Tag: paper towels

Zucchini Lasagna

By replacing the lasagna noodles with thin sliced zucchini you can create a delicious, lower carb (gluten-free) lasagna that’s loaded with vegetables, and you won’t miss the pasta!

This recipe is from the archives, but needed a photo-makeover. I also like to make some of my older recipes over to see if I can improve them. I made slight adjustments to the original recipe, so if you have an old printout, you may want to re-print it. This feeds eight, and is quite filling. Everyone in my house likes it, including my picky daughter.

The first time I made this, I didn’t grill the zucchini first, but there was a lot of liquid so I found grilling it first greatly improved it. I soaked up as much of the liquid as I could with paper towels before layering the ingredients. I think the next time I make this, I’ll try it with turkey sausage in place of the ground beef, I bet it will be spectacular!

Tip: Using a mandoline^[1] is a must to slice the zucchini thin, and it’s quick and easy. You can also make the sauce ahead of time if you want to speed this up for a weeknight.

Zucchini Lasagna
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8 • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 345 • Fat: 17 g • Carbs: 16 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 36 g • Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 801 (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% lean beef
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8″ thick
15 oz part-skim ricotta
16 oz part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded (Sargento)
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1 large egg

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8″ thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside or 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

On a gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well.

In a 9×12 casserole spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 – 10 minutes before serving.

References

^{^} mandoline (www.amazon.com)

Seared Sea Scallops

by Pam on March 20, 2014

I was in the mood for seafood so I went to my local grocery store to see what looked good. I saw huge sea scallops and decided to give them a try. I was looking online for recipe ideas and realized that I bought “wet” scallops instead of “dry” scallops. Scallops are sold either “wet” or “dry.” “Wet” scallops are treated with phosphates, which causes them to absorb water. This extra water makes them heavier and more expensive. ”Dry,” natural scallops that have not been treated with any chemicals. So, learn from my mistake, buy “dry” scallops, if possible. Luckily, I found a simple solution on America’s Test Kitchen^[1]. I soaked the scallops in a water/lemon juice/salt brine for 30 minutes to help rinse the phosphates out. I rinsed the scallops then sandwiched them between towels to soak up the excess liquid. I simply seasoned them with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper before searing them in a little butter. They turned out great. My daughter was not a fan of the scallops which surprised me because she loves sushi. My son said they were good until the next day when he told me that he actually didn’t like them. Thankfully, my husband and I both thought they were delicious. I served these scallops with the Caramelized Onion Orzo^[2] and the Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Sauté^[3] for a healthy and delicious dinner.

If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops. Place a towel (or a few paper towels) down on a large plate. Place the scallops on the towel then cover with an additional towel (or paper towels). Press gently to remove excess water.

Add the butter to a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Season both sides of the scallops with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Once the pan is hot, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2- 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve IMMEDIATELY. Enjoy.

Print^[4]

Save^[5]

Seared Sea Scallops

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Brine:

1 quart (4 cups) cold water
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tbsp table salt

Scallops:

15 sea scallops
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter

Directions:

If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops. Place a towel (or a few paper towels) down on a large plate. Place the scallops on the towel then cover with an additional towel (or paper towels). Press gently to remove excess water.

Add the butter to a large saute pan on medium-high heat. Season both sides of the scallops with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Once the pan is hot, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve IMMEDIATELY. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Brine recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

References

^{^} America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com)
^{^} Caramelized Onion Orzo (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Sauté (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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?Baked? Beans

“Baked” Beans

by Pam on October 22, 2012

I wanted to make some baked beans for dinner but didn’t have the time to deal with dried beans. I found this recipe that I adapted on Martha Stewart^[1]. I added a little bit of bacon crumbles to the sauce and used regular mustard instead of dried mustard. I planned on adding some brown sugar but didn’t because they were sweet enough without it. The beans turned out tangy, sweet, and very delicious! My kids both really loved these beans and so did I.

Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cut the bacon into pieces and place into the pan. Cook, until crispy, for about 2 minutes on each side; remove from the pan and place onto paper towels to drain. Crumble. Add the onion to the pan (add a bit of oil if needed) and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the rinsed & drained cannelloni beans to the onion mixture then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add bacon, 1/2 cup of water, ketchup, molasses, and mustard. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve & enjoy.

Print^[2]

“Baked” Beans

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients:

2 slices of lean bacon, cooked & crumbled
3 tbsp sweet yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 15 oz cans cannelloni beans, drained & rinsed
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of molasses
1-2 tsp mustard

Directions:

Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cut the bacon into pieces and place into the pan. Cook, until crispy, for about 2 minutes on each side; remove from the pan and place onto paper towels to drain. Crumble. Add the onion to the pan (add a bit of oil if needed) and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the rinsed & drained cannelloni beans to the onion mixture then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add bacon, 1/2 cup of water, ketchup, molasses, and mustard. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve & enjoy.

Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Martha Stewart

References

^{^} Martha Stewart (www.marthastewart.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)