Eggplant Rollatini

At the store I told Maxim to pick out a vegetable to use soon. He chose eggplant. It sat in the refrigerator for a week or so, waiting for us to come up with a good recipe. Stacy found this one and we made it for lunch one day. I was pleasantly surprised. I'd make this again for sure. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices

1 egg, beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 T olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
10 slices prosciutto
1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta

Instructions:

Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese onto each slice of eggplant. Place a slice of prosciutto onto each one. Roll up tightly, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the rolls, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Notes:

Add spinach to the ricotta

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-Rollatini/Detail.aspx

Creamy Saffron Shrimp with Gnocchi and Caramelized Onion

Seriously, is there a single thing in that title that doesn't sound good. Saffron? Check. Shrimp? Check. Gnocchi? Double Check. Caramelized onions? Oh yeah. This dish is so fantastic and very easy to make. When we did it the first time we also made our own gnocchi. So much yum! --Mark

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
1 (16 ounce) package potato gnocchi
20 peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 30 per pound)
3 T reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp paprika
1 pinch saffron
salt to taste
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, mushrooms, and brown sugar. Cook and stir until the onion has cooked to a deep brown color, about 10 minutes. Remove the caramelized onions and set aside.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the gnocchi and return to a boil. Cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, about 3 minutes; drain, and keep warm.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat, and stir in the shrimp. Cook and stir until the shrimp have turned pink on the outside and are no longer translucent in the center, about 5 minutes.

Add the caramelized onions, sour cream, paprika, and saffron. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to simmer, then gently fold in the cooked gnocchi, then season to taste with salt.

Pour the gnocchi into a serving dish, and sprinkle with shredded basil and Parmesan cheese to serve.

Notes:

*Add Italian sausage *Be liberal with sour cream *Dash of paprika *Goya for saffron

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Saffron-Shrimp-with-Gnocchi-and-Caramelized-Onion/Detail.aspx

Roasted Chicken and Risotto with Caramelized Onions

In a restaurant, "risotto" always has a bit of that "don't even think about attempting this" kind of feel. In the end it's just a fancy, tender rice. It does take some tending, and be sure to use the right rice for this--standard white rice may not work as well. --Mark

Ingredients:

4 T olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
7 cups hot chicken broth
2 T butter
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped fresh thyme

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are a dark golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the rice and mix well. Let heat for about 2 minutes, then pour in the wine. Reduce heat to medium low and start pouring in the broth about 1 cup at a time. Add more broth as each cup is absorbed. Continue in this manner until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the reserved onion mixture and allow to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish each serving with fresh thyme.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roasted-Chicken-with-Risotto-and-Caramelized-Onions/Detail.aspx

Spinach Zucchini Lasagna

This is a great vegetarian dish and a good way to use all that zucchini out of the garden without resorted to 400 loaves of bread. Seriously! What's the deal with the overgrowth of zucchini in home gardens? --Mark

Ingredients:

1 package frozen spinach, cooked and drained

2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 jar spaghetti sauce

4 medium zucchini

Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Mix spinach, mozzarella cheese, yogurt, eggs, salt, and pepper. Slice zucchini thinly . Spread sauce in a baking dish and form a layer of zucchini slices. Spread spinach mixture and then more sauce. Repeat layer of zucchini, spinach mixture, and sauce. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Turkey Scalloppine

This is a decent way to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, but fresh cutlets can't be beat. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb turkey cutlets

salt

pepper

1/2 cup flour

4 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

2 T capers, rinsed

2 T fresh chopped parsley

2 T butter

Fresh sage and rosemary for garnish

Instructions:

Pat turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper. Coat with flour. Heat oil in a skillet on high until hot. Brown turkey on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Keep warm.

Cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, about 30 seconds. Add broth, deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil until broth is reduced to about 3/4 cups.

Stir in lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Add butter and swirl until smooth sauce is formed. Return turkey and any juices to the skillet. Heat through.

Serve with pasta.

Calzones

This is a great dough recipe for the bread machine, and then they are easy to fill and bake. I'm a big calzone person, more so than pizza, so this is a hit. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup water

2 T olive oil

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

4 cups flour

4 tsp yeast

Instructions:

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Add as instructed by your bread machine directions. Use the dough setting. Separate dough into separate balls and roll out to your own liking. Fill and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Notes:

You can fill these with anything you'd like. We like veggies and mozzarella cheese. A pepperoni pizza calzone would be good, too. Be creative.

Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread? Why not? This is a simple bread machine recipe that actually tastes pretty good. In the absence of a truly authentic Italian bistro, this bread will fill in nicely. --Mark

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 tsp basil or rosemary
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp yeast

For topping
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 T olive oil
2 tsp basil or rosemary
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Combine ingredients per machine instructions. Use dough setting. Flatten into pizza pan or baking sheet. Let rise for 30 minutes. Brush with garlic/basil mixture. Bake at 375 degrees. for 30 minutes.

Pasta Alfredo

I made this up when I lived overseas in Portugal. I really liked it and it's one we've made many times (well, as newlyweds at least). --Stacy

Ingredients:

Fettucini
Green peppers
Ham slices
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Cream/Milk

Instructions:

Mix and heat cheeses and cream in a saucepan. Cook Fettucini. Cut green peppers and ham into cubes. Mix all together. Add salt and serve!

Notes:

It's kind of pretty, too.

Italian Chicken

I got this recipe from a coworker at my temp job in college. Her name was Kristen Bond and we exchanged recipes. --Stacy

Ingredients:

1 T Italian bread crumbs
1 T Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. paprika (per chicken)

Spaghetti
Italian Dressing

Instructions:

Coat chicken with above. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cook spaghetti until soft. Marinate with Italian Dressing.

Notes:

I haven't made this, so I'll have to test it out.

Pizza Crust

After making pizza crust from a can for most of our marriage, I went looking for a good recipe we could try. I found this bread machine recipe and have prepared the dough both in the machine and the "traditional" way. Both ways worked well. We actually made a huge batch for a Pi Day party and made personal pizzas, round pizzas, rectangular pizzas, pizzas with meat, pizzas with sauce, pizzas with veggies--you get the idea. The crust was the hit of the party. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flat beer
3 1/4 tsp yeast
3 T butter
3 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 3/4 cups flour
cornmeal (optional)

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast and 1 T sugar in the beer and let sit until the yeast "proofs." While the mixture proofs, mix the butter, 2 T sugar, salt, and flour. Add the beer/yeast mixture and mix until dough is smooth. Knead for a few minutes and place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours until the dough doubles in size. Punch down dough and form into crust to fit your pan or pans. You should be able to form 2 medium-sized round pizzas. You can dust the pans with cornmeal prior to placing the crust on the pan, if desired. Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 400 degrees for 24 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes:
For bread machines, combine ingredients in the order recommended by your manufacturer and follow the instructions for the dough setting. Remove, shape, and bake as described in the instructions above.

Alfredo Sauce

This is a great alternative to Alfredo sauce in a jar. To avoid burning, keep the heat low and stir constantly. We mixed in a little spinach and used it as a pizza sauce once--Delizioso. --Mark

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. garlic
1 1/3 cup milk
4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper and sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Over low heat melt the butter in a saucepan. Add cream cheese and garlic. Whisk until smooth. Add milk a little at a time to avoid forming lumps. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Add milk if it is too thick. Serve immediately over pasta or other main dish.

Potato Gnocchi

This recipe is one of the few good things to come out of Facebook. Our little gnocchi lover (Maxim) absolutely loved these, so they passed the test. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb russet potatoes (do not substitute)
2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Wash potatoes, place them directly on the oven rack, and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour until tender. Peel potatoes and use a potato masher or ricer to break them up. Do not beat them as this will cause the gluten and startch to change the consistency.

Place mashed potatoes and 1 cup of flour on a work surface. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle egg mixture on top. Using a scraper or flat-sided spatula, start working the mixture into a loose dough. Continue adding flour until the second cup has been added and the dough is able to be rolled into a ball. Do not overwork the dough or the gnocchi will become dense. You want them light.

When the dough can be handled, cut into small sections and roll into a snake about 3/4 inches thick. Using a sharp knife or scraper, cut into small nuggets. Place the gnocchi on a floured baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place gnocchi in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes until the gnocchi rise to the top of the water.

Drain and serve with desired sauce.

Notes:

This is well worth the work, but it is very messy. Just be prepared for it. Freeze them on a cookie sheet so they don't squish together. Once they are frozen you can put them in a Ziploc bag. Even boiling them from frozen doesn't take long at all.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I made this what seems like ages ago when I was a teenager. My best friend Cathy and I were house sitting for my brother and his then wife and I felt very domestic cleaning and cooking and taking care of the apartment. I don't remember where I found this recipe (A book? A magazine? A package of pasta?), but I remember that I was all excited to make it and that it was delicious. It's been so many years now, that I would like to make this again and see if it's as good as I remember. I've had so many times of raving about something from times past only to try it and think, "Seriously? I liked this?" So, I'm hesitant to rave about it. But the recipe does look good. I'll make it again and come back and report. -- Stacy

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) broiler chicken
2 cups water
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 carrots, cubed
1 chopped onion
2 parsley stalks
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 T butter
5 T flour
3 cups chicken stock
4 ounces light cream
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces ribbon macaroni

Instructions:

Place chicken in a pot. Add water, onion, thyme, parley, and salt. Bring to a boil, skim foam off the top, and let boil gently for about 40 minutes with pot covered. Strain the stock and save it. Skin and bone chicken when cold. Tear meat into small slices/pieces.

Melt 3T butter in saucepan. Add flour and stir. Add, in turn, 3 cups stock. Add cream and heat (not too high) for about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese, but save some for the top. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt rest of butter in a pan and brown mushrooms lightly.

Bring 2 quarts of water with 3 tsp. salt to a boil. Add ribbon macaroni and boil until just soft but no more (follow package directions for al dente). Wash macaroni and drain. Mix macaroni and mushroom and place at bottom of large baking dish. Put chicken on top. Pour on the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Add other cheese if desired. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes.

Notes:

I'm guessing I didn't really use a broiler chicken. Hopefully, I had the good sense to use boneless breasts instead. This would be great served with a salad or green vegetable and with some crusty rolls.

Chicken Parmesan

This is another recipe from my college co-op with Katie Dahl and Sandra Friedman. This one is Sandra's recipe. Everyone should have a chicken Parmesan recipe. Our son loves chicken Parmesan. --Stacy

Ingredients:

Skinless, boneless chicken
Italian bread crumbs
Egg Yolk
Salt and Pepper
Mozzarella cheese
Classic Tomato and Basil Pasta sauce

Instructions:

Dip chicken in egg yolk and then crumbs. Brown. Put cheese on chicken. Put in baking pan. Pour sauce on, covering chicken and cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350°.

Notes:

This would be great with a salad and some good crusty bread or rolls.

Stacy's Yummy Lasagna

I take great pride in having come up with this recipe myself. I have always enjoyed lasagna, but started to think of ways I could make it even better by making sure it was chock full of all kinds of ingredients. This recipe is fabulous (if I do say so myself) -- chock full of ingredients, not too heavy on sauce (I'm not a fan of marinara/spaghetti sauces). We like to serve this with toasted garlic bread. And we often make homemade Italian bread to do it. Without further ado, I present Stacy's Yummy Lasagna! --Stacy

Ingredients:
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
1 box lasagna noodles
1 lb ricotta cheese
1 lb cottage cheese (or silken tofu)
1 egg
1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
2 lb ground beef or turkey
½ lb mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 can olives, sliced
1 package frozen spinach Italian sausage (optional)

Instructions: Mix ricotta and cottage cheeses (we substitute tofu for the cottage cheese) with the egg and frozen spinach. Brown ground meat with sausage and season to taste. Drain and set aside. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Then, add the remaining sauce to the meat. Lay some of the uncooked noodles on top of the sauce in the baking pan. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Spread some of the meat sauce on top of the cheese mixture. Add the vegetables and top with cheese. Repeat layers (noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce, veggies, meat sauce). The top layer should be noodles, which you then top with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350˚F until done, about 45 minutes.

Notes: This makes A LOT of lasagna, so if you are using a standard 9x13 pan, you’ll need two. We make it in our giant lasagna baking dish that is very deep. We always use Barilla lasagna noodles because you don’t need to add any water to the lasagna to cook them through. With others, you may need to add a cup of water at the end to provide enough moisture to cook the noodles. Be sure you have enough sauce and cheese to top the lasagna or the noodles will be extra brown and crunchy at the top. This lasagna tends to have a lot of liquid straight out of the oven, but it thickens with time. It freezes well and makes great leftovers. We tend to cover the pan with foil for the first 30 minutes or so, and then uncover toward the end. Experiment and see what you like.

Olive Garden Spinach Artichoke Dip

We make this every year for Christmas and several other times as well. It is one of our go-to appetizers and it is always a hit! Some people like to eat it with tortilla chips, but we prefer toasted sourdough bread in rectangles or triangles. --Stacy

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup Spinach frozen chopped, or steamed
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ tsp. dry basil (or 1 T fresh)
¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ tsp. garlic salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted sourdough bread

Instructions:

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cream together mayonnaise, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Mix well. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach (be careful to drain this well), and mix until blended. Store in a container until you are ready to use. Spray pie pan with nonstick cooking spray, pour in the dip, and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 ˚F for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve with toasted bread.

Notes:

We substitute sour cream for the mayonnaise since we aren’t big mayo people. We tend to add extra spinach and are liberal with the cheese. Freshly grated cheeses make the best dip, but in a pinch, the dry stuff works, too.