Fajita Pizza

Definite remake... the words after my husband's first bite. My sister, Lindsey, shared this recipe with me. It is easy to throw together and is impressive to the palate. Especially as far as homemade pizzas go.

I made this with spicy ingredients, because we love the heat! It wasn't uber spicy, but you can choose how hot you want to make it. Our dinner guest requested to know the exact brands so that he could remake the exact taste, so I will also supply you with the product brands.

Fajita Pizza

(yields 2 pizzas) {trust me... you will eat both :P}

2 Boboli pizza crusts

1 package chicken tenders (8)

2 red peppers

1 large onion

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 packet Ortega Hot & Spicy Taco seasoning

1 jar Muir Glen Organic Medium salsa

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream (optional)

guacamole (optional)

-Preheat oven to 45o degrees.

-Grill chicken tenders and thinly slice. Set aside.

-Thinly slice red pepper and onions. Heat wok or large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss in peppers and onions for only 3 or 4 minutes until slightly cooked. Remove from heat.

-Add chicken to the pepper and onion mixture. Mix in 1/2 of the taco seasoning. Gently toss to combine.

-Divide salsa between pizzas. Spread as you would for a pizza sauce.

-Divide chicken mixture between pizzas.

-Divide both cheeses between pizzas as the next layer.

-Cook pizza in oven for 10 minutes. *I served the pizza with sour cream. Enjoy :)

Beef Wellington

I ♥ Gordan Ramsay. When R2R gave us Beef Wellington as this month's challenge, I followed his video tutorial. It was delicious! I have been wanting to make this recipe for quite some time. I will definitely make it again. Below you will find the recipe that was given to us. I put my changes (following Gordon) in red.

Beef Wellington For the Duxelles: 3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped *omitted 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only *omitted 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For the Beef: 1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only *omitted 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Flour, for rolling out puff pastry 1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen (follow directions on the package) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 8 ounces mousse pate, available in specialty cheese and appetizer cases of larger markets (optional) Directions To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool completely. To prepare the beef: *watch the video to see how I prepared the beef. Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool completely. I made the duxelles and seared the tenderloin about 10 hours in advance, and refrigerated both of them. It is important that these items are cold because you will be working with puff pastry, and if they're warm, they may cause the dough to melt before you get it in the oven. About an hour before you plan to serve the Beef Wellington,preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Spread the duxelles mixture down in a column down the middle of the rolled out puff pastry. Thinly slice the mousse and cover the duxelles with it - every square millimeter doesn't have to be covered, but you're trying to make sure that every serving gets beef, duxelle, and mousse. Remove beef from refrigerator. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and brush all the edges of the pastry with egg wash. Fold the longer sides over the beef, and seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F (rare) on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into 3/4-inch thick slices. *we like our steak medium-rare...I baked the wellington for 25 minutes!

Coq au vin

"Another easy dish that looks like it is hard. It is not in fact, this is the kind of dish you might enjoy spending a leisurely afternoon with. There are plenty of opportunities for breaks. It’s durable, delicious, and the perfect illustration of the principles of turning something big and tough and unlovely into something truly wonderful. Knock out your prep one thing at a time, slowly building your mise en place. Listen to some music while you do it. There’s an open bottle of wine left from the recipe, so have a glass now and again. Just clean up after yourself as you go, so your kitchen doesn't look like a disaster area when you start the actual cooking. You should. with any luck, reach a Zen-like state of pleasurable calm. And like the very best dishes coq a vin is one of those that goes on the stove looking, smelling and tasting pretty nasty, and yet later, through the mysterious alchemical processes of time and heat turns into something magical."-A.B.

~~This R2R recipe was my favorite so far! Anthony Bourdain gave the perfect introduction to this chicken. I will definitely be making this again. It is fairly easy and not all that time consuming. The presentation is pretty... it makes a great impression on guests! I chose to serve my coq au vin with steamed green beans. The perfect combo :D

Coq au vin

from the Les Halles Cookbook, by Anthony Bourdain, Serves 4

1 bottle/1 liter plus 1 cup/225 ml of red wine

1 onion, cut into a 1-inch/2.5 cm dice

1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch/6-mm slices

1 celery rib, cut into ½ inch/1-cm slices

4 whole cloves

1 tbs/14 g whole black peppercorns

1 bouquet garni 1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lb/1.35 kg, “trimmed” – meaning guts, wing tips and neckbone removed

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbs/28 ml olive oil

6 tbs/75 g butter, softened

1 tbs/14 g flour

¼ lb/112 g lardons (bacon)

½ lb/ 225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed

12 pearl onions, peeled

pinch of sugar

Equipment:

3 large, deep bowls

plastic wrap

fine strainer

large Dutch oven or heavy –bottomed pot

tongs

wooden spoon

small sauté pan

small sauce pan

1 sheet parchment paper

whisk

deep serving platter

DAY ONE

The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that’s the big onion, not the pearl onions), sliced carrots, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO

-Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning it with the tongs to evenly brown it. Once browned, it should be removed from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown. That should take about 10 minutes.

-Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour and 15 minutes over low heat.

-Have a drink. You’re almost there…

-While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon/14 g of fat in the pan. Saute the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

-Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2tablespoons/28 g of butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions; then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size of the pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup/225 ml of red wine along with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

-Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing and then it’s wine and kudos…

-When the chicken is cooked through – meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked – carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons/28 g of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken and dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles and a Bourgone Rouge.

Salmon Pesto Pasta

Have you ever had a night when you unexpectedly have to make dinner because other plans fell through? I did not have anything planned for this evening, but decided to use what I had sitting around in the kitchen. One onion...a package of mushrooms that needed to be used soon...one lonely salmon filet. Hmmmm. What to make, what to make?

The combination of these ingredients plus some fresh basil and basil pesto. Tada! I was in business. I developed a new pasta dish for us that was extra tasty. The only change I would make: double the recipe next time! We loved it and wanted more!!

Ingredients

(2 servings)

1 baked salmon filet

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 red onion, chopped

1 package spaghetti
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup prepared basil pesto sauce

4 cloves crushed garlic (2 Italian cloves or 4 American cloves)
1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Instructions

-Preheat oven with cookie sheet inside to 450 degrees.

-Tear two pieces of foil, big enough to wrap salmon with some overlapping. Place foil pieces one on top of the other. Put about 2 Tsp olive oil in center of top piece of foil and lay salmon on top of oil. Spread salmon with 1 Tsp basil pesto. Wrap salmon securely in foil, doubling over the seam and ends several times. Place salmon packet on heated baking sheet and cook 15 minutes.

-Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
-In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic until onion is transparent and mushrooms are tender. Stir in tomato paste, pesto sauce, fresh basil and water; cook gently for 5 to10 minutes, or until desired consistency is achieved. Salt and pepper to taste.
-Drain pasta. Serve sauce over noodles. Cut baked salmon and place pieces on top of sauce.

Lasagne Verdi al Forno

Making my own pasta... this was a first for me. Oh, you think since I live in Italy I should have this down pat by now? Not so much. See, in Italy I can go to any market or store within miles of my house and get freshly made pasta. Why go to the trouble of making your own when it is so readily available?

Well, I was glad for this month's Daring Bakers challenge. It forced me to learn the technique.. which I will be grateful for when I move back to the States. Then I will be missing the fresh pasta and need to make my own!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I admit I was a bit nervous about making the pasta. After watching this video I was inspired and feeling confident that I could do it. I mean, this Italian woman could roll out that dough in under 5 minutes... it couldn't be that hard! (I neglected to consider that she has probably been doing this for 60 years!)

Over all, I had a good time making the lasagna noodles. It does take a bit of work and patience, but it was worth it. I certainly felt accomplished after I was done. However... I don't plan on doing this again anytime soon. For now I think I'll just cheat and head down to the local market!

Instead of using the suggested ragu, I chose to make a vegetarian smoked mozzarella ragu. The flavor was amazing. I will probably use this ragu recipe in other pasta dishes as well.

This dish got 2 thumbs up from my husband. His only criticism is that it tasted "too Italian"... which is not exactly a criticism. We just eat things that taste like this all of the time. I'll consider it a compliment that I was able to achieve such an authentic taste! (He thinks it was the smoked mozzarella and eggplant flavor that closely resembles some of the dishes we get at our favorite local ristorante here in Napoli.)

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water

1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)

#1 - 1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)

#2 - 1 recipe Smoked Mozzarella Vegetable Ragu (recipe follows)

#3 - 1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

Working Ahead:

The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:

Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:

Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:

Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)

10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:

Equipment: A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta. Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:

Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:

With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:

If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: the transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

#2 Bechamel

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour

2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Smoked Mozzarella Vegetable Ragu

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups finely diced mushrooms
3/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup diced smoked mozzarella

-Toss the eggplant cubes with 1 teaspoon salt and place it in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze the eggplant to extract liquid and then pat it dry.

-Cook the eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper in the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
-Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very tender and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes.

-Stir in the mozzarella, then simmer, stirring, until the cheese just begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Parmigiano del Pollo con Pomodori di Piccadilly

Chicken Parmesan with roasted tomatoes... yum! This is a very quick week-night meal that is delicious. I roasted the chicken and tomatoes and served them on top of a spaghetti with butter sauce.

Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Tomatoes
(Yields 2 servings)

1 Tbsp garlic salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tsp oregano
1 Tsp red pepper flakes
12 Piccadilly tomatoes, halved
2 chicken breasts
1 cup grated parmesan (fresh if possible), extra for topping
1 cup mozzarella cheese

-Preheat oven to 500 degrees and grease a large rimmed baking pan or sheet.
-Mix garlic salt, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes together in medium bowl (Take 1 Tbsp of the mixture and put in another small bowl). Add tomatoes to coat and set aside.
-Coat chicken with the oil mixture in the small bowl.
-Put parmesan cheese on a plate and dip one side of each chicken breast to coat. Place chicken, cheese side up, on one end of the baking pan. Put prepared tomatoes on the other side of the pan.
-Roast chicken and tomatoes for 20 minutes. 2 minutes before roasting is done, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken to melt.
-Serve chicken and tomatoes with spaghetti and top with grated parmesan.

Spaghetti with Butter Sauce
(Yields 2 servings)

Prepare spaghetti according to package direction.

1/3 cup butter
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tsp dried oregano

-In a saucepan melt butter and combine with ingredients. Mix with cooked spaghetti.

Garlic & Mushroom Bread Bake

In an effort to use some ingredients that were about to go bad/stale, I threw together this tasty little dinner for one. Yum --- this was great! (Again, poor pictures while my photog is gone)

Ingredients

French Bread (cut in half and then half length-wise)

One head of garlic

1/2 small onion

2 cups sliced mushrooms

Mozzarella Cheese

Feta Cheese

4 Tbsp. butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper

-Cut the head off garlic to expose all cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Wrap in foil and put in oven at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

-In skillet melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and thinly sliced onion to saute. Season with pepper and garlic salt. Drizzle with EVOO (I used a spicy evoo version). Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Set aside.

-When you have only 5 minutes left on the garlic, put one of the pieces of bread in to the oven. After the bread has been in for 5 minutes, take it out and spread with 2 tbsp. butter. Squeeze out roasted garlic cloves. Mush and spread 1/2 of the cloves over butter. Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Top with the mushroom/onion mix. Place remaining garlic cloves evenly over bread. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

-Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Place in oven on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Mozzarella cheese will be bubbly and bread will be crisp.

Mushroom and Sausage Lasagna

This is a recipe (adapted from Bon Appetit) that my husband has been requesting for a while. Since it was his birthday, I made it last night. It turned out to be a wonderful new take on lasagna (as I usually stick with the traditional ingredients). I tried to capture a picture, but they weren't exactly post worthy. Take my word for it...this was tasty!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 8oz packages sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning blend
1 Lb hot Italian sausages, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup dry red wine
3 jars marinara sauce
1 package lasagna noodles
1 large container cottage cheese
2 8oz bags Italian blend grated cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and seasoning blend; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid evaporates. Add 2 1/2 jars marinara sauce to mix. Set aside.

Spread 1/2 jar marinara sauce over bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Place noodles (about 5) over sauce, forming 1 layer (noodles may overlap slightly). Spread some sauce mix over noodles. Top with container of cottage cheese, then another layer of noodles. Spread another layer of sauce mix, then sprinkle with 1st bag of Italian blend cheese. Repeat with noodles, sauce mix, then Italian blend cheese. Cover with foil, tenting in center to prevent cheese from touching foil. Bake lasagna 45 minutes; remove foil. Bake until bubbling at edges and cheese is browned, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes.

Pork Wellington

This is a word-of-mouth recipe given to me from my friend Heidi. This was my first wellington experience as well as my first time using phyllo dough. It turned out to be a very tasty entree. I will definitely be making this one again. I served it with steamed green beans and smashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 Pork Loin
3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Oilve Oil
1 Onion, diced
5 Garlic Cloves, diced or pressed
1 pkg Spinach, de-stemmed and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 roll Phyllo Dough (puff pastry) ~ thaw 2 hours before use
1 Egg white, beaten
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Over medium heat~saute onion in olive oil until glassy, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Add garlic, spinach, wine and mustard. Cook down until all liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

Chop rosemary and combine with sea salt (regular salt is fine if that is what you have on hand) on a plate. Roll pork making sure to cover entire loin with the mixture. (Depending on the size of the loin, you might have to have more rosemary on hand) Pepper the top of the loin.

On a cookie sheet~unroll phyllo and divide into 3 stacks. Combine the pastry sheets (slightly overlapping) to avoid cutting pork in half.

Lay pork across pastry. Press spinach mixture on top of the loin. Fold pastry around sides and top (pinch/fold shut) to seal in pork.

Brush pastry with the egg.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Chicken Stoupli

This is a creamy, hearty stew-soup-chili that is a must-try for any soup lovers out there! And… it can be prepared and cooked in under an hour!

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into cubes
4 Tsp chili powder
2 Tsp ground cumin
1 onion, chopped
2 apples of your choice, peeled and cubed
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 14 oz. can chicken broth
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
1 15 oz. can navy white bean
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, or sharp cheese of your choice
salt & pepper
*optional for people who like spicy foods— 1 jalapeno, remove seeds and thinly slice
ciabatta bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over med-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same pot, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the apples and onion (*and jalapeno) and cook until softened (about 5 or 6 minutes). Transfer to the bowl with the chicken.

In the same pot, melt the butter over med-low heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, water and milk until thickened (about 3 minutes). Stir in the chicken/apple mixture. Add the beans. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the cheese.

While the stoupli is coming to a simmer, put the bread in the oven. Depending on how crispy you want the bread to be, leave in 5 to 10 minutes. When serving the stoupli, break up pieces of the bread an serve on top, or serve on the side for dipping.

Parmigiano Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1.5 cups grated parmigiano cheese
4 boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
l lemon, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tsp capers, drained
3/4 cup dry white wine
Angel Hair pasta
4 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add lemon, garlic and capers–cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 more minute. Pour mixture in baking dish. Make sure lemon slices and capers are evenly distributed on the bottom of the dish.

Place flour on a plate. Whisk eggs and put in shallow dish. Put 1 cup of cheese on another plate. Take one chicken breast at a time and coat the top of each breast with flour-egg-cheese. One by one place chicken breasts (cheese side up) on top of the mixture in the baking dish. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Take lid off and cook for 5 minutes more.

Boil angel hair pasta. Drain and toss with butter. Remove lemon slices and add the juice from the bottom of the baking pan and toss.

I serve the chicken on top of the pasta. Enjoy!