Mexican Lasagna

This is very easy and very tasty.  It can be made one day ahead then baked the next day.  It also tastes just as good as leftovers!

Servings: 6-8

Time:  Prep:  15 minutes    Cooking: 35 minutes
Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board and knives, a can opener, a skillet, a wooden spoon, a microwave safe bowl, kitchen scissors, a loaf pan, a spatula

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup diced onion
• ¼ cup diced bell pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (You can make your own)
• ½ cup of your favorite chunky salsa (I like Desert Pepper Trading Company)
• 1 can condensed Fiesta cheese soup
• 1 can of refried beans
• 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 3-4 10 inch flour tortilla
• Cooking spray
• Salsa, sour cream, and green onions for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Open the cans.  Set aside.
3. Wash and dice the onion and green pepper.
4. Heat the skillet on medium high. Add the veggies, seasoning, and ground beef.  Cook and crumble the ground beef until the meat is brown and cooked through (7-10 minutes). Drain the fat from the beef.
5. Return the meat mixture to the medium pan.  Stir in the salsa and cheese soup.  Stir until everything is completely combined and heated through.  Remove from the heat.
6. Put the beans in the microwave safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until heated.
7. Spray the loaf pan with cooking spray.
8. Using the kitchen scissors, slice a tortilla shell to fit in the bottom of the pan.  You may need to arrange pieces from more than one slice to cover the bottom of the pan.  You may overlap the tortillas.
9. Spread ⅓ of the beans over the tortilla shells with the spatula.  Cover the beans in 1 cup of the meat mixture and one cup of the cheese.  Cut another tortilla to cover the cheese mixture.  Press down firmly on the tortillas to compact the lasagna.  Continue layering in this manner, pressing down on the tortillas each time.  Finish with cheese.
10. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
11. While the lasagna is cooling, slice the green onions.
12. To serve, spread salsa on the plate.  Lay a slice of lasagna on the salsa, top with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with green onions.

Potato Soup

Fall is the perfect time for soup. You can use late summer corn or fall root veggies in the same dish.  This potato soup is a great autumn meal because it can be served warm or cold, depending on the weather.

Servings: 4-6

Time:    Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 45 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, large soup pot, a skillet, an emulsion blender (or a food chopper, or food processor), a wooden spoon, a ladle, serving bowls

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ pounds potatoes
• 4 cups low sodium broth (you can use chicken or vegetable)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon fennel
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 small carrot
• paprika

1. Slice the onion into rings. Place the rings into the skillet with a little water.  You don’t want them to float or be covered.  Place them on medium high heat and allow the water to evaporate.  This will take about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. While the onions are cooking down, peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks.  Try to make the chunks the same size.
3. Clean and chop the garlic and rosemary.  Set aside.
4. Shred the carrots.
5. Put the potatoes, rosemary, fennel, and salt in the soup pot.  Cover in broth and bring to a gentle boil.
6. By this time, the water should have evaporated from the onions.  Turn the heat to medium and add the butter and garlic to the pan.  The onions should just be bubbling.  Stir often.  Cook until the onions are caramel colored.  This will take another 15 minutes.
7.  Add the onions (and the butter) to the soup.  Boil until the potatoes are tender.  Use the immersion blender to cream the soup until it is the consistency of thick pancake batter.  (You can also add the soup to a blender.  Just make sure the lid is tilted or the heat will cause the lid to blow off your blender.  Not fun.)
8. Turn the heat off and stir in the milk.
9. To serve, ladle a serving into a bowl.  Sprinkle on a little paprika and top with carrots.
10. You can serve this soup warm or chill it and serve cold.

6. Caramelized onions

Shrimp Pad Thai

This dish may require a trip to your local pan-Asian grocery.  While there you should walk around and buy something new to try in your kitchen. (Read the entire recipe before starting.)

Servings: 4-6

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, an 8x8 baking dish, a microwave safe plate and bowl, 3 small bowls and a fork, a sauce pot, a whisk, a colander, a spatula, a plate, a wooden spoon, a large non-stick skillet
Time:  Prep:  15 minutes    Cooking: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried rice noodles (about the size and shape of fettuccine)
• 1 ½ tablespoons tamarind paste
• ½ tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon Sriracha sauce (depending on your taste)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 green onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 8 oz (½ bag) frozen carrots
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• ¾ pound (31-35 count) shrimp (You can usually buy these from the butcher already cleaned)
• 2 limes
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup roasted peanuts
• ½ cup bean sprouts

1. In the baking dish soak the noodles according to the package instructions.
2. Chop the peanuts and cilantro, set aside. Slice 1 of the limes.  Juice the other lime into a bowl. Chop the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Chop the garlic.
3. Place the frozen carrots in a microwave safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water.  Cover them with a microwave safe plate and zap on high for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Put the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons cold water.  Use the fork to stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Beat the eggs in another small bowl. Set aside.
5. Rinse the shrimp and remove their tails.
6. In the sauce pot, whisk together tamarind paste, peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, and chicken stock.  Heat on medium low until everything is mixed together and the sauce is warm. Turn off the heat.
7. Drain the noodles.
8. In the skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil on medium-high. Scramble the eggs until they are very soft set, 30 seconds. Transfer the eggs to the plate.
9. Add the rest of the oil to the skillet.  Add the white parts of the green onion, garlic and shrimp.  Stir constantly, for about 2 minutes.
10. Add the noodles, carrots, and sauce to the skillet. Stir constantly, and cook until noodles are soft, about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch-y water and allow the sauce to thicken, another 30 seconds.
11. Add the eggs and lime juice, stir until the eggs are broken up and mixed in, another 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat.
12. To serve place the pad Thai in bowls, top with cilantro, green onions, sprouts and peanuts.  Give each guest a lime wedge.

Grilled Scallops with Crispy Shrimp over Orzo in an Orange Sauce

This seems very simple, but is extremely full of complex flavors.  The grilled scallops and crispy shrimp have complementary tastes but contrasting textures.  The orange sauce is sweet without being cloying. The little punch of heat provided by the peppers helps cut through the sweetness of the sauce.  The slightly bitter taste of tarragon ties the whole dish together.  And the dish is beautiful, which believe it or not really does matter.  (Read through this recipe before starting.*)
 

Serves: 6-8

Time:    Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 30-45 minutes
Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a large bowl, a large heavy bottom skillet, a pot, a grill pan, a light skillet, a colander, a whisk, a slotted metal spoon, a wooden spoon, a gallon Ziploc bag, a paper towel covered plate.

Ingredients:

• 1-16 oz box of orzo
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 pound of shrimp
• 1 pound of sea scallops
• 1 leek
• 1 Serrano pepper
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate (½ can) -defrosted
• ¼ cup orange liquor (I used Grand Marnier)
• ¼ cup water
• 2 chicken bullion cubes
• ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
• ½ + ¼ teaspoon tarragon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• cooking spray
• oil for frying
• Salt & pepper

1. Slice the leek into thin rings and place the rings in a bowl of water.  Swish around and allow the leeks to float until you need them. (Leeks are very sandy, but they float and sand does not.)
2. Clean the shrimp, leaving the tails intact.  Rinse the scallops and pat dry.  Slice the pepper in half.  Place the flour and bread crumbs in the Ziploc with a little salt and pepper. Shake the bag.  Add the shrimp to the Ziploc bag and shake like crazy.  Set everything aside.
3. Cook the orzo according to package directions, adding 1 chicken bullion to the cook water.  When the orzo is done drain it, and toss it immediately with one tablespoon butter and ½ teaspoon tarragon.  Keep warm.
4. Place the orange juice concentrate, orange liquor, water, remaining bullion, ginger, ¼ teaspoon tarragon, pepper halves, and brown sugar in the light skillet.  Bring to a boil whisking constantly, making sure that the bullion cube dissolves.  Turn down to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced and becomes the consistency of syrup, (about 30 minutes).  Whisk often enough to keep the sauce from sticking, scraping the sides and bottom as you go.  Remove the pepper halves before serving.
5. While the sauce is reducing, cook the shellfish.  Add enough oil to fill the heavy skillet up half way.  Heat it on medium high.  Shake as much flour as you can from the shrimp.  Fry the shrimp in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through.  Using the slotted spoon move them from the oil to the paper towel covered plate.  Keep warm.
6. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray and heat it on medium high.  Place the scallops on the hot pan for 3 minutes and then turn and cook for 2 more minutes.  Do not over cook the scallops.  They get rubbery when over cooked.  Lift the leeks from the bowl of water and shake a little of the water off.  Place the leeks on the hot grill pan and allow them to wilt.
 
7. To serve, place a serving of the orzo on the plate, top the pasta with leeks, and the leeks with scallops.  Drizzle the sauce over the scallops, leeks, and orzo.  Place the shrimp to the side. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the whole plate.  Offer your guests more sauce at the table.  All you need to do to make this a complete meal is add a mixed green salad tossed with a vinaigrette.

 

 

*If you are a practiced enough cook, you can start the sauce and the water for the orzo at the same time.  While the sauce is reducing cook the orzo.  Then cook the shrimp and scallops at the same time, while keeping an eye on the reducing sauce.  This will cut down on cooking time.  If you do not feel confident enough to do this, cook everything separately.  Just keep everything warm until you serve it.

 

How to Host an Easy Dinner Party

I host dinner parties often.  I’ve thrown them to show off a newly decorated room in my home, to get to know my new co-workers, to celebrate the holidays, and to catch up with old friends.  Throwing a party may seem like a daunting task, but if you plan very carefully you can have just as much fun hosting one as you do attending one.




3 weeks before the party:  Make a guest list.  Keep the party small.  I try to keep the number down to eight diners in total.  Send invitations.  How you send the invites will set the tone for the party.  Hand written invitations sent through the mail mean the party will be more formal.  A phone call or an e-mail signal that the party will be less formal. 

Two weeks before the party:  Create a menu.  Think about any dietary restrictions your guest may have.  Don’t decide to serve something exotic.  While you may love fried eel or goat burgers (I do), you shouldn’t assume that your guests are as adventurous as you.  Choose items that can be made or prepped before hand or that don’t require you to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen.  Try to think through the entire meal:  appetizers, salad, entrée, side dish and dessert.  If the entrée is heavy, serve a light salad and dessert.  If the entrée is light, you can serve more appetizers and a more substantial dessert. Think about foods that are in season because this will make your dinner taste better and keep the cost down. Use the internet.  Many web sites have dinner party menus already created for you.  If you chose a dish you have never cooked before, prepare it once before the party for practice.  Your guests are not Guinea pigs.  

One week before the party:  Choose entertainment.  Will you sit around and talk?  Play a game?  Watch a movie?   Play Wii?  I recently had friends over and we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.  When deciding upon the entertainment, know your audience.  Also don’t become wedded to your idea.  There is nothing worse than forcing a room full of disinterested people into playing charades.  Once the party starts, go with the flow. If everyone seems to be enjoying the conversation, just let that happen. I really think of entertainment as a back up plan if the party is experiencing a lull. 

Two days before the party:  Clean your house.  You should not put everything off until the day of your party.  Things go wrong.  You underestimate the time it will take to prepare dinner.  Get the house clean early and then you will just need to spot clean the day before hand.  Also, write out a shopping list.  Writing the list early will give you time to tweak it.

The day before the party:  Go shopping.  Spot clean your house.

The morning of the party:  Spot clean.  Pre-prep all the food that you can.  Pre-measure everything.

Two hours before the party:  Set the table.  Put out flower arrangements.  Get yourself ready.

One hour before the party:  Make the appetizers.  Set out all the pots, pans, and cooking utensils you will need.  Take any ingredients you can and set them out for ready use.

During the party:  Have fun!  Just stack the dishes in the sink and worry about cleaning tomorrow.

Mediterranean Orzo and Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas are so versatile that if you don’t have some in your cupboard you should run out and get some now.  In addition to their regular job as beans, they moonlight as the main ingredient in hummus, a crunchy salad toss in, and when ground, a gluten free flour.  Chickpeas are a good source of fiber and protein.  Providing thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese, chickpeas are high in nutrition but low in calories.  Still not convinced?  Okay, they are also scrumptious.  

Servings: 4-6

Time:  Prep: 10 minutes;   Cooking:  9 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a large pot, a colander, a zester, a serving bowl

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces uncooked orzo
• 1-16 ounce can of chickpeas
• 1 + 1 tablespoon LIGHT olive oil
• 1 cucumber
• The zest and juice from 1 lemon (maybe more)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. Cook the orzo according to package directions.  Drain, toss with one tablespoon of olive oil, and allow to cool.
2. Open the can of chickpeas and rinse twice to remove the salt.
3. Chop and seed the tomatoes and cucumber.  Zest and juice the lemon. (You should have 2 tablespoons of zest and ⅛ cup lemon juice.)  Chop the herbs.
4. Toss all the ingredients together.
5. Serve at room temperature.

Baked Beans from Scratch

Everyone loves baked beans.  Making them from scratch does take time, but you will find that these beans are 1,000 times better than that stuff from a can.  You can adjust these to your taste.  As is, this recipe is spicy (chorizo, spicy mustard, red pepper) and sweet (molasses, brown sugar) and wonderful.

Servings: 6-8

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a large soup pot with a lid, a Dutch oven or a heavy ceramic dish, a skillet, foil, a wooden spoon
Time:  Soak: 8-24 hours, prep:  10 minutes, cook 3 hours (maybe more)


Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of great northern bean, soaked and drained
• Water
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 8 oz of fresh chorizo sausage-removed from the casing
• 1 small onion (½ cup)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1½ cups ketchup
• 1 cup spiced rum
• ⅛ cup molasses
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons spicy mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• A pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock (maybe more)
• 4 slices bacon

1. Pick over the beans and place them in a large soup pot.  Cover them in cold water, place a lid on the pot, and soak them for at least 8 hours or over night.  Drain the beans and discard the soak water. 
2. Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the skins begin to burst.  This will take 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours.  Drain and place in the Dutch oven.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°.
4. Wash the onion, garlic, and parsley and dice them, the smaller the better.  Remove the sausage from the casing and slice the bacon.  Set to the side.
5. Heat the olive oil in the skillet on medium high.
6. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and sausage.  Turn the heat down to medium.
7. Stir and allow the onions, etc to sweat for 4-5 minutes.  The onions should be bubbling, but not browning.  Stir occasionally. 
8. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the stock and the bacon.
9. Bring to a boil.  Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
10. Mix the hot liquid, chicken stock, and diced bacon into the beans.  Cover in foil.
11. Bake, covered, for 1 hour.  Check half way through, stir, and add more stock if the beans are dry.
12. Uncover and bake for another ½ hour to 45 minutes or until the beans are tender.

Serve warm.  Offer your guests hot sauce.

Start these beans now, call some friends and have a summer party tomorrow:  Beef kabobs, Spicy and Sweet Broccoli Slaw, Mactastic Macaroni Salad, corn on the cob, and Raspberry Lemonade