Grandma Knowles’s Famous Lasagna

Posted on March 23, 2016 by skibootsinthekitchen

If you follow this blog regularly you know that I am a sucker for pasta. I would like to attribute it to my Italian heritage – but mostly likely it is because carbs are delicious… especially when you cover them in yummy sauce. I thought I had found the ultimate lasagna recipe my “Red and White Lasagna” that was until I tried this recipe. This is a family recipe from my friend Ingrid – it was her great grandmothers. I could tell by the recipe Ingrid forwarded me that her grandmother did not need to follow printed directions to make this dish. The email basically read “a little bit of this, a little bit of that, layer it and bake” the measurements were not exactly precise! So I used my best judgement and I am happy to say… its really hard to F*CK up lasagna – so it came out great! This recipe definitely wins lasagna of the year… Thanks Ingrid and family for sharing!

Great Grandma Knowles Bomb.com Lasagna (Serves 8-12)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground sausage (spicy or mild)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 12oz can tomato paste
24oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
32oz small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper
No boil lasagna noodles

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large skillet, add beef and sausage, season with oregano and garlic powder and cook until brown. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile combine cottage cheese, shredded Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Coat a 9×13″ lasagna pan with olive oil. Start with a layer of noodles, half the cottage cheese mix, half the sliced mozzarella slices and half the hamburger mixture. Repeat with the remaining noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella and meat.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour. ****Now the family secret is to bake the lasagna for 1 hour and then let it cool (either over night or for a few hours) When you are ready to serve re-heat the lasagna in a 325 degree oven until it is heated all the way through****

Green Eggs & Ham Quiche

Posted on April 28, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Can you believe its almost May?! May is such a great month because there is so much to celebrate! First off Cinco de Mayo… since my favorite day of the week is Taco Tuesday and I drink margaritas like they’re water, it’s my ultimate holiday! Then comes Mother’s Day and who doesn’t like celebrating mom? Moms are the best!

Finally, we kick off summer (and the right to wear white pants!) with Memorial Day! It’s a pretty action packed month. If you’re looking for an extra special way to show mom how much you care this year, make her a delicious meal! Mother’s Day is a great day to show mom how much you love her with homemade brunch and Bloody Mary’s (in bed?!) Now that sounds like a great morning! I feel like sometimes quiche is thought of as a wimpy ladies luncheon dish but serve this delicious spring dish along side a bacon Bloody Mary and you won’t hear anyone complaining! It is also a fun dish for kids to make because its super easy (the hardest part is sauteing the asparagus and onions)! Plus its a spin off the Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham” read the book, make the quiche and you might even get the kids to eat some of it! So whether you’re hosting a bridal shower, brunch, lunch or Mother’s Day extravaganza (really whatever you want!) this quiche will be a hit! Green Eggs & Ham Quiche (click for printer friendly version)
Ingredients: (Serves 8-10)

1 9-inch Pillsbury refrigerated pie-crust (from a 15-ounce package)
2 12-ounce boxes frozen Stouffer’s spinach souffle (microwave for half the suggested time to thaw but not cook)
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups cups (6 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese (you can substitute Pepper Jack for some added spice)
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced ham, prosciutto or bacon (if using bacon, cook before adding it) if you are vegetarian you can leave this out
1 tablespoon olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Unroll the pie-crust and press it into a 9-inch pie plate.
In a medium skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, add asparagus and saute until just tender and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more.
Combine the spinach souffle, eggs, cheese, ham and asparagus mixture in a large bowl. Add a few turns of fresh pepper and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.
Bake until set in the center and the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Wild Rice Salad with Apricot & Cranberry

Posted on April 25, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy weekend y’all! I hope you had a great week! Last weekend Park City mountain resort closed, it was a beautiful weekend, 60 degrees and sunny! Just when I thought spring had arrived… I woke up Tuesday morning to this…More snow! I couldn’t believe it! But that’s how it goes in the mountains! Sadly, I’m sure it won’t be the last time this spring we see snow. Regardless of what the weather does, I am READY for spring. This delicious wild rice salad is one of my favorite spring/summer salads. It’s super easy to make and its best when it’s served cold, so making it the day before is a snap and saves you time! Its great for picnics, BBQs or anytime.

The combination of the sweet cranberries, apricots and currents with the wild rice and orange dressing is perfection! It will become one of your favorite summer staples.

Wild Rice Salad with Apricot & Cranberry with Orange Dressing (click for printer friendly version)
Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

2 1/2 Cups Wild Rice
5 Cups of water
1 Cup low sodium chicken broth
1 Cup dried cranberries
1 Cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 Cup currents
1 Cup scallions, sliced
1/2 Cup parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted

Orange Dressing

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium pot, bring water and broth to a boil, add the rice and bring it to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender but still firm- about 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
Drain the rice, transfer to a bowl and allow it to cool.
Mix the remaining ingredients with the rice, drizzle with orange dressing and gently toss to combine.
Serve over spinach or on its own as a side dish.

Thai Style Peanut, Mushroom and Tofu Stir-Fry

Posted on January 7, 2014 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy hump day! Hard to believe the week is already half over! Continuing with some healthy, clean eating of 2014 I started the week off with this super easy, delicious and vegan meal! This dish single handedly turned me into a tofu lover. Back in the day you couldn’t pay me to eat the stuff but pairing it with spicy peanut dressing, crispy snap peas and water chestnuts… changes everything!

Spicy Peanut Sauce

This stir-fry is also so easy and quick to prepare, dinner is ready in 20 minutes! It was the perfect dish to serve for guests that came over to watch the season premier of the bachelor (don’t judge, its my guilty pleasure) because I barely spent anytime in the kitchen!

Extra Firm Tofu

Peanut Sauce

Snap Peas & Mushrooms

Serve this dish over brown rice, quinoa or glass noodles and you’ve got a perfect weeknight or Meatless Monday dish!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste or Sriracha (you can add more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
12 oz oyster mushrooms or 8oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb (1 bag) snow peas or snap peas, trimmed
8 oz (1 small can) canned sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and lime juice until smooth. Add the water, sesame oil, cornstarch and chili paste and whisk until blended. Set aside.
Coat a nonstick wok or large nonstick frying pan with cooking spray or sesame oil and heat over high heat. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until lightly browned (about 4 minutes). Add peas and saute another 3-4 minutes until bright green and tender-crispy.
Add peanut butter sauce, water chestnuts and tofu and stir until the sauce thickens and coats everything. Cover and let simmer on low for 3-5 minutes.
Serve over brown rice or other grain and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Chicken Suzanne

Posted on November 10, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

You know those days you crave your favorite childhood meal? Maybe its spaghetti and meatballs or buttery macaroni and cheese- mine is most definitely Chicken Suzanne. This was a dish my mother used to make all the time growing up because its simple and tasty. It only takes half an hour to whip up, it freezes easily and its a comforting dish for cozy cold nights.

The combination of mushrooms, artichokes and cream with tender chicken and crispy almonds is the perfect culmination of delicious ingredients. It’s also a great way to use up some leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Substitute 2 1/2- 3 cups of shredded turkey for the chicken and you’ve got a creative dish for all those leftovers! I found this great card shopping over the weekend- I do wish that all life’s problems could be solved with a stick of butter! Sometimes all it takes to turn around a bad day is some classic comfort food to warm your soul and make you feel at home. Serve with a fresh baguette and your favorite glass of red wine! Enjoy!

Chicken Suzanne (Serves 8)

1 box long grain and wild rice
1 3 to 4 pound rotisserie chicken or 3 to 4 broiled chicken breasts
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 large can artichoke hearts
1 medium onion diced
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream (you can sub half & half if you prefer)
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons sherry or white wine
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
slivered almonds (about 1/2 cup, optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Make rice to package directions. Butter a 4 quart casserole or baking dish. Set aside.
Remove the meat from the bones of the rotisserie chicken and cut into pieces.
Cut the artichoke hearts into bite size pieces. Combine chicken, rice and artichoke hearts in large bowl.
Saute the diced onion in the butter. When the onion becomes transparent, add the flour. Cook for 1 minute over low heat.
Add the chicken broth, milk and cream and stir until thickened. The mixture should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Stir in the seasonings. combine the completed sauce with the chicken, rice and artichoke mixture. Add the sliced mushrooms.
Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with slivered almonds.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Can be frozen or made the day before serving.

Baked Eggs with Country Toast

Posted on November 3, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

It was such a wonderful fall weekend! I hope you enjoyed the good weather (on Saturday least), maybe if you’re lucky enough to live in Boston you checked out the Red Sox parade and of course that extra hour of glorious sleep. Fall daylight savings is one of my favorite weekends of the year- your body thinks its late but you realize its early and you can roll over and go back to bed. There is nothing better! Except realizing that extra hour of sleep has also allowed you an extra hour for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day!

Breakfast literally makes my day- I mean seriously, breakfast is the best in the morning… but who doesn’t love pancakes or eggs for dinner to? It’s the ultimate meal and it always makes me happy. It’s also a time where you can catch up or wind down with friends or alone with the morning paper. My best friend Connie and I always had crazy schedules when we lived together, but breakfast was our time to catch up, drink some coffee and start our day off right; if we had breakfast together, I knew it was going to be a great day.

As a kid my mother used to make me baked eggs, they are simple but they are so satisfying and delicious. My favorite part about them? You pop them in the oven, set the timer and there ready before you know it! There is no worry or fuss like there is with scrambled, poached or fried eggs. Simple, easy and delicious- just the way breakfast should be on Sunday mornings so you can sit back and enjoy it with the ones you’re with! Red Bicycle Breadworks is a local Park City company. They sell their bread out of The Market in town and it’s totally delicious.

Their gold creek cheddar bread is the perfect breakfast toast. They also make an amazing sea salt and olive oil bread that we’ve started calling ‘crack’ bread. We have to buy two loaves at a time because we inevitably eat one loaf before we even leave the grocery store- its that good (if you’ve had it you know what I’m talking about!). If you live in Park City I highly recommend checking out their bread- if you don’t (that’s too bad for you!) but any good fresh bread will do! Enjoy!

Baked Eggs with Country Toast

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
2 farm fresh eggs
1 dash paprika
1 tablespoon Parmigiano
salt and pepper to taste
country bread, toasted with butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put 1 tablespoon olive oil into the cocotte (baking dish, small tart pan or souffle dish), followed by the eggs and cream. Season with dash of paprika, salt and pepper. Cover with 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and bake just until the white is set, about 15 minutes. Serve with toast.

Best Ever Birthday Carrot Cake

Posted on October 28, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

You know that cake you ask for every year on your birthday, the one that makes you feel special and loved and happy all at once? The kind of cake you go back for seconds, not only because its YOUR birthday but its YOUR favorite cake and its freaking delicious. This carrot cake is THAT cake for me, my mother’s best ever birthday carrot cake.

1/2 cup coconut and raisins

2 cups of shredded carrot

Combine it all

Ready for the oven!

Today isn’t my birthday, (although you might have seen in my last post, Ski Boots in the Kitchen just turned 1!) but I decided I needed a little slice of heaven! Whenever I go to a restaurant and they have carrot cake on the menu, I have to try it. Let me tell you good carrot cake is hard to come by and I am usually disappointed because its not as good as PomPom’s recipe.

3 layers of goodness

Let the crumb layer harden in the fridge for 1 hour before spreading the final layer of frosting

the ‘crumb layer’

There are two places that know how to do it right- one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever had is at Bol in Vail, Colorado and the second runner up is from the Deer Valley Bakery (they made my carrot cake wedding cake… can you tell yet I’m slightly obsessed?) but that’s it. If you come across a restaurant that has better carrot cake than these two places call me, I’ll fly anywhere just to try it.

Long story short, I’ve been tasting cakes made with carrot for years and this one will forever be my favorite not only because its outrageously delicious but it brings me back home and its always made with love! Happy celebrating and cake eating- Enjoy!

Best Ever Birthday Carrot Cake (click for printer friendly version)

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 cups grated carrots
1 small can (8oz) crushed pineapple and juice
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) (optional)

For the frosting:

1 8oz. block of cream cheese at room temperature
1 (1/2 cup) stick of butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1lb box confectioners sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees
Grease, flour and line with parchment paper 3, 9″ round cake pans
Using a hand mixer, combine oil and honey in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time, blend in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and powdered milk.
Blend the sifted dry ingredients with the honey, oil and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients (grated carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut, raisins and chopped nuts).
Pour batter into the 3 prepared baking pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool completely on racks until ready to ice.
While the cake is cooling, using a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
When cake has fully cooled, place the first layer on a cake plate, spreading a thin layer of icing between each layer of cake. Spread a thin layer of icing around the outside of the cake and place in the fridge for 1 hour. This is called a “crumb layer” this will keep all the crumbs stuck to the first layer of frosting giving you the perfect looking cake when you frost the final layer! For more directions on how to perfectly frost a cake see here. Enjoy!

Apple & Cranberry Harvest Pie

Posted on October 1, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy October! The mornings are getting cooler, the nights are getting dark to quickly… fall is really here and I have no idea what happened to September. Since September slipped away without me noticing, I have a feeling October might go equally as fast and then… Its my favorite holiday… Thanksgiving! Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate the month of October to “Thanksgiving Menu Prep.” It’s time to pull out my collection of old Bon Appetit Thanksgiving issues, family recipes and classic Thanksgiving traditions, to find the best recipes for your Thanksgiving table. This year don’t showing up at your Thanksgiving feast with plain mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. It’s time to jazz up your menu with some fun, different and most importantly DELICIOUS dishes! This recipe for Harvest Pie from Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard is one of my mother’s favorite holiday desserts. The flavors and spices of the pie are the definition of fall and the holiday season. The tartness of the cranberries balances the sweetness of the apples and raisins making for a truly awesome but not too sweet dessert. If you’re ready to mix up the dessert table from the plain (and over done) apple and pumpkin pies, this is your recipe! Top this pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or serve it a la mode. The original recipe calls for a streusel topping however, I prefer the recipe with a lattice pie crust which doesn’t overpower the fresh fruit with too much ‘stuff’. To make this pie super easy you can use Pillsbury pie dough from the dairy section of your grocery store (when in a hurry I cheat and use this… no one will ever know!), or if you’re feeling ambitious make your own dough. Streusel topping, classic crust or lattice top this pie will become your new favorite holiday dessert too! Enjoy!

Harvest Pie (Click for printer friendly version)

Prep Time	Cooking Time	Serves
30 Minutes	40-55 minutes	8-10

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh apples, diced
1 Cup fresh cranberries
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 ½ Tbsp. orange zest
1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted
1/8 Cup orange juice
1/8 Cup flour
½ cup sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare piecrust or streusel topping (below).
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until well blended. Pour into prepared piecrust. Top with streusel topping or lattice piecrust.
Place pie in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until the apples are tender and the crumb or crust is golden brown.

Pastry Dough (Makes two 9-inch piecrusts) This pastry dough freezes well and will work with any pie!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup cold vegetable shortening
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small chunks
6 Tbsp. ice water

Directions:

Sift flour. Cut shortening and butter into flour with pastry blender or fingers until mixture has the consistency of small peas.
Add ice water and blend just until dough holds together.
Divide the dough into two pieces; if you are doing the streusel topping store one for later use. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a 10-inch circle.
Place dough in pie plate and crimp as desired.

Streusel Topping:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups white sugar
2 cups all- purpose flour
1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients, then fold in melted butter, stirring until it clumps. Sprinkle evenly on top of pie.

Original recipes from Morning Glory Farm

Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter

Posted on July 28, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend doing whatever it is that you love. I spent my weekend camping, relaxing, and making enough zucchini bread to feed a small country. One of our friends harvested a huge zucchini from his garden and gave it to me- It was one of the largest zucchinis I’ve seen!Unfortunately, once zucchinis get that size they are not as tender and delicious to cook with but they are still great for making zucchini bread. Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard is notorious for their zucchini bread and since I was having a small case of FOMO (fear of missing out) after seeing all my friends and family enjoying a beach picnic OTV, I pulled out my comfort cookbook and made some zucchini bread, which allowed me to briefly pretend I was on the Island. I normally enjoy my zucchini bread plain or with a little cream cheese but the idea to make honey butter came to me and I thought zucchini bread and honey butter would make an amazing combination. I was right. Turns out honey butter is good on EVERYTHING! I took some of the honey butter and made french toast with it this morning. I used a little in the pan to cook the french toast. I topped it with some fresh peaches and some more honey butter instead of maple syrup… It was heavenly. I love this recipe for zucchini bread because its light, simple and totally delicious! The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool down before enjoying it!!

Zucchini Bread with Honey Butter (Click for printer friendly version)

Preparation time: 25 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Servings: 2 Loaves

Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (if using a very large zucchini remove the large seeds before shredding it.)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 9″x5″ bread pans with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Beat sugar into mix until it is thoroughly creamed.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
Once liquids and sugar are well mixed, add dry ingredients. Mix until batter is well blended and even in texture. The batter should be smooth, outside the zucchini shreds.
Pour batter evenly into pans
Bake for approximately 1 hour or until bread is brown and springs back when gently pressed in the middle.

Honey Butter by Ski Boots in the Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Place butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 15-20 seconds, so the butter is very soft but not melted.
Add honey and vanilla.
Using an electric hand mixer or kitchenaid mixer beat on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Using a rubber spatula scoop butter onto a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into a log.
Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve on zucchini bread, french toast, pancakes or just about anything! Enjoy!

Rum Chocolate Mousse

Posted on April 14, 2013 by skibootsinthekitchen

We recently started receiving a few wedding gifts in the mail, which as been like Christmas on steroids. One of the most recent gifts that would make any chef swoon… Fire engine red Le Creuset baking dishes, complete with 4 mini cocottes. I’ve died and gone to culinary heaven. Every time I open a new kitchen item I jump up and down like a little kid while Jake looks at me all confused. Anyways… The second I saw these little cocottes I thought chocolate- Chocolate souffle, chocolate mousse, chocolate molten cake- slightly obsessed with chocolate. But seriously, what is better than your very own mini dish coming out filled with chocolate? This mousse recipe is very special to me, as it belonged to my grandmother Harriet and I remember her making this for dinner parties when I was growing up. It’s extremely easy, super rich and the flavor of the rum comes through nicely, which makes the recipe a winner in my book. This is a family favorite, so I hope you ENJOY!

Rum Chocolate Mousse (Click for printer friendly version)

Ingredients:

1 cup dark chocolate chips
5 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons dark rum (Myers is my favorite)
4 eggs, separated

Directions:

Separate egg yolks and whites into two bowls
Beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer or kitchenaid until stiff fluffy and peaks form, set aside.
Put chocolate chips and boiling water in a blender and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds.
Add yolks and rum to blender, blend until fully incorporated
Using a rubber spatula, transfer chocolate mixture into a medium bowl.
Fold whipped egg whites into rum chocolate.
Pour into ramekins, chill at least 1 hour.