Sour Cream Lasagna

I don't know where this recipe came from, but we've (meaning the Jewkes sisters) have been making this for years. It's the easiest lasagna you'll ever make and so yummy and different from traditional lasagna recipes. I'm sure once you make it, it'll become a staple in your dinner rotation as it has in mine.

Sour Cream Lasagna

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I actually just cook a couple breasts of chicken and then shred it)
16 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. Italian seasonings to taste
8oz. lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (or you can use Barilla no-boil noodles)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together meat, sauce, sour cream, cottage cheese, and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning. Layer in 9x13 dish: noodles, meat, noodles, meat. Top with cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese (gives a little extra flavor). Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Nothing says spring to me like asparagus. I know in many parts of the country, spring is just a far off dream, but here in Florida, we're starting to see asparagus in the market at peak-season price. I just can't help but think that it is spring when that happens.

It used to be that I knew spring had sprung when tender shoots of asparagus peeked out from the soil of my perennial garden in Ohio. There is nothing like home grown, fresh picked asparagus. And it is so easy to grow! The only down side is that it takes a few years to get the bed established. If you have the patience, you will be rewarded... unless your husband's in the military and then you get to be Johnny Appleseed and continually plant for other's enjoyment.

I did at least get to enjoy one decent harvest from my asparagus bed in Ohio before we had to leave. Doesn't that look fabulous? I hope the folks that bought our house like asparagus. This year should be a bumper crop!

Asparagus is such a great vegetable. You can include it in dishes for any time of the day. It's great in quiche. It's great wrapped in prosciutto and roasted. I like it steamed with a sprinkling of smoked salt. It also happens to rock as a soup. While this recipe can really highlight a number of vegetables (think broccoli or cauliflower), it's especially good with asparagus.

It starts with shallots and asparagus. And a little butter. You didn't think I'd forget about the butter, did you? While, ultimately, the soup will be pureed, I like to chop all the ingredients small so that they cook quickly. Usually when I make this soup, I'm in a hurry for some sustenance.

Saute the shallot in butter over medium heat. Add some celery and the asparagus pieces. Be sure to trim the stems so that you are only using the tender part of the spear. I once thought that because the soup was pureed I would use the whole spear. BIG mistake. The asparagus was pureed, but the soup still had a distinct woody texture. Not a very pleasant experience, let me tell you.

When the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, add the chicken broth. Cook at a simmer until the vegetables are very tender, almost falling apart. I save the tips of the asparagus for garnishing the soup. About five minutes before the vegetables are done, I cook the tips in the broth using a piece of cheesecloth to keep them separated.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing in a food processor or blender. In my experience, you don't have to worry too much about over processing it. It maintains a nice texture even with a fair amount of processing. Return the soup to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the cream and stir until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve!

Cream of Asparagus Soup
Yield: 2 servings, double/triple, etc. as needed

1 TBS butter
1 small shallot, diced
1/4 cup celery ribs, diced
2 cups chopped asparagus spears, woody ends removed
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cream (heavy or light, depending on your mood)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the shallot and celery in the butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat as needed to prevent too much browning. When the shallot and celery are beginning to soften, add the asparagus. Saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, about ten minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool slightly before pureeing in a food processor or blender. Return the soup to the pot and place back over the heat. Add the cream and salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve.

Demarle Rendez-Vous!!!

Demarle Flower Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet

Remember when I told you all about some of my favorite Demarle products? Well, I am going to host a Rendez-Vous (party) at my house for anyone in New Mexico that would like to attend to show you all of my favorite cooking gadgets and explain a little more about the company and their amazing products. They have been used in such restaurants as The Cheesecake Factory, Subway, Ritz-Carlton and many more for years and years and were actually only available for commercial use until recently when they were finally released for use in the home market! Yeah!! Some of my favorite features are:

• They are completely non-stick, from the Silpat cookie sheet liner, to the trays and molds. You literally just "pop" everything out from muffins to cakes to quiches.
  

• They are a cinch to clean- simply rinse in warm, soapy water, shake dry, roll up, and throw in a drawer. No scrubbing needed!

• They help food retain moisture so everything is sooooo soft and moist!

• They have a lifetime warranty so you will never buy another loaf, bundt, or muffin pan again!

• They work in microwaves, freezers, and ovens.

• They really make simple cooking look like a million bucks- your family and friends will be amazed at the beautiful, fancy food you'll be able to create!

So, you are all invited to my home on Tuesday, February 23rd, from 6-8pm for my first official Demarle Rendez-Vous where we will cook, eat, and of course, have fun!

And, if you can't make it, I would be happy to host a party for you and your friends any time. Also, if you'd like to check them out online and/or place an order (they have a 30-day money back guarantee so you can try and see if you like it) their website is demarleathome.com. (My representative # is 8394 if you want to place an order.) Let me know if you have any questions or just want to know more!

Fettucine Alfredo

Kate was home sick on Monday and I had no groceries in my fridge so I was forced to come up with something for dinner that would work with what I have. I tried this and I thought it turned out really delicious. I didn't use any meat, but I'm sure you could add in some cooked, seasoned chicken breast if you'd like. I found a recipe on Kraft Kitchens that sounded great, but I had to improvise with what I had, so I'm going to take credit for this recipe. But this is their picture...

Picture Courtesy Kraft Kitchens

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 package Buitoni Linguine Noodles (or use whatever noodle you prefer)
Vegetables you have on hand ( I used broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and a yellow pepper)
2 cups whole milk (or any type milk would work)
1 Tbs. flour
Salt to taste
Dash black pepper
Dash Red pepper
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tsp. minced garlic
parmesan cheese (to taste and to thicken sauce- I used about 1/3 c.)
1/2 c. grated Mozzarella Cheese

Cut your vegetable to bite-size portions and either steam or saute them in olive oil, salt and pepper. I used a LOT of veggies. Cook pasta according to package. In small saucepan, stir flour, milk, salt, black pepper, red pepper with wire whisk until smooth. Add butter and garlic, cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce starts to thicken. Add cheeses, stirring until melted. Turn off the heat and add veggies, pasta and sauce together. Serve immediately.

** If you're interested in cooking more meatless dishes, here are a couple that I've made without the meat and they've turned out DELICIOUS (I promise, you won't even notice the meat is gone): Skillet Penne with Broccoli and Peppers, Simple and "Meaty" Skillet Lasagna, and Bruschetta Pasta

Chicken Lime Tortilla Soup, Green Chicken Enchiladas, and Spinach Salad

Okay, this is my all-time FAVORITE tortilla soup, and I've made and tasted a lot of them. It's always a crowd-pleaser. Last night I had 5 aunts, my mom, and grandma over for dinner during their vacation to California. Or maybe it was a vacation FROM Utah. :) Either way, they needed a change in scenery and weather and decided to have a sisters-in-law reunion here in sunny southern California. So we had them over for dinner and Family Home Evening. I made this tortilla soup, chicken enchiladas, and a spinach salad, and they asked me to post all of those recipes. So here's a picture of the soup and the other two recipes as well (sorry, no pictures of those).

Chicken Lime Tortilla Soup

Debbie Stapley (my sis-in-law--I don't know where she got the recipe)

In a pot, combine the following:

2 quarts (8 cups) Chicken stock

1 red onion, julienne sliced

1-2 cups Roma tomatoes, julienne sliced

2 rounded tsp. Mexican oregano (I use regular oregano)

2 rounded tsp. chili powder

2 rounded tsp. basil

juice from 2-4 limes (depending on how juicy they are)

2 bay leaves

salt and white pepper

4 chicken breasts halves, cooked and cubed or shredded

2 Tbs. minced cilantro

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes before eating (don't forget to remove bay leaves).

Garnish with:

Grated pepper jack cheese

Cilantro

Crunched up tortilla chips

Avocados

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Isa Reichner, a friend

(there are no amounts here, just make as much or as little as you desire)

Cooked shredded chicken

Green onions, cut

Cilantro

Colby or Monterey Jack Cheese

Cotija cheese (mild Mexican cheese)

Corn Tortillas

1 can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

Pour 1-2 Tbs. olive oil in the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish. Mix cheeses, onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Warm tortillas (I do this in between two wet paper towels in microwave) and stuff them with chicken and cheese mixture, then put in pan, seam side down (if I'm in a hurry I don't even bother to warm the tortillas--they'll probably crumble a little when you put them in the pan, but they still taste good). Pour sauce over enchiladas, and top with more cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Spinach Salad

Leanne Anderson, a friend

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
Dissolve sugar in vinegar in any small pan over low heat
When dissolved removed from heat.
Add fresh ground pepper and a little salt
Cool
Add to 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Canola oil and shake - add more salt & pepper to taste (depends on your taste buds on how much oil you like)

Refrigerate until use.

Combine the following for salad:

LOTS of fresh baby spinach leaves
watercress (if I feel like dealing with pulling the leaves from the stems)
green onions (2 or 3 of them)
crispy bacon cut small
salted cashew pieces
red seedless grapes cut in half

Hot Hoagies

If you're like me, you have a ready-to-go arsenal of yummy, quick, easy, less-than-30-minute meals for those nights when you're either too busy or just not feeling Julia Child-ish. I've made this a few times before, and it is definitely all of those things. Don't skimp on the ingredients (I did that the first time which made for a rather dry sandwich). You can health-ify it by using whole wheat bread.

Hot Hoagies
from My Kitchen Cafe

1 loaf french bread, cut lengthwise
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (in a pinch, you can use two large cans chicken breast)
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese)
Olives, chopped (0ptional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place french bread on large baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients together in a bowl. Spread topping evenly on top of both lengths of french bread. Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Basil & Sun Dried Tomato Polenta Rounds

So, here we are. Eight hours of driving later, I am ready to see the space shuttle lift off tomorrow night... I mean morning. 4:39 am is a bit of a challenge, but sooooo worth it. We were able to come once before a few years ago and it was also a night launch. There is something about the night turning to day that really takes your breath away.

The reason we're here is because my husband served with one of the astronauts in the Air Force and they became friends. Actually, they were friends before that, having gone to college together, but that doesn't segue into this post very well. So, I am going to focus on the Air Force connection. Work with me, here, will you?

The reason is because the Air Force is ultimately the reason that this recipe exists. The different branches of the military have all sorts of camaraderie traditions. In the Air Force, the naming ceremony is a significant one. This is where a young man or woman receives their call sign. While I won't go into the gritty details, let it suffice to say that a naming ceremony often requires the eating of bizarre items by some of the participants.

When my husband went shopping in preparation for a recent naming ceremony, he tried to find things that he felt were weird, gross, or unusual. You know: dog biscuits, potted meat, raw eggs, and... pre-cooked polenta. I guess my husband wasn't the only one who didn't know what polenta was because while a few dog biscuits and raw eggs were consumed, the package of polenta was never opened. Ergo, it came home to be put into my pantry.

And there it sat for a while, until one night I couldn't stand that it kept rolling off the shelf, so I decided to do something with it. I liked the fact that it was already formed and that I could simply slice off pieces to saute in a skillet.

But, polenta, just being cooked cornmeal, needs a bit of flavor enhancement. I decided on sun dried tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. Not only did they turn out beautifully, but they were pretty darn tasty, too... a darn sight better than dog biscuits, that's for sure!

Basil & Sun Dried Tomato Polenta Rounds
Yield: variable

1/2 thick slices of pre-cooked polenta from a roll
olive oil

Per polenta round:
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp minced oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
dash salt and pepper

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add a light skim of oil. When the oil is hot, add the polenta rounds. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until they have gotten a nice, golden crust. Remove the heat and add the basil, sun dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Let the pan's residual heat gently cook the tomatoes and basil. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.