Light Beef and Eggplant Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 1 1/4 hours, plus cooling

• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound ground beef or lamb
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 5 cups prepared pasta sauce
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan (3 1/4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and upper third. Divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 minutes, stirring eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through. Let sheets cool on wire racks.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 4 minutes. Add allspice, mint, and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer beef to a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles. Layer with half the beef, then 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 more noodles, half the egplant, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, reserving the last 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover lasagna loosely with foil and bake on top rack until sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack to catch any drippings.) Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Light Beef and Eggplant Lasagna - Martha Stewart Recipes

Spinach and Leek Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 1 1/4 hours, plus cooling

• 3 pounds leeks (white and light-green parts only), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and rinsed well
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cups frozen spinach (three 10-ounce packages), thawed and liquid squeezed out
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 cups prepared pasta sauce
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 3/4 cups grated Parmesan (3 1/4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and upper third. Divide leeks between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 minutes, stirring leeks and rotating sheets halfway through. Let sheets cool on wire racks.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add red pepper, parsley, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to a medium bowl.
3. Spread 1 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles. Layer with half the spinach, then 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 more noodles, half the leeks, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, reserving the last 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover lasagna loosely with foil and bake on top rack until sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack to catch any drippings.) Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing.

Source: Marthastewart.com: Light Spinach and Leek Lasagna - Martha Stewart Recipes

Cranberry Sauce

• 1 med orange unpeeled (no seeds)
• 1 apple core (not peeled but cored)
• 2 cup fresh cranberries
• ½ cup sugar

Puree in food processor and serve cold.

Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin

• 1 pumpkin 8-10 inches in diameter (20-25cm)
• 8 oz (250g) of grated cheese, white Cheddar or Gruyere or combo
• one 12-14 inch baguette, cut in 1-inch squares
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup of fresh sage, chopped
• 1/8 cup of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 1/2-3 cups of broth, chicken or vegetable
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the strings and seeds. Heat butter and olive oil on low. Add the shallot, garlic, and sage, cooking until the sage is brown and crispy. Add rosemary and cook for another minute or two while stirring.

Place a layer of bread, cheese, and shallot-herb mixture in the bottom of the pumpkin. Then top with more bread, cheese, and shallot-herb mixture continuing to layer until the pumpkin is full and the ingredients are all used up. Squish it down to compress the bread and cheese as much as possible. Then pore the stock over it until the cheese and bread are well saturated. Replace the pumpkin lid.

Cook for 2-2 1/2 hours. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the pumpkin. You want the pumpkin flesh to be soft but not mushy. And you want to take it out of the oven before the structure collapses. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the sides to serve. Makes 6 servings.

Allison's tip: add walnuts for added flavour

Squash Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion
• 2c chicken stock
• 400g cooked squash
• 1 small apple peeled and seeded
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground corriander
• 3/4 cup milk

Serves 4.

Melt butter in a sauce pan and cook the onion until soft, stir in flour and gradually add the chicken stock.Add squash, apple, curry and corriander.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for at least ten minutes.  Add salt and pepper and blend.  Add milk and return to a boil.

Rachel's Thoughts:  I generally double the recipe and use a large butternut squash, but if I want a really thick super I use two medium.  Because the squash generally isn't bang on the same weight every time I generally add more spices based on the taste.

Orange and Balsamic Chicken

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 unpeeled orange but into 8 wedges
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat over to 450.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden and crisp, 7 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off fat from skillet.  Return chicken, skin side up, to skillet and transfer to oven.  bake until cooked through, 10 minutes.  Transfer chicken to a plate.

Heat skillet over medium heat adn add vinegar and orange wedges.  Cook, stirring adn scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until orange begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.  To serve, return chicken to skillet and toss iwth orange sauce.

Rachel's Thoughts: Titus made this with brown basmati rice.  And used more than 1 orange, so good!

Source: Everyday Food Magazine

White Bean Stuffed Portobellos

• 4 large portobello mushrooms (Stems discarded)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
•  olive oil
• 1 garlic clove mined
• 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy beans)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 thick slices crusty bread (crusts removed)
• 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.  Place mushrooms, stem side down, on a rimmed baking sheet.  Whisk together 2 tbsp each of lemon juice and oil and use to coat mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast mushrooms until tender and beginning to release their juices, 15 min.  Flip and drain juices from sheet.  Increase oven to 450F.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add beans, 1tsp of thyme and 1/4 cup of water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost evaporated.  (3 minutes)

3. In a food processor pulse bread until course crumbs form.  Add 1 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of thyme (pulse to combine.  

4. Top each mushroom with the bean mix, then feta, then bread crumbs (divide evenly among mushrooms).  Return sheet to oven and bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown, 5 minutes.

Source: Everyday Food Magazine

Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile, and Lime

Prep: 30 minutes, Total: 1 hour 30 minutes, Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon butter, at room temperature
• 1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 piece fresh ginger (2 inches long), peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeno chile
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 pounds)
• 2 large onions, thickly sliced
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Make the ginger-chile butter: In a small bowl, using a spoon, mash together 2 tablespoons butter, shallot, ginger, jalapeno, lime juice, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using fingers, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. With a small spoon, insert butter mixture evenly between skin and meat; pat skin back down. Tie chicken legs together with cotton kitchen twine; tuck wing tips underneath.
3. Rub chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter; season generously with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange onions in a single layer; place chicken on top.
4. Roast until chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh (without touching bone) reads 175 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and tent with oil; let rest 10 minutes (the temperature will rise by about 5 degrees).
6. On baking sheet, stir onions together with pan juices. Carve chicken; serve with onions and, if desired, lime wedges.

Pork Tenderloin with Peaches, Plums and Cherry Pistachio Rice

Serves 4. Hands-on time: 15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour.

• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 tsp safflower oil
• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 peaches: pitted and sliced into 1/2-in pieces
• 2 plums: pitted and sliced into 1/2-in pieces
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted pistachios: shelled and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375F

1) Rinse rice under cold eater; drain.  Combine rise with 2 cups of water in a medium pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, so liquid is at a bare simmer.  Cover pot and simmer for 40 minuted.  Remove pot from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, coat a large ovenproof saute pan with oil and set out over medium-high heat.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  When pan is hot, sear pork for 2 minutes per side until brown.  Add peaches and plums around seared pork and transfer to oven.  Roast pork, peaches and plums for about 20 minuted, until a thermometer registers 145F.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

3) Fluff rice and stir in cherries and pistachios.  Slice pork.  Divide rice mixture, pork, peaches and plums evenly among 4 plates.

Rachel's Thoughts:  I used currants instead of cherries.  I also skipped step 1 and just tossed the rice in my rice cooker after rinsing and it worked well.  I also used the juices from the pan as 'gravy'. 

Source: Clean Eating Magazine

Basic White Bread

This is a perfect 'basic' bread recipe, and an excellent recipe for beginners. It's very plain, so more advanced bakers might want to spice it up with their favourite herbs, spices, or other flavourings. The natural flavour of the bread is very mild, so it's a good support for almost any additional ingredients you may want to add.

Ingredients

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon salt

6 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions

1.     In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Stir in butter, salt and two cups of the flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

2.     Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

3.     Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

4.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

5.     Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

**Note: Preheat to 425 and bake at 375 is not a typo :)
 
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-White-Bread/Detail.aspx (with minor modifications)