Butternut Squash, Polenta & Ricotta Bake

I love butternut squash.  We periodically receive a generous basket of vegetables fresh from John's father's garden.  Butternut squash is my favorite thing he gives us.  It's versatility makes it a lot of fun to use.  I've never really cooked with polenta, but I passed it in the grocery store I thought it might go well with the squash.  I had no idea how this would turn out as I was making it, but it was a definite success!

Roasted Squash:
1 small butternut squash
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp fresh thyme
salt

Polenta:
1 tube polenta (I used Melissa's Italian Herb), cut into 1/2 inch slices
olive oil

Bechamel Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half
salt & pepper

For Assembly:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel butternut squash.  Slice down the middle and scoop out the seeds.  Cut into small chunks.  Toss squash with olive oil, thyme and salt.  Spread in a single layer  roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat enough olive oil in a frying pan to generously cover the bottom.  Fry polenta slices until lightly browned on each side.  Spread fried polenta slices on the bottom of a 8x11 pan.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Whisk in flour and continue to stir until lightly browned, about three minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  The sauce should thicken as it heats (I added a bit too much half & half and had to add a little cornstarch to thicken it up).  Add a little salt and pepper.

Remove squash from the oven and reduce heat to 350.  Spread ricotta cheese over the polenta slices.  Top with roasted butternut squash and pour bechamel sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

"Beef" and Cheese Empanadas with Green Chile Sauce

I went to the grocery store this evening in search of plantains.  They did not have any so I had to quickly decide on a plan B.  I saw empanada rounds in the freezer case and decided to give them a try.  Now I'm glad the store didn't have plantains because these were excellent.  I used queso fresco, instead of a more traditional melty cheese (like cheddar).  I'm sure this isn't the "proper" use of queso fresco, but I loved the extra saltiness it added to the empanadas.  They made a great pairing with the delicious rice and beans my boyfriend made.  I'd include that recipe, but he threw so many ingredients in that I'm absolutely certain he doesn't remember how he made them!

Empanadas

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 bag Boca ground crumbles
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I used some that had pepper and onion added)
1 block queso fresco
20 store bought empanada rounds (I used Goya), thawed
2 cups canola oil

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Stir in ground crumbles and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add tomatoes and their juices.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid is completely evaporated, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Place a spoonful of the "meat" mixture on the center of an empanada round.  Take a small hunk of the queso fresco and break it up over the "meat".  Fold empanada round in half and crimp the edges with a fork.  Repeat until ingredients are gone.

Heat canola oil in a large frying pan.  Fry empanadas for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.  You'll need to do this in several batches.

Serve immediately, topped with a spoonful of Green Chile Sauce.

Green Chile Sauce

2 poblano peppers
2 cloves garlic
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 green onions, ends trimmed
1 bunch cilantro stems and leaves
1/2 tsp salt
juice of one lime

Char poblano peppers on a grill or over the burner of a gas stove.  Wait until they're cool enough to handle and rub off charred skin.  Stem and seed peppers and place in food processor.  Add remaining ingredients and buzz until chopped.

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Earlier this summer, I was asked to bring a vegetarian side dish to a family picnic.  I have not cooked with spaghetti squash very much, but this recipe popped into my head.  My spaghetti squash confidence was low, and I didn't have time to test this out ahead of time, so I brought something else to the picnic and filed this idea away in the back of my head. 

This afternoon we stopped at a farmer's market with nothing particular in mind for dinner.  They had crates of squash and bushels of lovely tomatoes.  I decided that tonight was the night to get over my fear of spaghetti squash.  I shouldn't have been afraid; it was very easy to work with.  I also shouldn't have been afraid to bring this dish to the family get together.  It turned out great!

1 spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed
10 leaves torn fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375.  Pierce squash several times with a knife.  Place in a roasting pan and cook for an hour.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat.  Add the sliced onion and stir frequently for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized (you may need to lower the heat at some point to prevent burning).  Set onions aside.

Place the mushrooms in the same pan you used for the onions.  Turn heat to high and cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms have released and then reabsorbed their juices.  Add garlic to the pan a couple minutes before the mushrooms finish cooking.  Remove from heat and mix the caramelized onions in with the mushrooms and garlic.

Once the squash finishes cooking, cut it in half around the middle, being careful not to burn yourself.  Scoop out the pulp and seeds from the center and use a fork to separate the strands. 

Place the squash in a serving bowl.  Add tomatoes, mushroom mixture, 2 Tbsp olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, mozzarella and basil and toss.

Serve immediately.

Yogurt Dill "Chicken"

I love dill.  I think it's such fresh summer flavor.  Recently I was trying to think of a main dish to serve with these potatoes.  I hadn't really used dill very much this summer and decided it was past time.  I thought I would be able to find a recipe for yogurt dill sauce online that would be appropriate to pair with veggie chicken but I couldn't find what I had imagined so I decided to just make something up and see how it went.  I'm pleased to report that it came out very well!

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box Quorn Naked Cutlets
1 tomato, chopped.

Combine yogurt, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.  Spread a quarter cup on bottom of small roasting pan.  Place Quorn cutlets on top.  Spread with remaining yogurt mixture over top of the Quorn.  Cover and marinate in the fridge for an hour or two.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Top Quorn with chopped tomato and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Curry Roasted Red Potatoes

Last weekend we stopped at Josephs Wayside Market in Naples, NY.  They were selling baskets of lovely little red potatoes, which I couldn't resist buying even though I didn't have plans for how to prepare them.

Then I remembered Shea's Sunday brunch.  For a couple years a couple years we were fortunate to have this restaurant located within walking distance from our house.  Sadly for us it moved out to the suburbs earlier this year.  One of the highlights at Shea's was the home fries.  They were basically chopped up french fries flavored with salt and curry powder.  Delicious!  I tried to use similar flavors to prepare my potatoes. They turned out great!  I highly recommend them as a side dish.

2 lbs small red potatoes
1 onion, diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cloved garlic, chopped
salt to taste
3 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice potatoes in half.  Place in large bowl, along with the onions.

Mix together olive oil, curry powder, coriander, cumin, garlic and salt.  Drizzle over potatoes and onions.  Toss to combine.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time.

Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Stuffed Veggie Dogs

One of my co-workers, who is absolutely not a vegetarian, was telling me about the stuffed hotdogs he was going to make the other day.  They sounded really good, so I decided to try a vegetarian version  Veggie dogs are much thinner than a regular hotdog (at least the ones I was using were), which makes them very difficult to stuff, so with this recipe each person gets two dogs per bun.  They're only 50 calories a piece, so why not?

8 veggie dogs
4 cheddar cheese sticks (like string cheese, only cheddar and not as stringy)
1 jalapeno, diced
2 slices tempeh bacon, crumbled (bacos or another veggie bacon would be fine too)
4 hotdog buns
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 tbsp. honey

Make a lengthwise slit in the veggie dogs, trying not to cut them completely in half (don't worry if you do).  Place cheese sticks in the middle of 4 veggie dogs.  Sprinkle with jalapeno and tempeh bacon.  Top each with remaining veggie dogs.  Wrap separately in foil, so you'll have 4 little packets to put on the grill.  Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter and whisk in the honey.  Spread over the inside of the hotdog buns.

When you think the veggie dogs are almost done, carefully open one of the foil packets to make sure the cheese is melty.  Place the buns on the grill, butter-side down for a minute or two, until lightly browned.  Remove veggie dogs from foil and gently place on toasted buns.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can get the veggie dogs ready and wrapped in foil ahead of time.  Also, since they do get wrapped in foil this is a great thing to bring to a BBQ where meat will be cooked on the same grill.  You get to protect your food from the meat juices without looking like a vegetarian prima donna!

Pasta Sauce

One of my favorite childhood memories is coming home from school in the winter to the smell of homemade pasta sauce cooking on the stove.  The house would be cozy and warm, with delicious scents emanating from the kitchen.  Homemade sauce is still one of my favorite meals.  This is my go-to recipe.  It's the meal that I'm most likely to make for people when I have them over for dinner the first time.

The sauce is comprised mainly of canned tomatoes, so it is important to buy fairly high quality.  I like Wegman's Italian Classics, Muir Glen or Trader Joe's the best.  Unless you use Wegman's Kitchen Cut tomatoes, you should get whole tomatoes.  Diced or crushed will be too watery.  I plan for one can of tomatoes per person that I'm serving, and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  This is the first time I've actually written this recipe out, so hopefully the measurements are correct!

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans whole tomatoes
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried parsley
3 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Add tomatoes and their juices.  Cut them up with a wooden spoon (or this from Pampered Chef).  Add dried herbs, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered until liquid is mostly evaporated, about two hours, stirring occasionally.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Stir in torn basil about 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the sauce, served with homemade pasta from "The Pasta Bible" cookbook and homemade cheese, using this kit...

Buon Appetito!

Indian Rice Pudding

In Rochester we are fortunate to have a plethora of delicious Indian restaurants to choose from.  The best way to finish an Indian feast is with a bowl of rice pudding.  We had leftovers from one of these wonderful restaurants for dinner this evening, but sadly no dessert!  I decided to try to recreate a slightly healthier version of the rice pudding at home.

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 15 oz can light coconut milk
4 cups 2% milk (If you're feeling decadent, I'm sure whole milk would taste better).
1 tsp cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
chopped almonds or pistachios

Combine rice, coconut milk, 2% milk, cardamom and cinnamon stick in a pan.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.  Remove cinnamon stick and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for an additional 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.  Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.  Serve, topped with chopped nuts.

Kaesespaetzle mit Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and Mushrooms

I've been craving sauerkraut lately, but haven't really felt like having it in a sandwich.  I was wandering around the grocery store looking for inspiration and found the spaetzle.  This German version of mac and cheese is delicious and easy.  The hardest part will be washing the dishes.

2 onions, thinly sliced
2 lb bag sauerkraut, drained
1 package Tofurky Beer Brats, sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
10.5 oz box spaetzle, cooked according to package directions
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add onions and cook until very soft.  Mix in sauerkraut and cook, stirring frequently, over low heat until sauerkraut is slightly browned.

In a separate pan heat another tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the beer brats and cook on both sides, until browned.

Heat one more dry pan over high heat.  Cook mushrooms until they release their juices.

In a greased pan mix spaetzle, sauerkraut, beer brats and mushrooms.  Stir in swiss cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Grilled Cheese with Brie, Mushrooms and Caramelized Shallots

The key to any good grilled cheese sandwich is to come to terms with the fact that you are not cooking a health food and butter both sides of the bread.  It doesn't matter if you're using a plastic-wrapped cheese slice or making something more upscale like this; butter makes the difference.  As far as sandwiches go, this one is pretty laborious.  It was well worth it though.  I highly recommend trying this.

This makes two sandwiches.

4 shallots, thinly sliced and caramelized in butter (here's a helpful resource)
6 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 sliced high quality white bread, thickly sliced and buttered on both sides
3-4 oz. brie, sliced as best you can

As you are finishing caramelizing your shallots get started on the mushrooms.  Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place on high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently.  Allow all of the juices to be released and do not remove from heat until the mushrooms are slightly browned and your pan is dry.  If you do not do this you will end up making a soggy mess of your sandwiches.

Spread brie on two slices of bread.  Cover with cooked mushrooms and caramelized shallots.  Top with remaining slices of bread.  Head griddle over medium heat.  Carefully add sandwiches and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, being careful not to burn the bread.  Getting the right temperature is a delicate balance.  You want it to be hot enough to melt the cheese, but not so hot that it burns the bread.  If necessary flip the sandwiches more than once to achieve appropriate cheese melting and avoid inappropriate bread scorching.  Serve immediately.

I'm sorry this photo is so blurry.  I was having trouble with my camera and getting impatient because it smelled so good and I really wanted to eat!

Grilled Chipotle Portobello Mushrooms

This is a very simple way to cook portobello mushrooms that I came up with a few years ago while visiting my sister in Florida.  John loves them and so strongly associates them with my sister's house that he requests them every time we are there.  I occasionally make them at home and decided to celebrate our summer-in-March by doing so tonight.  You can either have these as a sandwich on toasted rolls, or just plain as a side.  Sometimes I melt cheese on them too.

4 portobello mushrooms, washed, stems removed
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1 1/2 tbsp. ground chipotle chili powder, depending on your heat preference
1 tsp. sea salt

Mix olive oil, chipotle chili powder and salt.  Pour over mushrooms.  Use your hands to rub chipotle mixture into both sides of mushrooms.  Let mushrooms rest while you heat the grill (medium heat). 

Grill until tender and juicy, turning once or twice while they're cooking.  Enjoy!

Salsa Mac & Cheese

I love homemade macaroni and cheese.  I make it rather frequently.  The classic version is great, but it also begs to be jazzed up a little.  I've been wanting to try it with salsa for a long time and finally got around to it tonight.  I shouldn't have waited so long- it was delicious!

Here's the recipe...

1 lb. pasta
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
4 cups milk, warmed up in the microwave
salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed (I use light cheddar so that I can convince myself this is a healthy recipe)
8 oz. monterey jack cheese, cubed
15.5 oz. jar hot salsa
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350.   Cook pasta until al dente and drain. 

While you're cooking the pasta melt the butter in a sauce pan.  Add the flour and stir constantly for a minute or two to make a roux.  Whisk in the heated milk a little at a time.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.  Stir in salt and pepper and stir often, until sauce thickens.  Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese, until melted.  Mix in salsa.

Combine cheese sauce and pasta and pour into greased baking pan.

Melt butter in a medium skillet.  Add panko bread crumbs and saute for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned.  Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture.

Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes.

Enjoy- but make sure you let it cool a little bit before digging in or you'll burn your tongue!

Cheesy Broccoli Patties

I was on Pinterest the other day and saw a picture titled Cheezy Broccoli Fritters.  They looked delicious, but the recipe that went with them didn't sound too great (even though I'm a vegetarian I'm suspect of anything that calls for hemp seeds).  I decided to create the recipe that I imagined when I saw that photo.  Here's what I came up with...

2 boxes frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil, for frying

Mix broccoli and cannellini beans in a large bowl.  Use a potato masher to smoosh the beans and broccoli together.  Stir in egg.  Add cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.  Use your hands to form patties about 3/4 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches across.  You should end up with 15 or 16 patties.

Heat oil in skillet.  Place patties in pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, or until browned.  You'll need to do this in two batches.  Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Lasagna Timbales

A few months ago my uncle sent me a bunch of old cookbooks that used to belong to my grandma.  I love looking through these- mainly to gawk at the disgusting looking depression-era recipes that people thought worthy of publishing.  One of them is "The American Woman's Cook Book," published in 1947.  Although most of the recipes in here are far from inspiring I did find an idea that looked interesting.  The book has a quote from the Canned Salmon Industry describing it this way:  "The clever hostess will make timbales of shredded potatoes, spaghetti or fine noodles and fill them with Salmon a la King- for instance."  Obviously I was not going to fill them with Salmon a la King, but I did like the idea of the pasta timbale.  I decided to test this out with a lasagna-style filling.  They turned out pretty well and make a unique appetizer.

Here's what you'll need:

1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 clove garlic, quartered
6 oz jar artichokes, drained
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb bucatini
1 1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper, to taste
1 24-oz jar good pasta sauce (I used Wegman's Pomodoro Sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Start by pouring the ricotta cheese in a mesh strainer.  Let the cheese drain while you prepare the other ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place garlic, artichokes and mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse chop until vegetables are in a small dice. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook mushroom mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been expelled.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the bucatini until al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water so that the pasta is cool enough to handle.

Spray muffin tin with olive oil.  Coil pasta strands around the outside of each muffin cup, leaving space for the filling in the middle.  You will probably have enough pasta for 18 muffin cups.  Set aside.

Stir together drained ricotta cheese, mushroom mixture, oregano, salt, pepper and 1 cup of pasta sauce.

Spoon mixture into pasta cups.  Top each cup with mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Put cookie tray over muffin tin, hold the two tightly together and flip over.  Lift muffin tin off very carefully.  Gently remove each timbale from the pan and plate individually.  Serve, with the remainder of the sauce heated and passed at the table.

Caribbean Night!

My boyfriend and I got back from a Caribbean cruise yesterday.  After returning to work today we experienced major vacation withdrawal.  I decided to ease our adjustment back into real life with a little taste of the tropics - Peanut Porridge with Tempeh Bacon, Jamaican "Meat" Patties, and Coconut Rice & Beans.  I have altered all of these recipes quite a bit, but my inspiration came from this website.

Peanut Porridge with Tempeh Bacon

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 tbsp flour
3 cups un-chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp sherry
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 pkg tempeh bacon

Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add onion and celery.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add flour and mix into vegetables.  Slowly add un-chicken broth, while stirring constantly.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil on skillet.  Spread out tempeh bacon slices in a single layer.  Cook until browned on each side.  Chop into pieces and set aside.

Remove broth and veggies from heat.  Stir in peanut butter, sherry and lemon juice.  Add tempeh bacon and serve.

Jamaican "Meat" Patties

Start by making the dough...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 cups ice water

Combine flour, turmeric and salt in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter, blend in butter until the mixture is well-combined and crumbly.  Add the ice water a 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough gathers into a ball.  Set aside.

Now make the filling...

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 package imitation ground beef (I used Gimme Lean)
2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup un-chicken broth or water
1 egg, beaten

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion and garlic and saute until softened.  Add imitation beef and cook until browned.  You may need to add a little extra oil if it's sticking too much.  Add curry powder and black pepper.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add broth.  Stir in bread crumbs.  Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide dough into quarters.  On a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a circle, about a 1/4 inch thick.  Put 1/4 of the "meat" filling in the center of each round of dough and fold over to create a half circle.  Press the edges with a fork.  Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until browned.


Coconut Rice & Beans

1 -15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 -15 oz. can light coconut milk
1 -15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place black beans, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a large frying pan (with a cover) and cook over medium heat.  Stir until onion and pepper are softened.  Add tomatoes and their juices.  Stir in uncooked rice.  Add coconut milk.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add some more water, if necessary.

Play some reggae, mix a mojito and enjoy!

Oven-Braised Parsnips with Caramelized Onions

I was browsing the grocery store for dinner inspiration tonight and had an impulse to buy some parsnips.  I really enjoy their sweet, earthy flavor, but rarely cook with them because I have trouble thinking of ways to prepare them.  Here is the answer...

1 lb parsnips, peeled
2 tbsp butter
1 cup un-chicken broth (I use this)
1 tbsp garlic oil (if you're fortunate enough to shop at Wegman's, use their basting oil)
Freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, caramelized (here are instructions on how to caramelize an onion- use butter for this recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Slice the parsnips in half horizontally.  Cut the thinner part in half and the thicker part in quarters (or even eighths if they're really thick).

Put the butter in a 10x12 roasting pan and put it in the oven for a couple of minutes until it's melted.  Remove from oven and toss the parsnips in the pan until they're evenly coated with butter.  Spread them out in a single layer.

Mix the broth, oil and pepper.  Pour over the parsnips.  Bake for an hour, turning the parsnips over every 10 minutes for the first 40 minutes.  Let bake untouched for the remaining 20 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender.

Spread on a serving plate and top with caramelized onion.

"Chicken" with Lime Sauce

I am a big fan of imitation meats.  They are healthy, high in protein and delicious.  My favorite fake "chicken" is Quorn.  If you have not tried it you are definitely missing out!  Tonight I tried something new with Quorn Naked Cutlets (I realize that this sounds like a sales pitch, but I promise they're good!).  I modified a real chicken recipe, made a few tweaks and came up with something very tasty!

Here's what you'll need...

4 Quorn Naked Cutlets (1 box)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced
6 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced, fresh chives
1 tsp minced, fresh dill

Start by microwaving the Quorn patties for a minute or two to thaw them.  Dip the Quorn in the beaten egg and then roll in the panko bread crumbs.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the Quorn for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Remove the Quorn patties from the pan when they're slightly browned on each side.  Keep them warm for a couple minutes while you cook the lime sauce.

Pour the lime juice in the same pan and cook until bubbly.  Add the butter and melt.  Toss in the fresh herbs and saute for a few seconds.  Spoon the lime sauce over the Quorn and serve immediately.

A Perfect Pizza

I had made pizza many times before, but it always turned out decidedly blah.  Edible, but not worth the effort when I could have had something much better delivered to my doorstep.  I recently decided it was time to add really good pizza to my cooking repertoire.  I was looking for a pastry-style crust, similar to Ledo's Pizza.  I also love a good Chicago-style pizza, but hate all the fat and calories that go along with it.  I decided to combine the two and make a pastry crust with a Chicago sauce.  The results?  Pure deliciousness!

In addition to the sauce and crust ingredients you'll also need 1 cup of shredded provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella.  Save a little extra basil for sprinkling on top.  You can also add a little grated Parmesan on top.

Get started on the sauce first because it will take a while to cook down...

2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (if you want to get really crazy you can use fire-roasted tomatoes- this adds a nice, smoky flavor, but it might not be to everyone's liking).
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh basil

Place the tomatoes and their juice in a sauce pan.  Use a wooden spoon to chop them up.  Stir in oregano and salt.

Simmer, uncovered over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated.  This will take an hour, at least, probably more.  (It is my duty to warn you that this is going to smell so good that you are going to get anxious and impatient and try to declare that this is done when it's not.  Do not do this.  If you have too much liquid left in the sauce it will run over the side of the crust and burn).

Remove from heat and add garlic and 8-10 torn basil leaves.

For the crust...

2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cubed
1 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 2 cups of flour and salt.  Add the butter and blend in with a pastry cutter until well-mixed.  Combine sugar, water (warmed to 110 degrees) and yeast in a small bowl and let rest for a couple minutes.  Add to flour mixture and let your mixer knead it all together.  Keep adding more flour until the dough comes together in a ball and isn't too sticky when you handle it.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest 30-40 minutes.  It's not going to rise very much, so don't worry when you check on it!

Coat your pizza pan with non-stick spray and spread dough evenly on the pan, pressing right up against the edges to make a nice "cup" to contain the sauce.  Poke the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with olive oil.

Now you're ready to assemble the pizza...

Sprinkle your provolone and mozzarella cheeses on the crust.  Spread the sauce over the cheese, right to the edge of the pan.

Put it back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Top with shredded basil and grated Parmesan, if desired, and enjoy!

This isn't the best photo, so please don't judge the pizza on my photography skills!