Mamacello Pasta

I have made this dish a couple of times and found in my old files on my computer.  I don't think I posted it because I felt that it didn't photograph well.  I decided that the recipe is definitely blog worthy even if the photo isn't.  Rachael Ray makes this with spaghetti or linguine but Steve and I are very big fans of rigatoni and I make it all the time.  What's your favorite type of pasta?

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

June-July 2006

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

Salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 3 turns of the pan

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine (a couple of glugs)

Zest of 2 lemons, 1 lemon juiced

1/2 cup heavy cream (eyeball it)

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh basil (20 leaves), shredded

Freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, for topping the pasta and passing around the table

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt the water liberally. Cook the pasta until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over low heat and add the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan. When the olive oil is warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn off the heat and set the garlic aside for 5 minutes, then raise the heat to medium, add the wine and lemon zest and boil to reduce the wine by half, about 3 minutes.

3. When the pasta is just about cooked, add a ladle of starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the sauce and stir in the heavy cream. When the cream is warmed through, whisk the lemon juice into the sauce and season with salt. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce, then let the pasta stand for 1 minute so it can soak up a little of the sauce and lots of flavor. Toss with the parsley, basil and a couple handfuls of grated cheese, then serve immediately. Pass around the extra cheese at the table.

 Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Mamacello Pasta

I have made this dish a couple of times and found in my old files on my computer.  I don't think I posted it because I felt that it didn't photograph well.  I decided that the recipe is definitely blog worthy even if the photo isn't.  Rachael Ray makes this with spaghetti or linguine but Steve and I are very big fans of rigatoni and I make it all the time.  What's your favorite type of pasta?

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

June-July 2006

4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti or linguine

Salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 3 turns of the pan

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine (a couple of glugs)

Zest of 2 lemons, 1 lemon juiced

1/2 cup heavy cream (eyeball it)

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh basil (20 leaves), shredded

Freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, for topping the pasta and passing around the table

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt the water liberally. Cook the pasta until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over low heat and add the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan. When the olive oil is warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn off the heat and set the garlic aside for 5 minutes, then raise the heat to medium, add the wine and lemon zest and boil to reduce the wine by half, about 3 minutes.

3. When the pasta is just about cooked, add a ladle of starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the sauce and stir in the heavy cream. When the cream is warmed through, whisk the lemon juice into the sauce and season with salt. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce, then let the pasta stand for 1 minute so it can soak up a little of the sauce and lots of flavor. Toss with the parsley, basil and a couple handfuls of grated cheese, then serve immediately. Pass around the extra cheese at the table.

 Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Chicken and Porcini Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Wow, this blog really is dusty!  Sorry I've been away for so long.  I'm happy to report that I have still been cooking and eating and even taking pictures but after a long day of working (some days 2 jobs) I just can't get myself to write up a post.  I'm going to try to be diligent about posting at least twice a week.  Let's see how that works.  Sound good?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed all those other holidays I've missed!  Mine was great! Aside from having a bad cold I really enjoyed Christmas, all the yummy food and the extra days off.  Speaking of Christmas....I am so excited to share that Steve bought me the new Color Nook!  I do love to read (although even that hasn't made it onto my to do list lately) but the main reason I wanted the Color nook is for my cookbooks.  I have so many cookbooks and they take up so much space.  I thought it would be a great way to store and keep track of the new cookbooks I buy.  The first book I downloaded was Rachael Ray's Look and Cook.  There are a lot of great recipes in this book.  I think I bookmarked about 15 of them so far which is a good sign.

I chose to make this recipe out of all of those because I had basically all of the ingredients thanks to leftover ingredients from my Christmas recipes.  Besides, it does seem like an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie, doesn't it? I made a couple of substitutions which worked out just fine.  I used chicken breasts in place of the tenders or thighs, dried wild mushrooms instead of porcini, 1 small onion instead of the shallots and I added 2 cloves of minced garlic.  In addition to the changes to the recipe I decided to cook the onions and carrots before I added the chicken.  I find that the veggies need a little longer to cook than her recipe states and I didn't want the chicken to dry out.  I will give you the recipe as it was printed and you can decide if you want to follow the recipe exactly or if you'd like to incorporate my changes (or your own).

Chicken Porcini Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Look and Cook
by Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
4 stems of fresh sage, leaves removed and thinly sliced
Black Pepper
1 cup shredded Italian Fontina cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 pound of 1/4 inch thick pancetta or prosciutto, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders, diced
3 shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, pelled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  When tender, drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot.  Mash the potatoes with the milk or cream, sage, salt and pepper, and the cheese.  Add nutmeg to taste and stir in the egg.

While the potatoes come to a boil, place the porcinis in a small pot and cover with the stock.  Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer to reconstitute the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are softening, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat, place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.  Add the pancetta to the hot oil and crisp for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the shallots and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more.  Make a well in the center of the pan and melt the butter.  Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine.  Remove the porcinis from the stock and stir the stock into the chicken mixture.  Chop the porcinis and stir into the mixture.  Thicken the sauce for 2 minutes and scoop the chicken into a 9x13 inch casserole or individual casseroles.  Top with the potatoes, brown under the broiler for a couples of minutes and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Chicken and Porcini Mushroom Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Wow, this blog really is dusty!  Sorry I've been away for so long.  I'm happy to report that I have still been cooking and eating and even taking pictures but after a long day of working (some days 2 jobs) I just can't get myself to write up a post.  I'm going to try to be diligent about posting at least twice a week.  Let's see how that works.  Sound good?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed all those other holidays I've missed!  Mine was great! Aside from having a bad cold I really enjoyed Christmas, all the yummy food and the extra days off.  Speaking of Christmas....I am so excited to share that Steve bought me the new Color Nook!  I do love to read (although even that hasn't made it onto my to do list lately) but the main reason I wanted the Color nook is for my cookbooks.  I have so many cookbooks and they take up so much space.  I thought it would be a great way to store and keep track of the new cookbooks I buy.  The first book I downloaded was Rachael Ray's Look and Cook.  There are a lot of great recipes in this book.  I think I bookmarked about 15 of them so far which is a good sign.

I chose to make this recipe out of all of those because I had basically all of the ingredients thanks to leftover ingredients from my Christmas recipes.  Besides, it does seem like an Italian version of Shepherd's Pie, doesn't it? I made a couple of substitutions which worked out just fine.  I used chicken breasts in place of the tenders or thighs, dried wild mushrooms instead of porcini, 1 small onion instead of the shallots and I added 2 cloves of minced garlic.  In addition to the changes to the recipe I decided to cook the onions and carrots before I added the chicken.  I find that the veggies need a little longer to cook than her recipe states and I didn't want the chicken to dry out.  I will give you the recipe as it was printed and you can decide if you want to follow the recipe exactly or if you'd like to incorporate my changes (or your own).

Chicken Porcini Shepherd's Pie with Fontina-Sage Potatoes

Look and Cook
by Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds starchy potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt
1/2 cup whole milk or cream
4 stems of fresh sage, leaves removed and thinly sliced
Black Pepper
1 cup shredded Italian Fontina cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 pound of 1/4 inch thick pancetta or prosciutto, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders, diced
3 shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, pelled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes.  When tender, drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot.  Mash the potatoes with the milk or cream, sage, salt and pepper, and the cheese.  Add nutmeg to taste and stir in the egg.

While the potatoes come to a boil, place the porcinis in a small pot and cover with the stock.  Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer to reconstitute the mushrooms.

While the mushrooms are softening, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat, place an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.  Add the pancetta to the hot oil and crisp for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.  Add the shallots and carrot and cook for 5 minutes more.  Make a well in the center of the pan and melt the butter.  Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine.  Remove the porcinis from the stock and stir the stock into the chicken mixture.  Chop the porcinis and stir into the mixture.  Thicken the sauce for 2 minutes and scoop the chicken into a 9x13 inch casserole or individual casseroles.  Top with the potatoes, brown under the broiler for a couples of minutes and serve. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Rachael Ray's BLT Pasta

All you Rachael Ray haters don't know what you are missing!  Look how beautiful this pasta dish is! I made this dish for my parents this weekend and they loved it.  It has a delicious crunchy topping that I couldn't get enough of.  You can use any type of pasta you like, Rachael used Farfalle but I used Rigatoni.  It's so easy and it's a spin off of a BLT - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.  Instead of lettuce the recipe called for Arugula but if that's too spicy or bitter for you, I think spinach would be a fine substitute.

Turns out that due to the excessive cold weather tomatoes are hard to come by so supermarkets are jacking up the price.  My mom and I were in shock when we saw a little pint of grape tomatoes was $5!  That's double to the usual price.  Don't worry, we made it work with canned cherry tomatoes.  I never saw them canned before but they were so cute!  I added a sprinkle of sugar to the sauce to help sweeten them up and the taste was great!  You never would have known that the recipe was altered in any way.

BLT Pasta

by Rachael Ray

As seen on The Rachael Ray Show. 

Serves 4-6 (If you are using Rigatoni, this recipe will only serve 4)

Ingredients:

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped



Directions:

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.

Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

Click here for a printable version of BLT Pasta.

Rachael Ray's BLT Pasta

All you Rachael Ray haters don't know what you are missing!  Look how beautiful this pasta dish is! I made this dish for my parents this weekend and they loved it.  It has a delicious crunchy topping that I couldn't get enough of.  You can use any type of pasta you like, Rachael used Farfalle but I used Rigatoni.  It's so easy and it's a spin off of a BLT - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.  Instead of lettuce the recipe called for Arugula but if that's too spicy or bitter for you, I think spinach would be a fine substitute.

Turns out that due to the excessive cold weather tomatoes are hard to come by so supermarkets are jacking up the price.  My mom and I were in shock when we saw a little pint of grape tomatoes was $5!  That's double to the usual price.  Don't worry, we made it work with canned cherry tomatoes.  I never saw them canned before but they were so cute!  I added a sprinkle of sugar to the sauce to help sweeten them up and the taste was great!  You never would have known that the recipe was altered in any way.

BLT Pasta

by Rachael Ray

As seen on The Rachael Ray Show. 

Serves 4-6 (If you are using Rigatoni, this recipe will only serve 4)

Ingredients:

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped



Directions:

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.

Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

Click here for a printable version of BLT Pasta.

Sausage, Pepper and Potato Soup (stew or stoup)

I can't help but chuckle at the title because I know that a lot of my readers and blogger friends despise Rachael Ray.  I know she's quirky and annoys people but that doesn't stop me from trying her recipes and it shouldn't stop you either. I like her and more importantly, this dish is delicious!  I added a potato and handful of Trader Joe's frozen sliced peppers (in addition to the cubanelle's), a can of roman beans, some crushed red pepper (since I didn't use spicy sausage) and Italian seasoning.  I loved it!  I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!



Sausage, Pepper and Potato Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-peppers-and-onions-stoup-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausage, cut into small pieces or smashed with a masher or spoon
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 4 cubanelle peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
1 large potato, diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
2 (15-ounce) cans or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 can roman beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
1 tsp Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper to taste (if you use spicy sausage you don't need this)
1 cup Romano cheese

Directions:

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in deep skillet, add sausage and brown a few minutes then add potato, garlic, peppers, onions and cook until soft, 6 to 7 minutes more.

Deglaze pan with vinegar abd stir in stock, tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, cook 10 -15 minutes and then add beans and cook for another 5-10 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with grated cheese on top.

Sausage, Pepper and Potato Soup (stew or stoup)

I can't help but chuckle at the title because I know that a lot of my readers and blogger friends despise Rachael Ray.  I know she's quirky and annoys people but that doesn't stop me from trying her recipes and it shouldn't stop you either. I like her and more importantly, this dish is delicious!  I added a potato and handful of Trader Joe's frozen sliced peppers (in addition to the cubanelle's), a can of roman beans, some crushed red pepper (since I didn't use spicy sausage) and Italian seasoning.  I loved it!  I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!



Sausage, Pepper and Potato Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-peppers-and-onions-stoup-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds hot or sweet Italian sausage, cut into small pieces or smashed with a masher or spoon
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 4 cubanelle peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
1 large potato, diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
2 (15-ounce) cans or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed or diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 can roman beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
1 tsp Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper to taste (if you use spicy sausage you don't need this)
1 cup Romano cheese

Directions:

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in deep skillet, add sausage and brown a few minutes then add potato, garlic, peppers, onions and cook until soft, 6 to 7 minutes more.

Deglaze pan with vinegar abd stir in stock, tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, cook 10 -15 minutes and then add beans and cook for another 5-10 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with grated cheese on top.

Rachael Ray's Chili Mac

It was another cold day here in New Jersey and I needed something to warm me up. I had a pound of ground sirloin defrosting in the fridge but wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. I didn't want to make soup because I have photos of Escarole and Mini Meatball soup that I still haven't blogged about. After some internet searching I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for Chili Mac. There was only one ingredient that I didn't have which was Jalapeño peppers. That didn't stop me because I knew I had chipoltle hot sauce in the fridge and that would provide enough heat that this chili needed.

This recipe makes a lot (8 servings) so I have halved it so I would have enough for me and Steve and some leftovers for lunch. I have more than enough for lunch so I will be sharing that with my coworkers (taste testers!). I'm very happy with the way it came out. I wish I had some Mexican cheese to add to my dish but I didn't so I did sprinkle a little Romano. I know, I know, it's not an Italian dish but I was desperate. It's hard for me to eat any pasta without cheese!

Besides using only one pound of meat and half pound of pasta these are the changes and additions that I made. Did not use the Jalapeños but used 1/2 red bell pepper (because I had it) and a few shakes of chipolte sauce. I didn't use another hot sauce like Rachael uses but did add some smoked paprika, additional chili powder and adobo seasoning. Season this however you would normally season your chili. I don't measure the seasonings I just taste and adjust. I used two cans of diced tomatoes and broke them up with my wooden spoon as they cooked. With the amount of meat and pasta I had adding crushed tomatoes would make this dish too saucy for me. I wish I had scallions for garnish but I just finished my scallions a couple of days ago.

Here is the recipe in it's original form which could be found on the Food Network Website.


Ingredients:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta with lines or elbows with lines
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 palm fuls) dark chili powder
2 tablespoons (1 palm ful) cumin
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
Coarse salt
1 cup beer or beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions
In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in beer or broth, and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions.

Rachael Ray's Chili Mac

It was another cold day here in New Jersey and I needed something to warm me up. I had a pound of ground sirloin defrosting in the fridge but wasn't sure what I wanted to make with it. I didn't want to make soup because I have photos of Escarole and Mini Meatball soup that I still haven't blogged about. After some internet searching I found a recipe from Rachael Ray for Chili Mac. There was only one ingredient that I didn't have which was Jalapeño peppers. That didn't stop me because I knew I had chipoltle hot sauce in the fridge and that would provide enough heat that this chili needed.

This recipe makes a lot (8 servings) so I have halved it so I would have enough for me and Steve and some leftovers for lunch. I have more than enough for lunch so I will be sharing that with my coworkers (taste testers!). I'm very happy with the way it came out. I wish I had some Mexican cheese to add to my dish but I didn't so I did sprinkle a little Romano. I know, I know, it's not an Italian dish but I was desperate. It's hard for me to eat any pasta without cheese!

Besides using only one pound of meat and half pound of pasta these are the changes and additions that I made. Did not use the Jalapeños but used 1/2 red bell pepper (because I had it) and a few shakes of chipolte sauce. I didn't use another hot sauce like Rachael uses but did add some smoked paprika, additional chili powder and adobo seasoning. Season this however you would normally season your chili. I don't measure the seasonings I just taste and adjust. I used two cans of diced tomatoes and broke them up with my wooden spoon as they cooked. With the amount of meat and pasta I had adding crushed tomatoes would make this dish too saucy for me. I wish I had scallions for garnish but I just finished my scallions a couple of days ago.

Here is the recipe in it's original form which could be found on the Food Network Website.


Ingredients:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta with lines or elbows with lines
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 palm fuls) dark chili powder
2 tablespoons (1 palm ful) cumin
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
Coarse salt
1 cup beer or beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Chopped scallions, for garnish
Directions
In a large pot, boil pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a big, deep pot, brown beef in oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season meat mixture with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Cook together 5 minutes, stir in beer or broth, and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta. Add hot pasta to chili pot and stir to coat pasta evenly. Remove from heat and garnish big bowlfuls of chili mac with chopped scallions.

Rachael Ray's Sesame Chicken

I can't help but laugh at myself whenever I attempt to make a stir fry. It's never right. The sauce is always too salty, not enough balanace of salty and sweet so Steve and I end up drowning it in soy sauce. Not this time. I finally found a stir fry recipe that works for me! I followed the recipe exactly, although I am not sure how many chicken breasts a pound would be. I only used two since I buy mine frozen in portions and Steve and I only eat one breast each. The recipe does say it serves four so maybe one more chicken breast and yes it would be perfectly portioned for four. I had rice left over an some chicken and veggies but it's mostly rice.

I would only make two changes next time. The recipe calls for cooking the rice in chicken broth. I did that but after putting the delicious sauce over it I realize that it was unnecessary, plain white rice with scallions added would be just perfect. The second change would be the scallions. I would add less of the white part of the scallion since they are raw and was a little strong for my taste. The green part seems to be milder so I would use all the green and some of the white so the scallion flavor isn't as strong.

That's it. This was absolutely the best homemade stir fry I have ever had. Not only does it taste great but the vibrant colors make it so visually appealing.



This recipe can be found in Rachael Ray's Magazine "Everyday with Rachael Ray" or on her website www.rachaelraymag.com .


Devilish Sesame Chicken with Green Beans and Scallion Rice

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
August 2008

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
Salt
1/2 pound green beans
1 pound chicken breast, chicken cutlets or chicken tenders, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the rice; toast, stirring, for a minute or two. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 17 minutes.

2. In a medium skillet, bring enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch to a boil, salt it, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water.

3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 turns of the pan, over high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, 3 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.

4. In a bowl, mix together the tamari, honey, hot sauce, mustard and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables; toss. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chickenal.

5. Stir the scallions into the rice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken over the rice and top with the sesame seeds and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Rachael Ray's Sesame Chicken

I can't help but laugh at myself whenever I attempt to make a stir fry. It's never right. The sauce is always too salty, not enough balanace of salty and sweet so Steve and I end up drowning it in soy sauce. Not this time. I finally found a stir fry recipe that works for me! I followed the recipe exactly, although I am not sure how many chicken breasts a pound would be. I only used two since I buy mine frozen in portions and Steve and I only eat one breast each. The recipe does say it serves four so maybe one more chicken breast and yes it would be perfectly portioned for four. I had rice left over an some chicken and veggies but it's mostly rice.

I would only make two changes next time. The recipe calls for cooking the rice in chicken broth. I did that but after putting the delicious sauce over it I realize that it was unnecessary, plain white rice with scallions added would be just perfect. The second change would be the scallions. I would add less of the white part of the scallion since they are raw and was a little strong for my taste. The green part seems to be milder so I would use all the green and some of the white so the scallion flavor isn't as strong.

That's it. This was absolutely the best homemade stir fry I have ever had. Not only does it taste great but the vibrant colors make it so visually appealing.



This recipe can be found in Rachael Ray's Magazine "Everyday with Rachael Ray" or on her website www.rachaelraymag.com .


Devilish Sesame Chicken with Green Beans and Scallion Rice

From Every Day with Rachael Ray
August 2008

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
Salt
1/2 pound green beans
1 pound chicken breast, chicken cutlets or chicken tenders, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tamari (dark soy sauce)
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the rice; toast, stirring, for a minute or two. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 17 minutes.

2. In a medium skillet, bring enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch to a boil, salt it, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water.

3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 2 turns of the pan, over high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until just softened, 3 minutes. Add the green beans and cook, tossing, for 1 minute.

4. In a bowl, mix together the tamari, honey, hot sauce, mustard and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables; toss. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chickenal.

5. Stir the scallions into the rice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken over the rice and top with the sesame seeds and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy

Fall is finally here!!! That makes me happy because fall is my favorite season! I love the cooler weather, the warmer clothes and beautiful colors...not to mention the best foods! I would take soup or stew over something on the grill anyday! To celebrate the season, I decided to make a dish that reminded me of fall. I found the recipe for Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy on Every Day with Rachael Ray. The recipe was written to include two sides, rice pilaf and string beans.

The recipe is definitely a keeper although I did make some very minor adjustments to suit our tastes.

• I used chicken cutlets instead of breasts (next time I will just pound out some breasts because these were too thin and they didn't get good color b/c I was afraid they would dry out, they seemed to be thinner than usual.
• I boiled the string beans and seasoned them with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and left out the scallions.
• The reserved scallions were used in the rice and in the gravy which worked out very well.
• I added one teaspoon of butter to the gravy at the very end. It cut the tanginess of the cider a little.

The flavor of the cider gravy reminded me of the sweet yet tangy flavor of capers. It was sweet but not too sweet. I really liked it. I wouldn't consider this rice pilaf, it was very creamy, more like cheesy rice but I did enjoy it. Steve didn't love the rice as much as I did.

Just in case you didn't follow the link above, here's the recipe!

Chicken with Apple Gravy, Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Rachael Ray

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

October 2007

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 scallions, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the rice and toast until light brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas and cheese.

2. While the rice cooks, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet, then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the apple cider and 1 cup chicken broth and cook until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. While the chicken cooks, in a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans, cover and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and return to the saucepan. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the scallions; season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the apple gravy over the chicken and serve the rice and green beans alongside.

Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy

Fall is finally here!!! That makes me happy because fall is my favorite season! I love the cooler weather, the warmer clothes and beautiful colors...not to mention the best foods! I would take soup or stew over something on the grill anyday! To celebrate the season, I decided to make a dish that reminded me of fall. I found the recipe for Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy on Every Day with Rachael Ray. The recipe was written to include two sides, rice pilaf and string beans.

The recipe is definitely a keeper although I did make some very minor adjustments to suit our tastes.

• I used chicken cutlets instead of breasts (next time I will just pound out some breasts because these were too thin and they didn't get good color b/c I was afraid they would dry out, they seemed to be thinner than usual.
• I boiled the string beans and seasoned them with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and left out the scallions.
• The reserved scallions were used in the rice and in the gravy which worked out very well.
• I added one teaspoon of butter to the gravy at the very end. It cut the tanginess of the cider a little.

The flavor of the cider gravy reminded me of the sweet yet tangy flavor of capers. It was sweet but not too sweet. I really liked it. I wouldn't consider this rice pilaf, it was very creamy, more like cheesy rice but I did enjoy it. Steve didn't love the rice as much as I did.

Just in case you didn't follow the link above, here's the recipe!

Chicken with Apple Gravy, Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Rachael Ray

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

October 2007

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 scallions, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the rice and toast until light brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas and cheese.

2. While the rice cooks, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet, then whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the apple cider and 1 cup chicken broth and cook until slightly thickened; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. While the chicken cooks, in a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans, cover and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and return to the saucepan. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the scallions; season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the apple gravy over the chicken and serve the rice and green beans alongside.

Bakespace Challenge 2 - Ratatouille Lasagna

For our second bakespace challenge we had to recreate a dish from a movie of our choice. We were asked to put our own unique spin on it. This proved to be a difficult challenge since I could not find a movie right away. I really wanted to use Under the Tuscan Sun but there wasn't any close ups of the dishes or any discussions of what she made. I did finally decide on a movie that I could work with...Disney's Ratatouille. Ratatouille is a french vegetable stew that usually uses eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. There seem to be many versions of this dish which is great for using whatever you have on hand.

To make my own spin on the dish I decided to make a lasagna layered with strips of zucchini and eggplant. I wouldn't call this a vegetable lasagna but I guess it could be considered that. I know vegetable lasagna to inclue spinach or broccoli but either way, I used veggies and it's lasagna. So call is what you wish! I didn't use ricotta in this dish because I wanted to concentrate on the flavors of the squash and not have it muted by a lot of cheese. Peppers are found in most recipes for ratatouille and I wanted to include them but not layered in the lasagna. This turned out to be my biggest problem. I rememeber seeing Rachael Ray make a roasted red pepper sauce and I thought that would be a great way to include the peppers. The idea sounded good but...nope...not so great. I used her recipe as a guide and used a jar of roasted red peppers. The result was a very tangy sauce that I really didn't care for at all. I think if I used my own peppers to flavor the sauce, it would have been much better. I love the flavor that peppers give the sauce when I make my mom's recipe for stuffed peppers (I'll have to share that with you soon.) I think the idea was good, the vegetables were tender but the sauce was a flop. If I had a chance to do it all over again I would make a marinara sauce and do everything else the same.

So the first thing I did was make the sauce. Here is a link to Rachael Ray's recipe if your curious. I used an onion instead of a shallot and I used three cloves of garlic instead of two. Basically, I made my regular sauce just added in some white wine and a jar of roasted peppers that I chopped in the food processor.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/gemelli-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce-recipe/index.html

While the sauce was cooking I sliced the zucchini and eggplant on a mandoline. I used the 1/4 inch setting and made long slices. I also squeezed the juice and seeds from two small tomatoes and those I sliced by hand.

Next, I fried the zucchini and eggplant in vegetable oil and then drained them on paper towels.



I let the vegetable get lightly browned on both sides.



The next part was very easy if you've made lasagna before. I layered the vegetable between layers of no boil pasta sheets. Sauce on the bottom, sprinkle of romano cheese, three sheets of lasagna, more sauce, romano, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella. That was the first layer. It's important to use a lot of sauce because this is what actually cooks the noodles. Next layer was the same but I used the zucchini on this layer. Next layer was the top layer. On top of the pasta I added sauce, romano and mozzarella. I added the tomatoes here and sprinkled them with cheese.



Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.



When I sliced it you can see that it's not as thick as traditional lasagna. That's because it didn't have the ricotta. It still looked pretty on the plate and the vegetable were nice and tender.



So even though the recipe wasn't perfect, I'm proud of the way I put it together. Like I said, I would absolutely try this again without the roasted red pepper sauce.

Bakespace Challenge 2 - Ratatouille Lasagna

For our second bakespace challenge we had to recreate a dish from a movie of our choice. We were asked to put our own unique spin on it. This proved to be a difficult challenge since I could not find a movie right away. I really wanted to use Under the Tuscan Sun but there wasn't any close ups of the dishes or any discussions of what she made. I did finally decide on a movie that I could work with...Disney's Ratatouille. Ratatouille is a french vegetable stew that usually uses eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. There seem to be many versions of this dish which is great for using whatever you have on hand.

To make my own spin on the dish I decided to make a lasagna layered with strips of zucchini and eggplant. I wouldn't call this a vegetable lasagna but I guess it could be considered that. I know vegetable lasagna to inclue spinach or broccoli but either way, I used veggies and it's lasagna. So call is what you wish! I didn't use ricotta in this dish because I wanted to concentrate on the flavors of the squash and not have it muted by a lot of cheese. Peppers are found in most recipes for ratatouille and I wanted to include them but not layered in the lasagna. This turned out to be my biggest problem. I rememeber seeing Rachael Ray make a roasted red pepper sauce and I thought that would be a great way to include the peppers. The idea sounded good but...nope...not so great. I used her recipe as a guide and used a jar of roasted red peppers. The result was a very tangy sauce that I really didn't care for at all. I think if I used my own peppers to flavor the sauce, it would have been much better. I love the flavor that peppers give the sauce when I make my mom's recipe for stuffed peppers (I'll have to share that with you soon.) I think the idea was good, the vegetables were tender but the sauce was a flop. If I had a chance to do it all over again I would make a marinara sauce and do everything else the same.

So the first thing I did was make the sauce. Here is a link to Rachael Ray's recipe if your curious. I used an onion instead of a shallot and I used three cloves of garlic instead of two. Basically, I made my regular sauce just added in some white wine and a jar of roasted peppers that I chopped in the food processor.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/gemelli-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce-recipe/index.html

While the sauce was cooking I sliced the zucchini and eggplant on a mandoline. I used the 1/4 inch setting and made long slices. I also squeezed the juice and seeds from two small tomatoes and those I sliced by hand.

Next, I fried the zucchini and eggplant in vegetable oil and then drained them on paper towels.



I let the vegetable get lightly browned on both sides.



The next part was very easy if you've made lasagna before. I layered the vegetable between layers of no boil pasta sheets. Sauce on the bottom, sprinkle of romano cheese, three sheets of lasagna, more sauce, romano, eggplant, sauce, mozzarella. That was the first layer. It's important to use a lot of sauce because this is what actually cooks the noodles. Next layer was the same but I used the zucchini on this layer. Next layer was the top layer. On top of the pasta I added sauce, romano and mozzarella. I added the tomatoes here and sprinkled them with cheese.



Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.



When I sliced it you can see that it's not as thick as traditional lasagna. That's because it didn't have the ricotta. It still looked pretty on the plate and the vegetable were nice and tender.



So even though the recipe wasn't perfect, I'm proud of the way I put it together. Like I said, I would absolutely try this again without the roasted red pepper sauce.

The Mysterious Migas

What is a Migas you ask? I asked myself the same question when I saw it was what Rachael Ray was cooking on her daytime tv show yesterday. Migas is the spanish word for crumbs and apparently that's all it takes to make this dish. A little of this and a little of that plus eggs. My grandmother made frittatas which is similar to the quiche. This is along the same lines, as it is hearty enough to be served for dinner, however, it looks more like kicked up scrambled eggs.

I didn't follow Rachael Ray's recipe exactly since I read that a Migas is a great way to use up leftovers and I wanted to use up what I had on hand.

This was Rachael Ray's ingredients list and I will post mine below. If you want her exact recipe you can find it at http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/mighty-migas/

Mighty Migas

2 tablespoons EVOO

1/3 pound Mexican raw chorizo, casings removed

4 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

8 eggs, whisked together

Hot sauce, to taste

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 avocado, diced

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup shredded smoked cheddar or Montery Jack Cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Yields 4 servings

My Migas Recipe

2 tablespoons EVOO, plus more as needed

1 chorizo, casings removed

4 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into bite sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

6 eggs

a couple shakes chipolte sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

about 1/2 jar prepared salsa

1/2 green pepper

2 scallions, sliced, green parts only

1 large handful shredded mexican cheese blend (sargento)

I sauteed the chorizo in 2 tablespoons of EVOO until crispy as per Rachael's directions.

The next step was to add the tortillas to the pan so they would crisp up. This is where I came upon my only problem with the recipe. The chorizo began to burn and the tortillas were taking forever to crisp up. I removed the chorizo and threw away the unedible burnt pieces. This made me mad because the chorizo in my opinion is the BEST part of this recipe...sigh...but what could I have done...using the burnt pieces would only result in an awful tasting dinner. Anyway, I then added in a little more oil and sauteed the tortillas until crispy.

This is when I added the onion garlic and pepper. I believe this is the same order that Rachael Ray used but I didn't really refer to the recipe anymore.

While that was cooking I whisked the eggs, chipolte sauce, salt and pepper. When the onions were soft I added the chorizo back to the pan and then added the eggs. I pulled the eggs in to the center with a spatula and let them cook over a low flame.

When the eggs were almost done I added the salsa and cheese and let cook until cheese melted and eggs were cooked.

This was a very easy, fast, inexpensive and delicious meal! This served me and my boyfriend, Steve. One helping for me and two for him. As usual, I asked Steve if I could make this one again and he said Yes! It was a hit!