chicken & spinach lasagna roll-ups

so I lost the link to where I found this idea and later modified it, but a big high-five to the person who came up with it!  we noticed that this tasted better the second day, so I could recommend mixing up the filling and fridgeing it overnight.

active time: 20 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes | servings: 9 roll-ups

Ingredients:



9 lasagna noodles

2 ½ cups jarred or homemade tomato sauce

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 clove garlic, minced (next time: use more)

1 shallot, diced (next time: use more and/or regular onion)

3 cups fresh spinach

1 frozen basil cube (~1 teaspoon)

dried oregano

garlic powder

onion powder

salt & pepper

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

preheat oven to 350F.

boil 8-10 cups salted water in a large pot and cook lasagne noodles until al dente. (note: it may be worthwhile to add 1 or 2 extra noodles in case of breakage)

drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other.

lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.

while noodles are cooking, mix 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella, cottage cheese, spices, frozen basil cube, and cooked shredded chicken in a large bowl.

heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small pan. 

saute shallot, garlic and spinach over medium heat until fragrant, seasoning with salt and pepper.  remove from heat once spinach has wilted and shallot is translucent. 

once cooled slightly, add to cheese and chicken mixture (don't do this right away or your cheese will melt too much). 

season to taste.

spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan (about ½ cup).

spread about 5 tablespoons chicken cheese spinach mixture evenly over each noodle, leaving the 'last' 2 inches or so bare. start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings, working toward the 'bare' end.

place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone.

once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining tomato sauce over and top with remaining cheese.

bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

curry nut chicken

this is about as close as I can get to homemade butter chicken.  there are endless variations, too.

curry nut chicken
adapted from ??
yield: 4-6 servings / active time: up to 45 minutes / total time: up to 90 minutes (if you cut the chicken smaller and cook it through more before adding tomatoes, etc, your time can get down to 60 minutes...though the flavors aren't as thouroughly developed.  it'll still be awesome.)

ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (could use up to 3/4 cup, depending on your preferences)
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (do not use less than 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (note to self: when cooking for the Boy, use less)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and soaked in water and/or lemon juice as long as possible
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons (6 cubes) Trader Joe's frozen cilantro cubes, or up to 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cashews or almonds
1/2 to 3/4 cup greek yogurt

optional 
diced potato or sweet potato; spinach; golden raisins; chopped nuts
accompaniment
cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous
garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped

directions
head butter in a large, wide, heavy pot or wok over moderately low heat, until foam subsides.  cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

add curry powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.  cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

turn heat up to medium or medium-high.  add cubed chicken, chick peas, and potatoes if using, stirring to coat, and cook 3-7 minutes (depending on how quickly you'd like to eat...cook for fewer minutes if you've got the time to spare, more minutes if you don't)

add tomatoes, their juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer.  cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have combined, 30-35 minutes.

just before serving, throw a couple handfuls of spinach and/or the raisins into the pot, if using.  pulse cashews or almonds in food processor until finely ground.  add finely ground nuts and yogurt to curry and simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  if you're counting on leftovers, scoop those out into storage container before this step.  then, when you're ready for leftovers, do this.  don't do it too early or things'll get soggy.  spoon over rice, quinoa or couscous.

note
curry, without yogurt and cashews or almonds, can be made up to 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before chilling, covered.  reheat over low before stirring in yogurt and cashews or almonds.

black bean & quinoa burgers

I try to mix it up, and aim to prepare one vegetarian meal per week.  most weeks, its easier to just use meat when I fail to plan ahead.  the grill has been getting w.e.r.k.e.d since the weather's been so nice, and these feel grilled without having to use up any more propane.  these were surprisingly easy, really quick, are high in keep-ya-full protein, and came together just like normal burgers would have.  I have a feeling they'll be added to the rotation 'round here.

black bean & quinoa burgers
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 12 minutes | yields: 4 decent-sized burgers
ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (could use grated carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, or even coleslaw)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (here's how I made my own!)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder blend (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole wheat english muffins, bread slices, or burger buns


directions
prepare quinoa according to package instructions.  if the package gives a range of minutes, use the shorter time period, as the quinoa will cook a bit more once its part of the burger.

pulse broccoli slaw in food processor into 1/8-1/4 inch bits.

in a medium bowl, give the beans a rough mash with a fork, leaving some beans whole. mix in quinoa, broccoli slaw, bread crumbs, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg. mix with your hands, and score a + sign across the top.  separate the mixture along the lines you've 'drawn', and pack into 4 similarly-sized patties.

heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  once oil is hot, gently drop in patties, cooking for approximately 5 minutes per side. just before flipping, spray/brush/drizzle a little oil on the uncooked side to protect it from sticking to the pan and to help it crisp up the 'meat'.

serve on toasted english muffin, topped with your favorite burger ingredients.  store in refrigerator, wrapped in foil.  these reheat just fine, but do dry out a little bit.  I recommend frying up an egg to top your leftover burger to give it a little extra moisture.

note to self (08.28.2012): don't try to up the moisture levels by adding liquid to the dried breadcrumbs and letting 'em soak...the burgers'll fall apart and you'll have to put 'em over a giant salad and top them with ranch dressing and Kinder's barbeque sauce and a fried egg, which isn't so bad, but still.