This Dip is Decadent!

 

The reason it's so decadent, is because they've turned up the ooey-gooey factor on this Spinach Artichoke Dip. Real mozzarella, mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor with Yankee Magazine came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about their take on this classic party dip. And while there's no holding back on the creaminess, the vegetable prep won't take too much of your time, thanks to recipe calling for frozen spinach and canned artichoke hearts. Amy told Tonia that cuts down on the time it actually takes to make this dip. What it skimps out on time though, it doesn't leave off for flavor.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan
• 3 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into medium cubes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
• 3⁄4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, plus more for the topping
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese, plus more for topping
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °F and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9-by- 13-inch baking dish (or two smaller dishes or skillets). Set aside.

Squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the thawed spinach. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the spinach and artichokes, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, and chili flakes. Stir with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with extra mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Fix This "Broken" Lasagna For Dinner

   



Whoops!  It looks like you broke the lasagna. That's alright, because "Broken Lasagna" makes for a delicious puzzle that your taste-buds will love to put back together.  Susie Fishbein, who wrote Kosher By Design Cooking Coach stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about how to put the "Broken Lasagna" together.  Susie takes the lasagna, cooks it al dente and literally breaks it apart.  She adds butternut squash, frozen (not fresh!) spinach (since you need a lot.)  Then Chef Susie adds ricotta and garlic and simply tosses it in a bowl with the broken up lasagna.  She tops it off with pumpkin seeds (it is around Halloween after all) for a festive fall treat that's like a casserole.  Yes it may be broken, but it's a completely together meal!

Serves 12

Rigatoni may be substituted for the broken lasagna noodles.

2 (12-ounce) boxes frozen cooked winter squash, defrosted
5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 fresh sage leaves (about 1/4 cup loosely packed), chopped
1 (16-ounce) box standard lasagna noodles (not no-bake)
1 cup heavy cream
2 (10-ounce) bags frozen butternut squash cubes
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2 In large bowl, mix ricotta, garlic, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, pepper and chopped sage.  Set aside.
3 Break lasagna noodles into 3-4 pieces each and cook according to package directions until al dente.  Drain; rinse with plenty of cold water.  Drain very well.
4 Mix noodles into ricotta.  Add winter squash and spinach.  Stir well.  Mix in cream and squash cubes.  Transfer to 9-by-13-inch oven-to-table casserole or baking dish.  Smooth top with spatula.  Sprinkle on pumpkin seeds and Parmesan.  Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

A Vegetarian Shrimp Scampi

Everyone loves the fine flavor of Shrimp Scampi, but for those who are vegetarians, it's been a dish that's been unattainable, until now! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor for Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her Mushroom, White Bean and Spinach Scampi. She told Tonia this recipe does not skimp on the garlic, and that along with the seasonal fall vegetables, really add to the magnificent Scampi flavor that you can have without the shrimp  

Yield:

6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1 pound linguine, uncooked
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 pound sliced white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or “baby bellas,” or a combination
5 ounces baby spinach
8 large garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 thin lemon slices
Minced parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a palmful of kosher salt, then add the linguine and cook according to package instructions. After the pasta is cooked and drained, do not discard the cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 4 tablespoons olive oil, then add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt. If adding all the mushrooms at once crowds your pan, cook them in batches (when the pan is crowded, the mushrooms will steam rather than brown).

Stir the mushrooms with the salt and oil, then let them cook, undisturbed, until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir, then cook until the mushrooms are browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan, then add the spinach, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted. Add the beans, stock, white wine, and lemon juice. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to pick up any yummy browned bits.

Add the pasta to the sauté pan, along with ½ cup of the cooking water. Add the reserved mushrooms and lemon slices, and toss together in the pan. If the mixture seems dry, add more pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl. Garnish with parsley, a generous shower of Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

A Decadent Dip

The reason it's so decadent, is because they've turned up the ooey-gooey factor on this Spinach Artichoke Dip. Real mozzarella, mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor with Yankee Magazine came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about their take on this classic party dip. And while there's no holding back on the creaminess, the vegetable prep won't take too much of your time, thanks to recipe calling for frozen spinach and canned artichoke hearts. Amy told Tonia that cuts down on the time it actually takes to make this dip. What it skimps out on time though, it doesn't leave off for flavor.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan
• 3 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into medium cubes
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
• 3⁄4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, plus more for the topping
• 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese, plus more for topping
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °F and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9-by- 13-inch baking dish (or two smaller dishes or skillets). Set aside.

Squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the thawed spinach. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the spinach and artichokes, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, and chili flakes. Stir with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with extra mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

This Lasagna is a Little Different

It's actually different in many ways. Let's count them. 1. It has Indian food flavor influences. 2. It's healthy by way of subbing in zucchini for noodles. 3. It has a VERY different sauce. Let's back up. Vasudha Viswanath, who wrote the new cookbook Vegetarian Reset, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her Saag Lasagna recipe and a great story behind it. Vasudha told Tonia that growing up in India, she was exposed to a number of different cuisines from around the world. But in India, chefs and restaurants tend to play with their food, in that they add a lot of spices native to that country. As a result, you have totally different takes on various dishes that you might not expect. Vasudha's Saag Lasagna is an example (and perhaps an improvement) on this Italian classic. She says it's craveable!

Saag Lasagna

INGREDIENTS | Makes 3 servings 

·       1 lb zucchini, cut in half and sliced 1.5mm thick using mandoline or knife

·       1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

·       PALAK SAUCE

o   1 tbsp ghee

o   1 tsp cumin seeds

o   1 green chili

o   1 tbsp ginger, shredded

o   1 tbsp garlic, minced

o   1 onion (250g), roughly chopped

o   1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen

o   1 tsp garam masala

o   1 tsp salt, to taste

RICOTTA MIX

o   15 oz ricotta cheese, full fat

o   1/4 cup parmesan, shredded

o   Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

·       Step 1 - Salt zucchini lightly and keep aside for 15-20 mins to draw out the water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

·       Step 2 - For the palak sauce - saute cumin seeds in ghee and caramelize onions. Add green chili, ginger and garlic and saute for 30 sec. Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil and add spinach gradually until it wilts. Add salt, garam masala and mix. Blend until smooth

·       Step 3 - Mix ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper and set aside. Pat zucchini dry with a tissue

·       Step 4 - Layer 1/3 palak sauce, 1/3 zucchini slices and 1/2 ricotta mix in the loaf pan. Repeat. For the last layer, add the remaining 1/3 palak sauce, 1/3 zucchini slices and top with mozzarella

·       Step 5 - Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden brown on top

Serve hot