Best Damn Meat Lasagna Ever

Personally, lots of cheese on lasagna doesn't agree with me, but I love meat lasagna! So, I decided to make a very saucey, meaty, delicious lasagna with minimal cheese. However, you can add as much cheese as you want to this recipe and it will still be delightful. I also like to add some zucchini and squash into the layers for a little extra texture and taste. This is a pretty involved recipe, but in my opinion, it is absolutely worth the wait.

Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour, 30 minutes

You will need:
- 9 x 13 Pyrex or ceramic baking dish
-large pot or dutch oven (I love my ceramic dutch oven, highly recommended!)
-saute pan
-cutting board
- aluminum foil


Ingredients:
-1 lb. ground beef (whichever percentage you like to use)
-1 lb. ground sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 large white, yellow or walla walla onion, chopped
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped 
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 small can of tomato paste
- 2 cans of tomato sauce
- 1 whole zucchini (optional)
- 1 whole yellow squash (optional)
- 1 small container or grated fresh Parmesan


Directions:
- Heat saucepan to medium-high and add a little olive oil.
- Add half of the garlic and half of the onions to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add all of the ground beef and sausage to the pan and cook until browned. 
- Warm large pot/dutch oven on stove, medium-high heat.
- Add cooked meat (you can drain the grease if you want to be healthy) to the big pot/dutch oven.
- Add-in all cans of tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. 
- Add remaining garlic and onions. 
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 1 hour. 
- Begin slicing squash and zucchini into medallions. 
- Toss zucchini and squash with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.
- Preheat oven to 350.
(this is where you sit back and relax for a bit...)


- When sauce has 30 minutes left on the clock, begin cooking 12 lasagna noodles. Cook until Al Dente.
- Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
- Grease 9 x 13 pyrex dish with some olive oil. 
- Pour 1 or 2 cups of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan evenly. 
- Lay 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Lay zucchini and squash alternately across the noodles, scattered evenly. 
- Add Parmesan on top of this layer.
- Pour another cup or two of sauce on top of the first layer. 


(you can add as much cheese as you want to any of the layers)


- Repeat these steps until you have used twelve noodles, (the lasagna should have 4 layers).
- I add Parmesan heavily to the top of the lasagna, but you can use Mozzarella or any other cheese you wish to seal-in the flavors.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Either form a foil "dome" over the lasagna so it isn't touching the cheese, or make sure to grease the foil. 
- Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove foil.
- Bake, uncovered, for another 45 minutes. 
- Let stand 5 minutes and serve with a nice green salad and some garlic bread. :)



You have come so far! I know this recipe takes a lot of time, but you can't tell me that you were disappointed!! (I hope).  I love making this on cold days, of which there are many in Humboldt County. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Cheers, Foodies!


 

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Bacon-Chocolate Frosting

Today is the birthday of a very good friend of mine, Sami. She requested that I make my relentless bacon truffles to bring to her potluck, but I thought it might be fun to switch it up a little and make something I've never made before. This is the result of my obsession with combining chocolate and bacon...Beware, this recipe takes awhile, but the end result is incredible!

 Prep time: 15-20 minutes for frosting.

Cook time: 25-35 for cupcakes, 10 for frosting.

You will need:

-2 cupcake pans (or 2 9-inch circular cake pans if you want a full double-layered cake)

-24 little cupcake vessels that you get at the store (if you are doing cupcakes)

-oven

-3 mixing bowls

-handheld mixer 

-baking sheet

-metal cooling rack/ raised metal grate of some sort.

Ingredients for cake:

-2 cups water

-2 cups cocoa powder for cake

-2 3/4 cups flour

-2 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter 

-2 1/4 cups white sugar

-4 eggs

-1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for frosting:

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

-2 cups powdered sugar

-2 tsp. vanilla

-2 tbsp. milk

-cocoa powder to taste 

-1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar or maple syrup (whichever you like best!)

-1 package of your desired bacon (I like to use thick-cut, uncured, applewood smoked bacon!) 

Bacon Prep:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Arrange metal rack on top of baking sheet and place bacon on rack [as pictured].

-Bake in oven for ten minutes.

-Pull out of oven CAREFULLY (the bacon grease that has collected in the bottom of the pan will be HOT! I recommend pouring some into a glass jar to keep for another step in this process).

-Sprinkle brown sugar (or spread maple syrup) onto bacon and put back in oven. 

-Cook for 10 more minutes or until crispy.

-Allow to cool completely and cut into small pieces.

Directions for cake:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Pour cocoa powder into a bowl.

-Boil the two cups of water and pour over cocoa powder.

-Stir/whisk chocolate mixture until smooth and blended; set aside and allow to cool.

-In a separate bowl, mix baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt; set aside.

-In yet another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

-Beat eggs one at a time into the butter/sugar mixture.

-Stir vanilla into the butter/sugar/egg mixture.

-Add the flour mixture and the chocolate mixture alternately into the sugary egg mixture, using only small amounts at a time.

-Mix until smooth.

-Pour into cupcake vessels halfway, or split between 9-inch cake pans.

-Bake for 25-30 minutes; Cupcakes and cakes will be done when a knife is inserted and comes out clean.

Directions for frosting:

-In a bowl, mix butter, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy.

-Slowly add-in powdered sugar and cocoa powder alternately, using small amounts at a time.

-Once sugar is mixed-in completely and you have added enough cocoa powder for your desired taste, add-in as much crispy bacon as you wish and a couple tablespoons of the bacon grease that you saved.

-Mix for five minutes.

(the longer you mix it, the creamier it will get!)

Once your cupcakes are cooled completely, frost them and add a sliver of bacon to the top of the cupcakes. If you decided to do the cakes, frost one, add the other on top and frost it to make a decadent and delectable double-layered cake. I hope that you and your friends enjoy this confection - that is, if you decide to share!


I had leftover batter and decided to make a single-layer cake. I omitted the bacon from the frosting and added strawberries to the top, [as pictured]. Delicious! 

Cheers, Foodies! 
-

Pan-Seared Chicken with Zucchini in Gravy

Two nights ago I got the hankering for some soulful chicken and gravy with rice. Luckily, I had two friends over who became hungry as the onions and garlic started searing in the pan. This meal doesn't take long to prepare and is pretty well-rounded as far as food groups go. I apologize for the lack of photos on this recipe.

Prep time: Around 10 mins
Cook time:  20-30 mins

You will need:
-1 pot to cook rice (or rice cooker for the cheaters out there!)
-1 saucepan for the chicken 
-1 saucepan for the zucchini (unless you want to throw it on top of the chicken to steam when the chicken is almost done cooking as I do for less clean-up)
- 1 pot for gravy


Ingredients: 
-2-4 Chicken Breasts (I like boneless/skinless, but get whichever you like best)
-1/2 onion 
-3 cloves of fresh garlic
-1 whole zucchini
-Caldo de Pollo (chicken bouillon), or any seasoning salt will work
-pepper
-2 cups rice (white or brown)
-1 tbsp. butter
-2 tbsp. olive oil
- About 1 cup flour

1) Wash chicken breasts in cold water and place on a plate for seasoning.
2) Add Caldo de Pollo and Pepper to both sides of the chicken (I tend to over-season for more flavor).
3) Heat saucepan to medium-high and add olive oil, chopped onion and chopped garlic.
4) Cook onions and garlic for about two minutes, then place chicken breasts in the saucepan to cook. Cover with a fitted lid.
[fun tip: add some big strands of rosemary on top of the chicken for a nice herbal flavor]
5) Start boiling water for your rice, as it will take about 20 mins to cook. (I will add rice cooking instructions at the bottom in case anyone doesn't know how to make the perfect rice on the stove top).
6) Chop zucchini into medallions (thicker circles) and season them if you wish.
7) When the chicken breasts look to be searing to a nice golden color on one side, flip them over.
8) When the chicken is cooked on both sides but not done yet, toss-in the zucchini and cover the pan with a lid to steam them. (or cook them in separate pan if you please)
9) Use drippings from chicken and zucchini to make gravy by pouring it into a pot with a little water ( about a cup or two) and bring it to a boil.
10) When gravy is boiling, slowly whisk-in flour small amounts at a time until blended-in completely.
11) Continue to boil and whisk gravy until it is nice and thick and delicious.
[If you don't want to bother with making the gravy from scratch, simply buy a packet of chicken gravy from the store and follow those directions]


The Perfect Rice:

For those who don't know, the proper ratio for sticky white rice is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water.

1) boil water on stovetop with a teaspoon of salt.
2) Once water is boiling, add-in rice and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes while stirring.
3) add-in 1 tbsp. butter.
4) Cover rice, turn heat to LOW, and set timer for 20 mins.
DO NOT OPEN THE LID UNTIL IT IS DONE COOKING!
5) After 20 mins your rice should be perfect. If it is still watery, remove lid and allow remaining water to cook off.

I hope you enjoy this meal! Also, you can always add whatever spices or sauces you wish to make this a more enjoyable dinner experience. Instead of zucchini try squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts or any other veggie.

Cheers, Foodies!

Welcome to Feel-Good Food!

As a lover of food and drink alike, I wanted to bring a slice of my love for cooking and baking to those who love it as much as I do. I will do my best to continually post recipes and pictures of foods that I love to eat or have experienced as worth going out of your way to try. 

I hope that you get as much out of this blog as I am trying to give, and I encourage messing with the recipes as much as possible to add the ingredients and flavors that you love most. 

Please don't hesitate to give me some hints or special recipes that you love as well, because I am no professional. I love to learn new things in the realm of cooking!

Lets be foodies together, Cheers!