Let's all contribute to a spice rack/pantry collection for Mattie's new kitchen! Choose from the following list of spices/herbs/pantry items and make it a metaphor in "wishing you well in marriage" letter to Mattie. A healthy marriage includes many ingredients - maybe you can tie in some marital advice or a story about your relationship with Mattie or Spencer (or both). You could even mail the spice to her with your letter and a handwritten recipe that uses that ingredient. Maybe it's a recipe that reminds you of a special occasion spent with her or another loved one (anniversary dinner, birthday breakfast, family recipe?) Make it unique :)
Please comment on the spice you choose, so we can try to add a variety of spices!basil
sugar
barbeque seasoning
chives
salt
cajun seasoning
cilantro
pepper (black, red)
italian seasoning
dill
cumin
mexican seasoning
marjoram
curry
jamaican jerk seasoning
mint
cardamom
lemon-pepper oregano
cloves
parsley
fennel
rosemary
ginger
sage
mustard
Others you can add?
I'll be sending over paprika:) not the most popular spice, but one we use in one of our favorite and very easy to make dishes....homemade macaroni and cheese. Quick, cheap, healthy, tasty and makes for great leftovers! This is one of Sam's frequently requested meals...hopefully the newly-weds will enjoy it too!
ReplyDeleteI'm sending basil, which is in one our favorite recipes - Chicken and Bowties Pasta. Tastes like a fancy Italian dish and it's fast and easy to make!
ReplyDeleteI also thought of a couple other spices for the list . . .onion powder, garlic (powder), cocoa
I will send chili powder which is part of one of our easy favorites, Pasta Chili Stew.
ReplyDeleteMaybe ginger. Has a little kick and spices up both desserts and real food in marinades and stir fry. Spencer, growing up, especially once he hit adolescence had this ability to be both sweet and spicy--he was a great debater (also known as arguer) and when I got him to write down his argument, frequently found that he was right! But he is also like a ginger cookie--sweet and very expressively sentimental.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I'm not really sure if we are actually sending the spices or not :) But I love rosemary as a spice because it has such a unique taste and smell to it. You're not sure at first if you like the difference, but it always makes the dish richer! Much like Spence and Mattie :)
ReplyDeleteHere is the recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna:
About 3 lbs. of peeled, seeded, squash in 1/2 in. slices
2 Heads of Roasted Garlic
1 Box of No-Boil Lasagna
Parmesan Cheese around 1 1/2 cups
Bechemal Sauce
First, you need to roast your squash in a hot oven at 425 degrees. till tender. Make sure you drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper. It will probably take about 25 mins.
In the meantime make a pot of bechemel by melting 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter and then mixing in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour, keep whisking, then squeeze in your roasted garlic, add salt and black pepper.
Pour about 5 cups of milk in and whisk till thick. When squash is cooked, stir it into the sauce along with the rosemary ( about 1 tbl.) and half of the Parmesan cheese.
IMPORTANT TIP HERE:I would have liked to had a little more sauce, the noodles soaked it up as it cooked, so you might want to make more. Next time I will.
Reduce oven temp to 375. Layer it like you would any lasagna. Spray your baking dish, layer the noodles, and spread the sauce mixture all over, and sprinkle with cheese. Continue layering till done.
Sprinkle more cheese on top. Cover with foil.
Bake around 35 to 40 mins. Uncover and cook till golden brown.
The roasted garlic sauce infused with rosemary, complimented the squash so well, it was heavenly!
Buon Appetito!!