Greens and Sage in Wine Reduction

I am always looking for new ways to use greens. I was craving a marsala-style pasta sauce for the ravioli that was in the freezer for a quick weeknight dinner.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter1/2 cup mirin or any kind of white wine

1/4 cup fresh sage, chiffonade

1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 habanero pepper, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
8-10 leaves radicchio
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
8 cups greens (I used 1/2 bunch of kale and 1 bunch of chard)
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
15 ounces of your favorite packaged ravioli (I like ones made with quinoa and other ancient grains)

Procedure

1. Brown butter over medium heat in a 10 inch skillet or saute pan.
2. Pour in the mirin and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
3. In a large stock pot, begin heating four quarts of  water seasoned with 1 teaspoon of salt to a rolling boil.
4. Add the sage and simmer until it browns and becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes.
5. Whisk in the broth and reduce the mixture by half.
6. Stir in the habanero, garlic, and greens. Simmer until wilted.
7. Add the ravioli to the water and cook according to directions.
8. Toss in the radicchio and bell pepper. Simmer until the pepper and radicchio are tender, about 5 minutes.
9. Serve with grated cheese. 

Easy Eggplant Lasagna

This recipe originated from one in the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. This is one of my most cherished cookbooks. I am not afraid to substitute ingredients for what I have on hand to save an extra trip to the grocery store. Sometimes I change the technique or a few ingredients based on my tastes. This recipe is especially wonderful because it uses uncooked pasta, which becomes perfectly cooked in the oven. 

This is what I came up with to create a satisfying version of one of my favorite comfort meals. 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

28 oz can whole tomatoes  *

8 oz can tomato sauce

6 oz can tomato paste (I used a little less - we used a couple of tablespoons for Spanish Rice the night before)

1 1/2 tablespoons capers packed in salt, rinsed very well

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground

1 large eggplant, sliced in rounds

olive oil for brushing

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup whole milk mozzarella, freshly grated

1 1/2 cup feta cheese divided, crumbled 

1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

* NOTE: Chop the tomatoes for the recipe, but be sure to purchase whole  canned tomatoes. Their flavor is much better than tomatoes that are pre-chopped before the canning process. 

Procedure

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and oregano and saute until the garlic is beginning to brown and is really starting to smell delicious.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, capers, and pepper and simmer over low until the lasagna is ready to come together. Take a picture with Instagram. Remember to add the zucchini. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a brush to evenly coat the eggplant with olive oil and place on a baking pan until browned on the edges, about 15 minutes. Take another picture with Instagram. 

Take a break here to check and see what's new with Pinterest. 

Remove the oven from the oven (or leave the oven where it is and remove the eggplant from the oven). Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the mozzarella, eggs, and 1/2 CUP of feta. 

This is where sh*t gets real. Spread two cups of the sauce in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Top that with another cup of the tomato sauce. 

Layer all of the eggplant rounds, one cup of the tomato sauce, half feta cheese mixture, layer number two of noodles, and one more cup of tomato sauce. 

For layer number three, spread the rest of the cheese mixture, a layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the last cup of feta. 

Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Finally, blog about it! 

California-Style Couscous and Lentils

Lentils are incredibly inexpensive and delicious. French lentils are a beautiful green color with leopard spots. The green contrasts nicely with the bright bell peppers a
nd golden couscous in this dish. The dates add a sweet treat.

ingredients

1/4 cup French lentils, rinsed
4/12 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups couscous

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 bunch chopped kale

1/4 cup diced dates
1 1/2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup sliced green olives
sliced almonds

equipment

2 sauce pans
large serving bowl
saute pan

procedure

Simmer lentils in salted water about 20 minutes or until tender.

           Meanwhile,

Simmer couscous in salted water about 10 minutes until tender.

Add oil to the saute pan and heat over medium until it is shimmering.

           Toss in the kale and bell pepper

Combine lentils, couscous, kale, and remaining ingredients in the bowl.

Yum!