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Skillet Lasagna Rollups

6/30/2021

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Skillet Lasagna Rollups

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 Min

Yields: 18 - 20 Rollups (Approx)

Fill a large pot with cold, heavily salted water, cover, and set to medium high heat. Once boiled, add the lasagna and cook 1 – 2 minutes less than what the package recommends. Noodles should be malleable but not fully cooked. Strain, rinse with cold water, and lay noodles out flat on a parchment lined baking sheet. It’s OK if they overlap.

SAUCE – Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes in a medium sized pot set to medium heat. Once bubbly, add the onion, celery, carrot, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook 5 – 6 minutes until veggies have cooked down. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the diced toms; fill the can ¼ of the way with cold water and swish it around to get any leftover tomato, pouring this into the sauce as well. Bring the sauce to a boil and once boiled, reduce the heat to medium low, add the fresh basil and ¼ tsp. sea salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and use an Immersion blender to puree until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if desired.

FILLING – Reserve about ½ C of the mozzarella. Stir everything together except for the egg and taste, adjusting salt if needed. Stir in the eggs and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Start by spraying a 10” skillet with cooking spray followed by pouring in half of the prepared tomato sauce. Now, spread ricotta filling along the noodles leaving about 1” from each end. Start from one end and gently roll the noodles until fully rolled up. Place the rollups upright with the seams pressed against the edge of the skillet. Continue assembling and placing them around the edge of the pan and then begin with a second circular layer of rollups inside the first one. We want them nestled in there pretty tightly. You should finish with one last rollup in the center of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over each individual rollup.

Cover the pan with foil, tenting the middle so that it is not pressing against the rollups. Bake for 30 mins, remove cover, and continue to bake another 7 – 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and set onto a wire cooling rack.

For service. Ladle some sauce in the center of your serving plate. Serve up 3 of the rollups, and garnish with freshly chopped herbs and some grated grana Padano. ENJOY!

Grocery List

500g Dry Lasagna Noodles
Grana Padano, Fresh herbs - Garnish

SAUCE

¼ C EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, crushed & chopped
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Large Carrot, peeled & diced
796ml Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
28g Fresh Basil
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
¼ Tsp. + Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

FILLING

2x 475g Ricotta
200g Pizza Mozzarella, shredded
1/3 C Grana Padano, grated
2 Large Free-Range Eggs
4 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced / pressed
1 Lemon, zested
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
¼ C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

SHOP SKILLETS

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Breakfast Poutine

6/27/2021

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Breakfast Poutine

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 20 - 25 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Preheat oven to 425 F

Toss the cubed potatoes together with EVOO, pepper flakes, sea salt, and cracked pepper. Transfer them to a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, place potatoes into the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Flip, and return to the oven for 5 – 10 more minutes until tender.

In the meantime, begin melting the butter in a small sauce pot set to medium heat. Once heated, add the onions along with the pepper flakes and a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook for 4 minutes before adding the mushrooms, thyme, and another good pinch of sea salt. Stir and cook until mushrooms have released considerable liquid (about 4 – 5 minutes).

Sprinkle in the flour, stir, and continue to stir / cook for about a minute. Add the worcestershire sauce, browning sauce, onion flakes, and beef broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, stirring until rapid bubbling stops. Simmer 10 – 12 minutes until liquid has reduced and gravy has thickened. Taste, season with additional salt / pepper if desired.

Grocery List

4 Large Free-Range Eggs
4 C Russet Potatoes, cubed
EVOO
Fresh Chives, chopped
240g Cheese Curds

GRAVY

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
½ Yellow Onion, diced
227g Cremini Mushrooms, diced
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp. AP Flour
1 ½ - 2 C PC Brand Plant-Based Beef Broth
1 Tsp. Browning Sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Onion Flakes
Sea Salt / Pepper

Heat a non-stick frying pan on about medium heat. Once heated, drizzle in some EVOO and crack in the eggs. Season each egg with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until whites have set, and yolks are at desired doneness. (Runny is obviously best)

For service, plate up some roasted potatoes, followed by a few of the cheese curds. Ladle over some gravy and serve the fried egg on top. Garnish with chives and ENJOY!

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SPicy Butter Potatoes & peas

6/23/2021

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Spicy Butter Potatoes & Peas

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 40 - 45 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Add the rice and suggested amount of water to a medium sized sauce pot set to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 25 minutes or according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside covered until needed.

In a large, 12” skillet, begin melting the coconut oil on medium heat. Once melted, add the celery and onion along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, garam masala, and another generous pinch of sea salt / black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, stir, and return cover for 10 minutes. Stir in the spicy butter chicken sauce and wait for it to come to a boil. Once boiled, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and taste, adjusting salt / pepper if desired. For service, add desired amount of cooked wild rice to a bowl and ladle over potato & pea mixture. Garnish with lime wedge and fresh cilantro. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 ½ C Dry Wild Rice
2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Large Russet Potatoes, cubed (about 3/4 ” size)
1 C Frozen Sweet Green Peas
5 C Fresh Baby Spinach
1 ½ Tsp. Garam Masala
400ml Patak’s Original Spicy Butter Chicken Sauce
½ C Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 Limes
Fresh Cilantro

SHOP Patak's Sauces

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Leek & Asparagus Risotto

6/21/2021

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Leek & Asparagus Risotto

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 30 - 35 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Add the broth to a medium sized pot and set to medium. Let the broth come to a low boil before reducing the heat slightly and leaving to simmer until needed.

Begin heating the EVOO and 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet set to about medium heat. Once heated, add the leeks, pepper flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 4 minutes. Fold in the garlic, light portions of the green onions, and asparagus stalks, along with another good pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook for 3 more minutes, add the asparagus tops, and cook another 3 minutes or so until asparagus is cooked but retains a crisp. Transfer everything to a bowl and return the skillet to the heat.

Melt the remaining Tbsp. of butter and once melted, stir in the arborio rice. Continue to stir and cook until the rice goes a bit pale and smells a bit toasty. Pour in the wine, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir and cook until the wine has been absorbed.

Begin with a full ladle of hot broth and allow the rice to simmer in the broth until it is soaked up. Continue to add broth and repeat the simmering process until rice is almost cooked to al dente with a ladle or two maximum remaining in the pot. Add another ladle of broth and return the veggies to the rice. Stir and cook until the broth is absorbed. Taste for doneness and add the last ladle if required. (Approx 20 – 25 Min)

Fold in the fresh parsley, basil, grana Padano, lemon zest, and the juice of half of the lemon. Stir and taste for salt / pepper, adjusting if desired. Add remaining lemon juice if desired.

For service, garnish each serving with additional grated grana Padano and fresh parsley / basil. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 C Dry Arborio Rice
1 L PC Brand Plant-Based Chik’n Broth
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO
3 Leeks, halved lengthwise & sliced.
3 cloves Garlic, smashed & minced
1 Bunch Asparagus, ends trimmed & roughly chopped reserving the tops
1 Bunch green Onions, sliced & separated light & dark portions
¾ C Pinot Grigio
1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, sliced
¾ C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 Lemon, Zest & Juice
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
½ C + Grana Padano, grated
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper

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Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

6/19/2021

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Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 40 - 45 Min

Yields: 4 - 5 Servings

Preheat oven to 400 F

Steam cauliflower florets for about 5 – 7 minutes until tender but still having retained a little bite. Set aside.

In the meantime, begin melting the butter in a medium sized sauce pot set to medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and continue to stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Once boiled, stir in the mustard powder, salt, white pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Remove sauce from heat. Reserve about ½ C combined of the 3 cheeses and whisk the remaining cheese into the sauce until combined thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt if desired.

Pour the cauliflower into a greased baking dish. Pour over the creamy sauce and tap the dish off a table / counter a few times to settle the sauce. Top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake 25 – 30 minutes until bubbly and brown on top. Serve garnished with fresh chives. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 Head Cauliflower, broken down into florets
3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. AP Flour
2 C 2% Milk
1 C Extra Old Cheddar, shredded
½ C Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
½ C Pecorino, shredded
1 Tsp. Dry Mustard Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
½ Tsp. + Sea Salt
¼ Tsp. White Pepper
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Chives - Garnish

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Patatas A Lo Pobre

6/16/2021

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Patatas A Lo Pobre
"Poor Man's Potatoes"

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 20 - 25 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Begin heating the EVOO in a large skillet set to just below medium heat. Once heated, add the sliced potatoes & pepper flakes, stirring to ensure they have all been coated in oil. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping and stirring often.

(If potatoes are browning / cooking too quickly, reduce heat slightly to a simmer)

Fold in the onions, bell pepper, garlic cloves, and white wine vinegar, and a good pinch of salt & pep. Continue to cook another 10 – 15 minutes until veggies are fully cooked.

Strain the cooked veggies / taters to a paper towel lined plate to soak up some of the cooking EVOO.

As you transfer the patatas a lo pobre to a serving bowl, sprinkle parsley, sea salt, & pepper in between scooping into serving dish. Finish with the remainder of the chopped parsley.

Serve & ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 C EVOO
4 -5 Medium Yellow Potatoes (Approx. 4 C)
1 Green bell pepper, sliced
2 Yellow Onions, halved and sliced
4 cloves Garlic, smashed
3 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ C Parsley, chopped
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper

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Patatas En Salsa Verde

6/14/2021

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Patatas En Salsa Verde

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 40 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Preheat oven to 400 F

Begin heating the EVOO in a 12” skillet set to just below medium heat. Once heated. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the skillet and let them sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side as well. Once browned, transfer the potatoes to a paper towel lined plate and season them with sea salt.

Carefully strain half of the hot oil from the skillet before returning the skillet to the heat. Add the onion, green onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes. If the pan is running really hot, reduce the heat and remove the skillet from the heat while stirring until the heat reduces slightly.

Now, stir in the flour and continue to stir and cook for a minute or so before pouring in the white wine. (Make sure heat is at medium by this point). Let that sizzle for 2 minutes before adding the vegetable broth and waiting for the sauce to boil. Once boiled, turn off the heat and stir in the ¼ tsp. sea salt, half the fresh parsley, and desired amount of cracked pepper. Nestle the potatoes into the sauce in a single layer.

Bake the skillet uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle in the green peas and half of the remaining parsley reserving the rest for garnish. Taste sauce and adjust salt if desired. Return the skillet to the oven for 7 more minutes.

Remove from oven and set onto a wire cooling rack. Sprinkle over reserved parsley and sliced green onions. Serve & ENJOY!

Grocery List

½ C EVOO
5 Medium Yellow Potatoes, peeled and sliced about ¾” thick. (15 – 20 Slices Approx)
1 Yellow Onion, halved & sliced
4 Green Onions, sliced & separated light and dark
4 cloves Garlic, smashed & sliced
½ C Frozen Green Peas
1 C Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Heaping Tbsp. AP Flour
1 C White Wine
1 ½ C Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
¼ Tsp. + Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

The fondant potatoes are cooked up in a white wine "gravy" until tender and delicious.

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Esquites is the cobless version of Elotes. Essentially, corn is stripped from the cob and tossed in mayo, lime, chili, and cotija cheese. If you can get your hands on cotija, swap out the grana / feta and use cotija instead. Cotija cheese is hard to come by where I'm from so I've made a sensible swap but traditionally, cotija is the cheese you'd want to use.

ESQUITES

Prep Time:
Cook Time:

Yields: 2+ Servings

Preheat oven to 425 F

Remove the husk / silk from the cobs but leave the stem attached as best you can. Place the cobs directly on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25ish minutes, turning occasionally to allow for some blistering on all sides.

Remove the corn from the oven and allow it to cool. Once cooled, carefully cut it off of the cobs.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, tajin, lime juice, garlic, and lime zest. Add the corn, jalapeno, grana Padano, crumbled feta, and a good pinch of sea salt. Stir until everything is combined and nicely coated.

Taste and adjust salt if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional tajin spice and more crumbled feta. ENJOY!

Grocery List

2 Cobs Fresh peaches & Cream Corn
1 cloves Garlic, grated
1 Jalapeno, seeded & diced
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 Lime, Juice + Zest
2 Tbsp. Grana Padano, finely shredded
2 Tbsp. + Feta, crumbled
½ Tsp. + Tajin Spice
Sea Salt

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Potatoes - We Love Them!

6/9/2021

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Potatoes are the best vegetable on the planet. I love them in any variation you can imagine. Roasted, baked, boiled, fried...they're perfect any way that you make them. I've been in love with potatoes since I was a child, right back to my days growing up with boiled potatoes on my plate.

I've written some amazing potato recipes that really let potatoes shine as they should. Below are some of my fave tater recipes from the blog.

Potato Lasagna

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/potato-lasagna

Why use noodles when you can use potatoes? That's my philosophy anyways. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes, creamy, garlicky ricotta filling, and a vegetarian Bolognese sauce, baked until potatoes are tender. What you get is the most glorious potato dish, one that makes you forget that lasagna with noodles even exists.

Revisit the recipe above!

Potato Hash Skillet

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/potato-hash-skillet

A good potato hash is the perfect weekend brunch and also, the perfect bed for some beautifully cooked eggs. We've got tender, cubed potatoes, seasoned and pan fried until tender. We've got some supporting veg and spices as well as some perfectly cooked eggs to finish everything off.

A hash skillet is a compete meal. Serve it up with some sliced up fruit to round things out. Recipe link above <3

Melting Potatoes

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/melting-potatoes

There has never been a potato I enjoyed more than these melting potatoes. Also known as fondant potatoes, these beauties are seared in a hot skillet on one side until gorgeously golden and then filled with stock, butter, and accompanying flavours, and baked until the potatoes are undeniably smooth and creamy. These taters were life-changing for me y'all, I think about them all the time and honestly, I could eat the entire skillet if no one was around ;)

Give them a bit of a twist by trying my Melting Patatas Bravas recipe. Same potatoes served up with a spicy red Bravas sauce and finished with sour cream and herbs. they're fabulous! Link below for that recipe!

https://www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/melting-patatas-bravas

Potato Leek Soup

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/potato-leek-soup

Everyone has their own potato leek soup recipe and there are so many variations of the classic pairing out there. I've written some creamy versions, but I'm obsessed with this brothy potato leek soup.

Hunks of tender potatoes, perfectly cooked veg, and subtly sweet & delicious leeks. I make this soup at minimum, once a month. It's definitely become a staple for me.

HAPPY VEG

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Spring Baked Feta

6/7/2021

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Spring Baked Feta

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 40 Min

Yields: 4 Servings

Preheat oven to 400 F

Add all of the vegetables to a baking dish large enough to accommodate them. Drizzle them generously with EVOO and sprinkle them with the pepper flakes as well as a hit of sea salt and cracked pepper. Toss and make a well in the center of the dish. Place the feta in the well and drizzle with EVOO. Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, and a pinch of pepper flakes. Nestle the thyme sprigs into the veggies around the dish.

Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes. Switch to BROIL at 500 F for a minute or so for some final browning.

With 15 minutes remaining in the cook time for the feta, begin heating a large pot of cold, salted water on medium high heat. Once boiled, add the rigatoni and cook to al dente according to package directions. Strain, reserving 1 C of pasta water, and set aside.

To finish the feta, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon (or the whole one if you like it zingy) & stir in the fresh parsley. Stir in the rigatoni and add pasta water to help the feta coat the pasta more evenly. Taste and adjust salt / pepper if desired.