Easy Lasagna.

I drove home tonight, thinking about what I had in the pantry and freezer, knowing that I had no interest in stopping at the grocery store as the temperatures plunged to single digits.  The following recipe for easy lasagna is what resulted - and I must say that it turned out quite well - and if the four servings that my oldest ate were any indication, there was agreement around the table that this is a recipe worth keeping.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 T fresh basil, chopped
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 fresh, uncooked lasagna noodles (large enough that two cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef with basil, parsley, and garlic until no pink remains.  Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes.  Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.  Spread 1/2 the jar of spaghetti sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan.  Place two noodles over sauce.  Spread half the meat/tomato mixture on the noodles.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese over meat. Cover with two more noodles.  Spread the remaining meat mixture over noodles, and sprinkle another 3/4 cup of cheese. Place last two noodles on top of meat, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce, and sprinkle last 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Balsamic Pine Nut Pasta Toss with Meatballs

For years I had a kid who was not fond of sauces or spreads of any kind.  This made things a little challenging when invited to dinner parties, but actually made things pretty simple at home.  While my friends were coaxing their kids to eat vegetables by slathering them in cheese or were looking for ways to “hide” them in other dishes, all I had to do was produce a bowl of cooked fresh broccoli and some lemon juice, green beans with a little sea salt, or spinach with balsamic vinegar, and there was no coaxing required! (Note: balsamic vinegar is a staple in my kitchen and has never been turned down by my no-sauce kid.)  Pair my non-sauce eating diner with a very lactose intolerant husband, and my cooking was transformed into the mostly whole food, produce-rich, simple presentations that I'm known for today.  Fast-forward a few years and I now have a kid who eats sauces & spreads, but my cooking hasn’t changed that much.  This simple preparation of meatballs with pasta & pine nuts is a sauce-free dish that is easy to put together on short notice and everyone leaves the table satisfied.

Oven Baked Meatballs

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 T chopped Italian parsley
• 1 sm clove garlic, minced
• 2 T chopped red onion
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 T Worcestershire Sauce

Mix ingredients together using your hands.  Form into 1 inch balls and place on foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in oven pre-heated to 350 degrees.

Balsamic Pine Nut Pasta Toss

• Cooked thin spaghetti
• Pine Nuts
• Freshly shredded asiago or parmesan cheese
• Fresh Italian parsley
• Balsamic vinegar
• Meatballs

While meatballs are in the oven, cook pasta according to package instructions.  Sprinkle 1 Tbsp (or more) each of pine nuts and cheese on pasta.  Add parsley to taste.  When meatballs are cooked through, add to pasta dish and drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy!

Sautéed Mushroom & Spinach Pasta with Seafood.

Sautéed mushrooms and spinach are tossed with fresh pasta and seafood for an easy weeknight dinner. Makes two servings.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 box cleaned, sliced mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 large handfuls of fresh, cleaned baby spinach leaves
• 4 ounces of cooked shrimp or crab
• 2 servings of cooked fettuccine
• balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in wok pan.  Add mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are softening and garlic is fragrant.  Add spinach.  Sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often.  Add cooked pasta and seafood.  Toss in pan for 1 to 2 minutes, until seafood is just heated through.  Transfer to plates and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Apple Stroganoff.

A funny conversation on a recent morning about the French pronunciation of apostrophe led to this recipe. It’s a twist on a traditional ground beef stroganoff that uses apples instead of mushrooms and is made creamy by adding Greek yogurt.  It has a sweetness to it, thanks to apples and a little agave nectar, used to cut the tartness of the yogurt.  As I finished cooking, I commented that there would be plenty of leftovers for a second meal. I. Was. So. Wrong.  Maybe a half cup remains for someone to snack on later. Definitely a keeper.

• 2 cups cooked pasta (I used orecchiette)
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 7 ounces 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 1 T agave nectar

Cook pasta according to package directions; when cooked, drain and set aside.  Brown ground beef in large skillet until cooked through.  Add salt, pepper, and paprika to meat.  Stir in apples and parsley and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until apples are heated through and starting to soften.  Stir in pasta and toss gently.  In small bowl, add agave nectar to yogurt and mix well.  Add yogurt mixture to skillet and stir well.  Turn heat to low and cook 3 to 4 more minutes, or until heated through.

Easy Weeknight Pasta.

This was one of those nights when we got home late from swim practice and needed to eat. And when I say eat, I mostly mean inhale large quantities of food. On school nights, dinner is typically no earlier than 8:45PM, with two hungry swimmers ready to devour whatever crosses their plates.  When they start eating off my cutting board or snitching from the pan, I'm told, "the more I eat now, the less I eat later," which is true, but it makes recipe completion a challenge! This was a meal that I needed to put together quickly with what I had on hand. The result was a healthy pasta dish that was a good balance of flavor and texture. I do get lucky sometimes. And yes, they inhaled it all.

• 1 box whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans (more is fine!)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 1 box cherry tomatoes, halved
• a few fresh basil leaves, chopped
• salt & pepper
• balsamic vinegar

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. With 5 to 6 minutes remaining for pasta to cook, add lima beans and minced garlic to boiling pasta.  When pasta is cooked, drain in colander and return to pan.  Add onion & tomatoes and toss gently.  Serve in bowls, adding some chopped basil, a sprinkle of salt & pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to each serving. Inhale.

Turkey & Bean Hotdish. (For Swimmers.)

I feed two growing teenage swimmers everyday. One happens to be nationally ranked. And a 15 year old boy. And a distance swimmer.  Remember all the talk in 2008 about how many calories Michael Phelps consumed everyday at the Olympics?  It’s real.  The amount of food consumed in my house is impressive. Fortunately, my new recipes are welcomed and I never have to worry if anyone is “hungry enough” to eat what I cook.  The time between school and practice everyday is open season on my refrigerator. (And you don’t even want to know how much I pack in school lunches everyday!) One thing I try to do is prepare hearty, healthy dishes that can be reheated after school. This hotdish – casserole for those not from the Midwest – is a dish that is quickly prepared- and just as quickly disappears at my house.

• 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 stalks (or more) celery, chopped
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I used Italian seasoned, because it’s what I had in the pantry)
• 1 ½  tsp paprika
• 2 tsp parsley
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup small pasta (I used farfalline – mini bowties)
• 1 cup water

In large stockpot, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until onion and celery are getting soft and garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spoon and turning often.  (Note: extra lean ground turkey contains very little fat and therefore requires a bit more attention when browning than ground beef does, to keep it from over-browning and sticking to the bottom of your pan.)  Add both cans of beans, tomatoes, and seasonings.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in pasta and add water. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Add more water if necessary to keep the pasta submerged and the pot simmering. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat later – it’s one of those dishes that improves with time!