Spinach Portobello Lasagna

Shannon and I had fun rolling Spinach Portobello Lasagna during her recent visit to Los Angeles. We were pleasantly surprised by how cute they were! Ellie Krieger's lasagna is not as heavy as my Turkey Sausage Lasagna, and is heart healthy. Probably a smart meal choice when cooking with my high school cross country teammate who is now a nutritionist, yoga instructor and wellness guru. One quick tip, don't skimp on the marinara. We didn't quite have four cups, and it definitely would have tasted better with the extra sauce.

Ingredients:

12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound)
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups marinara sauce
15-ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 ounces grated part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2/3 cup)

 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain them well and spread them out onto aluminum foil to prevent them from sticking.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto a lasagna noodle. Top with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture, roll the noodle and place it into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the lasagna rolls. Top with grated cheeses, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Makes 6 servings

Blue Corn Enchiladas

Brent and I always schedule time for the Blue Mesa Grill when we are in Dallas. I look forward to the Adobe Pie, Goat Cheese Enchiladas and the Blue Margaritas. Brent always orders Blue Corn Enchiladas. Blue corn tortillas are way more fun than plain corn tortillas, so when I found them at Trader Joe's I challenged myself to recreating Blue Mesa's signature dish. I adapted Marcela Valladolid's Chicken Enchilada recipe by using blue corn tortillas, and roasting chicken breast with my taco seasoning blend. I also stacked the tortillas instead of rolling them, and serve the dish in mini cast iron skillets. Although the homemade salsa verde was delicious, and we enjoyed having a taste of Texas in California, I won't fool you into thinking these taste like the original recipe. The Blue Mesa does something magical to their food. Magic that I will experience in less than two week!

Ingredients:
9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/2 medium white onion
1 serrano chile
1 yellow chile (guero)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6-8 (6-inch) blue corn tortillas (available at Trader Joe's)
2 chicken breasts, roasted and sprinkled with taco seasoning
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the tomatillos, onion, serrano, yellow chile and 3/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and boil until the tomatillos turn olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tomatillos, onion and chiles to a blender. Add the garlic and cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

                              
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Put the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3 cup sauce in a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the enchiladas, seam-side down, in one layer snugly inside the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. You might also consider stacking your enchiladas and making personal dishes in mini cast iron dishes. In this case stack 3-4 tortillas per portion, and add chicken to each layer. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese.

Sprinkle the cheese all over. Bake until the cheese melts and starts to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Farro Risotto

This funny looking fall experiment turned out to be a tasty twist on classic risotto. The pumpkin, parmesan and goat cheese resulted in creamy comfort. Risotto often gets a bad rep for taking a long time to cook, and requiring a lot of patience. I found the experience quite pleasant. I got on the phone with Mama and just chatted and stirred, and by the end of the conversation dinner was ready. Also, farro works beautifully as a replacement for arborio rice in risotto recipes. It feels a bit more exotic, and has more health benefits. If, however, you are attached to arborio rice, or can't find farro, go ahead and use arborio instead. My only complaint about this dish is that the original recipe said this would make six servings. Maybe six small children? Brent, Marta and I were scrapping the pot for more.

Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth, plus extra for moistening, as needed
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek (white and pale green part), thinly sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups farro
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (generous) freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

Whisk together the broth and the pumpkin in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low to keep the pumpkin broth warm.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until almost tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the thyme. Add the farro and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking the farro, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Cook until the farro is tender but still firm to the bite, and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes, adding additional warm broth by 1/4 cupfuls if risotto is dry. Mix in the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat. Add more salt to taste.

Divide the risotto among shallow bowls. Sprinkle each with goat cheese and remaining parsley and serve.

Adapted from Giada Laurentiis

Dark Chocolate Linguine

Lately Saturday mornings have consisted of sweating at Rudy's yoga class at Santa Monica Power Yoga, followed by sampling local foods at various farmer's markets. Quality farmer's market ingredients inspired this tasty dessert. I discovered Pappardelle's pasta a few weeks ago at the original Los Angeles Farmer's Market, and yesterday I came across spicy cinnamon chocolate at Chocovivo's stand in Playa Vista. What I love most about market shopping is meeting passionate small business owners who have devoted their lives to preparing natural, high quality products. Dark chocolate linguine, ice-cream and stone ground cocoa was a fun way to finish off a Saturday night meal.

Ingredients:
8 ounces dark chocolate linguine
A few scoops of ice cream
Chocolate bar or chocolate chips for melting
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
1. Cook pasta in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and rinse with cool water. Allow to cool.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add milk to chocolate and stir.
3. Divide linguini into 3-4 bowls. Top with ice-cream and melted chocolate.

Caramel Apples

KIPP Academy of Opportunity fifth graders celebrated halloween with an $80 average paycheck party. Our bundles of energy contained their excitement through five classes, working hard even though it was obvious their mind was on the festivities planned for the day. Along with watching halloween themed movies, dancing to thrilling and enjoying coveted social time, our KIPPsters made their own caramel apples. This was a fun fall group activity because kids were able to choose their toppings and decorate their own apples to take home. After the kids had their messy fun, the teachers dunked away. As a lover of pecans, I found the apple, caramel, pecan combination heavenly on halloween. 

Ingredients:
8 small apples, washed, well dried
1 bag (11 oz.)  Caramel Candy
2 Tbsp. water

Toppings (mini-chocolate chips, pecan pieces, walnuts, coconut, sprinkles)

Popsicle sticks

Directions:
1. Cover large plate with parchment paper. Insert one wooden pop stick into stem end of an apple. 

2. Place caramel in medium saucepan. Add water; cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until caramel bits are completely melted, stirring constantly. You can also microwave the caramel candies for 2 minutes in a microwave safe bowl. Warning, caramel will be VERY hot. Stir gently, I learned the hard way.
3. Dip apples into melted caramel until evenly coated, spooning caramel over apples if necessary. Allow excess caramel to drip off. Dip in desired topping. Do not roll in the mini-chocolate chips. This will create a melted mess. Place on parchment paper. Ideally, refrigerate at least 1 hour, but you probably won't be able to wait. If you manage to wait, remove from refrigerator 15 min. before serving.

Classic Beef Chili

I love making chili on a Sunday night, sticking it in the fridge, and having it ready for a weeknight meal. Chili is one of those meals that tastes better the longer it sits, so a day or two in the fridge will only make it better. I've tried dozens of chili recipes in search of the perfect basic recipe. I've experimented with different regional styles, a variety of meats, bean combinations and more. After several years of searching, this recipe finally satisfied my need for a good pot of beef kidney bean chili with a delicious balance of spice and sweetness. I still love my Moroccan chili, but for a simple classic chili, this has become my go-to recipe. 

Ingredients
6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage (2-3 links)
1 chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 generous tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 generous tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
Cheddar cheese for topping

Directions:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, pepper, garlic, beef and jalapeno to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.

Makes 8 servings.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

Is October too early to be baking mini-pumpkin pies? I found these on bakerella, and I couldn't resist. These baby pumpkin bites make me so excited for Thanksgiving. 78 degree days at the end of October is glorious, but I am looking forward to bundling up in Michigan, cooking delicious comfort food, and spending time with family.  I guess I'll patiently pop pumpkin pie bites while I wait. 

Ingredients:
2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Optional
Candied Pecan Halves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use a circle cookie cutter to cut 24 circles from the pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray.
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pie crust and top with a candied pecan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

Sweet Potato Orzo Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is the longest name ever for a recipe. It doesn't even include goat's cheese, a crucial ingredient to this dish that the Lowry clan just finished enjoying. Here's the story of how this recipe ended up on my blog. I plan my meals for the week on Sunday. I go to the store, and buy all the ingredients so that I'm good to go for the week. I try to reduce any errands that need to be run during the week because after a long day of teaching I just need to get home, go on a run and cook. Today, however, things were a little different. KIPP treated us to an afternoon off of meetings, meaning I was done at 1:15. Alaina and I decided to take advantage of the afternoon and have lunch and shop at the LA Farmer's Market. We enjoyed sweet and savory crepes, then hit the stands. I fell in love with Pappardelle Pasta. They have such a unique variety of pastas including tomato basil penne, dark chocolate linguine, roasted red pepper lasagna and so much more. I was drawn to the sweet potato orzo and dark chocolate linguine, and when I went to pay it was suggested that I serve it with acorn squash and goat's cheese. I froze. I just stood there listening, and thought, "Yes. That is seasonal, sounds incredible. I must make this tonight." Poor Alaina had to run around the market with me finding ingredients for my must make meal, but it was well worth it. Alaina, I'm cooking this for you next weekend. You will love it, and so will anyone else who enjoys sweet, savory creamy deliciousness. Brent, Marta and I scraped the heck out of those acorn squash.

Ingredients:

3 Acorn squash
Olive Oil
Brown Sugar
Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt
4-6 oz. Goat's Cheese

8 oz. Sweet Potato Orzo (I'm sure regular is good too)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Using a strong chef's knife carefully cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.
3. Coat the inside of each half with a drizzle of olive oil. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add about a teaspoon brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half. Use a brush to spread olive oil, maple syrup and brown sugar. 

4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. 

5. Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain well and rinse with warm water. Mix in half of the goat's cheese.
6. Remove from oven, and stuff each acorn half with a orzo. Place back in over for an additional 10 minutes. 

7. Remove from oven again. Cool for 5 minutes, then top with remaining goat's cheese, salt and pepper. 

Serves 3-4

Panko Crusted Chicken

Food blogging is an expensive hobby. Although cooking at home is cheaper than eating out, and I tend to post budget friendly dishes, my experimenting often requieres a variety of ingredients that increase my grocery bill. At least once a week I give my wallet a bit of relief by preparing chicken and salad. It usually falls on a Monday night after a weekend of indulgence. Chicken and salad night used to feel like the boring night off cooking until I learned how to prepare it right. With this dish I still get the satisfaction of preparing a blogable meal without the cost of a bunch of fancy ingredients. Yes, you could add parmigiano reggiano and fresh parsley to the panko to really take the dish up a notch, but just having chicken, a few pantry items, and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, and you're good to go!

Ingredients:
1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and pounded
Salt and pepper
Flour
1 container egg beaters (Or you can use two eggs. I like using egg beaters because they aren't as drippy)
1 cup Panko crumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for shallow frying

Directions:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in a little flour, then coat in egg beaters and then in breadcrumbs mixed with enough cayenne pepper to make you happy.

Heat a shallow layer of oil, about 1/8-inch thick, in large skillet over medium to medium- high heat. Place cooling rack over sheet tray in oven preheated to 200˚F to keep chicken warm until you serve.

Fry chicken in batches to avoid crowding pan. Cook chicken 5 minutes on each side until deep golden and cooked through.

Serve over salad, with roasted vegetables, or even in a sandwich.

Kogi BBQ Food Truck

Food trucks are the hip new foodie trend in Los Angeles. I was ambivalent about exploring this aspect of the food world because I love the experience of a sit down restaurant meal. The thought of driving to a parked truck and standing around eating food seemed to lack ambiance. Kogi BBQ, ranked one of the top ten gourmet food trucks in Los Angeles, proved me wrong.  Not only do they serve delicious Korean/Mexican dishes, but I actually loved the atmosphere and community feel of standing around eating high quality food. There are no strings attached, the focus really is on the food, and the experience feels so LA. Kogi BBQ has become my post-long run tradition. There is nothing more satisfying than sliders, quesadillas and tacos after logging miles on the beach. Below are a few photos of our recent visit on Abbot Kinney Drive.

BLACKJACK QUESADILLA

 PINEAPPLE CHICKEN TORTA

SHORT RIB, CHICKEN AND SPICY PORK TACOS

KOGI SLIDERS

Chicken and Black Bean Tostadas

Brent and I have a new roommate! Marta has been living with us in Playa del Rey over the past few weeks while she pursues her career in the fashion industry here in Los Angeles. It's been fun having my baby sister around to accompany us as we explore the city. We've had fun with family yoga nights, biking on the beach, walking around Santa Monica and best of all having a good laugh over dinner after stressful days at work. Last week Marta suggested preparing tostadas for dinner. I cook all kinds of complicated Mexican dishes but have never prepared simple, healthy and delicious tostadas. I've been missing out! I've added this dish to my list of great weeknight dishes. It can also easily be adapted by using shredded rotisserie chicken, and pre-toasted tortillas for even quicker cooking time.

Ingredients:

6-8 tortillas

1 can refried black beans 

1 pound chicken tenders

1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning

 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges 

1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce 

1 cup chunky salsa

Sliced tomatoes 

2 tablespoons olive oil


Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange tortillas (we used large whole wheat tortillas) on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until crispy, 6-8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add olive oil to a skillet. Heat to medium. Add chicken tender, and cook until brown on both sides and no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Remove from heat, and shred into small pieces.

Cook the beans in a small pot on the stove until hot throughout. 

To prepare the tostada, spread tostadas with beans, then top with avocado slices, chicken, lettuce and salsa and enjoy immediately.

Toasted Ravioli

My KIPP carpool buddy Alaina Pariano and I celebrated the end of our first week of school with a Friday night wine and cooking party. We embraced Alaina's Italian roots with her family recipes. The menu consisted of salad with homemade dressing and croutons, toasted ravioli, moscato wine and pear crisp. I'm not sure how Italian pear crisp is, but we had an entire crate left over at school and hated the thought of them going to waste. Alaina is such a talented cook, so I forced her to create her own blog. I'll be posting her link soon! She was kind enough to allow me to post this recipe. I feel like I am plagiarizing by posting it, so I want to make it perfectly clear that this is her recipe and it is OH so good. The cooking time might need to be adjusted based on your oven. Just make sure the ravioli get puffy and crunchy. We're not looking for soggy ravioli, rather a crisp texture. These can be served as a main dish or as an appetizer. Next cooking party will be Mexican themed with margaritas!

Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
24 fresh bite-size ravioli, thawed if frozen
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling
Freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Pour the evaporated milk in a bowl. Put bread crumbs in another bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs. You really have to push the breadcrumbs down onto the ravioli so they stick. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Use tongs to flip, and bake for another 12-15 minutes. While the ravioli are toasting, in a small saucepan heat sauce over moderate heat until hot and keep warm, covered. Transfer hot ravioli to a platter and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Serve ravioli with warm marinara sauce for dipping.