Author Archives: Kimberly Crocker

Simple Lasagna (No Meat)

Simple Lasagna with Tomato Basil Sauce

1 medium onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 – 28 oz cans tomato sauce (2 – 700 g bottles)
1 cup of water.
Add salt to taste. (1/1/2 Tbsp add more salt if needed after allowing sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.)
1/2 tsp pepper
6 leaves fresh Basil (add ONLY in the last 10 minutes of cooking sauce.)

24 pasta sheets (Spinach or Egg pasta)
400 g thinly sliced mozzarella cheese.
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

View Image

Add coarsely chopped onion and olive oil. Cover pan and allow to cook for 5 minutes on MEDIUM heat, turning the onions, as to not to burn.
Add tomato sauce,1 cup of water. Prop lid of pan with wooden spoon and allow to simmer on LOW or Warm heat for 20 minutes turning sauce occasionally. Add fresh basil leaves and stir into sauce. Remove from heat.

ASSEMBLY
Preheat oven to 350 F or 170 C
In a 9×11 cake size pan add to bottom of pan 5 ladles of sauce. Add 6 pasta sheets distributed side by side in pan. Layer with 6-8 slices of  mozzarella cheese. Add 5 ladles of  sauce to cover pasta. Add second layer of 6 pasta sheets distribute so they are side by side.  Layer with slices of cheese.

Repeat layering process of pasta, tomato sauce and cheese 2 more times. Top off last layer with sliced mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Place in oven and allow to bake  for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool down for 20 minutes before serving.

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad
Prep time: 5 minutes 
Ingredients:

  • 3 c. fresh spinach, torn in bite-size pieces 
  • 3/4 c. mandarin oranges
  • 1/2 c. walnuts
  • 4 ounces  Fruit flavored Yogurt (reserved for dressing)
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Combine Spinach, salad greens, clementines, walnuts and pepper (feta cheese). Serve and top with 1 Tbsp of yogurt.

.

Lamb

Excellent recipe for the grill or stove top. May use ingredients on all cuts of lamb.

Serves 6

4 lbs Lamb
2 Tbsp Mint
2 Tbsp Rosemary
2 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce

Create dry rub for lamb by placing fresh mint, rosemary and garlic all together on a cutting board, with a mezzaluna (kitchen tool) rock blade back and forth until all ingredients have been finely shredded . (May use dry herbs as well, no shredding needed, just mince garlic.) Place herbs, salt and drizzle soy sauce onto lamb. Using your hands rub ingredients into lamb. Set aside and allow to rest for 1 hour.

Follow searing methods for all cuts of lamb if using stove top. For smaller pieces of lamb cooking time will be reduced for grill smaller cuts can stay on grill for about 8 minutes per side. For stove top, after braising allow to cook cover for about 7 minutes.

Choose method of cooking Leg of Lamb:

Grill
Start the grill. When grill reaches temperature 400 F (180 C), place lamb onto grill reduce temperature to 350 F (160 C) and allow to grill for 15 minutes, turn lamb and allow to cook for another 15 minutes on the other side. Remove lamb from grill and place into a pan, cover tightly with foil allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
For Charcoal Grill: When coals are hot (80% gray), place lamb onto upper rack and cover with kettle top. Allow lamb to cook 20 minutes per side, until golden, resting time in pan off the fire should be 15 minutes.

Stove Top
Need to sear lamb creating a fine crust on the outside of meat and sealing in the juices of the meat.
Turn stove on to medium-high heat; place an iron skillet onto stove burner and add 2 Tbsp olive oil to iron skillet, allowing oil to heat up for 1 minute. Place lamb into hot pan and allow to braise in pan for 2-3 minutes, searing  is complete when meat lifts from the pan easily with a fork. If meat is sticking to pan, allow for it to cook 1 minute longer in skillet.
Turn meat and repeat process on the other side for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1/2 -3/4 cups Marsala Secco (dry)to meat in pan, reduce cooking temperature to medium low, cover pan allow lamb to simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Tuna Steak

Season Tuna with Salt, Pepper, Minced Garlic,

Excellent dish that leaves your palate satisfied. May be broken up and placed into a pasta dish or serve on a bed of rucula and green salad dressed in vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 or 4 ounce Tuna Steak
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp Red Pepper or Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 Lemon (Lemon Zest of whole lemon. Then cut lemon into half.)
  • 2 cups Arugula

    Arugula Salda and Tuna Steak

Heat skillet on medium high heat for about 1 minute. Meanwhile, combine salt, pepper, minced garlic and lemon zest; rub into tuna on both sides. Add olive oil to hot skillet, then add Tuna. Saute` tuna in skillet for 2 minutes per side, squeeze the juice of lemon halves onto tuna while cooking in skillet. Turn off flame and serve tuna on arugula salad, or salad of choice.

Tomato Basil Sauce

Tomato Basil Sauce with Farfalle Pasta

A fresh taste of Italy!! Serve over your favorite pasta or Rice!

Fresh tomato basil sauce! Delicious on pasta or rice.

Tomato Basil Sauce
1 medium onion peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One 28 oz cans tomato sauce (1 ½ L)
1/4 cup of water.
1/4 cup milk
Add Salt to taste.
1/8 tsp lemon zest (optional)
10 leaves fresh Basil (add ONLY in the last 10 minutes of cooking sauce.) Reserve 6 leaves for presentation of dish.
Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated) or Ricotta dura freshly grated.

Pure Ripe Red Tomatoes! The only ingredient needed to optimize Italian Sauce.

Add coarsely chopped onion and olive oil. Cover pan and allow to cook for 5 minutes on MEDIUM heat, turning the onions, as to not to burn.
Add tomato sauce, water and milk. Prop lid of pan with wooden spoon and allow to simmer on LOW or Warm heat for 20 minutes turning sauce occasionally (every 20 minutes). Add fresh basil leaves