Lazy Lasagna

I love to cook, and find it really rewarding to make dishes my family will enjoy and request again. Many hours are (mostly) happily spent poring over recipe books, shopping for just the right ingredients, chopping and prepping and then cooking or baking. I especially love to find recipes that feature 'exotic' and really flavorful ingredients like curry, ginger or fennel or try out recipes that leave us getting hungrier by the minute, enticed by the delicious smells of ingredients working their magic.
But, it would be a lie to say that I always love laborious recipes. There are those days when I'm just beat from the daily activities or don't want to spend 45 minutes babysitting a pan of risotto. Times when I just want to throw something easy together and forget about it while the dish does it's own thing in the oven. Evenings when I need to help my girls with homework projects or want to just veg out with a great book on the couch. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Well, tonight's one of those nights and I'll share my secret with you. It's called Lazy Lasagna. Only seven ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time actually putting it all together before it bakes to comforting cheesy-gooey, delectable and satisfying goodness. You don't even have to pre-boil the noodles! Ready? Let's get dinner started...

Lazy Lasagna (makes 1 9X11 pan)
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
32 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 lb. cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
12 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat, drain, and add spaghetti sauce. Reduce heat to low and heat thoroughly. Combine cottage cheese and sour cream and blend in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce in bottom of pan. Put 4 noodles over sauce, 1/2 of cheese mixture, 1/3 of the shredded cheese mixture and Parmesan. Repeat. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheese. Pour water around the sides of the pan and cover tightly with foil (I lightly spray the underside of the foil with oil so the cheese doesn't stick). Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake 20 more minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes and enjoy your lazy lasagna!

Salade Nicoise

Ask 10 people what ingredients comprise a Nicoise salad, and you may get many different answers. Typically, a true salad Nicoise consists of haricot verts, anchovies and potatoes, but has evolved to sometimes include tuna or even salmon, boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, capers and/or onions.
This salad traces its origins to Nice, France- and therefore, I believe it should be full of big, assertive flavors to mirror the bold and saucy culture found along the coast. If you've ever been to Marseille or Cassis, you know exactly what I mean.
Because the salad has several different components it's a labor of love and won't be ready in just a few minutes. But, because it's a composed salad with varied textures and flavors, your taste buds will thank you with every bite. I like to dress each component before layering on a platter. The recipe for garlic aioli follows, and is, in my opinion an absolute must for this salad. Trust me, you won't get the same garlicky bold flavor without it. Eating this makes me think of warm sunny days by the ocean. All I need with it is a nice glass of wine and maybe even a chunk of toasted bread.

Salade Nicoise (serves 4)
1 lb. haricot verts, lightly blanched but still crunchy
1 lb. baby new potatoes
4-6 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1 can of albacore tuna, drained
5 soft-center hard cooked eggs
basil leaves
head of lettuce
2 tomatoes, cut into 6 pieces each
assorted marinated olives
premade french vinaigrette (or recipe follows)
garlic aioli (recipe follows)

Boil 1/3 cup of water, and a pinch of salt and add baby potatoes. Cover tightly and steam, stirring occasionally until fork tender. Drain water if any remains and toss lightly with vinaigrette while still warm. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, tear lettuce and basil into slightly bigger than bite size pieces and toss lightly with vinaigrette. Arrange on large platter. Lightly dress and toss blanched haricot verts and lay in a section over the lettuce. Cut boiled eggs in half, arrange on platter and season with salt and pepper. Drape the anchovy fillets over some of the eggs. Mound the drained tuna in the middle of the lettuce leaves. Lightly toss cut tomatoes with vinaigrette and arrange in another section over the lettuce. Arrange cooled baby potatoes over lettuce. Sprinkle the olives in the last available section over the lettuce.
Serve immediately at room temperature with the garlic aioli, making sure to get a little bit of everything. Bon Appetit!

Simple French Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Add all ingredients and shake together to create vinaigrette.

Garlic Aioli
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with a little bit of salt

Put egg yolks in a bowl and stir with a whisk until slightly thickened. Add a spoonful of oil at a time, whisking well as an emulsion begins to form. Continue whisking until finished sauce is as thick as softly whipped cream. Add salt, pepper and garlic, stir and let aioli sit for a few minutes to incorporate all the flavors. Serve immediately with salade Nicoise.

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto

Prosciutto is simply the Italian word for ham. To make prosciutto, a quality piece of ham is salted and then air dried for up to two years. After curing, prosciutto is sliced into paper thin pieces which are usually slightly transparent. It is typically eaten uncooked, on charcuterie plates, wrapped around fruit and vegetables, or in salads. Prosciutto tastes slightly salty and sweet, but has a soft almost melt in your mouth texture. It is simply delicious and best eaten alone or paired with another ingredient that lets its flavor shine through.
Roasted asparagus and prosciutto isn't so much a recipe as it is a method for putting together a beautiful and tasty appetizer. Don't stop at combining prosciutto with asparagus- here's a few other easy ideas:
*wrap pre-boiled baby potatoes in prosciutto, sprinkle with pepper and roast until crisp
*bundle prosciutto around beautifully ripe figs and drizzle with honey
*pair prosciutto with cut honeydew or cantaloupe
*simply arrange on a platter with cheeses, olives and grapes for an easy appetizer
*enclose scallops with prosciutto and caramelize over medium high heat until tender
*fold prosciutto around chicken or fish and bake until done. The proscuitto will create a crisp crust that helps keep the meat juicy
*toss prosciutto in cooked pasta with creme fraiche and lemon zest

you get the idea, right? Prosciutto is a super easy and versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in so many ways. And now, without further pause, here's the 'recipe' for roasted asparagus and prosciutto. Mangia!

olive oil
prosciutto
asparagus spears (woody bottom stems removed)
freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, wrap asparagus with prosciutto, place in a roasting pan, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. When all asparagus are ready, roast in oven for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of asparagus) or until asparagus are tender but still firm enough to pick up with fingers. No overcooked veggies, please! Eat immediately

Bananas Foster Crepes

I guess it's safe to assume that I'm bucking tradition. Yep, I don't want to succumb to convention. You know, when the new calender is put up on January 1st everyone resolves to hit the gym and cut back on all the rich, decadent and delicious food we've been over indulging in since Thanksgiving.
If you're resolving to cut back on the calories, sugar and carbs- great job! I applaud your efforts and wish you luck. Leave this post immediately before temptation sets in and derails you from your goals.
However, if you're in the mood for something absolutely, positively and deliciously sweet and comforting- you're in the right place.
Bananas Foster Crepes... WOW! The perfect breakfast or brunch item on a lazy Sunday morning. Try it and I think you'll agree that bucking tradition is sometimes very rewarding. 2011 is off to a delicious start ;)

Bananas Foster Crepes (serves 4)
for crepes:
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole milk, room temperature (remember, we're being decadent here!)
3 large eggs, room temperature
5 tbsp. melted butter, plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whising to combine. Whisk in butter. Batter should be the xoncistency of heavy cream. Add more milk if necessary. Let rest while you start on the bananas foster.

for bananas foster:
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt and pinch of grated nutmeg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. dark rum
1/2 c. creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream

warm butter and sugar in a saute pan over med. heat until butter melts, about 1-2 minutes. Add bananas, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add rum and ignite the vapors. Cook until flames stop and the alcohol is burnt off. Turn off stove and remove from heat while you make the crepes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. Ladle or pour about 3 tbsp. batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 c. batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly and thinly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around the edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe and gently flip in one swift gesture. Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown on spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed.

Fold each crepe in half, then fold in half again. Drizzle crepes with bananas foster sauce, and top with cremem fraiche or ice cream. Serve immediately

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

In my stocking this Christmas I was happy to find a great little cookbook, Everyday Tapas A Collection of over 100 Essential Recipes. Flipping through the pages, I noted several recipes I wanted to try right away. Among them was green beans with toasted pine nuts.
Tapas has become really popular over the past couple of years but if you're not familiar with tapas, basically it's savory little nibbles that are usually eaten pre-lunch or pre-dinner (much like an appetizer). Originating in Spain, they can be made from different ingredients- seafood, eggs, cheese, vegetables, nuts, meats and olives. Sometimes they're served with dipping sauces to add an extra layer of flavor but are almost always served with a glass of wine, beer or sherry.
For this recipe, instead of serving before our dinner, I made it as a side vegetable dish to go along with our pork. It was nothing short of delicious! The flavors melded together beautifully- the slightly crunchy green beans glistened with the sauce, the carmelized onions and garlic lent a note of sweetness, the paprika added just enough warm spice and the toasted pine nuts were little crunchy tidbits. I hate to admit this, but the green beans stole the show. Seriously, it outshined the main dish. If that's not enough incentive to try this recipe, I don't know what possibly could.

Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 c. pine nuts
1/2-1 tsp. paprika
3/4-1 lb fresh green beans (I used haricot verts)
1/4 onion, minced (I used red onion for color)
1/2 garlic cloves chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedege
1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet, add the pine nuts and cook for about 1 minutes, stirring all the time and shaking the skillet, until light golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pne nuts from the skillet, drain on paper towls and then transfer to a bowl. Set aside the skillet with oil. Add paprika to the pine nuts, stir together until coated and set aside.
Trim green beans and remove any strings if necessary. Boil in hot water for 3-5 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain in collander. (* Note- I use haricot verts and because they are much thinner and less firm than green beans, I skip this entire part, adding straight to onions in the later step)
Reheat the oil in the skillet (on medium heat), add the onion and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the beans and broth to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, tossing together with the onion until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon over beans, add toasted pine nuts and toss together. Transfer to serving bowl.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

If you're like me, chances are you probably over-indulged during the holidays (and still intend to do so up until New Years). No need to beat yourself up about it, I've got the perfect solution for a meatless, low carb and low calorie dinner you can have ready to eat in under an hour. Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese taste indulgent and rich but is a meal you can feel good about- I've adapted this recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Anyone who's had portobella mushrooms knows how hearty they are, and as such are often a great substitute for traditional meat in burgers. Pair the 'meaty' mushrooms with the tart flavor of goat cheese, crunchy pine nuts and zesty marinara sauce and you've got a sure fire winner.

Baked Portobella Caps with Melted Goat Cheese

*feel free to add any veggies you may have on hand for the filling. Zucchini, squash, bell peppers, leeks or celery would all be great in this recipe as well.


28 oz. marinara sauce
4-6 portobella mushrooms (depending on size)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 T. pine nuts
4-5 cloves chopped garlic
1 carrot, small dice
1/4 onion, minced
3 mushroom stems, small dice
1/2 tbsp. dried italian herbs
salt, pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese
1/2 T. olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9X11 baking dish. Having already removed the mushroom stems for chopping, scrape out the gills with a spoon and discard.
Meanwhile, place a pan on the oven and heat to medium high. Add the olive oil, then the carrot, onion, mushroom stems, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the italian herbs, basil, pine nuts and garlic, stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add goat cheese, stirring to combine.
Fill the mushroom caps with the goat cheese and veggie mixture.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with the marinara sauce.

Peach Caprese Panini

We've all had caprese salads and sandwiches, right? You know, tomato, basil, mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. There's a variation of this at one of my favorite restaurants that adds sundried tomatoes and olives and I absolutely love it, but tonight I'm not talking about your standard caprese. Tonight I'm talking about a peach caprese panini. Peaches? That's right- one of summers best fruits in lieu of the tomato. How about adding some prosciutto? Uh huh :) The flavors all come together beautifully, trust me. The salty prosciutto, the sweet peaches and reduced balsamic, the herby basil, the melted mozzarella- they all work together to create this harmony of flavors that ups the ante on caprese. So when you're at the farmers market this summer and happen to see those beautiful ripe peaches and basil, try this recipe and tell me what you think.

Peach Caprese Panini (serves 4)
1 loaf cibatta bread or similar bread sliced thinly
olive oil for brushing
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
basil leaves
ripe peaches, sliced thinly
1/2 lb thinly sliced prosciutto
12 oz. fresh mozzarella balls
fresh ground pepper

This is a loose recipe- feel free to add more or less of the ingredients to your taste.

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and place over medium heat until vinegar reduces by about half and it becomes thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat your panini grill. If you don't have a panini grill, you can use a large skillet heated over medium. When you place your sandwich on the skillet, press down with something heavy, turn over and press again while second side cooks.
Assemble your sandwiches by brushing some of the balsamic syrup over one side of the bread. Place your mozzarella in a layer, then add basil, sliced peaches and prosciutto. Top with second piece of bread and brush lightly on outsides with olive oil. Heat in the panini grill or over a skillet until cheese starts to melt and you get a nice browned crust. Buon Appetito!