>>Make Ahead Series: Turkey and Zucchini Lasagne

This is another recipe that I came across when trying to find meals that I could plan ahead of time.  You can make it a few days in advance and it stores well in the fridge, or it can be stored in the freezer and left in the fridge overnight to thaw.  Also, it was soooo good!! I may just never use lasagne noodles again.  I highly recommend this recipe.  You could even swap out the meat for eggplant slices or portobello mushroom slices, which I may try next time. 

>> Ingredients

~ 2 lbs ground turkey

~ 3 cloves garlic, minced

~ 1 onion, chopped

~ 24 oz tomato sauce

~ 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced

~ 3 medium zucchini, sliced thin

~ 15 oz light ricotta

~ 16 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded

~ 1/4 cup parmesan

~ salt and pepper

>> Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Brown meat with onion, garlic, and basil, stirring to break up meat.  Add tomato sauce and simmer 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine ricotta, parmesan, and 12 oz of mozzarella in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of a 9x13in dish (it serves 8-10, so split to 2 smaller dishes to have 2 separate meals!) Layer with 1/2 of the meat, 1/2 of the cheese mixture.  Repeat.  Top with a final layer of zucchini, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.  Cover with foil and bake for one hour, removing foil for the last 15 minutes.  

To stop the lasagne from being runny, you can lay the zucchini on paper towel, sprinkle with salt to separate the moisture, and then blot dry.

Enjoy, it's delicious!

>>Recipe adapted from www.rachelschultz.com

>>One Pan Dinner: Mozza-Basil Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

This was such an easy dinner, and it was delicious.  It only uses one pan, which is amazing for those of us who don't own a dishwasher (who's with me here?!)

>> Ingredients

~ 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~ 12 large, fresh basil leaves, divided
~ 60g part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices
~ 4 tbsp oil packed sliced sun-dried tomatoes, drained
~ 1/4 cup roasted tomato and olive oil salad dressing, divided
~ 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half
~ cooking spray

>> Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400F.  Cut into the long side of the chicken breast to create a pocket, making sure you don't cut right through.  Fill with 2 basil leaves, 1 slice of cheese, and 1 tbsp of sun-dried tomatoes.  place chicken to one side of a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Brush with 1 tbsp of dressing. Keep closed with a toothpick.  Place sliced tomatoes on the other side of the baking sheet.  Chop the remaining basil and sprinkle over tomatoes.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 170F.
Toss tomatoes in the remaining dressing and serve on top of chicken.  It was great with a side of long-grain brown rice.

>>Recipe adapted from Kraft Magazine

>>Make Ahead Series: Butternut Squash Calzones

I was looking for recipes that I could prepare ahead of time and either store in the fridge, or freeze, until ready to cook.  This is great during the week when you don't want to spend an hour preparing food after a long day at work.  

I loved this recipe for this time of year because it used seasonal vegetables in a non-traditional way.  They were delicious! I made 6 total, 3 for the freezer and 3 to eat.

>>Ingredients

~ 3 packages of Pillsbury pizza dough (or fresh pizza dough of choice)

~ 2 Italian sausages, casing removed

~ 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed

~ 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

~ 1 clove garlic, minced

~ 2 handfuls baby spinach

~ 16 oz jar of pizza sauce

~ salt and pepper to taste

~ flour

~ cooking spray

>>Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.  Allow dough to rest 20 minutes at room temperature.  Put squash in a ziplock bag and, leaving a small opening in the corner of the bag, microwave for 4 minutes to soften.  Brown sausage in a frying pan, stirring to separate the meat.  Remove from pan, and brown garlic in the drippings, being careful not to burn.  Add mushrooms and brown, adding salt to taste.  Add the browned sausage, butternut squash, pizza sauce, and spinach.  Cook on low for about 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  

Remove dough from the package.  If using the Pillsbury dough, you just need to unroll the dough onto a floured surface, cutting each piece in half for 6 total pieces.  If using dough from a package, grab a small handful with lightly floured hands.  Squeeze the ball, starting from the centre, creating a large, circular, thin piece of dough.  Once you have all 6 pieces, take 3-4 spoonfuls of filling and place on one half of the dough, leaving about half an inch of dough for the crust.  Fold over the other half and press the edges together to seal the dough.  (With the pillsbury, I just trimmed off the excess to make it circular, since the dough is a rectangular shape) Poke 2 holes in the centre for steam.  

Place calzones on a large cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, and then sprinkle lightly with flour. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.  Enjoy!

If freezing, wrap raw calzones tightly with two layers of plastic wrap individually, and then place in freezer bags. Bake frozen, at 450F, for 40 minutes.  

>> Recipe from www.thelodown.com

>>Sausage Risotto

This is an easy take on risotto that is a bit healthier than the 'real' version.  It's great as a side, or as a main dish. It uses basic ingredients and generally you can adjust it to whatever you have on hand.  This is my favourite combination.

>>Ingredients

~ 1 tbsp oil (I used grape seed)
~ 3/4 lbs turkey sausage, casing removed
~ 2 cups mushroom, sliced
~ 3/4 cup asparagus, sliced to 1/2 inch pieces
~ 1 onion, chopped
~ 1 clove garlic, minced
~ 1 cup dry brown instant rice
~ 1 1/2 tsp dry oregano
~ 3/4 cup water
~ 1 cup low sodium or no salt added chicken broth
~ 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
~ fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

>>Directions

Brown sausage, mushroom, onion, garlic in oil on med-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up sausage.  Stir in broth, rice, oregano, and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, adding asparagus last 5 minutes.  (a little liquid will be left, and this gives it the creamy texture).  Stir in cheese before serving, and top with parsley if desired.

>>Pinterest to Real Life: Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball

I absolutely love cheese.  Cheese Balls?  Even better!  I have had this recipe pinned on Pinterest since last Christmas, and a few weeks ago I was at an event where the host served it.  At that point, I knew I had to try it myself.  It was definitely worth the wait! It was so simple, and was a huge hit with the guests. 

>>Ingredients

~ 6 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled and divided

~ 1/4 cup chopped pecans

~ 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

~ 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

~ 2 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley

~ 1 garlic clove, minced

~ pinch cayenne pepper

~ juice of 1 lime

~ 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

~ 2 jalapeños, finely chopped and divided (depending on how spicy you want it, remove the seeds and ribs)

~ crackers for serving

>>Directions

Spread pecans on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for five to seven minutes, until fragrant.  In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic, cayenne pepper, lime juice, worcestershire sauce, half of the jalapeños, and half of the bacon, until combined.  (I used my kitchen aid mixer on the 'stir' setting for this, which worked wonders).

Add the remaining bacon and jalapeños to the baking tray with the pecans and stir them evenly together.  With damp hands, form a ball out of the cheese mixture, and then roll in the pecan mixture until evenly coated.  Place in a dish, cover, and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  

{{I couldn't snap a picture quick enough, it was so good!}}

>>The recipe was pinned from www.traceysculinaryadventures.com.  I omitted the cumin because I didn't have it, but I don't think it needs it

>>Steak Dinner, 2 Ways

Generally when I make dinner, I don't have to worry about making different meals for each of us.  My husband will gladly eat whatever I put in front of him, unless the main course is a salad!  Here is a simple steak dinner, done two different ways.  This could also translate easily into a next day meal if you had leftovers.  Sometimes I make double the amount needed so that I can prepare the leftovers differently for lunch or dinner the next day.  This saves money and time, and the planner in me loves it!

>>Steak
Grill steak of choice to desired temp (we actually love mark angelo marinated grilling steaks)

>>Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
~ Russet Potatoes, cut into 1in cubes, skin left on
~ Buttermilk (1%)
~ Salt and Pepper to taste

I like to leave the skin on because it retains nutrients.  Boil until tender, and mash.  I use buttermilk in mashed potatoes if I have it on hand.  It gives you that same flavour and creamy texture, without all the calories.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

>>Grilled Veggies
Ingredients:
~ 1 zucchini, sliced
~ 1 red pepper, sliced
~ 1 small red onion, sliced
~ Olive Oil
~ Veggie Seasoning (I use clubhouse, but you can really use anything)

Toss veggies in olive oil and seasoning.  Grill on the BBQ at medium heat, 10 minutes or so, turning occasionally until crisp and slightly charred.

>>Salad
Top mixed greens with grilled veggies and sliced steak, and drizzle with your favourite dressing! (See below for my favourite home made dressing) Easy peasy!

>>Dressing
~ 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
~ 1/2 cup olive oil
~ 2 tbsp dijon mustard
~ 1 tbsp honey
~ salt and pepper to taste

>>Potato and Barley Soup

Cooler weather calls for home made soup.

Ingredients:

1 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups potatoes, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, sliced

2 bay leaves

3/4 cup barley, rinced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

garnish:

additional salt and pepper to taste

sliced green onions

Directions:

Saute onions, garlic, and potatoes in olive oil until soft (5 minutes)

Add all other ingredients and bring to boil.  simmer low 45 minutes or until ready to eat (i let simmer most of the afternoon)

Remove bay leaves, garnish with salt, pepper and green onions, and serve.

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