Pancake Ninja: October 2011

I can’t believe I never thought of pesto lasagna before, this was great. My friend somehow knew I had a lot of basil and sent me a Pesto lasagna recipe which I altered here and there a little or actually a lot.

I picked as much kale as I could without killing the plants and will just have to wait on making kale chips.

I don’t like too much dirt on my kale so it got a quick shower in the sink first.

While the kale and noodles were cooking I started chopping garlic.

Yes, arranging noodles is something I minored in.

Drain the cottage cheese so it looks just like ricotta, well maybe not but it’s close enough when there is no ricotta.

In a medium bowl add cooked kale, sauteed onions, minced garlic, chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper,

Cottage cheese, parmesan and pesto.

Mix it all together. Look at that color of green, No shortage of vitamin K here!

Layer noodles in pan top with kale mixture and a layer of mozzarella and repeat until pan is full.

Then realize the noodles might stick and add a few table spoons of the cheese whey under the noodles.

Bake about 30 minutes in a pre heated oven at 350

or until it’s all bubbly.

Garnish with red bell pepper slices and basil.

Pesto Kale Lasagna

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles cooked al dente
3/4 cup sautéed chopped onions
3 cloves minced garlic
2 cups cooked drained kale
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
12 oz. drained cottage cheese
3/4 cup pesto
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8 oz mozzarella
red bell pepper slices for garnish

Cook noodles al dente, cook kale, chop basil and garlic, sauté onions, drain cottage cheese and find a pan about 8x8”.

In a medium bowl mix cooked kale,chopped basil, sauteed onions, minced garlic, cottage cheese parmesan and pesto.

Layer noodles in pan top with kale mixture and a layer of mozzarella and repeat until pan is full. Top with red bell pepper slices.

Bake about 30 minutes in a pre heated oven at 350.

2 comments

Saying Goodbye to basil.

Bringing the last pick of basil in is kind of like and kind of the opposite of those who get a rare snow storm and make snowballs and put them in the freezer yet we’re both just trying to make it last a little longer. Now, if you live somewhere that snow is on the ground half the year that whole snowball in the freezer idea seems a bit far fetched.

The peppers are on their way in too.

This is a hard core Tennessee fan right here, all the other peppers went from green to red but this one was singing Rocky top right from the start.

This pepper said Booo. The thing is I couldn’t tell if it was for Chara or PK Suban.

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My view tonight.

I had no idea there was such a nice view at the local store.

I announced to the cashier that there was a beautiful sunset going on out behind the store. She told me it’s really impressive when a crescent moon is there too.

Goodnight.

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I think this is my favorite way to eat sweet potatoes!.

Sweet Potaro Crackers have some sort of an addicting quality. I had to put the rest in the freezer to stop eating so many.

I had some odd looking sweet potatoes this year. It’s not their fault, they just want to be accepted for who they are and treated like any other normal sweet potato.

I let them sit by the window for a few minutes to enjoy the sun, they liked that.

They liked their time in the oven, they said it reminded them of Arizona with the dry heat. Then I exfoliated them.

Then they were all excited to get into the mash pit.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.

Add butter and cut into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are smaller than peas.

2 cups mashed sweet potato, the sweet potatoes weren’t real excited about coming out of the measuring cup.

Or maybe I was just more forceful with the second cup.

Pour in the milk

and mix.

Get your hands right in there if you feel the urge, I certainly did. When it comes together knead it on a floured surface.

Knead well.

Divide dough into 2 or more pieces.

Roll very thin. This is where you figure out if you put enough flour down or not. It’d be kinda too late anyway so don’t worry about it now.

Cut into squares, triangles, diamonds, anything.

I got fancy, I made squares.
Sprinkle with salt, sesame and cayenne.

Ant then remember to poke them thoroughly with a fork to prevent the pillow look.

Sample while baking
Serve however you like to eat crackers
and if there are still any left they can be stored in the freezer.

Sweet Potato Crackers
adapted from recipe circus

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

2 cups mashed Sweet Potato

1/2 cup milk

coarse salt

sesame seeds

cayenne pepper

Preparation:
Mix flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl. Add butter and cut into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are smaller than peas.
Bake, peal and mash sweet potatoes.
Beat 2 cups mashed sweet potato and milk into flour and then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead well.
Divide dough into 2 pieces and roll very thin.
Cut into whatever shapes you like. Sprinkle with salt, sesame seeds and a little cayenne, if desired.
Bake in a preheated 350 F oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned. Turn over and bake 3-4 minutes more. Cool on rack.

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Jen asked me to submit my pink smoothie to her 4th annual power of pink challenge. I thought about it for a minute, How complicated is it? Are there lots of directions to follow? What is the criteria to enter? Am I going to it right? I don’t want to do this if I get rejected. I’m still distraught over two recipes that were rejected on Foodgawker.

Actually it’s OK I totally agree with all their reasons and it has given me pointers to take better photos.

I re-read her simple submission rules and it looks way easier than running in the Susan G Koman 5k tomorrow that I know I’m not going to run in.

If you want to make anything pink You too can enter, you don’t even have to have a blog, just send her the recipe.

Below is the super easy pink smoothie.

Blueberry Cranberry Smoothie

Full recipe with pictures

ingredients

1 cup yogurt
8 oz. fruit juice
4 teaspoons raw honey
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen cranberries
4 or 5 ice cubes

Blend in blender or food processor and serve.

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1. To see the shades of morning.

2. To see the sun before it rises.

3. To walk out into fields and not care how wet the dew is.

4. To have wet shoes and pants before 7am.

5. To try an HDR image.

6. To take 4 pictures and learn how to stitch them together to make a panoramic.

7. To Realize that there are Two deer not just one right behind you and all the cars that stopped are not stopping to look at you and think you are cool just because you didn’t hit snooze at some ridicules hour this morning.