I love making lasagna for company. It’s not so easy, but it’s something that can be made ahead of time, making the day-of much easier to handle. This lasagna is a little different and “dressier” than the classic cheese-and-tomato-sauce or meat-and-tomato-sauce kind. Plus, it is a nice filling main dish! We all really enjoyed it, and I’m glad I made the entire box of lasagna noodles and made a little extra of this for the freezer. That’s right, lasagna is a great freezer food!I made this over the course of two days. The first morning, I washed, peeled, de-stemmed, sliced, and sauteed the mushrooms. I refrigerated them and waited until nighttime when Richie was sleeping to do the rest. That night, I made the bechamel and assembled the lasagna. I put it in the fridge. I took it out a few hours before dinner the next night, baked it for the regular amount of time, and voila, a no-fuss main dish for my dinner party.

Does anyone else peel their mushrooms? I don’t know why I do it, and I guess I don’t have to clean them if I do. I actually find it kind of fun to do, so maybe that’s why whenever I cook mushrooms I sit there peeling off the outer layer. Any thoughts on this?

Mushroom Lasagna, adapted from Ina Garten

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• 12 lasagna noodles (3/4 pound)
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 stock unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (I used plain old white buttons)
• 1 cup shredded muenster cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and lay each noodle out on a piece of wax paper so they don’t stick together.

3. Make the bechamel: Heat the milk either in a small pot or in the microwave.

4. Melt the stick of butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for one minute.

5. Pour the milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once and stir until combined.

6. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon and then a whisk until thickened. Set aside.

7. Separate the mushrooms from the stems and discard the stems (or save them for mushroom broth!). Slice the caps into 1/4 inch thick slices.

8. Cook the mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan. All half the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and release some juices. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

9. (This is a step I didn’t do, and resulted in a watery lasagna, nothing like Ina’s picture: drain the mushrooms!)

10. Assemble the lasagna: Spread some sauce on the bottom of an 8x12x2 baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top (3) then sauce, mushrooms, and cheese. Repeat two more times. Top with a final later of noodles and the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

11. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly and hot.

12. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Lasagna is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

I like to stock my freezer with different kinds of veggie burgers. Of course, you can buy these pre-made in the grocery store, but homemade things are just more fun! Not to mention better for you, tastier, and cheaper. But enough of that…you know all this already. This veggie burger (I know, we’ve shared many with you since the summer. One more can’t hurt, though) uses quinoa as the protein and has a much softer (read: mushier) texture than the rest. It’s great on a salad with some roasted or fresh veggies or a homemade hamburger bun with chummus.

Since all the ingredients are already cooked in this burger, you really only need to pan fry them to crisp them up and hold them together. I baked some of them to hold them together and really enjoyed both kinds. Baking was easier, though, so I recommend that method. Just stick them all in one pan instead of standing over the stove for a while. It’s also really easy to double this recipe for even more freezer awesomeness.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers, adapted from Chef at Home:

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 leek
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used seasoned)

Directions:

1. Chop the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside in a large bowl.

2. Shred the zucchini (I used my box grater) and place between towels or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the excess moisture. Add to the mushrooms.

3. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the leek and red pepper flakes and cook until the leek is softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the mushroom and zucchini mixture and cook another 5 minutes, until tende.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the quinoa, salt, and pepper. Let cool completely.

6. Stir in the egg and bread crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour, until the mixture is firm.

7. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

8. Shape the mixture into patties (I used a 1/2 cup measure) and cook in the oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Alternatively, bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes on each side.

Quinoa Veggie Burgers is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

I love baking muffins. I always have to have at least one kind of muffin in the freezer. You know, because they are a great go-to snack, a perfect oops-I-forgot-my-breakfast treat, and an easy addition to a not-big-enough packed lunch. I sometimes even make savory muffins…an extra special treat. My favorite are blueberry muffins, but with blueberries out of season and all, and those bananas hanging on my makeshift banana tree turning browner by the minute, I just knew I would have to make muffins with them (instead of this or this or this).Hey, you would think we would have more muffin recipes since I always have some in my freezer. I have to start blogging all my favorite recipes. Really, how rude of me. But back to these muffins. I decided to make them as healthy as possible, and then add some chocolate chips. Because really, chocolate and banana go so well together I just had to. You can use only walnuts if you want. Protein boost and omega-3s! Even healthier. I opted to use all whole wheat pastry flour. If you don’t like that “whole wheat” taste, swap out for some all purpose. The texture really won’t change, the color will likely be lighter. Don’t put only white flour, though. That defeats the purpose of this super-healthy muffins.  Or do what you want. They’re YOUR muffins.

And now for some super mushy pictures. They don’t look so great while mixing the batter, but they taste delicious. Try them. Really.

Healthy Banana Muffins, loosely adapted from a bunch of sources, but mostly from here because I love Elise’s muffins and always make this recipe.

Makes 16 muffins (because, as you see, I don’t fill them up that much. I guess you could make 12 if you filled up the tins a little bit more than I do)

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar (I used white. These would be equally delicious with brown)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Smash the bananas in a large bowl (of course I used my mixer because I love it).

3. Add the sugar and mix.

4. Add the oil, vanilla, and egg and mix until just combined.

5. Mix the baking soda, salt, and flour together.

6. Slowly incorporate into the wet mixture.

7. Fold in nuts and/or chocolate chips.

8. Scoop batter into greased or papered muffin tins.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they turn a super golden brown and a toothpick or knife comes out clean.

Banana Muffins is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Everybody loves the Chef at Home (aka Magen David) cookbook. It has bright colors, pretty pictures, and no capitals in the titles! Okay, that’s not why they like it. They like the easy to follow recipes and everyday dishes. I’ve made quite a few recipes from there, but haven’t blogged about them (sorry!). So I decided to make something awesome from there on my day off and share it with you. Now I know we’ve posted quite a few veggie burger recipes lately (fine, two. But that’s a lot!), but I like to make healthy dishes that I can freeze and just heat up when I need a quick lunch, dinner or even snack. And I’m trying to stay away from processed foods, so Morningstar items only a last resort.

I kinda made my job harder by actually chopping all the veggies. I chopped everything into TINY pieces. You probably don’t have to make them that small. Or you can use the food processor and pulse them. I just wanted to incorporate all the flavors and to make sure the burgers really stick together. I hate it when veggie burgers fall apart, don’t you?

Lentil and Brown Rice Burgers, adapted from Chef at Home
Makes about 20 burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 cup brown rice
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 2 medium onions (I used spanish), finely chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, minced or smashed
• 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms (I used button), chopped
• 4 tablespoons brown bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 whole eggs
• 4 egg whites
• Oil or nonstick spray for the baking tray

Directions:

1. In a pot over medium heat, add the water, rice, and lentils. Cook for 30 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.

2. Saute the onions and garlic in 4 tablespoons of the oil until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside in medium bowl.

3. Saute the celery and carrots in 2 tablespoons of the oil until softened, about 15 minutes. Set aside with the onions.

4. Saute the mushrooms in the remaining tablespoon of the oil until the water is all absorbed, about 7 minutes. Set aside with the rest of the vegetables.

5. Combine the rice, lentils, and vegetables in the large bowl and mix well.

6. Add the bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, and cumin to the mixture. Stir to combine.

7. Add the eggs and egg whites and mix again.

8. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes, covered.

9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

10. Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop out mixture and with slightly wet hands, form patties and place them onto a greased baking sheet (if freezing, place them on wax paper).

11. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, then flip over and bake another 20 minutes, until golden brown.

12. Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings/extras and enjoy!

Lentil and Brown Rice Burgers is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

This post is in honor of the best news ever!

Whenever I buy bananas, some of them start to turn brown before I can eat them. Seriously, they’re green when I bring them home, and when I wake up the next morning they’re already overripe! I usually peel them, cut them into chunks and freeze them for smoothies, but there are other things you can do with frozen bananas; You can dip them in chocolate and coconut or pistachios and eat them for dessert!

Anyone here an Arrested Development fan? If you’re not, then you’re missing out because it’s the best show ever, so go watch it! And when you come back, this recipe will remind you of Arrested Development.

What do you do with overripe bananas?

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 bananas, sliced (or as many as you have that are going bad)
• 8 oz. chocolate, melted (I used pareve chocolate)
• Dippings of your choice, such as pistachios, coconut, etc.

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler
2. Dip the banana chunks into the chocolate, and then quickly into your topping of choice.
3. Set on a plate and freeze, store in a bag and eat as you please.

“There’s always money in the banana stand!”

Chocolate-Covered Frozen Bananas is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Ever been to Momofuku Milk Bar? Well I have. And while I didn’t like the coffee milk, I loved the different kinds of cookies they offered! My favorite? The corn cookie…but I couldn’t find that recipe. So these will have to do.

These compost cookies, which were featured on Regis and Kelly, are awesome. You cream the butter and sugar together for TEN minutes. That’s right, ten whole minutes, until the sugar dissolves into the butter and the entire mixture becomes white and thin. It makes for an awesome texture. And very spready and thin cookies (which is why it’s important to cool them before baking. Don’t skip that step). What a creative idea! The best part is that you can put whatever you have on hand into the batter to make them your own! I, of course, don’t have much in the way of junk food in my pantry. Candies? Nope. Chips? Nope. Pretzels? Nope! So I put an assortment of nuts and chocolate, which a handful of cereal added in. They turned out pretty awesome regardless of the fact that I don’t have snacks.

Of course I had to make this recipe a little bit healthier than posted. So I swapped some of the flour for whole wheat and got rid of the corn syrup – I used brown rice syrup instead. You don’t have to do these same substitutions, just use what you have on hand. That’s the beauty of a compost cookie, anyway.

Oh, and Zeke said these were the best cookies he’s had in a long time. And he ate the last of the batch, so it hardly had any of the add-ins in it. I’m going to make them pareve next time I want to impress my shabbat or holiday hosts.

Compost Cookies, adapted from Momofufu Milk Bar:

Makes about 25 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown)
• 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite baking ingredients + 1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods (that’s 3 cups total of add-ins. I used 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup Cinnamon Life cereal. Be creative here if you can – some people put pretzels, potato chips, Oreos, Doritos, candy bars, etc. I made mine nutty and delicious – I like to think they’re more healthy because of it.)

Directions:

1. Add sugars, brown rice syrup, and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, mix on medium for about 2-3 minutes, until combined and creamy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla and scrape down the bowl.

3. Turn the mixer up to medium high and mix for 10 minutes. Set a timer. The batter will become thin, silky, and light.

4. While this is mixing, combine the dry ingredients and prepare your add-ins.

5. Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients, mix on low for about a minute (or less) until just combined.

6. Fold in the add-ins with a rubber spatula.

7. Scoop the batter onto parchment lined baking sheets, making sure to leave about 2-inches of space between the cookies. These will SPREAD a lot while baking.

8. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (but will keep in the fridge for a week and the freezer even longer).

9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

10. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies spread and the tops are browned.

11. Cool completely before removing from baking sheet.

Oh, and the last cookie without lots of add-ins definitely spread too much. So make sure you mix well and really have stuff in that batter, or else you’ll end up with one giant cookie.

Compost Cookies is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Even though we aren’t vegetarians, we’re no strangers to veggie burgers. Our freezers are usually stocked with Chik Patties and other MorningStar Farms delights, but those have some problems; they’re filled with preservatives and they’re dairy! Our veggie burgers are pareve and consist only of natural, fresh ingredients. Try adding corn, hot pepper or any other flavor variety to make them your own and you’ll never buy a frozen veggie burger again.

Sure, this takes a little longer than microwaving a frozen patty, but not much. It probably took 30 minutes from start to finish, counting the 20 minutes baking time. Do what we did and double the recipe so you can freeze some for later!

Spicy Black Bean Burgers from all recipes
Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees, and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
7. Put in bun, top with cheese, lettuce, hummus, roasted peppers or the toppings of your choice, eat and enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

Now with an updated picture! Don’t hesitate to make this delicious meal for Shabbat.

Kibbe cherry is a traditional Friday night dish. Usually we serve it in a pretty bowl, but we couldn’t take the picture on Shabbat, so this is the picture you’re stuck with! Don’t worry, it tastes a lot better than it looks in this picture, we promise!

Not only is it one of our favorite ways to prepare kibbe, it’s also ridiculously easy. Unless you don’t have kibbe in your freezer, then you’re in trouble, or just stuck in the kitchen rolling the balls for a while. Besides the onion, there’s no slicing (and no pitting, ’cause we’re using canned cherries here). Plus, it’s a one-pot dish! Just make some rice and a salad, and you have an easy weeknight meal. Make about 10 other dishes, and you have a perfect dish for Shabbat dinner! Many people make one giant kibbe roll instead of the little balls, but we like this way better.

Kibbe Cherry, adapted from Deal Delights 2:

Ingredients:

• A few glugs of olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• About 20 kibbes
• 1 15-ounce can cherries
• 3 tablespoons oot
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup prunes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil on medium heat and add onions and kibbe until onions are soft and kibbes are browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until all the flavors mix together and the cherries and prunes are soft.

3. Serve over rice.

Kibbe Cherry is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

What do you do with summer fruit that’s going to be bad tomorrow? You make pie, of course! Honestly, I can’t decide if I like most fruits raw or cooked (baked, barbecued, you know). So when both Dad and I came home from the supermarket with giant bags of summer peaches, there was no way they were all getting eaten. At the end of the week there were exactly six left to make this amazing pie! I also had a few raspberries, so I threw them in here. The recipe called for nectarines and blackberries, but hey, this substitution worked just fine.

I am not a lattice pro, so I actually didn’t make as  many stripes as I should have. Next time I will. It’s actually not  so hard, and when you have a crimpy ravioli cutter people are impressed by your pie making skills. I served this to my mom’s cousins and friends at the pool, which is why I used the tart pan and not a pie one. In the end, it was actually easier because cutting it was so much easier! Just pop off the sides and slice with a knife. I think I’ll start using tart pans for all my future pie baking.

Don’t be intimidated by pies! If I can make this while sleep deprived while the baby naps (cause really I should have been napping, too) , you can find time to make it!

You wanna hear a secret? Not only does this pie make a scrumptious dessert (especially with ice cream on top), it also works as a quick breakfast! Just slice a piece and microwave for 30 seconds, because warm pie is yummier than room temperature pie any day.

Adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking:

Ingredients:

• 2 recipes Flaky Pie or Tart Dough
• 6 ripe peaches
• A handful of raspberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:

1. Make the pie dough, if you haven’t already.

2. Split the dough in half and press one half into the pie or tart pan (I like using tart pans better because it’s easier to slice the pie/tart afterwards).

3. Roll the other into a disc and refrigerate while you make the filling:

4. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Cut each half into five slices and add to large bowl.

5. To the bowl, add flour, sugar, lemon juice, and raspberries. Mix with a spatula until the fruit is evenly coated.

6. Add the fruit into the tart shell and refrigerate.

7. Roll out the disc of dough for the topping into a 1/8 inch wide rectangle, about 14×12 inches. Using a ravioli cutter, cut 1-inch thick ribbons.

8. Lay half the ribbons in one direction. Fold back every other ribbon, and place one ribbon perpendicular to those. Replace the ribbons. Fold back the ribbons that you did not fold back last time (every other one) and place another ribbon. Repeat until the entire top is covered.

9. Refrigerate tart for 30-60 minutes.

10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

11. Prepare egg wash: combine egg yolk and heavy cream and brush on top of lattice, making sure to cover all the dough.

12. Sprinkle the tart with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.

13. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

14. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 40 minutes before serving.

Lattice-Top Peach Tart with Raspberries is a post from: The Kosher Foodies

The thing about this mint ice cream is that it’s not flavored with extract. Instead, I steeped some mint leaves in the milk and let that flavor the custard. Delicious! Then, I added some chopped up thin mints to the batter during the last few minutes of freezing. Wow! What a great minty combination! You get that bright fresh mint flavor from the ice cream, and then the chewy and pepperminty thin mint bite a little while afterwards. This is a great refreshing summer ice cream.

You know what would make it even better? Using this as a filling for ice cream sandwiches using really soft chocolate chocolate chip cookies! Hmm…I just might have to try that.

Okay, so when I made this ice cream I thought that maybe the fresh mint would give it a nice natural green color. It didn’t (though maybe sometimes it does, depending on the mint?) so I added just a splash of food coloring – you don’t have to do that, but there’s something fun about eating green mint ice cream!

Fresh Mint Ice Cream (with Homemade Thin Mints), adapted from Thomas Keller:

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup loosely packed) mint leaves – I used a little more
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 10 large egg yolks
• 10 thin mint cookies, chopped into small pieces

Directions:

1. Add the milk and cream to a medium saucepan. Add the mint and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes (to infuse the mint flavor).

2. Strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or clean saucepan (if into a bowl, add back into same saucepan).

3. Add 2/3 cup of the sugar and heat over medium high until just below simmering, whisking every once in a while to dissolve the sugar.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk in the remaining 2/3 cup of the sugar and the egg yolks until thickened and pale.

5. While whisking, slowly add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the yolks, then whisk in the remaining milk mixture.

6. Strain the mixture into a clean saucepan or bowl.

7. Cook the custard over medium heat, whisking, until it coats the back of a spoon.

8. Set the bowl in an ice bath or let cool in the fridge.

9. Freeze in an ice cream maker.

10. During the last 10 minutes of freezing, add the chopped cookies.

11. Pour into quart container and place in freezer to harden.

Fresh Mint Ice Cream is a post from: The Kosher Foodies