Trying Vegetarian Again

...with Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna.

First things first: those chicken & dumplings were AWESOME and even better the next day. If the smell of my house now is any indication, the spinach & artichoke lasagna is going to be just as amazing, if not better!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time Needed: 1.5 hours


Ingredients

cooking spray
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped * I get the already minced kind that you can buy... it's fresh and I think cooks better and more evenly*
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce * i used a honking thing of sauce... 45 ounces, but that's because I like my lasagna saucy*
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided * I used 2, but that's because I'm cheap and lactose and tolerant
1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

4. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

5. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

I'd like to add, for as much food as you have and for how "gourmet" the meal appears- I only spent $20!

Irish Chicken & Dumplings

Let me start off with this:

I've NEVER made anything like this, and I was thinking that because I got off at 5, there'd be plenty of time.

It's 6:30 and I just started the timer. Between Friday traffic and long grocery store lines, it's going to be 8:30 before I eat dinner. Smart one, Misty. But it sounds really delicious!

Ingredients

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cups water
1 cup chopped celery
2 onions, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
5 carrots, sliced
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
4 potatoes, quartered
3 cups baking mix
1 1/3 cups milk

Directions

1. In large, heavy pot, combine soup, water, chicken, celery, onion, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and cook another 30 minutes.
3. Remove chicken from pot, shred it, and return to pot. Add peas and cook only 5 minutes longer.
4. Add dumplings. To make dumplings: Mix baking mix and milk until a soft dough forms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto BOILING stew. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.


Right now, I'm after step one. Waiting an hour and a half before I can do anything else. Geez! All this work better be worth it!

"Zesty Chicken BBQ"

That's what allrecipes.com calls it. My dear friend and former bride, Rucha, is coming over for pedicures then dinner tonight, so I've got it cooking in the crock pot now, and let me tell you, my house smells delicious. I'm not one for posting prior to the first taste test, but I'm betting that I've got this one in the bag.

Ingredients:

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 12 oz bottle of BBQ sauce (I used an entire bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's honey & brown sugar BBQ sauce)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I mean, does the type really make a difference)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.

2. Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

I'm serving it on potato rolls with boiled white corn, and pasta salad out of a box (read the top of the blog... ONE adventure at a time). I made chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

Tried to go vegetarian for dinner...

and failed. Can someone PLEASE tell me what this is missing (and forget the obvious...meat):

Farfalle with Carmelized Onions & Broccoli

1 large onion
2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp. dried tarragon
8 oz. dry farfalle pasta (2 cups)
3 cups small broccoli florets

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut onion into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute 10 minutes, or until browned. Add 1 cup water and tarragon, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli 3 minutes before end of cooking time. Drain broccoli and pasta, and add to onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil, if using.

It was just.so.bland.

We made cookie brownies afterwards to make up for it.