Mexican Lasagna – Lite

Mexican Lasagna – Lite (adapted from AllRecipes, 6 servings, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 package Morningstar Farms MealStarters burger crumbles

·         1 envelope taco seasoning mix

·         ¾ cup water

·         1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips (can also use corn tortilla shells)

·         1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained

·         2 (10 oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) carton nonfat sour cream, divided

·         1 (16 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans, divided

·         1 (8 oz.) package shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.      Put frozen crumbles into a skillet over medium heat, breaking up into as it cooks.  Continue until no longer frozen, about 5 minutes.

3.      Stir in taco seasoning mix and water, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped green chilies and refried beans, remove from heat.

4.      Spread a scant 2/3 cup enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of an 8x10-inch baking dish; top sauce with ½ of the crushed chips. Spread chips with half the sour cream, half the crumble/bean mixture, and 1/3 the cheese blend. Top with another 2/3 cup enchilada sauce and the remaining tortilla chips. Firmly press down on tortillas to compact the layers beneath.

5.      Spread remaining sour cream, crumble/bean mixture, 1/3 the cheese blend and 2/3 cup enchilada sauce onto chips. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese blend.

6.      Bake casserole uncovered in the preheated oven until the cheese topping is melted and bubbling and casserole is hot, about 20 minutes.

I was following the intiial recips (except using tortilla chips instead of shells) until I tried to spread the sour cream on top of the tortilla chips, then everything went to heck.  It is quite a difficult task to do without them moving around (so, use the shells if you like things a little easier).  I made a combination of the shells, enchilada sauce, and chips as the first layer, followed by the crumble/bean mixture.  The next layer ended up pretty much the same.  However, it doesn’t really matter how you make it – it tastes wonderful.  I used PepperJack cheese instead of a Mexican blend and it added a nice kick to the meal – I also used medium-style enchilada sauce.  It was spicy (not too much for my husband) and very creamy (I don’t think that even the tortilla shells would have held their crunch against this meal!).  The taste is absolutely declicious (my mouth is watering right now as I remember it) and a great Mexican bite.  I definitely recommend this one!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, 8 servings, 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

·         1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

·         2 ears corn, cooked and cut from cobb

·         1 Tbsp. brown sugar

·         ¼ cup salsa

·         ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

·         8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

·         1 ½ cups shredded Taco cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans, corn, sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

2.      Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, top with some of the bean mixture, and sprinkle with more cheese. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

I found this recipe very tasty – I never would have thought to include brown sugar in the mix!  It definitely gave it a little tang.  I used medium salsa, so this dish was not spicy.  I might add some jalapenos peppers next time or a little hot sauce.  It is high in carbs and I think that it needs more veggies (like zucchini, yellow squash, and/or bell peppers).  I only made two quesadillas; I served the rest as tacos with a lot of lettuce and tomato!  I do plan on making this again – just with more of the healthy stuff!

Mushroom & Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce

Mushroom & Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce (from AllRecipes, 6 servings, 2.5 hours)

Ingredients

Ravioli

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp. water, or more if needed
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
• ¼ tsp. salt

Filling

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 (8 oz.) package fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (I used ¼ tsp. dried parsley)
• ½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg white, beaten

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, water, and whole eggs in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside.
2. Combine flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well and stir just until combined.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 5-10 minutes, adding more flour or water as needed. Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms, and continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
6. Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the cooled mushroom mixture, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, chives, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Using a pasta roller, roll pasta sheets to 1/16 inch. Cut 3- to 4-inch circles using a large cookie or biscuit cutter.  Working with one circle at a time, brush the pasta lightly with the egg white. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon full of the mushroom filling onto the center of the pasta, then cover with a second piece of pasta, pinching the edges to seal. Place the finished ravioli on a floured baking sheet, and repeat the process with the remaining pasta and filling. Do not stack the ravioli, they will stick together.
8. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ravioli and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta floats to the top, 3-4 minutes; drain.
9. To make sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over high heat, cooking and stirring until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Allow butter to cool slightly, then stir in chives. Serve over hot ravioli.

I was feeling quite ambitious when I made this dish, which is good because it is a bit more work than I am used to, but the end product is worth it.  My husband and I both loved this dish!  The dough was easy to work with and had a slightly chewy texture after it was cooked.  The brown butter sauce adhered nicely to the pasta.  The filling was creamy and cheesy, but the veggies add some color to it, which is pleasing to the eye.  I did have some filling leftover because I only had about ½ Tbsp. in the first few raviolis – I didn’t want to overfill them and then have the cheese mixture seeping out the sides.  If you fill them just right, each bite has a great taste of pasta, cheese, and brown butter!

I have never made brown butter sauce before, so I was a little nervous about burning it, luckily, didn’t burn the sauce, but I did fry the chives.  Be sure that you let the butter cool prior to adding the chives. 

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole (Total Time: 1.5 hours, Servings: 6)

When we were on vacation in San Francisco, I ordered a delicious Polenta Lasagna at an Italian restaurant.  The polenta was creamy, the sauce was a thick marinara, there were a few veggies mixed in with the ricotta – overall, it was a pleasing stack of food to look at and eat!  This was my try at somewhat replicating this dish while trying my hand at a homemade pasta sauce. 

I started the process by making a homemade Arrabbiata Sauce from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

•  Approx.. 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes – I used two 14.5 oz. petite diced, one 14.5 oz. chipotle, and one 14.5 oz. with green chiles.
•  2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
2. Stir in garlic, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, salt and pepper.

While that was cooking, I moved on to a quick and easy polenta recipe from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Pour in polenta steadily, stirring constantly.
2. Continue to stir until polenta is thickened. It should come away from sides of the pan, and be able to support a spoon.

The original recipe only call for 3 cups of water, but I added more because when I was stirring it, I knew that it would be too stiff for the lasagna.  I also added some fresh oregano and basil (maybe 1 Tbsp. each), some grated mozzarella (about ¼ cup),and some garlic salt (about ½ Tbsp.) to the polenta mixture.  

While the pasta and polenta cooked, I also fried some thinly sliced strips of zucchini and yellow squash in a dash of olive oil.  I had sprinkled some salt and pepper on them prior to cooking.

After all of the components of my dish were complete, I made into casserole.  I started by spreading a scant amount of sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 13 pan (just enough for a light “dusting”).  I  added all of the polenta, layered strips of zucchini and yellow squash, poured the remaining sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkled some Italian shredded cheddar on top.  I covered the dish in foil and baked it at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

The casserole/lasagna tasted good, but I think that next time I’ll add even more liquid (perhaps some vegetable broth) and cheese to the polenta – after I baked the dish, the polenta was kind of tough.  I will also add some parmesan or garlic powder to the veggies when I cook them.  My husband enjoyed the dish and it was not too spicy for him!  In the future, I made add some more red pepper flakes (or cayenne) to the sauce to give it a little more kick. I may also add some soy sausage to get a little more protein into the meal.  Enjoy!