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Asparagus Lasagna
Ingredients:
4 pounds asparagus (2 kg)
1/3 cup butter (75 mL)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (125 mL)
5 cups milk (1.25 L)
8 ounces creamy goat cheese (chevre) (250 gr)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (5 mL)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 mL)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (7 mL)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (2 mL)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (1 mL)
15 lasagna noodles (about 12 oz/375 gr)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (500 mL)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (75 mL)
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Trim asparagus. Cut stalks into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Remove 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of the asparagus tips. Set aside. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the remaining asparagus for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in goat cheese, lemon rind and juice, salt, pepper and nutmeg until cheese has melted. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles for 6 to 8 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and cool in cold water. Remove and arrange in single layer on damp tea
towel. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer in greased 13 x 9 inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Spread with 1 cup (250 mL) of the sauce, then one-third of the mozzarella and then one-third of the cooked asparagus. Repeat layers 2 more times. Top with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle
parmesan over top. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden and bubbly. Sprinkle reserved asparagus tips over top. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until asparagus tips are cooked through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.
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Black Beans and Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients:
16 oz. can of black beans, drained
1 small can of tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 Tbsp. cumin 8 oz. angel hair pasta
picante sauce
fresh cilantro
sour cream (optional)
Directions: Boil the pasta according to the package directions. In the meantime,
sauté the garlic in the olive oil until tender. Do not brown. Add the black beans, salsa verde, and cumin. Allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes or until heated through and the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat. Drain the pasta and make 'nests' on the dinner plates out of it. Spoon the bean mixture into the nests and then add picante sauce, a dollop of sour cream and a few sprigs of cilantro for garnish. This serves 2 people with healthy appetites but is enough for 3 regular
portions.
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Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients:
4 oz spaghetti, broken up
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. flour
16 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup American cheese, shredded
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 1/2 cups peas
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. In a large saucepan, cook bacon, onion and garlic until the bacon is crisp. Blend in the flour. Add the undrained tomatoes, soup and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add shredded cheese, stir until melted. Stir in cooked spaghetti, cubed chicken, and peas. Turn into a
2 1/2-qt casserole dish. Top with the parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
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Couscous with Dried Fruits and Nuts
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups boiling chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced, dried apricots
2 tbsp. dried currants or chopped raisins
2 tbsp. sliced almonds, roasted 1-2 minutes in a warm skillet
Directions: Place the couscous in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the boiling water. Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the dried fruits and toasted almonds. Stir and let cook for a minute or so until heated through. Add the fruit and nut mixture to the couscous. Mix well.
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Creamy Seafood Lasagna
Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (with tops)
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles (9 or 10 noodles)
1 cup creamed cottage cheese
1 can (7 1/2 oz.) crabmeat, drained and cartilage removed
1 can (4 1/2 oz.) tiny shrimp, drained
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the margarine in a 3 quart saucepan over low heat until melted. Add the garlic. Stir in the flour and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in mozzarella cheese, onions, basil and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce (about 1-1/2 cups) in an un- greased rectangular baking dish (13x9x2 inches) Top with 3 or 4 uncooked noodles, overlapping if necessary. Spread the cottage cheese over the noodles in dish. Repeat with 1/4 of the cheese sauce and 3 or 4 noodles. Top with crabmeat, shrimp, 1/4 of the cheese sauce and remaining noodles and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the noodles are done, 35-40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Makes 12 servings.
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Feta Fettuccine
Ingredients:
1 jar Chunky Garden style Pasta Sauce (30 ounce)
1 package fettuccine (12 ounce) cooked
and drained
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Chopped fresh parsley
In a medium saucepan, thoroughly heat sauce over low heat, stirring
occasionally. Spoon over hot fettuccine; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with
cheese, crushed red pepper and parsley.
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Herbed Spinach Pasta
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 med. onion sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. basil
1 medium pepper, cut into strips
1 can spinach, drained
Directions: Cook the pasta and drain. Cook the onion, garlic and basil in the oil until tender. Add the pepper strips and cook for 3 minutes longer. Stir in the spinach. Heat for another minute until warmed through. Toss with the pasta. Top with parmesan cheese.
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Lasagna with Chicken and Pepper
Sauces
Ingredients:
PEPPER SAUCE:
6 red bell peppers
6 yellow bell peppers
4 cans canned Italian plum tomatoes (2-lb cans)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs -- savory, sage, thyme
or rosemary -- minced
4 onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley -- chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
fresh ground black pepper
CHICKEN SAUCE:
4 onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley -- chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil -- chopped
6 pounds chicken breasts -- boneless & skinless
Salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 pound prosciutto -- sliced
1/2 pound butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup white flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
NOODLES AND CHEESE
4 pounds fresh spinach lasagna
3 pounds dried spinach lasagna
1/2 pound Parmesan cheese, grated
2 pounds Fontina cheese
PREPARATION: For the Pepper Sauce, halve and seed the peppers and cut into
1/2-inch dice. Seed and chop the tomatoes, reserving 1 cup of juice. Mince
1 tablespoon herbs.
For both the Pepper and the Chicken Sauce, mince the 8 onions, 9 cloves
garlic. Chop 1 cup parsley and 1/2 cup basil.
For the Pepper Sauce, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add half
of the onions and the peppers and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add
the tablespoon of minced herbs and half of the garlic, parsley, and basil
and cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and reserved cup of juice and
cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Season to
taste.
The Pepper Sauce can be made a week ahead.
For the Chicken Sauce, trim the chicken breasts of fat and connective
tissue and season with salt and pepper. Cut the prosciutto into 1/2-inch
pieces.
Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Sear the chicken about 2 minutes a side until well browned, cooking in
batches to avoid overcrowding. Reduce heat, return all chicken to pan, and
simmer until barely cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and
cool. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch dice.
In the same frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat
and briefly sauté the ham and the remaining garlic, parsley, and basil
until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add to chicken.
In the same pan used to cook the chicken and ham, heat remaining 6 oz. of
butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the remaining onions and
sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 4
minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in chicken stock and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken
mixture and heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chicken Sauce can be made several days ahead.
Boil the spinach lasagna noodles according to package directions and cook
until tender. If using fresh, cook in batches for about 2 minutes. Remove
lasagna to a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, then to a damp
towel. Grate Parmesan and Fontina cheeses. Butter four 9- by 13-inch lasagna pans
or large oval pans. Pour a layer of the Pepper Sauce into each pan. Put a
layer of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, overlapping slightly.
Add a layer of the Chicken Sauce, then a layer of Parmesan and Fontina
cheeses, and another layer of pasta. Repeat process 3 more times, ending
with Pepper Sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil. Lasagna can be made to this point a day ahead.
COOKING AND SERVING: Heat oven to 375°F. Bake lasagna in preheated oven
until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Allow lasagna to rest for about 15
minutes before cutting and serving.
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Linguine Agnello
Ingredients:
1 pound leg of lamb
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
1 tablespoon garlic -- chopped
2 tablespoons basil -- fresh
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 fresh tomatoes -- chopped
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
2 pounds linguini -- fresh
STEP ONE: Marinate the Lamb-- Marinate lamb in garlic, pesto, 1/2 cup
balsamic vinegar, basil, red pepper, and salt for two hours.
STEP TWO: Add chopped tomatoes and 2 fluid ounces balsamic vinegar to lamb
mixture, then let it all cook on stovetop in a sauté pan until most of the
juice is gone.
STEP THREE: Boil the fresh linguine noodles for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Pour lamb mixture over the hot linguine and serve.
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Linguine with Chicken and
Asparagus
1 skinless,
boneless chicken breast
1 lb. linguine or fettucine
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1 cup heavy cream
1 dried hot red pepper
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 lb. Gorgonzola cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cut the chicken breast into small strips. Trim and scrape the
asparagus. Cut off and discard any tough ends. Drop the pieces
into boiling water and drain. Set aside. In a large kettle, boil
water for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook 'til done. Meanwhile
melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and
cook briskly, stirring just until the chicken changes color. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Add the asparagus and stir. Add the
shallots and cook briefly, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, hot
pepper and nutmeg and stir. Break the Gorgonzola into small pieces
and add to the mixture. Cook just until the cheese melts. Add the
tarragon and season to taste. Drain the pasta and add to the
sauce. Toss well and serve with the Parmesan cheese on the side.
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Linguine with Clam Sauce
36 littleneck clams
1 lb. linguine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
pepper
1/8 tsp. dried red hot pepper flakes
Open the clams or have them opened. Save the juice. There should
be about 1 1/2 cups clam juice and about 1 cup of clams. Chop the
clams coarsely and set aside. Place the clam juice in a kettle and
add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add the linguine. Cook
until al dentè. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat the oil and add the
garlic and clams. Cook briefly and add the parsley and pepper
flakes. Toss and cook a bit more. Drain the linguine and add to
the skillet. Toss to blend. Spoon out into hot soup bowls and
serve equal portions of the sauce that concentrates on the bottom
of the skillet onto each serving. A small sprinkle of olive oil on
top before serving won't hurt a thing. hehehe
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Orzo with Feta, Green Beans and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 pound thin green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (about 10 ounces)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Fill a quart kettle three-fourths full of salted water and bring to a boil for beans and orzo. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Quarter and seed tomatoes. Cut quarters lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. In a large skillet, cook the onion and garlic in oil over moderated heat until onion is softened. Add
tomatoes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened, about two minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In boiling salt water, blanch the beans for 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well in colander and pat dry. Add beans to tomato mixture and return water to kettle to boil. Boil orzo until al dente and drain in colander. Add orzo to bean mixture with vinegar, parsley, feta, salt and pepper to taste, tossing to combine well. Serves: 4
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Pasta and Sausage Oregano
Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni
2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. oregano
1/4 cup white wine
1 pound hot bulk sausage -- -or- sweet
1 garlic clove -- minced
sausage can be used
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
In a pot, cook pasta al dente. In a large sauce pan, add oil, garlic, and sausage broken up with a fork while cooking for about 5 minutes. Add
wine and oregano and cook for 5 minutes more. Add cream and parmesan
cheese and cook until the sauce boils. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over
cooked pasta and toss to coat
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Pasta with Pizzazz
Ingredients:
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
10 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup white wine fresh basil and/or dried Italian seasoning
2-4 pats of butter
1 lb. pasta of your choice
crushed red pepper
Parmesan cheese
Directions: Heat olive oil in a pan and add crushed pepper, Italian seasoning and a chopped leaf or two of fresh basil. Immediately add the mushrooms and
sun dried tomatoes and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and wine. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Cook the pasta according to package
directions and drain. Return to pot. Add a little olive oil. Mix in the spinach and cover. Meanwhile,
whisk 3 pats of butter into mushroom mixture one pat at a time. Combine mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with a loaf of warm, crusty bread.
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Spinach Manicotti
Ingredients:
8 oz. manicotti noodles, cooked
15 oz. ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
10 oz. frozen spinach thawed and drained
1 egg 24 oz. spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. ground beef (cooked)
Directions: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the manicotti noodles and spaghetti sauce. Spoon the mixture into the cooked noodles and place in a greased 9" X 13" pan. Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
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Let
me know what you think.
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