Portabella Penne

 

8 oz Penne Pasta

2 Portabella Mushrooms,sliced

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1/3 cup Marsala Wine

1/8 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Blue Cheese Crumbles

3 tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped 

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Cook Penne according to directions on the package.

Meanwhile, preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, add olive oil.  Saute sliced mushrooms for about 8 minutes.  Season with Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.  Add Marsala Wine, cook for another 2 minutes.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, cooked pasta, and extra virgin olive oil.  Toss all together.

Season with salt and pepper if needed. 

Move pasta over into a large serving dish.  Top with blue cheese crumbles and fresh basil.

Serve family style.  Serves 2-3.

Acorn Squash & Kale Lasagna

 

 12 Lasagna Noodles, Oven Ready

1 Acorn Squash, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano 

1/2 Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 pint Crimini Mushrooms, thinly sliced

3  cups Kale, chopped

Pinch Chili Flakes

1 cup Ricotta Cheese

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1/4 pound Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

  

Sauce

 

4 tablespoons Butter

1/4 cup Flour

1 pint Half and Half

Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg

Salt, Pepper, to taste

 

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly.  Pour half and half into the butter-flour mixture.  Add salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a whisk for 3-5 minutes.  Set aside off the heat.

 

 

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.  Place squash slices on a baking sheet.  Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of Olive Oil.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add sliced onions, and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add chopped kale.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.

In a small bowl, add ricotta cheese, grated garlic, Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.  

 

To assemble lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a 8x8x2 inch baking dish.  Place 3 lasagna noodles overlapping them with one another, then sauce, then 1/3 of the kale-mushroom mixture, then few slices of roasted squash, and few dollops of ricotta mixture.  Reap it two more times.  Top with final layer of noodles, sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover the lasagna and bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and hot.

 

Allow to sit for 15 minutes before slicing it.

 

Serves 5-6

 

 

 

 

 *Heard on Rachel Ray Show to soak your oven ready noodle for few minutes in warm water.  Tried it out, and liked it.  Helped the noodles to soften up.

 Serve it with a light green salad.

Eggplant Neapolitan

 

Marinara  Sauce

8 Tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 Sweet Onion, cut in large pieces

5-6 Garlic Cloves

1 Serrano Chili

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6-7 Basil Leaves

Salt, Pepper, to taste

 

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.  Roast for 25 minutes.  Cool off for 10 minutes.  Blend in the food processor.  Add a pinch of salt and fresh basil and process for another 30 seconds, or until basil is all chopped.  Store in an air-tight container up to seven days in a refrigerator. 

Makes about 3 cups.

 Eggplant Neapolitan

1 Eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce

1 Large Mozzarella Ball, sliced

Salt, Pepper, to taste

4-5 leaves Fresh Basil

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat BBQ grill to medium-high heat.  Brush eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Grill for about ten minutes, flipping once.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.  Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce in a backing dish.  Layer grilled slices of eggplant one on top of another.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the eggplant and top with mozzarella slices.  Season with fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt.

 

Bake for about 18 minutes.  Turn on a broiler, and broil for about 2 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Let the eggplant rest for about ten minutes.  To serve, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and top with fresh basil.

Serves 2.

*Would go perfect with some fresh bread and a glass of Pinot Noir.

Sweet Chili Linguine with Sauted Vegetables

Sweet Chili Sauce

1 14oz can Coconut Cream

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce

2-3 teaspoons Sriracha, to taste

Salt to taste

Veggies/Pasta

1 pound Green Beans, ends trimmed

1 pint Shitake Mushrooms, cut in half

1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

1 Garlic Clove, chopped

1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 pound Linguine Pasta

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Fresh Cillantro

Blench the green beans, shock them in ice bath, and set them a side. Can be done 1-2 days ahead.

In a small saucepan, simmer coconut cream, heavy cream, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and salt until slightly thickened.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook "al dente",  about 10-11 minutes.  Drain well and add olive oil, to prevent sticking together.

Preheat a saute pan to medium-high, add coconut oil.  Add mushrooms and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the beans and sliced peppers.  Season with salt and pepper and saute for 8-10 minutes.  Vegetables should stay slightly crunchy.  

Add the sauted vegetables to pasta, as well as the Sweet Chili Sauce.  Toss to combine.

Top with fresh cilantro. 

Serves 4-6

*You can cut your beans and pepper into bite size pieces if you prefer.  This dish is slightly spicy and sweet form the chili sauce and coconut cream.  

I like to go to an Asian Market to buy all of my ingredients.  I find it to be much cheaper than shopping at the regular grocery store.

Eggplant Sandwich with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

1/2 baguette of French Bread

2 small Japanese Eggplants, sliced

1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

2 Mozzarella Balls or 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Fresh Basil or Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

Preheat the skillet to medium-high heat. Cut the baguette in half, then length wise, and it will end up with four large pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and toast the bread in the skillet, until golden brown.  Using the same skillet, add the rest of the oil and fry eggplant slices on each side, and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler. Spread the pesto generously over the bread.  Arrange eggplant slices, and top with mozzarella.  Place the sandwiches under the broiler for about 4 minutes, or until the cheese is all melted.

Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

Serves 4

*Elegant Dish...Perfect for Lunch or Light Dinner....