Baked Ziti

NOTES FIRST:

I’m sure this is a fine recipe as-is, but I want to start by saying I changed pretty much everything and am just posting because the lemon zest in the ricotta is a worthwhile step. That’s all.

Actually, I made a half batch with cheap jarred sauce, the wrong shaped pasta, plain ole’ mozzarella and no spinach. The recipe is forgiving enough that even that was quite good. But, future self, add the zest if you have it. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce
• 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ziti pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pound fresh spinach
• 1½ cups grated smoked mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley and/or torn basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread ½ cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper.
• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Return the pot back to the stove. Over low heat, drizzle the bottom of the pot with a little olive oil and add the spinach. Toss and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted, working in batches if necessary. Turn off the heat, remove the spinach from the pot, and gently squeeze out some of the excess water. Coarsely chop it and set aside.
• Add the pasta back to the pot along with the remaining marinara, most of the chopped spinach, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and more fresh pepper and toss until combined.
• Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top. Top with the mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16 to 22 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot.

Takeout Chicken with Green Beans

 Chicken and marinade:

• 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

The rest:

• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 pound green beans (trimmed and cut in half)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

Mix together marinade ingredients and toss with chicken, set aside.

Mix together stock, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and cornstarch to make the sauce.

Preheat wok or large frying pan to nearly smoking hot and add 2 tablespoons of oil followed by the chicken and marinade. Cook stirring until chicken is cooked through, remove chicken.  Add additional 2 tablespoons oil if needed followed by the green beans. Sauté the beans for 2 minutes and add 1/3 cup of water and cover the pan for a minute and a half so they steam. Remove lid and stir in garlic, wine, and the sauce mixture. Add the chicken back in and stir, cooking until the sauce has thickened to your liking.

Notes:

I used all regular soy sauce instead of two kinds

I used mirin instead of Shaoxing

I added a tablespoon of MSG to the sauce mix

Fiesta Chicken Tater Tot Hotdish

 

• 1 lb chicken breast (or hamburger, ground turkey, etc.)
• Envelope of taco seasoning OR , 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, 1 tsp each of cumin, dried cilantro, onion powder, 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 can corn drained
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles not drained
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Tater Tots or Crispy Crowns

Cook meat, add spices, canned stuff, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Mix it all together in a cast iron skillet or other baking dish, cover with remaining cheese and then tater tots.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until tots are browned. (Mine took longer.)

NOTES:

Use whatever taco stuff your kids like. I added a couple cups of leftover rice and it was good. It’s a one-dish, comfort food. 

Tourtiere

4 pounds ground pork butts 

1 ½ cups water 

1 medium onion, ground or finely chopped 

2 tsp salt 

1 to 2 tsp cinnamon, start low and adjust to taste 

1 to 1.5 tsp cloves, start low and adjust to taste 

1 cup bread crumbs 

Your favorite pie crust 

Put meat in large pot.  Break it up and add water. Mix in onions and salt. Adjust heat to keep meat cooking at a low boil; stir at intervals to keep from scorching.  Add more water if necessary. Cook with cover on for about 45 minutes, adding the spices halfway through. 

Near the end of cooking time, add the bread crumbs.  Adjust the amount of crumbs according to the amount of fat.  The mixture shouldn’t become too dry. 

This amount makes filling for 2 large pies or 9-11 small ones.   Fill uncooked pie crusts.  Top with either a second crust or mashed potatoes. May freeze at this point. 

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes 

Note: this is Grant’s great-great grandmother’s recipe 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

 Quick and easy comfort food.

• 1 tbsp canola oil 
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 1/4 cups water, divided
• 1 pkg (0.75 oz) powdered Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 cup Minute® White Rice
• 4 bell peppers
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400˚F.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meat with onion until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of tomato sauce, 1 cup of water and salad dressing mix. Bring to a boil.
• Stir in rice; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off peppers. Scoop out seeds and discard. Mix remaining tomato sauce and remaining water in bottom of a 9-inch baking dish.
• Place peppers in baking dish. Spoon meat mixture into peppers; cover with foil.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Spoon sauce from the bottom of the dish over peppers just before serving. 

Notes:

Mine baked for 30 minutes on the convection setting.

I used my cookie scoop to get the stuff into the peppers.

Minute Rice is pretty perfect for this use. 

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

 1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms1 small onion, halved and sliced

1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup dry red wine or beef broth

2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Hot cooked mashed potatoes

1. Place mushrooms and onion in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat; brown meat in batches, adding more oil as needed. Transfer meat to slow cooker.

2. Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meat. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

3. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high until gravy is thickened, 15-30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

NOTES:

Easy and yummy!

I used a cheaper cut of beef roast and cremini mushrooms.

The red wine and Worcestershire sauce are essential flavors.

May not need the added salt so maybe wait until the end to see.

We ate it over spaetzel, but potatoes or rice would both be great.

Pesto Cavatappi

 An awesome copycat of my Noodles and Company favorite.

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Salt
• ▢ 1 pound cavatappi pasta
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 large tomato cored and diced
• ▢ 4 ounces mushrooms sliced (optional, see note 2)
• ▢ 1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
• ▢ 1/4 cup dry white wine (see note 3)
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 cup homemade pesto or store-bought (see note 4)
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese




• In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring 4 quarts of water and salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tomatoes and mushrooms (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes, until some of the liquid has been released and the tomatoes are heated through.
• Stir in the broth, wine, and cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Add pesto and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add pasta and toss until uniformly coated in the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

• NOTES
  Excellent! 
  I didn’t have mushrooms but did have peppers.
  Didn’t have white wine on hand but that would be good.
  I added a bunch of rotisserie chicken. Shrimp would also be good.

Steak Marinade

 Marinade steaks between 2 hours and overnight.

• ▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ pinch of red pepper