Veggie Pesto Lasagna

Originally posted at: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/easy-spinach-lasagne-with-pesto-and-cheese-314626

Ingredients:

2cups ricotta cheese

1cup shredded parmesan cheese

1large egg

2(10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1(8 ounce) packageprepared pesto sauce

3cups chunky pasta sauce

12no-boil lasagna noodles

2cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish or lasagne pan.
2. Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on bottom of dish.
3. Mix together Ricotta, egg, and pesto until thoroughly blended. 
4. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish or lasagne pan.
5. Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on bottom of dish. 

1. Mix together Ricotta, egg, and pesto until thoroughly blended.
2. Layer noodles, ricotta and pesto mixture, spinach, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup pasta sauce.
3. Repeat layers using remaining ingredients.
4. Bake 1 hour at 350°F.

Hot Mama Grade: B

Hot Mama Notes:

I made this veggie lasagna when I hosted my bunko group. I wanted to use my chicken pesto lasagna recipe, but the Wednesday fell on Ash Wednesday, so it was no meat.  I thought about making that recipe without the chicken, but I figured I would look around for a Pesto veggie lasagna recipe. 

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Lentil Bake

Originally posted at:
https://www.easycheesyvegetarian.com/very-veggie-lentil-bake/

Ingredients:

110 g red lentils (~ 1/2 cup)
75 g white rice (~ 1/4 cup)
650 ml vegetable stock (~ 2 1/2 cups), or 2 stock cubes made up in 650ml water
1 tbsp oil
1 small leek or 1/2 large leek, sliced
1 bell pepper, diced fairly small (I used orange)
5 medium mushrooms, diced fairly small
1 small courgette (zucchini), or 1/2 large courgette, diced fairly small
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Black pepper
90 g grated cheddar cheese (~ 1 cup) 

Directions:

Boil the lentils and rice for 15-20 minutes in the vegetable stock, stirring occasionally. You'll need to stir constantly during the last 5 minutes or so, to ensure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once they're cooked, don't drain the water, but instead continue stirring over the heat until enough water has boiled off for the mixture to resemble porridge.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the chopped leek, pepper, mushrooms and courgette. Cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.

Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).

Combine the cooked lentils and vegetables in a large mixing bowl, and add the paprika, cayenne pepper, and plenty of black pepper. Mix well.

Transfer half of the mixture to a baking dish, and sprinkle over half of the grated cheese. Add the remaining lentil mixture, smooth out the top, and finish with the remaining cheese.

Bake for around 25-30 minutes, until the cheese topping is golden brown and crispy.

Hot Mama Grade: A

Hot Mama Notes:

This recipe is getting to be a favorite of mine! I've made it 3 or 4 times already! It's so flexible, and as the original chef mentions, you can use whatever veggies you want!

For the first time, when I hosted bunko, I pretty much made the recipe true to recipe. Except... This was tasty Tuesday recipe at work, and there was a typo of 1.5c lentils instead of 0.5c lentils. Oops! So that's how I made it. Which is actually great. I love lentils! I just had to add more liquid. The only change beyond that was that I used green lentils and added a few carrots, thinly sliced. A great addition, I think. I did add cheese and bake it, too.

The second time I made this, I used red lentils, chicken stock, and added a pkg of fresh spinach. I also had no zucchini, but I did use a leek.  I didn't add cheese or bake it. I don't think it needs that, at all. Just added time, and dries it out some. Delicious! I think I did have mushrooms and a green pepper, but I can't remember. I may have added some of my frozen omelet veggies, which has onion, pepper, and mushrooms.

The third time, I did the same as the second except I had no leek.  Still excellent. :) I also used the last little bit of my omelet veggies. I also added 2 cloves of fresh pressed garlic cloves. 

This recipe is a winner. I'm sure I'll make it again! :D

Fennel Quiche

Ronald’s Fennel Quiche
From the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics Cookbook

Crust:

1 c unbleached white flour
1/2 t salt (optional)*
1/3 c chilled butter
2 T ice water

Filling:

2 T olive oil
3/4 c diced onions
1/2 t salt
1 c thinly sliced or diced fresh fennel (bulbs)
2 medium fresh tomatoes
1 c seeded and diced zucchini
1 t ground fennel seeds
2T minced fresh bsil
1/4 t ground black pepper
4 eggs
1.5 c grated feta cheese, packed
1 c grated Swiss cheese, packed

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 50 minutes

Mix together the flour and the salt, if using, in a large bowl. Rapidly work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time, and lightly mix it through the dough.

Push the dampened dough from the sides to the middle of the bowl, to form a ball that holds together. Transfer it to a clean, dry work surface. Cut the dough in half, place one half on top of the other, and press down. Repeat the cutting and pressing steps three or four times until all of the water is well distributed and the dough clings together. 

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the pie dough to a 9-inch pie plate, fold the edges under, and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate the pie shell while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive skillet. Add the onions and salt, and sauté on medium heat until the onions are translucent and juicy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the fresh fennel and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes. The edges of the onions will begin to brown.

While the onions and fennel cook, halve the tomatoes through the stem sends and scoop out the pulp and juice, setting aside ½ cup of it. Dice enough of the tomato flesh to make 1 cup and add it, with the z8ucchini and ground fennel, to the skillet. Cook on medium, heat for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes soften and begin to fall apart. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and pepper.

In a blender, puree the eggs, the reserved ½ cup of tomato pulp and juice, and the feta to form a smooth custard. Spoon the sautéed vegetables into the chilled crust, top with the grated Swiss, and pour the custard over all. The pie will be very full.

Bake for 50 minutes, until the quiche is domed, crusty, and golden.

http://hotmamacookbook.blogspot.com/2013/04/unbaked-single-pie-crust-savory.html 

Pear & Pineapple Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c   Fresh, cubed Pineapple
1      Medium Bartlett Pear, quartered and cored
1 c   Spinach
1 c   Kale
1      Small ripe banana
1/2c Orange or apple juice
1 c   Ice cubes

Blend together and enjoy!

Hot Mama Notes: I used orange juice.  I detest bananas in smoothies, so I added 1/2 c of honeydew instead.  Still, my kids were not impressed with this smoothie.  I think it's because we don't like kale no matter what we do with it.  :(  It was not too sweet, but it just wasn't especially good.  We probably won't make it again.

Hot Mama Grade: B

Spinach Asparagus Quiche

Original Recipe: http://rotnerramblings.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

• 1/2 Tbls. olive oil
• 8 asparagus spears, ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used skinny aspargus, approx. 1 cup, diced)
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach, I cut it up into small pieces
• 5 large eggs
• 1 c. milk
• 3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 green onions, chopped - I omitted
• 1- 9 inch unbaked pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line a 9 inch pie plate with dough and stick in freezer while you prepare the other quiche ingredients.

3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and spinach. Cook until asparagus is tender and spinach is wilted. 

4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk together. Stir in both cheeses. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

5. Remove pie crust from the freezer. Place asparagus, spinach and onions on the bottom of the crust. Pour egg and cheese mixture over the vegetables. The chunks of cheese will be at the bottom of the bowl, don't forget those morsels...

6. Bake for 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.


Hot Mama Notes: I used the homemade savory crust listed in the post a few before this.  I did not put in the freezer (no room), but I did leave it in the fridge while I got the filling ready.  I also needed to cook my quiche an additional 20 minutes over the listed 45 minutes.  It simply was not cooked when I checked at 45 minutes.  It is cooling now.  I haven't had a chance to taste it yet, but it looks delicious!!!

Roasted Beets & Greens

Original Post at: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-beets-and-sauteed-beet-greens/

Ingredients 

Recipe makes 4 servings

• 1 bunch beets with
• greens
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
  

  Directions

• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
2. Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
3. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

Hot Mama Says: We tried this recipe and LOVED it!  We harvested our first two beets from the garden this morning, and made them into this stir fry.  Delicious!  The beets were flavorful and mild.  Roasting them kept in the color (45 min at 350 in a small foil-covered ramekin), so they were beautiful, too!  We used two beets, two cloves of garlic, half of one small onion, salt, pepper and butter.  Grade: A  

We will definitely make it again!

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Kohlrabi and Greens

Original Information at: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi.html

Simple preparation: Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.

If the leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb are fresh and green, they can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi.html#ixzz2KYz4vLin

HotMama Notes: We ate the Kohlrabi raw after peeling and it was delicious.  A bit of a cross between a mild radish and a jicama.  Tasty.  We also sauteed up the green and ate them, but found them rather bitter.  Next time, the greens will go to the compost bin.  Raw Kohlrabi Grade: A, Sauteed Kohlrabi Greens Grace: C-.