Let's be honest.  I do not love vegetables.  I like them, and I cook with them all the time, but I do not love them.  I have slowly developed an appreciation for vegetables as my pallet has matured, but it has been an arduous journey.  I blame this on my mom and her lack of veggie use in my formative years (sorry, Mom - in you're defense, I know you cook all sorts of veggies now).  I grew up in a family where "vegetables" meant frozen peas or corn.  Oh, and the occasional broccoli spear covered in a creamy cheesey sauce on "chicken and broccoli" night.

Because of this lifestyle handicap, I am overjoyed when I find a recipe that is vegetarian and delicious.  Lucky for all of us, I am going to share one of those recipes today.  This roasted vegetable lasagna is jam-packed with mounds of amazing veggies, but your kids will still eat it because it's lasagna. (And, okay, if I'm being honest, it does have cheese so that's not as healthy, but there really are A LOT of veggies so I think it kind of still counts as healthy, right?)  Thanks to my beautiful, vegetarian, food-loving friend, Cortney, for introducing me to this yummy dish.  Ready?  Set?  Let's cook.

First step, preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Then, chop up all of your amazing vegetables, and throw them into a bowl with the salt and olive oil.  Next, coat your baking sheet (make it a big one or use two), with foil and cooking spray and spread out your veggies.  Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix up these tasty ingredients ...

... in a big bowl ....

... until it looks like this.

Mmmmmm

Once that's done, you can start your layering process.

(Can you see my mistake?  Haha!  I'm not telling.)

Once you're all layered up, it's time to bake for 30 min.  This is what I did while mine was baking ...

(I picked up my daughter, Bella, from her riding lesson.  Isn't she cute?)

Then, you should have something looking like this ...

Success.  Lots and lots and lots of vegetables that taste oh so good!  

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

·       1 lb plum tomatoes, cut in 1/4-inch slices

·       1 sliced onion

·       3-4 garlic cloves diced

·       1 lb zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices

·       1 lb yellow squash, cut in 1/4-inch slices

·       2 red bell peppers, cut in 1-inch strips

·       2 green bell peppers, cut in 1-inch strips

·       1/2 lb mushroom caps, cut in 1/4-inch slices

·       1 tsp salt

·       1 tbsp olive oil

·       Vegetable-oil cooking spray

·       1 egg white, lightly beaten

·       2 containers (15 oz each) "lite" ricotta

·       2 tbsp bottled pesto sauce

·       1/3cup grated Parmesan

·       3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes (drained)

·       12 oven-ready lasagna noodles (1 package)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 475°F. Toss plum tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, salt, and oil in a bowl. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and place vegetables on it; roast 30 minutes.

In a bowl, mix egg white, ricotta, pesto, and Parmesan.

Coat a 9" x 12" baking pan with cooking spray. Spread 1 can tomatoes on the bottom. Top with 3 noodles. Spoon 1 1/4 cups ricotta mix over noodles, then a layer of 3 cups vegetables, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layer, starting with tomatoes. Add final can tomatoes, three noodles, remaining ricotta mix and vegetables. Top lasagna with last 3 noodles and 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil (uncover last 10-15 minutes to brown crust) Bake 30 minutes. 

Spicy Asian Noodle & Tri Tip Salad

Hello my friends.  I'm back.  I took a break for about 3 1/2 years, and I'm feeling nice and rested and ready to share my love of all things culinary with all of you.  I hope you are as excited as I am.  Probably not.  Don't worry, I'm not offended.  Either way, here we go ...

I decided to start things off with a recipe that packs a little spicy punch.  If spice doesn't do you right, it can easily be lessened or omitted all together - to each their own!  First things first, heat your grill!  The salad comes together pretty quickly, so you'll want to get the tri-tip started before anything else.

I'm a huge fan of the Morton's Steakhouse Classic Tri Tip from Costco, but any tri tip will do.  I would season it with a little garlic salt beforehand, if it isn't pre-seasoned already.  Throw that baby on the grill and let it do it's smoky magic.  Be sure to check every 15 minutes or so, and flip once during grilling time.  Tri tip will take anywhere between 30-45 min to cook.  Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp. so you can avoid cutting into the meat.  The meat needs to rest for about 5 minutes after being removed from the grill in order to let all the delicious juices settle.

Okay, now that the meat is going, you can begin the noodles.  I have been known to substitute the udon noodles for any kind of long skinny noodle that I have lying around the house.  So, there you go. Once the noodles are boiling (according to package directions), you can begin making the sauce.

(P.S.  I'm not a photographer, nor do I have a fancy kitchen so just know that everything will taste delicious despite my shortcomings in other areas :)

Using a blender or food processor, blend up all the sauce ingredients.  The chili garlic sauce is what adds the heat, so if you want a milder version, be sure to use less than what's called for.

Once you've made the sauce, begin chopping your veggies.

Mmmmm .... I love all the pretty colors!!!

Now cut your tri tip ...

... we like it pink in our house ...

... and toss everything together in a bowl. Voila!  Delicious, spicy, noodley love.  (Can be served hot, cold, or room temp.)

Spicy Asian Noodle & Tri-Tip Salad

Ingredients:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (or less)

1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons (or more) low-salt chicken broth

3/4 pound linguine or dried chow mein udon noodles

4 cups thinly sliced cooked tri-tip, cut into strips

2 large carrots, coarsely grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

6 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 3 tablespoons broth in processor; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water to cool and drain again. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add tri-tip, carrots, green onions, bell pepper, and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Pan Seared Tuna with Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce

I have found that tuna is a particularly polarizing fish, especially because the proper way to eat the fish is raw in the middle.  If you like tuna, you will love this dish (even if you're a little wary I still think it will convert you).  Even my 18-month old son eats a full portion of this meal because it has so many rich and creamy flavors.  If  a baby can do it - so can you!

P.S.  The key to this meal is GOOD tuna.  If you don't live on the coast, ask a local fish restaurant where they by their fish and go to their source.  Skip the middle man - you will be surprised how much better it really is.

Ingredients:

6 6-ounce tuna steaks, 1-inch thick

2 Tbsp. peanut oil (or regular vegetable oil if you don't have the peanut)

3 Tbsp. butter

1/3 C. thinly sliced green onions

1/4 C. chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, chopped

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced

6 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 C whipping cream

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Lime wedges (optional)

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Sprinkle one side of tuna with pepper.  Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over high heat.  Place tuna steaks, pepper side down, in hot oil and sear approx. 2 minutes.  Turn tuna over and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 2 more minutes for rare.  Transfer tuna to rimmed baking sheet; keep warm in oven.

Add butter, green onions, cilantro, ginger, and garlic to same skillet and saute' until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in mushrooms and soy sauce and simmer 30 seconds.  Add whipping cream and simmer until sauce lightly coats back of spoon, about 3 minutes.  Stir in lime juice.  Serve fish over jasmine rice and pour sauce on top.  Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro, and enjoy!