Recipe Of The day For Wednesday 9/29/10- Baked Lemon Pasta

• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Recipe Of The Day For Monday 9/27/10 Chicken And Spinach Crepes

• 3/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  cup  skim milk
• 1    beaten egg
• Dash    salt
•     Nonstick spray coating
• 1/2  cup  shredded carrot
• 1/2  cup  sliced leek or green onions
• 1/2  cup  water
• 3/4  cup  evaporated skim milk
• 2  tablespoons  cornstarch
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  pepper
• 2  tablespoons  dry sherry
• 1  cup  shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
• 1  10-ounce package  frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2  cups  finely chopped cooked chicken or turkey

Directions

For crepes, combine flour, milk, egg, and salt. Beat until blended. Spray a 6-inch skillet with nonstick spray coating. Preheat skillet; then remove skillet from heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons batter. Lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown on one side only. Invert skillet over paper towels; remove crepe. Repeat with remaining batter.
For sauce, combine carrot, leek, and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Do not drain. Combine milk, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Stir into vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in sherry and 1/2 cup of the cheese until melted.
For filling, combine spinach, chicken, and 1 cup of the sauce. Spoon 1/4 cup filling onto unbrowned side of each crepe. Roll up. Arrange crepes, seam side down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over crepes. Cover; bake in a 375 degree F. oven 25 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more. Makes 6 servings (2 crepes each).
Make Ahead Tips: Cool crepes. Stack crepes, placing 2 sheets of waxed paper between them. Wrap and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw before using.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 9/24/10- Creole Chicken Wrap

For the Rub:

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Wraps:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Vegetable oil, for the grill
• 4 pieces flatbread (use store-bought or make Guy's flatbread*)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1 Maui onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 8 romaine lettuce leaves

Directions

Make the rub: Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

Prepare the wraps: Whisk the mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the rub in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Toss the chicken with 3 tablespoons rub. Oil the grill; grill the chicken until marked, about 6 minutes. Turn and grill until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Wipe the grill clean and brush with more oil. Lay the bread on the grill, then brush with the spiced mayonnaise and top with mozzarella. Grill until the bottom is marked, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Cube the chicken and arrange down the center of each piece of bread. Top with the tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Roll up and wrap with parchment paper or foil to seal.

Recipe Of The Day For Monday 9/20/10- Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aoli

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 pound ground dark-meat turkey

4 1/3 -inch-thick red onion slices

1 large or 2 small red bell peppers, quartered  

4 slices white cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese

4 sesame-seed hamburger buns

Arugula

Pickle wedges

Corn chips

Toast cumin seeds and coriander seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until aromatic and slightly darker in color, shaking skillet often, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool. Finely grind toasted seeds in spice grinder or in mortar with pestle. Whisk mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, and ground spices in small bowl. Season aioli to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Place turkey in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons aioli; mix gently. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, then form each into scant 3/4-inch thick patty, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Using thumb, make small indentation in center of each burger. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle burgers with salt and pepper. Brush onion slices and bell pepper pieces with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill onions and bell peppers until soft and charred, about 4 minutes per side.

Grill turkey burgers 5 minutes. Turn over; grill until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Top each burger with 1 cheese slice and grill until meat is cooked through and cheese melts, about 1 minute longer. Place 1 turkey burger on each of 4 bun bottoms. Arrange grilled red pepper pieces, then grilled red onion slices over. Top each with dollop of aioli and some arugula. Cover burgers with bun tops and serve with pickle wedges and corn chips.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 9/17/10- Pepperoni Pizza

• 1 1/4 teaspoon active dry or fresh yeast 
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 1/2 cup warm water (105º F to 115º F) 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 
• pizza sauce 
• 5 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste (comes in a squeeze tube) 
• 1 tablespoon Mccormick pizza seasoning Grinder (or italian seasoning) 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• water to slightly thin 
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ shopping list
• Topping shopping list
• About 20 slices of pepperoni (I like Gallo Brand) shopping list
• 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese (part skim is too stringy and doesn't stay melted as nice) shopping list
• freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 
• Dump all ingredients in bread machine and set on dough cycle OR
• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water.
• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. (The pizza dough can also be made in a food processor. Dissolve the yeast as above. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse once or twice, add the remaining ingredients, and process until the dough begins to form a ball.)
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.)
• Preheat the oven to 450º F.
• Work the dough ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• To prepare pizza, dip the ball of dough into flour, shake off the excess flour, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface, and start to stretch the dough. Press down on the center, spreading the dough into an 8-inch circle, with outer border a little thicker than the inner circle. If you find this difficult to do, use a small rolling pin to roll out the dough.
• Tranfer the dough to a pizza pan (I use one that has holes in it for an extra cripy crust) Spread the sauce thinly all over and top with the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.
• Bake in oven until the pizza crust is nicely browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a firm surface and cut into slices with a pizza cutter or very sharp knife.
• Sprinkle with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano and serve immediately.

Recipe Of The Day For Monday 9/13/10- Philly Cheese Steak

• 6 tablespoons Soya bean oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 24 ounces sliced rib eye or eye roll steak
• Cheese (store processed recommended); American or Provolone
• 4 crusty Italian Rolls
• Sweet green and red peppers, sauteed in oil (optional)
• Mushrooms sauteed in oil (optional)
• Ketchup

Directions

Heat an iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and saute the onions to desired doneness. Remove the onions and add the remaining oil and saute the slices of meat quickly on both sides. Melt the cheez whiz in a double boiler or in the microwave. Place 8 ounces of the meat into the rolls, add onions, and pour the store-processed cheese over top. Garnish with sweet peppers, mushrooms, ketchup.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 9/10/10- Homemade Jelly Doughnuts

• 4 to 4 1/2 cup white bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 ounce (.6 ounce) cake fresh yeast or 1 envelope dry active yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup preserves of choice
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Cinnamon and sugar, for rolling doughnuts

Directions

In the bowl of a mixer, combine 4 cups flour and salt. Add the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add with the remaining milk to the flour. (If using dry yeast, mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons of the milk and 2 tablespoons sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes and add to the flour.)

Add the eggs and butter to the flour mixture. Begin to mix the ingredients into a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add a little extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Work in extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (You can do this in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.) Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Punch down the risen dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few seconds. With a lightly floured rolling pin, gradually roll out the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. When rolling dough, let it rest periodically to relax. Cut out into 3 to 4-inch rounds with a lightly floured biscuit cutter. Re-roll the scraps to make more rounds. Place the doughnuts on lightly floured baking sheets, spacing them apart, and cover lightly with a dry towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the risen doughnuts to a heavy pot filled 3-inches high with vegetable oil at 350 degrees F. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden and puffed, turning frequently, 5 to 7 minutes.

Lift the doughnuts from the oil using a slotted spoon and roll on a plate lined with granulated sugar and cinnamon mixed together. Let cool slightly and fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip with jelly preserves. Insert the tip into the end of each doughnut and pipe approximately 1 to 2 teaspoons preserves into them and serve.

Recipe Of The Day For Wednesday 9/8/10- Meatball Panini

• Makes 4 servings
  
  
  
• 1 loaf ciabatta, sliced in half lengthwise and then in quarters to make 4 sandwiches
• 1 (26 ounce) jars marinara sauce
• 0 (25 ounce) bags frozen meatballs (varies depending on size of meatballs)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 4 slices mozzarella cheese (deli sliced)

Add olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning to a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Add marinara sauce and meatballs to a medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce is hot and the meatballs are heated all the way through turn off the heat and remove meatballs from the sauce.

Remove the olive oil from the heat and over a small bowl, pour the oil mixture through a small metal strainer.

Using the back of a metal spoon, scrape the bottom of the strainer, pushing the garlic "paste" into the bowl.

Brush a thin layer of the flavored oil onto the cut sides of the bread.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce over one side of the bread.

Cut each meatball in half and place them in an even layer over the marinara sauce.

Place a slice of mozzarella cheese over the meatballs.

Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese covered meatballs.

Heat an indoor grill pan over medium high heat.

Place the sandwiches on the grill and cover with a bacon press or other heavy object and cook just until nice grill marks appear.

Turn the sandwiches over and place the bacon press on top and cook just long enough to see grill marks.

Serve.

•  

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 9/3/10- Baked Manicotti

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 c. chopped vidalia onion

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

14 manicotti shells (1 package)

2 c. ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

3 c. marinara sauce (divided)

2 TBS. butter

2 TBS. all-purpose flour

2 TBS. chicken bouillon granules

2 c. half-and-half

1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley

2 TBS. fresh chopped basil

1/2 c. Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground turkey. Cook until well browned and crumbled. Season with salt & pepper and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add a generous amount of salt. Add manicotti shells and parboil for half of the time recommended on the package (5 minutes). Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.

To the ground turkey mixture add the ricotta cheese and Pecorino Romano. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; place shells in prepared dish. Lightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or a clean, damp towel to prevent shells from cracking. See Note.

Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Pour or ladle the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.

Carefully pour or ladle marinara sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing. Sprinkle the basil over the marinara sauce.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so the manicotti will set a bit.