Eggplant Parm

There is something about Eggplant Parmesan, when it's made well (not stringy or bitter or full of skin that makes you choke) that is so comforting and delicious! Even though I don't make it all too often, it is definitely one of my favorite foods. Hopefully, your families will love it as well!

You Will Need:

1 Large Eggplant

Lots of Salt

About 2 Cups Italian Dressing

About 2 Cups Seasoned Bread Crumbs

About 2 Cups Marinara Sauce

1 Pound Fresh Mozzarella

Grated Parmesan and Romano Cheese

Directions:

- Peel the eggplant.
- Slice into thin slices (about 1/4" thick)
- Arrange a layer on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cover with a lot of salt.
- Add another layer of paper towels.
- Put another layer of eggplant and salt.
- Keep repeating the layers until you have used all of the eggplant.
- Make sure there is salt and a layer of paper towels on top as well.

- Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours (at least).



- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put two bowls on the counter or work space. Put Italian dressing in one, and breadcrumbs in the other.
- Take the eggplant out of the fridge. The paper towels will be all soaked. (That is the bitterness coming out, so your food tastes good.)
- Rinse the eggplant in cold water, then put on more paper towels to dry while you work.

- Coat the eggplant first in the dressing, then in the breadcrumbs.

- Place on a baking sheet in a single layer.

- Bake for 38 minutes.

- Cover in sauce, then slice on fresh mozzarella and shake the grated cheese on top.

- Bake for 10 more minutes.

- Serve with spaghetti, or any pasta (use the same sauce for the pasta).

- Enjoy!! <3

Quick and Easy Lasagna

I know that most people hate the no-boil lasagna noodles. But I have found out that if you cook them long enough, they are quite good, and you cannot tell the difference. While homemade lasagna noodles are wonderful, this is by far my favorite recipe. Try it and you'll see!

You Will Need:

1 Box Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles (the crimped looking ones, not the straight ones)

2 Quarts Sauce (homemade meat sauce with a lot of carrots and zucchini in it is the best, but if you must do store-bought, use 1 with chunky vegetables and 1 with meat, combined. Add some water to thin it out as well. It wont be as good as homemade, but it should work.)

3/4 Pound of Lean Ground Beef

1/2 Pound Sweet Italian Sausage, Ground or Sliced, Cooked

1 Pound Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

2 Eggs

1 (6 oz.) Bag Organic Shredded Mozzarella

Grated or Fresh Parmesan

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

Garlic Salt

Oregano

Directions:


Brown the ground beef.
Drain.
Combine beef, sausage, garlic, oregano, and garlic salt in large heavy frying pan.
Add 2 large spoons of the sauce to flavor.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile..
Put Ricotta, eggs, 2 spoons of sauce, a pinch of both cheeses, and more garlic salt and oregano in large bowl.
Mix well.
* This is very important. The trick to a truly good lasagna is to flavor the ricotta the right way. Putting the sauce in it helps to "marry" the flavors throughout the dish. It makes a big difference.*
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Coat the bottom of your lasagna pan in sauce, as pictured.
Lay down 4 noodles, slightly overlapping.

Cover in a layer of the ricotta, then a layer of the meat.

 Add another layer of four noodles, then the remainder of the ricotta.

Cover in a layer of the mozzarella.

Cover in a layer of sauce.

Add the last 4 noodles.

Cover in sauce, rest of mozzarella, and some parmesan.

Cover pan with a good, thick foil. Poke fork holes in 2 diagonal ends. (Do not go crazy with these. We want to allow some steam out, not dry out our dinner. 

Bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 7 minutes more.

    Enjoy!! <3

Chicken Rolls and Chicken Parm Pasta

Tonight you get a double header! I kind of went nuts in the kitchen tonight, making 2 new recipes. They turned out delicious, so now you get to enjoy them as well! They go well together, or you can make them 2 totally separate meals. Or you could make both, and eat for two nights, which is great during the school year! Your possibilities, while they may not be endless, are many!

You Will Need:

1 can (14.5 ounces) Organic Diced Tomatoes
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
Oregano
1 (6 oz.) Package Organic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Organic Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Pound Organic Pizza Dough
1 Pound Organic Pasta (I used Rigatoni)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.
Coat with Oregano and Garlic Salt.
Bake for 39 minutes on the center shelf.
When chicken is cooled, use scissors to cut into small strips/chunks.
Spray a large, heavy frying pan with cooking spray.
Put the chicken, the tomatoes, and a little more oregano and garlic salt in the pan.
Mix well.
Cover.
Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
While that is cooking, cut the pizza dough into fourths, and roll them out (not too thin).
Cook the organic pasta al dente. Drain. Set aside.

When done, scoop the chicken mix onto dough. Place it off to one side, as in the picture. Cover the chicken with shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Roll end over and sides in, and press closed. (Don't worry about how it looks. It will look rustic.)
Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, add some more garlic salt and oregano.
 Bake on 350 degrees for 28 minutes. (If it smells and looks done earlier, pull it out. Don't let it burn. You want some browning, not a black hockey puck.) 

As for the pasta, pour the remaining chicken mix in, add some grated parmesan, oregano, and garlic salt as needed.
Enjoy!! <3

Seasoned Pizza Dough

So I have finally come up with what I feel is the perfect pizza dough! Bellie and I made this today, and we used part of it for garlic balls and part of it for make your own pizzas for her birthday! It's pretty easy when you use the KitchenAid, and it is full of flavor!

You Will Need:

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yeast (2 packets that are .25 oz.)
2 cups warm water
7 1/2 cups flour (have some extra on hand also!)
1/2 teaspoon salt (table salt)
1 heaping Tablespoon ground oregano
2 heaping Tablespoons dried ground basil
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

- Put water and yeast in a bowl. Whisk quickly, then allow to sit for 10 minutes.

- Put flour, salt, oregano, basil, and shortening in mixer and mix on low until it looks like the consistency of a crumb cake topping.
- Add yeast water, and mix on 2 until it is one big wad of dough. (This is where you will probably need to add more flour to make it less sticky.)
- Mix for like 6 more minutes.

- Spray cooking spray into a large plastic bowl, put the dough in, cover with a damp tea towel, and allow to sit in a warm area for 1 hour.  THE DOUGH WILL RISE A LOT.

For pizza:
- Flatten dough out into crusts on pizza pans or stones.
- Spread sauce over dough.
- Top with shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and whatever toppings you desire.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-20 minutes, or until crust is light brown.

Chicken and Canellini Beans

This meal was one of those things that wasn't planned. I had no idea what to cook one night; I hadn't thawed anything. I had some little tender-sized chicken breast pieces that were left from a different meal. I had an extra can of Canellini beans. I had a desire to eat. A meal was born.

You Will Need:

1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless, cut into tenders)

1 Can Canellini Beans, Drained

1 Can Diced Tomatoes With Chilies or Oregano

Garlic Salt

Adobo Seasoning

Salt and Pepper (fresh in grinder, of course)

Directions:

- Spray a large, sturdy frying pan with no-stick cooking spray.

- Put chicken into the pan, over medium heat. Sprinkle with Adobo, salt, and pepper.

- Cook for about 8 minutes, then turn and do the same thing on the other side, but for 5 minutes.

- Add the beans and tomatoes.

- Put in garlic salt to taste.

- Lower heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

- Serve over pasta or rice.

- Enjoy!! <3

Nachos!

Need a dinner that is super easy, really fast, and can still fill the family up? Why not make nachos? 

You Will Need:

Tortilla Chips (recipe coming soon for homemade ones like the ones in the pic)

Salsa (whatever kind you like, homemade is always best)

1 8oz. Package Shredded Cheddar Cheese or Shredded Mexican Blend

1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef

Taco Seasoning

Hot Sauce

1 Can Diced Tomatoes With Chilies

Sliced Jalapenos, optional (not in the pic this time)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350 degrees.

- Brown and drain the ground beef.

- Add diced tomatoes, some hot sauce (to taste), and some taco seasoning (also to taste).

- Pour over tortilla chips on a pizza baking pan, or an oven-proof plate.

- Add the whole bag of cheese.
- Pour salsa on liberally.
- Top with jalapenos, if you have them. (I recommend it.)
- Serve with sour cream.
- Enjoy <3

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Tostones

Need a great side dish? A scoop for your rice? The perfect accouterments to eggs and chorizo?  A little extra something to put on that jalapeno burger? Then you want tostones. They are delicious and very versatile!! I learned how to make them when we were living in Florida, and have since made some small changes to make them my own. They are so easy it will surprise you.

You will need:

3-4 plantains (platanos) (I prefer green, but if you want them sweet like sweet potatoes, then go with yellow.)
Vegetable Oil for frying
Salt or Garlic Salt

Directions:

- Cut the platanos into 4-5 pieces each.                                          
- Slice into the skin down to the fruit (make it the length of the pieces)
- Peel off the skin between slices to make naked little platanos.
- Put oil in your fryer (or a large cast iron pot)
- Heat your deep fryer to 390 degrees (or put the pot on the stove over med-high heat and wait about 8 minutes. BE CAREFUL OF BURNS!!)

- Place the platano pieces (as many as you can fit without them being cramped) into a metal basket and fry for about 3 minutes.

-  Remove from oil and dump onto a plate covered in 2-3 paper towels.

- DO NOT turn fryer off.

- When they have cooled for a minute or two, take one piece at a time, place on a clean counter or cutting board, and smash it down flat with the back of a hard, sturdy pan. Press down hard.

- You will now have big, flat pieces. 

- Place one or two pieces in the basket at a time, lower into the oil, and fry for about 5 minutes.

- Remove from oil onto the paper towels, sprinkle with salt or garlic salt (whichever you prefer with whatever you're eating them with), and allow to cool for a few minutes.

- Enjoy!! <3

Nacho Meatloaf

This is not one of my healthier recipes. This is a fun (and quite yummy) recipe that the children will love. (And you probably will too!) In fact, this recipe is so good that I couldn't even get a picture after it was cooked, as they ate it all! (I will try to get some for you next time!)

You Will Need:

3 Pounds 80-93% Ground Beef
3 Large Eggs
2 Packets Onion Soup Mix
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic
Ketchup (prob about a scant 1/4 cup)
Hot (or medium) Salsa
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place all ingredients (except cheese and salsa) into a large, glass bowl.
- Mash and mix with your hands, making sure that there are no clumps of dry ingredients.
- Separate into 2 loaf pans.
- Cover in cheese and salsa (in top picture).
- Cover in foil and bake for 30 minutes on middle rack.
- Remove foil and bake for another 16 minutes.

- Enjoy!! <3

Calm Soup :)

Calm Soup

You know those days when you feel like you live in a madhouse? When you wish everyone had their own straight jacket? Well, this soup is made for those days!! The smell alone is calming! Just be warned: This soup is very calming. Do not eat it before you need to be awake and alert, and certainly not before operating heavy machinery!!

You Will Need:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Chicken Breasts, fully cooked and chopped into large chunks

2 Organic Russett Potatoes, thickly sliced 

1 Organic Yellow Onion

2 Organic Carrots, chopped into thick pieces but not peeled

2 Organic Celery Stalks

1 Can Corn

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

Water (about 2 quarts

2 Cubes Chicken Bouillon

3-4 Tablespoons Dried Lavender Flowers

1 Tablespoon Dried Rosemary

Adobo Seasoning

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Prepared White Rice

Directions:

- Coat the bottom of a large pot with a very small amount of oil.  

- Put heat on medium.

- Dice the onion into large-ish chunks, and add to pot.

- Stir to prevent from burning.

- Add chopped celery and carrots.

- Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.

- Add potatoes, corn, and garlic.

- Stir a few times, then add water.

- Add lavender, rosemary, some adobo, salt, and pepper, and bouillon.

- Put heat low.

- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours. (The smell will permeate your house, and be nice and relaxing)

- Serve over white rice. Enjoy your nap!!

-Enjoy!! <3  

Churro Fries

Churros are awesome, but it can be a pain to pipe them out, as the dough is so thick and sticky. So I came up with a delicious alternative that makes the children very happy - Churro Fries!

You will need:

2 Cups Water (tap water is fine)

1/4 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, plus more to fry them in

1 tsp. Salt

Scant Dash of Cinnamon

2 Cups Flour

to top: Cinnamon and Sugar mix (I get it made already, but I think that a 2:1 sugar to cinnamon ratio would work just fine!)

Directions:

- Place the water, oil (the 2 T), salt, and sugar in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

- Immediately add in the flour and cinnamon.
- Mix really well, until it is a big, sticky-ish ball.
- While the dough cools down enough to handle, put oil in your deep fryer up to the max line (or pour a good amount into a big pot if you don't have a fryer)
- Turn the fryer to 390 degrees and allow to heat up (or heat the oil until the temp reaches 390 in the pot).

- Hand roll small amounts of the dough into french fry shape and size. You will get a LOT of fries (which is great if you have children, as they will finish half before you are done!)
- Fry in small batches (I fry like 8 at a time, as my fryer is small. Larger batches may require a longer frying time.) for just a minute or two. (the fries will be light in color, but have that fried look)

- Dry on a paper towel for 1 minute, then roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

- Enjoy!! <3