A Lasagna and Eggplant Parm Baby

As I was perusing Pinterest - who doesn't use Pinterest?? - I saw a butternut squash lasagna recipe and an eggplant parm recipe, which got me thinking, and craving Italian food. The dilemma was how to make without cheese? or pasta?  Solution: spaghetti squash and a raw nut sauce! I found the recipe for the raw sauce on the blog What Runs Lori, and followed it pretty closely.  I included my version of the recipe below, and you can check out her blog for the original.  

A Lasagna and Eggplant Parm Baby

For the raw nut sauce - the cheese replacement:
3/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 large shallot, peeled
1 Tbsp Coconut Nectar, or raw honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
1 Tbsp miso paste
1/2 - 1 cup water

In a powerful blender (Vitamix!) or food processor, place all the ingredients, starting with 1/2 cup water at first.  Puree until very smooth, adding more water as needed. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

For the casserole:
2 eggs
1 spaghetti squash
1 eggplant, peeled and cut in thin rounds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
4 links spicy Gianelli turkey sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
optional: Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

Whisk the 2 eggs into the raw sauce.  Cut the stem end off the spaghetti squash, then slice in half top to bottom.  Scrape the seeds and membranes out of the squash and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Microwave for 10 minutes and let sit in there while you prepare everything else.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange the eggplant in a single layer.  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.  

In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion and fennel in the olive oil until soft.  Season with a little salt.  Add the sausage, breaking up as it cooks.  When mostly done, add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the can of tomatoes, turn heat down and simmer for 5- 10 minutes.

Remove the spaghetti squash from the microwave and drain any liquid.  Use a fork to pull the strands of squash out into a bowl.  

To assemble: spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.  Put a layer of eggplant slices, then tomato sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash and pour about 1/2 cup or so of the raw sauce, spreading it into the squash.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella style shreds if using.  Repeat the layers, reserving some tomato sauce to spread on the top.  Sprinkle with shreds if using. Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly.  Let sit 10 minutes or so before cutting.

Spicy Asian Meatballs II

Meatballs are so quick and easy! You can change the flavor profile if you are feeling spicy, want a Mexican twist or go traditional with Italian.  I have posted previously a version of Asian meatballs, and this one is my most recent endeavor.

Spicy Asian Meatballs II

1# lean ground beef - I like 90/10
1# ground veal
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce or I like using Coconut Aminos
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 Tbsp chili garlic paste - or more if you really like spicy food!
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Large handful of chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet (or 2) with cooking spray.  

Whisk the eggs, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, chili paste, and sesame oil in a large bowl.  Add the cilantro, scallions, ground beef and veal.  Use your clean hands to thoroughly, but gently combine the ingredients.  You don't want to mash the meat or you will end up with a tough end product.  

Shape the mixture into equal size portions.  I do a little over an ounce and end up with 24 meatballs.  If you want more, do smaller portions and use 2 baking sheets.  Cook the meatballs anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on size.  It is better to slightly undercook them than overcook them and have them be tough.  Serve immediately or let cool and freeze in a single layer, then move to a freezer bag.  

Jalapeno Popper Dip

This dip is all the flavor of a jalapeno popper without the fuss of having to stuff and fry them.  Serve with Fritos Scoops, or if you want to be a little healthy, thick cucumber slices and bell pepper wedges.

8 oz light cream cheese
1/2 c mayo
4 oz shredded monteray jack cheese
1/4 c + canned jalapeno peppers, drained
1/4 c + canned diced green chilies
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 c panko crumbs

Turn oven to 400.  Either with a hand mixer or in the food processor, mix the cream cheese, mayo, jack cheese, jalapeno peppers and green chilies.  Taste and add more peppers if not spicy enough.  Spread in  a glass pie plate sprayed with Pam.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top, then the panko, pressing down lightly into the cream cheese mixture.  Bake for 20 - 25 min until golden and edges are bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Scallops with Spicy Orange Sauce

These huge plump scallops were brought home by the hubby for Valentine's Day.  I love Asian food, so I did a spicy orange sauce over the top - yum!

2 jumbo scallops per person
1-2 swirls olive oil
1 tsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste) per person
A squeeze of fresh orange juice per person
salt and pepper

Clean the muscle off the side of each scallop.  Get a non-stick skillet with a swirl or two of EVOO screaming hot.  Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place in the hot pan.  Cook 30 seconds to a minute or until there is a nice browned edge (the right scallops has a good example of this).  The scallop will go from translucent to a milky white.  Flip over and brown the other side.  I personally would rather have a slightly under-cooked scallop than over cooked - they can turn rubbery.   Remove scallops to a plate that is sitting on the stove top (this will keep them warmer).  Reduce the heat. Add the sambal oelek to the pan and squeeze the orange juice into the pan.  Stir to combine.  Place 2 scallops on each plate and top with a spoonful of sauce.  You can garnish with orange zest and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

This would also be great to do with shrimp!

Red Coconut Curry Sauce with Vegetables

This sauce is great with the Asian Meatballs, but without is a delicious vegetarian option. You can substitute your favorite veggies.

1 red bell pepper
2 stalks celery
1 onion
2 swirls olive oil
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 can coconut milk - NOT light
1-2 pkgs udon noodles
salt, soy sauce or fish sauce to taste
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
Asian meatballs, if using

Cut the red pepper into small, bite size pieces. Slice the celery thinly on the bias.  Dice the onion.  In a large skillet, heat the 2 swirls of olive oil.  Add the cut veggies and saute until crisp-tender.  Add the curry paste and stir to coat the veggies.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.  Add the water chestnuts and coconut milk.  If using two packages of udon noodles, add half a can of water to the pan.  Cook until hot, bubbly and thickened.  Stir in the udon noodles and stir gently to separate.  Check the seasoning and add either salt, soy sauce or fish sauce. I  prefer the fish sauce - not only does it add a little saltiness, but layers of flavor.  At the last minute, stir in the chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

If using the meatballs hot out of the oven, place them in the bowls and ladle the noodles and sauce over the top. If using them frozen, add the meatballs to the sauce BEFORE the udon noodles.  Add a little extra water, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until heated through.  Then gently add the noodles, stirring around the meatballs. Season with fish sauce to taste.  Place into bowls and sprinkle the cilantro on top.

Stuffed Poblanos

Poblano peppers can vary in heat. This batch was zippy! If you like really spicy dishes you can add a diced jalapeno to the meat mixture.  The meat mixture cooked as patties would make awesome sliders!


For the Stuffed Peppers:
4 large poblano peppers
1# ground pork
1 egg
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, reserve a few tablespoons for the top
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fine oat bran
Couple pinches salt
8 oz can tomato sauce, divided
1 small can green enchilada sauce

Under a broiler set to high, lightly char the peppers on all sides. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 15 min. Once cool enough to handle, gently peel the skins off; cut a small slit on one edge and remove the seeds.

In a large mixing bowl, put the pork through the salt. Add 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce. Put the remaining red sauce in the bottom of a glass pan big enough to hold the peppers.  Gently but thoroughly combine the meat mixture. To check your seasoning, you can cook a little bit of the mixture in a small frying pan as a patty - it only takes a minute on each side.  Carefully stuff the meat filling into the peppers. Put into the pan seam side up.
Spoon some green enchilada sauce over each pepper and sprinkle with reserved cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 min. Serve with a side of black beans and rice and spoon the sauce over.

Asian Meatballs

A variation of my traditional Italian meatballs.  The most recent batch that I froze I did as smaller meatballs so I could use them as either a dinner option or as snacks at a party.  For dinner I would serve them with stir-fried veggies in your favorite sauce.  For a party, I'm thinking 2 things: in a crock pot with an Asian BBQ sauce OR served as is with a cilantro/soy/peanut dipping sauce.  You could easily replace the ground beef with ground chicken, which would be excellent with Thai Peanut Sauce.

For the Asian Meatballs:

2# ground beef

2 whole eggs

1/4c oat bran

1/3c soy sauce
1 -2 Tbsp mirin or rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced or micro-planed

1 bunch scallion, finely chopped, white and green parts

1" peeled piece of fresh ginger, micro-planed

opt: 1 heaping Tbsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)

Preheat oven to 375.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spay with Pam.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oat bran, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil.  Add the garlic, scallions, grated ginger and Sambal Oelek (if using) and stir to combine.  Let the oat bran absorb some liquid, about 5 minutes. If the mixture looks very loose, add a little more oat bran or Panko bread crumbs.  Lastly, add the meat, using your hands to gently mix.  You don't want to mash the meat or you will have a dense meatball.  

Either scoop or roll meatballs to your size liking and place on prepared sheet. (I was able to get about 36 meatballs out of the recipe.)  Bake until outsides are brown and cooked through, about 12-14 minutes for 1ounce meatballs.  Larger 3 oz meatballs may take as long as 25 minutes.  

To prepare for freezing:  allow meatballs to cool to room temp.  Place in a single layer in a large freezer zip-lock bag.  Seal all but a small gap, then suck the air out of the bag and quickly seal.  Lay flat in the freezer until frozen through, then you can move the bag.  This way the meatballs freeze individually and you don't have to defrost the entire bag to get a few out.  

Beef and Bean Chili

I had a request for this recipe, so I will add a picture when I next make it.  I don't usually measure my spices, so this is an approximation.  Taste the beef after adding the seasonings, but before you add the liquid.  If it has a raw spice taste, cook a little longer before adding the liquid.  You can easily double the recipe for a large crowd, and the leftovers freeze really well.

1.5# ground beef
2 onions, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4c chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 small can chopped green chilies
2 cans (~14oz each)  Fire Roasted Tomatoes - with or without chili seasonings
1 can beef broth (~14oz)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans in seasoned sauce, if you can find them - I use Wegman's brand
1 can FF refried beans

In a large pot, saute the beef and onions over high heat until browned.  Add the garlic and stir 30sec.  Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander and salt.  Cook until very fragrant.  Add the chilies, tomatoes with their juices and beef broth.  Simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors.  Stir in all the beans, taste and season with salt.  Keep warm in a crockpot if serving at party.

Serve with all sorts of toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, finely minced white onion.  Have tortilla chips or Fritos out for scooping, or serve over spaghetti or rice.

Spicy and Creamy Collard Greens

For the greens:
4 slices of bacon, diced
1 -2 large bunches collard greens, tough stems removed
1 large or 2 smallish spicy peppers cut into thin stips, such as Anaheim, Italian Long Hots, etc. use your favorite heat level
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 oz cream cheese, either regular or low fat
splash of dairy, if needed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, optional
alt and pepper

After removing the tough stems from the greens, slice them into strips. Put them into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat slightly and cook the heck out of them, at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy; remove to paper towels. If there is a lot of fat rendered, pour off some leaving 1 Tbsp in the pan. Add the peppers to the pan and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. If the greens aren't done, turn the peppers off. When the greens are done, use a slotted spoon or tongs to pull the greens out, let drip, then add to the peppers pan. Heat over medium to evaporate some of the water. Add the cream cheese and stir to melt and combine with the greens and peppers. If the cream cheese isn't mixing well, add a splash of dairy to help combine. Add the parmesan cheese if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crispy bacon bits over the top just before serving.

Shrimp Cocktail

Even if you buy pre-done shrimp cocktail, you will want to make this flavor bath and refresh your shrimp for 30sec. in it.  This imparts so much flavor to the shrimp you won't even need cocktail sauce!

For the boil:

1/4 cup Old Bay

1 large onion, quartered - don't bother to peel

1 head of garlic, cut in half at the equator - don't bother to peel

1 lemon, halved

2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp whole peppercorns

1/4 cup Kosher salt

2# frozen shrimp, shell on

Place all ingredients EXCEPT the shrimp in a large pasta pot.  Fill 2/3 up with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and slow boil for 30min to extract the flavors from all the ingredients.  When ready to cook the shrimp, bring back to a full boil and add the frozen shrimp.  Stir and cook just until shrimp are bright pink. Don't overcook or they will be tough.  Drain shrimp in a colander and pick out the vegetables, leaving the peppercorns and old bay.  Dump shrimp in a metal bowl.  Fill a bigger metal bowl 1/3 -1/2 full with ice and water.  Place the bowl of shrimp in this carefully and stir the shrimp.  You want to cool the shrimp down quickly to stop the cooking without rinsing off the delicious seasoning. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until guests arrive. I usually make the shrimp the night before.

Cocktail Sauce if you must:

ketchup

bottled horseradish

squeeze of lemon

old bay seasoning

Put a good amount (1/2c or so) of ketchup in a dish.  Add 2 heaping spoonfuls of horseradish, a good squeeze of lemon and a pinch or two of old bay.  Stir to combine; taste for heat level.  I always end up adding more horseradish since we like it spicy!  

Spicy Vodka Tomato Sauce

This is amazing over meatballs in a crockpot.  Take the meat mixture from my Meatloaf Pie with Basil Ricotta Filling and scoop onto a Pam sprayed baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for about 20min.  Cool to room temp, then place on a clean baking sheet in a single layer and freeze.  Place in a ziplock freezer bag for game day or a quick week day meal.

For the sauce:
2 swirls EVOO
2-5 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of your knife
1 Tbsp (a large squirted blob from a tube) tomato paste
Red chili pepper flakes to your spiciness level
1/4 - 1/2 cup vodka  (for spice lovers, use Absolute Peppar!)
8oz can tomato sauce - I use Goya Spanish Style
1 large can 28-32 oz  crushed tomatoes
salt to taste
Opt:  to make creamy or blush sauce, use heavy cream at the end, or FF half and half, about 1/2 cup

In a large skillet with sides, heat the oil over medium heat with the smashed garlic cloves.  When cloves just start to brown, add the chili pepper flakes and stir for 30 sec, then squirt in the tomato paste and stir until the paste is incorporated into the oil.  Carefully add the two types of tomatoes and the vodka,  stirring to combine. Lower heat so the sauce is barely bubbling and put a spatter shield on top.  Do not use a lid - you want some of the water to evaporate so you have a thicker sauce.  Cook until sauce has thickened, about 20-30 min.  Season with salt.  Add the cream at this point if using to make a blush sauce.

If using in the crockpot:  Place frozen meatballs in the crockpot set to high.  Make the sauce, but you only have to let it simmer for a few minutes while the crockpot heats up.  Pour the sauce over the meatballs and continue cooking on high 2-3 hours.  Lower setting to warm and set up your serving line.  I suggest using a crockpot liner - cleanup is a breeze with them.   Meatballs can be eaten plain, on top of pasta or on little rolls as sliders/subs.  Set out more chili pepper flakes, slices of provolone cheese for subs, parmesan cheese for topping or shredded mozzarella.