staying warm
Andrea
I have a confession to make...I haven’t run since my 5-mile accomplishment on Saturday. :( The problem with living in Virginia in the Winter is that its cold. Really cold. I know I’m a wimp to complain about 20* weather when so many of you live in places FAR colder but you have to understand that I grew up in Florida...this whole temperature getting below 50* in the Winter is still fairly new to me. Each day this week I have planned on running, and each day I have chickened out. Maybe its because the window in my office is so drafty that I have to wear my wool coat and scarf all day, and even then my poor little fingers are still icicles. Or maybe its because when I get home all I want to do is create a meal that will be so satisfying and hearty that I will be warmed from the inside out after consuming it, like last night’s Ravioli Lasagna and Brussels Sprout Spaghetti.
This idea came from Tina at Carrots & Cake, and originally from Real Simple magazine (I couldn't find a recipe link). Lasagna noodles and ricotta are replaced with prepared ravioli pasta...I chose 365 Brand frozen 5 Cheese Ravioli.
The raviolis are layered with pasta sauce (also 365 Brand), frozen spinach (thawed, excess water squeezed out) and part-skim mozzarella. There are so many variations that could be played with. I was thinking about an amazing portobello ravioli that a local pasta shop creates and how good that would be layered with additional mushrooms, olives and capers...yum!
Were I to create the lasagna for a dinner party again I would probably use fresh ravioli in lieu of the frozen. This would make the cost of the dish significantly higher, which is why I would reserve it for special occasions only. The frozen raviolis were good, just chewier than fresh would have been. Even with frozen raviolis this dish is more expensive than a classic lasagna with noodles would be, but its a fun take on a classic favorite that I will surely make again.
Basic Ravioli Lasagna (I encourage you to try different variations...next time I will add more veggies)
Ingredients:
While the lasagna was baking I worked on a new brussels sprouts recipe. Our go-to method for cooking brussels has been to roast them, and I'm getting a little tired of it. We have them weekly, so I wanted to play around with different methods of preparing them. A friend of mine told me about a recipe he and his wife cook often, where you slice the brussels into 1/8" pieces, essentially turning them into a slaw-like consistency. You then sauté them in butter, toss them with linguine and serve. I was intrigued, so we tried it.
Brussels Sprout Spaghetti
Ingredients:
This dish was delicious, although I will definitely reduce the amount of pasta used next time, and will probably substitute angel hair for the spaghetti noodles. The shaved parmesan really makes the dish, and I think it would be divine with bacon or pancetta added in.
The evening was delicious, warm and satisfying. But if I'm going to keep making dishes like this, I have to get over my fear of the cold and get back on the road for some runs! Here's hoping the weather warms soon...
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This idea came from Tina at Carrots & Cake, and originally from Real Simple magazine (I couldn't find a recipe link). Lasagna noodles and ricotta are replaced with prepared ravioli pasta...I chose 365 Brand frozen 5 Cheese Ravioli.
The raviolis are layered with pasta sauce (also 365 Brand), frozen spinach (thawed, excess water squeezed out) and part-skim mozzarella. There are so many variations that could be played with. I was thinking about an amazing portobello ravioli that a local pasta shop creates and how good that would be layered with additional mushrooms, olives and capers...yum!
Were I to create the lasagna for a dinner party again I would probably use fresh ravioli in lieu of the frozen. This would make the cost of the dish significantly higher, which is why I would reserve it for special occasions only. The frozen raviolis were good, just chewier than fresh would have been. Even with frozen raviolis this dish is more expensive than a classic lasagna with noodles would be, but its a fun take on a classic favorite that I will surely make again.
Basic Ravioli Lasagna (I encourage you to try different variations...next time I will add more veggies)
Ingredients:
- (3) 8oz packages of fresh or frozen ravioli
- (1) jar of pasta sauce
- (1) 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid)
- 1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
- Ladle 1/2 cup of sauce into bottom of 9x9 glass baking dish.
- Layer one package of ravioli on top of sauce.
- Top with 1/2 of spinach and 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
- Ladle 1/3 of remaining sauce over mozzarella.
- Repeat steps 2-4.
- Layer last package of ravioli on top of sauce.
- Ladle remaining 1/3 of sauce over ravioli and top with last 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
- Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes, until lasagna is bubbly and top layer of cheese is just starting to brown.
While the lasagna was baking I worked on a new brussels sprouts recipe. Our go-to method for cooking brussels has been to roast them, and I'm getting a little tired of it. We have them weekly, so I wanted to play around with different methods of preparing them. A friend of mine told me about a recipe he and his wife cook often, where you slice the brussels into 1/8" pieces, essentially turning them into a slaw-like consistency. You then sauté them in butter, toss them with linguine and serve. I was intrigued, so we tried it.
Brussels Sprout Spaghetti
Ingredients:
- lots of brussels...we probably had 20 medium-sized
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- whole wheat pasta (I used spaghetti, but will use angel hair next time)
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- parmesan cheese, shaved
- Boil the pasta until soft.
- Meanwhile, saute' the brussels and shallot in 1/2 the butter until fragrant and beginning to brown.
- Drain the pasta and add to the brussels pan. Add the last 1/2 of butter and toss all together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with shaved parmesan on top.
This dish was delicious, although I will definitely reduce the amount of pasta used next time, and will probably substitute angel hair for the spaghetti noodles. The shaved parmesan really makes the dish, and I think it would be divine with bacon or pancetta added in.
The evening was delicious, warm and satisfying. But if I'm going to keep making dishes like this, I have to get over my fear of the cold and get back on the road for some runs! Here's hoping the weather warms soon...
Several of you have asked for the cranberry ketchup recipe, which I got from 
(image from 
Snack: I'm in fridge/freezer/pantry clean-out mode, and it was driving me crazy this morning that I had just a little Kashi H2H left in the pantry but didn't want cereal for breakfast. So, I added it to the trail mix that the hubb made me last week and brought the tub to the office to live.
It contains: Kashi H2H, mixed nuts, dried cherries, pineapple and pears, and crystalized ginger. I had about 1/2 a cup of the small stuff and one dried pear.
Dinner: Veggie Bean Chili a la 
Well, I officially have 3 full days left before leaving for Florida Tuesday morning!!! Soooooo excited, but this weekend is going to be ridiculously busy so my posting may be minimal... Here are a few To Do's:
Lunch: A whole wheat pita stuffed with 2 tbsp TJ's edamame hummus (YUM!), broccoli slaw, yellow bell pepper and cucumber, along with an Oikos blueberry yogurt. This was my first blueberry Oikos experience...I literally got THE LAST OIKOS on the shelf at Harris Teeter. Below the empty shelf was a sign that explained that they wouldn't be stocking Oikos for a short period due to a manufacturing problem. I guess I owe my Whole Foods a blog apology for ranting about them last week... :P Anyway, the blueberry was pretty tasty but I really miss my honey flavor!!!
Snack: A 12oz skim latte from my favorite coffee shop downtown and 1/2 a honeycrisp apple. This apple was really disappointing as all my store-bought apples have been lately, I guess the season is finally over... :(
Dinner: Baked chicken, roasted veggies (brussels, potatoes + golden beets) and Near East Whole Grain Blends (chicken + garlic).
Dessert: Definitely breaking back into the chocolate covered strawberries in a little bit...
I'm off to do more Christmas prep...we'll be in Florida in 1 week!!! Yay!!!
Not pictured:
I made two loaves, so I sliced one and put it in the freezer for later.
Sunday Dessert: Becca's award-winning 
Snacks: I of course snacked on some of the baked goods I made throughout the day. I think I wound up eating two of VeggieGirl's Pear Pistachio Ginger Blondies and one of Jessica's Chocolate Gingerbread Bars. No pics...sorry! I need to get better about my baked good / snack consumption...I've been going a little overboard. :(
Monday Breakfast: Toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin w/ 1 tbsp almond butter and sliced banana, the rest of the banana on the side.
Monday Lunch: 1/2 a leftover 
Snacks Monday: My lunch calories were a little light (surprising I know, but the enchirito really isn't bad for you!) so I was hungry for this beautiful pear a couple of hours later. I also grabbed one of the chocolate gingerbread bars that I brought into the office to share with my co-workers.
And because I was in the office until about 8:30, I ate 1/2 of this Clif Builder's Bar at 6:30 to keep myself from eating more choco. gingerbread bars... (iphone pic, sorry!)
Monday Dinner: My hubb came to the rescue again with a fabulous quiche!!! I'll post this recipe later too...it was SO YUMMY! And I was starving by the time I got home so I had 1/4 of it, along with a glass of chardonnay (no pic...).
And for dessert a molasses clove cookie (see what I mean about the sweets!?!?!?)
We're almost there!!! Thanks for hangin' in there for this LONG post! :)
Tuesday Breakfast: Toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin with 2 tbsp PB...I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get hungry on my drive and be tempted by a Starbucks baked goodie! Also, a banana.
I managed to get PB all over myself while driving. It was dark and I had no idea until the sun came up...pathetic. :P
Tuesday Morning Snack: I stopped at Starbucks for a grande non-fat chai latte about halfway through my morning drive.
Tuesday Lunch: We all went out to a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant where I ordered grilled tofu on lemongrass vermicelli noodles. It was AMAZING but I have no pictures because it was definitely not appropriate to pull out my iphone with the entire team of architects and engineers present. It was sooooo good though...
Tuesday Afternoon Snack: My hubb was so sweet and made me a very special trail mix to snack on during my long drive...he even took the pictures for me so that the note stayed a surprise. He's the best!!! :) I had a handful of the mix on my way home.
Tuesday Evening Snack: One glorious dark chocolate covered joe joe...
Tuesday Dinner: Leftover quiche and a spinach salad with hearts of palm, red bell pepper, cucumber and lite ranch dressing. And a much-needed glass of cabernet after my long day.
Whew!!! Thanks for sticking with me! I'll be back later tonight to post today's eats and the two dinner recipes I promised. I feel so out of the blog loop because I haven't read any since Sunday!!! I hope to get caught up tonight... Have a great day! :)
