Girl's Night In

So, tonight Mike went out with a friend to go see a rock concert for his favorite band, Clutch. I decided to take advantage of my night home alone. I'm sitting here in my red velour sweatsuit with a bottle of wine. I knew for a fact I was making Caprese salad, so I decided to cook some sort of Italian chicken to go along with it. I totally just made it up as I went along. Here is a summary of my evening in the kitchen.

I sliced up a tomato, layered it with fresh mozzarella and basil, and drenched it in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Then I sprinkled it all with salt and pepper and let it marinate while I cooked the chicken.


I wasn't sure what to do...I cut all the fat off, as always, and kind of poked around at it.

I decided to stuff it with Parmesan and pepperoni.

Then I cooked it with olive oil and salt & pepper in a skillet.

While it cooked, I cracked open a bottle of wine. :)

Voila! I served the chicken with the Caprese and a slice of bread. Yum!!!



The chicken was good...but the Parmesan and pepperoni was a bit stronger than I would have liked. Still, it'll be good leftovers for tomorrow. :) And the Caprese is always delicious!!! I ordered this every day when I was in Italy. :)

While eating, I watched the first episode of "Lost." It gets such rave reviews, I figured I'd give it a try. Not the best thing to watch right before Mike and I both take separate flights, but it looks to be an awesome show. I was going to watch the whole DVD, but I think Mike will like it, so I'm going to save it to watch with him.

So, here I am...sharing my meal with you! :)
Cheers!

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna

(photo from Jesse - mine looked very similar, so since I am sans-camera, I'll show you her pic!)

Last night I made lasagna. I was SO hungry. I didn't feel like cooking, but I had the ingredients in the fridge that needed cooking, and really, I was starving. Unfortunately, the process of cooking and then baking probably took an hour and a half or more, but it's all good. I found this idea on Jesse's blog, "We All Go Poopie" (that name cracks me up) and decided to figure out how to make it myself. She doesn't actually have a recipe on her blog, just a run-through of her ingredients, so I'll try to share my process with you. :)

Lasagna:
lasagna noodles
shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
mascarpone cheese (ricotta will also work well)
shiitake mushrooms (any kind will probably work)
fresh sage
2 bags fresh spinach
1/2 onion
salt & pepper to taste

Bechamel sauce:
1 1/2 T butter
2 T flour
1 C milk
1/2 t salt
1/8 t nutmeg

First, I made a VERY tasty Bechamel sauce. (I didn't know what that was, so I had to look up a recipe.) I melted 1 1/2 T butter in a saucepan, and added a couple tablespoons of flour. I cooked it until it turned golden brown, then added 1 C heavy cream. (The recipe called for milk, but I didn't have any. I think the heavy cream made it even more decadent!) I let it boil, then cooked it for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. I removed it from the heat, and added 1/2 t salt and 1/8 t nutmeg. Then I let it sit until I was ready for it.
Next, I sauteed shiitake mushrooms and fresh sage (from my garden!) in butter. In a separate pan, I sauteed chopped onions in olive oil, and then added two bags of fresh spinach leaves. After they wilted, I added salt & pepper.

Now for the fun part. I spread a little of the Bechamel sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, then layered no-bake lasagna noodles on top. I spread a bit more Bechamel on top of the noodles, and then spread a third of the spinach on top. This was followed by half of the mushrooms. Then I scattered dollops of mascarpone cheese on top, followed by mozzarella and Parmesan. I put more lasagna noodles on top, and repeated the previous steps. The top layer was just spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

I covered the lasagna with foil, and baked at 375 for 55 minutes. I took the foil off and baked for 5 more minutes, til the cheese was golden.

Yum!

I think it would have been better with chicken, but Mike thought it was pretty good as-is. I like the ease of the no-bake noodles, but I think next time I'll stick with the regular kind.

Ravioli in Balsamic Brown Butter

Well, I didn't get much cooking done this weekend, seeing as how I was stuck in bed for most of it. Quite a pity, since here in San Diego, we had summer weather, and the rest of the population was at the beach catching rays. What a waste of a weekend. :( My throat was too sore to eat much of anything, and even if I had been able to eat, I wasn't capable of standing long enough to cook. So, I didn't do much cooking until last night, when I figured I was well enough to cook some ravioli, which was also soft enough for me to eat. The other problem is that my roommate borrowed my camera for the next three days, so I can't post any new pics on my blog. But, you can look at my friend Andrea's pictures, who's recipe I borrowed, since mine looked pretty much the same anyway! (Andrea's photo)

I made Ravioli in Balsamic Brown Butter, and like Andrea suggested, I used half butter and half olive oil. It looks delicious, but I wasn't really all that impressed. Mike and his friend thought it was great though. I just felt like it was missing something. I suppose if I had served it with a salad like I had intended to, it would have balanced the meal out a bit better. Anyway, tasty recipe, but not one I'm likely to make again. Next time I make ravioli, I'll just serve it with my homemade marinara sauce.

Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells w/Garlic Roasted Green Beans

Here is one recipe that the boys at my house totally drooled over. I think that this got the highest rating of the week! The best part was that I made my own sauce, so we have plenty more for another meal this week!!!

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Shells
recipe from Cooking Light (2008 Cookbook) - photos from my kitchen

Ingredients

2 cups Basic Marinara, divided
Cooking spray
2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
24 cooked jumbo pasta shells

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread 1/2 cup Basic Marinara over bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine ricotta and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling into each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in prepared dish; spread with remaining 1 1/2 cups Basic Marinara. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I topped mine with mozzarella and Parmesan and popped it in the oven for 5 more minutes to make it look tastier. I gotta have my cheese!!!

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 4 stuffed shells and about 1/3 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 329(27% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 4.8g,mono 3g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 19.6g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 377mg; SODIUM 552mg; FIBER 4.2g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.4g

Bruce Weinstein , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007



Basic Marinara

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

Preparation

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

After simmering for an hour or so, I taste-tested the sauce, and found it needed more seasoning. I added fresh basil, onion powder, garlic powder, more balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. I also added some bean stock (I found this tip on Culinate. The bean stock is supposed to add a heartier, meatier flavor, as well as thickening up the sauce.)

To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers or zip-top plastic bags. Seal and freeze for up to four months. Consider freezing the sauce in one-cup increments (two servings' worth). That way, you can pull out exactly as much as you want for future meals.

To thaw sauce: Try one of three methods.

1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Place frozen blocks in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Place frozen blocks in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH one minute at a time, stirring after each increment until thawed.

To boost taste: Long stints in the freezer can dull the taste of tomatoes. To perk up thawed sauce, add one-half teaspoon finely grated lemon rind or one teaspoon balsamic vinegar while reheating.

Yield

About 12 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 50(32% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 0.2g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 28mg; SODIUM 270mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 0.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8g

Bruce Weinstein , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Green Beans

Place trimmed green beans on a baking sheet with a chopped shallot. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Add 5 thinly sliced garlic cloves; toss. Bake at 400 for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and drizzle with lemon juice.

Bruschetta Chicken

Tonight I decided to make the Bruschetta Chicken (from foodie Melissa's blog) instead of the Sesame Chicken. I just wasn't in the mood for an Asian meal, and Mike was feeling sick, and I know how he loves Italian food. :) We both LOVED this meal!


Ingredients

2 chicken breast
Extra Virgin olive oil
white wine
balsamic vinegar
basil (I used fresh basil leaves)
salt and pepper
canned chopped tomatoes
chopped garlic
seasoned breadcrumbs(I used Panko crumbs and added onion powder, oregano, and pepper)
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese

Directions

On med/high heat I put the olive oil, white wine, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a pan. Once hot I added the chicken and flipped after 1 to 2 minutes. I then added the tomatoes and garlic. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to med/low (flip occasionally). Let the chicken cook a good amount of time to allow it to get nice and tender.

While the chicken is cooking, mix together equal parts of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, add EVOO to make a crumble.

When chicken is done top it with crumble and mozzarella cheese. Turn on broiler and transfer* chicken under the broiler. Leave in there a few minutes to let the topping crisp up and cheese melt.

* I used an oven safe pan to make the transfer of the chicken easier. Otherwise you will need to transfer the chicken from the pan to an oven safe dish.

Serve this with your favorite pasta and spoon the extra tomato mixture over it.


This is SOOOO good! It's similar to our fave Chicken Parmesan, but with a slightly different twist. Mike LOVED the crushed tomatoes in lieu of regular spaghetti sauce in a jar. The chicken was SO tender and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!!!

Chicken Parmesan

Mike and I adore Chicken Parmesan. I haven't used a recipe in years. I'll just give you my process, and I'll try to add pictures next time I make it.

Chicken Parmesan
a'la Alanna

Chicken Breasts

egg
milk
panko (or fine bread crumbs)
flour
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
olive oil
Italian cheese (i.e. provolone, mozzarella, etc.)
Spaghetti sauce
spaghetti

First, I trim all the fat from the chicken breasts, because it totally grosses me out. Then, I salt & pepper the breasts.

Put flour in a small bowl.

Place an egg and some milk in a bowl and gently beat them together.

Put bread crumbs in a bowl with Italian seasoning.

Dip the breasts in the flour and gently coat them. Then, dip them into the egg/milk mixture and let the excess drip off.

Place the breasts in the dish of bread crumbs, and firmly press into the crumbs to thoroughly coat all sides.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Fry chicken for a couple minutes on each side until golden. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until chicken is white and tender all the way through. Place a slice of cheese on top of each breast. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

Serve with spaghetti and sauce.