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.

Recipe Of The For Monday 8/30/10-Roman Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 t salt, plus 1 t
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 t
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 oz prosciutto, chopped
• 2 t jarred minced garlic with red pepper
• 1 can Delmonte Zesty Jalapeno diced tomatoes
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 c+ chicken broth
• 1 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 T capers

Season the chicken with 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.

Heat olive oil over med heat.

When oil is hot, brown chicken on both sides.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Still over med heat, add peppers and prosciutto to same pan until peppers have browned and prosciutto is crisp, about 5".

Add the lemon juice and garlic and cook for 1".

Add the tomatoes, herbs and, if not enough liquid from the tomatoes, a splash of broth to deglaze the pan.

Return chicken to pan; add 1/2 c stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 20-30".

Add in the capers and parsley during the last few minutes, reserving a little fresh parsley for garnish.

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Recipe Of The Day For Friday 8/27/10- Pepperoni Chicken Pasta with Italian Salad

1 tablespoon garlic butter
1 teaspoon roasted garlic
3/4 pound steak-topper vegetables (fresh pre-sliced mushrooms, onions, bell peppers)
30 pepperoni slices
1 (10-ounce) package refrigerated cooked chicken strips
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
8 ounces ziti pasta

Steps
1. Fill large saucepan half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil on high for pasta. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes.
2. Place garlic butter in sauté pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic and steak-toppers. Separate pepperoni slices; add to pan. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables begin to soften.
3. Stir in chicken, Italian seasoning, and pasta sauce. Reduce heat to low; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to combine flavors and until thoroughly heated.
4. Stir pasta into boiling water. Boil 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender.
5. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Stir sauce mixture into pasta until well blended. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.) CALORIES (per 1/6 recipe) 330kcal; FAT 10g; CHOL 40mg; SODIUM 800mg; CARB 42g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 20g; VIT A 15%; VIT C 90%; CALC 4%; IRON 10%

Italian Salad

Ingredients
1/4 cup canned artichoke hearts
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
1 cup grape tomatoes (rinsed)
10 ounces European salad blend
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/2 cup seasoned croutons
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

Steps
1. Dice artichokes and peppers into small, bite-size pieces. Slice tomatoes in half, if desired.
2. Place salad blend, artichokes, peppers, tomatoes, and olives in salad bowl; chill until ready to serve.
3. Add croutons and salad dressing; toss and serve. CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 120kcal; FAT 7g; CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 640mg; CARB 12g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 3g; VIT A 35%; VIT C 40%; CALC 4%; IRON 6%

Recipe Of The Day For Wednesday 8/25/10- Chicken And Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

*You can substitute the Orzo for any pasta you like*
	8 ounces orzo , preferably whole-wheat
	1 cup water
	1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
	1 plum tomato , diced
	1 clove garlic , peeled
	3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram , divided
	1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
	2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil , divided
	4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
	1/4 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
	1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts , thawed
	1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese , divided

Recipe Directions

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 8/20/10- Cookies And Cream Fudge

• 3 (6 ounce) packages white chocolate baking squares
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups coarsely crushed chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies

Directions

1. In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate squares, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies.
2. Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
3. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Recipe Of The Day For Wednesday 8/18/10- Spicy Italian Pork Cutlets

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 boneless pork chops, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, and quickly sear on both sides. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, and saute the garlic about 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato, chicken broth, wine, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Return the pork chops to the skillet, and continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Serve pork with the tomato and broth mixture from the skillet.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 8/13/10- Chocolate Nutella Cookies

• 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of Nutella
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter in an electric mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and Nutella and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each. Add the vanilla and mix for 10 seconds.
3 Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda (do not skip this step as sifting eliminates clumps of cocoa). Mix into the butter mixture on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides at least once to ensure even mixing. Fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts and refrigerate the dough for ten minutes.
4 Spoon tablespoon-sized drops of dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 6 dozen.

Recipe Of The Day For Wednesday 8/11/10- Chocolate Palova with Rapberries

For the Meringue Base:

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• 6 large egg whites
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
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For the Toppings:

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• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups raspberries
• 1 to 2 ounces dark chocolate

Directions

Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw a 9-inch-diameter circle on the paper with a pencil, tracing a round cake tin that size.

Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks - you'll still be able to see the circle.

Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Shape the meringue: Secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment within the circle, smoothing the sides and the top with a spatula.

Bake the meringue: Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers.

Let it cool: Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely in the oven. When you'reready to serve, invert onto a big flatbottomed plate and peel off the parchment.

Decorate the Pavlova: Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter the raspberries on top. Coarsely grate the chocolate haphazardly over the top so that you get curls of chocolate rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious color and form to be obscured. You want the Pavlova to look like a frosted cake.

Recipe OF The Day For Monday 8/9/10- Devil's Food Cake

I'm declaring this week CHOCOLATE WEEK!

Frosting:

• 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup nonalkalized cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

To make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, move the bowl gently to let the cream settle. Set the mixture aside until softened, about 4 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap. Set aside and let set up at room temperature, about 2 hours.

To make the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment or wax paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating until light and smooth, about 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute more. (Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl again, if needed.) With the mixer running at medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Combine the water and milk in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the batter. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, finish combining the batter until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Lightly drop each pan onto the counter to settle the batter.

Set the pans on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans and the center springs back when touched lightly, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool the cakes, in the pans, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake layers out of the pans and cool on the rack. (If not assembling the cake right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months.)

Assemble the Devil's Food Cake. Place 1 cake layer upside-down on a cake stand or flat plate. Scoop about 1/3 of the icing onto the center of the layer. Using a large, offset spatula, spread the icing evenly over the layer to the edges. Place the other cake layer, rounded-side up, on top. Evenly spread half of the remaining icing over the top, spreading any excess icing down the sides. Spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake. Use the tip of the offset spatula to make a swirling pattern in the icing. Serve. Store under a cake dome or loosely wrapped with plastic, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.

Recipe Of The Day For Friday 8/6/10-Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I don't know what it's like in your part of the world, but here in New York it is SO hot and humid! Makes me want to stay inside by the air conditioner all day. And I definitely don't want to turn on the oven so this recipe is recipe is a perfect dinner for hot summer evenings!

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup shredded daikon radish
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 3 stalks (1/2 cup) scallions
• 1/4 cup Szechuan sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, for frying
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 head Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions

Split boneless chicken in half. If too thick, pound out to make thinner.
In a medium bowl, mix together radish, carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions. Add Szechuan sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together five-spice, cayenne, salt and pepper. Season chicken breasts lightly with rub. Cut the chicken into strips.
In a large skillet over high heat, add the grapeseed oil. Once hot, sear the chicken breasts for 4 minutes on each side. Add butter and lemon to pan and baste the chicken for another minute. Remove chicken to a platter to let cool. Once cooled, dice or shred the chicken.

Place a spoonful of the vegetable mixture and the shredded chicken onto each leaf of lettuce. Roll and serve.