Lasagna Roll-ups

I was looking for an easy no-meat lasagna recipe, and this looked like fun. Just a warning, the recipe calls for tofu. There is no tofu in my kitchen, nor will there ever be. So leave it out, substitute it with ground beef, whatever you prefer.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lasagna noodles
1 lb. mozarella cheese, shredded
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 lb. firm tofu
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 28-oz. jar pasta sauce

Note: I halved this recipe. I don't think I own a pan big enough to cook all the roll-ups if I used an entire box of lasagna noodles!

Another note: Wegman's Diavolo Sauce is the BEST. Of course, it also gives my poor husband terrible heart burn, but a spicy sauce really adds to this recipe.
Directions:

Cook the noodles as directed until slightly underdone. Drain and rinse.

In a large bowl, blend together spinach, motz. cheese, ricotta, and 1 cup of parmesan cheese (or 1/2 a cup if you're cutting the recipe in 2).

Lay the noodle out flat and top with cheese mixture. Spread a thin layer of sauce over top. Carefully roll up noodle and lay in pan, seam side down. Repeat with remainder of noodles. Top with remaining sauce and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Verdict:

These were easy to make, and very tasty! Plus, they make very convenient serving sizes. I think you get a little extra pasta with this as compared to regular lasagna, which I love.

On another side note, I ended up using WAY more sauce than the recipe called for. I think I used a jar on the insides alone, and then had to get out another jar to put on top of the roll-ups. Half the cheeses, twice the sauce. Yum!

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

I have to begin by apologizing for not having a picture of this recipe. We ended up eating it too fast :)

Ingredients:

2 TBS minced ginger (I substituted with the dry stuff, using about 1 tsp instead)
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS crushed red pepper flakes
1 TBS brown sugar
1 lime, juice of
4 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS dark sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs. flank steak (another substitution here. Flank steaks at Wegman's were $20. Sirloin steaks were $5. I prefer the more tender sirloin anyways.)

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients. Marinate at least 1 hour, preferably more.

Grill.

If you're using flank steak, allow 5 minutes to cool and cut across the grain.



Verdict:

I have to admit that we were a little leary of this recipe once I put it all together. Honestly, it STINKS. It stunk up the fridge. It stunk up the kitchen. It stunk while grilling. But the taste? Delicious! This marinade is definitely a keeper. Especially with a few substitions (the ground ginger, minced garlic from the fridge, lime juice from a bottle) this recipe is easy to prepare last minute.

Tilapia Florentine

I know fish isn't very exciting, but this recipe seemed easy and tasty. And what's better for you than Omega-3 fatty acids and green leafy vegetables? Uh oh, that sounds awfully healthy. Let's get to the recipe:

Ingredients
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
6 teaspoons canola oil, divided
4 tilapia fillets (4 ounces each)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons garlic-herb seasoning blend
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large nonstick skillet, cook spinach in 4 teaspoons oil until wilted; drain. Meanwhile, place tilapia in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with lime juice and remaining oil. Sprinkle with seasoning blend. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese and spinach; spoon over fillets. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

Verdict:

Yes, it's healthy, but it's also very tasty! I was surprised how quickly the fish cooked beneath all that spinach and cheese. Ok, so maybe with all the cheese it's not so healthy, but it's better than fish sticks out of the freezer, right?

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Panera Bread in Canandaigua closed unexpectedly last week. Apparently my twice-weekly trips there weren't enough to keep them in business. But I've got their Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe, so it's all good.

Ingredients:

1 TBS butter, melted
½ medium onion, chopped
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
½ pound fresh broccoli
½ cup carrots, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp nutmeg
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 TBS minced garlic

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in 1 TBS butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should thicken. Pour in batches into a blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the cheese. Stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Verdict:

This soup is SO good! But I have to recommend these changes:

-Add a TBS of garlic or so to the onions when sauteing. Garlic goes well with everything in my book, this soup included.

-DO NOT puree the soup. It makes it really gritty. Just make sure you cut up the broccoli and carrots very small, leave it as is, add the cheese, and you're done. We've done it both ways, it was definitely better without being pureed.