Category: Main Dish

Recipes for main dishes.

Winter can’t squash my love of fall vegetables

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 30, 2023

Roasted butternut squash soup is a fabulous combination of warm, late season flavors that create a delicious side dish for any fall or winter meal.

I know now that we’re in post-Thanksgiving life, I’m supposed to transition to only Christmas-y flavors and foods with tons of sugar and peppermint and red and green food dye, but I have to be honest, I’m still not ready to be finished with fall vegetables.

Luckily, our local grocery store isn’t, either, because I was able to get a huge, beautiful butternut squash this week that I immediately knew needed to become some kind of soup.

I did a search and found a recipe from the blog “Little Spoon Farm” by Amy Duska that was just what I was looking for. You can find the original post at https://littlespoonfarm.com/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/. I added extra garlic and seasonings in my version.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted butternut squash soup is a fabulous combination of warm, late season flavors that create a delicious side dish for any fall or winter meal.

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Keyword butternut squash, fresh garlic, garlic, pureed soup, roasted vegetables, sage, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 butternut squash 3 to 4 pounds
1 medium yellow onion
2 heads fresh garlic
2-4 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, but don’t throw them away.
Cut the onion into quarters, and cut just the tops off the heads of garlic.
Put the squash, cut side up, and the onions on the baking sheet. Pour just a touch of olive oil over the top of each head of garlic, sprinkle them a little sage, thyme, salt and pepper, and wrap them loosely in foil. Place them on the baking sheet, too.
Rub a coat of olive oil over the squash and onions, and then sprinkle them with sage, thyme, salt and pepper, too.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside so the vegetables can cool enough for you to handle them.
In the meantime, rinse the seeds you removed from the squash to get rid of all the goopy strings. Dry them with a paper towel, and then put them in a small bowl, along with one tablespoon of olive oil and salt, to taste. Stir well to coat the seeds in oil and salt.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the seeds and let them brown, stirring regularly (be aware that they might try to jump out of the pan as they roast). Once they are lightly browned, remove the seeds from the heat, and set them aside.
If you have an immersion blender, heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat at this point. If not, you’ll want to have the pot ready but first add the ingredients to a blender and then transfer them to your pot after you puree them. (Remember to add a little stock to the blender with each batch so there’s liquid to help the blending process.)
Add the vegetable stock to the pot. Scoop out all the squash, discarding the skin, and put it into the pot, along with the roasted onions. Carefully squeeze as much of the roasted garlic out of each bulb as you can into the pot. Using your immersion blender, blend the soup until everything is smooth, and continue stirring regularly until the soup is hot. Stir in the cream, add any more seasonings, and serve with the roasted seeds sprinkled on top.

This was absolutely delicious. It would make for a perfect meal with a sandwich, but we opted to put ours alongside some steaks. It was one of those soups that warmed you all the way through with all the flavor of roasted vegetables and herbs, and it reheated well as leftovers, too.

Also, this recipe taught me that you can roast squash seeds. I have done pumpkin seeds many times, but I never thought about doing the same thing with the other members of the gourd family. They were a great add, creating just a little crunch and nuttiness in the bowl.

I’m so happy there is still squash on the produce shelves. I’m crossing my fingers they’ll be there through the rest of winter, too, because I definitely want to make this soup again. There are some parts of fall that even Christmas can’t beat.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 30, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags butternut squash, fresh garlic, garlic, pureed soup, roasted vegetables, sage, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, yellow onion

Main Dish

A hearty pot pie is a ‘crust’-try recipe this time of year

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 23, 2023

Mushroom and leek chicken pot pie is hearty and delicious. Even better, it can be made using lots of Thanksgiving meal leftovers.

For a recent meal with friends, I made a cherry pie to share, and since I knew I sometimes get carried away with lattice pie crusts and run out before I’m done weaving, I made one extra crust, just in case.

Of course, once I was done making pie, I wrapped the crust up, determined I would use it for, well, something.

When Joey spotted it, he suggested something I, amazingly, have never tried making before: a chicken pot pie, pointing out that people might have leftovers around Thanksgiving that would be perfect for such a meal.

I did a lot of digging to find just the right pot pie to try and finally landed on one from the blog “Brooklyn Supper” by Elizabeth Stark. You can find the original post at https://brooklynsupper.com/mushroom-and-leek-chicken-pot-pie/. I changed things up to include more veggies in the pot pie and added extra seasonings in my version.

Mushroom and Leek Chicken Pot Pie

Mushroom and leek chicken pot pie is hearty and delicious. Even better, it can be made using lots of Thanksgiving meal leftovers.

Course Main Course

Keyword bay leaves, black pepper, black peppercorns, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, fresh mushrooms, leek, meat pie, pie crust, pot pie, potatoes, puff pastry, Thanksgiving leftovers, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion diced
2 large carrots diced
2 large celery ribs diced
3 bay leaves
20 to 30 peppercorns
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs or legs
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms I used baby bellas, sliced
1 leek thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes diced (I used Russet)
1/3 cup flour
1 sheet thawed puff pastry or one pie crust
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a Dutch oven or stockpot with a lid, add four cups water, onion, carrots and celery. Put the bay leaves and peppercorns in a tied-up cheese cloth or a tea infuser, and place that in the pot, too. (If you don’t have that, put the bay leaves directly in the water and just put freshly ground pepper, to taste, in the pot.) Turn the heat to medium, and place the lid partially covering the pot, letting the water start to simmer gently.
Prep the chicken by sprinkling it with salt and pepper, to taste.
Heat one to two tablespoons olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken, searing on all sides until it is golden brown.
Once the chicken is golden on all sides, add it to the simmering water and put the lid back on, partially covering the pot. Let the chicken simmer until it reaches 165 internal temperature, and then carefully debone it, chopping it into bite-sized pieces as you go.
While the chicken cooks, add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the skillet if there isn’t much fat in the pan, and add the mushrooms and leeks, sauteing over medium heat until the leeks are soft and the mushrooms are just starting to crisp up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and the flour, continuing to saute until the flour is no longer white and all of the vegetables are evenly coated—five to 10 minutes or so.
Remove the bundle of seasonings (or the bay leaves) from the broth pot, and begin spooning the broth into the skillet (along with the veggies), about one-half cup at a time, stirring well and giving the gravy time to thicken in between. Once all of the broth is in the skillet, and you’ve given the gravy time to thicken up, add flour, a sprinkle at a time, if you feel like it’s too runny.
Finally, stir in the chicken and more salt and pepper, to taste.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and have it and a pastry brush ready for the next step.
Roll out the puff pastry or pie dough into a circle large enough to cover the entire skillet. Carefully place it onto the top of the skillet, folding over any overhang back into the skillet.
Brush the crust with a quick egg wash, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cut at least two slits in the top of the pie.
Bake for 20 minutes, turn down the heat to 350 degrees and then bake another 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is fully heated through.

This was really delicious, and it was amazing as leftovers, too.

As for using Thanksgiving leftovers, you’ll want to have about three cups of chicken or turkey broth that you’ll simmer the vegetables in, along with a couple cups of shredded turkey. Basically, you’ll just skip the step of sauteing the chicken and making your own broth.

And even if you don’t end up with enough leftovers to make pot pie, put this on your “to try” list. It’s hearty, filling and a great cold-night dinner.

I imagine it would be pretty fabulous with a side of leftover cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes, too.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 23, 2023.

Tags bay leaves, black pepper, black peppercorns, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, fresh mushrooms, leek, meat pie, pie crust, pot pie, potatoes, puff pastry, Thanksgiving leftovers, yellow onion

Main Dish Pressure Cooker

You can cook a whole chicken—even under pressure

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 16, 2023

A whole chicken can be cooked quickly, along with sliced onions and bell peppers, to create a delicious, slightly spicy bird, perfect over rice, mashed potatoes or served inside a tortilla.

Last weekend, Joey attended a day-long bowling tournament.

The day before he left, he lamented that he didn’t think he would have time to throw a whole chicken we bought on the smoker and may have to toss it back in the freezer.

Instead, I offered to put it in the oven on my day alone and have it ready for dinner when he came home.

When he stepped in the door at the end of the day, I was happily putting fresh bedsheets on our mattress, feeling accomplished with my day of laundry.

“Did you decide not to do that chicken,” Joey asked, after we talked about his tournament.

Oops. I totally forgot about the chicken!

Joey waved off my mistake, but I immediately started searching online. I still had an hour or so before dinner time, and I knew just the appliance that could save me: my pressure cooker.

So, this week’s recipe isn’t about a deliciously slow-roasted chicken, basting in its own juices in my oven. Instead, it’s a quick, delicious and slightly spicy bird that managed to save dinner and give us plenty of leftovers for the week.

The recipe I used came from the blog “Chew Out Loud” by Amy Dong. You can find the original post at https://www.chewoutloud.com/instant-pot-whole-chicken/. I doubled every spice in my version and added bell peppers.

Spicy Pressure Cooker Chicken

A whole chicken can be cooked quickly, along with sliced onions and bell peppers, to create a delicious, slightly spicy bird, perfect over rice, mashed potatoes or served inside a tortilla.

Course Main Course

Keyword bell pepper, black pepper, cayenne, chicken broth, chicken stock, garlic powder, Instantpot, paprika, pressure cooker, thyme, whole chicken, yellow onion

Ingredients

5 to 6 pound whole chicken
3 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion sliced
2 bell peppers any color, sliced
1 cup chicken broth I subbed in a bouillon dissolved in water

Instructions

Prepare your whole chicken by removing the giblets, and patting it dry—inside and out—with paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme and black pepper, and stir to mix them together.
Using a knife, loosen the skin around the breast, back, legs and thighs of the chicken so you can slide a spoon or your hands inside, and evenly distribute about two-thirds of your spice mixture under the skin all over the bird. Press the rest onto the top of the skin and inside the bird, coating it as evenly as you can. Set the bird aside.
In your pressure cooker, line the bottom with the sliced onions and peppers and pour in the chicken broth. Place the prepared bird on top of the vegetables (it doesn’t matter which direction is up or down). Secure the lid and cook the bird on high pressure for 25 minutes, letting the steam naturally release for at least 15 minutes afterwards.
Temp the chicken. It should read at least 165 degrees in its thickest spots. If not, do another 15 to 20 minutes of high pressure cooking until it does.
Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing or shredding it. Serve it with the vegetables over rice, mashed potatoes or in tortillas.

This was moist and tender, and we ended up making burritos, along with some Mexican rice. The chicken had just a bit of a kick to it, but it wasn’t so spicy that it knocked our socks off. If the heat scares you a little or you don’t think your tablemates are up to it, just decrease or eliminate the cayenne pepper.

Thanks to my pressure cooker this weekend, dinner was saved in the Young household. Now if I could just find the laundry equivalent to quick cooking, my future weekends might really be set.

This piece initially appeared in print on Nov. 16, 2023.

Tags bell pepper, black pepper, cayenne, chicken broth, chicken stock, garlic powder, Instantpot, paprika, pressure cooker, thyme, whole chicken, yellow onion

Main Dish

Say ‘oky gnocchi’ to trying this creamy pasta dish

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 2, 2023

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.

International cuisine website “Saveur” features an article called “Pasta’s Predecessor: The History of Gnocchi,” that I found really interesting when trying to figure out how the little potato dumplings came to be.

As with all traditional foods, there is controversy about where in Italy the dish originated, as well as when it was first developed, but according to the article, there are references to gnocchi all the way back to the Renaissance, which is pretty neat.

Historical gnocchi was made with a variety of ingredients, and if you start searching, you’ll find modern chefs love to play with it, too.

I really like cooking with gnocchi, because it is incredibly easy to prepare and adds some great, soft texture to a pasta dish.

That’s why I had to give this week’s recipe a try when I spotted it online. It looked like the perfect cool-weather dinner meal to sample.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/ground-beef-gnocchi/. I added extra seasonings in my version.

Ground Beef Gnocchi

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, garlic, gnocchi, ground beef, heavy cream, minced garlic, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, potato gnocchi, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion diced (I used yellow)
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
14- ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
1/3 cup chicken broth or water
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound potato gnocchi uncooked
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet with a lid, saute the ground beef and the onions over medium heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks.
Once the ground beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain of any excess grease from the pan.
Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and saute for just a couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, broth/water and heavy cream, and stir until combined. When the mixture begins bubbling slightly, stir in the gnocchi.
Place the lid on the pan, turning the heat to low-medium, and let it simmer for five minutes.
Remove the lid and stir again, letting the sauce reduce a bit for a few minutes.
Once the sauce is as thick as you like it and the gnocchi is soft, stir in the parmesan and serve immediately.

This was creamy and delicious. It was basically impossible to avoid getting seconds. All of the Italian seasonings melded with the richness of the gnocchi and the light saltiness of the parmesan to create a fabulous meal.

I’m guessing the use of store-bought tomatoes and dried herbs wasn’t quite what the originators of gnocchi had in mind when they first created the dumplings, but I’d also wager they would be pretty happy with the outcome if they gave it a taste.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 2, 2023.

Tags basil, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, garlic, gnocchi, ground beef, heavy cream, minced garlic, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, potato gnocchi, yellow onion

Main Dish

Cook up all the ‘gourd’ things for fall weather

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date October 19, 2023

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.

Early to mid-October is one of the harder times of year for me to decide what to cook.

Since the Kansas weather can’t make up its mind, I’m never sure if it will be a day where I’m happy to heat up my kitchen by firing up the oven or if I’ll regret raising the temperature in our house.

Despite that, I’m never wishy-washy about all of the fall vegetables that start to hit the grocery store shelves. I could subsist almost completely on squash and sweet potatoes, and I’m always excited to get to cook with them again each year.

So, on a day this past week when I was pretty sure it was going to be an “oven day,” I grabbed some squash and Brussels spouts and hurried home to whip up my first official fall meal so I could share it with all of you.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Julia’s Album.” You can find the original post at https://juliasalbum.com/autumn-chicken-dinner-roasted-vegetables/. I added extra spices and garlic to my version.

Fall Chicken and Vegetables

Fall chicken and vegetables features all the flavors of the season with sweet butternut squash, earthy Brussels spouts and plenty of garlic, along with cheesy tortellini and paprika-seasoned chicken.

Course Main Course

Keyword autumn recipe, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cheese tortellini, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, fall recipe, garlic, minced garlic, paprika, thyme

Ingredients

3 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
12 ounces Brussels spouts halved
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
9 ounces cheese tortellini
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into strips
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons thyme
3 tablespoons butter
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
Add the squash and Brussels sprouts to the baking sheet, and then pour on two tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the vegetables with a spoon or your hands until everything is evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out as evenly as possible, and bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender. (Stir them around a bit after about 20 minutes in the oven.)
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the tortellini according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
For the chicken, place the strips into a bowl and season with the paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir the chicken with a spoon or your hands until the spices are evenly distributed onto all the chicken.
In a large skillet (go big; you’re adding the vegetables and pasta later), heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and saute for about five minutes on each side until the chicken is browned to your liking and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for now.
Add the butter to the skillet. When it’s melted, add in the garlic. Saute for about two minutes, until the garlic is lightly browned a fragrant.
Add the tortellini to the skillet and toss to coat it in the butter/garlic mixture.
Add in the chicken and any accumulated juices and the roasted vegetables and toss again to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

This was delicious. I definitely went back in for another helping, and it made a lot of food. I will say it was not quite as good when reheated as it was the first night we had it, but the leftovers were still pretty tasty.

The flavor profile for this is quintessentially fall, which I was excited to experience.

And even if the weather keeps dipping back and forth on the temperature gauge, I’ll keep this recipe around and ready for the rest of October and November.

I’m ready for some autumn flavors, even if Mother Nature is not.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 19, 2023.

Tags autumn recipe, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cheese tortellini, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, fall recipe, garlic, minced garlic, paprika, thyme

Main Dish

The food choices surprised us ‘Honduran’ this trip

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date August 24, 2023

Pupusas are a Central American tradition, featuring warm corn cakes stuffed with cheese, meat or beans.

Earlier this summer, while on a trip to Kentucky for a conference, Joey and I asked around to the locals where we should grab lunch in Frankfort.

One of the recurring suggestions was to visit a little Honduran restaurant, Mami Monchita’s.

I don’t know what food genre I expected people in Kentucky to recommend, but I am certain it wasn’t Central American.

That being said, our policy to always trust the locals on where to eat paid off. The meal was absolutely fabulous, and I’ve been a bit obsessed with trying to cook something Honduran at home ever since.

While there, I ordered a meal that included pupusas, which “World Vision” explains thusly on its website, “Take masa harina—a special flour made from corn that’s been soaked in lime water—and add salt and water to create a dough. Roll it out and fill with cheese, beans or pork. Lightly fry in a pan until both sides are golden.”

So, this week, I finally decided to take the plunge into making my own pupusas, and while I’ll still need plenty of practice to be as good at it as the folks in Frankfort, these did not disappoint.

The recipe I used comes from the blog “Tara’s Multicultural Table.” You can find the original post on https://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/pupusas-de-queso-salvadoran-cheese-stuffed-tortillas/. I added pork to my version and used cheese I could find locally.

Pupusas

Pupusas are a Central American tradition, featuring warm corn cakes stuffed with cheese, meat or beans.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Central American, Honduran

Keyword beans, masa harina, Monterrey jack cheese, pupusa, quesillo, shredded beef, shredded chicken, shredded pork

Ingredients

2 cups masa harina
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups warm water
6 ounces shredded quesillo or Monterrey jack cheese
6 ounces shredded cooked pork, chicken or beef
2-6 tablespoons oil I used canola

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine the masa harina, salt and water.
Mix until the dough comes together and you can shape it with your hands. You want it to be just moist enough that it doesn’t crack when you flatten it out. (Add more water, just a little at a time, if it’s too dry, or add more masa if it’s too wet.)
Form the dough into six balls of roughly equal size.
To make a pupusa, carefully flatten a ball of dough in your palm to about one-half inch in thickness. Place about a tablespoon each of cheese and meat into the center, and then squish the sides up around the filling to form a ball again.
To finish it up, gently flatten the dough back out to a disc with your hands until it is about one-quarter-inch thick, and set it aside on a plate. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
When the pan is hot, add as many pupusas as will easily fit in the pan. Let them cook several minutes and form golden brown blistered spots before flipping them to the other side. When the second side is golden, remove them to a plate. Continue until all of the pupusas are cooked, adding oil as necessary.
Serve with salsa or, for a traditional dish, curtido, which is a pickled slaw.

We really enjoyed these. I would say that if you enjoy the flavor of tamales, you would like pupusas, too. You can also add beans to this if you like or do any combination of cheese, beans and/or meat that you like. One of these days, I’m going to make curtido to go along with these. (There is a recipe for it at the same website link above.) We served ours with a spicy, homemade tomatillo salsa, along with some Mexican rice, and it was a delicious dinner.

I will definitely be making these again.

And if you’re wondering if it’s strange for a boring lady in Kansas to cook Honduran recipes in her kitchen, I’d say it’s probably fine. If Kentucky can get away with it, I reckon I can, too.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 24, 2023.

Tags beans, masa harina, Monterrey jack cheese, pupusa, quesillo, shredded beef, shredded chicken, shredded pork

Main Dish

Lighten up and try a new lasagna recipe this week

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date August 3, 2023

This lightened up version of homemade lasagna still packs in tons of great flavor, despite using lower-fat ingredients.

I know that most of the recipes I share with you in this space are “sometimes” foods.

From pasta-laden, full-fat casseroles swimming in cheese to decadent desserts with more sugar than a bag of Pixy Stix, I know the temptation is real.

But we all need some recipes that look and sound a bit sinful but actually aren’t as bad as they seem. That’s where this week’s dish comes in. As soon as I saw a lightened version of lasagna, I knew I needed to try it and hoped it would be as good as it looked.

Good news: it was.

This comes from the blog “You Brew My Tea” by Katie Hale. You can find the original post at https://www.youbrewmytea.com/lightened-homemade-lasagna-dish. I added way more herbs/spices and changed the amounts of some of the other ingredients in my version.

Lightened Homemade Lasagna

This lightened up version of homemade lasagna still packs in tons of great flavor, despite using lower-fat ingredients.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, cottage cheese, garlic, green bell pepper, ground turkey, lasagna, light recipe, low-fat, mozzarella, onion powder, oregano, oven-ready lasagna, red bell pepper, red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, tomato paste, tomato sauce, turkey sausage

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey breast
1 pound Italian turkey sausage
1 red bell pepper diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 medium yellow onion diced
8 cloves garlic minced
3, 15- ounce cans tomato sauce
6 ounces tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles

Instructions

Heat a stock pot or Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. Add the turkey and sausage and saute until it is fully cooked, crumbling the meat as you go.
When the meat is almost totally cooked, add in the bell peppers and onions and saute for another five minutes or so.
Add the garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, onion powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
Leave the burner on medium and place the lid on the pot. Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce simmers, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta and one cup of the mozzarella into a bowl. Stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a deep nine-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Remove the sauce from the heat, give it another good stir, and start assembling your lasagna.
Place four noodles on the bottom of the casserole dish. (I had to break one of mine to get fill coverage. It doesn’t have to be perfect.) Spread one-third of the sauce over the noodles, and then dollop one-third of the cheese mixture on top of the sauce.
Repeat twice more.
After the final layer, add the final cup of shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot with some crusty bread.

We really, really enjoyed this. It wasn’t as decadent as making a full-fat lasagna (especially because I love making Paula Deen’s version), but it was still really good, and just like with regular lasagna, we thought it was even better when we reheated the leftovers the next day. I loved the bell pepper flavor in the sauce.

We also put several pieces in the freezer for quick meals down the road, and those have defrosted and reheated well, too.

I’m still going to keep normal lasagna directions in my recipe box for special occasions, but this one is going to go on a card right next to it. I can never give up my “sometimes” foods, but recipes like this certainly help in between.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 3, 2023.

Main Dish

Make a great Asian dish like you’ve never had ‘beef’ore

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date July 6, 2023

Mongolian beef features delicious seared steak with a sticky, yummy Asian-inspired sauce that goes great over a bed of rice.

I was so glad this week that the smoke detector in my kitchen isn’t particularly sensitive.

As I sauteed thin slices of steak on my stovetop, the room filled with a fine smoke that my exhaust fan just couldn’t keep up with.

I am normally really nervous about cooking anything on high heat. I think it goes back to the first place I moved into when I left home. The cooktop in my rental got extra, extra hot and led to my first experience with a grease fire, despite having the temperature set to what should have been a normal one for frying. (Always remember to smother a grease fire with a lid, and do not to try to put it out with water!)

My current oven is newer and behaves itself, though, so despite putting off a little smoke, my dish turned out absolutely delicious.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Dinner at the Zoo” by Sara Welch. You can find it at https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/mongolian-beef/. I added veggies and extra seasoning in my version.

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian beef features delicious seared steak with a sticky, yummy Asian-inspired sauce that goes great over a bed of rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword bell pepper, brown sugar, flank steak, fresh ginger, green onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, top round steak

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds flank or top round steak sliced thinly
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil I ended up needing more than this
2 bell peppers any color, cut into strips
1/2 cup green onions cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger minced (I used ginger paste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
rice or rice noodles and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

Cut the steak into one-inch-wide strips and add it to a plastic bag with 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Seal the bag and shake to evenly coat the strips.
Prepare a plate by lining it with a paper towel and set it aside.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil on high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the strips of steak in a single layer. Saute for a few minutes on each side until the meat is browned. Remove the strips from the skillet and place them on the paper-towel-lined plate.
Continue in batches (adding more oil if it’s sticking) until all the meat is browned.
Turn the heat down to medium-high heat, add a bit more oil if necessary and add in the bell peppers and green onions. Saute until they reach your desired level of doneness. Toss in the garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds to a minute.
Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, water and brown sugar to the pan, making sure to scrape the bottom for any good, browned bits from the steak and the veggies. Let the mixture come to a simmer, stirring regularly.
In a small bowl, combine the other two teaspoons of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture is starting to thicken, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the steak. Make sure to mix well to evenly coat everything.
Add salt and pepper as desired (I didn’t have to add any salt at all, thanks to the other seasonings. It’s better to taste the sauce first.)
Serve over prepared rice or rice noodles and top with sesame seeds.

This was amazing. In fact, I have already made a second batch of this one in the time since I first tried it. The sauce is sticky and has tons of great flavor without being cloyingly sweet. This also reheats super well as leftovers, so be sure to make some extra rice or noodles so you have pre-made meals for later in the week.

And pay attention to your own stovetop’s “high” setting when you try this. Some are more sensitive than others—as are some smoke detectors. But as long as you get a good sear on your meat, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

This piece first appeared in print on July 6, 2023.

Tags bell pepper, brown sugar, flank steak, fresh ginger, green onion, minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, top round steak

Main Dish

Put a little pep in your pasta with veggies and feta

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date June 15, 2023

Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.

I have to confess that I have never been much of a cyclist. I finally learned how to ride a bike—mostly because I was embarrassed that my younger sister was (literally) riding circles around me.

We would go out riding occasionally, and I rode a bit when I was in college, but it has never turned into a full-blown hobby, partially because my lack of height means I can barely touch the ground while on the seat, and it always freaks me out just a little bit.

I keep thinking I need to get over my fears and ride more, though, not only for my health but also to save some gas money here and there.

With the Bike Across Kansas folks coming through our area this week, I’ve been thinking a bit about it, although I’m certain you’ll never see me sign up for such an ambitious trek.

I keep thinking the benefit for those folks is they likely can eat whatever they want on their way across the Sunflower State. Carbo loading is probably a must to keep up.

So, if you’re like me and not planning on biking across our great state but would still like to eat like it, I have a great pasta dish to share with you this week.

This recipe comes from “Sweet Cindy’s Honey.” You can find her on Pinterest @sweetcindyshoney or on her website at https://sweetcindyshoney.com/. I added onion and garlic to my version below and changed up how the peppers were roasted.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Roasted red pepper pasta comes together easily in a blender with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and a touch of honey to create a delicious sauce.

Course Main Course

Keyword feta cheese, honey, minced garlic, pasta, pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
8 ounces dried pasta I used medium-sized shells
1/2 small yellow onion diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Wash and dry your bell peppers, and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of oil over the peppers, using your hands to coat them thoroughly. Place them on the baking sheet, and turn the broiler in your oven on high.
Let the peppers char on each side under the broiler, checking on them every few minutes until the outsides of the peppers are blackened on all sides.
Remove the peppers from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Cook your pasta according to package directions. When it’s done, save about 1/3 cup of the pasta water in case you need to thin your sauce.
In a skillet, heat another 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add in the diced onions. Saute until they are soft and toss in the garlic. Saute for just a couple minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just starting the brown. Remove from heat.
In a blender or food processor, add the other two tablespoons of olive oil, the onion/garlic mixture, feta cheese, honey, chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Carefully remove and discard the skin from the charred peppers, discard the seeds, and then rough chop the peppers before adding them to the blender.
Blend the mixture until it is smooth. If it is still thicker than you like, blend in a little pasta water until you reach your desired consistency. (If the sauce got a bit cold, add it to your skillet, along with the pasta, to reheat it a bit.)
Serve immediately with the cooked pasta.

You can easily add a protein, too. We sauteed some shrimp to add to the mix, but it would also be delicious with chicken or even a rope sausage. You could also wilt some spinach into the sauce, if you wanted to.

The flavor of the sauce was fabulous, and it reheated really well, too. It was kind of nice to do something other than tomato sauce with pasta for a change.

This was definitely a nice, filling dinner. Now I need to get back on my bike so I can justify making it again.

This piece first appeared in print on June 15, 2023.

Tags bell peppers, feta cheese, honey, minced garlic, pasta, pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, roasted red peppers, vegetarian, yellow onion

Main Dish

Don’t tarry(yaki), and make this chicken dish today

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date June 1, 2023

Chicken teriyaki has a rich sauce that is easy to make and is perfect to eat over fried or white rice.

On evenings where there isn’t much on television and we can’t decide on something to stream from the myriad of services we subscribe to, Joey and I will often find ourselves scrolling through our respective social media feeds, sending each other funny or interesting videos from our spots across the couch from one another.

Quite a few of them tend to feature new recipes. I send him videos of delicious food to make on a smoker or grill, and he sends me a variety of dishes he thinks I ought to try.

Such was the origin of this week’s recipe. After watching the video for this dish probably 20 times, I finally had the ingredients and the procedure figured out, so the good news for you is that it’s all here now, in writing.

This came from an online video by Gideon General. You can find him on Instagram @gidsgids. I added extra garlic to my version.

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken teriyaki has a rich sauce that is easy to make and is perfect to eat over fried or white rice.

Course Main Course

Keyword chicken, chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, rice wine, rice wine vinegar, sake, sesame seeds, soy sauce, teriyaki

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil divided
2-4 boneless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
6 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sake rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and season them with salt and pepper.
In a skillet with a lid, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for five to 10 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned on one side. Flip the thighs over and saute for another five to 10 minutes, with the lid on, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
While the chicken cooks, add the other tablespoon of oil to a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the ginger and saute for three to five minutes. Toss in the minced garlic and saute for a few more minutes until it is very lightly browned.
Add the rice vinegar, sake, soy sauce, half-cup water and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to combine, and raise the temperature to medium-high to bring the mixture to a boil.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with three tablespoons water.
Once the mixture in the saucepan is boiling, stir in the cornstarch. When it is again boiling, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
Pour the sauce in the skillet with the chicken (lid off), and let it cook down a bit to thicken the sauce, making sure to baste the chicken in the sauce as it cooks. After a few minutes, serve the chicken, along with extra sauce. We had ours over fried rice.

The leftovers we had from this were also out of this world. Those we ate over white rice, and it was a great combination, too. We also sauteed some bell peppers and mushrooms to go into the sauce with our leftovers, and it was an excellent addition, so I highly recommend doing that if you want to stretch your meal a little further.

And I finally got something good out of social media for a change, which I appreciated. The only drawback to trying to glean a recipe from a video, though, is after watching beautiful, perfectly cooked chicken over and over and over again, you get pretty hungry.

This piece first appeared in print on June 1, 2023.

Tags Asian cooking, chicken, chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, sake, sesame seeds, soy sauce, teriyaki