Spinach, Artichoke, and Ricotta Lasagna

Dear people, Hello! It has been a long time since there has been a recipe added. Tag, your it :) But please forgive the picture, I didn't think about taking one until it was all put away so you get a picture of Josh's lunch. This was delicious!!  Zach even ate a bunch of it, but maybe I am really lucky... he seems to eat most anything I make for dinner.  This recipe came from Precious For the Love of Lasagna cookbook.

 

8 oz. shredded mozzarella
15 oz. container ricotta
1 egg
2 cups onions, 1/4-inch dice (I used one whole onion because who seriously measures out two cups?)
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry (I used a 12 oz bag)
4 1/2 cups bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
12 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups artichoke hearts in brine, quartered (bought from Costco)
3 oz. shredded Parmesan, about 1 1/2 cups
Preheat oven to 400. Mix ricotta and egg in a small bowl.
Saute the onions in oil in a large saute pan on medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper (I didn't).
Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan and top with four noodles.
Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the spinach mixture, 1/2 of the artichokes, 1 cup bechamel, 1/2 of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Continue layering with 4 more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, spinach mixture, artichokes, mozzarella, 1 cup bechamel ( I only used 1/2 cup here so there was enough for the top), and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbling.  Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more.  Cool 10 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up. 
{{I forgot the mozzarella and Parmesan on the first layer but did put it on the second layer and it still turned out delicious.. Mind you I didn't put all of it, just what was requested for one layer.  Maybe that made it healthier  ;) }}


Bechamel Sauce
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I used salted)
4 shallots or 1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
3/4 tsp. nutmeg, grated (umm is that just your normal spice nutmeg?  that's what I used)

Melt butter until foaming in medium sauce pan on medium.
Add shallots or onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about four minutes.
Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes making sure not to brown.
Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to boil.  Stir in nutmeg.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (again I didn't do this, and it really didn't need it).
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Well hello again! My Aunt Toni gave me this recipe a couple of years ago and I had forgotten all about it until she mentioned it the other night. I decided I better blog about it so we don't forget about it again! Please forgive my horrible picture, the camera must have been on a weird setting. Seriously the best recipe because it is so yummy and it only uses 4 ingredients that we all usually have at home! Don't worry, the mustard really isn't overpowering. Lizy, my picky eater, went back for thirds!

4 chicken breasts "butterfly" thick pieces while slightly thawed

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oven @ 350 degrees...Place chicken in shallow baking dish. In saucepan combine rest of ingredients and stir til butter is melted. Pour over chicken and bake for 45 to 60 minutes...basting every 15 minutes.

I made another batch of sauce and served that over rice

I doubled this recipe for my family and used chicken tenders instead of breasts. If you use breasts make sure they are thinner so the chicken can really soak up the sauce. Real butter is a must with this recipe people!! Don't forget to baste every 15 minutes! I also made another batch of sauce to serve over the rice. If your family is a saucy family I'd even double the sauce to serve on the side. It is super delish on the rice!!

Ranch Baked Chicken

(Picture thanks to here.)

Okay, anybody here? I once again didn't take a picture and I've made it twice in the last week! Honestly, I think this is my new favorite chicken. I've paired it with rice and baked broccoli and peas. ALL of which the kids LOVE!!!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

3 garlic cloves, finely minced (see garlic tutorial here)

2 thick slices whole wheat bread (for about 2 cups fresh bread crumbs)

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Combine butter and garlic in an 8- or 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour the butter/garlic mixture into a shallow pie plate or similar dish and cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor, tear the bread into large chunks, and pulse until the bread is ground into crumbs. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate or shallow bowl and toss with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Dip each chicken breast in the melted, cooled garlic butter. Transfer to the bread crumb mixture and turn until coated on all sides. Arrange the chicken in one flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining melted butter over the chicken. Bake the chicken until it is lightly browned and just cooked through, 40-50 minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness and size of the chicken you are using. Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

Recipe Source: adapted from Sara Moulton and www.Melskitchencafe.com

*Note: If you don’t have a food processor to make fresh bread crumbs, you can try using a blender and pulsing the crumbs or try using panko bread crumbs (usually found in the Asian foods aisle). If you are using a food processor, you can also add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs and pulse to combine to create an even finer crumb.

Ashley's Two Cents: I used hamburger buns as the bread crumbs and for the parmesan cheese- it was the shake out kind used for spaghetti. My little add-in was half a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix added to the bread crumb mixture......LOVED IT! I also only used 3 chicken breasts, but there was definitely enough to make the extra.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I have my own recipe for chicken enchiladas that I've used for years but after making this one I don't think I can ever go back. SO GOOD! The only things I did differently were using colby jack cheese (when I went grocery shopping and looked at my list I thought I wrote Monteray jack on accident so I bought colby jack) and I used corn tortillas because Josh complains when they are flour.

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Honey Glazed Chicken

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not taking my own pictures lately. By the time I think of it it's already gone or my picture doesn't do the food justice. So once again I borrowed the picture and recipe from here.

Honey Glazed Chicken

from Kristin E.

2 lbs of diced uncooked chicken breast

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

4 TB butter

1/4 cup honey

3 TB lemon juice

2 TB soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flower and seasonings. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.
Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, soy sauce and ginger.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve over rice. I usually double the sauce ingredients to make more to serve over the rice.

*I would definitely suggest doubling if not tripling the sauce recipe. Also I ended up using half lemon juice and half orange juice.....I ran out of the lemon juice. I mixed brown and white instant rice and served ours with broccoli. YUM!

Raspberry Lime Ricky

(Picture from here!)

I came acrossed this recipe last year when Mel posted this. I knew it was love at first site. It's so refreshing and once it's made you can keep enjoying this drink until it's all gone!

12 oz. package frozen raspberries

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

4 teaspoons grated zest and 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes (It took 4 limes to get the 1/2 cup juice but I only used the zest from 3 limes – it was plenty)

Club soda, chilled

Ice

Heat raspberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the raspberries begin to release their juices, about five minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher until the berries break down, then stir in the lime zest and juice. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened, about five minutes.

Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids to extract the liquid. This works best done in batches so the seeds don’t clog up the bottom of the mesh strainer. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups syrup. Discard the berry solids. Refrigerate the syrup until completely cool, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week. To serve, combine 3/4 cup club soda and 3 tablespoons syrup in tall, ice-filled glasses.

Thai Chicken Pasta

The Chili-Garlic Sauce looks like this: (I found some at Walmart but it wasn't garlic! Ooops! It was HOT chili sauce. I just added a little extra garlic and used what I bought and it worked.)

What you'll need:

12 oz Linguine

2-3 Cooked Chicken Breasts (cubed or shredded)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped

1 C finely shredded Carrots

3 tbsp minced Garlic (yes 3, but it's really not too much, promise)

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

Cilantro and additional green onions to garnish. (I left out the cilantro)
Peanuts to taste, chopped

Directions:

Break pasta into thirds and then cook pasta according to box directions. Drain, return to pot, and then set aside.

Heat 1 TBS of sesame oil in heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 4 minutes.

Combine honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl and mix well. Add to vegetables. Add chicken. Simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and toss well with the chopped peanuts.

Notes:

I found this recipe here and here. The ingredients reminded me of my favorite pasta dish at The Cheesecake Factory. I added the chopped peanuts to the recipe. I loved it!! It came together really fast and was surprisingly simple. I think once you've made it the first time you'll have all the liquid ingredients on hand so that will help with future shopping lists:) Also, I don't think you can buy just 12oz of pasta. I only found 16oz boxes so I cooked it all. When it was drained I set aside some plain before I added the sauce. Lizy is a weirdo about new food so she was able to eat the plain noodles tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. You could also half this recipe.