While not Hurricane Harvey rainfall, we still received a couple inches which meant outside stuff was curtailed. So I made ricotta.This was my second attempt: I followed a recipe out of the Duluth News Tribune and other than a cheese cloth failure, I would say this was a success!
The Meal Plan
Sat (Pollinator class) out for lunch (S) red beans and rice
Sun (L) leftover rice (S) Skillet Lasagna
Mon (yoga/bkgrp/Legion mtg)leftovers
Tues - leftovers
Wed(trap shooting) - leftovers
Thurs (yoga) - leftover curry
Fri - leftover curry
Skillet Beans and Rice (Ckgn Lght Sept 2017) gluten free
Easy peasy! Seriously easy.
My modifications tho - I prefer to cut my own vegetables to reduce the risk of e. coli contamination.&The magazine did give the recommended quantities for the "trinity" blend. We don't like kidney beans, so I subbed pinto. Precooked rice of any kind is NOT available in my area, so I used two packages of instant rice and cooked those while I was prepping everything else. No extra time needed.
This is a fast, filling, tasty meal that comes together in about half an hour. You will need a LARGE skillet for this. While not big quantities, together, they fill up a pan. This did make enough for the two of us, for two dinners with no sides.
Recommended.
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| photo from cookinglight.com |
4 ounces chopped andouille sausage
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (8-oz.) pkg. fresh trinity blend
(make your own with 3/4 cup onion, 3/4 cup celery, and 1/2 cup bell pepper.)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (in addition to the "trinity" blend)
1 (15-oz.) can unsaltedkidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used pinto beans)
2/3 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2(8.8-oz.) pkg. precooked brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (in addition to the "trinity" blend)
1 (15-oz.) can unsalted
2/3 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2
I used two pkg Uncle Bens Instant brown rice, cooked according to directions on the package
1/3 cup chopped green onions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, trinity blend, and red bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in beans and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper). Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook 4 minutes. Mash half of bean mixture in pan. Stir in rice; cover, and cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.
Fresh Ricotta (Duluth News Tribune, Wed, 8/23/2017)
This was my third attempt at fresh ricotta, and by far, the most successful. I reviewed attempt #2 here from the Fit Lab cookbook. That was a colossal failure.
This go around, the cooking part worked as it should and I had a cheese cloth blow-out. Note to self: next time secure the cheese cloth to the strainer with some clothes pins or metal binder clips.
It did take significantly longer to drain than the recipe noted - I didn't mark the time but I think it was about three hours until I was satisfied it wasn't liquid goo. Hm...now that I think about it, my applesauce strainer thing probably would have worked a heck of a lot better than my regular strainer...an excuse to try this again!
I got about 2 cups, or just shy of two cups of ricotta.
2 quarts whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon juice
A fine mesh strainer or sieve, and mesh cheese cloth.
Line the sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large (and deep) bowl.
Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a boil in a six quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour (I went up to three hours). Discard the whey. Cover and chill the ricotta.It will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.
Skillet Vegetable Lasagna (Ckng Lght, Sept 2017) vegetarian
This is why I made my own ricotta (above). I keep hearing how making your own is "so much better than store bought"! Granted, it's a half day endeavor, pre-planning is a must, and I'm not convinced there's a cost savings, but...what the heck.
I did this all in one skillet. A VERY LARGE skillet. This is also NOT a weeknight meal (unless you're heating up the leftovers). This took me a solid hour from start to finish - though keep in mind that 20 minutes is just simmering on the stove so I had time to wash dishes and prep a salad.
This easily serves 6 people, or for us, three suppers with a side salad. Prep is fairly easy, the no-boil noodles worked perfectly, and I didn't see a need to dirty two pans.
What I did observe - this could use some red pepper flakes for a tich of flavor and heat (mushrooms, zucchini and ricotta are really bland on their own), some fresh basil added to the crushed tomatoes would be tasty, and this is runny when it first comes out from under the broiler,
So, while not a weeknight dish, a bit short on flavor, this was still good. If you don't want to putz with the traditional lasagna, I'd say give this a try.
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-in.-thick slices, divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 (8-oz.) pkg.presliced cremini mushrooms (I prefer to slice my own - cleaner that way)
4 cups baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (28-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces preshredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1) Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add half of zucchini; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining zucchini. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 6 minutes. Stir in spinach and garlic; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
2) Spread mushroom mixture in bottom of pan; top with cooked zucchini. Pour 2 cups tomatoes over zucchini; top with salt. Arrange noodles over top, breaking ends as needed to fit in pan. Spread remaining tomatoes over pan; top with ricotta. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes over medium-low or until noodles are soft.
3) Remove pan from heat. Preheat broiler with oven rack in top position.
4) Sprinkle mozzarella over pan; broil 3 minutes or until melted and lightly browned.
Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad (Duluth News Tribune, Wed, 8/23/2017) vegetarian, gluten free
I LOVE a good soft goat's cheese! This salad is simple, refreshing, and uses ingredients that most of us have on hand or can easily grab from the store. I didn't "measure" anything, just assembled enough for a bowl each for the husband and I. Recommended!
4 ounces herbed goat's milk cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I toasted mine)
1/4 cup craisins
4 strawberries sliced
1 cup mixed greens
2 ounces red wine vinaigrette& (I used EVOO and red wine vinegar)
Toss mixed greens in dressing and top with cheese, walnuts, craisins and berries.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (Food Lab Cookbook) vegetarian
With my successful attempt at making ricotta AND getting nearly two cups, I found I needed a way to use that second cup in a short period of time. I remembered this recipe from the Food Lab Ckbk and whipped up the dry mix the night before then threw every thing together in the morning.
I did have two adjustments:I forgot I was out of buttermilk so I used plain Greek yogurt. A fine substitute, but it did make the mix overly thick.And I forgot I had already zested my one lemon, so I tossed in a tsp of regular lemon juice. Not the best, but it was what I could think of on short notice. I could have skipped the lemon and did almond or extra vanilla too.
I also tossed in a bit handful of blueberries. YUM!
These cooked up thick, fluffy and so flavorful! Plenty for two of us with leftovers for one later this week. Even the puppies got a little pancake.
Recommended
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt 'cause I was out of buttermilk)
1 cup fresh ricotta (from above)
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Dry Pancake Mix (here)
1 tsp lemon zest
Combine buttermilk, ricotta, eggs, butter and vanilla.
Combine pancake mix and lemon zest.
Combine liquids and dry mix together, stirring until flour is just moistened - do not over-stir!
Heat a griddle and cook.
1/3 cup chopped green onions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, trinity blend, and red bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in beans and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper). Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook 4 minutes. Mash half of bean mixture in pan. Stir in rice; cover, and cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions.
Fresh Ricotta (Duluth News Tribune, Wed, 8/23/2017)
This was my third attempt at fresh ricotta, and by far, the most successful. I reviewed attempt #2 here from the Fit Lab cookbook. That was a colossal failure.
This go around, the cooking part worked as it should and I had a cheese cloth blow-out. Note to self: next time secure the cheese cloth to the strainer with some clothes pins or metal binder clips.
It did take significantly longer to drain than the recipe noted - I didn't mark the time but I think it was about three hours until I was satisfied it wasn't liquid goo. Hm...now that I think about it, my applesauce strainer thing probably would have worked a heck of a lot better than my regular strainer...an excuse to try this again!
I got about 2 cups, or just shy of two cups of ricotta.
2 quarts whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp lemon juice
A fine mesh strainer or sieve, and mesh cheese cloth.
Line the sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large (and deep) bowl.
Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a boil in a six quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour (I went up to three hours). Discard the whey. Cover and chill the ricotta.It will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.
Skillet Vegetable Lasagna (Ckng Lght, Sept 2017) vegetarian
This is why I made my own ricotta (above). I keep hearing how making your own is "so much better than store bought"! Granted, it's a half day endeavor, pre-planning is a must, and I'm not convinced there's a cost savings, but...what the heck.
I did this all in one skillet. A VERY LARGE skillet. This is also NOT a weeknight meal (unless you're heating up the leftovers). This took me a solid hour from start to finish - though keep in mind that 20 minutes is just simmering on the stove so I had time to wash dishes and prep a salad.
This easily serves 6 people, or for us, three suppers with a side salad. Prep is fairly easy, the no-boil noodles worked perfectly, and I didn't see a need to dirty two pans.
What I did observe - this could use some red pepper flakes for a tich of flavor and heat (mushrooms, zucchini and ricotta are really bland on their own), some fresh basil added to the crushed tomatoes would be tasty, and this is runny when it first comes out from under the broiler,
So, while not a weeknight dish, a bit short on flavor, this was still good. If you don't want to putz with the traditional lasagna, I'd say give this a try.
 |
| photo from cookinglight.com |
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-in.-thick slices, divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 (8-oz.) pkg.
4 cups baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (28-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
4 ounces preshredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
1) Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add half of zucchini; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining zucchini. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 6 minutes. Stir in spinach and garlic; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
2) Spread mushroom mixture in bottom of pan; top with cooked zucchini. Pour 2 cups tomatoes over zucchini; top with salt. Arrange noodles over top, breaking ends as needed to fit in pan. Spread remaining tomatoes over pan; top with ricotta. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes over medium-low or until noodles are soft.
3) Remove pan from heat. Preheat broiler with oven rack in top position.
4) Sprinkle mozzarella over pan; broil 3 minutes or until melted and lightly browned.
Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad (Duluth News Tribune, Wed, 8/23/2017) vegetarian, gluten free
I LOVE a good soft goat's cheese! This salad is simple, refreshing, and uses ingredients that most of us have on hand or can easily grab from the store. I didn't "measure" anything, just assembled enough for a bowl each for the husband and I. Recommended!
4 ounces herbed goat's milk cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I toasted mine)
1/4 cup craisins
4 strawberries sliced
1 cup mixed greens
2 ounces red wine vinaigrette& (I used EVOO and red wine vinegar)
Toss mixed greens in dressing and top with cheese, walnuts, craisins and berries.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (Food Lab Cookbook) vegetarian
With my successful attempt at making ricotta AND getting nearly two cups, I found I needed a way to use that second cup in a short period of time. I remembered this recipe from the Food Lab Ckbk and whipped up the dry mix the night before then threw every thing together in the morning.
I did have two adjustments:I forgot I was out of buttermilk so I used plain Greek yogurt. A fine substitute, but it did make the mix overly thick.And I forgot I had already zested my one lemon, so I tossed in a tsp of regular lemon juice. Not the best, but it was what I could think of on short notice. I could have skipped the lemon and did almond or extra vanilla too.
I also tossed in a bit handful of blueberries. YUM!
These cooked up thick, fluffy and so flavorful! Plenty for two of us with leftovers for one later this week. Even the puppies got a little pancake.
Recommended
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used plain yogurt 'cause I was out of buttermilk)
1 cup fresh ricotta (from above)
2 eggs
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Dry Pancake Mix (here)
1 tsp lemon zest
Combine buttermilk, ricotta, eggs, butter and vanilla.
Combine pancake mix and lemon zest.
Combine liquids and dry mix together, stirring until flour is just moistened - do not over-stir!
Heat a griddle and cook.
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