Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Is it summer yet?  I feel like I am just trudging my way towards summer. I swear each school day is a little longer than the previous one.  Any other teachers out there feel me?  I know you do because this facebook link keeps getting shared:


Now, don't get me wrong, I love my job and I love my students and I love my fellow teachers.  I just am also super freaking excited for this summer.  I have a pretty big summer ahead of me and with my first wedding shower (there are 3) this weekend, I just can't focus on anything else.

The weather is also (finally) getting nicer and that makes it extra hard to focus.  The longer days and warmer weather are making me so much happier.  I have also been cooking more because when it is lighter out I just feel less tired.  This lasagna happened because of one of those nights.

You are going to love this.  You roast a TON of vegetables and then you layer them with some pasta and a TON of cheese.  Then you bake it and someone it magically becomes a crazy good lasagna.  Even the vegetable haters out there are going to love this!  I was inspired by How Sweet It Is and then I just used my own vegetables and cheese and had way too much fun with it.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 oz sliced portobello mushrooms
10 oz broccoli florets
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered
1 pint red grape or cherry tomatoes
1 pint yellow grape or cherry tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups light ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1 burrata ball
1 8 oz container of pearl mozzarella balls
1 8 oz container shaved parmesan cheese
8 oz smoked provolone cheese, shredded
1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (your favorite)
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Line 3 pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425.
2. Place mushrooms, broccoli, onion, pepper, and zucchini into a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste).  Spread out the veggies onto two pans.
3. Place all the tomatoes in a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Spread these guys out on the third pan.
4. Place the pans in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes.  Take out from oven.
5. While the veggies are roasting, in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with half the parmesan, half the provolone, and the basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
6. In a 13 by 9 inch pan, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce.  Place three long lasagna noodles on this.  Spread some ricotta mixture on top and then sprinkle a few mozzarella pearls.  Then, take about 1/3 of the veggies and sprinkle on top.  Drizzle with marinara sauce, and in a few roasted tomatoes, and then shred about 1/3 of the burrata ball and sprinkle over the top.  Place more lasagna noodles over this and repeat with two more layers.  For the final layer, drizzle some marinara sauce on top and then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and provolone.  Also add the remaining tomatoes on top.
7. Reduce the heat of the oven to 400 and bake the lasagna for 45 minutes.  Let sit for about 30-60 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Remember that time I made Homemade Pretzel Rolls?  Well, then I made some seriously awesome sandwiches with said rolls.  This is their story:

Bri and I love food.  Bri is a vegetarian.  I am trying to eat a little healthier and I've been trying out all sorts of fun veggie-filled recipes.  Then, I came across this recipe and I was like "OMG I HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

So that's how these Veggie Sandwiches came to be.  I had one for lunch at school and made everyone a little jealous.  Now I am just drooling thinking about them.  

School has been pretty great lately.  My students did a fantastic job on their last quiz and I am excited by how well they are doing overall!  We are in the middle of a unit on solving systems of equations, inequalities, and matrices.  It's pretty fun.  My cheer-girls are also awesome.  They had their first pep rally on Friday and it was a total success.  They did this amazing cheer, dance, and stunt and it was so cool to see them looking so happy and doing such a great job.  I am coming up with a new dance for them and I am also working on incorporating some fun math activities for my students.  I'll keep you all posted! 

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients:

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 red pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

1 avocado, sliced

Goat Cheese Spread:

8 oz goat cheese

1 bulb of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:
1. You need to roast the whole bulb of garlic for the goat cheese spread.  Cut off the base of the bulb so that the cloves are visible.  Place this on a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap in the tinfoil and place in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  Once done, you should be able to squeeze the roasted garlic cloves right out of the bulb.
2. Make the roasted red pepper sauce: In a food processor, place all the ingredients except for the olive oil and salt/pepper.  Process until you have a smooth sauce then continue to process as you add in the olive oil.  Stir in the salt and pepper to your taste.  Set aside.
3. Wrap the sliced portabellas in tinfoil with the 1 minced garlic clove for the sandwiches and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Place foil packet in a small pan over the stove and heat over warm until the mushrooms are cooked, about 5-10 minutes.  
4. Wrap the sliced peppers and onion in a packet of tinfoil: Place all the veggies on the tinfoil and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper and paprika.  Wrap the veggies up and place in a pan over the stove.  Heat on warm until veggies become translucent, about 10-15 minutes.  

5.  Once veggies are done, remove from heat.
6. Make the goat cheese spread, once your garlic bulb is roasted, squeeze the cloves out into a food processor with the goat cheese, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Process with adding in the 2 tbsp of olive oil until you have a nice spread.  Use a spatula to get the goat cheese into a bowl.  (I ended up with a lot of extra of this stuff so place it in a container so you can put it in the fridge when you are done.)
7.  Assemble the sandwiches!  Spread some goat cheese on one piece of bun and some red pepper sauce on the other piece.  Place some peppers and mushrooms over the goat cheese and then top with a slice of avocado.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Happy Marathon Monday! For the past few weeks, I have shared some of my fun running experiences.  Today, I don't really have much to share.  I did realize that I am officially a crazy person as I ran 9 miles in the rain on Saturday.  Now, I know I could have waited for it to stop raining, but I really wanted to get my run in before 9 in the morning, so I just decided at 7 am that a 9 mile run in the rain wouldn't be that bad.  As I was running, it hit me: I am a little crazy.  And you know what, I am okay with that!  In other running news, I find out TOMORROW about the 2015 Chicago Marathon, so I'm gonna get back to you with that when I find out....

I just love Sundays.  I know it's Monday now, but Monday's are typically not my favorite so I'm gonna focus on Sunday for a little bit longer.  Here is a list of why Sundays are great:

1. I can sleep in
2. I go to a kickboxing class that absolutely kicks my butt
3. I have time to cook
4. GOT (aka Game of Thrones!!!!! yes, I am a total geek)

Those four reasons make Sundays absolutely fabulous.  Plus, there is a fifth reason, but it only happens one Sunday a month and that is: Book Club.  I am in a wonderful book club with a bunch of 20-something girls from the Chicago area.  We take turns hosting and we chat about a book that we read.  Every meeting, we pick a new book and a new place/date.  It is always a really nice time and I look forward to these meetings when they come around.  This book club was about Cutting for Stone, which I highly recommend.  And, our next book is The Rosie Project.  This last book club was also extra special since it was one of our members birthdays! I, of course, baked her a Monster Cake! Yum!

Besides book club, game of thrones, and sleep.  Cooking is one of the activities that make the weekend special.  Bri and I try to find a recipe to make over the weekend that will lend us leftovers during the week.  Today's recipe is perfect for that!  I was inspired by a recipe on My Recipes and then I adapted it from there.

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
16 oz package of frozen cauliflower
Topping:
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
4 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:
1. Heat about 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Then, add in the garlic and cook for an additional few minutes.  Pour vegetables into your crock pot.
2. Put 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil into your skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add in the flour and whisk until it starts to brown.  Pour in the milk and vegetable broth and cook for about 5 minutes while whisking.  Pour sauce into the slow cooker and add in the frozen peas, cauliflower, and thyme.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3. To make the topping, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Cut in the butter until your mixture looks like coarse sand.  Stir in the cheese and chives.  Finally, stir in the buttermilk until your mixture just starts to look damp.
4. Once the veggies are done cooking, drop spoonfuls of the biscuit mixture over the top.  Turn up the heat on your crock pot to high and cook for an additional 1 and a half hours or until you biscuits are done.

Enjoy :)

Vegetable Fajitas

Well, I just enjoyed some good ol' TGIT time with Grey's and Scandal.  I don't want to give anything away, but I am a little bit in shock...which is basically how I feel at the end of every Thursday after watching these shows.  I am also pretty pumped that tomorrow is FRIDAY.  And I can finally sleep in and enjoy some relaxation after a LONG week of school.

I am so excited to tell you about another great weeknight meal I have cooked up!  This recipe is so simple and you can make it with whatever you have in the kitchen.  It is a great recipe when you don't have a ton of time, but you want something delicious and healthy.

One of our favorite places to go to is Garcia's in the Lincoln Square area.  It is super yummy, they have great margaritas, and it is super reasonable.  Plus, you end up with leftovers for days.  One of my favorite dishes there is there Vegetarian Fajitas.  They throw in a ton of different vegetables and it is unpredictable every time!

Today, I was at school all day, took an hour train home, ran 4.5 miles and then just about crashed into the couch because I was tired, and I had to watch Grey's Anatomy and Scandal (of course).  Homemade Vegetable Fajitas were easy, quick, and absolutely perfect for dinner!

Vegetable Fajitas

Ingredients:
About 3 cups of vegetables
Here is what I used:
Squash, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Onions, Whole Kernel Corn and Red Peppers
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
pinch cayenne
olive oil
salt and pepper
corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
Guacamole
Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt
Salsa
Shredded Cheese

Directions:
1. Chop vegetables and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add in the onions and garlic first and cook until the onions become translucent.  Add in the rest of the veggies and the seasonings and cook until they also become soft and translucent.
3. Create your fajitas with your tortillas and any toppings you want.

Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

Deconstructed Spring Lasagna

I have been promising big things for this blog for a while now, and now it is time to start following through on that! I miss blogging as much as I did in college and I am going to work on balancing my time better between school, working out, and cooking.  These are my favorite things and I want to make sure I give every single one attention! Any bloggers out there with tips on how to balance all of this?

Anyways, in Chicago, it is always exciting when those 60 degree temps finally roll around.  Everyone starts walking around in shorts and flip flops!  I know 60 isn't "hot," but after what feels like an eternity of winter, it is pretty exciting.  Yesterday, I went for an 8 mile run along the lakeshore path and it was just amazing to be outside and not feel sharp pains in my face as the wind hits me.  Plus, this weather means that summer is really right around the corner!

In honor of this amazing spring weather we are enjoying, I am sharing a delicious recipe for a Spring Lasagna.  I was inspired by How Sweet It Is and I was excited to try a lasagna without all the layering work.  This "lasagna" is actually deconstructed.  Your just throw everything into a pan all "willy nilly" and cook it just like that!  Also, I didn't use lasagna noodles, but you definitely can!  You can use whatever fillings your want.  I went with some vegetarian options so that Bri could enjoy, but meat lovers could do this as well!

Deconstructed Spring "Lasagna"

Ingredients:
12 oz whole wheat pasta
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup packed baby spinach
12 oz light fontina
1 cup shredded light mozzarella
1 cup pasta sauce (Your favorite)
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cook pasta noodles according to directions until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
3. In a large cast iron pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the garlic and onion.  Cook until onion starts to become translucent and add in the mushrooms and asparagus.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add in the spinach and cook until spinach wilts.
4.  Pour in the pasta sauce and about half of the fontina cheese.  Stir to combine with the veggies.  Then, stir in the noodles.
5. Top everything with scoops of the rest of the fontina cheese and sprinkle with mozzarella.   Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes so that the cheese becomes all melty.

Enjoy :)

Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

It is absolutely disgusting here! I woke up and looking outside to find a "wintry mix."  That means its snowing and raining and just gross.  I love to go for a nice long run on Saturday or Sunday because I have the time and it gets me outdoors, but not today!  Today, I am heading to LA Fitness to run on a nice warm treadmill where I won't get icy rain in my eyes.  I'm a little bummed about this weather since we have been so lucky up until now.  Every weekend has been in the 40s or 50s and beautiful for winter in Chicago.  I guess that dream is over and winter has finally arrived.

In honor of the yucky weather, I am sharing a comforting recipe that is perfect for when you are stuck indoors, have some time to kill, and want something delicious and warm.  I made this recipe from How Sweet It Is ages ago and when I went to write the post I realized I didn't take any pictures! So, I had to make it again!  I changed a few things, so here is my rendition of a Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms.

Red Wine Risotto with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
16 oz sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine
4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp goat cheese (I used herbed goat cheese...yum!)
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in mushrooms and cook until mushrooms start to reduce in size.  Add in the cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar and cook until liquid reduces.  Remove from heat.
2. Heat the vegetable broth in a medium pot over low heat.
3. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and garlic.  Cook until onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in the arborio rice and stir to combine.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Add in the red wine and cook until rice has totally absorbed the wine.  Now, add in about 1/2 cup of the warm vegetable broth and stir until it is absorbed.  Continue this process until your rice is totally cooked.  This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.  In the last 5 minutes, stir in the mushrooms and goat cheese.  Once finished, top off the dish with some parmesan.

Enjoy :)

Healthy Vegetarian Soup

Oh my! It has been a while! I became super wrapped up with camp and running!

Today is the last day of camp! I could not have asked for a nicer summer.  Everyone I work with has been great and camp has run super smoothly.  All the kids are so much fun! Just yesterday, I played dodgeball so much that now my arm hurts! Today I am brining in Inception Cookies for all the staff members to thank them for one awesome summer!

My marathon training is also off to a great start.  This weekend I am running 13 miles (a half marathon) and I am officially entering week 9 of my 18 week program.  I have been running my long runs on weekends with a group called CARA.  This group has really helped me to have fun and run better because of it.  I am running with the 10:00 minute mile pace group.  Every Saturday, we meet at 6 a.m. and run as a pack.  It's great because we get to chat about our lives/running/whatever and it makes the runs go so much faster.  Plus, since we start early, we beat the heat and get home with our whole Saturday still in front of us.  I can't believe I'm already halfway through the training and I know it is going to get pretty intense here on out.  I will keep you posted!

Today I am sharing a really great healthy, vegetarian recipe.  I have been trying to shed a few pounds this summer and get in shape and this soup helped me to do that! Plus, it is great to make a huge batch of because the leftovers are awesome and I like having something planned out to take in for lunch.

Healthy Vegetarian Soup
(adapted from Favorite Family Recipes)

Ingredients:
2 containers of vegetable stock
3 cups low-sodium V-8 juice
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 onion, copped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
2 cups fresh green beans, chopped
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups shredded cabbage (I used red)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large frying pan, sprayed with olive oil spray, sauté the chopped onion with the garlic over medium heat.  After about 5 minutes, add in the carrots and mushrooms.  Continue cooking over medium heat until vegetables soften (about 5 minutes).
2. In a large crock-pot, pour in the vegetable stock and V-8 juice.  Add in the sautéed vegetables and the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the cabbage has softened.

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Lasagna

Happy first day of summer!  I always loved June 21st because it is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year, and exactly one month until my birthday!  So far, summer is off to a great start.  I just finished my first week of camp!  This summer, I am the director of three of the day camps and while my days are very hectic, I love what I am doing because I get to spend so much time outdoors or playing with the kiddos.  It's a lot of fun even when I feel a little stressed.

I also just finished my second week of marathon training! This week I ran a total of 17 miles and I am feeling really good! I am running the Chicago Marathon in October and I am running with an organization called Access Living.  To find out more, please check out my page: https://sites.google.com/site/teamaccessliving2014/accesslivingchicagomarathonrunners/jodie-berman

Today, I have a fun lasagna recipe to share.  I am not going to post the full recipe here since I want you all to go to the blog where I found it.  I did make a few changes though, instead of 2% or whole milk, I used skim because that is what I had on hand, and I also used a light ricotta cheese.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe to a T and and it turned out amazing! I made it for me and Bri and we were both huge fans.  (Even Bri who is not the biggest mushroom fan!).  So, without further ado, click here for the recipe: Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Lasagna

I hope that everyone's summer is off to an amazing start!  Enjoy that beautiful weather :)

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

This morning I went for a run.  It started off great. I had planned out 9.5 miles and it was a beautiful morning.  Around mile 6, I totally wiped out because I tripped on the uneven pavement.  I proceeded to limp/run my way home and cut my run short by about 1 mile.  Now, I am sitting here with bandaids all over my knees, elbow, and palms and all I can think about is: "Only 17 more miles!"

I just signed up for the Chicago Marathon and I am very nervous and excited about it.  Right now, I'm in a little bit of pain due to my tripping injuries, but once I am better I am going to start training! I can't wait!

Today I am sharing with you one of my family's favorite chicken recipes.  In honor of Passover where we don't eat bread, this is a great dish! It is really yummy and the chicken comes out great in the crock pot!

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 2  cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon pepper
• 2  jars (6 oz each) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1  cup sweet Marsala wine or Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1/2  cup water
• 1/4  cup cornstarch

Directions

1. 1Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place garlic and oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place in cooker over garlic. Place mushrooms over chicken; pour wine over all.
2. 2Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
3. 3Remove chicken from cooker; place on plate and cover to keep warm. In small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. 4Return chicken to cooker. Cover; cook on High heat setting 5 minutes longer or until chicken is hot.
5. 5To serve, spoon mushroom mixture over chicken breasts; sprinkle with parsley.

Bibimbap

Well, Happy New Year! I can't believe 2014 is here.  2013 was always such an important year in my mind because of my graduation, job search, and move to a new apartment.  Growing up, I always thought of myself as a member of the "Class of 2013."  I never really thought about 2014, but here it is!

In the spirit of New Years Resolutions, I am trying to be healthy and happy in this new year.  While I'm not sure that I believe in hard-core dieting to lose weight, I do want to focus on maintaining my health and keeping up my workout routine.  I downloaded a cool app yesterday that encourages a healthy lifestyle.  It is called Lose It! and it is about weight loss.  You log what you eat and how you exercise.  What I like about the app is that it creates a calorie budget for you based on your age, height, and weight.  Then, you get to set your personal goals, join communities, and record your progress.  I like that this app is personalized and allows me to create a totally manageable goal.  I don't want to do anything extreme, just stay healthy and this app is great for that purpose.  Plus, this app is available for iPhone and Droid as well as a website if you don't want to get the app!

In the spirit of healthy choices, today's recipe is super healthy and easily adapted for any diet.  Bri and I made this to use up a ton of veggies that we had on hand and it ended up being a fantastic meal!

Bibimbap
(adapted from Snapfood)

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice, cooked according to directions
sesame oil
light soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
assorted fresh vegetables, your favorites!
(I used mushrooms, green onions, shredded carrots, zucchini, spinach and sweet onion)
2 eggs

Directions:
1. All you have to do is sauté the veggies in the sesame and soy sauce.  Use as much oil as you like, less if you want to be healthier!
2. Serve mixed vegetables on top of the cooked brown rice in a bowl.  Top with a fried egg, more soy sauce, and siracha (to taste).

Enjoy :)

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Oh hey there! It's only been three weeks since my last post.  I just can't find enough time to get everything that I want to do done!  Teaching is crazy since it is so hard and exhausting, but I am also loving it.  This is definitely the profession for me because while I feel tired and overwhelmed, I also feel happy.  However, it also means very little time for anything else!  I'm pretty sure Bri is starting to feel similarly since he just started law school.  I'm pretty sure we are in for a really tough year, but we are also doing what we have always wanted to and that makes it exciting!

I have been cooking (a girl's gotta eat) I just haven't had time to share it all!  I seriously have about 15 "drafts" with recipes that I made that are just waiting to become a post.  Well, here's one!  I am a huge fan of stuffed peppers because I think they are super yummy and you can make them in crock pot!  This recipe took some of my favorite flavors and turned it into a really yummy dinner that did not take that much time or work!  This is wonderful since I don't have much time! I just threw this together on morning and then we had amazing peppers for the week!  They stay well if you keep them in the fridge and they are quite delicious.

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 
(adapted fro Avocado Pesto)

Ingredients:
5 or 6 red peppers (good stuffing ones), tops removed and seeds taken out
1 cup quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. portabella mushrooms (sliced)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
handful of fresh basil
1-2 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (your favorite, I used cheddar)

Directions:
1. In a medium pot, warm 1 tbsb olive oil over medium heat.  Cook garlic until aromatic.  Add in quinoa and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and increase heat until boiling.  Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked.
2. In a pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat, add in sliced peppers and cook until translucent and soft.  Place in a bowl.  To the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook until soft and fragrant.  Place into the same bowl with the peppers.
3.  When the quinoa is done, add to the mushroom and pepper bowl.  Combine with the feta, basil, wine and salt and pepper.  Toss to combined.
4. In your crock pot, place the peppers.  Stuff the peppers with your quinoa mixture.  Top with the shredded cheddar and let cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy :)

Caramelized Onion Mushroom Melt Wraps

Oy! I've been so busy! I am so sorry that I have not been around, but my life is pretty crazy right now.  This past week has involved adding on Pre-Calc to my teaching schedule so that now I am teaching even more classes, another interview, filling out a bunch more applications, finishing up my portfolio and getting ready for graduation! I can't keep my life straight anymore!

I do want to share with you a yummy lunch idea that I came up with recently: Caramelized Onion Mushroom Melt Wraps.  Here's how they go:

Caramelized Onion Mushroom Melt Wraps

Ingredients:
1 medium white onion, cut into slices
8 oz Cremini Mushrooms
2 whole wheat wraps
2 tbsp of your favorite mustard
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
sugar or brown sugar

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a tbsp of olive oil.  Place onion slices in the skillet and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes.  Add in the mushrooms and toss in a tbsp or two of sugar.  Stir everything together and continue to cook until onions have caramelized.  Drain if needed and set aside.
2. Spread mustard on the wrap.  Place mushroom onion mixture on one side of the wrap.  Top with cheese and microwave for a minute or until the cheese is melted.  Fold wrap on over!

Enjoy :)

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

What better way to celebrate Pi Day than with a Deep Dish Pizza Pie!

I was feeling a tad homesick and so I decided to make myself a Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza.  I found a great recipe over at Girl Versus Dough and then went to town adding my own flair and customizing the recipe to include my favorite pizza toppings.  I went with a whole wheat crust, yummy tomato sauce, a mix of low-fat provolone and low-fat mozzarella cheese, and spinach, mushrooms, and onions as my toppings.  Holy cow this was a good looking pie and it was even better to eat!  I had tons of leftovers that I continued to enjoy throughout the week.  I love that this recipe had a healthy whole wheat crust, ensured that I got enough veggies, and left me feeling full all through the school day!  It wasn't too difficult to make and it was a fun project.  Plus, I just love using my cast iron skillet, its a great pan.

Pi day is pretty much the second most exciting day for me, after my birthday.  It brings together food and math!  That is what I am all about!  Today at school, we have a Pi Day party planned where students can bring in any kind of circular treat.  We are going to do a little warm up where we find the ratio of diameter to circumference of a few different circles   Guess what?  They all equal Pi!  So cool!  Then, I have a great Pi Day Math Rap to listen to as we chow down on our circular desserts.  I, of course, baked for my classes.  I made EIGHT pies.  Two for each of my classes.  There are four chocolate chip cookie pies and four oreo cream pies.  Don't worry, recipes will all show up here.

Without further ado, here is the recipe for my Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Pi.  Happy Pi Day!

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients:
For the crust:
4 cups white whole wheat flour
3 tbsp corn meal
3 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
1 3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp canola oil
1 cup plus 4 tbsp lukewarm water
For the pizza:
28 oz can diced tomates, drained
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sautéed vegetables (I used spinach, mushrooms, and sliced onions)
8 oz sliced low-fat provolone cheese
6 oz sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan
olive oil

Directions:
1. Make the dough, mix together the dry ingredients and then stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Knead dough for 8-10 minutes, roll into a ball, and let rest for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425.  Coat 12 inch cast iron pan with olive oil.  Once dough has rested, punch down dough and place in pan.  Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.
3.  Prepare the filling: in a large bowl, mix tomatoes with sugar, italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  In a separate pan, heat about a tbsp of olive oil with the garlic.  Saute vegetables in the garlic and olive oil until cooked.
4.  Place sliced cheese on the bottom of your slightly cooked crust.  Spread tomato mixture over the cheese.  Place vegetables on top of the tomato layer.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and drizzle with olive oil.
5.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice!

Enjoy :)

Spinach, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Risotto

It's another Half Marathon Monday! This week I ran a little less during the week because of how busy I was, but I still felt great during and after my 8 mile run on Saturday!  Next week, I might go for 9!

This weekend was super crazy, but I still wanted to put together a little post for you all today.  I drove home on Friday so that I could attend a job fair on Saturday morning in a north suburb of Chicago.  Friday night was great because I got to see my mom, Bri (he's on Spring Break!), and get FroYo!!! It was an awesome night.  Saturday was stressful.  The fair went well and I talked to a bunch of schools.  However, it was a scary experience and I left feeling slightly overwhelmed.  I went home, ran 8 miles while watching a movie, and then showered, baked carrot cake cupcakes, and drove back to school for Lauren's Birthday!  We went out to dinner, ate the cupcakes for dessert, and then partyed a little to celebrate her bday.  It was fun, but I ended up exhausted!  Then, Sunday came and I had a thousand things to catch up on and I had to lose an hour! Not fair.  However, Patrick, made a great Birthday Brunch for Lauren and that was a nice way to start the day.

Today I want to share a risotto recipe with you all that Tamara and I threw together.  We like to spend Sundays catching up on work and planning for the week.  So, we also made a little dinner for ourselves.  It was awesome and we had leftovers for lunch during the week! This is a great dish to make when you are trying to use up food in your fridge so give it a try!

Spinach Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto

Ingredients:
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
4 oz goat cheese
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat chicken broth over medium heat.
2. In another saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until onion becomes translucent.
3.  Add in rice and stir to combine.  Pour in wine, stir, and let cook, stirring occasionally until all the wine is soaked up.
4.  Add 1/4 cup of broth and stir until it is soaked up.  Continue to do this until rice is al dente.  Add in spinach and mushrooms and let cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in goat cheese.
5.  Top with parmesan and serve!

Enjoy :)

Restaurant Week: Sardine

My first restaurant of restaurant week was Sardine. I went with my bestie, Tamara and we had an amazing time!  So, this is how it works: each person pays $25.  This gets you an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  This is how Tamara and I worked it: we each got something different, and tried it all! We make a pretty fantastic team! I am excited to share our dining experience with you!  This last semester of college is going to be a lot of exploring Madison and since I LOVE food, I'm going to share some great restaurant experiences.

We started off with the fabulous house wine for our drink and then shared two different salads as our appetizers.  Both were light, fresh, and delicious.  I ordered the Mixed Green and Bibb Lettuce Salad which came with shaved shallots, crispy chickpeas, beets and a sieved egg in a champagne tarragon vinaigrette.  Tamara got the Apple Endive Salad which had toasted walnuts, blue cheese, crispy squash and a black current vinaigrette.  

Following our starters, we enjoyed the salmon and chicken as our main dish.  The salmon came with french lentils, sautéed spinach, and portobello mushrooms in a tomato and beurre blanc...can we just look at that sentence in awe...The chicken was stuffed with gruyere and leeks and serviced with bacon, lardons, roasted carrots, turnips, new potatoes, and brussel sprouts in a riesling sauce.     My goodness everything was amazing.

As if dinner and appetizers weren't enough, we then got our desserts! Gianduja Crunch Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache and Vanilla Creme Brûlée!  We left totally stuffed and crazy happy. We sang at the top of our lungs in the car in the way home and then went out on a Sunday since it was a long weekend!

It was such a fun night!

Bellini Italian Restaurant

Today is the first day back at school for the university.  That means that campus finally looks like it is back to normal.  Everyone has returned from winter break and the house is back to its usual bustle.  While it is nice that everything is back to normal and this huge house that I live in doesn't feel so empty anymore, it was really nice to spend the last few weeks exploring Madison when it was quieter.  One of my favorite parts was exploring some of the restaurants!

I am in my last semester here in Madison and that means I want to make sure I "do it all" before it's time to graduate.  One of my missions is to explore as many restaurants as I can.  Madison has a ton of to offer when it comes to food and, while it is a daunting task, I do want to get to as many new restaurants and then be able to tell you about them!

My best friend and I went out for an amazing dinner last week at a restaurant called Bellini.  We had one of those Living Social coupons to use there and it was great.  We went on a Wednesday and that was fun since they do "wine Wednesdays" and you get a free glass of their house wine with your meal.  It was also nice because we are both such foodies and were able to narrow down our entree choices to our two favorites and then we split.  On top of all this, we just HAD to get dessert because we needed to spend enough to use the coupon.  It was a perfect meal!

We ordered the Tortellini alla Maria and the Gamberi al Forno to split. And, for dessert, the cheesecake.  The tri-colored tortellini was delicious and came tossed in a light lemon cream sauce with veggies.  The shrimp was a great dish that I usually don't eat on my typical college diet and it came sautéed in a garlic, lemon and white wine sauce with spinach and mashed potatoes.  Splitting a pasta dish with a shrimp dish was a great way to get the best of two worlds.  Then, the cheesecake topped with fresh whipped cream and berries was truly the cherry on top of an amazing meal!  I would definitely go back.  Aside from these amazing dishes, they have pizzas, salads, tons of pastas, and a salmon dish that has my name written all over it.  If you are ever in the area, this is a great choice for dinner!

Thanksgiving Stuffing

This stuffing recipe was amazing! I adapted it because we decided against stuffing it into the turkey, but it was simply fantastic.  I am definitely going to be bring this one to the Thanksgiving table in the future.

In other news, I am currently watching Gossip Girl.  I haven't been into this show since high school, but something about it is drawing me in this season.  Plus, I don't really feel the need to get a good nights sleep lately.  This week is funky because the students had testing today and all I did was help hand out books, calculators, pencils, and whatnot.  Then, I got to get a lot of work done for both my university classes and 8th grade classes.  I'm feeling pretty relaxed about now.  On Wednesday, though, I am getting observed.  I'm a little nervous because I'm trying out a new sort of classroom arrangement for an activity, but I am also excited because I think that my lesson plan looks really good and thoughtful.  Finally, I am supposed to find out where I will be teaching next semester any day now.  I am extremely excited and nervous.  More on that as soon as I get details!

Sorry about my random ramblings.  I guess I am just a little unfocused, it must be the gossip girl, or the fact that I am still STUFFED from the crazy Thanksgiving Feast I had this weekend.  I mean...check out this stuffing!

Thanksgiving Stuffing (adapted from the Food Network)
serves about 40

Ingredients:
2 loaves Challah bread, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 quarts chicken broth
8 oz mushrooms
4 cups chopped white onion
4 cups chopped celery
4 cups chopped green pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp salt
12 oz dried cranberries
8 oz chopped pecans
8 eggs, beaten
8 tsp dried rubbed sage
8 tsp dried parsley
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan and heat until simmering.  Place the mushrooms in the broth, remove from heat, and let sit, covered, for 35 minutes.
3.  Place the copped onion, celery, and green pepper in a large bowl.  Toss with the vegetable oil and salt.  Spread the vegetables out on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.  During the last 10 minutes, place the cubed bread on top and continue to cook.  
4.  Reserve 1 cup of the chicken broth and then drain the mushrooms.  Chop the mushrooms and place in a bowl with the rest of the roasted vegetables and bread.  Mix in the cranberries, pecans, and season with sage, parsley, and pepper.  Pour the beaten egg over the mixture and toss to combine.  Place the stuffing in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve warm.

Also, you can pour some of the cooked turkey juices over the stuffing.  This will moisten the stuffing up a bit and make it taste as though it was cooked in the turkey!

Enjoy :)

Super Stuffed Mushrooms

I have been crazy busy lately with school starting.  Today is my first day with 8th graders and I could not be more excited! Yesterday was the first day of school, but it was a 6th grade only day and so the other grade level teachers had more time to get ready.  However, we did have to chaperone the 6th graders around the school for a scavenger hunt.  It was pretty fun and so cute to see them running all over the school.  I can't wait to see my students today!

In the meantime, I wanted to use up some the veggies in my fridge including the fantastic portobello mushrooms that I got at the Farmer's Market.  I decided to do this by making a sort of stuffed mushroom.  It was a yummy, comforting meal and I loved all the fresh veggies! This is definitely something I will do again or even mix it up with different veggies and flavor combinations.

Super Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 portobello mushrooms, no stems and washed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped into slices and then quartered
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease a baking sheet.  Place the portobello mushrooms on the baking sheet.  Brush with balsamic vinegar on both sides.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add in garlic and saute for a few minutes, until garlic becomes lightly browned.  Add in the pepper and zucchini and saute until veggies start to soften and peppers become translucent.  Add in the spinach until wilted.  Pour into a bowl and mix with the feta cheese.  Spoon half the mixture on top of one prepared portobello and spoon the other half over the other portobello.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.  The feta will be lightly browned and mushrooms will have flattened and be juicy.

Enjoy :)

Taste of Madison

I'm not sure I can think of a better way to end summer and kick off the new school year than celebrating the Taste of Madison.  The Taste of Madison is so much fun and it is great to see all the amazing foods Madison has to offer.  Also, it is a great way to hang out around the capitol!  I walked on over with my girls, Lauren and Caryn and we enjoyed some fantastic food.

My favorite item is the Betta Bruschetta from Johnny's Italian Steakhouse.  It is absolutely delicious! The tomatoes taste so fresh and juicy and it was the perfect treat on such a warm day.

Source: Johnny's Italian Steakhouse

After the Taste, my day just got better with a visit from my friend Anna from back home.  We had a great time shopping with my other friends, Tamara and Courtney and then going out at night!  Anna even gave me a great cocktail recipe and I can't wait to share it here!

After a fun night, Anna and I started off Labor Day with a nice breakfast at the Sunroom Cafe.  Afterwards, she had to head back towards Chicago and I needed to start getting ready for school!

I can't believe summer is finally over.  It was an amazing summer and now I am ready for a great senior year! I am already all ready with my Algebra warm-ups for the first week and I can't wait! Also, tonight is my first DTS meeting with the other members on the exec council.  Senior year, here I come!

Farmer's Market!

Today I am just going to ramble a bit.  I've been really busy getting ready for my student teaching to begin (more on that later) and it has been really hectic around here.  The past few days were teacher inservice days and it was really great to get started, meet everyone, and start planning for the year! Also, I have been super busy getting back into work mode at my job through the University.  It has all been really exhausting, but also really fun!

Saturday in Madison means one thing: Farmer's Market.  It is an amazing farmer's market and so fun to walk up state street and around the capitol.  Since it was also game day, everyone was wearing red and it was so cool to see everyone out and about enjoying the amazing weather.  I can't believe it is already September! Soon it will be crazy cold so I have to get out and enjoy this while I can!

I found some beautiful portabella mushrooms and my friend, Max, got a scone.  Somehow we refrained from buying Spicy Cheesy Bread from Stella's Bakery.  That bread is out of this world! Almost everyone at the Farmer's Market buys it and then just eats it as they walk around.  You can tell how long people have been at the market based on how much bread they have left! However, we had both already had breakfast and I don't have enough room in my fridge right now to store it!

Speaking of my fridge, it is now pretty packed with lots of good veggies like those portabellas, zucchini, red pepper, and onion.  I am going to have to make something soon! Any suggestions?

After the market, I had to get ready to work.  Union South is always hopping on game days because the Badger Bash takes place there before the game.  I was staffed to help out at the Badger Bash.  Even though I couldn't go to the game, it was pretty awesome to be part of the bash and all the spirit.  Everyone has such a great time in Madison when there is a game and it is amazing to see how many people come out to take part in the day in some way.  Plus, we won!

It was a great day and now I gotta go whip up something with these fantastic veggies!