Lentil Marinara

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago. Since then, I've considered several different ways to write this blog post, but was never really feeling what I was coming up with, and it got pushed aside.

One evening, I realized that if I hurried, I could probably sneak in making a decent meal before the baby woke up. Needing quick inspiration, I opened my reader up and literally picked the first thing from my bookmarked list: a lentil marinara.

Which I then made. And loved. And then completely couldn't come up with how I wanted to share it with you. So two weeks passed, and I realized I needed to just go ahead and post the recipe, because I didn't want to forget how much I enjoyed it.

I love lentils and I love pasta, so I assumed I'd like this (and really, I picked it that night because it was easy and I had everything on hand), but it was way more delicious than I expected and a nice change from your standard spaghetti.

Lentil Marinara

adapted from Branny Boils Over

serves 5-6

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (28 oz) can of peeled plum tomatoes in tomato juice (snipped using kitchen sheers)

3 oz tomato paste

1 cup of green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup red wine

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

hot cooked pasta of choice (I used about 10 oz. of whole wheat spaghetti)

basil chiffonade and freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add canned tomatoes, paste, lentils, red wine and dried seasonings. Stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Stir in balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve over cooked pasta, topping with basil and parmesan, as desired.

Ginger Soy Marinated Mahi Mahi

The sometimes limited selection of wild-caught fish available where I shop, combined with the fact I have a 2 year who LOVES seafood, means I've been trying some types of fish lately I thought I didn't care for. This mahi mahi, in a marinade of soy, ginger, honey and lime, proved wrong any previous misconceptions I might've had for this particular variety of fish. It was outstanding and will absolutely be made again in the near future.

I only tinkered slightly with the marinade ingredients, but I had an issue with the length of time to marinate, as originally written. It called for the fish to be marinated for at least 4 hours or overnight. Now (and please enlighten me if I am wrong here,) it's always been my understanding fish doesn't need to marinate very long, unlike say, beef. And I've always heard that when there is citrus in the marinade, you shouldn't do it for longer than about 30 minutes, as it will actually began to break down and cook the fish. I went with my very reduced amount of time to marinate, and it came out perfect, so full of flavor. With one of our family's favorite side dishes, roasted broccoli, and jasmine rice for Sage and Beckett, this was a dinner we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Ginger Soy Marinated Mahi Mahi
adapted from Food.com

1- 1 1/2 lbs. wild-caught Mahi Mahi filets
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
juice from half of a lime
3 tbsp Tamari (or regular soy sauce)
1 tbsp dry red wine
1/8 tsp cayenne (or more if you want it spicy)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients besides fish fillets in a resealable container large enough to hold fish. (You could also use a zip-lock baggie, but I am trying to be less wasteful.) Add fish and turn to coat well. Spoon some extra marinade over the top, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. Marinate for 30 minutes.

On a grill preheated to medium-high, grill fillets for about 6-7 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily, making sure not to overcook.

Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

When it comes to Italian pasta sauces, I still haven't figured out the differences between them all, so please excuse me if I've incorrectly named this one. I believe Ragus typically are a meat based sauce, but there sure are plenty recipes for eggplant and other vegetable ragus. If I'd followed a recipe, I'd just call this whatever they did, but since I couldn't find the one I wanted to use, I just went on my own. Regardless of what it should be called, it was wonderful.

This was a highly flavorful sauce and quite hearty for being meatless. You know you've created a successful meal when your husband tells you multiple times during eating how delicious it is. And since its loaded with veggies, pretty good for you too. I served this over a high protein multigrain farfalle, but really any pasta will do. (I just have always liked farfalle and am happy that I've begun finding whole wheat and multigrain varieties lately.)

serves 4-5
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 (8 oz.) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used a Petite Sirah)
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
crush red pepper, to taste
1 (14.5 oz.) box multigrain farfalle, or pasta of choice
fresh grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange eggplant on roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add roasted eggplant to sauteed vegetables, using a wooden spoon to scraped up any browned bits. Add tomatoes, paste, sauce, wine, basil, bay leaf and red pepper and stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Remove and discard bay leaf from sauce and serve over top of cooked pasta with grated parmesan.

Lentil Sausage Soup with Leeks & Carrots

Two things happened to me today as I was eating a bowl of the leftover soup I made last night. The first was that I decided it was so hot in my house, I was giving up the fantasy that is "Fall" where we live (what a tease those few days were.) I had to close the windows and turn the a/c back on. It was 85 degrees outside again and nearly that in my house. The second thing that occured as I continued eating, I came to the conclusion this soup was too yummy not to put on my blog.

This is where I have to appologize for the a recipe lacking in details.This soup was something I was just making up as I went along. I usually try to pay attention to the amount of ingredients I am using and how long I cook things, but in last night's case, life got in the way (in the form of an adorable little blonde kid) and I honestly can't tell you how long this soup simmered. I have no idea- maybe 20 minutes, maybe an hour. All I can tell you is: its done when the vegetables are tender.

Well, that, and it's its delicious. Sage was really impressed with this one. I particularly enjoyed the what the red wine and thyme- which I think must be a favorite spice of mine- added to this. We served it topped with shredded parmesan and crusty multi-grain bread.

makes 4 bowls

3/4 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 1/2 cups water

3 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 leek, halved and sliced thin

1 cup coarsely chopped carrots

2 cups broth

1/3 dry red wine

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I used a roasted garlic & onion flavored)

1 tbsp tomato paste

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tbsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

shredded parmesan for serving

Bring lentils and water to boil in a small saucepan. After boiling for 2 minutes, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or just until tender. Drain if necessary and set aside, covered.

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat> Add sausage, onion, celery and carrots. Using a spoon to break up meat, cook until sausage is no longer pink. Drain any fat. Add leeks and cook for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover, and simmer until vegetables (especially carrots and celery) are tender.

Stir lentils into soup. Remove bay leaf. Serve with parmesan.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Saturday afternoon I was in a bit of a funk for no particular reason. Which was odd, because the weather was fabulous and actually fall-like, we were getting together in the evening with some of our best friends and I went grocery shopping, which to me is never a chore, but a fun activity. I knew the best way to improve my mood was to spend some time in my kitchen, and of course I was right. Almost instantly I was feeling better.

I was craving some kind of comfort food and eggplant parmesan sounded perfect. Despite it being a favorite dish of mine, I'd never actually tried making it at home before, but I was pretty sure I could do it without following a recipe. I was very happy with how it came out.

I rarely use store bought sauce ever since a friend showed me a few years back how easy it is to make your own. I always make it a little different, depending on what I have on hand. This was the first time I actually wrote down what I used or measured out ingredients, and I'm glad I did because this one was definitely worth sharing. You could use another marinara recipe or even jarred sauce, but I believe the sauce was certainly a big part of why my first attempt at eggplant parm was such a success.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan (3 servings)
1 small to medium eggplant (1 lb.) unpeeled and cut into 1/2 in. rounds
kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Italian style dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp shredded parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
cooking spray
2 1/2 cups of chunky marinara (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt and press eggplant by placing a layer of eggplant in collander. Top with salt. Repeat with all of the eggplant. Cover and weigh down, for an hour. One at a time, rinse salt off of slices and blot dry with paper towels. (This entire process can be omitted to save time, if desired.)

Prepare two shallow bowls for dredging, one with eggs, the other with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dip an eggplant slice into the egg and allow excess to drip off. Dredge into breadcrumb and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with all eggplant pieces. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for 15 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 400. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish. Place a layer of eggplant over sauce. Top with another cup of sauce and sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Repeat with remaning eggplant, sauce and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Chunky Marinara (makes 4 1/2 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregeno
1 tsp parsley
1 (15 oz.) can diced or whole tomatoes, pureed (or 1 can of of crushed tomatoes)
1 (15 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup dry red wine (I used a Cabernet)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add basil, oregano and parsley. Cook for another few minutes.

Add all of the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. If not using the sauce is not being used right then, refrigerate or freeze.

Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

For the get together we had, I made a Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, using a recipe from allrecipes.com as a guideline. It was delicious, but we also had a big bowl of Sage's Guacamole and only bought one bag of tortilla chips, so there were leftovers.

I decided to try it on chicken and it was really good. I enjoyed it both ways- as a cold salsa with chips and warm as a chicken topping. I'll bet it would be great on fish too. I was going to serve the chicken atop a bed of whole wheat spaghetti noodles, but I was really in the mood for cous cous so that's what we had it with instead.

Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

2 large chicken breasts
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup of Roasted Red Pepper Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Pound chicken to 1/2-3/4 in. thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side.
3. Pour salsa over top and around chicken. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove chicken to serving plates. Stir salsa and spoon over chicken.

Roasted Red Pepper Salsa (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, jalapenos and lime juice (Southwest style from Target)

2 whole Roasted Red Peppers, chopped (i used jarred)

1/2 large onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/3 cup red wine

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

Polenta Lasagna with Vegetable Bolognese

The only time I remember having polenta, it was fried and covered in a mushroom sauce. It wasn't anything I was crazy about, yet I knew I would really like polenta served another way, so I bought a tube of it, having no idea what I was going to make.

I went back to my fave blog, A Year in the Kitchen, and found her lasagna made with polenta instead of noodles. I would never normally attempt lasagna, since Sage thinks his mom's is the best in the world, but I knew this would be different. I went ahead with the bolognese, and followed the recipe as closely as I could, only making minor changes when necessary, due to what I had on hand.

It's rather time consuming, and halfway through I was thinking I should've made a simple sauce and just tossed sliced veggies into the layers...but once we had it, I was so pleased I'd taken the time to make this delicious sauce. This was so good!!! I did cook up a turkey Italian sausage, which I put on half of the lasagna for Sage. All three of us loved this dish. Maybe next time I'll attempt making the polenta from sctratch!

Polenta Lasagna with Vegetable Bolognese

Ashlee Wetherington, A Year In the Kitchen

One tube Polenta, sliced into 1/2 in. thick rounds (to make from scratch*)

Ricotta Mixture:
1 cup ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I used a Italian blend that also included parmesan)
salt and pepper
chopped fresh oregano and parsley (I used 1/4 tsp. dried parsley)

Bolognese:
1 tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chunked
1 yellow bell pepper, chunked (I used 1/2 red pepper)
1 small zucchini, chunked (omitted, didn't have)
4 oz. cremini mushrooms (I used 8oz. baby bellas)
1 carrot, peeled, chunked (I used 8 baby carrots)
2 celery stalks, chunked
1 large yellow onion, chunked
3 garlic cloves, smashed (I used 2 tbsp, minced)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. tomato paste (I used 1/2 can- I love tomato paste!)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 15 oz. can tomato puree
2 tbsp. chopped fresh italian herbs (I subbed 1 tsp. Italian seasonings and 1 tsp. dried basil)
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
Crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 tsp.)

Extra mozzarella for topping

1 Turkey Italian sausage (if desired,) casing removed, crumbled and browned

*If making polenta, prepare first.

To make bolognese:

1. Heat a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add oil.

2. Add vegetables (in small batches) to the food processor. Pulse until they are in a fine mince. Add to the pan with oil. Continue with all vegetables, season heavily with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until all moisture is cooked out and vegetables begin to brown, about 20-25 minutes. (Since I used double the mushrooms, mine took about 30 minutes to cook out the extra moisture.)

3. Add tomato paste and wine. Reduce. Add tomatoes and spices, stir and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To prepare lasagna:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Add all ricotta mixture ingredients to a small bowl, stir to combine.

3. Add 1/3 of the bolognese to a baking dish, top with half the polenta rounds. Spread the ricotta over the polenta, top with another 1/3 of the sauce. (This is where I added the cooked sausage to half of the dish.) Add the rest of the polenta rounds, top with sauce and mozzarella cheese shreds. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

4. Let sit 5-10 minutes to set, before serving.