Butternut Squash Lasagna and Zucchini Casserole

I have been feeling a bit under the weather this week, so I made two "big pan" meals so we could have leftovers for lunches and dinners later. Both of these are delicious, FULL of colorful veggies, and from....COOKING LIGHT. I should branch out more, but Cooking Light has the best healthy recipes!! So, here we go...

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Cooking Light

I followed the recipe exactly, with no adaptations. Except for the fact that, in one of the pans, I got a little mixed up on the layers! Ooops! It all got in there, though!



I even made the Smoky Marinara. You could, I suppose, use a canned marinara. But, why when this is so easy and tasty?? Look for the fire roasted tomatoes in the organic section at your grocery.

Smoky Marinara
Cooking Light



Zucchini Casserole with Red Pepper Aioli
Cooking Light



I adapted this one a bit. It really sounded like too much liquid to me. I used two 6 oz cans of tomato paste in place of one of the cans of diced tomatoes. I added 1/2 cup of tomato juice at the end, but only used about 10 oz of chicken broth. It turned out just right, not soupy at all, which I feared would have grossed me out. The layers of bread were not soggy at all. Actually they kind of melted into the casserole, the perfect binder. Whatever you do, do not skip the aioli! It is magical. You will have a lot leftover...put it in the fridge and dip some raw veggies in it later!!

A beautiful, relaxing weekend...

Hi friends! What a gorgeous weekend we had! I worked Saturday, but was done early enough to still have some time to relax. So, Saturday afternoon, I did my meal planning, made my grocery list, and went to the store (a very calming ritual for me!). Saturday night, I decided to make maple-mustard pork chops with winter squash puree (from Cooking Light). I saw this recipe in the March edition of the magazine and thought it looked delicious. Well, not only does it look and sound good, it tastes amazing! Here is a link to March 2010 recipe index, but I can't find this one on the list, so here it is:

Maple mustard pork chops

Cooking Light March 2010

4 (6oz) bone-in center cut pork chops
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
cooking spray
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium- high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 min on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Remove from pan; keep warm. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling to coat. Add shallots; saute 3 min or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 min. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining salt; cook 1 min or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. Cook pork 1 min each side. Serve pork with sauce, garnish with parsley.

Winter Squash Puree

1/3 cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 12 oz packages frozen cooked butternut squash
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp grated orange rind
1 and 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place squash and broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook 15 min until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Add butter and remaining ingredients, stir until combined.

I served this with some steamed green beans...



Today we took the canoe out on the reservior and enjoyed the sunshine. I took my new camera to practice taking pictures. Here are some shots from the day... We saw a sleeping aligator...and snuck up on him for a photo shoot.








Tonight, for dinner, I made Cooking Light's Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. I am now obsessed with this recipe. I really don't like chicken, and I ate every bite of mine! A big deal for me...I usually just eat the bread and veggies. Here is the recipe:

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Cooking Light

2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
24 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Preparation
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chickens. Rinse chickens with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat; remove skin. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces. Combine butter and oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over chicken. Add half of chicken pieces to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently. Arrange chicken on top of garlic. Add broth and wine; cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Serve sauce and garlic with chicken and bread. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

I made some roasted potatoes to go with this lovely chicken dinner. Also, I added some tuscan seasoning mix along with the salt and pepper on the chicken. The garlic gets soft and spreadable...perfect for the baguette slices...mmmm.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Wow, I haven't blogged all week! It's been a little crazy, and this is the first night this week that I have really cooked. I was starting to get depressed. But, thank goodness, I'm back in action tonight! It's pasta night, but we had risotto. That counts, right? I got this recipe from my favorite cookbook...Cooking Light. For just 275 calories, this was pretty darn good. Warm, creamy, and comforting on a winter night! I had butternut squash risotto at an Italian restaurant in Boston's North End this fall, and it was incredible. This is a very easy and healthy make-at-home version. This is going on my list of go-to recipes. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Cooking Light

2 cups water, divided
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-salt beef broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Bring 1 1/2 cups water and broth to a simmer in a large saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 cup water, squash, salt, and pepper; cook 10 minutes or until squash is tender and water has almost evaporated. Add rice; stir until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add the remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total). Stir in cheese, butter, and parsley. Serve immediately.





Oh, here is a picture of my Valentine's Day gift from my Mom. Monday night, she brought me a goodie bag of candy, some gorgeous earrings, and two cool kitchen gadgets! She got me a potato ricer...which is awesome...it can be used to make mashed potatoes, soups, and even baby food! AAAnd...this sweet little Le Creuset heart dish. I am using it to hold my Italian spice blend. So cute! Thanks Mom!