 |
|
| CONTENTS:
Acorn Squash Lasagna |
|
ACORN SQUASH LASAGNA |
|
|---|---|
| I wanted to cook something one night with just the ingredients I had on hand (notice that there are no measured ingredients). It came out great but you've got to watch it because it does tend to dry out.
| |
| 1. Make a mixture of maple syrup, honey, and margarine, and heat it up in a saucepan. Slice the acorn squash thinly, place it in a small Pyrex casserole, pour the syrup over, put plastic wrap over it, and nuke it for about 12 minutes till tender. Mash it up well, adding some of the liquid in the bottom of the dish to get it nice and creamy.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles; caramelize some thinly-sliced onions; mix up the ricotta I had with a little egg and some fresh-ground nutmeg; and slice up the mozzarella really thin. 4. For this recipe, I opened a jar of Classico Roasted Red Pepper and Onion sauce (horrors!). I didn't bother to heat it up, just took it out of the jar. 5. Put some sauce in the bottom of a small, square, glass baking dish. Lay 3 strips of cooked lasagna on the sauce. Then spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna, then spread 1/2 of the squash mixture on top of the ricotta, then 1/2 of the onions on top of the squash, and put 3-4 pieces of mozzarella on top of the onions. Then put 3 more strips of lasagna, at a 90 degree angle to the first three, on top. Spread the rest of the ricotta, squash, onions, and mozzarella on top, then add a little bit of sauce, just to cover. Top with 3 more strips of lasagna (again, at a 90 degree angle to the previous three), and add a little more sauce to cover the lasagna on top. The object isnot to have a juicy, runny dish but one that has just the right amount of liquid in it. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 40 minutes. |
| Back to Contents | |
| APPLES AND NOODLES |
|
| This is a really great side-dish. Once again, you need to be careful to keep it from drying out.
| |
|
Preheat oven to 350. Toss the noodles with sour cream, if desired, to keep them from drying out. Place half of the noodles and apples in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle w/half the brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Dot w/half the butter. Repeat. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Stir well before serving, or leave uncovered toward the end of baking to give the top a nice crunchy texture. |
| Back to Contents | |
| BAKED NOODLES WITH SPINACH, YOGURT, AND COTTAGE CHEESE |
|
|
Gradually add noodles and salt to rapidly boiling water so that water continues to boil; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain noodles in colander. Preheat oven to 400. Combine yogurt and cottage cheese; combine noodles, spinach and onion with cottage cheese mixture. Pour into a 1-quart baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese. Cover and bake 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is melted and brown. Serves 2. |
| Back to Contents | |
| CARMELIZED KUGEL |
|
| Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan in oven and melt 1/4 C margarine in 10" bundt pan. Sprinkle brown sugar at bottom and around side of pan. Press pecan halves into bottom of pan. Mix other ingredients into noodles. Pour into pan and bake 1 hour. Cool and unmold. |
| Back to Contents | |
| LEMON PASTA WITH ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND PINE NUTS |
|
| Trim asparagus, place on broiler tray, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in a 500 degree oven until tender and nicely browned. Cut into 1" lengths. Cook penne, drain and place in a warmed, large serving bowl; toss with oil. Add asparagus, lemon zest, lemon juice, s&p, roasted red peppers, and pine nuts. Gently toss to mix. Add cheese and toss; taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
For a different taste, add grilled, sliced chicken breast or salmon. |
| Back to Contents | |
| LINGUINE WITH TOMATO, TUNA, GARLIC, FENNEL, AND LEMON |
|
| 1. Cook linguine until al dente, drain, and reserve some of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonreactive skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, red pepper*, and fennel seeds* and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the garlic is just golden. (my husband used *fresh* red pepper and fennel, both diced *very* finely. I like the crunch of fresh fennel). Add the tuna and 1/2 tsp. salt, raise the heat to high, and cook until the tuna begins to sizzle, being careful not to break it up too much. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil, then simmer over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. 3. Add the linguine to the sauce and cook over moderately low heat for 1 minute. Add a little of the pasta water, 1 Tbs. at a time, if the pasta seems dry. Serve immediately, garnished w/the parsley*. (I can never remember if flat leaf parsley is cilantro, which I don't really like, but I bought cilantro anyway and it gave the dish some extra flavor). |
| Back to Contents | |
| MACARONI AND CHEESE |
|
| Mix eggs, 1 cup of evaporated milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and add macaroni; cook until done, drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter, toss to melt. Pour egg mixture over buttered pasta, along with 3/4 of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. |
| Back to Contents | |
| PASTA WITH PEAS AND BACON | |
| Cook tortellini. In a large skillet, cook bacon till crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towel. Pour out all bacon grease except for 1 Tbs. In the same skillet, place onion and cook for 2 min. till golden. Pour in the cream and reduce till lightly thickened. Remove pasta from water when al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the cream mixture. Add bacon along with peas & cheese. Reduce for 1 minute. Toss and adjust seasoning. |
| Back to Contents | |
| PUMPKIN RAVIOLIS | |
Pumpkin Filling:
| Combine all filling ingredients. Use to fill ravioli dough by putting 1 tsp. of filling onto one square of dough; moisten edges (use egg wash or egg beaten with a little water), then top with another square of dough, pressing edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cook in boiling water for 6 - 8 minutes or till pasta is cooked, but firm. Drain ravioli and keep warm while preparing sauce. |
| Back to Contents | |
| RISOTTO MILANESE | |
| Prepare chicken broth. Heat broth in saucepan. Melt 1/4 C butter in a large pan. When butter foams, add onion and sauté till pale yellow. Add rice and mix well. When rice is coated with butter, add wine. Cook, stirring constantly, till wine has evaporated. Stir in 1 or 2 ladles of broth or enough to cover rice. Stir over medium heat till broth has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, add broth in small amounts, till rice is done. This should take between 15-20 minutes. Rice should be tender but firm to the bite. In a small bowl, dissolve saffron in a little hot broth and add to rice mixture. Stir in 1/2 C Parmesan cheese and 1 Tbs. butter. Season to taste w/salt. Place in a warm serving dish. Serve immediately w/extra parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings. |
| Back to Contents | |
| ROASTED ASPARAGUS LASAGNA |
|
| If you've ever heard the expression "heart-attack on a plate", this is it. I used to make it every spring until my husband begged me to *please* let him live at least a few years longer. Serve *very* small portions.
| |
| 1. In a heavy medium saucepan, melt 3 Tbs. of butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly incorporated. Cook, stirring, until the mixture has bubbled for 1 minute; do not allow the flour to brown.
2. Remove from the heat and very slowly whisk in the hot milk. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, whisking, until the sauce thickens and loses its floury taste, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp. of the salt and transfer to a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the sauce and set aside. (The bechamel can be made several hours ahead; let cool to room temperature and refrigerate. It will thicken as it cools; rewarm it very slowly until it reaches spreading consistency before using.) 3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter in 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onions and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly colored, 15 to 20 minutes. 4. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the remaining 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil until evenly coated. Spread them in a single layer and bake until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Thinly slice the asparagus on the diagonal and add to the onions. Reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees. 5. In a large saucepan, bring 5 qt. water to a boil and add the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Drop the lasagna noodles into the boiling water and cook until soft and pliable, about 3 minutes for instant and 30 seconds for fresh. Drain and lay the lasagna noodles on a damp tea towel. (If using fresh pasta, refresh noodles under cold running water to stop the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking together.) 6. Set aside 2 Tbs. bechamel sauce, 1 Tbs. heavy cream, and 1/2 C of the Parmesan. To assemble, spread 2 Tbs. bechamel on the bottom of an 8" square baking pan and drizzle 2 Tbs. heavy cream on top. Cover with one lasagna noodle and 2 more Tbs. bechamel. Spread 1 cup of the asparagus and onion mixture on the sauce, cover with 4 slices mozzarella and sprinkle 1/4 C of the Parmesan on top. Drizzle with 2 Tbs. heavy cream. Top with another noodle and repeat the layering twice, using 2 Tbs. bechamel, 1 C of asparagus & onions, 4 slices of mozzarella, 1/4 C of the Parmesan, and 2 Tbs. cream each time. Cover the last noodle and spread the reserved bechamel, cream, and Parmesan over the top. (NOTE: I seem to almost run out of bechamel when I make this, so be sparing with the layers). 7. Cover the lasagna loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. |
| Back to Contents | |
| SMOKED SALMON RAVIOLI WITH SOUR CREAM AND DILL | |
| 1. In a small skillet melt the butter over moderate heat and cook the shallots, stirring, until soft. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the salmon, cream cheese,
dill, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mixing well to combine and chill, covered, for 1 hour.
2. To make the ravioli, place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wonton wrapper, moisten the edges and lay each side over the filling, so that the edges create an envelope with filling inside, than repeat by placing the filled ravioli on another unfilled wrapper and repeat the sealing process. Repeat until all the filling is used. Serve the warm ravioli drizzled with the melted butter and topped with sour cream and minced fresh dill. |
| Back to Contents | |
| SPAGHETTI A LA CARBONARA |
|
| This recipe comes from the Open-House Cookbook, by Sarah Leah Chase. It could be called a heart-attack on a plate (my husband's name for it) but it is *the* best version of carbonara that I've ever had. Comfort food at its best.
| |
|
1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until quite crisp. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towels, and crumble into coarse irregular pieces. Reserve 3 Tbs. of the bacon fat in the skillet. 2. Add the onion to the reserved bacon fat and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat for 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and wine and cook for 5 minutes. 3. Heat a large pot of water to boiling to cook the pasta. 4. Whisk the eggs and cream together in a mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. 5. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite. NOTE: I use curly tri-color pasta for a different look and taste. Drain and return to the warm cooking pot. Immediately add the egg mixture, crumbled bacon, and onion mixture and toss thoroughly. Stir in the parsley. Serve at once with additional freshly grated Parmesan. |
| Back to Contents | |
| SQUASH RAVIOLIS | |
|
1. Cut a squash in half and remove seeds and fiber. Place the squash skin side up on a roasting pan. Add a half inch of water and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until a knife can be easily inserted into the squash. Cool. Using a paring knife, remove the skin. Cut squash into chunks and process in a food processor with the butter, nutmeg and the Parmesan cheese until smooth. Taste for salt. Set aside.
2. To make the ravioli, place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the wonton wrapper, moisten the edges and lay each side over the filling, so that the edges create an envelope with filling inside, than repeat by placing the filled ravioli on another unfilled wrapper and repeat the sealing process. Repeat until all the filling is used. There should be enough filling to make 25 raviolis. 3. Bring salted water to a boil and cook raviolis for 7 to 10 minutes, or until wrappers are tender. Meanwhile, saute the sage leaves in the stick of butter over medium heat for 5 minutes, taking care not to brown the butter. Drain the raviolis and spread them on a plate or shallow bowl. Pour the sage butter over. Serves 4-6. |
| Back to Contents | |
| THAI CURRY PENNE WITH GINGER-TOMATO CHUTNEY | |
|
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, apple and garlic; sauté until onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in curry powder. Add Marsala. Boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add stock, fish sauce and curry paste. Simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well and return pasta to pot. Pour sauce over pasta. Stir in crabmeat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Sprinkle with basil. Serve with ginger-tomato chutney. |
| Back to Contents | |
| WEHANI RICE |
|
| This recipe comes from a cookbook put out by the LA Art Museum. The cookbook itself is beautiful and this recipe is one of the best in it. Serve with whole, grilled salmon and Julienned Zucchini (see Vegetable Recipes).
| |
| Bring the chicken stock to a boil, and add salt if the stock is unsalted. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 45 to 55 minutes, until the rice is tender. Pour off any excess liquid.
While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet and add the scallions. Sauté lightly. Stir in the cooked rice and toasted pecans. Serve immediately. |
| Back to Contents | |
