2009 November « A Half Cup

Archive | November, 2009

Main event: Turkey Lasagna

25 Nov

I know this has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but it doesn’t even have to – that’s how good it is.

What am I talking about? Turkey Lasagna, kids, Turkey Lasagna.

My recipe is derived from our girlfriend, Ina Garden aka Barefoot Contessa (aka The Butter Queen).

Her recipe for spicey turkey lasagna is SO GOOD! But, it isn’t SO HEALTHY.

We can’t have that, now can we? NO!

Without further ado, I give you my altered recipe for Healthy Turkey Lasagna:

Turkey Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
1 small package fat free ricotta cheese
1 small package fat free cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling (I just buy the pre-shredded bag)
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fat free mozzarella, (again, I buy the pre-shredded bag)

TIP: Before getting started, I recommend that you make the meat sauce a day or two in advance, this really enhances the flavors and makes the whole dish about 10 times better, no joke. See, since I’ve removed basically all of the fat from the dish, you need a way to replace the deep flavors. Letting things combine overnight (or two) really helps this dish regain its zesty richness.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet.
3. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the turkey and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork/spatula, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink.
5. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
7. Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish.
8. Then add the layers as follows: pasta (cover “wall to wall”), half the mozzarella, half the ricotta/cottage mix, and one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

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Categories Main event

Main event: Thanksgiving Breakfast. What?

24 Nov

I know most people spend the whole day cooking for dinner, but I have to say, over the years, my favorite thing to do was wake up early with my mom (okay, so she woke up WAY earlier than me), and have a nice bite of breakfast (usually coffee and some pastry) while we watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This is, of course, long after she has already prepped and put the turkey in the oven.

Well, many years have gone by since I was waking up in that house, now of course I’m on my own, but Paul and I always end up splitting our time between the parents and their respective dinners.

This year, we’re doing breakfast at my mom’s house (Kate and Nathan and the Ri-guy will be there as well),

then we’ll head down to Issaquah (East of Seattle for the non-locals out there reading this), for a large group dinner at Paul’s parents house. And I’m extra excited this year because my dad is driving up from Oregon to spend the weekend with us. This is VERY special year indeed.

(Riley in his new gear)

So, I told my mom I’d bring breakfast with me. And I’m really excited about what I’m making!

Two items are on the menu: Martha’s Goat Cheese Quiche, and some sort of coffee cake pastry thingy (yet to be determined, can you tell???)

I’ll be asking my Tweeps later for recipes (EASY ones only!) for the coffee cake thingy, but for now, I wanted to share the BEST ever recipe for quiche.

I made this a couple years ago for Mother’s Day, mom really loves quiche, and we all enjoyed it. It was actually really easy as it turns out, so I’m going to make and take this year! Make it at home, take it to mom’s! (Hopefully it’ll still be hot/warm when we get there!)

Here’s the recipe:

Serves 6.

2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 package (1 pound) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
12 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1 package (4 to 5 ounces) soft goat cheese, room temperature
4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with butter. Line the sides of the pan with strips of waxed paper (the same height as pan); brush paper with butter.

2. Squeeze excess moisture from hash browns. Mix in a bowl with butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using a moistened dry measuring cup. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined; whisk in 11 remaining eggs. Pour into crust, and sprinkle with scallions. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Unmold quiche, and peel off waxed paper before serving.

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Categories Main event

Secret Trick: Top turkey tips (and other quick ideas)

24 Nov

Again, I have been reading the Better Homes and Gardens website lately, and they have some great tips for holiday prep, I really thought I should pass on:

Tip 1: Carving the turkey

You might not be cooking it yourself, but if you’re going to someone’s house, many times they have a guest carve it, or alternatively, NO ONE knows how. So, show your expertise here by jumping in and impressing the crowd!

Tip 2: Thaw it out!

No use in attempting to cook it if you forgot to thaw it out in advance right? There’s a couple things to remember when thawing, so this would be a good tip to remember!

Tip 3: Mashing it so good

Everyone thinks mashed potatoes are the easiest side dish to make. And they can be, but they can also be very easily ruined (I would know, I’ve done it before). So take a minute to commit this tip to memory.

Tip 4: THE MOST IMPORTANT – Turkey Gravy

Seriously, this is the MOST IMPORTANT dish at the table. I don’t care what anyone says. I’ve been making gravy from scratch for years, and it is hands down the best thing EVER. (don’t even bother arguing this point with me, all you’ll get is a blank stare, followed by a spoonful of my gravy to shut you up). It also happens to be SO easy to make. Don’t skimp, don’t use a packet. Use what that poor bird gave you. You’re servin’ him up for dinner, at least let him keep his dignity by impresssing you with his tasty gravy bits.

Their recipe for turkey gravy isn’t exactly what I do, but it’s close enough and easy to follow. (I add fat free half and half and a bit of water instead of chicken broth, but i like the chicken broth idea and will try that this year. Also, 1/4 cup of the FAT?!?! Yeah, keep the difibrulator near by, kay? you don’t need that fat. I only use 2 tablespoons and dump the rest of the fat leaving the broth juices behind for the gravy. This way, you can use more gravy on your taters, and not feel badly about it!)

Gobble Gobble!

(All tip pictures from Better Homes and Garden Tips articles. www.bhg.com)

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Categories Secret Trick, Uncategorized

Secret: my new favorite tea

24 Nov

I’m sitting at work, and it’s cold, rainy and generally just yucky out! I decided a cup of tea sounded nice, but I’m almost getting sick of peppermint, because I have it almost every day. So I saw someone brought in some Jasmine Green Tea from GoodEarth.

This stuff is so good! Without using any explitives to express how much I really like it, let’s just say, I’m going to be putting this on my grocery list! YUM.

Enjoy!

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Categories Secret Trick

Inspiration: Mom’s Apple Pie

24 Nov

Wrap railings with berry garlands

(pretty winter berry decorating idea from www.Sunset.com for Thanksgiving)

My roommate (and childhood best friend), Emily, just emailed me and asked what my favorite recipe for apple pie is, because she has to make and bring one to Thanksgiving dinner with her family this year.

(Ems with her Vampire pumpkin we carved on Halloween Day)

First, I’d like to say, Ems, WAY TO GO! You’re MAKING your pie, rather than buying one! This is nearly unheard of these days. With apple pies so abundantly available (and well done) it’s easy to take the quick way out and pick it up on your way there.

So I shared a couple of recipes with Emily that I thought she could pick between. Now, I know that I often talk about taking the recipe out of cookin. And for most of our daily life, that’s just fine! Let it also be said that there’s NOTHING wrong with buying a pie to bring. Afterall, SOMEONE made it, it just wasn’t you!

But, if you’re going to make an apple pie to take somewhere, then I highly suggest you heed (sp?) my following advice on the recipe(s) and techniques. Why, you ask? Because I’ve made A LOT of pies in my life, and my apple pie happens to be my specialty and my fave.

Mom's Apple Pie

This first recipe comes straight from the Better Homes and Garden’s cook book (although I looked it up online). By far, hands down, this is my all time favorite recipe for apple pie. They call it “Mom’s Apple Pie,” not sure why.

Here’s the recipe:

Mom’s Apple Pie (from Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients
6 large apples, sliced (probably best to take skins off but not a neccesity)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon nutmeg
2 cups flour (you can sub white rice flour if doing Gluten Free)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Prepare the crust by mixing the flour, oil, milk, and salt. Separate into two balls, and put each between 2 pieces of wax paper to roll out. Make bottom crust and place in 9-inch pie plate. Preheat oven to 425 degree F.

2. In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, and spices. Add the mixture to the pie plate and add a few pats of butter and three teaspoons of flour (sprinkle over top of pie filling).

3. Roll out top crust and place it over the filling. Crimp the edges of the crust with a fork and place a couple of slits in the top crust to vent. Bake at 350 degree F for 60 minutes.

Emily has just agreed to take pictures and do a guest post for us next week after the turkey and Triptophyn settle!!!! YAY! Stay tuned for her pictures and comments on how easy this recipe was!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I hope you have friends and family to share it with, and may the giving spirit take you through the rest of this year. Don’t forget, a smile is the cheapest gift, but means more anything money can buy!

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Categories Inspiration

Get the handcuffs: Best grilled cheese, from the 80′s

17 Nov

Do you remember the original Sandwich Press that came out in the 80′s?

It may have looked like this:

Or possibly:

Product Image

Okay. So now that you remember it, did you ever have one? I wanted one SO BAD when I was growing up. But obviuosly my parents had NO VISION, and chose to spend their hard earned cash on other, less necessary things like bills, food, insurance, blah, blah, blah! (parents just don’t understand!)

The other night, Paul and I were having dinner at Luke’s place (Paul’s best friend). Luke lives in a great condo in Belltown (a part of downtown Seattle for those of you that don’t live around these parts).

I was searching through the kitchen drawers for a spatula or something, when I came upon the most beautiful sight: An original Corningware Sandwich Maker from the 1980′s. When I asked him how he liked it, he said “uh, I’ve never used that.” I asked “WHAT?!” in shock and horror that this precious relic was sitting there gathering dust.

He then said, “yeah, you can have that.” So, I packed it up, took it home, cleaned it off, and what you are about to witness is my first set of fabulous sandwiches in my new favorite kitchen gadget.

Enjoy kids.

and then:

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Categories Get the hand cuffs

Dinner Date: Tonight=Delancey Family Dinner

17 Nov

Okay, as you know from a couple of posts ago, tonight I am going to Delancey’s first Family Dinner. I am really excited to be attending. And so glad that a spot opened up! (I was bummed when I was wait listed, seriously, I already went through college once in life, and that application process was enough to last me a lifetime). But someone cancelled which means these two are going with bells on!:

and

Many pictures with my crappy camera will be taken, and if Molly and Brandon allow it, I’ll even take a quick video to share with all of you out there in the interwebs.

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Categories Dinner Date

Main Event: Curried Chicken Casserole

16 Nov

Happy Monday morning, readers.

I’ve got a whole basket of posts for you this week. That’s right, I’m back with the living, and have been taking lots of bad photos of delicious things I’ve been cooking and eating (Even a short video on one!).

First things first: Monday night dinner. I just got another great email from my boss, Lori. She passed on a recipe for Curried Chicken Casserol that sounds too good to pass up on a rainy, cold, Seattle day.

I just wish I had made it last night, so I had leftovers for lunch today! Oh well, tomorrow will have to do! (I love curry leftovers, it only tastes better as the days go on!)

Here’s the recipe!

Curried Chicken Casserole
(Compliments of Julie Callahan – typed by Pat)

1/2 pound small mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups cooked chicken breast cut in 1 inch pieces
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of chicken soup
2 cups finely diced celery
1 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1 can (8oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (3 1/2 oz) fried onion rings, crushed

YIELD: 10-12 SERVINGS

******************************************************

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan

In small skillet sauté mushrooms in butter until all liquid evaporates

In a large bowl combine mushrooms, chicken, soup, celery, mayonnaise, sour cream, water chestnuts, sherry, curry powder, onion, salt and pepper.

Place mixture in prepared pan.

Top with cheese and friend onion rings

Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned around edges.
Serve immediately.

———

Of course, you know I can’t leave well enough alone. I’ll be using nonfat sour cream and instead of mayo, nonfat plain yogurt. I’ll also probably add a thin layer of rice at the bottom, to soak up all the yummy spices and flavors, to add a bit of heartiness to the whole dish, so it goes a bit further.

Stay tuned for some unappetizing, poorly lit pictures of this dish sometime later this week.