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Mmm…spaghetti
Iron rule of food blogging: If spaghetti is mentioned in a post, the next post must be about the spaghetti.
One of the loaves in the last post made excellent garlic bread, split down the middle and slathered with garlic butter, wrapped in foil, and reheated in the toaster oven. The salad is just some iceberg lettuce, a tomato, and a few onion slices with an olive oil, red wine vinegar, and parmesan vinaigrette. I ate too much. Burp…aaah.
Baked Pasta
We’ve been eating sammiches and other like things for a while so I thought yesterday, early, that I would make a real meal. It was going to have to be easy because I knew I would be tired. Boy Howdy! I had my truck guy drop two loads off as close to where I needed the rock as he could get. That, unfortunately, was not all that close. I have a little trail through the woods that I like to cruise in my quad, a scenic route and nice to give the pups some exercise. It crosses some gullies that were becoming difficult to cross with the quad, and getting the mower over them was right out. Solution-drop in a couple of culverts. Alas, they just didn’t handle the deluge we had last month. Something like 5″ in one particular nght, and over 2 feet total for the month. Washed away much of the rock. Hell, one spot it washed away the culvert as well, had to drag it back from downstream a ways. Anyway…
I got back in, tired and sweaty. Put the rigatoni on to boil and fried some Italian sausage with a nice Vidalia onion. Tossed in 2 pints of sauce from last years tomato harvest, and went out to the container farm on the patio and plucked some fresh basil, oregano, and thyme.
I can assure you that the dish turned out great! Used plenty of mozzarella and provolone cheese, and went with a nice side of garlic bread. Yum!
Greek Chicken Wraps
Nothing beats a good Greek restaurant for a nice lunch meal. I am partial to pita sandwiches, but it can be difficult in my area to find good, fresh pita bread. So tortillas make a good substitute. In this recipe, you can use spinach or sun-dried tomato wraps to really spark things up. Regardless these are easy and quite flavorful wraps. Perfect for a holiday picnic by the lake.
Greek Chicken Wraps
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon or stone ground mustard
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small cucumber, peeled & chopped
- 4 oz plain yogurt
- ¼ tsp dill
- 2 oz crumbled feta
- 2 oz sliced black olives (opt)
- 4 burrito size flour tortillas, spinach tortillas are a fun choice
- ½ green leaf lettuce, shredded
skillet & bowl
Mix together chicken, lemon juice, mustard, 1 tsp garlic, oregano & pepper in bowl, coating chicken thoroughly, let sit for 30 minutes. Prepare cucumbers, add yogurt, dill and remaining garlic and mix well. Refrigerate until served. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350° oven for 10 minutes, turn oven off and let them stay warm until served. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high and add chicken and marinade. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. To serve, add chicken mixture, yogurt mixture, feta, olives and lettuce to each tortilla and roll up. Use any remaining yogurt mixture to dip tortillas in.
Baked Ziti
My life is spinning a bit out of control these days. It’s all good stuff, but it is happening fast and furiously. I counter the stress in a couple of ways. One is cycling, the other is talking whining to friends about it. But what really helps me is to cook. I’ve said it before, but being in the kitchen chopping, dicing and stirring puts my world back in order. It’s even better if I’m cooking for a bunch of people.
Stress combined with lots of rainy, cool days and my Italian heritage make this comfort food a must have. Baked Zita has all the yummy goodness of a nice lasagna without all the work and hour long cooking time.
Serve with some zucchini (try this recipe) and a nice crusty Italian bread – you’re all set. Of course you’ll want a side salad if you’re in my family. Enjoy.
Baked Ziti
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- Olive oil
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, spicy or mix 1/2 spicy and 1/2 sweet
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp dried basil, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 – 14 oz cans tomato sauce
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
- 12 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan
Saucepan, skillet, 9×13 baking dish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente, you want it very chewy as it will continue to cook while you bake it. Drain the pasta and toss with a little olive oil. DO NOT RINSE (you want the pasta starchy so it grabs the sauce)
In a skillet, brown the sausage. When it is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, spices and stir to combine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add tomato paste, stirring to coat all the meat. Add tomato sauce and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a lightly oiled 9×13-inch casserole pan. Add a layer of pasta, ladle more sauce, spoon 1/2 the ricotta cheese over sauce, in dollops (three across and 4 to 5 up works well, kind of like you’d do cookie dough). Spread a 1/4 of the mozzarella. Add more pasta, more sauce, remaining ricotta, 1/4 of the mozzarella, sauce, pasta and the rest of the sauce. Top with mozzarella and parmesan.
Bake at 350°F until the top is bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. I put a cookie sheet under the baking dish to catch any sauce bubbling over.
Serves at least 8
NOTES:
This can be put together ahead of time and refrigerated. Bake for 15 minutes, covered with foil, bake for additional 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and brown and center is hot.
As this serves 8, you can use two 8×8 baking dishes and freeze one for later.
Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
I’ve always liked stuffed peppers, they’re a bit of work, but pretty foolproof. This is a nice twist on an old favorite:
Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
- 4 large red bell peppers
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Cut off the top from the peppers (about the top 1/4 inch), remove seeds and membranes. Add peppers to boiling water, remove from heat and let soak 5 minutes. Remove stem and then chop pepper tops. Brown beef with chopped peppers and onions in skillet. Remove whole peppers from water and turn upside down on a paper towel to dry. Add tomatoes, spices, rice and water to hamburger mixture, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover until rice is tender (about 15 minutes) Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and fill whole peppers. Place in a lightly oiled 8×8 baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees until cheese if bubbly and golden.
Thursday Night Menu: Countdown to Spring Edition
Star Trek Enterprise from 2010 - Can't wait to see what Irises my friend has in her garden this year.
It’s that time of year when we are getting our gardens ready for the spring planting. The garden shops beckon, the seed catalogs tantalize and black dirt looks inviting. JeffW is taking stock of his root cellar to see what he needs to plant this year, I’m hoping for a better crop of tomatoes and my garden buddy is readying her beds for a dazzling floral display again this year. I saw my first crocus yesterday. Spring is less than 72 hours away, what plans do you have for your garden this year and are you as excited as I am to get back into the garden?
It looks like the weather will be warm and sunny all weekend for many of us. I can’t imagine anyone will want to spend too much time in the kitchen, so I pulled out a kid friendly menu that is quick and easy. The Enchilada Pie recipe is from one of my brothers, it’s very tasty and the kids love it, which is always a plus. All the flavor of enchiladas without all the work. I love black beans and the Black Bean Confetti adds a bit of color and a variety of flavors to make it a tasty side – and I have no idea why I insist on calling it confetti, except it looks festive when it’s all together. A raw vegetable tray with some favorite dressings rounds things out. And we end the meal with Banana Sundaes. These are based on great sundaes I used to get as a kid at a restaurant near our house on Cape Cod. I’m pretty sure they made their own ice cream. I figured if I was going to do a kid’s menu, might as well go all out and relive a little of my childhood, too.
On the board tonight:
- Enchilada Pie
- Vegetable Tray
- Black Bean Confetti
- Banana Sundaes
Enchilada Pie
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ large onion, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 20 oz. enchilada sauce
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 10 corn tortillas
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
skillet & 8×8 glass baking dish, lightly oiled
Add beef and onion to skillet and cook until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Add spices and sauces; let simmer while you prep tortillas. Tear tortillas into strips and use some to cover the bottom of a well-oiled casserole dish. Layer a portion of the beef mixture and cheese on top, then repeat (tortillas, beef, cheese) to fill up casserole; finish with layer of cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°
Black Bean Confetti
- 14 oz can black beans
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper to taste
- Dash of limejuice
saucepans & large serving bowl or platter
In saucepan, add ingredients (except limejuice) and heat on medium. Toss with limejuice and serve.
Banana Sundaes
- Half gallon vanilla ice cream
- 2 bananas
- Favorite chocolate sauce (I prefer Hershey’s but some prefer the thicker hot fudge sauce)
- Walnuts, chopped into large pieces
- Whipped cream (opt, and if you’re going to do it, it’s most fun using the spray can cream)
4 dessert bowls
Scoop ice cream into bowls. Peel and cut bananas in half, then quarter each half, lengthwise. Place four slices around the sides of the bowl, tucking down into the ice cream to help them stand. Pour a generous amount of chocolate on the ice cream and top with walnuts and whip cream.
Shopping List:
- Vegetable tray fixins
- Vegetable dips & dressings
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ large onion
- 20 oz. enchilada sauce
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 10 corn tortillas
- 8 oz grated cheddar cheese
- 14 oz can black beans
- ½ green pepper
- ½ red pepper
- 1 tomato
- 1 stalk celery
- Fresh cilantro
- Half gallon vanilla ice cream
- 2 bananas
- Favorite chocolate sauce (I prefer Hershey’s but some prefer the thicker hot fudge sauce)
- 8 oz Walnuts, chopped into large pieces
- Whipped cream
Also: salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, limejuice
Italian Beef
Mrs J suggested this and dug the beef out of the freezer this morning. We hurried the thawing along with a hot water bath and then a turn or two in the microwave. It was still pretty firm in the middle when I cut some slits and stuffed them with fresh garlic slices. I fired the burner under the Dutch oven and got some oil hot and plopped the beef in there to brown. While that was happening I mixed a cup or so of beef broth from the soup base I use. To this is added a packet of Italian dressing seasoning, some oregano, basil, onion powder, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. With the meat browned on both sides I dumped the broth mixture into the pot and covered it. I had bread in the oven so I simmered it on the stove top until the bread was done, then took off the lid and stuck the pot in there. Gave it about another 45 minutes or so then removed the beef to a cooling rack. When cool the meat shredded easily. I returned the meat to the pot and stirred. Now is the time to dump in a jar of pepperoncinis, liquid and all. Trust me on this. Good stuff.
I mentioned something in an earlier post about the sourdough buns we used for this. They were an attempt at hot dog buns. They turned out in varying sizes and shapes, and they were tough and chewy-not the best thing for hot dogs. Great for this Italian beef recipe, though! There is plenty of juice that comes with the meat, and the practice is to dunk the sammiches into the juice. It takes some tough buns to hold up to it. These were just perfect for it.
Enjoy!
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