Black Bean & Pesto Lasagna

Black Bean and Pesto Lasagna

Inspired from the Red Onion Cafe days in Boone, NC

Black Bean Sauce:
2 cans Black Beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes and chiles
2-3 tablespoons Fajita Marinade mix (ie: cumin, chili powder, red pepper, garlic powder, etc)
even with dry spices I still like to add some chopped garlic cloves and a nice hot pepper
Couple splashes of some cold beer
3-4 green onions, chopped
bring to boil and then simmer for a few minutes

Whip some ricotta cheese with two eggs, grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste

Basil Pesto - You can find good pesto everywhere, but hopefully it’s a time of year you can make your own. I use about a cup for this recipe.

Assembly begins with a little bit of black bean sauce and dallop of pesto in a lightly-greased lasagna dish.

Next, a layer of lasagna noodles. I have really been satisfied with the NO Boil lasagna noodles but I have been curious about making my own ever since Justin’s Ravioli Party post.

Then some black bean sauce, pesto, and ricotta mixture, be liberal (order doesn’t really matter)

Sprinkle with some mozzarella, romano and /or parmesan.

And then a layer of pasta and repeat this process until you have reached the top of the dish. (note: save some of the black bean sauce for serving time)
I like to finish the top layer with a checkerboard pattern of Orange and White Cheese’s
Mozzerella and American, or Monterry Jack and Chedder, I just like calling them by color!
Cover with foil, I use two sheets, wrapping each side of dish and forming the two sheets together in the middle, looking kind of like a tent with a little vent hole.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, let cool down before serving.

I actually like this better the next day, and it’s easier to serve. Put serving in a nice lasagna bowl and pour some of the black bean sauce over the lasagna, cover with a slice of orange and white cheese and microwave until heated and melted. (I like to cut each slice of cheese into 4 squares and make a really cool checkerboard pattern on each serving)

As always, adjust to your liking, that is the fun part about cooking, If you see something you don't like just change it!

Mom's Chicken Pie

Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie

2 cups cooked chicken cubes (Can use turkey, too)
2 small potatoes diced
¾ cup green peas
½ cup pearl onions
1 can cream soup (cream of chicken, celery) Low Sodium/Healthy Request
½ cup milk
1 pie crust (Pillsbury or store brand)

Place all ingredients except pie crust in large bowl. Mix together.
Pour into casserole dish. Top with pie crust. Put slits in the pie crust.
You can brush pie crust with egg wash for golden browning.

Bake at 350 for about an hour or until pie crust is browned.

Mama's Good Short Ribs

Mama’s Good Short Ribs

2-4 lbs. short ribs with or without bones
2-3 carrots sliced in big chunks
1 large onion in large chunks
1 cup of celery sliced with leaves
Flour for dredging
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
1 cup red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups beef stock
¼ cup Olive oil
2 T. butter softened
3 T. flour

Season ribs with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Dredge in flour. Put olive oil in large pot, heat. Put in ribs and brown on all sides. After browning add carrots, onions, celery, wine, and beef stock. Cook on medium low heat for 4-6 hours. Can start one night, let cook, turn off and then reheat and cook a little longer the next day if you can’t cook for 6 hours at a time. Mix 2 T. softened butter with 3 T. flour to make a roux in small dish. When thoroughly mixed add to sauce to thicken. Bring to a boil to thicken. Makes a great “gravy” or sauce.

Serve with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
4 small potatoes cut in uniform chunks
Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter
½ cup milk
3 T. Prepared Horseradish

Place potatoes in pot, add salt and pepper. Cover with water and cook on medium until potatoes are fork tender. Drain water. Place back on burner (still on) to let water left in them cook off. Use a manual potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add butter, horseradish, milk and more salt and pepper if needed (to taste). Use a large spoon to whip to desired consistency. Sometimes we like “smashed potatoes” and sometimes we like “mashed, whipped potatoes”

Darn quick chili

Quick Chili
1 lb. ground beef
salt, pepper to taste
3 gloves garlic chopped
2 T. Chili powder
2 tsp. Tabasco (to taste)
1 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 lg. can diced tomatoes
2 c. beef broth
1 dark beer
1 finely chopped hot pepper of your choice, try a habanero!

Brown meat, onion, green pepper, season. Add beans, tomatoes, broth and beer. Bring to light boil and simmer for a while.

Bortsch Soup inspired from Halinas - Chapel Hill, NC

inspired from Halinas restaurant in the old Chapel Hill, NC!

A variation on the traditional Russian, peasant soup, can be served hot or cold.

1 lb beets
2 medium potatoes (about 4 oz. when mashed)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable stock or water
3/4 cup sour cream

for the garnish:
4 tablespoons freshly chopped chives or parsley
sour cream (optional)

Cook the beets until tender, then peel and slice. Boil the potatoes and mash them.
Put the cooled beets, mashed potato, chopped onion an dlemon juice in a blender or food processor and puree. Add salt and pepper, vegetable stock and sour cream and puree for a further 1 minute.
Place the soup in the fridge and chill for 1 hour, then pour into individual serving dishes and sprinkle a little chopped chives or parsley on top to garnish, follow with a dollop of sour cream if desired

Tripodis Deli (Patty Tripodi) Eggplant Parmesan

My mom made this for my birthday one year! The Tripodis use to have a deli near University Mall and have had a very successful catering business for many many years!

1 medium Eggplant
Peel, Slice, Eggplant (you can salt and leave on paper towels to remove some of the bitterness)
2 eggs/2T water/beat together
flour
"Progresso" Italian Bread Crumbs (or Panko)
Dip dry Eggplant in flour, pat in, dip in egg mixture
Press (coat) in breadcrumbs
Brown in olive oil, drain on paper towels
Place Eggplant in "greased" casserole with grated fresh parmesan, romano, mozzarella cheese

Bring your favorite spaghetti sauce to a boil, this recipe specifically calls for Ragu chunky mushroom sauce, and adding 2T oregano, 2T Basil, 1tsp garlic powder. But you could also let your imagination run wild here with unlimited saucy options!
Pour sauce over Eggplant & Cheese and top with Bread Crumbs and extra Parmesan!

Bake 30 minutes @350 degrees
Taste even better the next day!

Swooze and Mom's Vidalia Onion Dip

Vidalia Onion Dip or any available Sweet Onion, like Walla Walla, Maui, Oso Sweets!

1 Vidalia Onion chopped
1 8 oz pkg. Cream cheese (can be fat-free/low fat)
1/2 c. mayonaise
1/2 c. Grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. paprika (Hungarian Hot Paprika is my favorite!)
dash of tabasco

Chop onion, mix with softened cream cheese and mayonaise. Put into casserole. Top with Parmesan and paprika. Bake at 350 until warm, bubbly and cheese slightly browned on top. About 20-30 minutes. Best served with Large Scooper Fritos or try toasted bread, bagel wafers, vegetables, or your favorite crackers!