Artichoke Wonton Lasagna Cups...

Thanks to Leah Gowin's cupboard, I was inspired to create a new recipe today. When I opened up her pantry to see what could be created for dinner I was faced with ingredients such as jarred artichokes, wonton wrappers and Alfredo sauce. This was just what I needed in addition to the mozzarella and ricotta in the fridge to create Artichoke Wonton Lasagna Cups. This recipe even turned out to be a healthy alternative to regular lasagna. By using the wonton wrappers instead of lasagna noodles, I reduced the amount of carbs and also cut out some of prep work. No go to your cupboard and see what YOU can make!

Artichoke Wonton Lasagna Cups

 

Mini Artichoke Wonton Lasagna Cups

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 jar seasoned artichoke hearts, drained, chopped roughly

1 cup Ragu Light Parmesan Alfredo

1/2 cup light ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp Italian seasoning

12 wonton wrappers

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with oil spray.

In a small bowl, combine and stir the Alfredo sauce, artichoke, ricotta, egg, and Italian seasoning.

In each muffin cup, place 1 (or overlap 2 if needed so that the whole cup is lined with a wonton wrapper) wonton wrapper and press it lightly against the edges of the muffin tin. Spoon 1 large Tablespoon of the artichoke mixture into the cup and add a pinch of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Starting again with a wonton wrapper, repeat this process resulting in 2 layers for each muffin cup (always ending with the mozzarella).

Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Mango, Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Salad....

Believe it or not, this is one of the best salads I have had in my life!
Simply make this recipe just as it says and wow your mouth!

Mango, Blueberry and Caramelized Onion Salad

Illustrated and edited by: Brenna Bowers

Ingredients:

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper

Salad:

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 large red onion, sliced in 1/8” thin half moons

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, cut in into bite-size pieces

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 ounces goat cheese

12 ounces fresh arugula or spinach (about 4 cups)

Directions:

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, sugar, mustard and garlic together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until they are slightly browned. Set aside to cool. In the same skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil, add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar (Tip 1). Cook low and very slow stirring once in a while until the onions turn a golden brown color all the way through.

Meanwhile, slice the mango and wash the blueberries and greens. Place all the ingredients (caramelized onions, mango, blueberries, crumbled up bits of goat cheese, pine nuts and greens) into a large bowl and add half of the dressing and toss(adding more dressing only if necessary).

Tip 1: Caramelizing Onions: The purpose of caramelizing onions is to draw out the natural sugars that are in onions. The trick to caramelizing onions is to keep the flame at a low temperature. This process takes quite a bit of time but is well worth the wait! You never want the onions to just brown on the edges (that means they are burning) rather you want the onions to turn golden brown all the way through. The key is to stir the onions once in a while and if you feel they are beginning to burn, add a dash of water to steam the mixture. Caramelizing onions is a labor of love….but worth it!

Carrot and Apple Salad with a hint of Mint....

Recently I attended a free cooking class at the UCSD Medical Center in San Diego, CA. The class is called the  "Healthy Eating Program".

"We believe that food nourishes the body, nurtures the spirit, and is essential for health and healing. Our Research focuses on helping people adopt diet and other lifestyle changes that can help prevent and control diseases like cancer. We are now offering counseling services to the public." (UCSD Medical Center)

Check out their website to sign up for these amazing classes at:
http://www.healthyeatingucsd.org/

This past week, the topic was about Phytochemicals. These are compounds that occur naturally in bright colored food such as fruits and vegetables. Phytochemicals contain many nutrients for your body and may help reduce future ailments and cancers.

This recipe was taught in the Healing Foods class but I have adjusted it to my liking! Hope you enjoy as well!

Carrot and Apple Salad with a hint of Mint

Author: Brenna Bowers (adapted from Healing Foods Class)

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoons honey

4 apples (Fuji, Gala or Pink Lady….an apple that is high in sugar content)

4 large carrots, peeled and shredded

1 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted slivered almonds

Dash of salt and pepper

½ cup torn fresh mint leaves

Directions:

In a blender, mix the rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey. Blend until it is smooth and emulsified (mixed all together and does not separate).

With a food processor, shred the apples (skin can be left on), carrots (peeled) and ginger (peeled).

Toss the apples, carrots, ginger, cranberries and slivered almonds in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir until it is evenly coated. Garnish with the torn mint leaves. 

Refrigerate or eat!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine with a Homemade Vinaigrette and Gourmet Cheese...

Summer is finally here!!!!! Therefore it is time to light the BBQ, call out your friends for a dinner party and make a new summery yet trendy dish.
This is the easiest salad to make and will make your guests say "YUMMMM!"
My grandma was the first to tell me about this recipe and I have since then tweaked it to be my own recipe....hope you and your friends enjoy!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine with a homemade Vinairette and Gourmet Cheese

Homemade Vinaigrette

Romaine cut in half and ready to be brushed with Olive Oil

The grill is hot and the Romaine ready to be chared

Place the Romaine cut-side down on the hot grill

You want the golden brown color and just some char to the leaves

Grill for 1 min then turn at a 45 degree angle for beautiful grill marks

ENJOYYYYY!

Grilled Hearts of Romaine 

with a Homemade Vinaigrette and Gourmet Cheese

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil will work), divided

1 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon Dijon (or grainy mustard)

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasonings

Dash of salt

2 or 3 Whole heads of Romaine Lettuce

1/8 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

3 Tablespoons Gourmet Cheese (crumbled Parmesan, Feta, Blue cheese, or Goat Cheese)

Directions:

Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, Dijon (Tip 1), Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, honey, pepper, Italian seasonings and salt. Set aside or chill.

Hearts of Romain Lettuce:

Wash the heads of Romaine lettuce and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any wilted outer leaves if necessary. With a sharp knife, slice each Romaine heart in half length-wise.
Brush or drizzle the cut-side up Romaine hearts with the reserved 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

Assembly:

Heat up the grill/BBQ to very high heat. When you place your hand over the heat, it should be too hot to leave your hand there for more than 2-3 seconds. Place each of the Romaine hearts cut-side down for about 2 minutes; or until grill marks appear and you have charred the edges. Immediately remove the lettuce from the heat and set aside. So serve, place the Romaine hearts on each plate and drizzle with the homemade dressing, crumbled cheese and toasted nuts.

Tip 1: Dijon is added to the dressing not just for flavor but because mustard helps act as an emulsifier. Now less shaking is required for your dressing and it will be less separated.

Eggplant Parm Stacks de Italia and Brenna....

Looking for a healthy weeknight dish that can be reheated and taste just as good the second and third night? This recipe that I created, tested, and loved is the perfect thing for you! I learned this unique way of making Eggplant Parmesan when I was in culinary school in Florence, Italy. This dish is absolutely tasty just out of the hot oven or sometimes I like to cut it into chunks once it has been chilled and toss it into a green salad. Now the possibilities are yours!

Eggplant Parmesan gone stack-able

Slice the eggplant in 1/2" rounds, place on paper towel, sprinkle with salt.

The salt draws out the water content to brown it better when it's pan fried.

Season the breadcrumb mixture which will coat the eggplant.

Dip the eggplant rounds into the egg wash.

Next dredge the eggplant into the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Place the breaded eggplant in a hot pan with olive oil to brown it.

Brown both sides of the eggplant.

Place the browned eggplant in a baking dish with tomato sauce.

Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Spoon on a dollop of tomato sauce.

Repeat the process and stack!

Stacked eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheese x2

Ready to be baked.

Ready to eat after being baked and letting all the flavors come together!

Eggplant Parm Stacks (Brenna)

A healthy weeknight dish that can be reheated and taste just as good the second and third night

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 6 servings in a 13x9” baking dish

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant, but into ½” rounds

1 tsp rock salt*

1 egg

1 Tbs. water

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup whole wheat flour

1/8 tsp salt, pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

3-4 leaves of fresh basil, ripped into small pieces (or ½ tsp dried Italian seasonings)

3 Tbs olive oil

2 cups mozzarella/Parmesan (use a mixture of both or just one if you like)

1 jar pasta sauce (the better kind you buy the better this dish will taste)

Directions:

Line your counter with 2-3 paper towels. Slice the eggplant into ½” round circles and place them on the paper towels. Sprinkle the rock salt on each slice and let rest for about 15 minutes (Tip 1). After 15 minutes, wipe off the water droplets that have formed along with the excess salt, using a paper towel. Repeat this process for the other side of the eggplant (using new dry paper towels). Set you prepared eggplant aside as you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 Tbs. of water.

In a medium bowl, mix your bread crumbs, whole wheat flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and torn fresh basil (into small pieces, can also be chopped very finely if you prefer).

Get out a large skillet/pan. Place it at medium-high and add the 3 Tbs olive oil (Tip 2).

Preparing the eggplant:

Now you will make an assembly line with all your prepared ingredients to “dredge the eggplant” (a process of dipping an ingredient into flour to help it brown). First, with your hands, dip your eggplant into the whisked egg/water mixture until completely submerged. Shake off the excess egg and place right into the breadcrumb mixture (this is to help you flour mixture stick). Pat the breadcrumb mixture onto the eggplant well so that it is completely coated. Place it right into the hot pan with the oil. Continue this process until the pan is full with the “dredged eggplant”. Brown all the eggplant rounds, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the extra oil and repeat this process with the next set of eggplant rounds.

Assembly:

Place a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13x9” baking dish (Tip 3). Place one layer of the eggplant into the baking dish. Next, sprinkle on a generous layer of cheese then a spoonful of sauce. Repeat this process with another layer of eggplant and other ingredients making sure this time to end with the cheese (for the cheese will crisp up in the oven and give a nice color and flavor).

Baking**:

Place in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has turned golden brown and the contents of the dish are bubbling. Serve hot and refrigerate the extras- this dish is good for quite a few days and the flavors continue to get better each day!

*The use of rock salt is so that saltiness does not seep into the eggplant but rather soaks up the water. Kosher salt is second best, but use less so that you don’t get a dish that is over salty. Use about half the amount if you are using table salt.

**This dish can also be made ahead of time by baking it half way, freezing it, and then baking when you are ready to enjoy it from its frozen state in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until bubbling.

Tip 1: This step must not be skipped, the purpose is to draw out the water in the eggplant so that it browns nicely when pan fried.

Tip 2: You want your oil somewhat hot before you place the eggplant in it- but not smoking. When oil reaches its “smoke point” this is when it is unhealthy possibly causing carcinogens.

Tip 3: Placing tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish keeps the eggplant from sticking and makes it healthier than greasing the dish with oil. This same idea can be done for homemade lasagna as well.