Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

RECIPE from Julia's Albums.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk (or more, if needed)
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup cooked spinach (8 oz uncooked)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• 10 oz lasagna noodles, cooked 
• 1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (on top)
• Italian seasoning
• Paprika
• Basil
• 
  

    DIRECTIONS:

   

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
Butternut Squash Filling:
2. For this filling, you will need to have pre-cooked butternut squash puree. Using food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.
Spinach Filling:
3. Combine spinach, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Cooking lasagna noodles:
4. Bring a very large pot of water to boil, and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain. Using knife, trim noodles to fit your baking dish (if necessary).
Lasagna assembly:
5. Prepare a baking dish - I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the lasagna dish lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping (I used 3 noodles).
6. Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
7. Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
8. Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of cooked noodles.
9. Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup of mozzarella). Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil.
10. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.

Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce

RECIPE from Julia's Album.com

DOUBLE the RECIPE for some tasty LEFT-OVERS!

• INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken (chicken breast or tenders)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, basil - combined)
• 5 medium tomatoes, chopped in large cubes
• 1 cup cooked spinach
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 6 bacon strips, COOKED, DRAINED OF FAT, AND CHOPPED
• 1 and 1/3 cups half and half
• 1 and 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 10 oz penne pasta 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
• (optional - saute and add in onions and mushrooms)

      

   DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until hot. Add chicken and cook on one side on high heat for 1 minute. While it cooks, sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning. Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 1 minute on high heat. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken over again and cook, covered, for several minutes until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from the pan and keep chicken warm.
2. To the same pan (but without chicken), add chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper, 1/3 of the chicken (sliced into small strips) and half the bacon (already cooked and drained of fat). Mix everything.
3. Add half and half and bring to boil. Only after half and half starts boiling, add grated Parmesan cheese - immediately reduce to simmer and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and makes the sauce creamy, only about 1 minute (at most 2 minutes). Then, immediately remove from heat. Season with more crushed red pepper and salt, if needed.
4. In the mean time bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook it according to instructions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and drain again.
5. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Add remaining half of bacon (cooked and drained of fat). Season with more salt if necessary. Slice the remaining 2/3 of chicken into thin strips. To serve, top the pasta with chicken strips and grated Parmesan cheese.

SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK with BBQ SAUCE

                                         VIDEO


Ingredients

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 cups cider vinegar

6 ounces tomato juice

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch cayenne

Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 teaspoon sugar

Roast:

2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, quartered

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

Pinch black pepper

One 4- to 6-pound Boston butt pork roast, bone-in

Buns


DIRECTIONS:

For the sauce: 

Puree the onion in a blender with 1/4 cup water. 

Place the pureed onion in a 2-quart saucepan with additional water to cover. Bring to a boil, 

then reduce the heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the water has almost evaporated. 

Add the vinegar, tomato juice, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and hot sauce and mix well. 

Bring to a boil, and then stir in the sugar. 

Immediately remove from the heat. 

Set 1 cup aside for the roast. 

Let the remaining sauce cool completely, then refrigerate for later use.

For the roast: 

Put the quartered onions in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. 

Mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper and rub it over the pork roast. 

Then place in the slow cooker on top of the onions. 

Drizzle the reserved 1 cup of sauce over the roast. 

Cook the roast in the slow cooker on low for 10 to 12 hours, checking after 10 hours for 

tenderness.

Remove the meat and onions from the slow cooker. Discard the onions and finely shred the 

pork. 

Reserve the juices from the slow cooker to add to the meat for desired juiciness.

Serve on a bun with the juice.

from Food Network/Trisha Yearwood

CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE from Tip Hero

You’ll Need
– 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 20 ounces florets)
– 2 tablespoons flour
– 1 cup whole milk
– 1 egg, beaten
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
– 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
– 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
– 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

How To

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the cauliflower florets. Boil for 5 minutes, or until nearly tender, and drain.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the milk into the flour, then add the beaten egg, salt, pepper and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
4. Add the cooked cauliflower and stir to coat with the mixture.
5. Pour the coated cauliflower mixture into a 7-inch-by-11-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella on top.
6. Bake on the top oven rack for 25 minutes, until the top is browned and the cauliflower is tender.
7. Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley, and enjoy!

       from tiphero.com

SLOW COOKER BEEF BROCCOLI from Tip Hero

SLOW COOKER BEEF BROCCOLI
Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

You’ll Need
– 2 pounds beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips, cut across the grain
– 2 cups beef broth
– 2 tablespoons sesame oil
– 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
– ½ teaspoon chili flakes
– 1 cup soy sauce
– ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
– ⅓ cup cornstarch
– 4 cups broccoli florets, steamed
– White rice, cooked

How To

1. Add the beef broth, sesame oil, garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch to the bowl of a slow cooker. Stir to combine.
2. Add the sliced beef and mix until completely coated with sauce.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours – or on low for 5 to 6 hours – until the meat is cooked through and tender. (Remember that slow cooker temperatures vary between each cooker, so cooking times may vary.) Remove the lid approximately 30 minutes before the meat is done to allow sauce to thicken.
4. Add the steamed broccoli and serve hot over rice.

     From Tip Hero.com 

Jim Lane's SUPERBOWL SPREAD

DIRECTIONS :

Pour

Heat

ENJOY!

SCALLOPS With PASTA in a WINE SAUCE

This Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb bay scallops
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried basil

Instructions

1. * Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. * Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook 6-7 minutes, turning once. Remove scallops from pan and cover to keep warm.
3. * Add garlic to pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer on low for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken broth and basil to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. * Add scallops back to skillet. Add spaghetti and cook for 30 seconds.