Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Summer Veggie and Chicken Lasagna with Goat Cheese Sauce

August 16, 2011

I think I’ve mentioned before that I often devour leftovers for dinner because I tend to get home pretty late and I’m always starving when I walk in the door. So, when I do manage to find time to cook during the week, I’m usually whipping up a meal to enjoy the next day, and I’m often just getting started in the kitchen around 10 or 11pm!

The other night I made this lasagna and instructed Apolinaras to stick it in the fridge before he hit the sack since it needed to cool down a bit more and I was heading off to bed. You can imagine my surprise when I was suddenly jolted awake by a grinning Apolinaras who had eaten a piece and came in to gush that it was the best lasagna I’d ever made! It was pretty cute that he couldn’t wait until morning to proclaim his lasagna love, and I fell right back asleep and almost thought the whole conversation was a dream until I asked him about the next day.

I stuffed my whole wheat lasagna with layers of creamy ricotta, chicken, summer veggies, and a luscious goat cheese sauce. I was very excited to recently find that the goat cheese at Costco now comes in two 10.5-ounce contains instead of one large package. Now there’s much less pressure to use it up before it goes bad – yay!

Summer Veggie and Chicken Lasagna with Goat Cheese Sauce
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Chicken and Veggie Layer:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 zucchinis, chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

Ricotta Layer:
32 ounces part-skim ricotta
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
10.5 ounces goat cheese (1 log from costco)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Assembly:
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
To make the chicken and veggie layer, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Place chicken in a large bowl and add zucchini to the same hot pan; sauté 5 minutes and add the leeks; sauté an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Stir zucchini mixture and roasted red peppers in with the chicken.

To make the ricotta layer, place ricotta, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and egg in a large bowl and mix until smooth.

To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one more minute or until mixture starts to brown. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in pecorino romano, goat cheese, and salt. Heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

Heat oven to 350˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. To assemble the lasagna, place a layer of 4 noodles in a 13×9-inch pan and top it with half the ricotta mixture, half the chicken and veggie mix, half the sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layer. Then place the remaining 4 noodles on top and sprinkle evenly with the 2 remaining cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes or until cheesy is light brown and bubbly. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 501 calories, 23.4g fat, 4.1g fiber, 41.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.93 per serving

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Triple Tomato Chicken Panini

August 12, 2011

My parents visited us last weekend! We started things off perfectly by enjoying some delicious pizza at Emma’s Thursday night. Then on Friday, I snuck out of work a bit early to check out the Chihuly exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts with them – amazing! I think my Dad put it best when he said he felt like we were in a world Dr. Seuss had created. After picking up Apolinaras, we headed out for Blue Ribbon BBQ, which the birthday boy requested, and then drove up to Vermont.

We started the next day by doing the Magic Hat Brewery tour and tasting, where I voted for Wacko, aka The Liquid Song of Summer, as my favorite. My mom was super cute and answered a question right on the tour to win a free pint glass.

Next up was lunch on Lake Champlain at Splash - we were literally on the lake since the tables are on a floating dock. The views were beautiful and our clam chowder was surprisingly excellent.

Then we indulged in a little ice cream during the Ben and Jerry’s Factory tour (which is free by the way if you check in on yelp) and my Dad and I squeezed in a hilly run before our Korean takeout from Yama. It was a very relaxing day and we headed to bed early since the next morning we needed to rise and shine super early for the highlight of our trip, a King Arthur Flour baking class!

I’ve been planning this trip with my mom ever since I took a class there last year with a group of bloggers. While the boys amused themselves by hiking the Appalachian Trail, my mom and I were treated to a tour of the King Arthur Flour warehouse, production facility where they make all their mixes, and test kitchen, led by the lovely Allison Furbish, who is their web media coordinator and set up our blogger baking class last year. Here we are in the test kitchen, where I salivated over their super well stocked walk-in pantry. Thanks so much Allison for coming in on a Sunday to show us around!

Then we headed in for our class called “The Magic of Wild Yeast – Sourdough” where we learned everything we need to know to successfully maintain starter cultures and bake beautiful boules of sourdough bread at home – SO fun! We also hit the King Arthur store, where I loaded up some fun baking goodies, and had a fantastic meal at Foundry on Elm after the drive home. I had such a great mini vacation with my family and wish they could visit more often!

Sourdough is my absolute favorite and I’ve been diligently feeding my starter and plan to make something with it soon! In the meantime, I wanted to whip up some sandwiches with the bread we baked during the class and decided to feature ripe summer tomatoes. I settled on chicken panini with a tomato and feta sauce topped with melted mozzarella and fresh tomato slices. I can’t wait to take a stab at making my own sourdough!

Triple Tomato Chicken Panini
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
4 slices sourdough bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cooked butterflied boneless skinless chicken breasts, warmed
1 large tomato, sliced
2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Place feta cheese and tomato sauce in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in sun dried tomatoes.

Use a pastry brush to evenly spread olive oil over each slice of bread. Flip slices of bread over and evenly spread with feta tomato sauce. Top two slices evenly with chicken, tomato slices, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining slices of bread, tomato sauce side down. Place sandwiches in a preheated panini press and cook until bead is crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Makes 2 panini.

Nutrition: 503 calories, 24.0g fat, protein per panino
Cost: $2.60 per panino

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Chocolate Raspberry Torte

August 8, 2011

I think Boston is a bit of a cold city. It’s not something I notice anymore on a daily basis, but when I’m visiting more friendly regions, I’m often struck by the joggers who nod and give you a smile as you run past and the eager store employees who go out of their way to help you. These things rarely happen here and the subway is especially a land of aloofness where people tend to avoid eye contact. I’ve found a way to warm people up though – simply tote a homemade dessert around with you.

I have a clear cake carrying case that I bring all my treats to work in with and not only do people tend to smile when they see a dessert inside, many go out of their way to strike up a friendly conversation. Usually they ask if I made it or what flavor it is or just compliment its appearance, but one guy surprised me by pulling a quart of milk out of his backpack and asking if we could split the cherry pie I was holding with everyone on the train if he provided the beverages!

Desserts always make people happy, but I think it’s more than that. I think people realize that a lot of love goes into taking time out of one’s busy schedule to bake something special for someone. And I think they’re drawn to that warmth. A cheesy sentiment perhaps, but wouldn’t the world be a better place with more homemade desserts?

I recently baked up a treat for the most important birthday boy – Apolinaras, who celebrated his big day last Friday. He usually requests a treat with pineapple and coconut, but this year he wanted a decadent raspberry and chocolate cake instead. Here’s what I came up with – a layer of chocolate cake baked in a springform pan topped with a bit of raspberry puree and a creamy raspberry mousse. I garnished it with some dark chocolate shavings and fresh berries. Apolinaras and his coworkers were big fans!

p.s. Apolinaras suggested the best trick for removing the cake from the bottom of the springform pan (apparently, he uses a similar technique to remove his racing badges from his car). After detaching the sides of the pan, nurse a piece of dental floss or fishing line carefully under the entire length of the cake – then you can just lift the cake off with a big spatula and put it on the dish you’d like to serve it on. This avoids someone accidently cutting up the bottom of your fancy pan with a sharp knife!

Chocolate Raspberry Torte
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Puree:
12 ounces frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Raspberry Mousse:
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For assembly:
6 ounces fresh raspberries
1/2 ounce shaved dark chocolate

Directions:
To make the chocolate cake, heat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Add liquids to dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl and mix again briefly. Pour cake batter into the prepared springform pan and bake at 350˚F for 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for an hour or until completely cooled to room temperature.

To make the raspberry puree, place raspberries in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about one minute. Push puree through a fine mesh strainer into a pot to remove the seeds. Add sugar and lemon juice to the pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until sugar is dissolved. Cool 1/2 cup of the puree to room temperature (I stuck mine in the freezer for 15 minutes).

To make the raspberry mousse, place heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a well chilled bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Fold 1/2 cup cooled raspberry puree into the whipped cream until smooth.

To assemble the cake, poke cooled chocolate cake all over with a fork and evenly spread remaining 1/2 cup raspberry puree over the cake. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and massage the puree into the cake every 10 minutes. Top with raspberry mousse and garnish with fresh raspberries and shaved dark chocolate. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Remove from pan and smooth edges as needed. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 387 calories, 25.5g fat, 4.3g fiber, 4.2g protein per serving
Cost: $0.95 per serving

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Mediterranean Cucumber Appetizers

August 4, 2011

I was craving a nice light summer snack the other night while I was reading and really wanted to munch on some of these cucumber hummus appetizers. Unfortunately, there was no hummus in the fridge or chickpeas in the cupboard and I was about to make some boring old popcorn, but then I spotted a tub of feta and these new Mediterranean inspired cucumber apps were born! I topped the crisp cucumbers with a creamy feta and pecorino romano cheese spread and then sprinkled on a healthy dose of chopped sun dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Yum, these were very tasty and even fairly healthy little bites.

By the way, am I the only one who can never spell Mediterranean correctly? I’m always so off that my spell check never even has any recommendations!

Mediterranean Cucumber Appetizers
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 large English cucumber, cut into slices (I had 30)
1/2 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions:
Place feta, pecorino romano, and milk in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Evenly cover cucumber slices with the feta spread. Top evenly with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 138 calories, 10.1g fat, 1.2g fiber, 6.5g protein per serving
Cost: $0.88 per serving

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Moroccan Spiced Chicken

August 1, 2011

I’ve gotten in a little summer routine in the kitchen lately. We can’t get enough zucchini and yellow squash and every Sunday I end up sautéing a bunch of the veggies (7 yesterday!) in my huge wok to enjoy alongside some chicken and carby side dish of some kind. I’m dreaming of the day we have a garden and more summer squash than we know what to do with, but for the time being I’ll settle on what I can scoop up at the farmers’ market. The way I cook the chicken varies a bit, so at least I’m not completely in a rut! One of my favorite ways to keep chicken juicy is to marinate it in Greek yogurt and then give it a quick sear on my grill pan before finishing it in the oven. Of course, I can’t wait until we have a backyard for a grill too!

The other weekend I mixed the yogurt along with some tart lime juice, sweet honey, and a plethora Moroccan spices, which I picked based on this recommendation. I love the way spices can transform a dish from average to exotic.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Place Greek yogurt, lime juice, honey, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Spread marinade evenly over chicken breasts in a shallow dish and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat oven to 350˚F. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and sear chicken for 2 minutes per side or until browned. Place chicken in a large rectangular dish and bake at 350˚F for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 337 calories, 2.9g fat, 0.1g fiber, 59.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.63 per serving

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Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa

July 28, 2011

There are some things I never pass up and one of them is corn on the cob. I will eat it anytime, anywhere, even if I don’t have any floss with me. The deliciousness is definitely worth having a few annoying pieces stuck in my teeth! Of course, fresh summer corn is just as tasty off the cob and I recently decided to take advantage of the season’s bounty by making a lovely corn salsa that also featured poblano peppers, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro.

I ended up piling the salsa atop a mound of cumin and paprika spiced shrimp nestled on corn tortillas covered with a creamy avocado spread. Just one bite convinced me that I need to put shrimp in my tacos more often! Oh, and I actually doubled the recipe for the corn salsa and stuffed the leftovers into some cheese quesadillas the next day for lunch – yum!

Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Corn Salsa:
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
Kernels from 2 ears of corn
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Juice of half a lime
1/4 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with tails removed
1 tablespoon canola oil

Avocado Spread:
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and mashed
Juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Assembly:
6 corn tortillas, warmed

Directions:
To make the corn salsa, heat canola oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion and pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes; add corn and sauté 2 additional minutes or until all veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

To make the shrimp, mix cumin, paprika, and salt in a small bowl and evenly rub into shrimp. Heat canola oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet and sauté shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes or until pink and cooked through.

To make the avocado spread, mix the mashed avocados, lime juice, cilantro and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

To assemble the tacos, evenly cover the corn tortillas with the avocado spread. Top evenly with shrimp and corn salsa. Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition: 547 calories, 21.4g fat, 11.5g fiber, 38.9g protein per serving
Cost: $3.98 per serving

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Adobo Ranch Beef Wraps

July 23, 2011

This East coast heat wave has led me to eat cereal or ice cream for dinner a few more times than I’d like to admit! I’ve also been craving cool crisp salads more often than usual and thought this was the perfect time to share this tasty wrap that I made a few weeks ago. It’s just as refreshing as a salad but a bit more hearty because I packed the spinach wraps with flank steak, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and an adobo ranch dressing. I broiled the steak quickly (of course you could also grill it!) and microwaved the sweet potatoes so the oven wouldn’t be on too long and assembled the wraps one night. Then we enjoyed them for lunch the next day straight out of the fridge. I’m putting these on the menu again for next week!

Adobo Ranch Beef Wraps
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup ranch salad dressing, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small bite sized chunks (22 ounces peeled and chopped)
6 cups fresh baby spinach (6 ounces)
1 large tomato, chopped
6 10-inch diameter spinach wraps (or flour tortillas)

Directions:
To make the marinade, place 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1/4 cup olive oil, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Place beef steak and marinade in large food-safe plastic bag and make sure marinade evenly coats steak. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning once.

Heat oven broiler. Remove steak from marinade and place steak on rack of broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 13 to 18 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning once. Remove; let stand 5 minutes. Carve steak across the grain into small bite sized chunks.

Meanwhile, while steak is cooking, place sweet potatoes in a large microwave safe bowl and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring once half way through. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add sweet potatoes and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To assemble the wraps, mix remaining 1/4 cup ranch dressing and 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce in a small bowl. Place spinach, tomato, sliced beef, and cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with chipotle ranch dressing and mix well with tongs. Place equal amounts of beef mixture down center of each wrap. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up tightly. Makes 6 wraps.

Nutrition: 719 calories, 38.5g fat, 3.0g fiber, 32.4g protein per wrap
Cost: $2.88 per wrap

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Blueberry Watermelon Martinis

July 18, 2011

Speaking of college, I went back to Iowa a few months ago for my 10 year reunion. Some people gave me a puzzled look when I told them where I was going, but I just smiled to myself and thought, well they don’t get it because they didn’t go to Grinnell!

I think it’s a little hard for others to truly understand the Grinnell experience, but imagine spending four years among just 1200 very smart students from all over the world in a quaint town of 8000 in the middle of nowhere (when we got a McDonald’s the summer after our sophomore year, it was a big deal). Our classes were small, in fact several of mine only had 4-5 people and my biggest had 30, so getting fairly close to your professors was pretty common. Most people studied hard and were committed to making a difference in the world, but also took every opportunity to live life to the fullest. There were no rules, and instead we had self governance, which meant you could do whatever you wanted but were expected to take responsibility for your actions (you know, like real adults). It was a tight community where people looked out for each other and you knew almost everyone. We often had to get creative and invent ways to entertain ourselves since we were fairly isolated. Grinnell inspired my love of costume parties, contests, and practical jokes. Let’s just say it was a bonding experience, and I am so thankful for all the great friends I made during my time there.

So, I was very excited to go back and see the 150 or so of my 400 classmates who came back for the reunion and especially couldn’t wait to be reunited with my good friends, Emily, Emily, and Susie! A lot was the same – the dorms had their distinctive smell and many people seemed like they hadn’t changed a bit, but there were many new buildings, including a beautiful new athletic complex. Some of the highlights included going to Dairy Barn, which beats Dairy Queen any day, and of course wandering around the campus. I got to spend some time catching up with my swimming coach and we ran into our physical chemistry professor in the science center, who remembered all our names – where else would that happen? We spent the majority of our time drinking on Mac Field, which is surrounded by many of the dorms, and is one of the quintessential Grinnell places to hang out.

Here we all are in a lounge of one of the dorms – I think this is my favorite picture, even though I’m blinking, because I somehow felt the need to be the same height as everyone else….yep, I was having a good time! I also loved dancing the night away at Harris, which is where a bunch of parties were held. I made my favorite dancing partner, Susie, do the same dance “move” we perfected in college about 500 times. It was so fun being able to spend time with some of my best friends without having a care in world, and I am really glad I was able to go back!

Anyway, in college we used to mix Absolut vodka with Crystal Light all the time. Yeah, just thinking about that combo makes my stomach turn, what a waste of decent vodka. I decided to whip up some much tastier summer adult beverages this weekend – blueberry watermelon martinis! Like my experience at Grinnell, these can’t be beat!

Blueberry Watermelon Martinis
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups cubed watermelon (24 ounces)
2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups vodka or gin (or lime seltzer if you’re in the mood for a nonalcoholic drink)
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:
Place watermelon and blueberries in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Place fruit puree in a stockpot over high heat and mix in sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, puree once more in the food processor, strain, and allow to cool to room temperature, about an hour (I stuck mine in the fridge). Mix in vodka and lime juice, shake with ice in a martini shaker, and serve. Makes 6 martinis.

Nutrition: 275 calories, 0.5g fat, 1.9g fiber, 1.0g protein per martini
Cost: $1.55 per martini