Harvest Ravioli

I was pleasantly surprised with how light and delicious this dish was. It definitely reminded me of something you would eat in the fall after a day at the pumpkin patch. The only thing that I would like to try differently with this meal is, instead of using chicken broth I would like to add vegetable broth so that this meal could be enjoyed by my vegetarian friends as well.

Recipe:

1 cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 pound) butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thin wedges
1 (20 to 24 ounce) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Snipped fresh sage (optional)

1) In a very large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash, broth, and dried sage (if using). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

2) Combine apple cider and cornstarch; add to skillet along with apple wedges and fresh sage (if using). Cook, stirring gently, until thickened and bubbly. Cook, uncovered, 2 minutes more.

3) Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain. Add ravioli to hot apple mixture; toss gently to combine. To serve, top with walnuts, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and if desired, additional fresh sage.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Yields: 6 servings

Source: BHG

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

This was one of the best vegetarian lasagna dishes that I have ever had. The roasted vegetables are what make this dish amazing; I was eating them right out of the oven before I even put them in the lasagna. The only problem I had with this dish is that I decided to make my own marinara sauce instead of using store bought and it made my lasagna a little runny. My marinara sauce was really good but I didn't care for all of the juices, so either use your own recipe for marinara sauce or just buy it from the store.

Recipe:

15 dried lasagna noodles
4 cups zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces
2½ cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
1½ cups coarsely chopped red or green sweet peppers
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (12 ounce) carton cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups marinara sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Place on waxed paper.

2) Meanwhile, preheat broiler. In a very large bowl combine zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, and sweet pepper. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Toss well to combine. Place vegetable mixture in a shallow roasting pan.

3) Broil vegetables 5 to 6 inches from the heat for 6 minutes. Stir vegetables and broil 6 to 8 minutes more or until light brown and tender. Set vegetables aside.

4) Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, egg, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese; set aside.

5) Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Place one-third of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Add a layer noodles on top of sauce. Top with half of the roasted vegetables, one-third of the sauce, and one-third of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles, all of the cottage cheese mixture, and one-third of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining vegetables, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

6) Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Other Time: 10 minutes | Yields: 9 servings

Source: BHG

Tortellini Stir-Fry

I love this meal just for the simple fact that it is super easy and fast. No lie this meal is done from start to finish in 20 minutes. Great to make on those nights when you get home from work and you just don't feel like making anything. I have finally perfected this recipe using a homemade peanut sauce instead of the jarred, since everyone that we tried was way too HOT for our liking.

Tortellini Stir-Fry Recipe:

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 (16 ounce) package fresh cut or frozen stir-fry vegetables (such as broccoli, pea pods, carrots, and celery)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
¾ cup peanut stir-fry sauce
¼ cup chopped dry-roasted cashews

1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2) In wok or large skillet stir-fry vegetables in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes (7 to 8 minutes for frozen vegetables) or until crisp-tender. Add pasta and stir-fry sauce; toss gently to coat. Heat through. Sprinkle with cashews; serve immediately.

Notes: Vary this recipe every time by choosing a different vegetable blend.

Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Source: BHG

Thai Peanut Sauce:

¼ cup honey
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Stir together the honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

Yields: 3/4 cup

Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese

I personally love Macaroni and Cheese recipes that use 3 or 4 different kinds of cheese, but my goal was to find a kid friendly recipe that was very similar to the boxed Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and I found it on the Food Network's website from Alton Brown. This recipe is simple to make and even though I do not have kids to test this on, my husband and I decided that this is what our kids will grow up knowing as Mac-n-Cheese. No more boxed stuff EVER again in our house!  So, if our kids are anything like my husband they will get overly excited when they see this on the stove.

Recipe:

1 pound elbow macaroni (4 cups)
8 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
1½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 (8 ounces) sharp cheddar, shredded

1) In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.
2) Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over medium-low heat continue to stir for 6 minutes or until creamy.

Notes: Can use mild cheddar cheese instead of sharp. Please note: All ingredients were doubled, so if you don't want as much just cut everything in half.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Alton Brown

Lasagna

Almost everyone has their own personal favorite lasagna recipe, but this was just so yummy that I couldn't NOT add it to my personal cookbook. My husband and I love making this because we usually end up freezing half of it and pull it out on days when we just don't feel like cooking up something.

I personally love the meat sauce and can eat it by the spoonful. Thinking about this is making me so hungry right now. Oh and this lasagna is even better the next day. If you decide to make this you won't be disappointed.

Recipe:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
32 ounces Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Nutmeg
3½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1) In a Dutch oven, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
2) Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Or, Place your lasagna noodles in a 9×13 baking dish and pour hot tap water over them and let sit for 30 minutes or until noodles are slightly softened. Pour the water off when ready to use.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, eggs, remaining parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle a couple shakes of nutmeg.
4) Preheat oven to 375°F.
5) To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
6) Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray.
7) Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: Save yourself the pre-boil noodle step and the hassle of dealing with very fragile cooked noodles by soaking them instead. Note: My lasagna pan only allows me to make 2-layers, adjust the layering for your pan.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 3 hours | Yields: 12 servings