Lunch and Dinner Archives | Page 14 of 16

Quick Side Dishes and Chimichurri Beer Burgers

April 13, 2010

I’ve been on a mission to find quick side dishes lately. I haven’t tired of cooking, but with longer days and more time spent outside in the evenings I haven’t wanted to spend a lot of time cooking at night.

On a related note, I think I also lose my spark of excitement for evening cooking because I know after the sun goes down the pictures won’t be blog worthy. Why bother, right? This little fact that my blog and photo quality determine what time of day I’m motivated to cook may be indication of an issue that needs attention, but we’ll save that for another day.

So back to the quick sides.

Lately, I’ve found myself tossing broccoli in to steam, sautéing mushrooms and onions to toss in with couscous. You know; nothing exciting, but still relatively tasty and healthy.

Last night when we needed something to go with our grilled chicken I decided to make some pasta salad; something I haven’t made in a really long time. I had a few more exciting ingredients to use in the dish, so this one I thought I would share.

I don’t make pasta salads much anymore mainly because I lack ideas for non-bottled dressings. However, with using the cheese and olives in this, it only needed a drizzle of olive oil and a shake of black ground pepper to be complete.

Gorgonzola, Olive & Spinach Pasta Salad

½ cup fresh spinach, finely chopped, firmly packed
15 pimento stuffed green olives, halved
1 – 2 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups dry, whole wheat pasta, cooked and rinsed to cool
Black pepper to taste

In a medium-sized bowl combine the spinach, olives, cheese and olive oil. Stir to break up the cheese so it is evenly distributed.

Add the drained pasta to bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle with black pepper. You can add salt too if you wish, but I found the olives and cheese added enough salty flavor for my tastes. Serves 4.

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I also said yesterday that I would tell you a little more about the burgers we grilled on Sunday. If you are at all familiar with Argentinean cuisine, then you know about chimichurri. It is a sauce made of herbs, oil and vinegar that is served with meat or it is sometimes used as a marinade.

Before we left Brazil, my husband took a work trip to Argentina and his colleagues gave him some chimichurri. It is in the dry form and you simply add the oil to make the sauce. I’m sure similar products can be found at Latin markets around the States, or you could make a version of your own like this one from Simply Recipes.

Seeing it in the cabinet the other night I decided to season the burgers with it. The result was fantastic! They were full of flavor and had a slight spiciness that went wonderfully with the grass-fed beef I used.

I finished off the burger-making process by using the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day to make buns. I was worried they would be too heavy and sweet for the burgers, but they ended up pairing nicely.

Chimichurri Beer Burgers

1 lb grass-fed beef
¼ cup beer (I used a light ale)
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp chimichurri seasoning mix
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to incorporate the spices. Form into 4 equal patties. Grill or pan fry based on your preferences. It took about 8 minutes on our new grill to cook them through.

I topped mine with some Chive and Onion Jack Cheese, and sautéed onions and mushrooms!

I’m submitting the pasta salad to the April Side Dish Showdown at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.

A Boy, His Grill, and a Spatchcocked Chicken

April 12, 2010

Over the past few months I’ve regularly documented all of the things I am thrilled to have returned to since our move back to the States. In fact, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking me annoying because I tend to express my excitement with an over abundance of irritating happiness.

There was the real winter with snow which necessitated the wearing of boots not just for fashion, but for functionality. A full size oven with a temperature setting that goes low enough to prevent burning all my baked goods to a crisp. A washer and dryer that take fewer than 90 minutes for each cycle. My KitchenAid mixer with all its powerful capabilities.

Ahhh, I smile just thinking about it all.

Despite my glowing excitement, I was getting a little bit worried that my husband hadn’t yet experienced such bliss. Sure, he had some of his favorite electronics back, and we now have a nice size garage with a yard to tend to, but something was missing.

Over Easter weekend I learned what it was. This:

Yes, a grill. As much as we enjoyed the food and culture of the Brazilian barbeque, let’s just say, there is no place like home. We talked about it often during our time abroad — grilling different kinds of meats from chicken to pork tenderloin, burgers, hot dogs and even fruits and vegetables; the array of side dishes, and sitting outside all afternoon with a beer in hand.

He had his heart set on a Big Green Egg for a long time, even before we moved back to the US. However, after some research he learned that there are the same style of grills out there (a ceramic pod grill that cooks by charcoal) without the same price tag.

We couldn’t find any sources around here, but some stores in our hometown occasionally carried them. When he learned that two had come in the day we got to Indiana for our Easter visit, off he went with my Dad to grab one before it was gone.

He’s been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get cooking so this weekend we decided to break out the new grill and see what this baby can do.

First we tried chicken. Until this weekend I had seen the process of spatchcocking a chicken on the web and on tv, but had no idea that “spatchcocking” was the appropriate term. I gave it a try last night. To be honest, I did get a flat chicken out of the process which was the goal, but I really have no idea if I did it exactly as it should be done. In fact, I already discovered a step I accidentally skipped. Shhhh! I’m not telling.

Therefore, you really shouldn’t listen to me about how to spatchcock a chicken when there are much more knowledgeable people out there to tell you. Check out A Good Appetite or this YouTube video for some help.

I can, however, tell you the rub I used on the bird which turned out nicely. My husband wanted something a little more spicy/Cajun in nature since I typically do Italian-style herb rubs. I coated the chicken with the spices below and then rubbed it generously with olive oil.

First Chicken of the Season Spicy Rub

1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp sea salt
¾ tsp ground black pepper

Combine in a small dish and mix with your fingers to crust of the red pepper with the other spices. Rub over the chicken including under the skin.

After an hour on the grill, the chicken was perfect. Nice and juice with a crispy skin just as was predicted by all the recipes I’d read prior to our attempt. There will be lots of grilled chicken in our near future, especially once Pike Valley has some available again later in the month. They should process 32,000 chickens this year. Not bad for a farm using humane, sustainable practices. The word is really getting out about them.

In addition to the chicken we decided to grill up some burgers for later in the week, as well as some asparagus as a side for our chicken. Grilled asparagus is about the easiest thing you can cook on a grill. I drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled on some of the herb seasoning I told you about a few days ago. About five to eight minutes on the grill and it’s all done.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about the burgers and a new pasta salad I tried out.

Have the grill out yet? What’s on the menu?

Salmon-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

April 5, 2010

Over the past year or so we have progressively been eating fewer and fewer foods from cans. A positive, healthy move for us, but there are still a few things I grab when I zip down the canned food aisle. One of these is salmon.

Growing up I loved salmon patties which my mom always made from canned salmon. It seems kind of strange now because I don’t really see many kids excited about canned salmon. I think I mostly enjoyed eating the bones as they went from crunchy to magically disappearing altogether in my mouth. As I got older and began studying nutrition it just happened to be a bonus that these little bones are a source of calcium.

It had been a very long time since I’d even thought about salmon patties, but recently I decided to make up a batch. Of course, I was trying to find a way to give them a twist. It seems I rarely cook at all anymore without trying to give things a twist.

I don’t often by portabella mushroom caps, but had branched out and picked up a pack on a trip to the market a few days before. After a little quiet thought in the kitchen I could have sworn I heard them begging to be stuffed with salmon.

So I made up a batch of salmon patty mix, batter, dough – what the heck do you call it prior to being cooked anyway? I formed the nameless concoction into a nice mound inside a mushroom cap coated in olive oil and sprinkled on some parmesan cheese.

After about 25 minutes in the oven, I was greeted with a tender mushroom filled with soft salmon and a slightly browned and crispy edge. A definite winner and a nice change from the same ol’ patty.

This recipe makes enough for four stuffed mushrooms. I only had two portabellas so I just made two salmon patties for lunch later in the week. They are easy to cook, just form them into flat patties, heat some oil in a pan and cook for about three minutes on each side.

Salmon-Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Makes 4 servings

1 can salmon, drained
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
2 green onions, sliced, greens and some of the white
2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling
4 portabella mushroom caps
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl combine the salmon, bread crumbs, egg, seasonings, onion and 2 tbsp cheese. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Place mushroom caps in a baking dish that has been coated with olive oil. Rub more olive oil on the mushrooms, coating them well. Turn the caps top (smooth side) down.

Divide the salmon mixture into four equal parts, form into a ball and mound inside the mushroom cap. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese has browned a little. Serve warm.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish recipes and images without written permission. Feel free to Pin images and share links to my posts, but please do not copy and paste recipes or photos and share them on other sites. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution.

Dreaming of Grilled Vegetables

March 23, 2010

For two whole summers I enviously read blog post after blog post about grilled vegetables from around the food blogging world. At that point we were in an apartment in Brazil with no grill of our own. Not to mention, while grills of Brazil and the foods they produce are quite nice, it’s just not the same as our version in the U.S. I’m also not sure a vegetable has ever touched a grill where we were living. Red meat, yes, veggies not so much.

My anticipation of creating my own grilled produce has been building all winter. Now, that we are finally in a house, there is a spot being held for a new grill. However, it has turned out to be the last thing on our shopping list. While we have filled the house with couches, chairs and desks, the yard is still looking a bit bare.

That will change soon enough, but today I just couldn’t wait. After finding some zucchini and mushrooms in the fridge I decided to grab the grill pan and make an indoor version of a grilled vegetable sandwich for lunch.

I sliced up the vegetables, drizzled them with olive oil, and then sprinkled them with this herb rub.

A friend of mine gave me this and it is from Herb ‘n Renewal, a Kentucky company that sells herb products. You may not have access to this exact combo, but you can see the ingredient list here if you want to mimic it.

I cooked everything for a few minutes on each side, layered everything on the bread (Flax Oat Bran from Great Harvest) and then grilled the sandwich itself to make it more of a Panini. It hit the spot, but unfortunately it has made my longing for grilled foods even stronger!

There really isn’t an exact recipe here, but I will list out what I added to my sandwich. You can add whatever veggies you like.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

2 slices of whole grain bread
4 slices of zucchini
10 rings of Anaheim pepper
2 white mushrooms, sliced
Sprinkle of olive oil and herb seasoning
1 ½ tbsp cream cheese
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp garlic powder
Handful of fresh spinach

Place the veggies on the grill and sprinkle with olive oil and herb seasoning. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until tender. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, green onion, cilantro and garlic powder. Spread on one slice of the bread. Stack the grilled veggies on the second slice and top it with the spinach. Place the first slice on top, cream cheese side down. Return to the grill pan and grill for 1 minute on each side.

This post is being submitted to Souper Sundays at the Kahakai Kitchen.

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa

March 12, 2010

I have a few races under my belt since first making this nutty cauliflower quinoa, but it still the type of meal I turn to when I need to refuel for running!

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa | Fake Food Free

With all the running we’ve been doing, me training for my first half marathon and my husband training for his first full, I’ve really been trying to up the vegetable intake in our diet. After reading 50/50 by Dean Karnazes (an incredibly inspiring and informative book even if you are not a runner, by the way), my husband’s request was an increase in dark, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.

It’s not that we don’t eat these foods, but with our travel the end of last year and our recent move I’ve had a hard time getting back into the groove with my cooking. Things are getting better though. I’ve been relying some on cauliflower for part of our cruciferous intake.

In the research world, cruciferous veggies get most of their attention for the potential to reduce cancer risk. Cauliflower, specifically, is also an excellent source of vitamins C, K and folate. Cauliflower also happens to be one of my favorite veggies. In addition to liking the flavor, I like that I can prepare it in a variety of ways. We eat it mashed, steamed, raw, and in a bit of a stir-fry or sauté which happens to be how I prepared it for my lunch yesterday.

I had some quinoa left over from a meal earlier this week and I decided to make that the base of my lunch. I chopped the cauliflower in small florets, cooked it in a skillet, and then added some chopped walnuts and spices. To finish it off I combined it with the quinoa for a bowl of whole grain and veggie goodness. The nutty flavor of the walnuts and cauliflower and the seed-like crunch of quinoa paired well with the bold spices of the poultry seasoning I tossed in.

Nutty Cauliflower Quinoa

2015-07-08 09:57:48

Makes: 3 main course servings

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Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, soaked, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups water
1/8 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cauliflower

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
¼ cup water
¾ cup raw walnuts, chopped
½ teaspoon fine ground salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions

Stir together the water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover with a secure lid, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Stir in the 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the water, reduce the heat just a bit, cover with a lid and allow to cook until the cauliflower is slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and ensure all the water has evaporated. Add the walnuts (you can also choose to toast them before adding), and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the remaining salt, black pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Stir to coat the veggie and nuts.
In a large bowl toss together the quinoa, cauliflower and nuts, and serve.

By Lori Rice

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

This post contains affiliate links.

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More info on cauliflower and cruciferous veggies:
WHFoods: Cauliflower
Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute: Cruciferous Vegetables

Pastured Pork and Black Beans

March 10, 2010

Sometimes I think I try so hard to get creative with recipes that I forget just how simple a good meal can be. For example, this past week I picked up an order from Pike Valley Farm. A small order since it is the time of year where the selection is low until the spring season. They did have some pastured pork chops available, though, so I decided to get a pack for something different.

I was trying to decide what to do with them. I was a bit stuck because they were the type of chops that looked to be best slow cooked, not a lean center cut chop for grilling. I showed them to my husband and he said, “Why don’t you just throw them in a crockpot with some beans. Then serve it with rice, kind of like a feijoada.”

I couldn’t help but wonder to myself – now I’m the cook in the family, why didn’t I think of that?

It turned out to be a great suggestion. Throughout a day of simmering, the fat melted away allowing me to easily remove any bones, leaving tender pieces of meat. Not to mention the soft and smoky black beans.

A heavier, filling meal I’m glad I got it in for the season. The weather is turning warmer here and the trees out front are beginning to bloom. However, I think the leftovers will be perfect for the rain that is predicted for the next few days.

Pastured Pork and Black Beans

16 oz bag of black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
¾ to 1 lb. pastured pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the pre-soaked beans, onion, garlic and spices in a Crock-pot and add the water. Place the pork chops on top of the beans and cover the pot with the lid. I cooked it on high for 4 hours and then on low for 2 more hours. This had it finished by about 4:00 pm so I kept it on warm until dinner. If you are gone all day, cooking it on low for 8 hours would likely work out fine. Add salt and pepper to taste near the end of cooking. I added about 1 ½ tsp salt and ¾ tsp of black pepper. Serve with rice and/or some greens and hot sauce, of course.

Coconut Crusted Salmon over Cauliflower and Kale

February 25, 2010

At the end of the month I’m always focused on using up what I have on hand. I enjoy working with a monthly food budget because I get shop away the first half of the month and then I challenge my creativity at the end. This process of using up all that I have really keeps me from overbuying fresh foods that might wilt or spoil before I have the chance to use them.

This recipe came about as a way for me to finish off the leftover veggies in the fridge and to finally put a can of coconut milk to use that I’ve had for a few weeks now. I wanted some protein with the meal so I turned to my freezer where I have some wild Alaskan salmon stocked up due to a recent sale.
I wanted to keep the flavors similar and I often coat chicken with coconut so I decided to try it with salmon too. A little curry with the veggies and the meal was set.

I wasn’t sure how the coconut and curry would mesh with the flavor of salmon, but I was pleased with the result. Creamy, spicy, sweet and salty, it is almost as if the three were made for each other.

Coconut Crusted Salmon over Cauliflower & Kale in Curry Coconut Milk

1 tbsp olive oil
½ small onion, sliced
½ large head of cauliflower, florets sliced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped, about 3 cups raw
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
½ can coconut milk
2 salmon filets, thawed

2 tsp olive oil
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
Pinch of salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Next add the cauliflower and kale. Turn to coat the vegetables in the oil and cook until the cauliflower is slightly browned and the kale begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and curry powder, add the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

The salmon can be prepared in a variety of ways. I use a grill pan with a press. This doesn’t result in the tenderest salmon, but it is the quickest method for me with very easy clean-up. Searing it in a standard skillet or baking it would work well too.

In a small dish, combine the bread crumbs, coconut, salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over both salmon filets. Place the filets in the pre-heated grill pan. Top with crumb mixture, pressing it into the fish. Place the press on top of the salmon and cook on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the press and gently flip the salmon, place the press on top again and allow to cook 3 to 4 more minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Divide the vegetables on two plates, top each with a salmon filet, and serve.

Frittata for Dinner

September 23, 2009

I love the Scrubs episode when Turk can’t stop talking about Brinner. I’m sure you know, but just in case, brinner is breakfast for dinner. Not only does that show always give me a healthy, stress-relieving laugh, I also happen to like breakfast for dinner quite a bit too.

Honestly I could eat it much more often than I do, but somehow it always seems like a cooking copout. I’m not sure why. The dishes take about as long to cook as many standard dinner foods, but brinner always seems to be the thing you turn to when you are out of ingredients or don’t know what else to eat. At least that is the case for me anyway.

Eggs, pancakes, bacon, French toast, oatmeal – I could easily eat them all at the end of the day. Somehow, though, dreakfast isn’t quite as appealing. Ha! Get it. Dinner for breakfast. Okay, hopefully you don’t click your way here for the humor. Hopefully you are here for the food instead!

The ingredients are dwindling around our kitchen as we prepare for the move and I’m trying not to buy things that I won’t use up. We’ve been sticking with a lot produce and eggs. I made quiche the week before last and after that I thought I’d spice it up with a frittata for variety. A frittata is an Italian omelet in case you are unfamiliar. I find them to be a delicious, quick, one skillet meal.

First I should say that it is really difficult to attractively photograph a frittata. Kudos to those who do it so well. Secondly, don’t let the looks fool you. This simple dish is both hearty and full of flavor. I like to top mine with a little hot sauce for a kick. It’s kind of hard to beat brinner!

Potato Green Pepper Frittata

½ tbsp olive oil
2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
½ cup green pepper, diced
¼ cup onion, diced
5 eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ cup shredded cheese

Heat the olive oil in a deep, oven-safe skillet. Layer the potatoes in the skillet and stir gently to coat with the oil. Cover the skillet with a lid and let cook for 10 minutes. Stir gently again and spread the slices out to completely cover the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with the green pepper and onion. Return the lid and cook for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Check the vegetables and cook a few minutes more if potatoes aren’t yet tender. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and sprinkle with cheese. Allow to cook until the edges are firm. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the center is set, about 7 minutes. Remove when firm and golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and cut into 4 to 6 slices.

Quick Chickpeas in Curry

September 14, 2009

The first time I had chickpeas with curry was in Vienna at the summer film festival. At this event, along with the film comes a large variety of vendors selling foods from around the world. Typically with so much available I can decide what I want pretty quickly, however, it was one of those nights when I was hungry, but nothing specific sounded good.

I finally settled on the Indian food booth. Knowing that I like chickpeas and curry and other veggies, I gave it a try. Wow, did it hit the spot – creamy, spicy, vegetarian. As Anthony Bourdain mentioned in his recent NYC episode of No Reservations, Indian cuisine is the way to go if you want to eat a vegetarian meal. You will never miss meat. There are just too many great flavors and textures going on.

It is these kinds of dishes I seem to remember when I eat alone while my husband is traveling for work.

I tend to go to one of two extremes when I’m around the apartment by myself during dinnertime. I either spend all my time in the kitchen making new things, or I simply don’t want to cook at all. Weird, I know. There really isn’t a way to predict what the upcoming attitude will be.

Recently, though, I was in a no-cook mood. I think it has to do with the packing and preparing to move. Despite not wanting to cook, well, I still really wanted to eat. So with some chickpeas in the freezer (I have to cook them from dried here) and some coconut milk left over from a previous dish, I decided on a quick curry.

Keep in mind; this is in no way authentic. It is simply my way to get the flavors I want in a quick and healthy meal. This time around I only had chickpeas and onion, but it is excellent with some cauliflower thrown in as well.

Quick Chickpeas in Curry

½ tbsp olive oil
¼ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp curry powder (more or less to taste)
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup coconut milk

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil, and then add the onion and garlic. Cook for about five minutes or until the onion is slightly tender. Add the chickpeas and then sprinkle with the curry powder, mix well and allow them to heat through.

Pour in the chicken stock. Place a lid on the skillet and cooking for about five minutes or until everything is bubbly and begins to thicken. Finally stir in the coconut milk and heat through. Serve over white or brown rice if desired.

If you happen to find yourself in Vienna during late June through late August, do pay the Music Film Festival a visit. It is an outdoor event set-up at the Rathaus. My husband and I love it. We’ve been twice and are already considering a stop there during our travels next year.

Also, if you want to know some more ways to use your chickpeas check out these recipes from Reeni at Cinnamon & Spice. If it is curry your interested in you’ll learn a lot from this post at Oyster Food and Culture.

Lasagna with Cinnamon

September 9, 2009

I wouldn’t rate the Italian food we have around here top notch. The restaurants put forth a great effort, but there always seems to be something lacking in the tomato sauce. However, I should clarify that just because it may not be rated best in the world, or even the best in Brazil for that matter, it doesn’t mean it is lacking in creativity.

In a previous post, I introduced the wonderful Italian rodizio restaurant. A quick refresher, rodizio is a style of eating similar to a buffet, but in reverse. The waiters bring all the dishes to you and you accept a small portion of each you want to try.

In that post, I left out a dish that I was pleasantly surprised by. On our second visit to the restaurant we were offered Lasagna com Canela – Lasagna with Cinnamon. As happens with most dishes I’m unfamiliar with, I was intrigued. And after one bite, I was a fan.

I recently recreated the dish at home adding in a few extra vegetables and enjoyed it just as much. It is difficult to describe the flavor the cinnamon adds to the dish. The spice combined with the tomato sauce really brings out a delicious sweetness.

I have to be honest though. I have a feeling this will be one dish that you will either enjoy or dislike. For example, I like it, my husband, on the other hand does not prefer it. It is the sweetness he doesn’t enjoy so much. Nonetheless, I’ll share it here and next time I’ll make a reduced recipe since I may be the only one infatuated by it. Kind of like me and my spicy peanut sauce.

Lasagna with Cinnamon

1 package lasagna noodles, partially cooked

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste
2 batches Easy Pasta Sauce (add 1 can tomato sauce to the doubled recipe)
2 – 3 cups cheese, shredded

In a skillet brown the beef or turkey, add the cinnamon and set aside. In a separate skillet heat the olive oil and cook the zucchini, onion and garlic for five to seven minutes or until veggies slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Set aside. Now add the pasta sauce to the cooked ground beef and mix well to combine.

In a deep 9×13 baking dish layer your noodles, sauce, veggies and cheese in your favorite order. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let set for at least 5 minutes before serving.