Recipe Monday - Easy and Incredible Lasagna

Cooking is generally hard for me, but one thing I've got down is lasagna.

You really can't fail at this...it's that easy.

Lasagna noodles

Sauce

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Ricotta Cheese

Ground beef

Spinach

1) Start boiling a lot of water and cook 9 noodles

2) Preheat oven to 350

3) Brown the ground beef until cooked through

4) Add sauce to the beef and turn heat to low

5) Mix together all the cheeses, saving some of the mozz and parm.

6) Rinse spinach

7) Put a thin layer of sauce on bottom of lasagna pan

8) Layer three noodles across

9) Put a layer of beef / sauce there

10) Layer of the mixed cheese

11) Layer of spinach

12) Repeat all layering until last noodles are on top and all ingredients used.

13) Sprinkle sauce on top

14) Spinkle rest of mozz and parm on top

15) Bake for 30-35 minutes.

DONE.

Eat for a week.

 

Recipe Monday: Ham and Spinach Casserole

My husband hates ham, but my kids love it. This dish, they all enjoyed (even though I totally burnt it...a little).

• 1 pound cavatappi, corkscrew pasta with lines or macaroni with line in any short cut
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive (EVOO), divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
• 1/2 pound sliced capocollo (hot ham), halved then sliced into thin ribbons
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a few large handfuls), divided
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated (eyeball it)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (a couple pinches)
• 1 pound ball fresh mozzarella – buy a piece wrapped, not packed in water, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup plain or Italian breadcrumbs
• A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat the broiler.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, salt water and cook to al dente, with a bite.

While the water is coming up to a boil for the pasta, heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When butter melts into the oil, add onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes then dust the onions with flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk. Gently bring milk to a bubble, allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in the capocola, spinach and 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne and remove from the heat. Taste and add a little salt, if you like.

Combine the cooked pasta and the cubed mozzarella with the sauce, stir to coat completely by turning over and over. Transfer dressed pasta to a baking dish.

To make the breadcrumb topping, combine the breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top to cover the pasta from edge to edge. Transfer the baking dish under the broiler and broil until golden brown and crispy. Garnish with chopped parsley.

 

Recipe Monday - Beef Stroganoff

This is a great, traditional stroganoff recipe, that isn't too hard to follow. Ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 1/2pounds beef sirloin steak

1/2 inch thick8ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (2 1/2 cups)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2cups beef flavored broth

1/2teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 cups hot cooked egg noodles

Directions

1 Cut beef across grain into about 1 1/2x1/2-inch strips.

2 Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender; remove from skillet.

3 Cook beef in same skillet until brown. Stir in 1 cup of the broth, the salt and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

4 Stir remaining 1/2 cup broth into flour; stir into beef mixture. Add onion mixture; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; heat until hot (do not boil). Serve over noodles.

 

Recipe Monday - Basil Scallop Pasta

This was so delicious. Totally worth your time. My kids ate it three times without complaint!

1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
24 scallops, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
9 tablespoons whipped butter


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.



















      

Recipe Monday - Shrimp Pesto

This was pretty good for my first time out.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Special equipment needed: A food processor

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic and cheese and pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

If you're making it with shrimp, like I did, toss those suckers in a frying pan with olive oil, lemon and salt, then toss with the pasta!




 

Recipe Monday - Feta Shrimp

This is an easy and tasty dish!

• 2 to 16 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried crumbled oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves, stems removed
• 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation:

Place shrimp in a bowl. Combine lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper; pour over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes (yeah right). Drain, reserving marinade. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon; set aside. Pour reserved marinade into the pan then add the spinach. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Return shrimp to pan and crumble feta over top; cover and cook 2 minutes longer, until shrimp is cooked through.

I served it mixed with pasta, obviously!

 

Recipe Monday - Gnocchi in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce with Veggies

This was great. Next time, I'll try to make the gnocchi myself, as the store-bought pasta was the worst part of the meal. Still a resounding 8 out of 10 though!

Gnocchi:
450 g, White Potatoes
120 g, Flour
1 Egg yolk
Salt, White Pepper

Sauce:
60 ml, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup sliced Button Mushrooms
1 bag Spinach
1/2 cup Sundried Tomatoes
2 tbsp Pesto
1 large Red Pepper
50 g, Grated Parmesan Cheese
50 g, Feta Cheese
Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

Preparation

Gently boil sundried tomatoes for 3 minutes until softened. Remove and slice julienne. Set aside. Remove stems from spinach and wash, then slice into julienne. Set aside. Core the red pepper and slice julienne. Set aside.

Boil the potatoes in the skin until tender. Remove from water and let dry. Lift skin off and rice while still hot. Add egg yolk, set aside and let cool. Season with salt and white pepper and work into a dough with the flour. Roll into finger thick cylinder rolls. Cut into 2-3 cm length. Shape and swirl the gnocchi with the tip of a fork. Simmer in salted water for a few minutes until floating and drain thoroughly. (Or, you know, buy gnocchi.)

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat, add the gnocchi and saute for a few minutes until color is achieved. Add red pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.

 

 

 

Add the pesto and gently mix well. Add the Parmesan and spinach. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Remove from heat to serving dish and top with crumbled feta cheese.

 

Recipe Monday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Very quick, and very good!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 box pasta
• 20 shrimp
• 1 bunch green onions chopped
• 3 cups raw spinach
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic (we love garlic- adjust to your liking)
• dash of salt
• dash of fresh ground pepper pepper
• Combination of red pepper flakes, paprika, and salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)
• 3/4 cup shredded asiago or romano cheese

Instructions

1. Boil the noodles.
2. While the noodles are boiling melt butter in a large saucepan or wok over a medium heat.
3. When the butter has melted add the shrimp and minced garlic.
4. Cook for about a minute then add the white wine and cover the sauce pan.
5. When the liquid begins to boil remove the lid and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the spinach, spice combo, salt, pepper and green onions. (I didn't have green onions)
7. Cook for another 2 minutes
8. Add cream and allow sauce to come to a boil again.
9. Boil for one minute then add the cooked noodles. Remove from heat and mix in the shredded cheese.

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Recipe Monday - Pasta Faggioli

No finished photo...I forgot. But here it is mid-cooking.

One bag of 15-bean soup
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Spinach
Pasta
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Ham Seasoning
Italian seasoning
Diced Tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato sauce
Ham chunks
10 cups water

Boil the water, then throw the beans in. After an hour, throw in everything else. Simmer for three hours. That's it!


 

Recipe Monday - Fancy but Easy Stuffed Shells

I halved this recipe and it served four adults and three toddlers. 1 box of jumbo shells...cooked to package directions  32 ounces of ricotta cheese  3 cups mozzerella cheese  1\2 cup of parm.cheese  2 eggs  1/2 tbs.onion powder  3cloves of garlic chopped  1 tsp. of pepper  1 teaspoon of seasoning salt  1 box of chopped frozen spinach..thawed and sqeezed dry  2 tbsp. of sundried tomatoes (the ones in the oil)drained and chopped  2 cans of tomato sauce...whatever is your favorite.  2 pounds of ground beef  1 large onion chopped  2 tbsp. of brown sugar

*brown ground beef with your onion until there is no pink *preheat oven to 350'F *while thats cooking, mix your ricotta cheese in a big bowl with *1 1/2 cups mozzerella, parm.cheese, 2 eggs,onion powder, garlic, pepper, seas-salt, spinach (I used fresh spinach and steamed it), and sunndried tomatoes... *add the spaghetti sauce *add the brown sugar *and simmer for the time you are stuffing your shells *stuff your shells with about 2 or 3 tbsp.of cheese mixture or to your desired amount *in 9x13 dish add about one inch of spag.sauce *place the shells in the bottom of the dish and cover good with sauce and remaining mozzerella cheese *cover with foil and cook in 350' oven for 30 to 45 min