#5: French Kiss & Crock Pot Spinach Lasagna

Every two weeks I host a healthy taster table at work (a fun part of my job as the employee wellness coordinator), and I saw this recipe on one of fave cooking blogs last week: Gourmified.  It looked pretty darn good, and the guest host who posted it gave raving reviews of it.  I put it on my list of recipes to sample for my bi-weekly taster.  When I saw it on yet another of the blogs I follow: Just Cook Already, I bumped it right to the top of the list tout suite!  Today was the day, and it was quite the success.  It even rivals my current favorite lasagna (which is also super quick and healthy) which you can find the recipe to right here.  Anyway, I hope you and whoever you choose to treat with this dinner find it as fabulous as we all did!

Crock Pot Spinach Lasagna

From Jessica Seinfeld

Ingredients

1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 container (15 oz.) part skim ricotta cheese

1 ½ c. grated mozzarella cheese

¼ c. grated parmesan cheese

8-12 lasagna noodles (depending on the size of your crock pot; precooked noodles are not necessary!)

6 c. fresh baby spinach

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper and red pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and parmesan.

2. In the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit, if necessary). Spread about 1/3 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach. Dollop 1/3 of the cheese mixture evenly over the top. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce, and ½ cup of mozzarella.

3. Cook on low, covered until the noodles are tender – especially in the center of the lasagna – about 3 to 3 ½ hours.

 

 

 

#5 = French Kiss

 

Ok, so I know this is not the most romantic scene from the movie, but it is one of the funniest for sure!  This one is just one of those great, sweet romantic comedies.  Its classic Meg Ryan (pre plastic surgery nightmare), and if you don't already love Kevin Kline, you will after this movie.  He's offensive, and its fantastic. 

Speaking of offensive...the honorable mention for today is Pretty Woman.  If someone were to tell you that a story about a hooker would make a great romantic comedy, you might not believe them.  But then you see the movie and you admit that you were wrong-o!  I love this movie - again, its no oscar winner, but its classic.  My grandmother even loves this movie ha!  If you haven't seen it, it's time to just get it over with.  You'll be glad you did.  Promise.

Sweet Harvest Pork Chops

Autumn has come and gone (all too quickly, in my opinion - but that's the way Utah weather goes every year!), but I'm still making dinners that have the Fall flavor to them.  I actually made this one up.  Yep, an original from yours truly (one of the very few)!  I tried my hand at whipping something up in the slow cooker for a big contest...that I did not even come close to winning.  But when you taste this, I'm sure you'll be wondering why in the world not - just as I was.  I tease.  Sort of.  Anyway, I tried it out with a pot roast as well, but the chops were our fave.  And I learned, while in my very own test kitchen, that I highly favor white sweet potatoes over the regular orange-y sweet potatoes/yams that I see much more often.  Hands down, the white get my vote.

Anyway, don't wait until next Fall to make this one.  It's a delight all year-round.

Sweet Harvest Pork Chops

A Get in the Kitch Original

Ingredients

2 sweet apples, cored & sliced (I used gala and Fuji)

2 white sweet potatoes, cut into large cubes

4 pork chops, I used bone-in

1 14-oz can low-sodium chicken broth

2/3 c. apple cider

1/3 c. brown sugar

Directions

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.

Serve with a green salad.

~Your Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Menu~

Hola, amigos! And that's about the extent of my Spanish speaking abilities, despite the fact that Dick has tried to give me multiple lessons when I'm trapped in the car with him on the 4-hr drive to see his family in So. UT. He lived in Chile for 2 years when he went on a mission for our church, and he loves to speak Spanish any chance he gets. But just because I don't speak Spanish doesn't mean I won't eat it! I tried my hand at some Mexican recipes this week in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, and they were a big, BIG hit!

The entree I chose to make is a copycat recipe from a very popular Mexican restaurant called Cafe Rio. By far the best thing on their menu is the sweet pork salad, so that is exactly what I made! My awesome sis-in-law, Megan, happened to find these recipes on this website, and let me in on her little secret. I thought it would take forever to make them because there are a few different parts to the salad if you want to get them just right, and I did! You start with a warm flour tortilla sprinkled with cheese, followed by cilantro-lime rice, black beans, sweet pork, lettuce, and topped off with the best cilantro ranch dressing in the WORLD! It didn't take long at all, just a little planning ahead for the pork to be in the crockpot, which gives you plenty of time to put everything else together. Trust me, if you like Mexican food, and you like salads, you're going to looooooove this one! And don't skimp on any part - its totally worth making the entire thing!

For dessert, I had to go with Tres Leches, of course! Its super sweet, and super soggy (in the best way you can possibly imagine), and completely and utterly satisfying. That is just a normal slice of this 3-milk cake, but when you add the mango & cinnamon this recipe calls for it will literally uproot you from where you are sitting and take you to a Mexican beach, leaving all of your worries behind. Mangoes are definitely my worst enemy when it comes to pitting a fruit, but they are so delicious, and absolutely take this cake over the top, so it is well-worth the sticky hands and juicy mess - trust me! Well, now you have to make it, don't you?! Enjoy!

Sweet Pork Salad From Cafe Rio

From www.favfamilyrecipes.com

Assembling your salad:

1. start with a warm flour tortilla, sprinkled with cheese.

2. Top with a heaping spoonful of cilantro-lime rice.

3. Top with a spoonful of black beans.

4. Top with 1/4-1/2 c. sweet pork.

5. Top with 1-2 c. of shredded Romaine lettuce.

6. Drizzle with cilantro ranch dressing.

7. Dig in!

Cilantro-lime rice

Ingredients

1 c. uncooked rice (I used brown w/ good results!)

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 c. water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro

Directions

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime juice, chicken broth & water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar & cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice & mix in as you fluff the rice.

Black Beans

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

In a nonstick skillet or saucepan, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over med. heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice & salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.

Sweet Pork

Ingredients

2-3 lbs pork (I used bone-in Boston butt)

3 cans coke (not diet!)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

3/4 can enchilada sauce, medium spiciness

1 c. brown sugar

Directions

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc back to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours, or overnight.

Drain marinade & put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in a crock pot on high 3-4 hrs, or low for 8 hrs, until it shreds easily (don't let it dry out!). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred the pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste...). If it looks too thick, add more coke, little by little.

Put shredded pork & sauce in a crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not buttermilk!)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, husks removed, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (I kept the ribs & seeds for a little kick!)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a blender. That's it!!!

Tres Leches Cake

Adapted from Food Network Magazine, May 2010

Ingredients

Non-stick spray, to prepare your pan

4 large eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 c. milk (I used skim w/ excellent results!)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

12-oz can evaporated milk

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 ripe mangoes

2 Tbsp. sugar

Whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Make the cake: Beat the eggs & sugar in a large bowl w/ a mixer until pale & slightly thick, ~6 min. Slowly beat in the melted butter, then beat in the vanilla & 1/4 c. milk.

3. whisk the flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl. Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then gently fold together w/ a rubber spatula to make a thick batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan & bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, ~30 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to release the cake from the pan.

4. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 c. milk, the evaporated milk, & condensed milk in a bowl. Pierce the warm cake all over w/ a fork, then pour the milk mixture evenly on top. Cover & refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.

5. Before serving, make the mango topping: Peel, pit, & dice the mangoes. Puree half the mangoes in a blender w/ 2 Tbsp. sugar. Transfer to a bowl & fold in the remaining diced mango.

6. Top each slice of cake with mango topping, a little whipped cream, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Sweet-Spicy Chicken & #4 My Fair Lady

I have an early Valentine for you...it's a little sweet, and a little spicy...just the way you like it, right?! Haha don't get all hot and bothered, it's just some crock-pot chicken! It's pretty freakin amazing chicken, though. This is one of the simplest and most delicious recipes I've ever made, and one of my go-to dishes. This is one of Dick's regular requests, which is awesome because we can use it for multiple dinners, and I'm always thrilled because it lasts us a few days. We usually do things in this order: Day 1 - chicken tacos, Day 2 - chicken quesadillas, Day 3 - rice bowls or salad w/ whatever left-over chicken we have. I got it from my all-time fave food blog Prudence Pennywise. Like the chicken, she's amazing, and pretty much my hero. So, I hope you enjoy your yummy Valentine!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken in the Crock Pot

From Prudence Pennywise

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juices

1/3 c. brown sugar

1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. spray the inside of your crock pot with non-stick spray.

2. put all of the ingredients in the crock pot, and give it a little stir.

3. Cook on Low 6-8 hrs, or high 3-4 hrs.

4. About 3o minutes before serving, shred the chicken with two forks, and let sit to absorb moisture.

5. Dig in!

The movie part of your romantic evening will be the classic My Fair Lady with the one and only Audrey Hepburn. This movie is so sweet and funny. I have to admit that I don't really like Professor Higgins (I think he's arrogant and kind of a dirtbag!), but it's still a wonderful movie! The music is great, and there are some parts that just kind of make me giddy - like in both of these songs it takes me back to when Dick and I were first dating and I felt like I could just float away at the very thought of him! SIGH...I had to share my two fave scenes from the movie (notice that neither of them has the good old Professor haha).