Amazingly Delicious Pasta-free Lasagna

Pasta-free lasagna? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well, my friends, I am thrilled to report that I made it last night, and it is delicious. Like, the best lasagna I've ever made - and that means it's even better than The Pioneer Woman's take on the dish (which, while delish, is also ridiculously heavy - my version's light!).

I'd wanted to get Italian-seasoned turkey sausage, but alas, my store only had plain ol' ground turkey, so I improvised by adding garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. So, feel free to play around with that part - the point is just to give the meat good flavor. Also, as for the sauce, I've been a lifelong Prego girl but decided to try Newman's Own, since it's all natural. Holy crepe, their roasted tomato and garlic is AMAAAAAZING!!! Not sure if it was the sauce or the seasoning of the meat, but the combination of the two was phenomenal. This was the most flavorful lasagna I've had.

Also, the sky's the limit with the veggies. I went with the squash and zucchini because I'd already sliced up a ton the night before, and I added chopped red bell pepper because I had it on hand as well, but you could totally sneak in some grated carrots, cooked broccoli and cauliflower, etc., and it'd be wonderful.

And so, without further adieu, by popular request, here's the recipe, which I made up based on this one with some added awesomeness.

Pasta-Free Turkey Veggie Lasagna

Prep time: 80 minutes (except you can multitask and make it go faster)
Cook time: 35 minutes
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. zucchini
• 1 lb. squash
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
  
• Italian seasoning (recipe calls for 1/4 tsp., but you need more to season turkey to taste)
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
  
• 2 c. tomato pasta sauce (Cups, schmups - I just used the whole jar, and it needs it)
  
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese (you could use cottage cheese... but why?)
  
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs (optional - I only used a few Tbsp., and you could skip altogether for gluten/carb issues)
  
• 2 c. mozzarella, part-skim
• 3 c. spinach
• 1 c. fresh basil (I just used the entire little container from the store)
  
• nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Heat oven to 425° F (218° C). Coat one large or two small baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut all squash and zucchini - the recipe recommended lengthwise in half and then cutting each half lengthwise into slices about 1/4 inch thick. However, I had already sliced thin circles the night before, and that worked well, too. Also chop red bell pepper, if you're adding that.

Spread squash and zucchini (and optional red bell pepper) on pans in single layer and season with Italian seasoning.

Bake for 25 minutes, turning over once halfway through baking. (Don't worry about keeping them in the single layer after flipping - I just mixed them around, and it worked fine.)

Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375° F (190° C).

While the veggies cook, brown the turkey in a large skillet over medium heat, seasoning with the fresh garlic, crushed red pepper flakes to taste, Italian seasoning to taste, and black pepper. Once the meat has browned, add the trimmed spinach and pasta sauce. I recommend turning the heat down and letting it simmer until you're ready to assemble the lasagna.

In a food processor, combine ricotta cheese, basil, egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Blend until all ingredients are combined and smooth.

Now comes the fun part: assembling the lasagna! Don't worry about making it pretty or getting all the layers perfect, because I'm convinced that's not possible with this recipe, and in the end, it didn't matter. Trust me here.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs over the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan (again, honestly, I consider this optional). Cover the bottom of the dish with half of the zucchini and squash slices. Next, spread half the ricotta mixture over the squash and zucchini slices. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs (or, if gluten-free, maybe use a little cheese to create a barrier between the layers?) and repeat the layering of zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and pasta sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 35 minutes. Cheese should be browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 to 25 minutes before serving.

Mis Enchiladas Suizas Famosas

Once upon a time, when I was a BYU coed, I taught myself to cook. Mind you, I was raised in a foodie family and received my first cookbook at age 8 - but that was just messing around.

In college, I began to cook. Like, for sustenance. Or to impress that cute guy I had my eye on (way to a man's heart, right?). Well, my ploy to snag a hubby through culinary prowess obviously hasn't paid off, but in the meantime, I've amassed a pretty decent repertoire of recipes, ranging from easy-peasy casseroles to gourmet awesomeness (ummm, pear-and-shallot-stuffed pork loin in a Port wine-fig reduction sauce, anyone? Holla!).

This recipe is one of my mid-range favorites. It was my go-to "impress That Guy" recipe in college, but I've moved onto more daring recipes, and this one's become a favored comfort food. The assembly process takes some skill, since you have to let the tortillas soak in the salsa long enough to get soft (so as to not crack when you fold) but not for too long (in which case they fall apart). And be prepared for messiness in this stage, too. Truth be told, if either of those extremes happens, whatever. You're going to slather them in sauce and cheese, so no one will be the wiser, right?

So, without further adieu, I give you my enchiladas suizas recipe (for which I can't take credit - my stepmom found it from the LA Times. I've just given it exposure!).

Enchiladas Suizas Deliciosas
* 1 large can green sauce (preferred brand: Juanita's or Juanas) - by the way, this never leaves me with enough for on top, so I always grab an additional small can for that. Your choice.
* 3 c. loosely packed shredded, cooked chicken
* 3 1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese, divided [or a lil' more if you like lots of cheese]
* 1 1/4 c. sour cream
* 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
* 8 corn tortillas [whatever, I usually stretch the filling for 10]

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine chicken, 2 1/4 c. cheese, 3/4+ c. sour cream, and all but 2 Tbsp. cilantro. Add 1 1/2 c. sauce. Pour remaining sauce into frying pan; barely simmer.

Soften tortillas in sauce, one by one (about 45 seconds). Stack finished tortillas on plate. [Honestly, I find it easier to just assemble the enchiladas as you go than to stack the tortillas - they get too mushy and messy that way!] Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 c. of chicken mixture and roll up.

Place side by side in a 9x13 pan. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese [I always do this liberally!]. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted and browned slightly, about 25 minutes.

Serve with remaining sour cream and cilantro - and be ready for some mouth-watering awesomeness!!!

If you want a tasty side dish, I recommend my friend Mishy's Spicy Black Beans from her cooking blog, The Enchanted Spoon. They're easy to whip up and sooooo delicious. Just be careful if you want to double the recipe - it took more than double the cooking time for the liquid to reduce. Single batch is easy as written, though.

Enjoy!!!

The world's BEST chocolate cake

I love cooking. Love, love, love it.

To me, there is something so inherently and distinctly feminine about cooking. When I'm in the kitchen, I feel like I'm connecting with generations of women who preceded me. It's so fulfilling to spend the time creating something delicious for the ones you love. Food has such an emotional connection - there's such instant gratification in eating something that hits the spot. Cooking is such a simple and satisfying way to nurture - especially when you think about how the food you serve literally becomes a part of those who eat. It's pretty cool.

Along the lines of generation connecting, my favorite things to cook are family recipes. Everyone in my family cooks. Seriously, everyone - both sets of parents (okay, so, my stepdad doesn't - but mom, dad and stepmom all do), both grandmothers, all my aunts and uncles (well, not sure about the step-uncles), my brother. Heck, even my 11-year-old cousin Katie is a pro in the kitchen! We have regular debates about who makes the best chocolate chip cookies - I've long said we should have a Woodall family bake-off, but taste is so subjective.

Although I love the concoctions by The Pioneer Woman, Alton Brown and the geniuses on allrecipes.com, those recipes fail to evoke the same connection as the dishes I've been eating since childhood - my mom's tuna-noodle casserole (which, if we're being technical, is actually Jessi Mozo's mom's recipe out of the Fremont Elementary School cookbook - but it's the one Mom always made), my dad's brownies, my grandma's parmesan chicken.

For the last week or so, I've been craving my Grandma Doris's AMAZING chocolate bundt cake recipe. It's been my favorite for as long as I can remember - so believe you me, it was a shocker when I went to make this for the first time and discovered it's actually a doctored-up cake mix! Grandma's smart like that.

So, yesterday, on my day off, I spent the day in the kitchen, once again whipping up PW's pot roast and crash hot potatoes as well as - my crowning achievement of the day - my grandma's chocolate cake. Because I love you people, I'm going to share this tasty recipe. It's a winner. Enjoy!

GRANDMA DORIS'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (the kind with pudding in, a la Betty Crocker - she recommends chocolate fudge, but any chocolate kind works)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 6 oz. mini-chocolate chips (3/4 cup)

Mix together everything but chocolate chips (easy, no?) - I followed the box's recommendation of 30 seconds on low and then 2 minutes on medium. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a well-greased (with shortening - NOT oil), well-floured bundt pan. The greasing and flouring are essential for the cake to not stick, so be thorough. Bake at 350* F. for 40-45 minutes.

When the cake has cooled down, drizzle with chocolate glaze,

which is made by combining:

• 3 Tbsp. butter (you can melt it; I just used softened butter and then zapped the whole glaze for 25 seconds to make it pourable)
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. hot water
• 6 Tbsp. cocoa

I recommend serving along with some vanilla ice cream.

Oh, good heavens - come to mama!!!

And, of course, the final step: enjoy!!!

Don't Emily and Dawn look like happy campers? I think they just love me for my mad cooking skills. :)