Turkey, Sausage and Veggie Lasagna

If you believe that the only way to make Lasagna is to use fatty meats then I have news for you! This recipe is by far one of the best lasagnas I have ever had or made for that matter.

By now you all know how I feel about fat and extra calories in my meals. I'm a firm believer that if you substitute a few items you can make any dish taste just as good, as the ones with double the fat content. I promise that the few things that I have done will not compromised the savory taste of the Lasagna.

Besides my obsession with fat and calorie content, the other driving factor behind this recipe is me wanting to incorporate more veggie into my family's diet. Having a 2 and a half year-old who is now starting to develop likes and dislikes, it's becoming harder to get him to eat his veggies. In the recipe I am able to hide the veggies and take comfort in the fact that he is getting enough veggies in his daily intake.

This lasagna to make ahead of time and bake when you are ready to eat it. This is great to make for the late nights at work and is a great dish to bring to a new parent or someone who is recovering from a medical issue. I heats up great and taste fresh for days after baking.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and like always...HAPPY COOKING!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 pound Italian sausage (I like to use turkey sausage)cut into thin slices
1 large onion diced
2 large carrots finely diced
1 green squash finely diced
1 medium size red bell pepper finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups small cottage cheese
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On outdoor grill out using a stove-top griddle, grill sausages until golden brown.

In a large saucepan, combine ground turkey, veggies, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled.

Once meat and veggies are cooked make sure to drain the fat and liquids.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.

Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan.

Place row of uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce.

Overlapping the noodles just a little.

Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles and then top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 45 minutes.

Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Port Cranberry Sauce

I Love Thanksgiving! Not only because I get to cook, but also because it's all about spending time with the ones you love. I find that other holidays have become so commercialized that we, as consumers are more concerned with finding the perfect gift and we loss sight of what we're celebrating. Thanksgiving in my mind is all about looking back on the passed year and being grateful for everything we have.

I also feel that Thanksgiving is about the traditional foods. How can one have Turkey without the traditional cranberry sauce? Answer...You can't! What pulled me into this recipe is the fact that it calls for Port wine. Being that I'm Portuguese I have tons of bottles of Port wine, I thought I could give this traditional American dish a Portuguese twist, like your truly! =)

This was a great recipe and I will surely make it on Thanksgiving for my guests. I hope you all enjoy it as much as my husband has.

Recipe adapted of Emeril

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

12 oz cranberries
1 orange, juiced and grated orange zest
1 cup Port
1 cup sugar, (cranberries can be very tart)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO

In a small saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, port, sugar and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering and cook until cranberries are tender, stirring occasionally.

Take off heat and puree in blender (if you want whole cranberries in your sauce skip this step) Then return cranberry sauce to heat in saucepan.

In a small cup make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.

Whisk cornstarch mixture into cranberry sauce and cook, whisking, until sauce thickens.

Let cook and serve with turkey!

Weight Watchers Grilled Red Snapper With Herb Pesto

Let me first start off with saying sorry for the bad picture. My husband wanted to help and he took a picture of the wrong dish and then on top of that he only took one picture. I was actually thinking about not posting this recipe until I made it again, since I wasn't happy with the plating, but then again It was so delicious I couldn't wait to share it with all of you.

Anyway I have to say that this was a really good recipe. I did make a few changed to it because I wasn't a fan of some of the ingredients that they added, and I also grilled it different than the way they recommend. I do have the stove top griddle but I have the smell that fish leaves in the house so I always grill outside.

For people who are not familiar with Red Snapper delicate in flavor, mild, not unlike flounder but not as strong as swordfish. Red Snapper gets it's name from it's skin color not it's meat color so it is nothing like salmon. If you like firm white fish that is flaky then this is the fish for you. I recommend trying it at least once in your life time you will not be disappointed.

Adapted from Weight Watchers

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-1 lb red snapper fish (if you do not feel comfortable cooking a whole fish then then you could use fillets)
-1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
-1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
-1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
-2 garlic cloves
-1/4 tsp. salt
-Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
-Cooking spray


WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

To prepare the marinade, in a gallon-size sealable plastic bag, combine the juice, wine and add the fish

Seal the bag, squeezing out air; turn to coat the fish

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally

Take a sheet of foil (big enough to wrap the fish) and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray

Take the fish and place on prepared foil.

In a food processor blend the basil, parsley, oil, garlic, salt and pepper; puree until smooth.

Preheat grill and then take the pesto paste and spread all over the fish.

Once the fish is coated wrap this dish tight in the foil and place on grill.

If you are doing a whole 1 lb fish on med heat let cook for 15 minutes and then flip and let cook for another 10 mins.

Once cooked Fish should flake nicely with a folk.

Serve along side with your favorite veggies and enjoy!

Nutrition Info: Calories 189, Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 284mg, Carbohydrate 7g, Fiber 1g, Protein 24g, Calcium 210mg

Portuguese Pork and Clams Alentejo-Style

I have to say that this is by far one of my favorite Portuguese meals. I think that that is the best way to describe this dish is to call it a 'Portuguese Surf & Turf'.

Carne à Alenteja is a dish from the southern Alentejo province of Portugal, which is known for it's cooking and great wine selections. The dish is something that is simple to make and would leaving your guests thinking you spent all day in the kitchen. It is a true winner in our home and is something that I will continue making for years to come.

A few things you might want to keep in mind when making this dish is small clams are better since they cook faster and usually taste better. And of course fresh clams are always best.

Also another thing that you might want to do is marinate the pork over night. I think that the meat is more tender and is pack full of flavor. If you do try this recipe please let me know how it comes out. I would love to get some feedback.

Like always Happy cooking!

Adapted from The Portuguese Homestyle Cookbook

Original Recipe Yield 4 to 6 servings


WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic minced (we like garlic you could use half the amount if you like)
1 bay leaf
2 pounds pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
24 small clams in shell, scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

In large bowl, combine wine, paprika, salt and pepper, blend well. Add garlic cloves, bay leaf, and cubed meat, turn meat in marinade to coat pieces. Marinate for 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain pork; reserve marinade. Pat cubes completely dry. Discard garlic and bay leaf. Melt 1 teaspoon of oil in large skillet.

Add pork cubes, stirring frequently so that the meat colors quickly and evenly. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl.

Pour reserved marinade into skillet and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping off any brown particles clinging to the inside of pan.

Boil briskly uncovered until marinade is reduced to 1 cup. Pour over pork and set aside.

In 6 to 8 quart pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil; add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onion is soft but not brown. Add garlic, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Spread the clams, hinged side down, over the tomato sauce; cover the pan tightly and cook over medium to high heat for ten minutes or until clams open.

Stir in reserved pork and juices. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat thoroughly.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes w/ Chocolate Frosting

Ever since I saw Emeril's recipe of Mississippi Mud cake, I've been die to try it. It's been over a year and I just came upon the recipe again. Don't get me wrong cakes are great, but for some reason cupcakes just seem to go faster in my house.

Since the husband and the little man went to visit my in-laws in New York this weekend and since I was unable to sleep. I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to try my hand at making my own version of Mississippi mud cupcakes. They came out so good, I can't wait to share them with my family tomorrow night after dinner...that is if they last that long.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I am =) Happy baking!

Recipe adapted from Emeril

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter + extra 2 tablespoons
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces mini marshmallows
1/2 cup of nuts (you can use more or omit all together)
1 Sleeve of chocolate cookie cookies (I like Oreo)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Preheat the oven to 350F

Take package of chocolate cookies with 2 tablespoon of melted butter and grind in food processor until you get a fine crumb

Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In the bottom of each cupcake liner, add some of your cookie crumb to the bottom and likely press down to form the cookie crust.

Then sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl.

Put the butter in a small saucepan and, when melted, add the cocoa and water and bring to a boil.

Add the boiling cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, mini marshmallows and nuts) and stir until just combined.

Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Pour equal amount of batter into cupcake liners and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This will take between 20-30 minutes depending on your muffin pan. I use a stoneware pampered chef muffin pan so it take about 30 minutes, might take less in a tin one.

Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool before frosting.

Alton Brown's The Chewy Gluten Free

I never tried making Alton Brown's "the chewy" before, but I have heard so many rave reviews that I wanted to try it first hand and see what the fuss was all about. When searching for the "chewy" I can upon a gluten free version, with all the food allergies I figured that I would try this recipe and see how it came out.

I must say, I was really impressed, they were really big, fully and soft, but my still all time favorite cookie recipe is my other chocolate chip recipe. This one comes in at a close 2nd. I recommend giving them a try you wouldn't be disappointed.

Happy Baking!

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

8 ounces unsalted butter
11 ounces brown rice flour, (2 cups)
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, (1/4 cup)
1/2-ounce tapioca flour, (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces sugar, (1/4 cup)
10 ounces light brown sugar, (1 1/4 cups)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour.

Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking.

Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes.

Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Pour tall glass of chilled milk and enjoy!

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Wow I can't believe that it's been so long since my last blog update. The passed few months have been crazy, and the kitchen remolding didn't help matters either. Now that things are finally getting back to normal, I'm hoping to blog more frequently, especially now that the holidays seem to be right around the corner.

With that said I just had to share with you all a recipe I found online for applesauce muffins. As most of you know I hate giving Jonathan the same thing all the time so I am always looking for something new to make.

Sometimes in the morning he has a hard time waking up for daycare and seeing that my husband and I are always in a rush to get to work, this is the perfect breakfast to give him in the car on the way to daycare. This recipe is so good, you would never think it was low on calories. The muffins bake up lite, fluffy and moist. didn't change anything ton this recipe because I found the recipe to be perfect the way it was.

Recipe from http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=5763

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup old fashion rolled oats
1 cup non-fat milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Soak the oats in milk for about one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray or you could do what I do and use liners.

Combine the oat mixture with the applesauce and egg whites, and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl measure and whisk the dry ingredients together.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.

Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough. Spoon muffin mixture into muffin pan.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar and top each muffin with some of the mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Remove from pan, cool and enjoy.

Number of Servings: 12

Calories 93.5, Total Fat 0.5 g, Saturated Fat 0.1 g, Cholesterol 0.4 mg, Carbohydrate 20.5 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Sugars 1.4 g,