A recap of projects...

 

A cousin of mine is preparing for a new little one...so to my hook I go! 

I picked up some really soft bamboo crochet thread 

to start a baby blanket out of the basic granny square pattern!

 

 We don't have red meat often, so this night was a real treat!

I made asparagus roll-ups with red potatoes sprinkled with garlic, fresh parm, & parsley.

Very yummy!

Details:

I dunked the fresh asparagus in boiling water for 4 minutes. Let it cool.

In a saute pan-browned fresh garlic, red onion, and some herbs de Provence.

I then laid out the flank steak/skirt steak and spread the garlic onion mixture on it, topped with a slice of smoked gouda from our local cheese market, and added the asparagus.  Gently rolled up and placed on my grilling pan and seared the sides.  

Tucked in the oven to finish off by baking with the potatoes.

Easy...yet looks like you spent forever in the kitchen creating a gourmet meal! 

 

 Rainbow zippered bags for a group of lovely ladies to celebrate LGBT Pride Month this June!

Homemade Lumpia Night

Some days you just need a little splurge! 

Tonight ours was homemade lumpia with Korean Yum-Yum Sauce 

The lumpia is simple! I can't believe how many friends are scared to even try making them.
So here is an easy-peasy way...
In a skillet brown your ground turkey meat (or beef, chicken, whichever you wish!)
dice up garlic and green onion and in. 
Place in a bowl and add in s&p and other spices you wish, and a small dash of soy sauce. 
(We like ours pretty plain, with the kick being in the sauce.)  
Stir it up and let it cool a few minutes before rolling them up.
Take your wonton wrappers and have a little bowl of water at hand. 
Place a spoon full of your meat mixture on the wonton, dipping your fingers or a pastry brush in the water and brush around the edges (this helps seal them up!) of the wonton, then gently spread out the filling as you roll it up. I press the ends a bit to make sure they seal up and the meat doesn't fall out when frying.

Next, fry them in some light olive oil.  Blot on papertowels and cool a bit. 
Serve them with your favorite sauce! Yum!

Our "Yum Yum" sauce is actually Korean Teriyaki Sauce that I doctor up with added chilli pepper, garlic, soy, and some honey. 

Spring is here!

The trees are starting to bloom!  Wow, are they pretty!  

Reminds me of being a kid and the HUGE cherry blossom tree that we had in our front yard.
I vividly remember my Mom laying on the grass and taking photos up into the prettiness.  

My hubby has quite the eye for photography and has been around the city with his camera
for quite a few years now.
Here is one of his from this weekend that I absolutely love!  

 You can view more of his photos at his website!

With Springtime is the arrival of the fresh local veggies!  

We are really loving the fresh asparagus and carrots grilled!  

I have been making us turkey balls (with grated carrots, garlic, fresh spinach, and parsley) 

Served with veggie pasta on top of a bed of fresh spinach.  

The only "bad thing" we had was a sprinkling of grated Parmesan!  

But oh my...it's cheese!

My Lasagna Roll-Ups!

My husband and I have been eating healthy...healthier...healthyish...

for quite awhile now.  

I miss pizza and pastas the most, especially ooey gooey lasagna.

Mostly for the noodle.  I LOVE NOODLES!

SO I created these for us for dinner last night. My husband ranted and raved so much, that I know for sure that these will be in my little cookbook that I am creating!

Here you go...what I did:


Ronna's Lasagna Roll-Ups

You can vary this up using just about anything!
For the ones I made last night (pictured) I used grilled chicken, fresh asparagus, mushrooms, garlic & red onion and some Gouda Bisque for the sauce.


To Start:
Boil your lasagna noodles. When they are done, rinse in cold water so they are easy to handle.
I slice a chicken breast in half (flat side) and then slice again, so you have 4 pieces making 4 rolls.
Grill your chicken. Use whatever seasoning you wish.  I just use some cracked pepper, red pepper, and garlic.
Wash & cut up your veggies.
With a little olive oil grill the asparagus with some garlic, the red onion, and the mushrooms.
I use a grilling pan and keep my veggies in their separate corners (makes assembly easier)
In a small pan heat up your sauce.  I either use a basic rue that I add garlic, herbs, & diced mushrooms to,
for this one I love using Gouda Bisque (you can pick up at Safeway, Fred Meyer, just about anywhere with prepared soups in the deli or if you are in a hurry even Cambell's Natural canned or cream ones).

To Assemble:
Prepare a baking dish with some olive oil (or line it, whichever you prefer).
Add a few ladles of sauce to the bottom of the pan.
I use a plate to assemble.  Lay one lasagna noodle so the end is in the middle of the plate, the rest will hang off.

Add your chicken, and carefully add your layers of veggies on top.  Using both hands, roll up the rest of the noodle around the pile of goodies.  After a few you will get the hang of it and it's very easy.  Once rolled up, place into the baking dish so the end of the noodle is on the bottom of pan.
This holds it all together.  Mine stay put, but if you feel more at ease poke a baking toothpick to hold them further.  Repeat for the rest of your rolls.
Ladle a little more sauce over the top of each one.

To Bake:
Everything is "precooked/grilled" so all you need to do upon assembly is put into the oven so it all gets hot & bubbly.
350 for about 30-45 minutes (depending on how thick you make your rolls)

Keep an eye on them so the noodles don't get too hard/brown.
If you wish, top with your favorite cheeses just before removing from the oven. These ones I just add fresh Parmesan before serving.

To Serve:
I use tongs and a spatula to remove from the baking dish.  Squeeze them gently with the tongs and scoop underneath with the spatula, transfer to your plates.
We like having them over a bed of fresh spinach.
Spoon out the remaining sauce from the bottom of the baking dish to top, fresh Parmesan, and chopped parsley.


You can vary these up using just about anything!  Get creative!
Salmon, asparagus, spinach, onion & garlic, fresh dill.   Really yummy to spread some light cream cheese on the noodle before placing the salmon on top.
Shrimp with tomato & mango salsa, fresh cilantro
Braised beef, carrots, mushrooms, onion & garlic, with chunky tomato sauce.
Ground Turkey (or beef if you prefer) ricotta, spinach, onions, garlic & tomatoes (what you would layer in your regular lasagna).

For meatless, portabella mushrooms and your favorite veggies.