Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies

I am back.  I know I fell down on the number of posts that went up last year.   I have to confess, work and life has been hectic and on the weekends I've been working on finishing up  two screenplays.  I hope to get those out to be read very soon.  
 
I have this little problem in that when my creative side of my brain is turned to creative writing, I don't feel much like cooking.   I guess my brain just doesn't have the energy to go all out creative in the same day.  But I never stop watching shows about food or reading recipes.  As I mentioned before, I read recipes like most people read novels. 

I have to confess, I'm a Food Network junkie.   I was watching Diners, Drive In and Dives the other evening and one of the restaurants featured Chicken Riggies.   Chicken Riggies is a New York classic dish.   I've made it a couple of times but I never thought of adding more heat to the sauce.  Let me tell you, it worked!

I used store bought pasta.   One of my goals in 2016 is to get more adventurous in making my own pasta.   I am going to try making it hand cut and rolled.   Okay, I might use the food processor.  But as it was a weekday and I didn't have time for it -  not to mention that we had a pipe break in the kitchen a couple of weeks ago and we're still awaiting the repairs - making homemade pasta wasn't on the menu.   But, I am finding that stores are carrying better quality dried pastas.  

As with most good pasta dishes, the secret is in the sauce.  It's true here.  You can feel free to adjust the heat level. 

So, enough chit chat -  here we go!

Serves 4  - Oh, who am I kidding - my husband and I ate the whole dang thing ourselves in one sitting  -  Serves 2 ;.)

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat a large pan
2/3 cup sweet onion, diced
2/3 cup (about 2) sweet baby bell peppers, diced - any color
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Pinch dried Jalapeño flakes
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
28 ounces crushed tomatoes, no salt added 
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Pasta:  1/2 lb. rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente

For the chicken:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. chicken tenders,  cut into bite sized pieces  
1 teaspoon salt free table seasoning
2 tablespoons white wine -  for deglazing 

Other: 

Grated fontina cheese, for topping
Chopped green onion, for topping

Directions:

Add olive oil to pan. 
Sauté the onion and peppers about three minutes - do not brown.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and Jalapeño flake.   Sauté an additional minute to let the flavors release into the pan.
Deglaze with the Sherry vinegar. 
Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered with the lid cracked open to release some of the steam - this will help the sauce to thicken and reduce.  
Add the parmesan cheese and the cream to the sauce right before serving. 

Note:  If you plan on freezing any of the sauce, leave the cheese and cream out and add it when you're ready to serve the sauce. 

Cook pasta per package directions. 

Add the olive oil to a sauté pan. 
Add the chopped chicken seasoned with the salt free table seasoning. 
Cook over medium heat until browned, about six or seven minutes, until chicken is completely cooked.
Deglaze with white wine.

After the chees and cream is added to the sauce, portion it out.  The recipe is enough for extra sauce.  I would reserve at least a cup of the sauce for serving on the side.   You don't want over-sauced pasta -  toss in the pasta and the chicken in the remaining sauce.  

 

Top with grated fontina and green onion.  

I like to serve this with Texas toast and a side of roasted broccoli (not pictured).

As always, enjoy and I'll see you soon!

 

Fiesta Spaghetti

 

I know, I’ve been missing in action.  I’ve been leading a blessed and busy life.

You know I’ve said it before; I love one dish pasta dishes in the spring and summer as everything is in there.  You don’t even need to make a salad.  This one is no different.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, and my friend, Judy, who has a birthday today who I know would love this dish, comes my Fiesta Spaghetti. 

Ground chicken in a taco-style sauce with fresh corn, Poblano and black beans.  It’s topped with cheese (I like Muenster for the melting quality), avocado, a little fat free sour cream and a few crumbled blue corn chips for good measure. 

You are going to love this and you’re going to want to make this instead of tacos for your next gathering.

So here we go!

Serves 4

7 ounces whole grain or fiber fortified spaghetti, cooked per package directions

1 large Poblano pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon

1 ear corn

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 tablespoon Saigon Cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2  tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Toppings:  Chopped avocado, muenster cheese, shredded, blue corn chip crumbles and fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cook pasta per package directions and reserve a little of the starchy cooking water.

Place pepper on rack on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil.  Bake for about 20 minutes until skin bubbles.  Let cool.

Microwave corn in husk (remove some of the silk before cooking); about three minutes.   Let cook, husk and remove from cob.  Reserve the corn.

Add the rest of the olive oil to a medium skillet.

Brown the ground chicken. 

Mix together the cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, oregano and garlic salt. 

Add to chicken along with a couple of ladles of the starchy cooking water.  Reduce heat.  Cook for about five minutes until the flavors combine, stirring occasionally and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. 

Toss with pasta and serve with toppings.

Enjoy.

Summer Seashell Pasta with Pork and Peas

Summer Seashell Pasta with Pork and Peas

I know that I haven't posted for a while.  We got back from Chile and then were out of town again; and then I had browser issues which kept me from updating.  But it appears all is well now.

I often get asked for quick and easy recipes for the summer months.  And what's quicker and easier than a one dish pasta meal?  This dish has a lot of flavor on it's own, so cheese for passing at the table is optional.  

I used thin cut pork chops instead of ham to make the dish a little healthier.  The trick to keeping them tender is to cook them on the one side on top of the stove, turn on the hot pan, and then just let them finish in a 250 degree oven using the method described below. Slicing them right away after just a short resting time will stop the cooking process and keep them juicy.

BTW -  I am no longer counting points; but you can find a variety of recipes from earlier in the year under the points section.  I actually am down a size now - so I've decided to not follow any particular "diet" but to try to learn to eat healthier on my own and so far, so good!   

Here we go:

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. thin pork chops (4 chops)

2 tbs. Italian dressing (your favorite brand)

1 tsp. grill seasoning for chicken

2 tbs. lemon juice, divided

1/2 lb. medium seashell pasta, cooked per package directions and drained and cooking water reserved

1/2 cup frozen sweet peas

4 ounces Mascarpone cheese 

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt free Italian seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)

1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

Fresh torn mint

Parmesan cheese for passing at the table (optional) 

Other:  Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Marinate the pork chops in the Italian dressing for at least twenty minutes; longer if you have the time.   

Remove from marinade (discard remainder) - sprinkle the pork chops with the grill seasoning on both sides and place them into a hot skillet coated with cooking spray.  

Cook on one side for about two minutes and turn.  Add half of the lemon juice to the pan with the pork chops.Place the chops into a 250 degree oven.  

Turn the oven heat off, and let the chops sit in the oven for about four minutes until cooked through.  Pork chops should be nicely browned on both sides using this method. 

Let the chops rest for a couple of minutes and then slice and keep warm.

While the chops are cooking, cook pasta per package directions, drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.  Note:  You can add in the peas during the last 30 seconds or so of cooking to warm them through.  

Add the drained pasta and peas to a big pasta bowl.  

Mix the Mascarpone with the garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and then add it to the bowl with the hot pasta.   Add in a little of the reserved hot cooking water and the soy sauce.  Mix until combined and then stir in the sliced pork chops.  

Top with fresh mint.  

Pass cheese at the table and enjoy!

Variations:  Add in slivered cooked red onion or saute a little garlic with the pork chops for a more savory dish.  

You can also substitute chicken or a more traditional pre-cooked ham chunks.  

2 Pepper Mushroom Ragu with Kale

 

Well, another week in the weight loss program and I lost another pound.  Okay, not monumental by any means, but in this case, I truly believe that slow and steady wins the race.  I didn't gain it overnight.  Enough said.

I have been exercising religiously five days a week.  On the weekends, we are so busy between shopping  and chores, I hardly get to sit down until dinner time.  But during the week, I am doing HIIT (High Impact Interval Training  - 20 -30 minutes) with resistance training on those days.

On alternating days I am doing Jillian Michael's "Yoga Meltdown," which I just love.   I am using her "Fast Fix Kickboxing," too as 3 of the HIIT routines.  That DVD is great.  Since I have previous knee injuries, I find kickboxing works for me.  You have to find a routine that works for you.

On the WW program, one of the things that I am learning is how much I deluded myself into thinking my recipes were  "healthy."  Now I think I was headed down the right street.   I never used a lot of salt.   I tried to load my dishes up with fiber, and I do love my veggies.  But there is always room for improvement.  Such is the case with my Mushroom Ragu. 

This is a mushroom ragu "redoux" - kinda.  The recipe is updated and it's healthier than my old version(s) too, which you can find under "vegetarian" meals.  A couple of people asked me to add the labels back in as it's easier to find favorite recipes.  So I did.

 This recipe comes in at  8 points per serving if you are following Weight Watchers (according to their online calculator).  But this is your entire dinner.  The veggies are in there!  It's great for busy days or days when you want or had a splurge and you need to go a little lighter, yet you want something that will "fill you up." 

If you are following the "Simply Filling" program like I am - you will find that certain brands of pasta are considered to be "Power Foods."  That means you do not have to count them in your weekly indulgences.

I will explain to you in another post why I am opting for "Simply Filling" over counting points.

Grated cheese is optional.  But remember to watch what kind of cheese you add as that can make a difference if you are counting points. 

And remember, the pasta is optional, too.  You could serve this over Polenta or even barley.

Note:  This is almost vegetarian as it does include anchovy paste.  You can swap that out for salt or another seasoning if you don't want it in there. 

As a bonus, it's a one dish recipe; perfect for week nights.   Substituting fresh garlic is perfectly okay.  I love fresh garlic, but I had this on hand tonight.  I like the way the garlic paste "melts" in with the anchovy paste. 

Okay - enough chit chat -

Serves 4.
 

Ingredients:

	1 cup(s) fresh portabella mushroom(s), chopped
	1 cup(s) fresh white mushroom(s) - steak cut or thick cut
	1 tbs. light olive oil 1 tbs. garlic paste 1 oz. anchovy paste (can be omitted and replaced with 1 tbs. low sodium soy sauce) Pinch of crushed red pepper, more to taste 1/2 large  Jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced 1 scallion, diced (white, light green and dark green parts, divided) 1 tbs. capers, drained and lightly chopped 15 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juice, drained and reserved 1 tbs. good quality red wine vinegar (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) 1 tsp. Italian Medley no salt seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash) Squirt of lemon juice 2 cups frozen kale 8 oz. dry whole grain spaghetti  Chopped fresh mint for garnish, optional Directions: Chop mushrooms into bite sized pieces.  Coat a cast iron pan or a heavy skillet with the light olive oil.  Add the garlic and the anchovy paste(s).  Stir to blend the paste(s) into the oil.  Once combined, add the pinch of crushed red pepper.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, but be careful that the garlic doesn't burn (it will turn bitter). Stir in the mushrooms and the  Jalapeño.  Brown the mushrooms until golden. Add in the scallion (white and light green parts only).  Cook for one minute. Add in capers.  Cook for one minute. Add the canned tomatoes.  Reserve the juice.  Cook for one minute.  (See a pattern here?  ;.) Add in the vinegar, the seasoning blend, lemon juice and half of the tomato juice.  Stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens.  If the sauce goes too quickly, you can thin it out with more of the reserved tomato juice. Under cook pasta by about one minute per package directions.   Turn the drained pasta into the mushroom sauce and toss.    Top with fresh mint and green parts of the scallion.   Serve immediately.  TIP:  Mushrooms soak up a lot of oil quickly. If you feel like you need more and want to keep this light, I suggest using a little olive oil cooking spray. See you soon!      Product(s) mentioned are not an endorsement.  No product was supplied to blogger.

Spaghetti Western with Lemony Veggies

Happy New Year!

As with each New Year, we create resolutions.  Even though I try to keep the recipes I post for you on the scaled-down side, when you “contest” and test recipes, even those of us who try to get healthy can pack on the pounds.  That was the case with me.  Egggh.  Plus, I didn’t work out much over the holidays.

But now I am back on track…

I decided to join Weight Watchers ®.  I attended my first meeting on Saturday morning.  I have to say, I am very impressed with the new Simple Start program.  For the first two weeks, you don’t have to count points; you simply eat “power foods.”  Any splurges are counted by points.  Then you have the option of strictly counting points, or if you prefer, you can now continue on the “power foods” path with only counting your points for non power food options, or you can do a combination.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes.

As I’ve been reading over the materials given to me, it made me realize that some of the dishes I thought were “healthy” maybe weren’t as healthy as they could have been.  But rather than beat myself up over the past, I decided to move forward.  I started to think about how many times in my life I’ve had to re-adjust my eating habits based on various factors (how busy I was – what else was going on in my life, health concerns, etc).  Your life is a journey and so should be your quest to find what makes you healthier and happier at all stages.  That is why you will note the new subtitle, “A Foodie's Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle.”

Will I ever reach the “Mt. Everest” of food and health enlightenment?  I don’t know.  But the journey is the fun part.  But hey, twelve years ago, I could only make a few things well and look at me now – winning and placing in cooking contests and hosting a food blog.   You just never know how much you can accomplish until you really try.

I’m not endorsing Weight Watchers.  You have to find a weight loss program that works for you.  But this year, I thought I’d not only give the blog a fresh new look, but I also decided to add WW points to some of my recipes (as I did here tonight).  I’m also going to tag some of my recipes (new and previous) with a Power Foods tag, so if you’re doing any kind of a healthy diet, you’ll be able to find the recipes you want to make.  I figured if I’m reinventing my philosophy and it’s working for me, I should pay it forward and help others. 

And, oh, yeah, the recipe:

My recipe from last night is a spaghetti dish.  I ran it through the WW recipe calculator on their e-tools site and it came in at 12 points including the side dish.  A little high if you want to have dessert, but considering it’s spaghetti with meat sauce (buffalo meat), that’s not really that bad.  You want to eat this dish; you will just likely have to skip the late night nibbles.

Over time, I will learn to scale down the recipes to keep them less than 10 points; but I think you are going to enjoy this recipe even if you’re not on a diet. 

BTW - First time I ever used buffalo meat.  It was very tasty.  You can substitute ground beef, turkey or even ground chicken for this dish.

4 servings - 12 Points (including side dish)

Ingredients: 

Butter flavored cooking spray

12 ounces lean ground buffalo

1 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tbs. light olive oil and canola oil blend

3 oz. diced Portobello mushroom (gills scraped away before chopping)

1 tbs. minced Jalapeño pepper

1 tbs. minced garlic

1/4 cup low sodium beef broth

15 ounces organic tomato sauce

Pinch of sea salt (optional)

8 ounces whole grain pasta (cooked by package directions)

1/8 cup fat free feta cheese

Fresh torn mint for garnish

4 ounces fresh string beans

1/8 cup mini bell pepper rings (assorted colors)

1 tbs. lemon juice

Directions:

Spray cooking spray into medium skillet.  Add ground meat and onion powder and pepper.  Brown the meat to your liking, about five minutes.  Remove meat from pan and keep warm.

Add the oil, the mushroom and the Jalapeño.  Sauté about four minutes until the mushroom begins to turn golden brown.  Add in the garlic.

Deglaze the pan with the beef broth, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.

Add the tomato sauce and the salt.  Simmer for about five minutes.

Serve over cooked pasta.  Top with feta cheese and mint.

For the side dish, simply microwave the beans and peppers in two tablespoons of water, covered.  Toss in lemon juice.

I hope you’ll join me in 2014 as I lose weight, get healthier, and share new recipes with you.

I’ll see you soon!

 

Not an endorsement for the weight loss program mentioned in this blog.

 

Tuna Scampi-Style with Baby Spinach

I am constantly trying to improve this blog and your experience.  I am still learning and I hope you enjoy the changes that I am making.  I am going to be trying different things with the photographs to mix it up a little. 

And I am also constantly improving my recipes.  This is very similar to one that I did a while back, only better.  It's delicious Italian tuna done Scampi style.   I know, scampi is a large shrimp.  But this recipe is in the style of shrimp scampi.  And it's a one-dish meal (I love those on a buys weeknight). There is baby spinach in there.

Anyway, you are going to love it!

Oh, and before I forget, I have a new Facebook page which actually matches the name of my blog.  https://www.facebook.com/mksfabfood  I hope you will join me there. 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

1/4 lb. whole grain spaghetti, prepared per package directions
2 tbs. olive oil and canola oil blend
1 tsp. anchovy paste
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (plus more for passing at the table)
1 small shallot, chopped (about 1 1/2 tbs.)
2 tbs. butter, divided
2 tbs. lemon juice, divided
1 can (5 ounces) good quality Italian tuna packed in oil
Splash of dry vermouth (optional)
4 ounces baby spinach
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

While the pasta is cooking, add the oil, anchovy paste, crushed red pepper and shallot to a deep skillet.  Sauté for about three minutes until the anchovy paste melts and the shallot softens.

Turn heat to low.  Add half of the butter.  Once the butter melts, add the lemon juice and the tuna and the oil from the can.

Break the tuna up (carefully) with the back of a spoon.  Add the vermouth (if using) and warm through.

Add the spinach and the nutmeg to the pan.  Wilt the spinach.

It's ready to serve!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe and as always, I'll see you soon!  ;.)

Penne with Hot Chicken Sausage and Acorn Squash Sauce

 

One of my favorite "go to" weeknight fall recipes is Penne with sausage and pumpkin sauce.  Tonight I decided to mix it up a little.  I found this wonderful acorn squash at our Sunday farmer's market yesterday. 

I roasted it up with a generous amount of salt-free garlic & herb seasoning and olive oil for about one hour in a 375 degree F. oven. 

I used the salt free garlic and herb seasoning because I wanted a subtle garlic flavor.

 

 

The result was delicious: 

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. hot chicken sausage links, casing removed
1/4 cup dry white wine, divided (optional)*
Flesh of one whole acorn squash (roasted per directions above)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 lb. whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta, cooked per package directions
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp. coarse Kosher sea salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Fresh chopped sage

*If not using the wine, increase vegetable broth by 1/4 cup and reduce salt by 1/2.

Directions:

Add olive oil to a heavy skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Once hot, add in the crumbled chicken sausage.  Brown to your liking, about 10 minutes.  Deglaze pan with half of the white wine or 1/8 cup of the broth.

 

Scoop the flesh of the roasted acorn squash out and add to food processor.  Add in half of the Parmesan cheese and the half & half.  Pulse until combined and smooth.

Cook pasta per package directions.

 

While pasta is cooking, add the acorn squash puree to the skillet with the browned sausage.  Add the remainder of the wine (if using), ricotta, the vegetable broth, salt and white pepper.  Mix well.  Stir in half of the remaining cheese.  Simmer lightly until warmed through. 
 

 

Toss pasta with sauce.  Top with fresh chopped sage. 

As always, I'll see you soon!

Sunset on Summer - Cue the “Comfort Food” - Volume I - Mexican Spaghetti Bake

Sunset over Sand Key Beach, Clearwater, FL

Farewell, summertime.  I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA.  Being a Yankee by birth, we tend to start craving the "comfort foods" right about Labor Day.  This year is no exception. 

I spoke to a few friends, northern and southern, and they all seem to agree.  There is some kind of a "clock" that goes off inside you this time of year.

So for the next three weeks, leading into the fall, I will be presenting simple weeknight comfort foods that don't heat up the house very much -- it is still "technically" summer.   Who wants a 450 degree oven going this time of year?

Because I write my recipes from the perspective of a 50-year-old who  has to jump around her living room to exercise DVD's just because she looks at a dish of pasta, I've lightened the recipe up.  I thought you'd appreciate that, too!

I know you are going to love this series.  Enjoy!

Here we go!

Ingredients:

1 lb. country pork ribs

10 ounces spaghetti sauce (from the jar – your favorite brand)

4 ounces mild enchilada sauce

1 tbs. ground cumin

1/8 cup chopped Poblano, seeded

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1/8 cup chopped sweet onion

1 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for topping casserole  

4 1/2 ounces cooked thin whole grain spaghetti

1/4 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese with chives

1/4 reduced fat sour cream

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Other:  Cooking spray

Directions:

The day before you plan to prepare the casserole, combine the ribs, spaghetti sauce, enchilada sauce, ground cumin, Poblano and Jalapeño pepper, sweet onion, and 1 tbs. of the chopped cilantro to a slow cooker.  Cook over low heat for about six hours. 

Pull pork with fork.  Let cool and refrigerate in a covered container over night.*

Preheat oven to 350º F.

 

Prepare pasta just short of al dente per package directions.  Drain.  Add to mixing bowl along with the cream cheese and sour cream.  Mix pasta well.

 

Add to small casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with cold pork sauce and cheddar cheese.  Bake for approximately 35 minutes. 

 

Top with fresh cilantro.  Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.  

Deep Dish Mushroom and Cheese Lasagna with Arugula Ricotta

Who doesn't love lasagna? 

Who doesn't love a lasagna that is lower in carbs and calories? 

This dish uses low carb lasagna noodles, part skim cheese, and it's loaded with good, wholesome veggies.  Nice trick to get those who don't like vegetables to eat more -- hide them in a lasagna!

You can use  your own store-bought favorite sauce, but I recommend you try my Savory Lasagna Sauce.  Although it looks a bit complicated, it's easy to prepare.  By making your own sauce, you control what goes in there.

Ingredients:

2 tbs. light olive oil
5 oz. fresh arugula, washed and spun dry
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
3 tbs. Parmesan/Romano Cheese, grated, plus more for topping lasagna
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 tbs. butter
3 cups white sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
5 oz. container Part Skim Ricotta
1 egg 
8 fresh torn basil leaves
2 1/2 cups Savory Lasagna Sauce (recipe below)
1 package (13.5 ounce) Low Carb lasagna noodles (I used Dreamfields), cooked per package directions and drained
12 oz. Six Cheese Italian Blend shredded cheese; low fat
Fresh dried oregano (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add half of the oil to one skillet and half to another.  In the first skillet, add the arugula.  Dust with ground nutmeg and saute' until wilted.  Add the cheese, the milk and one tablespoon of the butter to the pan. 

Toss and remove from heat.  The milk will naturally begin to thicken as the butter melts. 

In the second pan, add the mushrooms, the thyme and the remaining pat of butter.  Saute' for about five minutes until mushrooms are golden.  Remove from heat.

Add ricotta and the egg to a mixing bowl, along with the arugula mixture.  Tear the basil leaves and incorporate into the ricotta, mixing well.  The ricotta will be a little runny, but it should hold together.

Add one ladle of sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 9 lasagna pan.  Add four cooked noodles on top of the sauce.  The sides of the noodles should rest on the side of the lasagna pan.  This will create the "deep dish."  

Spoon half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Add another layer of noodles on top of the ricotta.  Make sure that the mixture covers the noodles so that they do not dry out while baking.

I like to layer each consecutive layer in the opposite direction, as I find the lasagna stays together better when you serve it, but this is entirely optional

Add the cooked mushrooms and top the second layer. 

Ladle sauce over the mushrooms to cover the pasta.

Add another layer of noodles.  Spread the remaining ricotta with arugula and basil over the top.  Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Top with a final layer of noodles.  Top with sauce,  the remaining shredded cheese, and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and Romano blend.  Top with crushed dried fresh oregano.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.

Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Tip:  I like to store fresh oregano in the freezer so that I can crumble it over dishes as needed.  It's a great way to store all of that oregano at the end of summer.

Savory Lasagna Sauce:
1 tbs. light olive oil or olive oil and canola oil blend
2 tbs. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, more to taste
1 can (28 oz.) tomato puree
2 tbs. tomato paste
1 tbs. coarse sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper, about 10 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 cup dry red wine or low sodium vegetable broth*
1/2 tbs. dried marjoram
1/2 tbs. dried oregano
1 packet Splenda®
1 tbs. Parmesan/Romano grated cheese

Add olive oil to a heavy sauce pan along with the bottled minced garlic and the crushed red pepper.  Saute' for about three minutes until the aromas release.

Add the tomato puree, the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, red wine, marjoram, oregano, Splenda® and the grated cheese.   Stir until all ingredients are combined.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and continue to cook for about 1/2 hour. 

Note:  Makes about 3 1/2 cups. 

Also great on pizza!