Recipe review from 12/16/2018

There was some baking (review later this week), there was some cooking (reviews down below), there were a few meetings and one Holiday potluck.  It was a busy week! 


Meal Plan for week of 12/16:
Sat (L) out/leftovers(S) Baguette Pizzas
Sun (L) leftover pizzas(S) Lazy Lasagna Soup
Mon (Yoga/Birthday party) leftover soup
Tues (bkgrp) out/leftover soup
Wed - leftover soup
Thur (yoga)
Fri - leftover soup

Lunches - Husband: sandwiches; Me - Lentil and potato soup

Baguette Pizzas with Sausage (Ckng Lght, Dec 2018)
We enjoyed this quite a bit - a variation on the "usual" take-n-bake pizzas that we pick-up on a busy or lazy weekend.  I liked the pesto base, kinda a hit of summer in the middle of December.  I used spicy bulk Italian sausage for the turkey sausage called for.  And I picked up a shredded smoked provolone and mozzarella mix from the co-op that we enjoy on homemade pizzas. 

I made the full compliment of filling for one lunch, but only made 1/2 the baguette, saving part of the filling and cheese for the next day.  And found I didn't have *quite* enough (or my baguette was larger than called for) so I quick whipped up some crushed tomatoes for a red sauce.

Which shows how versatile this idea is.  Recommended!

Serves 4

1 (10-oz.) whole-wheat baguette, split lengthwise
1/4 cup refrigerated basil pesto

photo from Cookinglight.com

2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage
4 cups chopped spinach
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 ounces pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat broiler to high. Scoop out the interior of the baguette and discard (Wha???  Set aside and run through the food processor and freeze for bread crumbs at a later date!  For Shame! Cooking Light!). Place hollowed baguette halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir together pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl; spread evenly on baguette halves.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high. Cook sausage, stirring, until browned and crumbly, about 4 minutes. Add spinach to sausage; cook, stirring often, until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove from heat.

Transfer toasted baguette halves to a cutting board, and spoon sausage mixture evenly into baguette. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces. Top evenly with cheese. Place on baking sheet; return to oven, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Lazy Lasagna Soup (Ckng Lght, Nov 2018) vegetarian option**
This was most excellent!   One notable substitution - I used bulk spicy Italian sausage for the ground chuck.  I don't like ground beef, and Italian sausage was more "lasagna" to me.  While the sausage is cooking on the stove, you can chop and plop everything else into the slow cooker (there are Instant Pot directions if you follow the link above).   Come back in 6 hours to add the noodles - I was dubious about this part but it worked well.

And this is where my one small critism comes in - perhaps a different noodle instead of breaking up lasagna noodles?  I ended up with all different sizes and it made it awkward to serve and eat. 

Did I mention this was delicious?   It was delicious, filling and would be excellent for company too. Recommended!!

Serves 4-6 (6 if you have garlic bread or a salad on the side)

1 pound 90% lean ground chuck**  skip to make vegetarian

photo from cookinglight.com

**I used 2/3 lb bulk spicy Italian sausage
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
1/4 cup half-and-half   (I skipped these three) 

4 ounces pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir to combine. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low 6 hours.

Stir lasagna noodles into soup, making sure to submerge all noodles in liquid. Cover and cook on low until noodles are al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir in half-and half.

Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.


Smokey Potato and Lentil Soup (Mel's Kitchen Cafe Blog)  vegetarian/vegan option**
Instant Pot recipe below.  For stove top, follow the link to the recipe. 

This came together in about an hour total.  It's a chop, plop, cook (clean up), add spinach, serve.  Or, cool for meals later in the week.  This is earthy, hearty and a tich on the bland side.  I did use spinach for this, but chopped kale or chard would also work well. 

This made about 6-7 lunches (I lost count between what I ate and the Husband had).

photo from Mel's Cafe Blog/Pinterest

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I do not peel but you can if you want)
1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed (see note)
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth**
8 to 10 ounces kale or spinach, chopped (optional but delicious)

1. In a stove top or electric pressure cooker, heat the oil (use the Sauté function in the Instant Pot). Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn

2. Add the cumin, paprika and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Add the potatoes, lentils and stock or broth.

4.  Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at 3 minutes on high pressure. Quick release the pressure, unlock the lid, and stir in the kale or spinach, if using.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper (very important!) and serve. The soup will thicken a bit as it cools.