Baked Manicotti

Ryan and I are addicted to cooking shows - anything on Food Network and America's Test Kitchen (on PBS). We DVR all of our favorite shows, about 12 of them each week. Then on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we like to lay in bed and watch them together. It was much more relaxing before Josh came along (but I'm not complaining). We came across this recipe while watching America's Test Kitchen. It is delicious!!! and easy!!! The picture doesn't do it any justice (I've decided I need to take photography lessons!)

Baked Manicotti (America’s Test Kitchen) Tomato Sauce:
2	28-ounce cans diced tomatoes (in juice)
2	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
½	teaspoon hot red pepper flakes , optional
	Table salt
2	tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Cheese Filling and Pasta:
3	cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4	ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8	ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2	large eggs , lightly beaten
¾	teaspoon table salt
½	teaspoon ground black pepper
2	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2	tablespoons chopped fresh basil
16	no-boil lasagna noodles (see note below)

For the Sauce: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasoning with salt.

For the cheese filling: Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs in medium bowl; set aside.

To assemble: Pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch broilersafe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then serve.

***Use Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles for their delicate texture resembling fresh pasta.

***The manicotti can be prepared through step 5, covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Italian recipes part due

Here are a few more recipes from our Italian Recipe Exchange...


Chicken Marsala
(Christina Petersen)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb total)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 TBSP sliced green onions
3 TBSP butter or margarine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry Marsala or dry sherry
snipped fresh parsley (optional)


Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound lightly to 1/8 inch thickness. Remove from plastic wrap. Stir together flour, marjoram, salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Lightly press chicken pieces into flour mixture on both sides; shake off excess.


In a large skillet cook mushrooms and green onion in 1 TBSP butter till tender; remove from skillet. In the same skillet cook chicken pieces in remaining butter over medium high heat for 4 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove skillet from heat. Return mushrooms and green onion to skillet. Carefully add broth and Marsala. Cook, uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes or till mushroom mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Spoon mushroom mixture over chicken. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken & Broccoli Fettuccine
(Allisha Larsen)

12 ounces dry fettuccini noodles
8 ounces fresh or frozen broccoli, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (substitute asparagus etc.)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound cooked chicken diced (substitute turkey, ham etc.)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Stir broccoli into pot in the last five minutes of cooking; drain. (I like to steam the broccoli and then add it)

While pasta is cooking, heat butter and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble, stir in Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper. Continue cooking until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken and heat through.

Toss pasta and asparagus with sauce and serve immediately.

Italian Recipe Exchange...

I started a neighborhood recipe exchange. We get together every other month. Each time there is a theme (Quick easy dinners, soups, Italian, etc). We all submit a couple of our favorite recipes for the theme. Then we have a pot luck dinner. Every one brings one of their recipes prepared. This way we can sample and socialize. They've been a lot of fun and very delicious!!!

If you'd like to join us for our next exchange, leave your email address and we'll send the info over!

Here are a few of the recipes we sampled last night... (I"ll post some more later)

Cavatini
(Natalie Cheney)

1 pkg trio noodles cooked and drained
1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pkg sliced pepperoni
1 can spaghetti sauce
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Combine and cook meat and veggies, then add noodles and sauce. Stir together and add to a casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 until hot, about 30 minutes.

Italian Lemonade
(Rhonda Shurtleff)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons (I used frozen concentrate and diluted w/ the sparkling water)
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup*, recipe follows
2 cups ounces cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish

Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.

Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.*If you use the frozen concentrate method like I did, you'll want to add a little less of the simple syrup, unless you like your lemonade super sweet!

Hamburger Stuffed Zucchini
(Jan Petersen)

6 8-inch or 1 large zucchini
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian Sausage
1 minced onion1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. cracker crumbs (I use Ritz crackers)
Salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
1/2 c. grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese (more for the top)
1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out insides, leaving shell. Brown beef, sausage and onion; add squash pulp. Cover and cook until squash is soft.

Season with salt, pepper, garlic. Remove from heat, stir in egg, cracker crumbs, Cheddar cheese, and tomatoes. Season squash shells with salt and pepper, stuff with filling.

Place in shallow pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (about 45 minutes for large zucchini). Remove cover, top with more cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.

Gorgonzola Apple Salad
(Melissa Acker)

1 apple, diced
¼ c dried cranberries
¼ c diced pecans
¼ c Gorgonzola cheese
Fresh spinach
Spring lettuce mix
Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Rinse lettuce and spinach and toss in bowl. Top with apple, cranberries, pecans and gorgonzola.
Serve with dressing on the side.

Chocolate Chips and P.C. Scoops...

I'll admit it, sweets are my weakness. So when Josh suggested we make cookies, I wasn't going to object. I wasn't sure if I wanted chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies, so we compromised with Neiman Marcus' $250 Chocolate Chip cookie. I could have been selfish and made them with chopped pecans, which makes them heavenly. But, since Ryan's not a fan of nuts in his cookies, I was nice. When it comes to my chocolate chips, I only use Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate. My take,they have to be good enough to eat plain if I'm going to use them for baking.


Nieman Marcus $250 Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 ½ cup oatmeal., blended to make a fine powder
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts, chopped
2 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Scoop dough and place 2” apart on baking sheet. Bake at 375˚ for 10-12 minutes.

***I use my Pampered Chef small scoop. This will make six dozen cookies. I will usually bake two dozen of them. The rest, I scoop out onto a cookie sheet and stick in the freezer for an hour. Then I'll put the frozen dough balls into a freezer bag with baking instructions written on the bag. This way, we can quickly pop them in the oven and enjoy them later. (Plus, if I baked all six dozen cookies at once, I'd eat all six dozen cookies)

My tools of the trade for today are my Pampered Chef scoops. I have all three sizes- large, medium and small. I love them. At first I wasn't sure how often I'd use them or what I'd use them for, other than cookies. But they're pulled out almost weekly for lots of things. Osviously, I use them for cookies. They're great for making meatballs. I use them for my filling on my chicken salad roll-ups. The large is perfect for filling my cupcake liners or my waffle iron. They're great for portion control. They are a must have for every kitchen!

Tortilla Soup

I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website, and it is a very easy recipe and very good.

Enjoy this spicy version of tortilla soup featuring organic fire roasted tomatoes, chicken and chiles.

6 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/3 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Anaheim, poblano, or jalapeno chile, seeded, chopped
1 carton (32oz)Progresson reduced-sodium chicken broth (4cups)
1 can (14.5oz) Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 ripe medium avocado
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2oz) chopped fresh cilantro, if desired
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves in 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain in paper towels.

2. Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.

3. To serve, peel and pit avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls. Ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Spinach Salad and Salad Spinners

I love salads. They are one of my favorite foods. This salad is one of my very favorites. Something I have learned about in the last couple of years is salad dressing. It can really make a salad. I rarely buy salad dressing anymore. I usually make it because it is so much better! I might post some of my favorite salad dressings some time.

Spinach Salad
Spinach
Lettuce (I use green or red leaf)
Swiss cheese (grated)
Bacon (fried and crumbled)
Mushrooms (sliced)
Feta cheese (crumbled)
Grape tomatoes

Dressing:
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. salad oil
1/2 red onion (sliced or chopped)
1 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Mix dressing, add onion and refrigerate. I love to use my immersion blender to mix salad dressings. Mix the salad part together and serve.

We had this last night as the whole meal.

A note on salad spinners: If you like salad and don't have one of these, they are a must. I bought mine hoping it would not be another kitchen gadget that just takes up space. I have loved it and use it all the time! Mine is an OXO one.

Mini Meatloaves...

So today's a double recipe! For the past few weeks I've been busy with life and I haven't put too much into cooking. I've been trying to keep it simple and quick. Trying to mix things up a bit, I came across a recipe from my Kraft Foods Magazine. Ryan's not too fond of meatloaf, so I was hesitant. However, needing something easy I thought it was worth a try. Now it's not a gormet recipe by any means, but it's really good considering the little effort put into it. I like the fact that it's portioned out. I also love that each one has the crispy curst, which is the best part of the meatloaf if you ask me. To pair it up with a veggie, we served roasted sweet potatoes - my favorite! Quick & easy meal with great reviews, even from Ryan!

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves
(Kraft Foods)

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
¾ cup BBQ Sauce
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375˚. Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 cup water and garlic powder until well blended. Press into 12 muffin cups, sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in the center of each with spoon.

Spoon BBQ Sauce into center of each meatloaf.

Bake 30 minutes or until meatloaves are cooked through. Top with cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For Italian version: substitute the following:
garlic powder - Italian seasoning
BBQ sauce - Spaghetti Sauce
Cheddar - mozzarella

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Not really a recipe, but this is how I prepare...

Sweet potatoes, cut into bit-sized chunks

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Sugar

Cinnamon

Put sweet potatoes on cooking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, sugar and cinnamon. Roll potatoes around to coat evenly.

I bake it a various oven temps depending on what I'm cooking with it. Typically its 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Breakfast Cookies

* 1/2 cup applesauce

* 1 cup peanut butter

* 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 2 eggs

* 1/3 cup water

* 2 cups whole wheat flour

* 2 cups quick cooking oats

* 1/2 cup wheat germ

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 2 teaspoons baking soda

* 1 cup raisins, craisins, or other mix-in

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together applesauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs and water.

2. Mix together flour, oats, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix into peanut butter mixture. Stir in raisins. Drop by ice cream scoopfuls 2 1/2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Store in an airtight container.

REVIEW: Cookies for breakfast? How could that be a bad thing? I've made these several times with variations so I'll let you know what I've learned. So, the original recipe calls for butter instead of applesauce. The applesauce makes these healthier and more moist. Also, I prefer to use creamy instead of crunchy peanut butter. I've made them with dark chocolate chips added in (as shown above) but I'll make sure I don't put in as many next time and add more craisins. My friend recommends adding in almond extract instead of the vanilla and omitting the cinnamon, but it's all a personal choice. Also, you could put in 1 cup all-purpose flour in place of 1 cup wheat flour if this version is too heavy for you. I double the recipe and put them in the freezer. Then I warm them up in the toaster, so make sure you remember to flatten them slightly before baking. These are great for breakfast in a hurry. Just make sure you have a drink to wash them down!

Oops!

I was so excited to finad a new template for our post. I put it on, not expecting to find everything in Italian. So I went to change it back and BAM - all of our contributor's names and other links were gone. Not sure exactly how to fix it. So, in the mean time, we are looking plain and simple. Hopefully soon we'll have them back.

Chicken Sausage Veggie Pasta

When we were in Chicago a few years ago, my Aunt Rosie made the most delicious pasta dinner. She shared her "recipe" - Cooked pasta, chicken sausage, and veggies. There's no set measurements or ingredients, so you can customize it to your own taste. The ingredients below is what I typically use. Depending on my mood, or time frame, I may roast or saute my veggies. This year I think I will try grilling them. It is fast and easy and Oh so delicious!

Chicken Sausage Veggie Pasta

8 oz favorite pasta, cooked

1 pkg. chicken sausage, slicedinto 1/2" pieces

(we use Chicken sausage with apples and guoda or Chicken sausage with artichokes and mozzerella)

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced or quartered

1 small zuchinni, sliced and halved

8 oz cherry tomatoes

1 bunch asparagus, sliced

1/2 cup-ish Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 tsp fennel seeds

Cook pasta according to directions.

When I make, I roast asparagus, tomatoes and zuchinni with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for 15 minutes. Saute 3 TBSP butter, mushrooms, fennel seeds, and chicken sausage. When everything is done, combine with parmesan cheese in large serving bowl.

Instead of roasting tomatoes, you can also chop in half and add fresh with the parmesan cheese. For a little heat, add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes with the seasonings when roasting.

Other items we like to add: Kalmata olives, sun-dried tomatoes