Summer Lasagna and Menu

Happy Birthday, Open Fridge!  Today marks the One Year Anniversary of my first post.  My goodness, how time flies.  I feel like I've learned a lot in the last year and hope that some of those smarts have been passed on--at the very least, a bit of my photography has improved!  I've really enjoyed keeping record of things that have come out of my kitchen and have been so touched and humbled by your kind and encouraging feedback.  Thank you. Thank you. 

Today's recipe is a reminder of how much I love this time of year.  It never ceases to make me happy thinking of (and using!) the abundance of produce available in the summer. Confession, here's how much of a weirdo I am: it's only July, and I am already shuddering to think of every day bringing us closer to day light savings time...seriously, Lauren, stop and just enjoy the moment, will you?  This delicate lasagna is rife with the flavors of summer--fresh tomatoes, zucchini, basil and just the thing to bring me back to reality that I can currently enjoy abundant sunshine and freshly-picked vegetables that have not trotted the globe.  Make it as a main dish or as a starring player in the menu suggested below and then go outside and enjoy those balmy evenings (hopefully, more mosquito-free than we seem to be experiencing these days!)!


Menu:
Summer Lasagna
Grilled Italian Sausages (I used Chicken Basil flavored and they were yummy!)
Green Salad with Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette (try it with Toasted Walnut Oil!)
and Homemade Croutons
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream (or peach cobbler would be fantastic right now)

Summer Lasagna
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup basil pesto
salt and pepper to taste
9 lasagna noodles, cooked "al dente" to package directions
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small zucchini
1 small yellow (crookneck or zucchini) squash
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1-2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

fresh torn basil leaves for garnish

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. 
While noodles are cooking, make ricotta mixture.  In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and pesto.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.  
Thinly slice zucchini and yellow squash.  Place 1/3 of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan.  Over medium high heat, stir frequently until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add half of zucchini and squash slices, season with salt and pepper and saute just until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from pan, place in small bowl and repeat with remaining half of squash slices.  After zucchini has been sauteed, add remaining garlic, olive oil and tomatoes to pan.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until tomatoes begin to break down.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Lay down 3 lasagna noodles.  Top with a layer of zucchini (using about 1/3).  Spread a layer of half of the ricotta mixture over top (you can also just place small dollops evenly over surface).  Top with a layer of tomato mixture (about 1/3 of the tomatoes).  Repeat with a second layer.  Top with lasagna noodles, remaining zucchini and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and bake, just until heated through--20-30 minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves, slice into pieces and serve.

Variation: The original recipe does not bake the lasagna.  Each noodle is cut into thirds and the lasagna is assembled on each individual plate.  This makes for a gorgeous presentation and will avoid heating up your kitchen from turning on the oven.  The lasagna will be served much closer to room temperature (which is still a delicious thing!).

Adapted from: Martha Stewarts' No Bake Summer Lasagna 

BLT Panzanella Salad

My dad has a deep love for the Farmer's Market.  He also shares a love of all things involving gardening and landscaping and I certainly enjoy reaping the benefits.  When he goes to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, he enjoys sharing his favorite booths with us.  One of the "must stops" is Tollefson's Family Pork stand.  I have heard it said "Bacon is the gateway meat" and if that's true, I think the bacon from this Minneapolis-local and dedicated family farm might push anyone flirting with Vegetarianism right into a full-blown carnivore.   

I had been dreaming of a way to use this really incredible bacon and this BLT Panzanella Salad seemed like a perfect way to feature it alongside some great summer flavors.  Panzanella is usually an Italian bread and tomato salad (a good way to use up stale bread).  But as "They" also say, "Everything's better with bacon," so this version was a bit of a take on a BLT that was enhanced with creamy avocado.  I also got to use fresh basil from the garden (Hallelujah! That is a joyous summer rite of passage!), topped it with some sliced grilled chicken (so officially it turned more into a "Club Panzanella Salad, I suppose) and called it a day.  A very delicious day.

Panzanella Club Salad
1/2 pound thick cut bacon
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado, cut into bite sized chunks
5 ounce box of washed salad greens (or about 6 cups lettuce of your choice in bite-sized pieces)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade), plus more for garnish

1 loaf Ciabatta or French Bread, cut into 1" cubes (day old is fine)

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Sliced grilled chicken, optional

 Directions:
Cook bacon until crispy.  Remove from pan and reserve 2 Tablespoons drippings for bread cubes.  Cut cooled bacon into 1" pieces.  Set aside.

Toss bread cubes with bacon drippings (or 2 tablespoons olive oil, if you prefer).  Spread in an even layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until slightly crispy and beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Pour vinegar in a small jar or bowl.  Stir in mustard, maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle in olive oil and whisk or put lid on jar and shake furiously until smooth and well combined.  Adjust salt and pepper as needed.  Set aside.

To assemble: In a large bowl, combine lettuce, basil leaves, halved tomatoes, avocado chunks, croutons and bacon pieces.  Pour over vinaigrette and toss well.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves as desired and serve immediately. 

Adapted from Alton Brown's TBL Panzanella recipe

My Dad and older son enjoying the Farmer's Market

Playing in Grandpa's Garden

inspecting how everything's coming along...

Peasant Pasta

Penne pasta and Italian sausage tossed with a zesty pink marinara sauce and dotted with green peas. Tonight's meal was inspired by one of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals.  It definitely came together in a snap and was a hit with the big and small ones alike (and I don't even really like sausage).  There's lots of room to play around with this one depending on what you have on hand.  And, it's one of those meals that if you have some sausage and peas in the freezer, you can keep all the ingredients on hand and throw it together when you're feeling pressed for time and inspiration.  Also, try substituting sauteed spinach and mushrooms for the peas for another variation.

Peasant Pasta
serves 4-6
1/2 -1 pound penne pasta, (we used a 13 oz box of whole grain penne and had some leftovers from two adults and two kids)
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (I used chicken, feel free to substitute pork or turkey as well.  If you get links, you can squeeze the raw sausage out of the casings right into the pan.  Gross, but fun! )
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (can substitute crushed tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup half and half (can use heavy cream or evaporated milk instead)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions, making sure it is al dente.  Drain and keep warm.   While pasta is cooking, brown sausage over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Once sausage is cooked through, drain off any excess grease and stir in cans of tomatoes.  Add garlic and basil.  Bring sauce mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Stir in half and half and peas.  Allow to warm through.  Toss sauce with pasta.  Top with Parmesan cheese for serving. 

Super Simple Beef Ragu

When I say "ragu," I don't mean the bottled sauce with the gondola on the label, although that should point you in the right direction.  Ragu is just the Italian term for a meat-based sauce that is traditionally served with pasta.  Basically, in this case, it's just browned pieces of steak that are braised in tomatoes and red wine until they're ready to fall apart.  In the spirit of trying to use things out of my pantry (I haven't been "real" grocery shopping since the first of the month), we served it over spaghetti.  If it had been up to me, I think I would have chosen the extra-wide fettuccine, pappardelle, or even polenta (that would be a gluten-free option!), but even on spaghetti, it was pretty darn fantastic.  I am a bit of a pasta snob--I know that it's all just flour and water, but somehow, different shapes taste well, different.  Spaghetti is not one of my favorites, but my boys are traditionalists (when I say we're having spaghetti for dinner, we better have actual spaghetti and not even think of having something crazy like angel hair or penne!).  I do feel like a bit of a winner in that I've been serving them whole grain pasta lately, though (Ronzoni brand is my absolute favorite!). 

This is definitely a recipe to make all day on Sunday and then have ready to heat up on Monday night.  It tastes even better the next day and you'll feel so smart when dinner is finished in the time it takes to boil pasta!  Oh, and a small confession (one I don't recommend, but it worked in a pinch), you know you're scraping the bottom of the pantry barrel when you top your pasta and sauce with Parmesan cheese in the packets leftover from the last time we ordered Domino's...

Super Simple Beef Ragu
1 pound eye of round steak (or any other cheap, meaty cut of beef)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine (or beef stock)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
 hot cooked pasta, polenta or rice
Parmesan cheese for serving

Trim beef of any extra fat and cut into large chunks.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large pot, brown beef pieces in oil over medium high heat.  Let brown for a few minutes undisturbed and then use a fork to flip over and brown the other side.  When beef is deep golden brown on both sides, push over to one side of the pot and add in chopped onion and garlic.  Reduce heat to medium and allow the onions and garlic to sweat a little bit (cook until softened and almost translucent, not browned, reduce heat even lower if they're starting to brown), about 2-3 minutes.  Pour in wine, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until beef is fall-apart tender (length depends on size of beef pieces, but mine took about 6 hours).  With a fork shred beef into bite-sized chunks.  Serve over hot cooked pasta (or other starch) and top with Parmesan cheese.

p.s. You could also do this in the crock pot...just transfer over to the crock pot at the step where you add all the liquids!

Ratatouille, like in the movie

Ratatouille, one of my favorite movies and a dish that incorporates all kinds of vegetables that I love...and Jay hates. Well, it's summer and the components of ratatouille (zucchini, squash, tomatoes, eggplant) are in season and gorgeous. I also just stumbled on a blog post that presented the usually rustic chopped vegetable dish in a way that was just like in the Disney movie. Feeling inspired, I thought I would make my boys suffer through ratatouille for dinner and came up with my own variation. And, surprise! Jay actually really liked it (I would consider going back for thirds a success!). It's healthy, delicious and can take you on a mini-escape to the French countryside--even if all that gets to go are your taste buds...

Fancy Ratatouille (a la Remy)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
garlic powder (about 1/2 teaspoon), divided
fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme (about 1 teaspoon), divided
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 small eggplant (Italian variety is nice since it's similar in size to the squash)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)

In a shallow baking dish (I used an oval shape about 1o inches across), spread the canned tomatoes along bottom. Sprinkle diced onion on top. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle a fine layer of half of the garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon) and thyme (about 1/2 teaspoon) over tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Set aside.

On a mandolin (or using a food processor, the slicer function on a cheese grater or if all else fails, a sharp knife), slice the zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant as thinly as possible. Slice the bell pepper into very thin strips as well.

Over top of the tomato mixture, start to layer the vegetables, alternating and arranging in layers following the outline of the dish.


Continue to arrange vegetables concentrically (Silas said "like a snail train") until you have filled the dish. You may have some leftover veggies. Once you have filled the entire dish, sprinkle again with an even layer of garlic powder (about 1/4 teaspoon again) and the thyme (about 1/2 teaspoon). Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, but still have some structure. Or, if you're pinched for time (like me, I had assembled it earlier in the day, we went to playgroup and got home right before dinnertime), you can also cover with plastic wrap (use labeled microwave-safe wrap and avoid letting the wrap touch the food directly), microwave on high for 10 minutes remove plastic wrap and replace with foil and then finish for about 10 minutes in the oven.

Garnish with shredded Parmesan and basil leaves.

We served it over whole wheat cous cous (cook according to package directions using chicken broth instead of water and adding one tablespoon of butter) and with grilled chicken. I also put some crumbled feta cheese over some of it as an afterthought, and that was pretty fantastic, too!

West African Style Loaded Sweet Potatoes

This is definitely one that tastes better than it looks.

Inspired by a recipe in Cooking Light, I modified this recipe from a side to a vegetarian main dish. The flavors are really unique and addictive and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. And, if you microwave the sweet potatoes, it can come together in about fifteen minutes. Score!

West African Style Loaded Sweet Potatoes:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (garlic and onion are nice, but you can use plain, too)
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 1/2 a 15 oz can)

fresh chopped cilantro
4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

Prick potatoes with a knife or fork to allow steam to release and cook in microwave until tender (approx. 10 min, depending on size of potatoes). You can also bake them or do some combination of microwaving and baking since baking creates a much more tender, caramelized flavor (microwave until tender and then place in a 400 degree oven on a piece of foil so they don't drip and cause a huge mess and bake until they're really soft).

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute onion in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in ginger and garlic and saute for one more minute. Stir in coriander, cumin, cayenne and salt and pepper. Cook for about one more minute, stirring constantly. The spices should be very fragrant at this point. Add peanut butter and stir to melt. Add tomatoes, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat until sauce thickens, a couple of minutes. Add garbanzo beans (did you know garbanzo beans and chick peas are the same thing, just different names?). Stir to combine and allow to heat through once again.

To serve, split open the sweet potato. Top with about 1/2 cup of sauce per potato and sprinkle chopped cilantro over top.

Green Bean Salad with Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette and Feta

Hmm...I'm tired and keep hearing rustling coming from the baby monitor...

Here's a quick post of a salad I made tonight as part of the pot luck for small group. The recipe is inspired from (again--I dearly love this book) "The Best of Cooking Light" and is about as seasonal as you can get at the moment. The beans came from our dear little Berry Patch Farm, which is why there are also yellow wax beans in the salad (they look so pretty, but are definitely not a necessity). They actually sell purple beans there too! Have you ever seen those before? They're a deep eggplant color when raw but turn green after cooked. I very much love fresh green beans, feta and basil, so I can tuck away quite a bit of this stuff. Good news is, it's healthy, right?

Green Bean Salad with Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette and Feta

1 lb. fresh green beans (or mixture of green and yellow wax), washed and trimmed

Vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (the little grape ones halved and quartered are pretty)
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons (chiffonade)

Directions:
Steam green beans until crisp-tender (only a couple of minutes, you just want to take the raw taste off of them). Rinse or immerse in cold water to stop them from cooking (the term for this is to blanch). Place beans in serving bowl.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking until smooth. Stir tomatoes into dressing. Pour dressing over green beans. Finally, sprinkle feta cheese and basil over top. Serve cold or at room temperature.

How easy is that? And, to whet your appetite (or warn you, whichever the case may be...), coming soon will be posts on spring rolls and a tortilla Espanola!

Pi-Co De-Gall-o

Pretty, Pretty Pico DeGallo...

I cannot take credit for this one...even though my husband might love this stuff more than just about anything except for Jesus. It is originally from the Pioneer Woman's food blog. But really, I mean, how many different versions of pico de gallo can you really come up with? It's pretty hard to be original after awhile! No matter how you dice it (ha ha, cause there's lots of dicing in this recipe!), it's pretty darn good and very time-appropriate since we are coming into full season of fresh tomatoes! With this secret unlocked, you will refrain from buying jarred salsa again and faint at the idea of spending $5 for a container from the refrigerated section. Finally, the quantities (even though I've made suggestions) are really to taste. Experiment away!

Pico De Gallo

5-6 Roma tomatoes, small dice
1/2 red onion, even smaller dice
1/2-1 jalapeno, even smaller dice (just kidding, I would call this minced!)
big handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of half a lime
kosher salt to taste

Chop up tomatoes and put them in a large bowl. Dice up your onion and add to the tomatoes. Finely mince your jalapeno (as small as you can because the smallest, most sensitive person in the house will most likely get the spiciest bite!), add to the bowl. Chop up the cilantro and add it to the party. Squeeze the lime juice over the tomato mixture. Stir to combine and salt to taste. Who has the Tostitos? It's party time!

Note: I don't have a picture, but now that you have made traditional pico de gallo, try using fruit to make something a little more exotic! Again, credit ought to be given to the P.W.

Pineapple-Mango Salsa
1/2 fresh pineapple, diced
1 ripe but still firm mango, diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2-1 jalapeno, minced
big handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of half a lime
kosher salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. You know the drill. This is especially delightful with grilled chicken, pork tenderloin or fish! Let the dining al fresco commence!