Turkey and Spinach Lasagna

I credit law school and my experience at a law firm for helping me build the research skills necessary to successfully search for amazing recipes online.  Lately, every recipe I've tried has been a keeper. 

This recipe is one of the best ones I've found from my search.  It is really, really good, and it somehow is also somewhat healthy.  No one believes me when I tell them it’s made with nonfat cottage cheese and whole wheat pasta.   

I make this on weekends, for guests, and during the week.  My favorite part about this recipe is that it's easy to make two lasagnas at once.  I just double the recipe, keep some leftovers for lunch the next day, and freeze the rest.  It freezes really well.  

Sometimes I make an extra one for a friend who just had a baby or is ill (or could use a homemade meal).  When I make it as a gift, I bake it in an aluminum foil tin so I can cover it with tin foil.  Then they don't have to worry about washing a dish and remembering to bring it back to me.

(Based on this amazing Turkey and Spinach Lasagna recipe) 

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1-1 ½ pounds Ground Turkey
• 1 whole Onion, Chopped
• 1 clove Crushed Garlic
• 1 can (14 Oz) Diced Tomatoes
• 1 can (14 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• ¼ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Basil
• ½ teaspoons Sugar
• 2 cups Non Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1 package (10 Oz) Frozen Spinach
• 12 whole No-boil Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
• 1 cup Shredded Part-skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Defrost spinach, drain, and set aside.
3. In a large nonstick saucepan, heat the oil. 
4. Add the turkey, onion, and garlic to the pan. 
5. Cook the turkey mixture until the turkey is brown and onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
6.  Stir in tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, and sugar. 
7.  Bring to boil. 
8. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. 
9. Combine cottage cheese and spinach in a large bowl.
10. Spoon 1/3 of sauce into bottom of 9×13″ baking dish, then top with 3 of the noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese and spinach mixture over the noodles, then top with 3 more noodles. 
11. Repeat Step 9.
12. Spread sauce over last layer of noodles, and sprinkle mozzarella on top.
13.  Bake, covered, for 1 hour. 
14.  Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
15.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Salmon Nicoise

(based on Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Salmon Nicoise Platter)

This recipe is a regular on my dinner menu rotation during the spring and summer.  It is also a dish worthy of company.  When I want to be fancy I put it on an actual platter, so that everyone can pick and choose what they want on their plates.  But if I'm just making a meal for my family, because I know what they will and will not eat from the plate, I will assemble the "platter" on each person's dinner plate.  

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 fresh salmon fillets
• 1/2 pound small Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 pound frozen haricots verts
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in quarters (Trader Joe's sells premade ones!)
• 1 bunch spinach or butter lettuce
• 8-10 green Spanish olives, pitted

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp orange muscat champagne vinegar (from Trader Joe's)
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp cup good olive oil

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 500 Degrees Fahrenheit.

2.    Make the Marinade - In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.

3.    Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in aluminum foil, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon.  Let it marinade for 15 minutes. 

4.    Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25-35 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.  When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in quarters and set aside.

5.    Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through.  Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  Break into large pieces and remove any skin.

6.    Follow directions on package of frozen haircots verts to defrost. 

7.     Make the vinaigrette:  In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil.

8.    Arrange the salmon and olives on the platter (or if serving directly on dinner plates, divide among the plates).

9.    In a large bowl toss the green beans with a little bit of the vinaigrette, and then place the green beans on the platter (or plates).  

10. In the same bowl toss the potatoes with a little bit of the vinaigrette.  Place the tossed potatoes on the platter (or plates).

11. In the same bowl, continue to toss each main ingredient separately (eggs, spinach or lettuce, tomatoes if using) with a little bit of the vinaigrette.  Place each ingredient on the platter (or plates) after tossing.

Leftover Magic:

I usually make this dish on a Sunday so that I can enjoy making it without feeling rushed.  I figure that if I am already taking the time to cook the green beans, hard boiled eggs, and potatoes, etc., I might as well make a little extra.  Here is how to work leftover magic: 

• Make Green Beans and Tomatoes with the leftover green beans and tomatoes (just cook the extra green beans with chopped Roma tomatoes (and salt, to taste) in a saucepan on the stove top and stir occasionally until the juices from the tomatoes are reduced.  I do this the same night I make the Nicoise salad (usually while we are eating the salad for dinner) so that I can just warm this up during the week for an easy weekday meal).
• Make Healthy-ish Mashed Potatoes with the leftover potatoes.
• Add leftover potatoes to Roasted Vegetable Frittata. 
• Add leftover hard boiled eggs to salads for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
  

Recipe Index

Main Courses

• Onion Chicken 
• Moroccan Chicken 
• Salmon Four Ways
• Grilled Chicken with Easy Marinade
• Roasted Salmon Nicoise 

Side Dishes

• Israeli Couscous with Zucchini 
• Israeli Couscous with Apples and Dried Cherries 
• Leftover Magic with Israeli Couscous
• Healty-ish Mashed Potatoes 
• Roasted Veggies Formula 

Salads

• Pear Pepita Salad
• Global Warming Salad 
• Santa Fe Salad 
• Strawberry Summer Salad 

Appetizers

• Easy Breezy Caprese Skewers

Breakfast

• Hash Brown Frittata 

Desserts

• Rainbow Cake

Drinks

• Red, White, and Blue

Amazing Marinade

Ever since I discovered this Easy Marinade, it has been the preferred marinade on my menu rotation - especially during the summer.  It is one of the best marinades I have ever made, and I still can't believe how easy it is to make.  I've used it for skirt steak, but I usually use it for boneless skinless chicken breast (I make it with red wine vinegar; I have not tried the balsamic vinegar variation).

When it's on the menu for a weekday meal, I prep the chicken and make the marinade in the morning before I leave for work.  While I am at work, the chicken marinates in the fridge (gotta love passive cooking!).  When I get home from work, my husband throws the chicken on the grill.  He always makes some extra chicken so that we can easily add it to salads for lunch or dinner throughout the week.  Best part is that my husband enjoys barbecuing (the same cannot be said for cooking), so he actually has fun while he's being productive.

Even though this is an easy weekday meal - it is also company worthy.  It is great if you are having friends over for barbecue, because you can prep everything before your guests arrive (even the night before), and when your guests are ready to eat you just throw it on the grill, and cook as you entertain.

Hash Brown Frittata

This is my go-to brunch dish (although sometimes this makes a nice main course for "breakfast for dinner").  I love it because I can make it the day before (so I don't have to wake up too early to set everything up), and it can easily be doubled for a large crowd.  I usually make this with egg whites.  It tastes just as good, and my guests feel less guilty.

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil  
• 2-3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced like hash browns (or substitute 2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained) 
• 8 eggs (or substitute egg white equivalent, it is just as good!)
• 1/2 cup non fat milk 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or substitute with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup shredded Colby cheese) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add potatoes to pan, and cook until heated through (about 4-5 minutes).
4. Remove pan from heat.  
5. While the potatoes are cooking in the pan, combine eggs, milk, and parmesan in a large bowl and beat.
6. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
7. Add the potato mixture to the baking dish, and spread evenly around.
8. Pour the eggs over the potato mixture.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until it barely jiggles when shaken.
10. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.
11. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (or until cheese melts and begins to brown). 

*If you make it in advance, wait until it cools, cut it into squares, and then refrigerate until it is ready to be reheated.

It's All About Salmon

One of my go-to to weekday meals is Roasted Salmon.  Salmon is really good for you, and my husband (who never used to eat fish at all) is willing to eat it (and my son L-O-V-E-S it!).  It is super easy to make, but worthy of serving for company.

It also is really easy to have on hand.  We buy it in bulk at Costco, cut it up in portions, and then freeze each portion.  We usually move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before we cook it, and it defrosts in time for dinner.  But if we ever forget to defrost it (which is more often than not), it defrosts pretty quickly in a bowl of warm water.

Most important of all, it meets all five of my requirements for a great weekday meal:  (1) healthy; (2) doesn't taste healthy; (3) very little hands-on time; (4) my husband's not afraid to make it or I can make it in advance; and (5) I can have it on the table within 15 minutes of getting home (even if my husband didn't help).  I rotate between four different seasonings/marinades (and have a fifth if I have more time), but all are based on the same formula.

1. Pick one of the twists on seasoning or marinades (see below).
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Place salmon on baking dish and cook in oven for 12-15 min (increase time if cooking more than four pieces of salmon; when I cook the entire bulk package from Costco it takes 20-30 minutes). 

Twists on seasoning and marinades:

1. The "OG" - Lemon Roasted Salmon:  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over each piece of salmon and rub to coat top.  Sprinkle "Lemon Herb" McCormick seasoning over salmon.
2. Soyaki Salmon - Pour Soyaki (from Trader Joes) over the salmon.  Can be marinated for 15 minutes or more, which does make a slight difference, but it's also fine without the pre-marinating.  
3. Island Soyaki Salmon - Same as Soyaki Salmon, but use the Island Soyaki from Trader Joe's, and use that instead of the Soyaki
4. The Purist - Drizzle a little olive oil over the salmon and rub in, then sprinkle a little Lawry's seasoning (or Mrs. Dash alternative), and rub in a little minced garlic. 
5. Fancy Mustard Salmon -  Although you won't catch me making this one on a weekday (unless it is also a holiday), this is a great marinade as well (I sometimes cook this one at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, but 425 works too):  Mix the juice and zest from half a lemon with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of dijon mustard, then add 1 minced garlic clove.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then drizzle (and spread) over salmon, set salmon aside for 15 minutes before cooking. 

Pear Pepita Salad

I am a HUGE fan of Brianna's Homemade Dressings.  The Ginger Mandarin Dressing is one of our favorites.  After we got a little sick of the citrus salad I kept making (baby spinach, oranges, apples, almonds, dried cherries, and Brianna's Ginger Mandarin Dressing), I tried a variation with pears.  It has turned into a favorite of ours, and I often make it for brunches and showers.

Ingredients:
Bag of baby spinach
2 Pears, chopped in 1 inch cubes
1 Cup of raisins
1 Cup of pepitas (which are shelled pumpkin seeds)
Brianna's Homemade Ginger Mandarin Dressing

Directions:
Add spinach, pears, raisins, and pepitas to serving bowl.
Toss with dressing if serving right away, or serve with dressing on the side to avoid sogginess (and have a chance at leftovers).

Valentine's Day Feast

As much as I enjoy heading out to dinner on a fake holiday and waiting over an hour for a table (even though I have a reservation), this year we decided to spend Valentines Day with an economic-friendly night at home. For a quarter of the price of a fancy dinner, I made my husband a four course meal in the comfort of our home and pajamas.

The Menu:

Citrus Salad

This is a popular salad in our household. I usually just mix together baby spinach, apples, oranges, sliced almonds, and Brianna's Homemade Dressing, and it's a huge hit every time.

For Valentine's Day I tried to fancy things up by shedding the apple in a food processor.

Lentil Soup

I first came across the recipe for this soup when I wanted to make a lentil soup for New Year's Eve a couple of years ago. It is one of my favorite soups. I follow the recipe exactly as written, except: (1) Before I add in the pasta I puree two cups of the soup in a blender (and hopefully I remember to expose the whole in the blender top and cover it with a towel - trust me, you don't want to forget to do this); and (2) I throw in the pasta 10 minutes before I am ready to serve the soup (even if it is ready before then) because the pasta absorbs the liquid in the soup very quickly.

As an added bonus, this soup is great for leftovers. I either eat it later as a stew (I wasn't kidding about the pasta absorbing the liquid quickly), or when I reheat it, I add chicken broth to turn it back into soup.

If you didn't believe me about that pasta, above is proof of the stew leftovers.

Chicken Picatta

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes when we eat out, but I've never made this dish myself before. I thought I would give it a try, and it turned out great! I even made a "healthier" version by using margarine instead of butter, but you could not tell. Another bonus: It turns out chicken picatta takes about 9 minutes to make. This might end up on our weekly dinner menu rotation.

For a fun Valentine's Day touch the entree was heart shaped.

Mashed Potatoes

The grocery store didn't have the potatoes I usually use for making mashed potatoes, so I grabbed baby red potatoes instead. My secret to making them is that I heat the milk and butter before I add them to the potatoes, and I mash the potatoes with the skin still on the potatoes.

For a special touch, I packed the mashed potatoes into an egg ring (thanks to my bridal registry) and packed them down with a spoon. After I lifted the egg ring, I had perfect round patties of mashed potato.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Raspberries

It was probably just as fun making these as it was to eat them. Although the original plan was to sprinkle white chocolate stripes across each of them, the white chocolate did not cooperate.

I had some extra chocolate after dipping the strawberries, so I dipped a couple of raspberries in the chocolate (why should it go to waste?). The raspberries were great. I think I might make them again as a bite sized dessert.

Next time, I also might experiment with milk chocolate (and, I will do proper research about how to properly melt white chocolate).

Raspberry Tartlettes

I bought frozen filo dough tart shells, and I filled the shells with a mixture of vanilla pudding and fat free cool whip. I topped each tartlette with a raspberry. They were OK, but I would make some adjustments if I made these again. I probably would have spread melted chocolate on the bottom of each tart to fix the texture and to make them a little less bland.

Festival of Lights

It is a well-known secret that I have been vying to host a holiday party. Unfortunately, I never have had the opportunity, as there are plenty of other "hosts" in our family. Is it a coincidence then, that I finally got to host a holiday party for the holiday that is all about miracles and never loosing hope? I think not!

The Breakdown:

Although my husband sometimes thinks I'm crazy, I love putting together a beautiful table, wonderful meal, and enjoyable atmosphere, and the smiles on my guests' faces is more than worth the effort!!!

The Decor

Since Hanukkah is the festival of lights, I decided to do a candlelit dinner for our 18 guests.

The Tablescape

I used blue tablecloths by Origins from Bed Bath & Beyond. These are actually my favorite table cloths (I own them in multiple colors) because they look great, they are stain resistant, and they are pretty reasonable (especially if you have BB&B coupons to spare).

Instead of using a table runner, I created a faux table runner with silver Hanukkah gelt, and I spread the candles down the middle of the "runner."

Since I didn't have enough napkin rings for all of our guests, I used garland I found at Crate & Barrel to create napkin holders. Then, I tucked a dreidel under each garland, so that every guest could spin their own dreidel at their leisure.



I took the left over garland from the napkin holders, and hung it from the chandelier.


Flowers
I had been eyeing these silver containers at Gelson's for some time now, and I finally broke down and treated myself to them. I placed floral foam on the bottom and arranged white hydrangeas and roses in each container.



Seating Cards



When I have a lot of guests, I prefer to make seating cards. My husband thinks it's too formal, but I personally think that when you have a lot of guests over for a sit down dinner, you really should use seating cards. First, everyone always asks you were they should sit anyway, and second, it allows you to strategically place your guests so that you can ensure that everyone is having a good time.

I made the seating cards using scrapbooking paper that I had on hand. I cut 4x4 pieces of white paper and folded them in half. Then I attached a 1x4 piece of silver paper to the center of one of the folded sides.

I found a great free dreidel font online by Artsylady. The first initial of every name is set inside a dreidel, but the best part was that the English letters resembled Hebrew letters. A lot of our guests know how to read Hebrew, and they got a real kick out of the font on the cards.
Additional Decor
I bought 4 napkins to match the tablecloths, so I could add a little color to the living room. I set two of them on an entry way table, where we were planning on lighting the channukiahs. I then set the other two on the coffee table. I placed a centerpiece over the napkins to hide the place where they overlapped. I then spread out mini dreidels and silver Hanukkah gelt.

I also repurposed a candle holder I bought from Bed Bath & Beyond for my husband's birthday. It originally came with sea shells, but ironically I've never used them. For my husband's birthday, I lined the inside with fragrance beads (also from BB&B), and I placed orchids on top of the beads.



This time, I left the beads in, but I placed mini dreidels on top of the beads.

The Menu
First Course: I like serving a first course because it allows me to have time to greet my guests. Then when they sit down to have the first course, I have plenty of time to heat the main course.

• Israeli Salad


• Winter Salad

Main Course: I found it was helpful to have two serving plates for each dish so my guests didn't have to wait until the serving plates went by 17 other people before they could enjoy.

• Brisket


• Moroccan Chicken


• Schnitzel


• Mashed Potatoes


• Latkes


• Zucchini and Corn in Tomato Sauce

Dessert: Everyone was so full after dinner, so I waited to serve dessert until after we opened presents. I cleared the dishes from a section of the table, and served dessert buffet style, so everyone could sit where ever they wanted.

• Apple Cake


• Sufganiyot


• Cookies


• Fruit

I wish I could post pictures of the amazing family and friends that enjoyed the holiday with us...but, alas, I choose to stay anonymous.

Quick and Easy: Onion Chicken

Cooking dinner on a weekday can be a difficult task. Over time, I have accumulated recipes that are quick and easy, and never fail to please. One of the easiest chicken dishes I make is Onion Chicken. It takes about 10 minutes to make from start to finish, and is worth the effort! It goes well with almost any side dish, so the possibilities are endless. When I'm really tired, I pair it with couscous (another quick dish), and dinner is ready in about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken fryer breasts (thin) (or 10 chicken tenders)

1 onion, sliced into long slices (about 1/4 inch thick) or diced (use pre-diced onions to save time)

Lawry's seasoned salt

Canola Oil

Directions:

1. Heat pan
2. Add oil to coat pan (about 2 tbsp. or 4 sprays of Pam)
3. Add sliced or diced onions
4. Stir occasionally until onions are almost golden brown (about 3 minutes)
5. Push onions to one side of the pan
6. Season chicken with Lawry's
7. Place seasoned side down on pan
8. Season top side of chicken
9. As you add the chicken pieces, move the onions so that each piece touches the bottom of the pan (e.g., move the onion on top of the chicken)
10. Cook each piece about 3 minutes on each side (until cooked through)
11. Remove chicken from pan when cooked all the way through
12. Add a tbsp. of oil
13. Continue to stir and cook onions until golden brown, or if you prefer onions well done, continue to cook until onions are dark brown
14. Top the chicken with the onions and serve

If you have leftovers, you can slice the chicken into small pieces and serve as fajitas the next day with tortillas, sour cream, and salsa.

Moroccan Chicken Made Easy

Moroccan Chicken is one of my favorite recipes. Unfortunately, it takes a really long time to make, so it's just not realistic for a weeknight meal. However, I decided to take a cue from Rachel Ray, and ventured to discover a 30 minute version (OK more like 45 minutes--but it's a start). I switched out the thick bone-in chicken breasts I usually use for thin skinless boneless chicken fryer breasts (although chicken tenders would have worked just as well). The result--a healthier version, that took less than half the time of the original dish. Ironically, I think my husband preferred this recipe to the longer version . . .

Ingredients:

• 6 thin chicken fryer breasts (boneless, skinless) (or 10 chicken tenders)
• Salt and pepper
• Pam
  4-6 garlic cloves, chopped (depending on size of cloves)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 tbsp. turmeric
• 1 can green Israeli olives
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• A handful of parsley

Directions

1. Drain olives, and place in pot
2. Cover with water and bring to boil


3. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer


4. While the olives are cooking, rinse and pat-dry chicken breasts


5. If breasts are not all even in thickness, pound breasts so all pieces are thin and even


6. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken


7. Heat pan, add 4 sprays of Pam (or 1 tbsp of canola or olive oil)


8. Lie seasoned side of chicken down in pan, and season top side with salt and pepper


9. Cook chicken on each side 1-2 minutes until golden brown (no need to cook all the way through, you are just sealing in the juices)


10. Remove chicken from pan


11. Add a bit more oil to the pan (approximately 2 more sprays of Pam, but may vary depending on how dry pan is)


12. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown (about 2 minutes)


13. Add the chopped tomatoes


14. Season with salt and pepper


15. Stir occasionally until tomato mixture is reduced and liquid evaporates (approximately 6-8 minutes)
    
    
16. In a measuring cup, measure 2 cups of chicken broth, and add the turmeric


17. Mix the broth mixture together with a spoon


18. Add the chicken breasts back into the pan
19. Spread the tomato mixture over the breast pieces


20. Add the broth mixture to the pan (broth should cover the chicken, add more broth if necessary)


21. Cook on high heat until boiling, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes


22. While the chicken is cooking, remove the olives from the heat, and drain
23. Add olives and lemon juice to the pan with the chicken


24. Cook for another 5 minutes


25. Add parsley, recover


26. Cook until parsley is wilted (about 5 minutes)