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Quick, Easy and Delicious Vegetarian Lasagna

January 24, 2011 By

Everyone loves lasagna, and it is the perfect dinner on a cold wintery night, but it can be kind of cumbersome to make.  Here is a great recipe, courtesy of Real Simple (one of my favorite magazines!) that is super easy.  You might already have all the ingredients in your pantry.  

Serves 6| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon in a third of the sauce.
  2. Arrange 12 ravioli on top and scatter the spinach over them. Top with half of each cheese. Cover with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce and cheese.
  3. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly.
Filed Under: Food & Snacks, Home Life, Moms On The Go, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Cupcakes Make You Smile

January 11, 2011 By

Cupcakes are hot.  What is not to love about cupcakes?  They are fun and cute and tasty.  Easy to make, they bring a smile to everyone, and nobody ever says no to a cupcake!  Cupcake specialty stores are cropping up all over the country.  For a limited time Starbucks is offering cupcakes for your afternoon sugar fix.  If you are in Boston, check out my friend Isabelle’s store, Curly Cakes, at 81 Charles Street for some of the best tasting cupcakes around.  There is even a cupcake store in Cambridge, MA that sells icing shots for those who favor the the style over the substance.

With yet another Snopocalypse headed for the East Coast, there may be a few days of housebound activities in your future.  Why not whip up a batch of smile inducing treats?

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs

Easy Cupcake Recipe Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add shortening, milk, and vanilla.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.

Add eggs to the mixture.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Scrape bowl again.  Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.

Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting recipe or try this recipe for Buttercream Frosting.

Butter Cream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

Makes about 4 cups

  • 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)
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Girlosophy: Real Girls Eat

January 9, 2011 By

If you have a teen or tween girl in your life you are probably aware of the barrage of food and body issues that they are assaulted with every day.  Even as grown ups it’s sometimes hard to stay on your own path and not fall prey to negative messages about food and diet and body types.  Girlosophy is a series of  award winning self-help/spirituality books written by Anthea Paul. Started in 2000 with Girlosophy: A Soul Survival Kit, there are currently eight published Girlosophy books. The books are directed toward young women, emphasizing being true to oneself, using big sister advice and fun and modern visuals from around the world with no photo manipulation.  

Girlosophy: Real Girls Eat, is an inspirational cookbook.  The book makes a point to stress that it is not a traditional diet book beacuse it does not focus on eating to lose weight.  Instead it focuses on eating healthy.  The book is separated into three parts:  the first part is an informational section providing facts and guidance on how to choose foods that are not only good for the body but also good for the environment.  The next two sections are full of recipes.  The first section of recipes are contributions from real young women from various parts of the world, the second recipe section and final part  of the book is a compilation of recipes from Anthea Paul’s sister, Kate Paul, a professional chef.

As a mother, I highly recommend this book for young women as a way to help them develop a positive relationship with food and their bodies.  As someone who likes to prepare and cook healthy food, this book is a great resource for tasty and unique recipes.  You can purchase Girlosophy: Real Girls Eat, and the entire Girlosophy series at Amazon.com.


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Really Easy Candy Cane Cookies

December 21, 2010 By

I love buying baking magazines with recipes for exotic and beautiful cookies and baked goods.  It always seems like a great idea to make batches of holiday cookies to give as hostess gifts or share with my friends (or just eat by myself), but when it comes time to actually deliver the goods and make these complicated confections my mind kind of shuts down and I end up making brownies from a mix or just going to Starbucks and getting a latte instead.  If you are determined to whip up a batch of festive cookies but feel intimidated by the process, here is a super easy recipe for cookies that LOOK and TASTE delicious:

Candy Cane Cookies

1 large roll of slice and bake sugar cookie dough

Red food coloring

Coarse granulated sugar

Cut the roll of cookie dough in half and let it warm to room temperature.  Put a few drops of red food coloring in half the dough and blend well, so you have a white ball and a red ball of dough.  Chill both balls for about an hour so it is easy to work with.  Using your hands pinch off a few tablespoons worth of white dough and roll between your hands to form a stick shape, about 1/2″ thick and 5″ long.  Do the same with the red dough, wrapping each around the other to form a braid.  Bend into the shape of a candy cane, and place on a greased cookie pan.  Repeat until all the dough is finished.  Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake according to the wrapper directions, usually 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

These cookies are so easy to make that they are a fun activity for little hands.  There is a minimal amount of mess and the end result will leave you feeling like a kitchen diva!  Enjoy…

Filed Under: Holiday Features, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Get Help Preparing Yummy AND Nutritious Meals

November 30, 2010 By

If your kids are picky eaters and you’re worried about the quality of their nutrition, the cookbook, No Whine With Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms, may be just what you’re looking for.

“With kids, it’s not just about taste,” said Liz Weiss, co-author of the book. “It’s about smell, look and texture which is very important.”  Weiss and her co-author Janice Newell Bissex both have two children, and a long list of credentials in the culinary and nutrition worlds. Their first cookbook, The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time, was published in 2004.

The idea for writing a family-friendly cookbook came to Weiss at the beginning of the obesity bubble. While at the playground talking to other moms, Weiss recalls repeatedly hearing them speak about how their children wouldn’t eat anything but chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

Taking into account that skinny children can eat a lot of junk, and heavy children may eat healthy but lack portion control, Weiss wanted to find a way to improve kids’ nutrition by encouraging parents to feed their children the right foods. Her goal was to take family-favorite recipes and give them a makeover.

Keeping the eating experience as a whole for the child in mind is key, says Weiss.  ”There are certain ingredients that you won’t find in our recipes, such as diced tomatoes,” she said. “We do use crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and chopped nuts, but we finely chop them. Kids don’t like lumps.”

Weiss also highlights the importance of not straying too far from a child’s comfort zone.

Weiss also recommends stocking a pantry with staples such as whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, Omega-3 eggs, canola oil, frozen fruits and vegetables, canned pureed pumpkin, canned boneless skinless salmon, pasta sauce, salsa, flour tortillas and reduced-fat cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

For any mom apprehensive about giving their child’s meals a makeover, Weiss says to keep it simple, with basic ingredients, easy-to-assemble dishes and simple flavors.

“Build from there, but keep it familiar,” she said. “Most importantly, have fun doing it.”

More information on Weiss, Newell Bissex and their cookbooks can be found at mealmakeovermoms.com .

Their cookbook can be purchased from Amazon.com, or on their website where you can receive an additional 10 percent off using the promotional code MOMS2010.

This article was written by Ashley Dowse, and originally appeared in the Lexington Patch.

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Home Life, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Easy Recipe to Wake Up a Summer Picnic

July 27, 2010 By

I recently discovered garlic scapes at my local farmer’s market, and I’ve started cooking with them on a regular basis.  Garlic scapes are those long green things that grow from garlic heads when they get overripe.  They taste like a cross between garlic and scallions and are wonderful sauteed over steak or mixed into soup to enhance the flavor.  If you are planning a summer picnic or entertaining friends, here is a great recipe to try:

White Bean & Garlic Scape Dip

1.  In a food processor, process 3 – 4 garlic scapes, juice of 1/2 lemon, and salt and pepper to taste, until finely chopped.

2.  Add 1 can (15 ounces) of rinsed and drained cannelli beans, and process until fairly smooth.  With motor running,drizzle 1/3 cup olive oil and process until the mixture is the consistency of a dip.

3.  Transfer to a bowl or plate, add more lemon juice and salt and pepper if desired.  Chill for about an hour.  Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

And for a fun and easy alternative to the classic margarita try this:

Add 2 ounces chilled silver tequila to 1 12 oz bottle of Fizzy Izzy Grapefruit soda.  Stir and serve over ice.

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Lucie’s Grocery Challenge: Week Two

May 18, 2010 By

When my husband and I decided to challenge ourselves by spending no more than $100 per week on all food and beverages, we were prepared for a rocky road.  During our first week of the challenge, we sailed through- spending just $87 without feeling deprived.

I’d love to add some drama to this series by reporting that we failed in Week Two.  Unfortunately, we didn’t!  We actually spent even less, just $86.  So now I’m wondering if our budget was challenging enough.  And if we keep coming in under budget, what should we do with the difference? Stash it in our vacation fund?  Donate it to an organization like Feeding America?  (Of course, one of those options is a lot more fun than the other, but you know what they say about treasures in heaven…)

During Week Two, we maximized our budget by focusing on whole foods- unprepared fruits, vegetables, and grains.  I’ve always heard that each time a food item is chopped, cooked, or otherwise prepped for you, you’re adding cost and calories and subtracting nutrients. So we’ve nixed a lot of pre-fab foods and replaced them with whole ingredients like dried lentils, which are superstars at creating healthy, inexpensive meals.  An added bonus?  My husband’s lost four pounds without feeling hungry at all!

I’ve been utilizing online resources like Epicurious to find cool, new recipes.  A great score this week?  Harira, a hearty Moroccan dish with chicken and rice.  I subbed out some of the pricier ingredients (looking at you, saffron) and created a delicious curry with plenty to freeze for future meals.

One thing that just isn’t possible on this budget?  Dining out.  Once this challenge ends, I’m looking forward to supporting some of our favorite restaurants again, but I hope we’ll treat dining out more like a special treat instead of using it as a crutch.  What about you?  What’s the balance between dining out and eating in at your house? And how do you decide which restaurants are worthy of a splurge?

Lucie Amberg is also a contributor to Powder Room Graffiti.

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