Wish Upon A Chef

 
I've been on a slow cooker roll here lately!  It seems that after I griped about the lack of things to prepare in my pot, recipes started jumping out at me left and right and from behind bushes.  And I recently came into possession of my 92-year-old grandmother's Crock-Pot and I'm totally digging the whole retro vibe of it.  I also scored her 1960's (I think) era combination slow cooker/fryer  called   Hy-Fry which looks just like this one.  It's never been used and she still had the original instruction booklet where she had penciled the date of December 25, 1974 which means she got it as a Christmas gift when I was 3 years old.  Call me sappy, but I'm hugely sentimental about things like that. 


I found a marinara recipe on Budget Bytes, which is a neat site that features really great recipes that are budget friendly.  Beth estimates this recipe costs a little over $5 to prepare - of course that's going to depend on prices in your geographic area and other variables like coupons, sale prices, etc. but even if it's a few cents more, it's still a pretty sweet deal.

I love having my freezer stocked with things that I can pull out last minute, thaw and have a good home cooked meal on the table without much effort at all and this fits the bill perfectly.  After the sauce cools, portion it up into 1/2 cup or 1 cup servings and freeze.  In addition to serving over pasta, this makes a great marinara for pizza (try this one topped with bacon, cheese and pepperoni or throw your favorite veggies on this homemade pizza dough.)

Slow Cooker Marinara
approximately 13 servings (1/2 cup)

Printable Recipe

2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 onion, diced
1/2 Tablespoon garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  When done, stir the sauce and remove the bay leaves.  Season with more salt and pepper if needed. 

Here it is almost the end of June and I'm just now getting around to telling you about my lovely Valentine's Day date with the Boy Toy.  That's typical me - always a few days late and way more than a few dollars short.

Even though I'd had a over-the-top, larger-than-life HUGE crush on the Boy Toy for quite some time (I even tried to woo him last year with these to-die-for brownies), this past February marked our first official Valentine's date. We agreed that there would be no gift exchange - we only wanted to spend time with each other which is the whole point of a day of love, in my opinion.  I always feel terrible for the guys who are guilted by their gals into making an expensive token-of-love purchase just for the purposes of showboating.  Love should be shown (and recognized) every single day, not just for one day of the year because marketing gurus make such a big deal out of it. 

But of course I can never adhere to the "no gifts" rule and splurged a whole $5 on making this gift for the Boy Toy.  It is a deck of 52 playing cards with different things I love about him printed and pasted onto each card.  The idea and templates came from Peppermint Creative and it was a really fun project to do.  I wasn't quite sure how he'd react to getting a gift that looked like a 3rd grader had made (it's been a really long time since I've cut and pasted, okay?), but I think he was genuinely impressed with it.  He totally understood the thought and sentiment behind it and again, that's what Valentine's Day is all about. 


It was hard to narrow it down to only 52 things that I love about the Boy Toy! 

He had informed me earlier in the week that he had made reservations for us to have a nice dinner and I didn't even ask where because I wanted it to be a total surprise.  I was so excited when we pulled into Sante' in downtown Matthews, NC - I had never been there before and it was quaint, romantic and cozy and the perfect place for Valentine's Day.  It's funny how a female brain works though.  As we were being seated by the hostess, I was gazing around at the decor and a semi-subconscious thought popped into my head:  How did he know this place was perfect for a Valentine's Day date?  Had he been here before? Perhaps with other Valentine's Day dates?  And just then, as if he were reading my mind, he said to me, "Oh, by the way....I was only here once before, a long time ago, for a work function."  Ha!  I had to laugh and confess my thoughts.

So anyway, I'll leave the juicy details of our evening to your imagination and only say that we started our meal with a charcuterie board and Boy Toy let me pick my favorites.  He also let me choose the wine and I settled on Foghead Sauvignon Blanc.  My dinner choice was a linguine pasta dish with shrimp, asparagus, roasted red peppers and prosciutto.  It was delicious and the perfect portion size left just enough room for our creme brulee dessert (and I was nice and let Boy Toy choose that.) 

I've been dreaming of that pasta dish ever since February so I whipped up a tasty replication in the kitchen not long ago.  It was a day of love all over again!

Sante' Shrimp & Linguine
Serves 4

Printable Recipe

24-30 medium-large shrimp, deveined and peeled (41-60 count)
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup white wine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon McCormick Montreal Seasoning
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained
1/2 box linguine
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Turn the broiler on "High."  Cut grape tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil, course salt (sea salt) and freshly ground pepper.  Roast for about 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add shrimp to the pan along with red pepper flakes and Montreal seasoning.  Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add lemon juice and wine to pan along with peas, olives and artichoke hearts.  Cook until shrimp are opaque and pink (about 1-2 minutes more). 

Remove from heat.  Add lemon zest and roasted tomatoes.  Toss the shrimp mixture with drained linguine.  Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese. 

Years ago when I first started my catering business, I was so excited to share the same foods that I loved with my clients.  It took me a few times of developing menus for potential parties to learn that not everyone likes what I like and I remember one client commenting that I must also own a goat farm because her menu was so laden with dishes containing my beloved goat cheese.  To this day I'll never understand anyone who doesn't like that stuff. 

One summer, I picked up a lucrative contract to provide box lunches for several weeks to school teachers who were attending training seminars.  We did several varieties of the boxes but they all included the standard fare you see in those types of meals:  sandwich, side salad, and dessert.  I prepared this lovely recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa for roasted vegetables with orzo as a side dish for one round of the box lunches.   When the call came to place the next order, the person followed up by saying, "Please don't send any more of that orzo stuff."   I immediately went into panic mode thinking something had been wrong with the food and when I asked why, she simply said, "They were afraid of it."

Afraid. 

Of pasta. 

I was in such disbelief I couldn't even laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement.  But I giggle now every time I make this dish because I can't help but remember that conversation. 

So consider yourself warned, faint-of-heart readers, because here's the recipe for Orzo with Roasted Vegetables.  I promise it's nothing to be afraid of and it's very simple to make.  Choose a good olive oil because it is really the star ingredient of the dish.  Most times I leave the pine nuts out because my grocery store insists on hiding them from me.  And I've heard rumors that goat cheese works well in place of the feta.  


Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten as published in Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the Dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

When the temperature drops below 70 degrees, you won't be seeing me out and about unless it's absolutely necessary. The least little drop in temperature and loss of humidity turns me into a frigid Ice Queen and makes me want to shut myself up in the warm confines of my house until next spring. (Okay, so according to a few of my former husbands, I'm an Ice Queen pretty much any time of year but that's a different story altogether.) I just wish it could stay the perfect temperature of 72.5 all year long.

But I suppose if the temperatures never changed, there would be no need for warm comfort foods such as these South of the Border Shells (affectionately referred to as SOBs in my household). These delicious shells offer a twist on typical Italian themed stuffed shells because they are stuffed with a combination of ground beef, green chilies, and Southwestern spices then topped with picante sauce. I highly recommend using a medium or hot (if you dare) picante to give the shells a boost of flavor.

When these appear on the Wish Upon A Chef menu, you can bet that my summer clothes have already been archived to the back of the closet, the fuzzy blanket is on the bed and the heat pump thermostat is pegged to a nice, toasty temperature. I'll see you folks when I'm finished hibernating, but in the meantime enjoy these SOBs!

South of the Border Stuffed Shells
Source: ilovepasta.org
Servings: 6

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
24 jumbo pasta shells
1 16 oz. jar picante sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 4 oz. can green chilies -- chopped
1/2 cup canned corn -- drained
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese -- grated

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Mix picante sauce, tomato sauce and water in small bowl. In a skillet, cook onion, garlic and ground beef in oil over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender (if using non-stick skillet, use only 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil). Remove from heat and drain off fat. Add chili powder, chopped green chilies, corn, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 cup picante sauce mixture to meat mixture.

Preheat oven to 350. Pour half of remaining picante sauce mixture in bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of mixture and place shells in baking dish. Pour remaining picante mixture over top of shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

* This recipe can be assembled and frozen. To bake, thaw at room temperature for 8 hours and bake as directed above.

I'm not much of a shopper when it comes to clothes, shoes, purses and other "girlie" things. While my closet may contain vintage clothing in the truest sense, you can bet my pantry is over-flowing with food stuff and that I own the latest and greatest kitchen appliance and tableware. I'd go stark naked before I'd go without shopping for what I love most.

So it came to be that I was the laughing stock of all my friends ~ evidently sporting popped up collars on a Members Only jacket and huge earrings are no longer all the rage.  Like, when did that become totally uncool?  It couldn't be avoided it any longer ~ it was time to rid my closet of leg warmers, puffed sleeves, shoulder pads, and stirrup pants which pretty much did leave me naked and needing to go shopping. 

I loaded up my arms at my favorite little boutique and headed to the dressing room to slip out of my comfy stretch pants and into some new threads.  But the funny thing was, nothing seemed to fit!  I double checked the size on the tags and sure enough they were the same as my discarded pile of 80's memorabilia, but things were a little more snug in certain areas.  Could it be that they've...GASP! changed the sizing charts since the last time I shopped for clothes??  Yeah, I'm thinking that's exactly it because there is no way that my waist, thighs, and butt have expanded that much.  Right?

I made a few purchases and headed home amidst thoughts of how to go about getting a handle on my love handles.  Exercise?  Diet?  Ugh...it was just too much to think about on an empty stomach.  I figured I'd start fresh tomorrow with a plan of action.  In the meantime, what better way to beat the "I'm no longer a size 4" blues than with a pan of Baked Ziti loaded with cheesy goodness?

The recipe came from a recipe forum that I used to frequent and makes a huge pan of pasta ~ I suggest a deep 9x13 pan if you choose to make just one pan.  I usually divide it up into a couple of smaller pans for the freezer, as it freezes beautifully.  Just prepare it up to the point of baking and freeze.  Thaw before baking. 


NENZ'S BAKED ZITI

1 pound dry ziti pasta or rigatoni
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1.) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2.) In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over
medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the
ziti, all the Provolone cheese and sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture,
remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4.) Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Even with as many cookbooks and recipe resources that I have access to, I am a creature of habit when it comes to preparing dinners. Always defaulting to what is familiar, I've now grown tired of all my favorite "go to" recipes and taken to my over-burdened cookbook shelves for inspiration and new ideas.

Not only was this vintage Cooking Light recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta quick and easy, it was delicious too ~ you'd never really suspect it was "light" because the cream sauce is rich and flavorful. According to the Cooking Light statistics, a 2 cup serving has 493 calories and 5g of fat (we'll not discuss the fact that it has 63.3g of carbs). Honestly, I couldn't eat a 2 cup serving of this in one sitting because it was that rich and the Cajun seasoning added just the right amount of spiciness to the dish. I'm thinking you could just as easily use shrimp in place of the chicken if you preferred.

I can gawr-on-tee even Justin Wilson would be pleased with this Cajun dish!

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cooking Light Annual Cookbook 2001
Yield: 4 servings (serving size 2 cups)

1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
cooking spray (I prefer a drizzle of olive oil)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions
8 ounces uncooked linguine
2 cups evaporated fat-free milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I used closer to 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Combine uncooked chicken and Cajun seasoning in a ziplock bag or small bowl and shake or stir to coat well. Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray (or olive oil) over medium heat. Add chicken mixture and saute for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and onions and cook for three minutes. Stir in cooked and drained pasta and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and serve immediately.

Back in the glory days of catering, I was guilty of strictly promoting menu items that appealed to my personal tastes. Menus were designed based on the foods that I would like to have at a party if I were a guest and I would always be baffled when the client would come back and request totally different selections. It was a bitter pill to swallow when I realized not everyone loves goat cheese and eggplant Parmesan as much as I do. How can that be??

So I share with you yet another Rachel Ray recipe (and then I promise I'll get off my RR soapbox), even though it was not one of my favorites. I felt the Gorgonzola cheese was a bit over-powering even though I only used 5 oz. and not the full 8 oz. called for in the recipe. You have to be a real lover of the stuff for this. It's very rich and I'll admit to adding a bit of jarred spaghetti sauce (go ahead and judge me for not slaving over the stove and making it from scratch) just to tone down the creamy, moldy richness of the sauce. But hey, just because I don't like it doesn't mean you won't think it's the best thing since sliced bread, right?

Grab your EVOO and your garbage bowl and enjoy Rachel's Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce.

Ingredients

* 16 crimini caps, cleaned with a damp towel and finely chopped in food processor
* 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
* 1 package frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and squeezed dry
* Salt and pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
* 2 cups part-skim ricotta
* 8 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (12-14 minutes)
* 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
* 8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1-1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preparation

In a medium skillet over moderate heat, sauté mushrooms, chopped onions and garlic in EVOO until mushrooms give off their juices and darken and onions are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; the salt will help draw water out of the vegetables as they cook.

Add dry chopped spinach to the pan and heat through for about 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Add ricotta and stir into mixture to heat cheese through, about 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat but leave in the warm skillet.

Heat broth in a small pan over moderate heat. Melt Gorgonzola into broth and bring liquid to a bubble. Stir in cream and thicken sauce, about 2 minutes.

Place cooked lasagna noodles on a large work surface or cutting board. Spread lasagna noodles with a layer of spinach-mushroom filling. Roll up pasta and arrange the eight bundles in a shallow casserole dish. Pour warm sauce over roll-ups and top with mozzarella. Place casserole under broiler to melt cheese.

Is it true that those closest to you know you best?

Oh, sure they may know exactly what drink to order for you at the bar or they may know your favorite flavor of ice cream and that you love garlic stuffed olives from the olive bar at Harris Teeter. But do they really and truly know what makes you tick? I think not.

Case in point....someone very close to me and who once revered me as an independent, got-it-going-on kind of girl told me not long ago that I had no idea what it took to live in the real world. Huh??? I made it just fine on my own before and when I look at my life today, I see that not only am I surviving, I'm flourishing. I've managed to acquire a well paying job. I bought a cute little house and I have a ton of friends. Oh, yeah...and I mowed my lawn last week {yet another impossibility according to Captain You-Are-So-Wrong}. And I did every bit of it all by my own self!

NEVER, EVER tell me that I can't do something because I will do it or die!

And so it was with that same fervidity that I joined the ranks of the awesome group known as The Daring Bakers. My friend Lis over at La Mia Cucina has practically begged me for over a year to join. Well, okay...that's not entirely true. She asked nicely once or twice but I put her off because my life was so upside down at the time. But now that I'm ready to face challenges in the real world, I figured I was ready for the first challenge that the DB'ers threw my way.

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Now, ya'll know I love all things Italian. And Lord knows I've made my fair share of Italian recipes. But this, my friends, is a real Italian recipe and not an Americanized version with noodles from a box and sauce from a jar. No sir. This was a crank out your own handmade noodles {but only after the cramps in your pectorals have subsided from the kneading process}, and you can't take a nap on Sunday because the ragu has to simmer for 2-1/2 hours kind of recipe.

This challenge was a 3 day process for me but only because I decided to divide it up that way and two of my three components seemingly had major issues. Shall we take a bet before reading any further as to whether or not my challenge was successful and I can claim a high rate of survival in the real world?

The whole point of being a DB'er is to get you out of your kitchen comfort zone and while the technique aspects of this challenge weren't new to me, the flavor aspects were. The ragu featured not only ground beef but ground pork, ground veal, pancetta, and proscuitto. All of this was browned and simmered with chicken stock, red wine, and milk. As someone who doesn't eat alot of meat to begin with, has serious issues with meatloaf, and an aversion to a dairy product on her hamburger, you're gonna take all the animals on the farm and cook them together along with some milk? Yeah, right! I should mention here that my ragu did not look nor smell very appetizing after it was finished. Seriously, folks...it took 2 days for me to get the smell out of my house. I was close to chalking the ragu up as a failure but my faithful DB pep squad cheered me on and assured me that all was not lost.
As I was heating it for final assembly, I added a few more crushed tomatoes and some tomato juice from the can both of which went a long way toward making it look more appealing.

The second day of prep was the homemade pasta. My first attempt at making pasta turned out quite well, so I thought this would be a breeze. Ha! Do something once and you think you have it mastered, do ya? I wound up adding 2 extra eggs and I think I could have added another because the flour would NOT come together as dough. Let's not mention that I added 10 ounces of spinach because I had no use for the leftover 4 ounces from the box AND I forgot to finely chop the spinach per the recipe instructions. After it finally starts to resemble dough, I'm kneading, kneading, kneading {dear Lord I'm needing this pasta to turn out right!} for what seems like forever but only 3 of the 10 minutes have passed. Total lightweight, I am. I start cranking it through my pasta machine, going through each setting, trying to achieve the transparency that is required but I think my spinach was a little too coarse to achieve the proper transparency. My noodles were so transparent, they actually had holes. By this point I really didn't give a flip because it was getting late and I was losing my patience so I slapped the noodles on the only thing I had lying around that could be used for a drying rack.

Are you laughing out loud yet? Because I was {and still am} at the sight of pasta hanging in my laundry room. Appetizing, huh? In retrospect, the hangers were not wide enough to keep the noodles from touching and gluing themselves together once they were dried. I didn't even share this perceived failure with my DB pep squad for surely they'd ban me from the group.

The final day of prep started only after I had trimmed trees in my back yard {is there no limit to the things I can do all on my own now??} and was dog tired. The bechamel came together with no problems and I boiled the crumbled, pitiful pasta noodles. Out of the water, they looked like masses of wet Kleenex.

Was there hope for survival?

Fully assembled, it didn't look half bad and honestly, when it came out of the oven I was quite pleased with how well it looked and smelled. Also impressive was how nicely it held together after it was sliced and plated. The taste? I will be honest and say that I didn't particularly care for the flavors of the ragu. It was bit rich and too heavy for me. I'm also ashamed to say that most of the lasagna went uneaten and into the trash.

The final verdict?

Success in the world of The Daring Bakers! Bring on the next challenge!

Please make sure you visit all the lovely Daring Baker blogs and especially vist the lovely hosts and author links shown below.

Enza - da grande
Melinda - Melbourne Larder
Mary - Beans and Caviar
Lynne Rossetto Kasper - The Splendid Table

The economy is bad, people. I don't need to tell you that.

TV and newspapers are deluged with gloom and doom and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. I'm trying my very best not to participate in this so-called recession/depression business. I pumped plenty of money into the crumbled mess of a housing market back in December and along with that came the never-ending outflow of money for general "stuff" for the new house. I wrote a big check to the hard working laborers who installed the fence in my backyard and I feel it's my civic duty to fill my calendar with social outings just so I can support the local restaurants and wine bars. And there is my HUGE patriotic boost to the economy coming up on April 15th.

It is a time for conservation and for being creative to make use out of what you already have on hand. We just have to roll with the flow and ride it out until good times are on the horizon again....

And that's exactly what I did a couple of weekends ago when I invited my friend C. over for dinner. It had been my intention to prepare a nice hearty lasagna smothered with meat sauce that had simmered all afternoon on my stove. I envisioned a nice loaf of homemade yeast bread rising in the afternoon warmth on my counter, waiting to be baked off right before he arrived. A sinfully rich Italian dessert would cap off our evening meal before we parked ourselves on the couch for a Netflix movie.

What I wanted and what I managed to pull together at the last minute were too entirely different things since I wound up spending most of that morning and early afternoon at the emergency vet clinic for my sweet baby Jesse James who had not been feeling well. This totally unexpected boost to the economy recessed my wallet and depressed me tremendously but I had to keep rolling with the flow. I had to get something pulled together quickly.
I opted for spinach and ricotta lasagna rolls with a bechamel sauce topped with a semi-homemade marinara sauce. These rolls, like "regular" lasagna, could easily be adapted to include ground beef or any variety of veggies to keep it vegetarian and are quick and easy to assemble. I just went with what I had on hand. I've never been a fan of ricotta cheese - growing up, my mother always used cottage cheese in her lasagna and even now that's what I prefer - but I had ricotta on hand and so ricotta it was. A quick trip to the grocery produced a loaf of bread and a ripe cantaloupe that I cubed and drizzled with a red wine reduction sauce, and dinner and dessert were served up right on time!

Ya just gotta roll with it, baby!

{and on a side note: my punkin is very diligently following the doctor's orders of getting plenty of rest and is feeling much better these days!}



Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
serves 4


for the bechamel sauce:

4 TBLS butter
4 TBLS flour
2 cups milk
dash nutmeg

for the lasagna rolls:

8 lasagna noodles, cooked per package directions
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
your favorite marinara sauce
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and nutmeg and gently heat through, just until sauce thickens. Do not boil. Ladle the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the ricotta, spinach, egg, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly over each cooked lasagna noodle. Roll noodles but don't press down on them or your filling will smoosh out. Place rolls on top of the bechamel without touching them together. Ladle marinara over the rolls and top with shredded cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or so until the cheese is lightly browned.

My dear readers, I'm so pleased to finally announce that after much stress, many delays and writing a really, really BIG check, I am once again a proud home owner!

My little house here in the Queen City is just perfect and now that my furniture has been collected from across three states and I'm starting to unpack boxes and get settled in, it makes the whole stressful ordeal worthwhile. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to live and die in this house because I'm not too eager to have to go through the process of buying a new home again! Without boring you with the details and reliving the whole nightmare once again, let me just give you a word (or two) of advice.....if you haven't reviewed your credit report in a while, DO IT NOW! You are entitled to a free report once a year and it can be accessed at FreeCreditReport.com. You should review your report for any errors and mistakes and follow up on any reporting issues that you are concerned about.

Enough with the Public Service Announcements...on to the good stuff!

A few posts ago, I talked about how some good ole' home cooking was medicine for the soul and how I found myself turning to it during times of stress. There are some days when nothing sets the world back on track like a big plate of carbohydrates smothered in cream sauce and that's exactly what today's dish is all about. I actually prepared this a few weeks ago while I was still in my temporary living quarters and just haven't had a chance to share it with you - I've been a little busy folks....cut me some slack! :)
See the current state of my kitchen??

This dish pushes me to the boundaries of what I enjoy in a meal and what I mean by that is, I typically do not enjoy cream based sauces and I don't particularly care for mushrooms and this is full of both items. As I was flipping through my recipe repertoire one evening, I came across this and it screamed my name. Well, actually it just whispered my name but it was enough to get my attention. I used shiitake mushrooms in place of your regular, garden variety shrooms because I've found that my taste buds have matured enough to be convinced that shiitakes aren't all that bad. I think next time I'll add a bit of roasted red bell pepper or pimentos just to liven it up with a little color.

Be prepared - this recipe makes enough to feed an army, so save it for when you've had a really, really, really stressful day or when you feel like inviting the whole neighborhood over for dinner. Enjoy!

















* Exported from MasterCook *

Shrimp Tetrazzini

Serving Size : 6
Categories : Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup green onions -- thinly sliced
5 Tablespoons flour
2 1/2 Cups chicken broth
1/2 Cup clam juice
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1/2 Cup heavy cream
3 Teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese -- shredded
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 Pound shiitake mushrooms -- sliced
8 Ounces spaghetti
4 Cups shrimp -- shelled & deveined
pepper -- to taste

Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a pan; add onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp and cook just until pink, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and vegetables from the pan and set aside. Stir flour into pan and gradually blend in chicken broth, clam juice, wine, cream, and oregano. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes after sauce begins to simmer. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese.

While sauce is cooking, bring to a boil a quantity of salted water; add the noodles and cook them until they are al dente; then drain.

Combine sauce, noodles, shrimp and vegetables, and season with pepper to taste. Pour into a large shallow casserole or individual casseroles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375F until bubbling, about 15 minutes for large casserole or 8 minutes for small ones. Broil top until lightly browned.

Source:
"adapted from personal chef recipe from Candy Wallace"

Not quite my dears, but have no fear - the holiday weekend is right around the corner and that means an extra day of rest and relaxation! I plan to take full advantage of the three day weekend, having worked hard in the kitchen all week. My personal kitchen, that is. With a whole week of menu planning and prep almost under my belt, I have enough food in my fridge to feed an army!

Thursday's menu was quite simple and featured yet another of Bon Appetit's recipes. I think I should probably broaden my horizons and subscribe to another magazine or else get a job as a recipe tester for BA. I wonder if they pay well?

Penne with Greens, Feta, & Olives was a light and tasty vegetarian dish (dare I even say it seemed to taste better when I had it for lunch the next day?) and is perfect for summer. It's quick and easy so you're not toiling over a hot stove during the sweltering summer heat. Can you believe the temps have already reached 91?? I loved the saltiness of the Kalamata olives and I decided to add just a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little extra zing. Just make sure you wash your spinach really well if you aren't purchasing the prewashed bagged kind.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Penne with Greens, Olives & Feta

Serving Size : 4
Categories : Pasta,Vegetarian

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon -- juiced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large bunch spinach greens (about 10 cups packed) -- washed, and stems removed
12 ounces penne
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Mix parsley, lemon peel in small bowl; set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add greens and cook just until tender, 1 to 6 minutes, depending on type of greens. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer greens to colander to drain. Return water to boil. Add pasta and cook just until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. In the meantime, saute garlic in a bit of oil. Return pasta to pot; add greens oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and toss. Stir in olives, feta, lemon juice and enough reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupful to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley mixture and serve.

Source:
"adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2008"
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NOTES : Tasted better the next day!

I am all about comfort... comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, comfortable life. The first thing I do after a hard day of work is jump into a nice, warm shower and change into my flannel pjs, all in the name of comfort. You won't find me in clothes that bind or shoes that pinch....no sir!

And so it was no wonder that I felt compelled to participate in Meeta's Monthly Mingle once I saw the Comfort Food theme. Stick-to-your-ribs foods of sustenance come into play this time of year particularly because of the cold weather. People want to hibernate, sit by a warm fire and enjoy the slower, more relaxed pace that comes with cold weather. I know I am not alone in wanting to do all of these warm and fuzzy things - I also see it with my catering clients. Last week, I had three requests for pans of our lasagna and knowing all too well the need to feed cold bones and shivering souls, I was happy to oblige.

The meals coming out of my personal kitchen have been laden with starch and much heavier than usual - beef tips over noodles, lasagna, pork chops with mac & cheese, and one of my all-time favorite pasta meals, South of the Border Stuffed Shells (or as my staff affectionately calls them, SOBs). I love these shells because I typically get caught up in the idea that everything pasta should be Italian but stuffed with ground beef, green chilies, and topped with picante sauce, these are far from that mind set. This is a great recipe for preparing ahead and storing unbaked in your freezer. So while these are baking, put on your flannel jammies, wrap up in a blankie on the couch in front of the fire, pop a movie in the DVD, enjoy and most importantly...stay warm!



* Exported from MasterCook *

South of the Border Stuffed Shells

Recipe By :ilovepasta.org
Serving Size : 6
Categories : Beef Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
24 jumbo pasta shells
1 16 oz. jar picante sauce (I use medium, but if you like it hot, go for it!)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tsp chili powder
1 4 oz. can green chiles -- chopped
1/2 cup canned corn -- drained
1 cup monterey jack cheese -- grated

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.
Mix picante sauce, tomato sauce and water in small bowl. In a skillet, cook onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender. Remove from heat and drain off fat. Add chili powder, chopped green chilies, corn, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and 1/2 cup picante sauce mixture to meat mixture.
Preheat oven to 350F. Pour half of remaining picante sauce mixture in bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of mixture and place shells in baking dish. Pour remaining picante mixture over top of shells. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

* This recipe can be assembled and frozen. To bake, thaw at room temperature for 8 hours and bake as directed above.