Lassagna Rolls

Over Thanksgiving week, Moe and I went home to spend time with friends and family.  On Tuesday night, we decided to cook dinner for everyone on my side of the family since they would all be rushing home from a long day of work.  I thought for days about the menu and finally decided to keep it very simple.... lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.  My sister-in-law had introduced me to the idea of lasagna rolls last year; however, I was yet to take on the task of preparing them for myself.  After experiencing the benefit, I have to share it with you all!  I never liked cooking lasagna because it was so messy and hard to serve.  However, rolling the noodles with filling instead of layering them makes a world of difference.  With a simple scoop, you can serve everyone hassle free!  Plus it helps control portions so your guests generally don't overeat and are left with the terrible "full" feeling which runs a perfect meal!  If you haven't tried these, I STRONGLY recommend giving it a try!

Lasagna Rolls
Source:  Adapted from my sister-in-law, Lisa
Serves:  12 rolls

1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb of sausage (sage flavored)
4 cups of spinach
15 oz of ricotta cheese
1 cup of parmesean cheese, plus extra for topping (1/4 cup)
3 cups of sliced button mushrooms (approximately 10 large mushrooms sliced thinly)
1 small zuchinni
1 small squash
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup of shredded mozerella cheese
3 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 container of Classico Marinara Sauce
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice squash and zuchinni long ways into slices.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Arrange squash and zuchinni slices on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly browned.  Set aside and allow to cool. 

Change oven temperature to 375 degrees. Heat a skillet, and add two tablespoons of water to the hot skillet.  Add the spinach and heat until wilted. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender.  Set aside.  

In a skillet, saute pork until cooked. Set aside in a dish.


Cook lassagna according to packaged directions (al dente).  Remove each lassagna noodle and lay flat on a plate lined with foil.  This will prevent them from sticking together until you are ready to roll them. 

Chop garlic finely.  In a bowl mix together parmesean, ricotta, parlsey, oregano, and garlic.  In the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, add 1/4th a jar of Cassico sauce to the bottom of the pan.  On a flat surface, begin assembling of the lassagna rolls. For the vegetable rolls, spread ricotta mixture and layer spinach, mushrooms, and zuchinni / squash on the lassagna noodle. Top with a small dap of marinara sauce.  Roll and place in the bottom of the lassagna pan with the seam facing the bottom of the pan. 

Follow the same method for the sausage rolls except only layer ricotta mixture, spinach, and sausage. Once the pan is filled with rolls top with remaining marinara sauce and parmesean cheese.

Top the veggie lasagna rolls with the extra mushrooms and the meat ones with the remaining sausage.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 10 out of 10

Moe, 10 out of 10

Country Apple Dumplings

If you are looking for a quick dessert that everyone will love, this is it!  I originally decided to try this because of the unique use of Mountain Dew.  My neighbor, Becca, was ranting and raving about it so I had to give it a try for myself.  It was a dream :)

Country Apple Dumplings
Serves: 8 dumplingsSource:  Allrecipes.com



1 large Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored
1 can of crescent rolls, refrigerated
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of sugar, white
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 can of mountain dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Cut apple into 8 wedges and set aside.  Break apart crescent roll into triangles.  Place 1 apple in each crescent roll and roll together pinching the edge together to seal it closed.  Place in baking dish.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Stir in cinnamon and sugar.  Pour over apple dumplings.  Pour mountain dew over the dumplings as well. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes in the oven until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Notes:  I made this several hours before I put it in the oven.  I did everything up until pouring the sugar mixture over the dumplings and the mountain dew.  I was worried the apples would brown but because they were wrapped up in the crescent roll, it wasn't an issue.

Ratings:
Miss J, 8 out of 10
Moe, 9 out of 10
- Miss J

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This side dish makes a beautiful display which is why it jumped off the page when I was flipping through one of my favorite Saint Louis magazines, Sauce.  However, the picture spoke louder than the end result.  The acorn squash was a bit dry while the stuffing was lacking in flavor.  Although I wouldn't call it a total failure, it was a disappointment.  I think that with a few modifications, this could be a keeper, but until then, it was just so-so. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves:  4 servings (cut back from 8 in the original recipe)
Source:  Sauce Magazine, Guide to the Holidays 2011

6 slices of bread
olive oil
2 medium squash, halved horizontally and seeded
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons of butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup of minced walnuts

DAY AHEAD:  Set the bread sliced on a baking sheet, uncovered, and let stand overnight so they dry out.

Place dried bread slices in a food processor and pulse until medium sized cubes.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil in a shallow baking dish.  Place squash cut side down in the dish and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.  Turn cut-side up and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash is in the oven, melt butter under medium heat in a skillet.  Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.   Add the next 7 ingredients sauteing until everything is tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the walnuts and breadcrumbs to the skillet.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Once squash is done, fill the cavity of each squash with prepared stuffing.  Cover each squash with foil and bake until heated through approximately 20-30 minutes.  Serve inside squash.

Notes:  To cut back on cook time, I baked the squash ahead of time and then prepared the stuffing and filled the squash the day of.  The only change was baking the squash for 35 minutes with the foil to ensure it was heated through. 

Ratings
Miss J, 6 out of 10
Moe, 6 out of 10


- Miss J

Pasta with a Balsamic Brown Butter

This meal was inspired by a dish that I used to order at my favorite restaurant in Oxford Ohio, Kona.  My friend was describing a dish she made the other night, Ravioli in a brown butter sauce, and I instantly began to crave my college favorite.  I absolutely love this dish, and the best part is that it only took about 30 minutes to prepare!

Pasta with a Balsamic Brown Butter
Serves: 4 servings
Source:  Miss J

1/2 lb of pasta (any type works - I used spicy Thai linguine to add a kick to the dish)
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 red bell pepper (orange will work as well)
1/2 cup of roasted corn
1/8 cup of pine nuts or 1/3 cup of walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup of arugula
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss red pepper whole with a bit of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and put on top sheet of preheated oven.  Roast pepper for about 20-25 minutes turning ever 10 minutes until done. When bell pepper is halfway done, add corn to baking sheet.  Once bell pepper is blacked and corn is browned, remove from oven. Set corn aside and place bell pepper in a plastic bag.  Once the pepper cools, remove the blackened skin and slice into long slivers.

Cook pasta according to packaged directions. While pasta is cooking, heat butter on medium heat in a skillet until butter is melted.  Once melted brown the butter for approximately 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Mix in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper and set aside.  In the same skillet, toast pine nuts until golden brown.

Once pasta is done, mix pasta, corn, bell peppers, and pine nuts together and toss with balsamic brown butter sauce.  Serve over a bed of spicy arugula. 

Ratings:
Miss J, 10 out 10
Moe, 9 out of 10
- Miss J

Dog Training 101: Just Take a Walk

As some of you know, Moe and I decided to hire a dog training for Skyler when we moved to Saint Louis.  Skyler is an exceptional lovable dog, but since we moved, she has not been very good at sharing her space with new dogs.  Any time a new dog comes into the dog park, she immediately gets in a tiff with them.  I thought I'd share with you all some of the tips/rules that the trainer has established for Skyler (and us) to help her sort through her insecurities with new dogs.  It is AMAZING how much improvement we have seen already.  The change is mostly on our end, but they are awesome tips for any dog owner.


RULES - never to be broken
No HUMPING
No Peeing on other dog's pee spots
No entering dog park without being invited (by me)
No barking at the dog park fence at other dogs
  

*These rules are designed to teach her that this is not her dog park, but mine and she is just a guest :) Also this means that I have to be up walking beside her the whole time she is outside so I can "correct"/stop bad behavior immediately.

Know your Dog
* Know what your dog is going to do before it does it.  This is reading the signs she is telling you. 
* Signs of anxiety are foaming at the mouth, shaking or hair rolling, and eyeing/looking back at other dogs
* Warning sign - "freeze" position. Dog do this as a last warning to the other dog to back off.
* Skyler is actually very well socialized (according to our trainer) and gives all the right signals; however, if another dog doesn't read them, that is when a fight breaks out.

Leash walking guidelines...
* Always use gentle leader and have dog food in your pocket for positive reward
* When another dog approaches, watch behavior of other dog
          -  Look for other dog to be charging ahead (walking owner essentially)
        - Tail position (up)
        - Owners attentiveness
* Don't let her engage with other dog unless both dogs are showing no signs of anxiety or they know each other
* Put your body in between her body and the other dog so you may need to switch sides you are holding the leash
* Ask her to "watch" you so that she is looking at you and not the other dog when she walks by, reward/entice with dog food so that her attention is 100% on you
* If either dog shows signs of aggression then jerk leash and flip directions immediately (take her by 100% surprise so she doesn't know what happened)
* She should always walk beside or behind you, never let her walk in front of you
* Hand position should be by your side with minimal tension

Dog Fights
* If a a dog fight does occur, ask the other owner if you can both leash your dogs and take a walk.  Walking is the most intimate thing a dog can do so this will help alleviate any distress between the two dogs.  Take turns which dog is in front so the other dog and walk up and smell the dog from behind.  After both have been in the lead and signs of anxiety are diminishing, walk beside each other.  Once walk is done, let them go with the leashes attached but dragging on the ground.  That way you have control if something does happen, but they are free to roam. 
*  I was skeptical of this approach but we saw success with the trainer with Hugo, a dog that Skyler had gotten in a fight with numerous times.  When Hugo arrived, they were attacking each other through the fence.  By the end of the session, they were playing ball together in the park. Moe and I tried this on our own, with our friend's Jack Russell terrier.  It worked like a charm!

- Miss J

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Moe and I decided to check out the Saint Louis Zoo over our week vacation.  It is located in the South side of Forest Park only a couple minutes from our apartment.  It is completely free so we packed a quick lunch and headed over.  Here are some of the highlights...

Black bears! I insisted on taking a picture of every animal because somehow each one reminded me of Skyler. 

Orangutan just chilling by the window eating some greens.

I can't even talk about how cute they are!

Photo op by the pond!

Moe posing by the crazy hyenas

Cheetah taking a cat nap

Not the slightest idea what this animal is!

The four month old baby elephant!

Moe completely annoyed that I won't stop taking pictures of the elephants!



Cilantro Pesto Bruschetta with Parmesan

I was trying to come up with something to serve with my chili the other day, and this came to mind.  It is super easy to make and is a unique blend of flavors with the freshness of the cilantro and rich sharp taste of the Parmesan.  It falls under the semi-homemade category, but you could easily make your own pesto and call it your own!

Cilantro Pesto Bruschetta with Parmesan
Source:  Miss J Original
Servings:  10-15 slices depending on the size of the loaf

Fresh Ciabatta loaf (the long narrow ones, not the ones used for sandwiches)
1/2 container of Cilantro Pesto from Whole Foods
1/4 cup of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese
15 cherry tomatoes - quartered

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice Ciabatta loaf into into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Spread cilantro pesto on bread.  Top with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  Arrange on a baking sheet that is coated lightly with cooking spray.  Bake for 5 minutes until tomatoes are heated through and bread is crispy.  Remove and serve immediately. 

- Miss J