Like many food bloggers, I am a huge fan of Ree Drummond over at The Pioneer Woman.  She always makes me laugh, she takes beautiful photos (food, family, and life around the ranch) and I have yet to try one of her recipes that wasn't delicious.

So although I first reviewed this recipe with trepidation, I had faith in Ree's culinary wisdom and made the lasagna exactly as written.  Many foodie snobs would turn up their nose at this...a lasagna made with dried herbs and Kraft parmesan cheese and breakfast sausage?!?!?  Blasphemy!  And yet, The Pioneer Woman was right.  This is really the most delicious lasagna I have ever had.  Hands down.

"From the Pantry" Lasagna
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 pound ground beef
1 pound hot breakfast sausage (I used Bob Evans)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes (I used a quart jar of homemade canned tomatoes)
2 cans (8 ounces) tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used good ol' Kraft in the green jar)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
1 package (10 ounces) lasagna noodles
more grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt and olive oil to the water.  Cook the lasagna noodles, following package instructions, until al dente.  Don't overcook.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef, sausage, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Drain off most of the fat, but leave some behind.  Fat is yummy.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons dried parsley and 2 tablespoons dried basil, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Simmer 45 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, the other 2 tablespoons dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In 9" x 13" or similar pan, arrange 4 lasanga noodles at the bottom of the pan, overlapping if necessary.  Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles and spread evenly.  Arrange half of the mozzarella slices over the cottage cheese mixture.  Spoon a little less than half of the meat sauce mixture on top and spread evenly.  Repeat one more layer:  noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, and meat sauce mixture.  Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Let the lasagna sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

I know spring is (supposedly) finally here, which means light, fresh, "spring-y" meals are on the way.  Unfortunately, spring has taken so long to arrive this year, I have doubted that we would ever see warm days and green trees ever again.  So when I search books and the internet for new recipes, I still find myself drawn to hearty, rich dishes that simmer all day on the stove or in the oven...rich with braised meats and tender root vegetables.  Hence, this stew.  If you are actually experiencing spring wherever you are, feel free to save this recipe until the fall.  And also...you suck.

"Spring-Will-Never-Get-Here" Beef Stew

2 pounds beef chuck (stew meat), cut into cubes
canola oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
salt and pepper
12 ounces white and/or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and quartered
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups low sodium beef stock
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2" thick
2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
cornstarch, as needed for thickening

Heat a few tablespoons canola oil in large, heavy pot.  In batches, brown beef until richly browned on all sides.  Remove beef to a plate as it browns.

Add onion and garlic to pot, season with salt and papper, and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown.  Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms have released their moisture and have started to brown.

Deglaze pan with red wine and scrape all of the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until wine has reduced until nearly evaporated.

Add beef stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil, return beef to pan (along with any juices) and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer, covered, over low heat, for 1 hour.

Add carrots, celery and potatoes to pot.  Cover and continue to simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  If too thin, dissolve some cornstarch in a small amount of water and add gradually until it reaches the desired thickness.

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of good wine.  Continue to wait for spring.  Let me know when it gets here. 

OK, I am officially sick of winter and ready for spring.  I know I am not alone on this, but this is notable because I generally love winter and prefer cold over hot.  This year, however, has been brutal.  Way too cold for way too long.  Snow, ice, wind.  Ugh.  I don't think I have ever longed for flowy skirts and sandals like I am now.

Since I can't make spring get here any sooner, I'll just keep making soup.  For poor JD's sake, I hope it warms up soon.  He doesn't really like soup, and that's all I've been in the mood to make lately.

Beef Barley Soup
adapted from Real Food Has Curves

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound sliced mushrooms
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup dry Madeira
1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into small pieces
1-2 pounds meaty beef ribs
3 cups beef broth
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup barley
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Heat butter in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add mushrooms, carrots, and celery.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms release their moisture.

Add Madeira to the pot and cook, stirring, until the liquid has been reduced and thickens to a glaze.

Add stew meat, ribs, beef and chicken broths, and barley.  Bring to a simmer.  Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 hours.  Remove the beef ribs and scrape/cut the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pot.

Season with a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Most cooks have a standard favorite recipe of a specific dish...one they always rely on for consistent quality and comments.  Those are great, but there is the danger of getting too comfortable, to the point where you don't make any other variations or even look at different recipes for that same dish.  Don't get stuck in a rut...branch out!  Do something different!  Take a leap!

Remember that episode of "Frasier" where he tells everyone to take advantage of the extra day and "Take a Leap" on February 29?  Daphne gets a disasterous new haircut, Roz makes a fool of herself on air trying to meet a guy, Martin takes a horrible trip...so Frasier chickens out of his own "leap" (singing a difficult aria instead of his usual "Buttons and Bows") and then forgets all of the words..."Hippity-bippity-boppity-bow, something and something buttons and bows!"

Anyway, my chili recipe is one of those "old standbys" for me.  It's always good and I get raves from JD so it's great for a stress-free meal.  So recently I decided to branch out and try a completely different recipe for chili, and I'm so glad I did.  YUMMY.

Chorizo, Beef and Bean Chili
recipe adapted from Cooking Light

2 links chorizo sausage
1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cubed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground coriander (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup lime juice
32 ounces reduced sodium beef broth
1 quart canned tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 tablespoons masa harina or fine ground cornmeal
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

You'll notice I rarely post a picture of a recipe's ingredients...here's the main reason.  I left out the following items from this picture:  the other can of pinto beans, tomato paste, red wine, sugar, and masa harina.  Oh well.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown chorizo in pan until browned; remove from pan and set aside.  Brown the stew meat in batches; remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to pan; saute for 3 minutes, or until softened.  Remove 2-3 chipotle chiles from the can and chop.  Save the remaining chiles and sauce for another use (put in zip-top bag and freeze).  Add chorizo, beef, chopped chiles, tomato paste, sugar, salt, cocoa, coriander, oregano and cumin to the pot with the onions.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the wine, lime juice, beef broth, and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After 1 hour, gradually add the masa harina, stirring well to avoid lumps.  Stir in the pinto beans and black beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions...or all on its own.