Tortellini A La Fini

My sister, Trisha, came up with this recipe because she loved the version that Olive Garden used to serve. It's pretty quick and easy to prepare. It's also pretty rich, so I recommend serving with a green salad.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Bags Tortellini

3/4 C Peas

1/3 pound cubed Ham

8 ounces Mushrooms

5 Tablespoons Butter, split

1 Garlic Clove, minced (I actually like to use more)

1 C Heavy Cream

1 C grated Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook tortellini as directed on package. Saute mushrooms and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter. Bring Cream and 4 tablespoons butter to boil, then add cheese. Warm the ham and peas with the mushrooms, and combine the tortellini, cream and mushroom mix together.

Pasta With Escarole

My goal this year is to find some tasty recipes that are on the lighter side. This is a fantastic one I made tonight. It comes from the Food Network magazine from this month. I have never used escarole, but as I'm trying to get to know my greens better, I decided to try it out. This dish turned out to be very satisfying and full of flavor.

Serves 4; Calories 568

INGREDIENTS:

Kosher salt

12 ounces gemelli, fusilli or spaghetti

1 head escarole, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 red jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Add the escarole and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Wipe out the skillet, add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and blot dry.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain the pasta adn escarole, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and add to the skillet. Add half of the pancetta and toss, drizzling in enough pasta water to moisten. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the pasta among bowls, top with the breadcrumb mixture, remaining pancetta and the parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil.

Emeril's Pork Ribs

This recipe is one of Emeril Lagasse's.  I found it on foodnetwork.com.  These pork ribs turned out SO good.  Derrick was a real fan.

I actually cut this recipe in half, and it was still awesome.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (3-pound) slabs country-style pork ribs, sliced into individual ribs

2 t. salt

2 C Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup or other cane syrup (I didn't have this in my pantry, so I used 1/2 molasses and 1/2 karo syrup.  It was still yummy!)

1/4 C Soy Sauce

1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 C water

2 T sesame oil (I didn't have this either, so I substituted olive oil, and added a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  Yes, I realize that's getting a little creative)

1/4 C minced yellow onion

2 T chopped garlic

2 T peeled and grated fresh ginger (or just use ground ginger, like I did)

1/2 t. cayenne

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Scallions (green parts only), thinly sliced on the bias, for garnish (I totally omitted this one.  C'mon, I'm not THAT into impressing my family.  Sadly.)

DIRECTIONS

Put the ribs in a very large soup pot or kettle.  Add the salt and enough water to cover them.  Bring to a boil and let boil for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and drain.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a medium-size mixing bowl, blending well.  Put the ribs in a large, deep braising pan or roasting pan and pour half of the marinade over them.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, turning the ribs in the marinade every hour.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover with foil and cook, basting with the reserved marinade and turning the ribs every 15 minutes, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the ribs from the pan.  Divide among 6 plates and garnish with sliced scallions.

Brisket Tamales

This is Guy Fieri's recipe, but I used green chile sauce instead of red because I prefer the flavor.  I also made a couple other changes, for which I changed the recipe below.  These tamales rock!  I like that they do not have lard in them, but still have a great texture-- and they were so easy to make!  You could really use any meat with these, but I really did love the brisket.  Oh, and Derrick wanted me to say that these tamales "are the all-time favorite tamales.  WAY better than the ones I had in Cancun, and better than my employee Dora's."  I don't think they are better than Dora's.  But they are a good second when I am craving her's.

3-Pound Beef Brisket

2 T kosher salt

6 C water, divided

4 T Canola oil

2 Cups enchilada sauce, store-bought (I used Costa Vida's green chile enchilada sauce)

24 Tamale husks

2 cups masa harina (fine corn flour)

3 cups water (approximate)

2 T melted butter

3 t salt

In medium braising pot, simmer beef in salt and 3 cups water for 1 hour or until meat can be shredded with a fork (I ended up cutting up the brisket after an hour and cooking it for another hour before it was shredable).  Shred beef and let it cool completely.

In a medium saute pan, add oil and fry meat for 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy.  Add enchilada sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Soak husks in water for 30 minutes.

Mix masa, water, butter and salt into a THICK paste.

Apply 5 T of the masa mix into the center of the corn husk.  Cover with plastic wrap and roll into a thin layer.  Add 2 T of the meat to the center.  Roll one edge of the husk over and press masa around the meat.  Peel the husk back from the masa you just rolled over the meat, and bring the other edge over to cover the entire tamale.  Fold end over.

Place a colander in a large pot of boiling water, but do not let the colander touch the water.  Place the tamales in the colander, cover and allow steam to rise to the top.  Steam the tamales for 30-40 minutes, or until ready.

These are great served with the Cilantro Sour Cream.

Mexican Beef Brisket

Found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com (surprise surprise).  Make sure you have a baking dish big enough for all the liquid!

3 1/2 pounds beef brisket

1 T coarse salt

2 t freshly ground pepper

Flour for dredging

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

2 medium onions, chopped

10 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

3 dried chipotle or morita chiles

2 T tomato paste

1 T dried oregano

2 quarts chicken stock

5 bay leaves

Salt to taste

4 scallions for optional garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Sprinkle the brisket with the coarse salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour to coat and shake off any excess.  In a large Dutch oven heat oil over high heat.  Sear the meat until browned on all sides.  Set aside.  Reduce heat to moderate and add the carrots and onions.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute 2 minutes longer.  Return the meat to the pan along with all remaining ingredients except the salt and garnish.  Bring to a boil, cover the pot and transfer to the oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat slips off a fork when pierced.  Lift out the brisket and place on a cutting board.  Cover with a damp towel.  Pour the broth with vegetables into a tall container and skim off the layer of fat that rises.  Remove and discard the bay leaves and chiles.  Pour the broth and vegetables into a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Puree until smooth, add salt to taste and strain.  Reheat the sauce.  Slice the brisket against the grain and arrange on a platter.  Pour the warm sauce over it, sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Derrick requested this dish for Father's Day, so I made it yesterday.  I admit that touching raw chicken for as long as this recipe requires was a little trying for me, and I swore I'd never do it again.  But the flavor really was fantastic, so I guess if I get adventurous, I will make the dish again!  The Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper really give it a kick, but then I love anything with spice!  This photo isn't actually the real thing.  I took it off the internet because I forgot to take a picture!

4 T butter

1 C flour

4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken

2 eggs lightly beaten

4 thin slices smoked ham

6 oz Swiss or Gruyere cheese, cut into 4 chunks

2 C bread crumbs

1 T garlic powder

1 T salt

1 T freshly ground black pepper

1 T paprika

1 T Cajun Seasoning

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Breading:

Combine all the ingredients from Bread Crumbs down.  Mix well and place in a large dish.

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt butter in glass baking dish.  Lightly flatten chicken breasts between plastic wrap with mallet.  Lay 1 slice of ham and 1 piece of cheese on flattened chicken breast.  Fold in half and seal closed with toothpicks.  Repeat process for remaining chicken breasts.  Coat each piece with flour, then eggs and then bread crumbs.  Place chicken pieces in glass baking dish.  Turn to coat with butter.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.  

Lasagna Rolls

This is one of Giada De Laurentiis's recipes from Foodnetwork.com (obviously my favorite recipe website!).  It tastes awesome, and I like it because Cecily will eat the spinach in it.  Anything to get her to eat veggies!

Sauce: 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 cups whole milk 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna: 
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped 
1 large egg, beaten to blend 
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 
12 uncooked lasagna noodles 
2 cups marinara sauce 
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Rigatoni Martino

This is my take on Carrabba's Rigatoni Martino. Derrick cooked the chicken on our barbecue after seasoning it with olive oil, oregano, basil, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

8 oz. Rigatoni, cooked
1 1/2 C. Tomato Cream Sauce (recipe below)
1/2 C. Mushrooms, sauteed
10 sundried tomatoes, sliced
8 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
1/2 C. grated romano cheese
Grated Ricotta Salata (garnish)
Chopped green onions (garnish)


Heat mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato cream sauce in a skillet over medium heat. Add cooked rigatoni and chicken. Sprinkle Romano cheese on pasta and toss until sauce is a creamy consistency. Serve topped with ricotta salata and green onions.



Tomato Cream Sauce:


1- 28oz jar pasta sauce
1 C half and half
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T. dried basil

Bring all ingredients to a simmer. This recipe only uses a portion, so you will have extra.

Spinach and Pasta Bake

Note: Be sure to make this in a bigger baking dish than shown in the picture. I actually made two smaller dishes with this recipe and froze the second. Also, the hamburger/Italian sausage is optional. You could make this dish without the meat, or even substitute with prosciutto. We just had this tonight for dinner and it was so yummy!

















Bechamel Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg



Pasta:
16 oz pasta cooked al dente
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 lb cooked Italian sausage or hamburger
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium sucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper and nutmeg into teh bechamel sauce.

Put bechamel sauce in bottom of a large buttered baking dish.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 C Parmesan, hamburger/sausage, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Layer noodles, ricotta mix, marinara sauce and mozzarella several times in baking dish, with top layer being the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 25 minutes at 450, until sauce bubbles. Uncover and bake until cheese starts to brown.

Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse and taken from the Foodnetwork.com

















*Note: I don't use the andouille, and I like to add small scallops. I even do it without chicken sometimes. Also, instead of using the Essence, I have a creole seasoning that I have been using until it is gone. It has pretty much the same ingredients as the Essence.

1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound dry penne rigate
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Essence, divided, recipe follows
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1-inch diced
3/4 pound andouille sausage, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan


Fill a large, 1-gallon stock pot with a pasta insert, 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1/4 cup of the salt as it boils. Place the penne in the salted water and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta until nearly al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, swirl the pan to evenly coat with the oil. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pan and sear for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil to the saute pan and season the chicken breast with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Place the chicken breast in the pan and sear for 3 minutes, turning to ensure even browning. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside with the seared shrimp.

Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the saute pan and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly caramelized and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Essence and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and chicken to the pan, as well as the nearly al dente pasta and the reserved 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through, the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.