetable Soup - serves 6-8
prep time: 10-20 mins  cook time: 45-60 mins

1 small onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - diced
1 cup carrots - chopped (i used baby carrots, use whatever you have/like)
1 cup celery hearts and leaves - chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup frozen or cooked fresh spinach
1 28oz can diced tomatoes with liquid (without salt, if possible)
1 19oz can 6 bean mix (not the flavoured bean salad kind, just straight up beans) - rinsed well
1/2 cup barley - rinsed well
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (homemade, if you have it)
2 cups water (i also added about 1/2 cup of the leftover cooking liquid from blanching sundried tomatoes yesterday - you could add any leftover cooking liquid you have on hand, or none at all.  but if you add a significant amount, cut back on the water)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp marjoram (not sure why i added this... it smelled good at the time)
2 tsp basil - i used dried, fresh would be delicious
1 tsp parsley - ditto above
2 tsp red pepper flakes, or more if you like more spice
pepper to taste

saute the onion and garlic together in the olive oil.
combine the soup stock, water (+ any other liquid), sauteed onions and garlic, canned tomatoes, barley, and spices.  simmer on low heat for about 20 mins.
add carrots, celery, and beans.  bring to a boil, simmer until the vegetables and barley are cooked.
add broccoli and spinach at the end and simmer until it's heated through.

we had our soup with some grated mozarella cheese and lots of crackers but i bet it would be delicious with some fresh whole grain bread.  i'm hoping all the vegetables and the little bit of kick from the red pepper flakes will fight off any sicknesses trying to brew in our house!  regardless, the beans and barley make it a bit more of a complete meal than your standard out-of-a-can veggie soup.  yum.

let me know if you make it and what you think would make it better!

chickpea and veggie pasta sauce

i made a huge pot of this a couple weeks ago when i had time to cook and froze it in 3-4 cup portions (about the size of one jar of spaghetti sauce).  this is a great "cleaning out the pantry & veggie drawers" recipe - you could probably put pretty near anything that sounds good to you in this sauce!

i pulled one out of the freezer today and mixed it with whole wheat fussili for a quick dinner (since i'm clearly too busy starting a new blog to cook anything more complicated!).  i love all the colour from the vegetables and the chickpeas give it just a bit more staying power.


Chick Pea and Veggie Pasta Sauce - makes approximately 10 cups

prep time: 30mins  cook time: 1 hour
adapted from: heart and stroke foundation

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stocks of celery, chopped - i added this because i had celery that needed to be eaten!
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 zucchini, sliced
1 each sweet red & green peppers, chopped - i used one red and one yellow for more colour
2 cans (28oz/796mL) diced tomatoes - i actually found diced tomatoes with no added salt!
1/2 cup tomato paste, low sodium - i had some leftover from a previous recipe so i threw it in
1 can (19oz/540mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed - you could use dried if you hydrate them overnight and cook for two hours first - obviously that takes a bit more preparation, but it's cheaper too.
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil - about 1 tbsp dried
1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley - about 2 tsp dried


In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes, or until softened.  Add zucchini and red and green peppers.  Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes, or until well coated.
Add tomatoes, chickpeas, basil and parsley and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for about 1 hour or until thickened and vegetables are very tender.
Sauce can be served as is or pureed for a smoother, thicker sauce.  Simply ladle sauce into food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Return to saucepan and heat through.
Storage: Let sauce cool to room temperature and place in freezer bags or airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.