Category Archives: pasta

Lasagna Two Ways – Turkey Sausage or Spinach Filling (or Use Both)

Posted on April 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

photo 2 (15) photo 1 (19)My friend Susan and I made this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa many moons ago, it has since been my go-to lasagna. I love the goat cheese in it and I love the turkey. In the years since, I’ve made a few changes to the original recipe, including substituting spinach for turkey, which makes it a perfectly delightful vegetarian (not vegan) lasagna, and you all know by now that I am always looking for vegetarian ways of doing things for my daughter. I do use frozen spinach and the only thing I will say is that you really, really need to get all the water out of that frozen spinach, so let it drain well and then actually wring it out with your hands–really wring it out till there is no more water, it may take a while to do this and you can actually do all the other steps while you are doing that. Lasagna is always a lot of work, but well worth it. It can be made a few days ahead; I like to cook it almost all the way and then wrap it and leave it in the fridge until I ‘m ready for to eat it. It can also be frozen in portion size pieces which is really the best, and it will stay frozen for a while. I’ve actually frozen it in one season, come back to Colorado the next season and defrosted it and reheated it, and it tasted awesome! So here you go, my go-to lasagna. If you’d like to use both spinach and turkey go right ahead!!! I always say that I have never met a lasagna I didn’t like but this is one you’ll love. The secret ingredient is the goat cheese for sure.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. sweet (or if available, I do 1/2 sweet and 1/2 spicy) Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing (you can actually buy it this way) if you’d like you can use all pork sausage as well

If you are substituting spinach for turkey you’ll need about 4 boxes of frozen spinach, well-drained (read above) or use both the turkey  and spinach and then about 2 boxes of spinach

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

lasagna noodles (I use pre-cooked noodles…I love them)or use the regular boxed ones whichever you prefer (both are shown on photos) I really am loving those pre cooked ones though

15 ounces ricotta cheese (skim is fine but don’t use fat-free)

6 ounces creamy goat cheese (crumbled) this is what makes it so unique

1 cup grated parmesan, plus you may need a bit more for sprinkling on top

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 pound shredded mozzarella (However you can get this is fine; fresh is always delicious but the packaged ones aren’t bad for this purpose. I use skim here but never use fat-free cheese please.), but nice touch)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so (don’t burn it.) Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, about 10 minutes or until it is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and if you’d like add some of the fresh basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until sauce thickens. Taste for additional salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, the egg, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Now if you were adding the spinach this would be the time, in with the cheeses.

In a nice lasagna baking dish or Pyrex–whatever pan comes closest to 9 x 12. Ladle some of the sauce over bottom of the pan, then add layers of noodles over. With the pre-cooked I usually use 3 or 4 depending on the size of the dish but you do not have to overlap as they cook up nicely. (I never use the other noodles anymore.) Next, layer mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one-third of the sauce. Add more pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of parmesan on top. Bake for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. I usually cook my lasagna covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15. If I am cooking it ahead of time, I only cook for 45 minutes covered and then I will brown it up when I reheat it. Also if you are reheating it, please take it out and let it sit at room temperature before putting it in the oven.

Obviously if you are using the spinach, that will be in your cheese layer, and your sauce will be without turkey. I mean…turkey and spinach would be pretty awesome, as well.

Good Luck! Have fun with this. Everyone loves lasagna.

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Rotisserie Chicken and Pasta

Posted on March 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

Baby BroccoliRotisserie Chicken and Pastashredded chicken in broth

There are those nights when the last thing you feel like doing is going out. A home cooked meal would be great, but it’s 5 o’clock and you haven’t prepared, etc. Here is a great meal you can make with a quick stop to your nearby grocery for a rotisserie chicken and a few ingredients.  I make this meal with broccoli rabe or baby broccoli (which seems to always be available in produce section) or even just regular broccoli. If you can pick up fresh pasta that is best; if not, dry pasta will do just fine. This meal is a staple around our house and this is how I make it. I originally found it in Giada De Laurentis’s family dinner book. I made a few changes to the original which better suits us.

Ingredients:

1 lb. broccoli rabe (or baby broccoli or just regular broccoli), trimmed (I cut it into 1- 2 inch pieces, and use just tops of broccoli)

Kosher salt to taste

1 package pasta, fresh or dry (Fettucine is great, but I used Perciatelli this time)

16 oz. chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 small lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest (first zest then juice)

1 roasted chicken, shredded

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (in 400 degree oven for about 5 – 10 minutes  until fragrant; browned not blackened, be careful)

*2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (if you don’t have no big deal. It’s delicious but not totally necessary.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

*pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (I like it hot)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I use the pasta insert for the broccoli (just easier). If you don’t have that, just add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, approx. 3 minutes. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Leave water, return to a boil and use for pasta. After pasta is cooked, drain it and reserve 1/2 cup of the water.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, bring the broth and lemon juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the broth is reduced by about 1/2, app. 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer ’til just heated through, another 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat. Add the pasta, broccoli, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese (reserve last 1/4 cup for topping), pine nuts, parsley, oil, and lemon zest. Toss to coat well which is why you will need a large skillet. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water as you toss to moisten, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. I let it sit out ’til we are ready to eat, and then heat it up and add additional pasta water if it is dry. This is a light meal, and it’s very healthy.

Place pasta into bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese (and if you like, crushed red pepper) to your liking, and serve.

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Garbage Pail Pasta – Pasta from the Pantry – Vegetarian style

Posted on February 23, 2012 | 2 comments

What a name for a most delicious pasta dish. The recipe comes from Arthur Schwartz’s cookbook , “The Southern Italian  Table” , I actually saw it in an article from the Wall Street Journal of all places.  It contains 13 simple ingredients that are put together. It contains 3 kinds of nuts, but I only had 2 and that worked out just as well. My family was here and Kerri being a vegetarian , I am always on the lookout for new and exciting vegetarian recipes. If there is an ingredient that you really don’t like , take it out. I was trying to think of substitutions for what we had , I wanted to keep it vegetarian but I suppose you could substitute anchovies ( chopped finely) for capers, you need the salt and bite of the capers, and I suppose anchovies could do the trick. The olives add salt, and I chopped them up good as well, because Joel would probably not touch it if he knew they were in there. The raisins add sweetness and use the golden ones, they will look better.  Kerri doesn’t love olives and she loved it. My son in-law Brian kept eating it out of the fridge, and so did Kerri and Jenn.  So it got the family seal of approval and I will definitley make it again. You can experiment with other pasta, but I prefer just plain spaghetti, not too thick and not too thin. I also changed around quantities of a few ingredients to my liking, so feel free to do so.  It’s really a “whatever you have in the pantry ” kind of pasta.  Cooks rather quickly , and very tasty. ( like you’re in Italy)

It was bound to happen that the photos of this dish got erased, so sorry I only have the one of me cooking , it’ll have to do.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon finely chopped walnuts

1 Tablespoon whole pine nuts ( Pignoli)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped hazelnuts ( I didn’t have so I doubled up on Pignoli, and everyone loved it)

3 Tablespoons raisins ( use golden ones)

1 rounded tablespoon salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 Package of Grape Tomatoes diced ( you can use cherry tomatoes as well) original only called for 1/4 cup but I used whole package, and it was wonderful)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

6 small black olives ( preferably Gaeta) pitted and coarsely chopped

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt for cooking pasta,  plus more to taste. Be careful with the salt, add as needed.

8 ounce box of Spaghetti ( use whatever kind you like best or have in pantry) I always use Spaghetti or Perciatelli

Parmesan Cheese for topping if you so desire

Directions:

In a 9 or 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat, when hot , add nuts and saute until pine nuts become lightly colored.

Add raisins, capers, and tomatoes. Cook , stir frequently, for at least 5 minutes ( tomatoes will start to break down)

Add oregano, parsley, and olives. Stir well, Cook for a few minutes, Salt to taste. Set aside. I actually let it sit in pan on hot stove for a while till I was ready to mix in pasta. It really broke down nicely, the longer it sat.

Boil spaghetti in at least 3 quarts of water with a heaping tablespoon of salt. When cooked, drain well. I saved a cup of pasta water, in the event pasta came out to dry, I used a little of it. It’s not imperative but I always do that with “sauceless pastas”

Toss pasta with seasonings  over low heat until well mixed. I then put in a large bowl and continued mixing and added a bit of the pasta water . It was perfection.

If desired, serve with grated cheese ( I desired)

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Lasagna in the Slow Cooker

Posted on February 18, 2012 | 1 comment

I have to say when I first heard about lasagna in the slow cooker I was sort of skeptical.  My friend Cathy told me about it; she said she had made it for her family and I should give it a go.   The original recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld, who sneaks vegetables and healthy stuff into her food. I did make a few changes from original recipe , I used more sauce and a little more salt , I used fresh spinach which can easily be substituted for ground turkey, sausage, or any type of meat you like.  Next time I make this recipe I will be using meat because it really was quite easy and pretty quick even by slow cooker standards. It cooked in 3 1/2 hours, looked amazing and tasted delicious. I am still a little surprised by how good it was. The spinach wilts down and almost looks like basil in there. Even if you don’t like spinach, don’t worry because even though you start out with 5 ounces (which looks like a lot),  you hardly taste it at all but for those of you who do like it, it’s an added bonus. This lasagna was moist, cheesy and hearty.   So get out your slow cookers and give it a go. This is especially great for a big crowd. It easily serves 6 people.  We of course had a chicken dish alongside, because no amount of prodding could get Joel to try the lasagna, once he saw the spinach. Oh well, what are you going to do? He doesn’t know what he’s missing.  Thanks Cathy for the great idea, and of course, Jessica Seinfeld.

Ingredients:

I used 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes (the recipe original calls for 3 14 oz. cans but I thought it needed a little more sauce and I used 2 large cans which are app. 28 oz. each . You can always use homemade sauce if you have it already made and want to use it. Just make sure you have enough.)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

*1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (use as much or as little of this, whatever you like)

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 containers (15 ounce each) ricotta (Fresh is awesome, but not always available. Use whatever you’d like. I used part- skim ricotta.)

2 cups grated mozzarella (again use whatever you’d like, package is fine. Just don’t use fat free, it doesn’t work well.)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

12 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 of a 1 lb. box) don’t cook them*see note at bottom

5 ounces (or 6 cups) of baby spinach (1 package in the produce section is 5 ounces)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5 – 6 quart slow cooker (which I sprayed with Pam first), spread a thin layer of sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, for 3 – 3 1/2 hours. Noodles should be tender in center by then, mine was. I then switched it to warm until we ate it. I served it from slow cooker with a big spoon, you don’t get those neat little squares but it really held together quite well,  I left some in fridge for leftovers and froze the rest for another time.

*I broke the side noodles in 1/2 and just angled them a little, keeping the center one intact. Once it’s all cooked it doesn’t matter that they were broken, it really came out perfectly.

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Food from the Pantry – Weeknight Red Sauce with Spaghetti

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 1 comment

After a day of skiing it’s hard to get motivated to go back out, especially when you have only 2 episodes of Homeland to catch up with. I was too tired to even bother going food shopping, so decided to just check out what was in the pantry. Always have canned tomatoes, garlic, spices and red wine. There you go, and I always love spaghetti and red sauce. It cooks up quickly, is very tasty and we both had protein for lunch on the mountain, so just in the mood for some pasta. I have posted other red sauces, and this is how I made it tonite. Obviously it would be delicious with some meat or seafood in it, just didn’t have any on hand.

Ingredients:

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion ( app. 1 medium size yellow onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup red wine ( whatever I have open is fine)

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes ( I only had whole ones, I threw in food processor and crushed them)

*1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ( optional) I didn’t have any on hand

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*pinch of sugar ( optional) only after tasting sauce, if it is a little too acidy I throw it in to soften the acid of tomatoes

Directions:

 

Heat olive oil in a large saute ( frying) pan, add the onion and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent ( 8 – 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or so. Add the wine and cook on high heat until almost all the liquid evaporates, a few more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes,oregano, *parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and add additional seasonings, and sugar if you think it needs it. I let the sauce cook uncovered on simmer for as long as I can. At least an hour and if I can 2 hours. If sauce thickens too much add water, a little at a time, till it reaches proper consistency.

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Two Jewish Girls Cook Up Some Real Italian

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 1 comment

finished product

Two Jewish Girls Cook Italian

 

 
I have a few lasagnas that I like but the one that I recently made with my BFF, Susan, was truly wonderful.  The original recipe came from Saveur and we mostly followed it as is except for a few small tweaks. It is not for the meek–it has a lot of moving parts and is an effort but worth every step of the way. First, you have to make the Bolognese (meat) sauce, and then a Bechamel and then assemble the lasagne itself. The recipe calls for spinach noodles but that option was out because we couldn’t find spinach noodles in the valley and there was no way we were making them from scratch. We used Barilla noodles, which worked out perfectly.  I have already posted my other Bolognese but this one is also  wonderful and includes prosciutto, chopped chicken livers, and milk. This recipe drums up a pretty nice shopping list. Susan and I shopped on Wednesday, cooked the Bolognese on Thursday, and assembled the lasagne on Friday. Our plan is to  cook it partially and refrigerate. We’ll then take it out of the fridge before going to a movie, and heat it back up when we get back to the house. Susan and I get along quite well in the kitchen–we don’t get in each other’s way and it is a totally fun way to spend time together doing something we both love. We served this lasagne with an appetizer of shrimp cocktail (complements of Joel) and a green salad.

I will start this recipe with the Ragu a la Bolognese sauce. By the way, the movie was wonderful, as was the entire evening.

Happy, healthy new year to all.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

1 rib celery, minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

1/2 medium carrot, peeled and  minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

2 – 3 slices (3 oz.) prosciutto, chopped (we bought it pre-chopped)

2 – 3 chicken livers, finely chopped (available in the chicken section of most supermarkets in a container)

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck meat

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine (I recently found out you can buy small, inexpensive bottles, which are good to cook with)

1 cup milk (use whole milk)

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 28 oz. can pureed italian plum tomatoes (if you can’t find pureed, just put whole ones in food processor)

Directions: 

Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy pot (Le Creuset is perfect) over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, but not browned (5 minutes or so.) Add celery and carrot and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add prosciutto and chicken livers and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until meat is just cooked and still a little pink. Crumble ground chuck into pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Break up chuck, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon, until meat is just cooked and still a little pink, about 5 – 8 more minutes.

Stir in wine and cook until the liquid more or less evaporates. (This took us a while. The recipe says 3 minutes, but it took us more like 10 (maybe because of the altitude?) Next, heat up milk in a small saucepan (do not boil , just heat until it’s hot.) Reduce heat  on sauce to medium and add hot milk, stirring occasionally, until the milk reduces. (We ended up cooking it for about 15  minutes.) In a separate saucepan, heat the tomatoes and broth until hot and then add to the meat mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bechamel Sauce: (called “Balsamella” in Italy)

Ingredients (yields 2 cups Bechamel, which is exactly what you’ll need):

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups hot milk

4 tablespoons sifted flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes (do not allow the mixture to brown.) Gradually add in the 2 cups of hot milk, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir constantly until sauce is as thick as heavy cream, about 15 minutes.

Lasagne:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil (to grease pan)

1 box of Lasagne noodles (we didn’t use the pre cooked ones, I wouldn’t in this recipe)

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 recipe for Bolognese (above)

1 recipe for Bechamel sauce (above)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 12 baking pan and set aside.

Cook Lasagne noodles according to directions on box (don’t overcook.) We laid the noodles out to dry. You don’t want them moist in pan. (Here in Colorado, they dried in about 2 minutes.)

Line the bottom of prepared baking pan with a layer of pasta (we used 3 sheets on the bottom, which was perfect.) Spread evenly with 1 cup of meat sauce, and sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese. Add another layer of noodles,  evenly spread 1 cup of bechamel sauce on noodles, then sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese. Repeat these layers (with the sprinkle of cheese on top of each layer) until you have 3 layers of meat sauce and 2 of bechamel, ending with the meat sauce on top. Reserve any extra meat sauce to put on top or for another time. There should be no remaining Bechamel sauce.

Bake in the top third of oven for 10 minutes. Then, turn oven up to 500 degrees and cook until lasagne is bubbling around the edges and browned on top, 5 – 7 minutes longer. Do not overcook. Allow lasagne to rest for 8 – 10 minutes before serving.

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Shrimp Scampi and Pasta

Posted on December 26, 2011 | 4 comments
It is Christmas Eve, and so many restaurants are closed for the night. We had some amazing shrimp that Joel was able to procure. *Beautiful Mexican White Shrimp under 10! So what else would you do? Shrimp Scampi,
*under 10 refers to 10 and under to a pound, these can cost a pretty penny so you can definitley substitute a smaller shrimp (under 15, under 20 ) etc. Both Joel and I were raised around shrimp our whole lives and have very particular taste where shrimp is concerned.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. shrimp ( we used under 10’s which are rather large ) you can use smaller ones. Joel prefers Mexican Whites, and you can ask for these ( Ocean Garden is our preferred brand) they come in a 5 lb. box and Joel cleans and deveins for me always. (that’s our deal) He cleans them and I cook them.

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil ( you may want to add more as you go)

3/4 cup dry white wine

*pinch of hot red pepper flakes ( optional) and Susan doesn’t like hot so we added a pinch and put red pepper flakes on the table

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( again use your own discretion)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lb. spaghetti ( we used a thin spaghetti) or angel hair, capelini etc.

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

Directions:

Cook Pasta according to directions. Start boiling water for pasta as you start your sauce.

Heat oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Saute shrimp, turning until just cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. These were large and took a bit longer, they will start to curl and turn a pretty pink color. If you’re really not sure you can always cut into one and if it is translucent put it back till it is opaque in the inside, we don’t want to be serving raw shrimp to anyone. When shrimp is done remove with a slotted spoon to another bowl. Set aside.  Add garlic to oil, if you think you need more oil just put a bit in now, add the red pepper flakes now if you’re using them, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat , stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes or so. Add butter to skillet , stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat. Drain pasta in a colander, and *reserve 1 cup of pasta water.  Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture  and add parsley in a large bowl, add additional reserved pasta water  if necessary to keep it moist.

* Just a little tip,  before the pasta is finished I scoop out some pasta water with a measuring cup, makes it easier than juggling boiling water while you’re draining it.

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Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 3 comments

 

Fully Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

This recipe belongs to my sister, Pamela. She is a great cook, and this is her signature Thanksgiving Dish. We count on it every year as her contribution.  I highly suggest it if you like spicy because it is! It definitley packs some heat, be careful when you buy the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce , just make sure they don’t say Hot or you might be blowing the roof off of your Thanksgiving Dinner! Be prepared for a lot of flavor !  If your family likes spicy this is an awesome recipe, and you all know how much I like spicy by now.  This is certainly a new take on Sweet Potatoes because they aren’t sweet.  I also make a Sweet Potato dish with Marshmallows (* see recipe) and the two are always on my table, one sweet and one spicy.  Thanks Aunt Pammy.

Ingredients:

5 lbs.Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Kosher Salt ( about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Heavy Cream ( about 1 1/2 quarts)

Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce (canned) *look in Mexican Food Aisle in most supermarkets

Directions:

Slice Potatoes thinly and add salt. Place in baking dish you are going to use and cover with kosher salt, start with 1/4 cup and go to the 1/2 cup. Use your clean hands and toss together.

Puree Chipotles in small food processor .* you can keep pureed chipotles in fridge for up to 2 months. So you can do this step ahead.

Put approximately 1 – 2 tsp. of chipotle pepper puree in heavy cream and mix together

Pour Cream Mixture over Potatoes in an ovenproof baking dish ( earthenware is nice for this)

Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven.

Potatoes should be somewhat set and browned on top when ready.

Enjoy! and Happy Thanksgiving

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What I’m cooking tonite and Happy Daylight Savings (Bye Bye Daylight)

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

I think Sunday night is the best night to stay in , cook dinner and relax. So I went to make the Bowtie Pasta, mushrooms, sausage, and peas. Couldn’t find Turkey Sausage anywhere, not Whole Foods, not Fairway, and I gave up. I bought ground turkey, which just so you know works perfectly well. I season it up a lot more with salt and pepper, and it’s just fine. Have had this problem before and this is what I did.  I like to eat in and be in control of what is going into our meal. We all eat out so much these days, isn’t it nice to just kick back , cook and eat dinner, and know what it is that is going into your body? I think it is. I’m not saying we should all be cooking every night, but once in a while give it a try. Happy Daylight Savings, this day is so long anyway , there’s plenty of time to cook unless you’re running the NYC Marathon then I’ll give you a pass.

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The Ultimate Comfort Food: Mac and Cheese

Posted on October 3, 2011 | 1 comment

 

 

When I think of the ultimate in comfort foods, Mac and Cheese always comes to mind. Now that there is a slight chill in the air we’re ready for this recipe. I have made it for big crowds, and just the two of us. Not the neon orange kind from the box (although when I make it for my grandkids it’s really not all that bad) but the creamy homemade oh so soothing one. I love the creaminess and the richness. You can’t really eat too much of it because of the richness. I just love the crunchy burnt pieces on top, and the smooth texture underneath. I also love it cold from the fridge, which can be a very dangerous thing to have around. So invite a bunch of people over (this recipe is perfect for Sunday get-togethers) and it will disappear. You’ll have just enough left over for a little midnight raid.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. elbow macaroni or Cavatappi

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 quart milk , I actually used Skim Plus and it was just fine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

12 oz. grated Gruyere cheese (approx. 4 cups)

8 oz. sharp or extra sharp grated cheddar (approx. 2 cups)

8 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick), divided into 6 tbsp. for sauce and 2 tbsp. for topping with bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg I love freshly grated Nutmeg, either one will do

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (5 slices of bread with crusts removed. I use whole wheat but white is fine. I do this using a food processor with a steel blade. It’s quick and easy.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook macaroni according to directions on the box. Drain well. I let it sit and get good and dry while I prepare the cheese sauce.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan but do not boil it. Melt 6 tbsp. of butter in a large pot and add the flour, then the hot milk and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened and smooth. I continue stirring with a wooden spoon during this process. When it is thick and smooth, take it off the heat, and add the cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg. I then place the dry macaroni back in the pot I cooked it in and pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir well. I then spray a 3 quart baking casserole dish with Pam and pour the macaroni and cheese into it. Melt the remaining butter (in the microwave is fine), combine it with the fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the macaroni. Bake for approx. 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

*serves about 8 – 10 depending on crowd, and if it’s a side or main, I served with a light green salad with balsamic dressing.

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