I think I'm getting sick, AND my lovely little one got up at 4:30AM thinking it was partay time. I'm exhausted. BUT, this weekend I made the Pastitio and the Chickpea Casserole with chicken burgers. Reviews and recipes below. In addition, I remembered this week to take the pork tenderloin out of the freezer along with some leftover mac n cheese (side dish with chicken burgers later in the week), sweet potatoes and squash baby food for the week. Don't forget the shopping and 100 loads of laundry. I'm BEAT.
Pastitio
from: WW Takeout Tonight Cookbook
serves 8
****We really enjoyed this. The ONLY mistake I made was that I used Penzey's nutmeg, and it is way higher quality and stronger than your standard spice. So it was a bit too nutmeggy. Is that a word? In the future I would halve the nutmeg.
3 cups reduced fat (2%) milk (I used skim milk because it is all I buy)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 large eggs lightly beaten
8 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 TBSP EVOO
1 onion chopped
3/4 pound 10% or less ground sirloin (I used ground turkey)
1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups) (I used a can of reduced-sodium diced tomatoes)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 7x11" baking dish (who has one of these? I used an 8x8) with non-stick spray, set aside.
To make the white sauce, combine the milk, cornstarch, and eggs in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 7-9 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 6 tablespoons of the parmesan, 1/8 tsp of pepper, and the nutmeg; cover and set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
To make the filling, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 4-6 minutes. Add the sirloin and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon and the remaining 1/2 tspsalt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring often, until liquid from the tomatoes evaporates, 4-5 minutes.
Arrange half of the cooked spaghetti in na even layer on the bottom of the baking pan. Top with the filling, then top with remaining spaghetti. Spread the white sauce evenly over the spaghetti. Sprinkle sauce with the remaining cheese. Bake until top is golden brown. 30-35 minutes. Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
Chickpea Casserole
from "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
* This was just plain not good. It was chalky from the bread crumbs, the carrots never cooked all the way through, and it was WAY too oniony. Eeew.
3 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or equivalent amount cooked chickpeas)
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced (I used a small onion and thank goodness I did)
3 large carrots, grated (about 2 cups) (I used a bag of shredded carrots - which may explain why the casserole was dry)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1/2 cup bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat)
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas well, using a potato masher or a firm fork (I used a cuisinart food processor); it takes about 2 minutes to get the right consistency. Add the vegetables and mix well. Add the breadcrumbs and mix, then add the oil and mix again. Finally, add the veg. broth and salt, and mix one last time. Transfer all the ingredients to a 9 X 13-inch (glass or ceramic) casserole dish. Press the mixture firmly into the casserole. Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes. Unocover and bake for 15 more minutes. Serve it hot the day of, but it tastes good cold as well.
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