Baked Ziti

My husband is obsessed with this stuff.  He always liked baked ziti, but wanted it cheesier.  This is what came about.  It is pretty freaking fabulous.

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound ziti/rigatoni (any tubular noodles will do)
• 15oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 8 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese OR shredded mozzarella cheese
• a few fresh basil leaves sliced, optional

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cook noodles according to package and drain
3. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 13x9" baking pan. (I used a Pyrex one)
4. In a large bowl mix the Ricotta Cheese, 8 oz mozzarella cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
5. Add the noodles and stir into the cheese/sauce mixture.
6. Gently pour the noodle mixture into the baking pan.
7. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce onto the noodles.
8. Sprinkle the additional 1/4 cup cheese on top and sprinkle the basil leaves.
9. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.
10. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream and Dill Dressing

Oh dear Martha, how do I love thee?  You make the world look so easy and fabulous with all your "good things".  

This recipe is straight off of the Martha Stewart website and wonderful  I cut it in half when I made it for a quick and easy lunch.  So yummy and refreshing.  Any recipe I get to use fresh dill is a winner in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish (optional)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 to 6 Kirby cucumbers (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk well to combine.
2. Add cucumbers, and toss to coat.  If desired, garnish with more dill.  Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Let me say a few things first.  These are AWESOME.  SO SO SO GOOD.  But, if you make these you might go insane.  This was the most frustrating thing I have ever made.   Seriously.  My thumb might never be the same.  You put the dough in the freezer and then roll it out.  Rolling frozen dough is HARD.  The rolling pin slips off the ball of awesomeness and SMACKS repeatedly into your thumb. 

If you have kids either 
a) make these when they are NOT around or b) plan to expand their vocabulary.

This recipe makes a bowl full.  Like the kind of bowl you get when you buy dishes.  A soup bowl.    So it is A LOT of work, for a small amount, yet SOOOO worth it in the end.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons COLD butter cut into chunks
• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili powder
• Kosher Salt for sprinkling
• cold water

Directions: 

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
2. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until it forms a dough.  Pulsing after each addition.  I used 4 tablespoons.
3. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer and let it sit for a few minutes.  This is the hardest part.  Mentally prepare yourself for what you will do next.
5. Place the ball in between new plastic wrap or wax paper and roll it out.  THIS IS HARD.  My rolling pin repeatedly slipped onto my thumb.  Not an enjoyable feeling.  You want to roll it out until it is a 1/8 inch thick.  Once it starts warming up it is easier. I rolled, smacked, beat, and cursed at the dough.
6. Place on a cookie sheet and cut with a pizza cutter/sharp knife into one inch squares.
7. Sprinkle with Kosher Salt.
8. Bake in a preheated 350F  oven for 25+ minutes.  The original recipe I found said 25 minutes.  I changed the recipe and I had to bake mine for about 29 minutes.  You want to check for crispness.  They will crisp up a bit after you take them out.  Just make sure they aren't soggy.
9. Remove from oven, cool and HIDE THESE.  They are so good!!

ENJOY!!!

Slow Cooker Spinach Pesto Lasagna

I never thought lasagna in a slow cooker could be so good.  I am the type of girl that spends HOURS, cutting vegetables, making the sauce, cooking the meat, assembling.  So I never would have in a million years thought that a lasagna that you just throw together and forget about in a slow cooker could be so good.

But it was.

Ingredients:

• 1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce 
• 1 (10-ounce) box lasagna noodles (regular ones.  Not the no-boil ones.) 
• Pesto, or you can buy some.  (11oz) 
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese 
• 1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach 
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 
• 1/4 cup water
• Slow Cooker.  Mine is a 6qt.

*Parmesan cheese is guesstimated.  I sprinkled until it looked good.

Directions:

1. Put some of the sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker, about a 1/4cup and smooth it around.
2. Cover the sauce with the RAW noodles.  You will have to break them to make it fit.  Rectangle noodle will not fit perfectly in a oval slow cooker, unless you are Chuck Norris and then the noodles will bend for you.
3. Spread some ricotta on top of the noodles to cover.
4. Spread some pesto on the ricotta.
5. Sprinkle about 2 handfuls of baby spinach on top.
6. Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese.
7. Sprinkle on the Mozzerella Cheese.
8. Spread some pasta sauce.
9. REPEAT until you use everything up ending with a cheese layer. I got three layers. 
10. Take the 1/4 cup water and put it in the pasta jar.  Shake, then pour over the top.
11. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for about 6 hours. 
12. It is done when the top is browned and bubbly.  It also pulls away from the sides a bit.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating.   Enjoy!! 

Pesto

Just a basic pesto recipe, with a little twist on the original.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil, packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts and chopped walnuts, mixed (or just choose one type.  I did half and half)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions :

1. In a food processor add the basil and nuts.  Pulse a few times.
2. Add the garlic and pulse a few more times.
3. Turn on the food processor and slowly add the olive oil, while it is running.  Make sure to stop the machine and scrape the sides down so you get it all mixed together.
4. Add the cheese and pulse again until blended.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Broccoli & Cheese Souffle

Holy Moly Batman.  These are GOOD.  I found this recipe and I was planning on making them for Veronica.  They sounded good and all.  The minute we gave them to her she started INHALING them.  I made my husband try it.  Just because I wanted to try it and it was labeled as a baby food recipe on the site I found it on and well...I am picky.  He tried it and said it was good.  I gave it a shot and let me tell you this is SOOOO good.  True babies can eat it, but I bet you will eat them too!

Ingredients:

•  1 cup of ricotta
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1/8 cup parmesean cheese
• 1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped broccoli (I used florets and chopped them up well) 
• 2 eggs (or 4 egg yolks)
• 1 teaspoon of pre-minced garlic (Best invention EVER)
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Thaw and drain the broccoli.  Make sure to get as much water out as possible.  I put mine between paper towels and smooshed it.
2.  Preheat oven to 350F and spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
3. In a bowl beat the eggs until foamy.  My hand mixer has a whisk attachment.  I used that.  It fluffed them up nice and quick.  You can also push down and make sure you get the stuff on the bottom foamy as well.
4. Add the cheeses, pepper, and herbs.  I gave the mixture a quick beat with the whisk attachment again to mix it all together.
5. Fold the broccoli into the egg/cheese mixture until just combined.
6. Divide evenly in the muffin tins.  Mine filled all 12 holes halfway.
7. Bake 20-30 minutes.  The original recipe said 20-25minutes.  I changed this a bit so mine had to stay in longer.  Mine went for 28 minutes.  From about the 20 minute point I would just keep an eye on them.
8. Serve warm.  But I best these would be just as yummy chilled!

mmhmhmhmmm...

Fruit Oatmeal Bars

I just had to put the most important thing first.  The picture.  These are phenomenal.  

I had frozen strawberries and blueberries from earlier this year so I threw those in.  I am planning on making more this week.  I think this time around blackberries are in order.  I'll let you know how those turn out!  I am SO glad I found this recipe.  

I made these in two separate pans.  I had an 8x11 and a 9x5.  I had enough base, but not enough filling.  So I increased the filling. But honestly...can you ever have too much berry goodness?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats, divided*
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or run regular whole wheat flour through a sifter a couple of times)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract

*3/4 cups oats for the base of the bars and 1/4 cup oats for the topping

Fruit Filling Ingredients:

• 6 1/2 cups  blueberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, fresh or frozen, divided*
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup and  2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup orange segments
• 1 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla

 *VERY versatile recipe.  Just choose what you want to use.  I did mine half blueberry and half strawberry

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. Put the oats in a blender or food processor and run until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in both flours, sugar and salt.
3. Add chunks of butter and use a pastry blender or you fingers to incorporate it into the flour mixture until crumbly.
4. Whisk egg, oil, vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. Pour into flour mixture and stir until it everything is combined. It will be crumbly.
5. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup rolled oats (or nuts or a combination of the two). Set aside for the topping.
6. Line a 9×13″ or two 9×5″ pans with foil or parchment paper. Spray the lined pan with cooking spray. Spread the dough evenly in the pan and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Set aside.
7. Combine 4 1/2 cups berries, orange juice, sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. This could take up to 10 minutes if you started with frozen fruit.
   
8. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of berries, oranges, orange zest and vanilla.
9. Spread the fruit filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling.
10. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
11. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.

12.  After cooling I removed the bars by lifting them out of the pan by the tinfoil.

       Then I placed them on a cutting board and cut these with a spatula. 

13.  Once cut I wrapped these individually in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

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