Pumpkin Lasagne

I got a new job and will most likely have significantly less time to cook. Much like the rest of 2011 was with grad classes. I actually do get to cook but it's the blogging that is a little more time consuming.

Pumpkin Lasagne

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 cups fresh pumpkin or butternut squash puree (mine had been previously frozen,but not canned because it doesn't have enough moisture)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 small can tomato paste
splash of white wine (optional)
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped into ribbons

1 package fresh lasagne pasta sheets
1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese

1 quart low fat milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
dash of nutmeg

In the following recipe I salted and peppered most layers of the recipe individually to taste. Add as much or as little as you personally like but taste as you go. Sausage and cheese can be very salty and varies by brand.

1. In a large skillet heat approximately one to two tsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent.
   
2. Remove casings and add sausage to skillet. Break down with wooden spoon. Add crushed red pepper and fennel seed. Cook through.
3. Add pumpkin or squash puree and cinnamon. Heat through and add tomato paste to sauce. Add a splash of white wine and cook approximately 10 minutes until every is combined.
   
4. Add swiss chard to the sauce and stir/heat until completely combined and chard is wilted.
   
5. Add approximately 1/2 cup of low-fat milk to the sausage sauce. Mix to combine and keep heat low while you make the bechamel sauce.
   
6. In a medium saucepan melt butter.
   
7. Add flour whisking or stirring to combine to make a roux. Make sure to fully cook the flour.
8. Add the remaining milk a little at a time to make a white sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg.
   
9. In 9x13 casserole dish coat the bottom with a few drops of olive oil.
   
10. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer in order pasta sheets (cutting to fit) sauce, bechamel, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired for serving.
    

Pita Pizzas

This isn't a recipe but a great idea for a small lunch or late night snack. The best part is that it's ready faster than the convenience foods you get in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can use any toppings you want (although for things you don't normally eat raw, you may want to pre-cook them, like meats).

All you need:

whole wheat pita-pockets
sauce or olive olive
cheese of your choice
toppings
cookie sheet
parchment paper or aluminum foil
oven with broiler setting

Put you covering on you pan. Heat your broiler to high. Top pitas with sauce toppings and cheese. Thin layers are best. Broil pizza for 3-5 minutes. Watch them so they don't burn. The crust will get nice and crispy.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

This was a spur of the moment type of recipe. I had zucchini and squash leftover from the CSA and I wanted to make myself a snack. It made a lot more than I thought it would and the fritters are rather heavy. I would say two is plenty for a snack. This made approx. 15 or so fritters. The fritters with less flour were a little lighter but they were difficult to roll in the breadcrumbs. Since I ate all these myself it will be awhile before I can try to make them again and perfect the recipe.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow summer squash
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2-3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, or enough to coat fritters
salt, pepper, garlic powder and minced onion to taste
oil for frying (I used peanut because it was all I had in the house)

1. Grate the zucchini and yellow squash.
2. Add egg and feta to squashes and mix. Add seasonings.
3. Add flour gradually, stop when mixture begins to hold together more easily.
4. In a dish, pour breadcrumbs. Scoop out fritter batter and roll in breadcrumbs. Set aside to fry.
   
5. Heat oil to 325-250 degrees in a high sided pan. You need approximately 1/2 an inch for frying.
6. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
   

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables

After last night's dud of a meal, I did not have high hopes for tonight's dinner. The sad thing, for those of you who know about them, is that I passed up free hot-chee dogs for this. There is a restaurant called the Hamilton that is similar to a diner, where I live. They aren't on the menu but a hot-chee dog (or burger or omelet) consists of American cheese, mustard, chopped onions and "sauce" which is like a Greek chili on a hot dog. At the school carnival today they were 75% off for students and free for teachers. I resisted in order to be able to eat my dinner. Luckily, dinner was delicious. I really liked this pork marinade. We cooked this dinner using both the grill and the oven. I haven't quite gotten as far as grilling vegetables. So I roasted the squash, zucchini, and onions. The grape tomatoes, J grilled on skewers. The pork was also grilled on skewers. I desperately need to buy some metal skewers because no matter how long I soak the wooden ones, they still tend to burn up. This dinner was just delicious. I'm definitely going to save the marinade recipe. I even forgot the cilantro that was supposed to go on the tomatoes but I didn't miss it at all.

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables (adapted from Ladyberd's Kitchen)

Juice of one orange (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (plus a little more or a spray for the vegetables)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic (approx. 4 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. Hot smoked paprika (I used the Hungarian variety because it was all I could find)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
~1 lb. pork loin (here I used pork tenderloin), trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 yellow squash, thickly sliced
1/2 zucchini, thickly sliced
1 red onion, quarteredCombine all of the marinade ingredients in bowl.

1. Add the pork and toss to coat thoroughly.
2. Cover and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (mine marinated for approx. 3 hours).
3. Just before cooking, preheat grill on high.
4. Thread pork and tomatoes onto separate skewers. Discard excess marinade.
5. Grill on high direct heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let rest 2-3 minutes before removing from skewers.
6. Before the pork and tomatoes go on the grill, line a baking sheet with foil (for less clean up) and broil the remaining vegetables (zucchini, squash, and onion) in the oven on high until they reach desired doneness (approx. 10 min). Everything should be ready at about the same time.