Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (w/Cranberries & White chocolate)

Heat oven to 350º - line baking sheets with parchment.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix together thoroughly:

1 C. soft butter
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin (canned - NOT pumpkin pie FILLING, just cooked pumpkin)
1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 c. flour
1 tsp. bkg. soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/2 C. dried cranberries (craisins)
1-1/2 C. white chocolate chips

Mix well - batter should be rather thick & sticky.  Drop onto parchment by level Tblsp., leaving space between each.  I had 12-15 on each baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes - be careful not to under or overbake these.
Remove from oven and cool completely.  They'll remain rather soft even after they cool off.

Pumpkin Pie (diabetic no-sugar & regular versions)

This recipe is made for a diabetic diet (no crust, no 'real' sugar & VERY low carbs!). You can EASILY adapt it and make a regular pumpkin pie by preparing your favorite (unbaked) crust. Make the filling exactly the same but use regular sugar instead of Splenda. Then bake it @400* degrees the first 15 minutes - lower the oven temp to 350* and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, until the center is cooked.

Spray a 9" pie plate with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350* degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine and mix together well:

1 15 oz. can of solid packed, cooked pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie FILLING)
3 lightly beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup Splenda (OR sugar)
1 teasp. ground ginger
2 teasp. ground cinnamon
1/8 teasp. ground cloves
1/8 teasp. ground/grated nutmeg

***NOTE*** Trader Joe carries a DELICIOUS seasonal spice mix called "Pumpkin Pie Spice" - I add a tsp. of it to the above spices... it's a blend of different spices along with dried citrus peel. If you don't use it, no big deal.

Mix everything well and then slowly whisk in milk until thoroughly incorporated:

1- 12 oz. can evaporated milkPour into prepared pan. You can leave the pie 'as-is' or crush a couple cups of walnuts & scatter them around the edge of the pie before baking.


Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

* IF YOU USE A GLASS or DARK- COLORED Nonstick PIE PAN, REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE 20 DEGREES - otherwise it'll overcook and burn!

Red Velvet Cake

BEFORE BAKING:

Start making the frosting. In a saucepan, mix 1/3 cup flour with 2 cups milk. Heat, stirring frequently with a whisk, until the mixture begins to come to a light boil and becomes thickened. Cook a few minutes longer until quite thick. Remove from heat - put a sheet of waxed paper directly on top of the mixture to prevent a crust from forming. Cool completely, at least an hour. Set aside.

For the cake:

Grease & flour 2- 9" cake pans. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together with a mixer:

1/2 cup (one stick - NOT tub soft spread!) margarine

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl often.

Make a paste with 2 heaping Tblsp. of Cocoa powder and an entire 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring. Add to the batter.

Alternately add (on a low mixer speed):

2-1/4 cups of CAKE flour

and

1 cup buttermilk

Mix slowly, scraping sides of bowl regularly.

Mix together 1 tsp. of baking soda with 1 tsp. white vinegar (it will fizz) and then slowly stream it into the cake batter, mixing thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans equally - put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until done - test center with toothpick.

Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool COMPLETELY. When the cake's completely cool, carefully split each layer in half, making 4 layers.

To make the frosting:

Cream together (with mixer) on a medium speed:

1-2/3 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Raise the speed of the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the cooked/cooled milk-flour mixture to the butter-sugar-vanilla and beat on a higher speed (scraping down the sides of the bowl often) for 4-6 minutes, or until it's the consistency of whipped cream.

Assemble the cake by spooning frosting between each of the 3 layers - (make sure you leave a larger amount for the finish, for frosting the top and sides) --- then put the last (top) layer on the cake and frost the top and sides of cake. Chill for a couple hours before cutting.

Halloween Hugs

This isn't really even a recipe.  I saw this in a magazine, thought the idea was cute for Halloween and bought Hershey "Hugs", candy corn and pretzel (mini twists).  

I lined a couple baking pans with parchment sheets.  Heat the oven to 325º.
Unwrap the hugs and place the candy on the pretzels.
Put them in the oven and heat for approx. 5 minutes, until the hugs get soft/melt.
Immediately, put a pc. of candy corn on top of each hug and press down.
That's IT.  Let them cool off and harden before moving them.

Cornbread Chili bake

It's a family tradition to have a big pot of chili simmering on the stove on October 31st (we've been doing this as far back as I can remember!) - everyone here loves a bowl of chili on Halloween, especially when it's a cool day! Here's a good way to use up leftover chili:

If you have leftover chili ... or the next time you prepare chili, make extra and try this out - it's really great!! You'll need approx. 6 cups (more or less) of chili (I used leftover chili that I made the other day. I make a spicy chili with a lot of sauteed onions, celery, different beans, corn & peppers.)

Use an oversized, deep dish pie pan or a 3 qt. baking dish/pan - grease it & heat the oven to 350.

For the cornbread- in a mixing bowl, combine & blend well:

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 Tblsp. sugar

3 tsps. baking powder

Mix the next four ingredients together in a smaller bowl:

2 Tblsp. melted butter

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

12 oz. creamed corn (IF corn was in season, I'd have made it fresh, but I caved in & used canned)

Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and fold it together (don't beat it heavily) until it's blended and incorporated together.

Pour a little less than half the cornbread batter into the pan and spread it evenly to cover. Sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of shredded colby-jack cheese.

Spoon the chili over the cheese (5-6 cups, more or less - the amount doesn't have to be precise).

Sprinkle the chili with another 1/2 cup (a little more is fine if you like cheesy!) of grated co-jack cheese.

Carefully blop the remaining cornbread batter over the cheese and carefully spread over the top to cover the cheese, etc.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cornbread is golden. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Cauliflower Rice

Recently I was advised by my doctor to cut my carb intake drastically. I have been replacing my starches with veggies and have been researching healthy alternatives. I make a lot of Oriental food at home and my son truly loves rice. So I searched for a rice substitute to serve with Kung Pao and the like. Something that will work with sauces or grafy. This came through as the healthiest and the easiest by far. One head of Cauliflower makes about six cups of cauliflower rice. You can use what you need and keep the rest in the fridge. It should keep for a few days. 

Cauliflower Rice and a Loin Chop topped with sauteed mushrooms and gravy

Ingredients

1 head Cauliflower

Butter 

Salt to taste

Prepare

Remove stem and cut into small pieces. 

Using a food processor place about 1/4 of the cauliflower pieces in the food processor and using the pulse button, blend until the pieces are rice sized. 

Remove to a storage container and repeat till all the cauliflower has an appearance like rice.

Store cauliflower rice in fridge till ready to use. 

How to cook

There are two options which seem to work well for warming the Cauliflower. 

Just keep in mind that you don't need to add water. Cauliflower holds its' own moisture and will steam up on it's own. It's not going to taste just like rice but it's filling and nutritious and it tastes wonderful with sauces or gravy. 

 1. Put desired amount of rice with about 1/2 Tbsp of butter per Cup of Cauliflower into a microwave safe container with cover. 

    Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

    Salt to taste. 

    Serve. 

2. Put desired amount of rice into a skillet with butter and rice and warm it strictly till warm enough. 

    Salt to taste.

    Serve. 

I personally prefer option number two because you your temperature and can keep it from getting too hot, it will be more nutritious the closer it is to raw.Option number one works well because the cauliflower will steam itself using its' own moisture. 

Enjoy and be healthy.

Lemon Basil Cod

Heat your BBQ grill or preheat your oven to 400º.

On heavy duty aluminum foil, spray the center with nonstick spray.
Place a couple cod filets.
Smear them with 1 clove of crushed garlic.
Drizzle olive oil over them, season with salt & freshly ground pepper.
Mince a few tblsp. of fresh basil & 1 tblsp. fresh oregano and sprinkle on top.
Place thinly sliced lemon pcs on top, sprinkle with more S&P.

Close up the foil & crimp.  Place on your grill (or in the oven) and bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish - be careful not to overcook it.  You can use other types of fish, but cooking time will vary.  The fish is cooked when it flakes apart easily.Remove from the heat, carefully open the foil.

Chocolate crusted Coconut Bars

Heat the oven to 350º.  Grease a 9X13" pan.

In a mixing bowl, make crust.  Combine these ingredients and spread over the bottom of the pan:

3/4 cup melted butter (1-1/2 sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 large egg and one extra yolk

dash of salt

1/3 cup flour

Bake crust for 12-15 minutes, until the edges set. Do NOT overbake.  Remove from oven and while it's cooling off a little, prepare topping.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly:

3 large eggs

1-1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

2 cups shredded coconut

Carefully spoon topping over par-baked crust and spread evenly.  Sprinkle top with an addition cup of coconut.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the coconut begins to turn light golden.  Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Escarole with meatballs

This was one of my dad's favorites and I'd see it on the stove simmering quite often!

Heat oven to 350º.

To make meatballs, combine ingredients, mix together and form into 8-10  large meatballs:
1-1/2# ground round
1-1/2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Place on a greased baking sheet, flatten slightly.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until done (not browned). Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a large pot, add 1/3 cup olive oil and saute a large chopped onion & 8 cloves of minced garlic until softened. Add a 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Wash, drain and coarsely chop a head of escarole (larger than a big head of lettuce).  The bunch I bought probably yielded 10-12 cups. Don't forget - this shrinks WAYYYY down as it cooks! Add the chard to the simmering tomatoes,  add 1-1/2 cups water and 1 teasp. salt.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally - for a half hour.

Carefully add the meat patties to the pot of chard one at a time. Spoon some of the chard over the meat. Check for seasonings and add more S&P if needed.  Cover and simmer on low for an hour until thickest parts of chard become tender.  Before serving,  stir in 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.  

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Measure 1-1/2 cups of rolled oats (quick cooking), put them in a food processor and let it fly!  You're looking to pulverize the oats to make the cut much finer.  I didn't use my processor - I put the oats in a tall, deep pitcher and used my immersion blender on it. Perfect results too!!  Set the oats aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine & mix thoroughly (in this order):
1 c. soft butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

fold in:
1-1/2 c. (reserved ^ ) oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups flour
Mix everything thoroughly and then let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

At THIS TIME, preheat the oven to 350º.

Line baking sheets with parchment.  
Scoop out heaping, rounded tsps. of dough and put them on the sheets, flattening SLIGHTLY.
I had 12 cookies on each baking sheet.

Bake 13-15 minutes, until the cookies become slightly/lightly golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool completely ON the parchment.

Mix the icing ingredients & then (w/a pastry brush) brush a thin layer of icing on each cookie. Let dry completely before putting onto a serving platter.
1 Tblsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. milk - or a tad more - enough to make it easy to brush, yet not TOO runny

Escarole and Eggs

Many times I just get an idea and try it out. Then if it tastes good enough I think on improvements and try the different options till I have the recipe developed. Every once in a great while my idea tastes so good on the first try that I don't want to change a thing. This dish came to me this morning on a whim and upon tasting it I fell in love with it. I wouldn't change a thing.

Ingredients
1 Head Escarole, cut into 1 inch slices and separate leaves.
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 C. Sweet Onion, sliced
2 - 3 Basil Leaves
1/4 C White Wine
4 Lg Eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Romano or Parm preferably shredded
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Lemon wedges
Sundried tomato pieces and Calamata olives (optional)

Cook
Over medium heat in a large skillet cook garlic till it starts to bubble
Add onion and continue to cook till tender
Add Escarole a handful at a time making sure to mix it up so that all the added escarole is coated with oil before you add the next handful
When escarole is all coated and beginning to tender Season with Sea Salt, Black and Red Pepper, and Basil Leaves
Continue to cook until escarole is tender
Add wine, cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. (15 - 20 minutes)
Stir in beaten eggs
Fold eggs and greens gently as eggs cook.
When eggs are cooked, remove from heat and fold in cheese.
Garnish with basil, sun dried tomatos and olives and shred a little cheese over it.

Serve with lemon wedges
(makes about six servings)

Fettucine Alfredo with Broccoli

Cook your fettucine/pasta as directed (1/2 - 1#), leaving it al dente.

Steam one # of broccoli florets (trim stems off & save for something else).  Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking - in a saucepan, melt 4 Tblsp. butter add 2 Tblsp. olive oil. Over med. heat, saute 1/4 c. minced onion and 8 cloves minced garlic - cook until SOFTENED, but not browned.  

Add 1-1/2 cup heavy (whipping cream), stir.  Season with S&P (to taste) and a dash of cayenne.  Stir in 1 cup grated parmesan.  You may want to add another 1/2-1 cup heavy cream (& test for seasoning) ... stir in the reserved broccoli.

Toss sauce over cooked pasta.

Zucchini Fettuccine Salad

It just looks like fettuccine. The fettuccine effect is accomplished by peeling the zucchini with a potato pealer to make fettuccine like ribbons. Then you use the ribbons. I have been making it like this for a couple years and people love it. It's filling, it's healthy and it has a plethora of flavors. I make it with these ingredients but it's a salad. You can use what you like. Make it your own.

Once you shred the zucchini you can add any ingredients and dressing you like

Ingredients

1 medium Zucchini, Shredded into ribbons with a potato peeler.

4 or 5 think slices Vidalia Onion

6 Calamata Olives coarsely chopped

3 Sundried Tomatoes, Softened and sliced into strips. (To soften sundried tomatoes soak in very hot water for 15 minutes.) Then drain and pat dry with paper towel.

1 small chunk Feta Cheese crumbled

1 Tbsp. Walnut pieces

1 Clove Garlic, chopped. 

Salt, Pepper, Fresh Basil to taste.

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Prepare

Place garlic in salad bowl and rub it all over. Leave the garlic in the bowl. 

Mix all the ingredients except the salt, pepper, basil and oil and vinegar in bowl with the garlic. 

Toss well. 

Season with salt, pepper and basil. 

Toss again. 

Add oil and vinegar and toss one more time.

Serve at room temp or chilled.

Using a potato peeler shred zucchini into ribbons.

Shepherd's Pie

Spray a 2 qt. casserole (or pie/baking pan) with nonstick spray.
In a pan, saute a few sliced carrots and a couple stalks grated celery in 1 T butter, until sofftened.
Brown 1-1/2 - 2# ground beef with 1 diced onion (if you like mushrooms, add sliced mushrooms too). Simmer until the meat is fully cooked & the vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and drain off excess beef. Add the carrots/celery (& any other vegetables; peas, corn....) at this point.
Add 1-1/2 cup water, 4 T. tomato paste, 2 T. Worcestershire sauce, salt and plenty of pepper, a few shakes of garlic powder and simmer for a half hour.

While the meat is simmering, boil 4 large potatoes until done.  Drain. Add 2 Tblsp. butter, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or co-jack) cheese, 1 Tblsp. parsley, salt & pepper and 1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk).  Mash together thoroughly.   

Heat the oven to 375º.

Spoon the cooked meat into the prepared casserole/pan and top with the mashed potatoes.  Lightly sprinkle paprika over the top.  

Place the 'pie' in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden.  Remove & serve.

Spinach Tomato Cream sauce

I made this last night and served it over cooked cheese ravioli.  My husband has diabetes and he had it over grilled salmon.  It's delicious - will be used over pasta. Another option is to spoon this over cooked spaghetti squash - low carbs!!

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside:
3 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup capers
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat 2 Tblsp. butter in skillet.  
Add a chopped (med.) onion & saute for 3-5 minutes.
Add 6 cloves minced garlic & saute until softened.
Add reserved tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add 4 cups torn spinach (or baby spinach leaves).  

Cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until the spinach has wilted & cooks.

Stir in a cup of heavy (whipping) cream. 

Stir and heat on low for another few minutes. 
Spoon over cooked ravioli/pasta/fish/vegetables.
Top with grated parmesan, if desired.

Smoked sausage w/Sauerkraut

In a dutch oven, heat a Tblsp. of veg. oil until hot.

Saute 1/2 onion, thinly sliced for a few minutes.
Add 1/2 cup grated apple - saute until soft and wilted.

Add a 15 oz. can or package (or two if you LOVE kraut) of sauerkraut along with a cup of water, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt, a shake of cayenne,  1/2 tsp. caraway seeds -  cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Slice up 1# (or more) of smoked sausage/kielbasa - and arrange it with the cooking sauerkraut.  Cover and continue simmering for another 1/2 hour.

This is great served with spaetzle, dumplings or potatoes - and good, crusty rye bread.

Cabbage And Beans

When I first heard, Cabbage and Beans I scoffed and was certain I wouldn't like it. 
You'll never know how wonderful this is until you give it a try.

Ingredients

1 head  Cabbage Cut into eight pieces
3 cans  Canolini Beans
3 cloves Garlic
1 small Sweet Onion, sliced.
1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
About 2 oz. Salt pork or four bacon slices or 1 Tbsp Lard
2 cups chicken stock
2 Smoked Pork Neckbones (Optional)
1/2 lb. Italian Sausage or Andoullie Sausage Cut into 3 inch lengths (optional)

Cook
Boil Cabbage in a pot of boiling water till tender. About 1/2 hour drain and set aside
In a large tall skillet cook onion, garlic, fat and any meat you're going to use except the sauage till onions are translucent.
Add Beans and bring to a boil then slowly stir in cabbage till it's all added.
Add Stock and continue to cook till boiling.
Add Sausage, boil till cooked through, about 20 minutes.
lower heat and simmer for about 20 more minutes.

Serve as a soup with crusty Italian Bread on the side.

Peach Bars

Heat the oven to 375º - grease a 9x13" alum. baking pan.

For the shortbread crust, combine these ingredients and knead together until thoroughly mixed. 

1/2 cup soft butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 small egg

1-1/3 cup flour

Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan.  Poke a fork thru thru the dough in a half dozen places - put into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until it BEGINS to turn golden.

Remove from oven. Let cool ten minutes.

Spread approx. 1-1/2 cups peach jam/peach preserves (or apricot) onto the crust

Mix topping ingredients together until crumbly & sprinkle evenly over the preserves. Press down lightly:

6 Tblsp. soft butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup rolled oats (quick cooking)

Return to the oven and bake another 20 minutes, until the topping begins to turn golden.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Lentil Soup

This is more like a stew because it's rather thick. I prepped all my ingredients and made TWO pots of it, side by side. One contained cooked Italian sausage and the other remained meatless, for the vegetarians in our family.  You can omit the sausage completely if you want to make this meat-free. The photo shows the vegetarian lentil soup on top with the soup containing sausage beneath it:

For ONE pot of soup:

Start by cooking 1/2# (3-4 links) of Italian sausage, casing removed - either bake or fry it, then drain it well, mince it and cool it off. Set aside.

In a dutch oven or small soup pot, heat 2 Tblsp. olive oil (or vegetable oil) and once it's hot, add:
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1-1/2 cups sliced celery
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
few cloves of minced garlic
Saute until softened.

Add 2 C. chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) with their juice.
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. Trader Joe's 21 season salute (OR 1/2 tsp. all-seasoning, like Ms. Dash)
a few 'grinds' of Trader Joe's South African Smoke seasoning
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (or cayenne) - or more, if you like more of a zap!

Simmer for 20 minutes and then add one (16 oz.) package dried lentils.
Add 6 cups water and 1 cup tomato sauce.
Add the reserved sausage at this point.

Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.  If (toward the end of the hour) the soup appears to be TOO thick, add another cup or so of water.  Test for seasoning.  Add more S&P, if needed.  After an hour of cooking, taste the lentils to make sure they're softened enough.  If not, cover and continue to simmer a bit longer.

Lasagna CUPCAKES

Daina showed me a recipe for lasagna cupcakes, so I altered it a bit and made my own version. To make them, you'll need 1-2 dozen wonton (or gyoza) wrappers, ricotta filling, parmesan & shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite pasta sauce.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees (a little lower if you're using dark-nonstick cupcake pans) & generously spray cupcake pans with nonstick spray. Trim the wrappers (cut to make them round) to fit into the cupcake pan, making sure the wrapper comes up to the top (and then some) ; pat down firmly onto the bottom & up the sides of each section.

Spoon a heaping teasp. of sauce onto the bottom of each wrapper. Place a heaping tblsp. or two of ricotta filling (one lb. ricotta, a beaten egg, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese) onto the sauce. If you like a little meat, add some grated pepperoni or cooked, crumbled Italian sausage!!  Spoon a little more sauce on top of the ricotta filling, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and top liberally with shredded mozzarella. Bake these little lasagna bites for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are golden. They're quick & easy to make and are tasty & fun appetizers!!

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Visit us at: 

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Lasagna - fast & fuss-free!

This is a version for lazy days, or if you don't want to spend a lot of time putting together classic lasagne. You can go ahead and cook regular lasagna noodles (drain/dry them well) and layer them with ricotta filling if you prefer.

Have ready: a few quarts of your favorite sauce (marinara, meat...) and have it warmed & ready to use.

In a large pot, cook 1# ziti (or other similar pasta shape)- drain and add a cup of sauce to pasta- stir to coat.

While the pasta is cooking, make ricotta filling.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix together well:

4 lbs. ricotta

3 beaten eggs

a clove or 2 of crushed/minced garlic

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & fresh ground pepper (to taste)

2 tblsp. chopped parsley

Have a GOOD PORTION of shredded mozzarella ready for layering (as much/little as you like)

In a high-sided 13x9" pan (coated with nonstick spray), ladle 1 cup sauce & spread over the bottom of the pan; spoon 2/3 of the cooked, sauced pasta onto the sauce.

Spoon the ricotta filling evenly over the pasta- sprinkle with 8-10 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese.

Spoon the remaining 1/3 pasta over the top of the ricotta, covering the filling. Spoon sauce over the top (2-3 cups - as much or as little as you want). Sprinkle another 8 oz. shredded mozzarella over the top. Loosely cover the pan (tent some foil - just make sure the lid or foil isn't touching the sauce/cheese) and bake lasagna for an hour @350 degrees. Uncover and bake on 400 degrees for another 10 minutes, until the cheese on top is bubbly. Cool a little (15 minutes or so) before cutting into squares; serve with more sauce, if desired.

** If you enjoy meat, layer sliced (cooked) Italian sausage, OR meatballs, OR pepperoni, OR cooked, seasoned ground beef --- along with the cheese.

Chicken Breasts w/Swiss cheese

Heat the oven to 350º - have a baking sheet sprayed w/nonstick spray.

Have 4-6 chicken breast (halves) ready to prep.

In a small pan, saute a clove of minced garlic with 1/2 c. chopped onions (seasoned w/S&P)  in 1 T. butter until soft.

While the onions/garlic are cooking, pound 4-6 chicken breast halves lightly, until they're flattened evenly.  Season the chicken with S&P and then evenly spread the cooked onions/garlic over each.

In a small bowl, mix together:
1/3 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
1 T. parsley flakes (fresh or dried)
S&P
1/2 cup grated (or minced) gruyere cheese (or swiss)

Divide it evenly and sprinkle it over each pc. of chicken, then pat it down gently.
Melt 3-4 Tblsp. butter and drizzle over the crumbs.

Mix together 1/4 C. white wine, 1/4 C. chicken broth/stock & 1 T. parsley flakes and pour it into the pan (NOT onto the chicken).

Cover loosely with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Raise the temp. to 375º.
Remove pan from oven and discard foil.
Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the crumbs are golden brown.

Neckbones and Gravy with Rice

I don't know if I am allowed to call this Soul Food but it is pure southern comfort food. Featuring falling off the meat tender pork neck bones with neck bone gravy over white rice. Simple yet tasty.

Ingredients

About 3 lbs Pork Neck Bones 

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

1 Medium Sweet Onion

2 Cloves Garlic sliced

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/4 cup White Wine

2 C  Pork or Beef Stock Plus 1 C for Gravy

1 Tbsp All purpose flour

1 batch Perfect White Rice (click for recipe if needed)

Gravy

Skim about 2 Tbsp Neck Bone Drippings off top of cooking liquid

In a small skillet mix Drippings and 1 Tbsp over medium heat with a fork till smooth. 

Slowly add 1 C beef or pork stock while stirring with fork till desired consistency is reached.

Cook

In a large pot or Dutch oven combine Neck bones, Oil, Garlic, Onion, Salt and Pepper

Cook over medium heat stirring often till neck bones are mostly browned. 

Add wine and bring to boil and continue cooking for about three minutes. 

Add pork or beef stock and bring back to boil. 

Lower heat to medium low and continue to cook stirring occasionally for about 2 more hours or until neck bones are falling off the bone tender. 

Serve over rice with gravy.