Two for One

In our home, lasagna is a favorite, especially for my son. He could eat lasagna every day if I would let him. In an effort to simplify the layering process of traditional lasagna, I compiled my super simple ingredients and wrapped up lasagna rolls instead. All the great flavor with less mess and time. In order to share this with you, I'll have to part with both my filling and my marinara...gosh, two recipes in one post. Are you overwhelmingly delighted? Are you? Even a little bit? Okay, fine...be that way. I think next time I'll stir some fresh spinach into the filling...


Lasagna Rolls

15 lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente
30 oz. container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 lb. italian sausage, cooked well, drained and chopped ultra fine in food processor
1/2 yellow onion
2 Tbs. chopped garlic
3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, plus additional for topping
2 Tbs. chopped fresh italian flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. chopped oregano
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced

Prepare marinara sauce (recipe below). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In skillet drizzled with olive oil, cook onion and garlic until tender. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add ricotta, parmesan, shredded mozzarella, italian sausage, basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir well. In bottom of baking dish, thinly layer marinara sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of your pan. Now assemble your rolls. Scoop 1/2 cup of filling onto a single piece lasagna. Gently roll lasagna noodle around filling, guarding filling as you roll to prevent filling from being pressed out of noodle. Place in baking dish and repeat with remaining noodles/filling. Cover with marinara, slices of fresh mozzarella, chopped fresh basil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Marinara Sauce

6 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped very fine
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, pulsed in food processor with juices until coarsely chopped
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tsp. basil
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbs. Kosher salt

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion until tender, add garlic and continue cooking 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, kosher salt and crushed red pepper. Partially cover and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Roasted chicken remains the go-to dish when nothing else comes to mind. On nights when creativity is short, tummies are growling and the natives are restless, I always know that a roasted chicken will satisfy the masses...or at least the hungry people tugging at my apron. This is a simple rub, mixed well in a small bowl and massaged enthusiastically all over the chicken. Yes, enthusiastically. Hands must get dirty. Must. Yet so well worth it. This is the old standby, the steady and true rub that's always a hit, but feel free heed to the call of adventure and create rubs from a variety of seasonings. Grab the cumin or the coriander, don't be shy. Create your own from your favorite spices. There are no rules in the home kitchen. Season and rub away.


Rub-a-Dub-Dub

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Kosher Salt
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 heaping Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbs. each fresh chopped Rosemary, Parsley, Basil

Mix well, rub away. Roast at 425 degrees or until digital thermometer reaches 190 degrees when inserted in the fattest part of the chicken.

Blueberry Love

I love reading Molly Wizenberg. Her award winning blog, Orangette, is a favorite. Maybe knowing the Seattle resident originally hailed from the state of Oklahoma, home of my alma mater, gives the sense of knowing a kindred spirit...or maybe she's simply genius at drawing readers in. Either way, her monthly column in Bon Appetit is the first place I turn upon the magazines arrival. Fortunately, Molly's July column, featuring blueberry scones, followed shortly after our own Texas Blueberry Festival. I eagerly tried her recipe with great results. Scones are a fabulous make ahead breakfast for road trips or better yet, served up fresh on the back patio with a hot cup of coffee. These were a hit in our home and I hope you enjoy them as well.

Blueberry Scones
(adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2009)

3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
11 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup plus 3 tbs. old-fashioned oats
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 3/4 cups chilled half and half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 tsp. raw sugar (I used turbinado)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly. Stir half and half and vanilla in a small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together. Using 1/2 cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 Tbs. oats, then raw sugar. Bake 25-27 minutes.

Crab Stuffed Salmon

I must apologize for my scarcity of posts lately. I have been cooking and photographing, yet find it difficult to carve out enough time to put these great recipes into blog posts. Blame it on summer. Garden busy-ness, children home from school and afternoons chilling by the pool. I love summer! However, I have managed to find 20 minutes and armed with a fresh iced coffee by my side, I am ready to share some goodness from my week, crab stuffed salmon.

Years ago, while living in another state, I enjoyed a version of this crab stuffed salmon and have longed for more of it ever since. I love seafood and am particularly fond of salmon. The richness of the crab stuffing combined with the leanness of the salmon make a well balanced dish. I think the next time I make this I will acclimate the recipe to my current Texas location, by altering my crab stuffing to include crawfish. Yes, that would be delicious.

Brushing butter on the combination while baking, heeds a perfectly moist salmon and adds to the flavor of the crab stuffing. Serve it up with some roasted parmesan asparagus and you've got a healthy and filling dinner. Enjoy!

Crab Stuffed Salmon

3 slices white bread
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup white onion
2 Tbs. flour
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup vegetable stock
3 Tbs. each of fresh chopped parsley and basil
8 oz. lump white crab meat
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary
2-3 lb. salmon fillet


Tear the bread into pieces, place in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until you achieve fine crumbs. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, melt your butter and saute onion until soft and transparent. Whisk in the flour and stir until well combined. Slowly stir in the cream and the broth. Remove from heat and fold in parsley, basil, crab meat, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Cut your salmon fillet into 4-inch sections, then cut a center out of each section to form a large "V". Stuff the crab meat mixture into the center of the salmon sections and wrap the ends of your salmon around the mixture, enclosing all of your crab stuffing. Place in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, brush the tops with butter, generously sprinkle with fresh rosemary and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until salmon is flaky.

Comfort Food

We've had a very rainy day here in East Texas. Nothing goes better with cloudy, rainy days than the creamy goodness of comfort food. This Chicken Tetrazzini is filling and delicious - feel free to substitute full-fat cream for my fat-free half & half. Even in comfort food, I attempt to keep the fat content to a minimum without losing flavor. Here's one for your next rainy day!

Chicken Tetrazzini

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fat-free half & half
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. vermicelli, cooked to package directions
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan


Cook cubed chicken over medium-high heat in butter for approximately 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Stir in flour till well combined, slowly add the broth, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook, stirring, until sauce comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cream, parsley, salt, & pepper. Fold in the cooked vermicelli. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Crab Cakes

I can't get enough of these crab cakes! Something about the combination of cilantro, lemon zest and jalapeno really rock my world. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Crab Cakes

24 oz. lump white crab meat
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
4 medium jalapeno peppers (seeded with ribs removed, minced)
4 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large shallots, minced
2 Tbs. mayo
Zest of 2 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse bread in food processor until fine crumbs have formed. Combine crab meat and bread crumbs, set aside.

In another bowl, mix mustard, worcestershire, old bay, jalapeno's, cilantro, eggs, shallots, mayo and lemon zest. Stir wet ingredients in to crab meat mixture, combine well.

Using a large scooper, shape into 2-inch rounds. Heat 3 Tbs. canola oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches of 6-7, cook until lightly golden brown. Be careful not to brown them too much as they will continue to darken after being transfered to the oven. After 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil. When finished browning all of the crab cakes on the stove top, transfer to your parchment lined baking sheet and continue to cook in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

A good snickerdoodle should be lightly firm on the surface while soft and chewy in the middle. I developed this recipe over 10 years ago and have especially fond memories of baking them during pregnancy with my oldest child.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Topping:
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugars on high speed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

In a small bowl combing the sugar with the cinnamon. When the dough is ready, take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. I use a medium cookie scoop, but really you can make these cookies any size you want from dainty to giant. Roll the ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave plenty of space between your cookies - they spread.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, no longer. They may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop as they cool.

Chicken Pomodoro

I frequently develop new recipes that involve chicken as I am sold on chicken as an excellent source of lean protein. This recipe is fairly simple, moderately low-fat, and elegantly delicious. I am certain I will be offering it on next month's gourmet delivery menu.

Start with four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cutlets. Salt and pepper each side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using a non-stick pan, set on med-high heat, drizzle lightly with canola oil. Working with four cutlets at a time, add the chicken to the pan and lightly brown (3-4 minutes per side). Remove chicken cutlets and set aside. In your pan, whisk together 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour in 2/3 cup of vodka, being sure to remove pan from heat briefly when adding the highly flammable vodka (white wine or chicken broth can be substituted). Return to burner and continue heating until most of the vodka has evaporated.


Next add 1 cup chicken broth, whisk together thoroughly and return chicken cutlets to pan, cooking 1 minute more on each side. Mixture will be bubbly and will infuse the chicken with flavor. Remove chicken and place in a deep platter. To pan add 2/3 cup fat-free half & half, and one cup diced tomato. Stir to thoroughly combine with chicken broth mixture and heat until once again bubbly. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.


When thickened and bubbly, pour over chicken cutlets and garnish with sliced scallions. Buon Appetito!