Baked Ziti - 2 Versions (Andrea and Marjorie)

.  When I followed this recipe, it was the best Baked Ziti I ever made.  Usually mine always came dry.

 

Baked Ziti
Ziti al Forno

serves: 6-8

Ingredients
kosher salt
1 pound ziti (I like the ziti rigatti  (the one with lines).  Holds the sauce better.
1 pound fresh ricotta , drained
9 fresh basil leaves
1 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut in 1-inch cubes (not fresh)
1 cup shredded provola (provolone)
5 cups Marinara sauce (See online recipe)

directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add ziti. Cook the ziti until just al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes, and drain.  (I usually cook at least 2 minutes less than box instructions).

Meanwhile, bring the marinara sauce to simmer in a large skillet. Stir in the ricotta and basil leaves.

Spread ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 15-by-10-inch Pyrex baking dish. Layer half of the ziti on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cubes and half of the provola. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over the cheese, and spread in an even layer. Top with the rest of the pasta, and spread 2 cups sauce over that layer of pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses, and dollop with the remaining ½ cup of sauce.

Place the dish in the oven and bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting. (If you want to assemble this ahead of time, bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, then, when ready to serve, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.)

 

As always, Bon Appetite!!!

 

This is basically the one that I follow.  As for the meatballs, I vary it. My husband is not a great fan of broken up meat in lasagna or baked ziti, so sometimes I do break up the meat (mostly for a large crowd) and sometimes I make it without the meat and serve the meatballs/sausage on the side.  I have used marinara sauce when I don't have any of my regular sauce made.  And because my husband likes it cheesy, I use 1 1/2 lbs ricotta per pound of mac.  Here goes:

 

1 pound ziti

1 container (1 lb) ricotta

1/4 pound mozzarella, diced (make it small or shred)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 egg

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon sauce (I use only homemade)

 

1. Cook ziti and drain

2. While ziti is cooking, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan/Romano, egg, salt, and pepper

3. Layer ziti, filling, and sauce in 13x9x2 baking dish, starting and ending with meat sauce

4. Bake in moderate over (350) 40 minutes till hot and bubbly.

 

All that being said, let it be known that I am basically a lazy bitch and will take faster means.  After I mix the cheese, etc. and drain the macaroni, I run cold water over the macaroni.  I cook it in a big pot because I need the room at this point to begin adding some of the cheese mixture (broken meat if using) and some sauce. I stir it gently, then add more cheese mixture and sauce, continuing till it's all combined.  Then I just dump it into the baking dish, sometimes adding a bit more sauce as I go along.  I finish with sauce on the top and some extra mozzarella.  For my OCD mine, it's easier than trying to be sure I have the same amount of the cheese mixture between layers.  I never make only one pound; if I'm going to do it I just double everything and freeze some. I bake what I need for the day/occasion and freeze the rest unbaked.  It might not sound possible, but I have served a LOT of people using 3 times the recipe.  You'll be surprised.

 

Enjoy!

xoxo

Andrea

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes (Marjorie)

Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

6 garden tomatoes (I also use large store bought)

Breadcrumbs

Inner pulp from tomatoes

Pecorino/Romano Grated Cheese

Fresh Parsley

Garlic Powder

Salt/Pepper to taste

Olive oil

375 degree oven

Can always add diced pepperoni, ham, salami, or whatever to spice up flavor

Cut off top of tomatoe.  Dice into small pieces. (place in mixing bowl)

Core out tomato using a fruit baller but leave about 1/2 inch wall and be careful not to puncture tomato.  Place pulp in mixing bowl.

Place tomatoes in greased baking dish

Salt inside of each tomatoe.

In bowl with tomatoe pulp and diced topping from tomato, chop well and add breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic powder and salt & pepper.  Mix together adding olive oil to make a nice, moist consistency.

Stuff into tomatoes, sprinkle tops with some breadcrumbs & cheese, and bake in 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Zucchini Pie - Marjorie

Zucchini Appetizer

                        3 cups Zucchini – thinly sliced, diced or grated (I use 2 and grate)

                        1 medium onion – chopped

                        1 cup Bisquick

                        4 large eggs (beaten)

                        ½ cup vegetable oil

                        1 ½ cups grated Italian cheese (Pecorino/Romano)

                        ½ tsp. butter

                        ¼ tsp. salt

                        ¼ tsp. pepper

                        Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and place in Pyrex 10 inch pie dish

                        (or 10 x 8 x 1 ¾ baking dish)

                        Cook at 350 for approximately 30 minutes or until nice golden brown (often cook                         for 40 minutes)

                        Chill to let set and serve either warm or at room temperature

Bon Appetite!!!

Entree - Crab Cakes - from Marjorie

1 lb lump crabmeat (picked over for any shells) I don't bother!!!

(I've used Sebastian Brand purchased in the A&P)

1 sleeve saltine crackers pounded into crumbs

2-3 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 egg (beaten)

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

Couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce or more

Can squeeze a lemon as well.

Salt & pepper to taste

Can add a small grated onion & use some cayenne pepper

When formed into cakes, you can dip in Panko breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping.

Above sounds like lots but no more than putting a good meatloaf or good hamburger together.

In a bowl combine the beaten egg, mayo, mustard, pepper, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce & Tabasco sauce.

Mix in a blender or by hand (using a whisk) until almost frothy (I just did it by hand until it looked good).

In another bowl, place crabmeat and sprinkle on the cracker crumbs & pour the egg mixture over the top.  Gently

toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crabmeat.

Form the cakes by hand (like a hamburger) but don't pack too firmly.  Place in refrig for about an hour to firm them up.

Cakes may be sauteed, broiled or deep fried (I preferred to saute first time out).  Next time I might broil.  If sauteing,

cooking time is brief, about 4-5 minutes on each side or until the cakes are nice and brown (golden or a bit deeper).

If you want to make homemade Tartar Sauce, here goes:

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles (I'm sure sour ones would do as well).

1/4 cup minced onions

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 tbsp pickle juice

Another good tasting dip is sour cream and horseradish.....with a little ketchup.  Amounts are your call.

Bon Appetite!!!

P.S.  You don't have to go to Maryland, Savannah or Chesapeake Bay to enjoy good crabcakes if you follow this recipe!!!

Hey, I did the hard work....now you just go and do it and enjoy them!!!!

Helpful Hints -- Marjorie

When you your gravy, soup or sauce, is too loose, sprinkle some instant mash potatoes into it, whisk in thoroughly and this will thicken it and add a nice flavor.

Entree - Braciole - from Marjorie

Traditional Stuffing for Braciole

Total ingredients to serve four:

• 3 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbls. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup, more or less, seasoned bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step one: Combine ingredients

Place the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add minced garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well.

Step two: Finish the stuffing

Slowly drizzle in the seasoned bread crumbs while mixing constantly. Use only enough bread crumbs to bring the mixture to a soft, spreadable paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt because of the amount of parmesan cheese that is already in the stuffing.

Beef Braciole

Total ingredients to serve four:

• 1 lb piece of beef flank steak or slices of thin cut round steak
• 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step one: Prepare the beef

Place the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is 1/8 inch thick and roughly rectangular in shape.

Step two: Stuff the braciole

Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season it lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the batch of traditional stuffing mix evenly over the surface of the meat. Leave 1/2 inch around the perimeter open. Tightly roll up the braciole longways. Tie both ends with a small piece of coarse kitchen string. Make several more ties every 3 inches over the length of the braciole.

Step three: Cook the braciole 

Lightly brown the braciole in the sauce pot when you start the red sauce, or brown lightly in a sauté pan and then add to red sauce. Stew for the 3 hours it takes to complete the sauce. When done, gently remove the cooked braciole and place on a cutting board. Remove the kitchen strings and slice on the diagonal. Serve with pasta.

Pork Braciole

Total ingredients to serve four:

• 8 pieces of boneless pork loin or pork chops, 2 to 3 ounces each
• 1 batch of traditional stuffing mix
• 1 Tbls. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup red sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Step one: Prepare the pork loin

Place each piece of the meat between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet until it is 1/8 inch thick and rectangular in shape.

Step two: Stuff the pork braciole

Lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide the batch of traditional stuffing mix into 8 portions. Spread each piece of pounded pork with a portion of the stuffing mix. Leave about 1/4 inch space around the perimeter of each piece. Tie both ends of each piece with a small piece of kitchen string. Make one additional tie in the center of each piece.

Step three: Cook the braciole

Lightly brown each piece in a sauté pan in a little olive oil. Place the browned pieces in a casserole dish. Place the red sauce, chicken stock, red wine and rosemary in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the braising liquid over the braciole in the casserole dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place in preheated 225 degree oven, and braise slowly for two hours. When done, remove from braising liquid and remove the kitchen string from each piece. Serve 1 or 2 pieces, whole or cut in half, with a little of the braising liquid drizzled over the meat. Accompany with pasta.

Breakfast - Baked French Toast - from Marjorie

Sally Jesse Raphael's Baked French Toast  

Ingredients

• 1 loaf white bread, cubed
• 1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, cubed
• 8-12 eggs depending on size
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup milk

directions

• Line bottom of 11X13 inch pan with half the bread cubes.
• Layer cream cheese cubes on top of bread.
• Put remaining bread cubes on top.
• Beat together eggs, maple syrup and milk in a large bowl.
• Pour over bread.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Next morning: Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes until light golden brown.
• Makes 8 servings.

Entree - Mini Macaroni and Cheese - from Marjorie

Mini Macaroni & Cheese

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups fat free evaporated milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
Grinding black pepper
2 cups grated reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 pound elbow or other small macaroni

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium size sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the onion. Cook until the onion is very soft but not brown. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir to combine the ingredients well. Slowly pour in the milk and stir over medium heat to combine the ingredients. Add the mustard, salt and pepper and continue to stir until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not make the sauce too thick. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and set the sauce aside off the heat and covered.

Cook the elbow macaroni in 6 cups of boiling salted water just until the macaroni is not hard any longer. Do not overcook the macaroni because it will also be baked.

Drain the macaroni in a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the macaroni to combine well. Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop and fill the cupcake pan with the macaroni mixture. Be sure to evenly fill the pan right to the rim.
Place the cupcake pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any spills.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese evenly over the macaroni and cheese

Bake for 30 minutes or just until the macaroni and cheese is set.

Turn on the broiler and broil the macaroni and cheese just until the tops are crusty brown.

Let the macaroni and cheese cool slightly in the pan before removing them individually with a butter knife. Serve

Entree - Sauteed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - from Marjorie courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

Sauteed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

(courtesy of America's Test Kitchen)

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat (see note)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 recipe pan sauce , optional (see related recipes)
• Do not use non-stick pan....if you plan on making the gravy.  Otherwise, okay to use.

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Using fork, poke thickest half of each breast 5 to 6 times; evenly sprinkle each breast with ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt). Place chicken, skinned side down, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake until thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 30 to 40 minutes.
• 2. Remove chicken from oven and transfer, skinned side up, to paper towel-lined plate and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. While pan is heating, whisk butter, flour, cornstarch, and pepper together in small bowl. Lightly brush top side of chicken with half of butter mixture. Place chicken in skillet, coated side down, and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. While chicken browns, brush with remaining butter mixture. Using tongs, flip chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cook until second side is browned and thickest part of breast registers 160 to 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest while preparing pan sauce (if not making pan sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving).

Technique

·         Flour and Cornstarch Coating

To end up with moist exteriors, our pan-seared boneless, skinless breasts needed light protection. But slurries made with melted butter and the usual suspects—cornstarch and flour—each had issues. Cornstarch is a pure starch prone to forming a gel that left pasty spots on the meat. The proteins in flour, on the other hand, link together to form gluten, leading to an overly tough, bready coating. Using a combination of cornstarch and flour, however, created the perfect light, crisp, evenly browned coating.

The explanation is simple: Each ingredient tempers the effect of the other. With flour in the mix, the cornstarch is sufficiently diluted by protein to prevent it from forming a paste, whereas the protein is diluted enough that it doesn’t cause the crust to become bready.

Dessert - Blueberry Cake (from Carin (Valerie Bertinelli's recipe)

I just made this for our family last night and Chris and Melody loved it. It is also a bit more healthy at 188 calories per serving.

• 2 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
• 3 3/4 cup(s) (plus 1 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 3/4 cup(s) buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup(s) canola oil
• 2 teaspoon(s) (grated) lemon zest
• 2 cup(s) (or one 12-oz pkg) frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoon(s) coarse sugar, (such as Sugar in the Raw)

---

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-in. springform pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, salt and 3¾ cups flour; make a well in the center.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, buttermilk, granulated sugar, oil and lemon zest. Pour into the well of flour and stir to combine (a few lumps in the batter are OK—do not overmix).
4. In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining Tbsp flour to evenly coat. Fold all but ½ cup of the blueberries into the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and top with the remaining ½ cup blueberries.
5. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar and bake until cake is brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold (remove the outer ring) and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Entree - Macaroni Pie (from Scottos via Marjorie)

I used hot sausage in lieu of sweet.  A large bag of leaf spinach (thawed).  Lots more garlic.  Locatelli cheese instead of parmesan (just personal preference).  Had deli man cut me a 1/2 inch  chunk of genoa and then took home & diced it.

Macaroni Pie compliments of The Scottos

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup diced Genoa salami
• 1 cup crumbled sweet italian sausage, casings removed, sautéed till brown
• 2 bunches spinach, washed and stemmed
• 1 cup mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup ricotta
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, leaving 1/4 cup for topping
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an 8-inch springform pan with butter and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook penne pasta till just past al dente, but not too soft. Drain pasta, toss in a large mixing bowl with salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of the olive oil; set aside.

In a large skillet heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat till smoking. Add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and reduce heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove spinach to a cutting board, chop coarsely, and add to the mixing bowl with pasta. Toss pasta and spinach together, then add the cheeses, meats and beaten eggs. Fold mixture until it is uniformly dressed then transfer to springform pan. Bake for 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch.

Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes then remove from springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with grated parmigiano reggiano.

Serving Size

6 servings

Addendum:

Created my own sauce to spoon over pie before serving.

5 to 6 cloves of chopped garlic

3 to 4 tbsp of virgin olive oil

1 can low fat Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

Chop garlic and sautee in oil until a nice golden brown.  Make sure not to over brown otherwise flavor changes.

Salt & pepper & red pepper to taste and sautee a few minutes longer.  Add one can of low fat chicken broth and

bring to boit and then simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Spoon over slice of macaroni pie, grate some pecorino/romano cheese and either eat at room temp or heat in microwave.

Bon Appetite!!!