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A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

6PM lasagna.

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skillet lasagna

Lasagna, while always delicious, comes with a certain connotation of just being high maintenance. So high maintenance that it would be a terrifying thought to tackle after 6PM on a week night…until now.

Enter skillet lasagna. Just as tasty as the original, but modified down to a quick 30 minute dinner that comes together beautifully. You can do this on a weeknight, promise. Massive bonus that it’s a lot healthier than the original by using chicken sausage and whole wheat noodles. Optional of course – but why not when it’s just as tasty? It is still January. We’re supposed to be eating healthy, guys. 

M and I gobbled this up on a cold winter night (is there any other kind of night?) and loved every single bite. Even the baby gave it a thumbs up – meaning, it didn’t end up on the floor. Nothing makes mom happier. Huge win, all around! 

Skillet Lasagna
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Ingredients
  1. ½ onion, diced
  2. ½ teaspoon salt
  3. pepper, to taste
  4. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  5. ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  6. ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  7. ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
  8. 1 lb. chicken Italian sausage, crumbled
  9. 10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (I used whole wheat)
  10. 2 (19 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  11. ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  12. ½ cup grated parmesan
  13. ¾ cup cottage cheese
  14. 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Heat a large non-stick (or cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add a small bit of oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened.
  2. Add garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  3. Add sausage, and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat, if needed.
  4. Add lasagna noodles to skillet. Top with tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until pasta is tender (20-25 minutes).
  6. When pasta is tender, remove from heat. Stir in half of mozzarella and parmesan, and ¼ cup cottage cheese.
  7. Smooth top and dollop with spoonfuls of remaining ½ cup cottage cheese. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over all.
  8. Place under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is browned and bubbling.
  9. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/
 

-15 degree stew.

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barley stew

I have to say, it was a bit of a shock to my system to return here. This winter can only be described as relentless and everywhere I look people just look….in pain. It doesn’t stop snowing. The wind is insane. I literally almost blew over while getting gas. And of course, it hurts to breathe. Nice.

I knew some type of soup had to get going on my stove ASAP as it’s the only thing that can help. This one is super healthy (kale!), super hearty (barley!), and comes together easily (almost one dish!). A big bowl of barley stew, some crusty bread, and a glass of pinot noir – hopefully it will take the edge off the fact that spring is nowhere in sight. Sigh.

Barley Stew
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups water
  2. 1 cup quick-cooking barley
  3. Salt, to taste
  4. 2 Tbs. olive oil
  5. 1 lb. chicken sausage
  6. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  7. 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  8. pinch of red pepper flakes
  9. 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
  10. 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  11. 4 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
  12. Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add the barley and a big pinch of salt, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil.
  4. Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  5. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the onion and garlic to the saucepan and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
  6. Cut the sausage into 1-inch slices and return them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  7. Season with the red pepper flakes, salt, & pepper.
  8. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  9. Add the barley and the kale and cook just until the kale softens, about 5 minutes.
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!

C

Guest Post – A’s Vintage Kitchen

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Chicken A La KingHello ALFS readers!

I’m Allie, and I’m so happy to be back sharing with you all, and thrilled that I could help out my big sis while she takes what could possibly be the most well-deserved vacation in history.

This post is brought to you by Hugo and I from our new digs – we moved a couple months ago to the historic Gold Coast neighborhood and couldn’t be happier. While the sleek, modern, loft-type apartments popping up all over other Chicago areas are nice, I’ve always felt vintage is much more my style. That’s what I focused on during my search for a new place, and vintage is certainly what I got! We moved into an old converted hotel right on the Lakeshore, and its charms and quirks made me fall in love instantly. There is a phone booth in the lobby, the elevators are gated, and check out the adorable spice cabinet in my kitchen! Very Betty Draper. 🙂

Vintage Spice Cabinet

So in drawing inspiration from my surroundings, vintage charm is what it’s all about today on ALFS. In terms of food, it doesn’t get more vintage than Chicken A La King – chicken and veggies in a creamy gravy ladled over rice or biscuits. This recipe is from my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook that she received as a wedding present. It was published in 1969 (which, lets face it, is probably the last time my apartment was updated), and it holds every classic dish you could possibly think of.

Vintage Betty Crocker Cookbook

Chicken A La King was a staple in the homes of American families throughout the 20th century, and I promise if you try this, it will become a staple in yours too!

Chicken A La King
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Ingredients
  1. 1 can (6 oz) sliced mushrooms (drained, 1/4 cup of liquid reserved
  2. 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
  3. 1 stick butter
  4. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  5. 1 tsp. salt
  6. 1/4 tsp. pepper
  7. 2 cups half & half
  8. 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  9. 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
  10. 1 jar (4 oz) pimiento chopped
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, cook and stir mushrooms and bell pepper in the butter 5 minutes.
  2. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is bubbly.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, broth, and reserved mushroom liquid.
  4. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  5. Stir in chicken and pimiento; heat through.
  6. Ladle over starch of your choice - rice, noodles, biscuits, toast, etc.
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/
And ps: after eating a big plate full of this comforting goodness, this will be the expression on your face:
 
Happy Smiling Dog

A winter hug.

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chicken corn chowder

If you’re near me in Chicago you know for over a week now it’s just been rough.

The snow is relentless. The temps are painful. I’m all about cozy pajamas days inside with the kids, but after awhile you start to go just a little crazy. Let me rephrase that. The option of slamming your head into a wall doesn’t sound all that bad. 

It was day 5 (or 6 – who knows, I’ve lost count) of being stuck again inside with either a sick kiddo and/or bad weather. It was time to bring out the big guns. When your big outing of the day is walking running to the mail box while being slapped with icy cold wind, sometimes you just need a hug. I texted my girl friend the other day that the idea to leave my home and fill up my tank with gas was exciting to me. My goodness. Let this chicken corn chowder recipe fix all that.

It doesn’t cure the flu – or chicken pox (???)  – or magically bring on 40, heck I’ll even take 30 degree temps, but what it does do is (briefly) warm you from the inside out. It doesn’t get better than chicken corn chowder in a bread bowl on a chilly night, does it? Bonus that this one comes together beautifully and tastes almost good enough to make you forgot that tomorrow’s high is -17. Almost.

Chicken Corn Chowder
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Ingredients
  1. 6 ears of fresh corn, husked and silks removed (or 1-30 ounce can corn and 1-15 ounce can cream corn)
  2. 6 slices bacon, chopped
  3. 8 scallions
  4. 3 Idaho potatoes
  5. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  6. 3 cups whole milk
  7. 2 cups chicken stock
  8. 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  9. 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  10. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  11. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  12. 1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
  13. 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded (a Rotisserie chicken from the deli works great for this!)
  14. Salt and pepper, to taste
  15. handful of grated cheddar, for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside.
  2. Peel and chop the potatoes into bite sized chunks. Slice the scallions very thin and separate the greens from the whites.
  3. Place the potatoes and white scallion pieces into the stock pot and cook over medium heat until the scallions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
  5. Pour in the milk, chicken stock, Old Bay, thyme, parsley, cayenne, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn (If using fresh corn, cut from the cob with a sharp knife.
  7. Use the back of your knife to release the pulp from the cob.), chicken, and green chiles. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.
  8. Garnish with scallion greens, bacon, and cheddar cheese.
Adapted from Buns In My Oven
Adapted from Buns In My Oven
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!

C

The greatest of sins.

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homemade beef broth

It was Christmas Eve Eve, and everything was going according to script. The champagne was flowing, the gifts were being opened – everyone was merry & bright.

I headed into the kitchen to check on Grandad, who has been given the prestigious job of carving the roast. The rosy pink slices curved ever so perfectly onto the cutting board, which was getting quite full. I quickly grabbed a rib bone to make more room and headed to the trash when I was hastily stopped by Grandad, who was giving me a look like I had just sprouted a second head. Throwing out a prime rib bone? A sin to some apparently, and once my champagne haze wore off, I couldn’t agree more. Prime rib bones must yield the best. beef. stock. ever.

The homemade beef stock recipe comes from my mom and is a starting point to her beef vegetable soup, although you could use this stock and make whatever soup you’d like. It’s the perfect recipe to make when you are snowed in, in pajamas, and wanting to give your kitchen repetoire just a bit of edge. Like honestly, who makes homemade beef stock?

You so do.

Homemade Beef Stock
Yields 2
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 quarts water, or enough to cover
  2. 3 lbs beef short ribs with bones, or a mix of prime rib bones & short rib bones
  3. 1 large onion, quartered
  4. 2 medium carrots, quartered
  5. 2 celery ribs, quartered
  6. 8 whole allspice
  7. 2 bay leaves
  8. 1 TBS salt
  9. 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Bring broth to a boil in a soup kettle or dutch over. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
  2. Remove and cool ribs. Skim fat and strain broth - discarding all veggies and seasonings.
  3. Remove meat from the bones - it's golden!
  4. Use for your choice of soup. Beef vegetable is perfect.
A Life From Scratch. http://a-life-from-scratch.com/
Eat up!
C

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