Mastering the Menu

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup

2011-08-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

5 1/2 c water
5 tsp chicken bouillon powder or granules or 5 bouillon cubes
1/2 c heavy cream
5 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
1 bunch chopped kale
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cook sausage; add a little water, cover and cook over medium-low heat. Brown on each side, adding a little water to pan as needed. Cook to 180 degrees, or no longer pink inside. Peel and dice potatoes. Rinse and chop kale into bite-sized pieces; removing and discarding ends. Finely dice onions. Once sausage is cooked, remove from pan and add onions. Cook for several minutes and then add water and broth powder. Add whipping cream and potatoes. Cut sausage in half lengthwise, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to pot. Add kale. Cook for a few minutes. Add red pepper flakes. Simmer until potatoes and kale are tender.

Cilantro-Scallion Bread

2011-07-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

2 teaspoons dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1 1/4 chopped scallions
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 sesame seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar over, let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes

Place flour, butter, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining teaspoon sugar, in a mixing bowl with dough hook attached. Rub in butter with fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in egg, yolk, and yeast mixture, scraping down the sides.

knead on medium speed until dough is soft and smooth. about 5 minutes. Form dough into ball and cover and let rise until doubled. about an hour.

Meanwhile, combine scallions and cilantro in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in sesame seeds and olive oil and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough into a 18x9 rectangle. Spoon scallion mixture evenly onto center and spread mixture to corner of dough. Working from one short edge, roll dough into a cylinder. Cute cylinder into 3/4 inch dough swirls. Transfer dough swirls to prepared baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until golden brown about 20 minutes.

Buttermilk Syrup

2011-07-31T14:53:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

combine all ingredients expect vanilla. Boil for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Meatballs with Creamy Tomato-Basil Sauce

2011-07-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

1lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix

1 cup water

2 eggs

Make It

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

LINE 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans with foil; spray with cooking spray. Mix ingredients until blended; shape into 32 (1-1/2-inch) balls, using 1/4 cup for each.

PLACE 16 meatballs in each prepared pan. Bake 16 to 18 min. or until done (160ºF).

COMBINE half the meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce

Mix 1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce, 2 oz. cubed PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil in large skillet; cook on medium-low heat 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 16 hot meatballs; stir to evenly coat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese before serving. Makes 4 servings, 4 meatballs and 1/3 cup sauce each.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

2011-07-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

½ c butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
1-½ c all-purpose flour
½ c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Ranger Cookies

2011-07-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups wheaties cereal
1 1/2 cup coconut

mix shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. stir in all dry ingredients. dough will be stiff. make a small golf size ball and place on a non greased cookie sheet. bake until set but not hard, about 9-11 minutes. cool for 3 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Tinfoil dinner

2011-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb ground hamburger
1 package dry Lipton onion soup mix
2 carrots(grated)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1 medium potato(grated)
1 yellow pepper(chopped)
salt and pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a cookie sheet in to heat up
mix Lipton onion soup mix into raw hamburger
take two long pieces of tinfoil and make and x
spray with cooking spray
place meat down first and add toppings.
sprinkle salt and pepper for more taste
take one piece tinfoil and fold it together and wrap again with the other piece, making sure nothing with leak.
repeat steps to make the second one
place on hot cookie sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes

Fruit Smoothie

2011-07-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

1 cup strawberries (frozen)
1/2 cup blueberries (frozen)
1 banana
1 peach or mango
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk

blend together and enjoy. Serves 2

Banana Bread

2011-07-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Fire and ice watermelon salsa

2011-07-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

3 cups seedless watermelon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
2 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers

mix everything together and serve with your favorite chips

Flag Cookie

2011-07-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough*

2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups quartered fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Press cookie dough into a greased 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

Spread cream cheese mixture over crust. Decorate with blueberries and strawberries to resemble a flag.

Shepard's Pie

2011-07-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

1/4 lb ground hamburger
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
4 large potatoes
1/2 cub butter
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

brown the meat until no longer pink. drain. add diced tomatoes and peas. meanwhile, peal and chopped potatoes and bring a medium sauce pan full of water to a boil. cook potatoes until they are tender with a fork. mash potatoes in a mixer with butter and add salt and pepper for taste. in a 9x9 casserole dish cover the bottom with meat mixture and top with mashed potatoes. sprinkle with cheese on top.
bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and cheese is completely melted.

Chicken and wildrice casserole

2011-07-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

ingredients:
2 6-oz. pkgs. quick-cooking long-grain & wild rice with seasoning packets {rice-a-roni, uncle ben's, etc}
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 cups water

directions:
gently stir together all ingredients. spread into an ungreased 9x13 pan. bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. serves 6-8.

Pumpkin Pancakes and Apple Cider Syrup

2011-04-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk ( substitute with 1 1/2 cup milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and let it stand and thicken for ten minutes)
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

In one bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vinegar. Combine dry ingredients separately and then stir into pumpkin mixture just until combined. Heat your pan or griddle, using a 1/4 cup mix for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot with apple cider syrup.

Apple Cider Syrup

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups apple juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Pecans
Mix sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg well. Add apple cider and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Add pecans.

carmel popcorn

2011-04-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Crock Pot Honey Lime Chicken

2011-04-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

3 chicken breast
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Small can green enchilada sauce
Cheddar cheese (shredded)
Tortilla shells

Cook chicken in crock pot on high for 2 hours or until cooked
Shred chicken and place back in crock pot
add: honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and 1 cup enchilada sauce
Cook on low for 1 more hour to let the flavors marry.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and top with more enchilada sauce
serve with rice.

Sweet Potato Fries

2011-04-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

3 large sweet potatoes or yams
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place two rimmed baking sheets in the oven while it preheats and while you prepare the potatoes (about 10 minutes). Peel the potatoes and slice the potatoes into about 1/4- to 1/2-inch strips or wedges. Try to keep most of the pieces the same size so they bake evenly.

Place the potato strips/wedges in a ziploc bag or bowl. Toss the potatoes with the oil. Add the seasonings and mix until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Carefully remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and divide the potatoes evenly among the two sheets, taking care the potatoes are not touching so they have plenty of room for the air circulate to circulate and bake evenly. Also, try to leave any excess oil in the bag or bowl so the potatoes don’t get too soggy while they bake.

Bake the potatoes for about 25- 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, if desired, until they are tender and well-browned. Serve immediately.

Mexican Lasagna

2011-04-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

*Serves 6-8

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
1 (6 ounce) can olives, chopped
9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand), or boil and drain regular lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 container ricotta cheese

Sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine well and cook for about a minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the black beans, corn and olives. Mix well and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer three (or four, depending on the brand of noodles you use) noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta cheese (just pinch off chunks and toss them on top) across the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat the layers two more times until all the ingredients are used.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

Top with sour cream on each piece.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

2011-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Filling:

1 - 12 ounce (340 grams) bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

2 cups (480 ml) water

zest of one lemon or orange

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups (200 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed Digestive biscuits

2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

24 ounces (680 grams) (3 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon (12 grams) all purpose flour

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cranberry Filling: In a medium sized saucepan, place cranberries, sugar, and water. Then, over medium-high heat, cook the ingredients until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and gently boil the filling, stirring often to prevent the filling from burning, until it becomes thick and syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups (480 ml). This takes about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the zest, and let cool completely before using. (I like to make and refrigerate the cranberry filling the day.)

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake: Grease, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) round springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.

Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (can use a hand mixer) place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour half the cheesecake filling into the pan. Take one-half cup of the cranberry filling and place spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and then swirl gently with a knife. Top with the remaining cheesecake batter. Spoon another one-half cup of the cranberry filling over the cheesecake batter and swirl gently with a knife. (Note: You will have leftover cranberry filling which can be served with the baked cheesecake.) Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan (to catch any drips) and place in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for another 60 to 70 minutes or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).

Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated at least eight hours or overnight.

Serves about 12-14 people.

Spicy Mac and Three Cheeses with Broccoli

2011-01-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

4 cups broccolini florets, chopped broccoli rabe or broccoli florets
Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne, twists or elbows or brown rice pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, very finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small Fresno chili pepper or red cherry pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
Pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded yellow sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup aged Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmigiano Reggaino cheese, freshly shredded
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped

Preparation

Bring a few inches of water to a boil. Salt the water and parboil the broccolini, rabe or broccoli for 4-5 minutes. Drain and cold shock, then dry on kitchen towels.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta and undercook the pasta by about 2 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Heat a saucepot over medium heat with the EVOO and butter. Sauté the shallots, garlic and chili pepper for 2-3 minutes, then add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season the sauce with salt and pepper; melt in the cheddar and Gouda.

Combine the pasta with the broccolini, rabe or broccoli and the sauce and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, sprinkle with fresh thyme and bake until brown and bubbly.

Sweet n sticky sesame chicken

2011-01-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
10 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, divided
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tbsp. lite/low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tbsp. thinly sliced scallions
Optional: crushed red pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place chicken in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and cover with egg substitute. Toss to coat and set aside.

Place 2 tbsp. flour in another bowl. Use a fork to transfer half of the chicken to the flour bowl, allowing excess egg substitute to drain back into the egg bowl. Thoroughly coat chicken with flour, and then transfer to the baking sheet. Wipe the bowl clean, and then repeat with remaining flour and chicken.

Bake chicken in the oven until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine broth with cornstarch in a small nonstick pot and stir to dissolve. Add syrup, vinegar, ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Mix well and bring to medium heat on the stove. Stirring often, cook until thick enough to coat a spoon, 2 - 3 minutes. Set aside.

Place cooked chicken in a bowl, top with sauce, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. If you like, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Pesto-Presto Chicken

2011-01-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

3 tablespoons pine nuts
8 -10 basil leaves, about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 round(50z) soft garlic herb cheese
1/2 cup parmo cheese
salt and pepper
4 pieces of chicken
tomatoes or avocados
2 tablespoons EVVO

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a small pan heat pine nuts in the oven so they are lightly toasted: set aside to cool
In the bowl of a food processor: combine basil, parsley, pine nuts, cheese, and 1/4 cup parmo cheese.
Season with a little salt and pepper and process until smooth.
Butterfly each piece of chicken by cutting each piece in the middle but not all the way through.
Open the two half(just like opening a book)
Pound both sides with a mallet until 1/4 inch thickness
Season both sides with salt and pepper
Divide the cheese mixture into four equal amounts
Place an equal amount of cheese on each chicken beast and fold together.
Transfer chicken to a baking dish and place three slices of tomatoes on top of each chicken breast.
Drizzle the EVOO over the entire dish and sprinkle with remaining parmo cheese.
Bake chicken until it's cooked all the way through about 30 minutes.
Optional: top with avocados

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles with Blackberry Maple Syrup

2011-01-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

2 cups flour
1 table spoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 can club soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. Whisk together club soda, egg, and butter in a small bowl, gently whisk egg mixture into poppy seed mixture. Mixture will be lumpy. Let stand 3 minutes.
Cook batter in a preheated, oiled waffle iron until golden

Blackberry Maple Syrup

1/2 cup maple syrup
1 package blackberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, heat on stove until warm.

Sloppy Lasagna

2010-11-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 pounds curly edge lasagna noodles
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, grated or finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 fresh bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pinches ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
A handful basil leaves, torn
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 2 1/2 cups milk, eyeball the amount
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Break all of the pasta sheets into irregular, larger than single bite-sized pieces. Salt the water, then add the pasta and cook to a little shy of al dente. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat, press it into an even layer and brown it for 3 to 4 minutes before moving. Turn the meat and add the onions and grated carrot. Stir and cook a few minutes to soften, then add the garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper, to taste, and the cinnamon. Cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, wait for 1 minute then add the wine. Reduce for a minute more, then add the tomatoes, breaking them up as you stir. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the basil.

While the sauce simmers, in a medium sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and nutmeg, and season with salt, pepper, to taste. Let cook for a couple of minutes to thicken, then stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and turn off the heat.

Heat a broiler.

Add the meat sauce to the bowl with the pasta and toss. Layer half of the pasta into a lasagna pan and scatter with dollops of fresh ricotta cheese. Top with remaining pasta. Pour the white sauce over the pasta and scatter the remaining 1 cup of the grated cheese over the top. Put under the broiler to brown and bubble. Remove from the broiler and serve.

Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice

2010-11-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

*Serves 4-6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (10 oz.) cans green enchilada sauce (I recommend mild for those who don’t want much heat)
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves

Gently pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it is rippling and hot. Brown the chicken on each side for 1-2 minutes until it is golden but not cooked all the way through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

In the hot skillet, add the onion and poblano peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Add the enchilada sauce, rice and water, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and set the chicken breasts in the simmering rice mixture, nestling them in a bit. Cover the skillet, set the heat to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, stirring every five minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom.

Stir in the cilantro and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.