Roasted Bell Pepper Lasagna Roll-Ups

Roasted Bell Pepper Lasagna Roll-Ups

This dish may take a little longer to prepare than a normal dinner, but if you have the time, this is a truly delicious meal. If you have extra time one weekend, put this together and eat it throughout the week! You could also eat half and freeze the other half for a week when you will not have time to put together dinner.

The red pepper sauce of this recipe is so flavorful and delicious! 

STEP ONE: Cook the package of lasagna noodles according to the box directions. Set aside. 

STEP TWO: Line a cookie sheet with foil. Lay the slices of red bell pepper in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. 

STEP THREE: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Roast the peppers for 25 minutes. Doesn't that smell tasty?Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes. 

STEP FOUR: Add your roasted peppers to a food processor. If you do not own a food processor, use a blender. Puree until smooth- this will form the basis for your sauce. Set aside. 

STEP FIVE: Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the garlic to the butter and cook until fragrant (roughly 3-5minutes). 

STEP SIX: Add the heavy cream (heavy cream makes any dish taste better!) to the garlic. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to suit your tastes. 

STEP SEVEN: Stir in 1 cup parmesan cheese (cheese can be grated or thinly sliced). Continue stirring until cheese has melted (about 5 minutes). 

STEP EIGHT: Stir in your pureed red bell pepper to the cheese sauce. Taste how good that is!

STEP NINE: Take a large bowl- mix together your thawed spinach, ricotta cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, egg and salt/pepper. Stir until all ingredients are combined. 

STEP TEN: Spoon enough of your pepper sauce to cover the bottom of your baking dish. 

STEP ELEVEN: Take a large tablespoon of the ricotta mixture and place it on one end of a lasagna noodle. Roll the noodle over the mixture and place in the baking dish. Continue this step until you use all of your noodles and ricotta mixture.

STEP TWELVE: Spoon the rest of your red pepper sauce over the lasagna roll-ups. 

STEP THIRTEEN: Place 1 Cup of the mozzarella cheese over the roll-ups. 

STEP FOURTEEN: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven and uncover then continue baking for 15 additional minutes.

 

ENJOY! 

Ingredients:

1 Package or Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles

2 Red Bell Peppers- sliced

2 T Butter

3 Cloves Garlic- Minced

1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream

2 Cups Parmesan Cheese- grated or thinly sliced

1 Package Frozen Spinach- thawed

24 oz Ricotta Cheese

2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese- grated or thinly sliced

1 Egg

Salt/Pepper

*Recipe adapted from http://www.pomanmeals.com/spinach-lasagna-rolls-with-roasted-red-bell-pepper-alfredo-sauce/ Please check this site out for the original.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pasta

One of my favorite appetizers when eating out is Spinach Artichoke Dip. When I saw a recipe to turn that taste into a pasta dish, I had to give it a try! This is a hearty, cheesy and filling meal. If the recipe makes too much for you to eat, you could portion it into individual servings, wrap in foil and freeze. Then, you will have a pre-made dinner for another night when you do not feel like cooking. 

Step One: Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside when the pasta is finished cooking. 

Step Two: Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. When oil is heated, add the garlic and onions. Stir frequently until the onions begin to soften and garlic becomes fragrant (~ 4 minutes). 

Step Three: Sprinkle flour over the onion/garlic mix. Whisk all together until slightly brown (~2minutes). 

Step Four: Slowly add in the chicken broth (whisk constantly while adding). Continue whisking for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring the whole mixture to a simmer (depending on what kind of stove you have, this may take time- don't rush and try to up the temperature-  slow and steady!) 

Step Five: Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, nutmeg and stir until the sauce has begun to thicken (~3minutes). Season with salt and pepper. 

Step Six: Mix in 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese until melted. 

Step Seven: Mix the pasta into your sauce. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Spread the pasta mixture into the pan. Top with pepper jack cheese and 1/2 Cup of parmesan cheese. 

Step Eight: Preheat broiler. When preheated, place in oven and broil for 3-4 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta of your choice. I used Trader Joe's Spinach and Chive Linguine, but any kind of pasta would work. 

2T Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic (minced)

1 Large White Onion (diced)

3 T Flour

1/2 C Chicken Broth

2 C Milk 

1 package of frozen spinach (10oz)  thawed 

1 Can (14oz) Artichoke Hearts- chopped
1/2 t Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 C Pepper Jack Cheese- sliced
1 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (sliced or shredded)

DIY: Flower Planter Box

DIY: Flower Planter Box

Summer is here! With summer, comes the need for beautiful flowers! 

My mom had an old wooden wagon planter box that I took with the idea of sprucing it up. I am so happy with the turn-out.

All the pieces of the wagon

This used to be painted red

First I sanded it all down. 

Then taped the edges and metal linings. 
I loved the look of the metal on the wagon. 


I used Krylon Brand Spray Paint for indoor/outdoor. 
The colors I chose were Ivory and Sea Glass- Ivory for the wheels and sea glass for the main compartment. 

I filled the wagon with soil and then put the wagon back together. 







Final Touch: Planting the flowers! Happy Summer! 

Roasted Tomato Pasta

ROASTED TOMATO PASTA

A favorite when you want a tasty dinner. This would be a great option if your local farmer's market has ripe and delicious tomatoes available! 

A quick, small list of ingredients, healthy dinner. 

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice your tomatoes and roughly chop garlic. 

STEP TWO: Place tomatoes and garlic into a large bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup olive oil and 2T balsamic vinegar. Make sure to coat the tomatoes. 



STEP THREE: Lay the tomatoes flat and not overlapping on a large cookie sheet. 

STEP FOUR: Cook pasta of your choice. 
I love using Trader Joe's Garlic Basil pasta, but your favorite pasta will work wonderful. Choose a whole wheat pasta for an added health benefit.

STEP FIVE: Roast for 30 Minutes. Pull the tomatoes out of the oven (inhale that wonderful smell!) and mix in with your pasta. Roughly chop up the tomatoes so they are distributed throughout the pasta. 

Look at those beauties

STEP SIX: Mix in 1t oregano and any other spices you like to compliment your tomatoes (basil, garlic, parsley). 

And Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

*4-5 tomatoes of your choice (I used vine-ripened in this recipe) 

*3 cloves of garlic

*1/4 cup olive oil

*2T balsamic vinegar

*1t oregano

*8oz pasta of your choice

Easy Simple Veggie Fajitas

A great go-to when you don't know what to make for dinner- healthy, simple and delicious. 

Step One: Mince one jalapeno. Heat a large pan over high heat. Pour one package of frozen corn and the minced jalapeno in the heated pan. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes without stirring. Enjoy the smells that start coming from your stovetop. Stir once- then let cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. 

Put Aside

Step Two: Chop up 1 Red Pepper (add 1 Orange Pepper if you want a bigger serving) and 1 White Onion. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in the large pan. Once heated, put the chopped peppers and onion in the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. 

It is going to start getting steamy, and your kitchen will be smelling wonderful! 

Step 3: Mix the corn/jalapeno mix into the onions and peppers. 

There is not a better smell than fresh roasted corn. 

Step 4: Mix 1 1/2 Tablespoons of a fajita seasoning into the veggies(see bottom of this post for a homemade seasoning recipe!) Add 1/4 cup of water into the pan and mix everything together. Cover and let simmer for 3-5 minutes (until the water is gone). 

Let those flavors seep into your fajita veggies. 

Step 5: Give your veggies one final stir and breathe in deep. 

Now choose any toppings you want to add to your dinner- I always enjoy fresh avocado and diced roma tomatoes. 

ENJOY! 

Homemade Fajita Seasoning:

Fajita Seasoning is too easy to make yourself to be buying those little packets ever again. No more chemicals if you make a big batch yourself with spices you already have in your kitchen. 

Tweak the recipe to fit your taste buds. 

Mix all together in a small mason jar:

1T corn starch

2t chili powder

1/2 t salt

1 t paprika

1 t white sugar

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t garlic powder (can be a full teaspoon if you love garlic!) 

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t cumin