Pork with Peach and Black Bean Salsa

In the search for new recipes for this blog, I stumbled past a great website that is a brilliant source for a huge variety of meals, allrecipes.com.  This website has been the source for many of my meals and often will offer suggestions as it did with this recipe tonight.  I finally signed up for an account with them because that allows me to save my favorite recipes.  While registering for the account, I somehow managed to sign up for a daily recipe.  The Country Breakfast Casserole from this morning was also one of these posts.  Just check it out and you could possibly find something wonderfully delicious.

This recipe arrived in my email inbox several days ago and the spicy sweet nature of this recipe definitely peaked my curiosity.  I am NOT a huge black bean fan, but one of my friends really loves them so I figured I can give them a try.  I do love peaches and salsa and the mixture of the two intrigued me. 

Whether I'm cooking or eating, I have come to live by a few simple rules.  One of those rules is..."you never know until you try it."  I spent many of my younger years sitting at the table long after everyone in my family had left.  I refused to eat my beans or whatever my mom was putting on my plate.  Needless to say, I was a very picky eater.  Even at the local fast food restaurant, I only wanted the french fries.  In my adulthood, that philosophy has gradually evolved into what I stated earlier.  Some of the things I thought I would like the least have become my favorites.  Frankly, I just didn't know what I was missing, because I was unwilling to try it.  Many people are this way with sushi.  I thought it was gross until my friend Tesh convinced me to try seared tuna at Diamondback Grill.  Years later, I'm totally hooked and have become adventurous enough to try even sea urchin. I don't like it, but I tried it.  It wasn't gross, but not my cup of tea.  Think about this when you see something that doesn't look like something you'd normally eat.  Give it a shot and you just never know.

Pork with Peach

and Black Bean Salsa

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup cornmeal

1 Tbs. olive oil

¼ cup beer

1 cup prepared salsa

1 (15 oz.) can sliced peaches, drained

½ (15 oz.) can black beans drain and reserved liquid

1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

Season cubed pork with salt and pepper. Place meat in large plastic bag with the cornmeal. Shake well to coat the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the coated meat in the skillet and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium.

Pour in the beer, salsa, peaches and beans with 2 Tbs. reserved liquid. Stir well and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

This meal is very delicious and the pork was amazingly tender.  It was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet.  I loved this and it's definitely a keeper in the recipe box.  I hope you try it.  Enjoy!!

Country Breakfast Casserole

Bacon is probably one of the most delicious cuts of meat on the planet.  There is, however, another pork product that tastes and smells delicious...sausage.  There are so many delicious dishes that sausage gives us.  This casserole is one of those dishes. 

One of the traditions of the school where I work is a delicious breakfast on the first day back to school.  Teachers and administrators slave away to make delicious sausage and egg casseroles.  I found this recipe online and it's different from those, but still extremely tasty.

Country Breakfast Casserole

1 (16 oz) pkg. breakfast sausage

1 chopped green onion

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup water

½ cup milk

1 (2.64 oz) pkg country gravy mix

6 slices bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 Tbs. melted butter (opt)

Paprika to taste (opt)

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a 11x8 inch baking dish. Brown sausage in a large skillet; drain fat.

Combine sausage with green onion and spread evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Top with shredded cheese. Whisk together eggs, water, milk and gravy mix; add mixture to baking dish. Arrange bread squares evenly on top. If desired, drizzle melted butter over bread and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside 10 minutes before serving.

I really loved this casserole and I'm sure you will as well. Enjoy!!

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

There are many types of lasagna dishes out there.  I've already posted the recipe I use for a very basic lasagna.  That was a red sauce recipe and you can easy add or subtract many things with that recipe as long as you want to use that red sauce as your base.  This recipe is for a lasagna does not use the traditional red sauce.  Using the basic recipe for any roux with onion, garlic, and a blend of cheeses and spices.  Alone, the white sauce for this recipe is delicious and can be used for a grown-up mac and cheese.  I hope to try it soon.  This recipe also uses chicken and spinach.  One could easily make this a vegetarian recipe.

I did have to make one substitution for this recipe. I just recently purchase a large wedge of Pecorino Romano cheese at Costco.  I forgot to buy Parmesan cheese so I just decided to substitute the Romano.  They are very similar in texture and flavor. 

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles

½ cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups milk

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat

2 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350º. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Melt the butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk and boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer dish with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

This recipe is absolutely delicious and met rave reviews from my friends. It takes a little time to put together, but it's well worth the effort. I hope you enjoy!!!

Poppyseed Chicken Casseroles

For Christmas, my parents gave me the most wonderful little dishes.  They are called Rachael Ray Bubble and Brown Singles.  I thought it would be really cool to prepare an entire meal in individual servings.  This was my first attempt at using them for that purpose.

This recipe is one of the first meals that I cooked in my new house.  It's a family favorite and I'm sure you'll love it too.  It's so simple and the ingredient list is really short. I have cooked my chicken different ways to use in this recipe.  I find the easiest is boiling it.  It's a bit more mindless than grilling and you're less likely to burn your meat.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

3 lbs. Chicken Breast (cooked & cut into pieces)

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

8 oz. Sour Cream

1 Stick Margarine (melted)

2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers (crushed)

2 Tbs Poppy Seeds

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix soup and sour cream together, and mix with chicken. Pour into 9 X 13 baking dish. (I buttered dish before adding chicken). Add the melted margarine to the crushed Ritz Crackers and mix thoroughly. Place on top of chicken. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of Poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees (uncovered) for about 30 minutes or until Bubbly.

If for some random reason, you get drug tested...remember that you had the poppy seeds and enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Update - Marscarpone

On August 3, 2010, I posted a recipe for Olive Garden's Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  It's a very delicious recipe and I made that again last night for several friends.  I love a good cheesy dip and I will also emphasize this now...shred your own Parmesan!

The main reason for this post/update is to talk to you about the marscarpone substitution recipe.  When I first prepared this recipe, I had Bel Gioioso Marscarpone Cheese from Lowe's Foods.  Lowe's Foods and The Fresh Market are about the only places that I know of in Winston-Salem that sells this smooth and tasty cheese.  It's also slightly expensive, so I found a substitute recipe online that simulates the texture and flavor without the price.

Marscarpone Substitute

8 oz. cream cheese (soft)

3 Tbs. soft butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbs. sour cream

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter.  On slow, add heavy cream and sour cream.  Once the heavy cream has been mixed in, speed mixer to medium to smooth out the texture.

If you go back and look at the Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe, you'll realize that this means you'll be putting 1 1/2 pounds of cream cheese in the dip.  Yup...that's why it's so great!  My advice is to have lots of friends to share with every time you make it.  If you make it as an appetizer, plan for them to fill up before the entree.  Marscarpone is also the type of cheese that is used in tiramisu.  Hmm, Maybe I'll have to try that one, too.

Zuppa Tuscana - Olive Garden

Olive Garden is easily one of the busiest restaurants in town and for a very good reason.  Almost every dish on their menu is delicious.  I would say, however, that it is far from healthy.  All of their recipes are laden with cheeses, heavy creams and likewise loads of fat...thus delicious.

For those of you who have never been to Olive Garden, but have someone climbed out from under your rock long enough to read my blog, Olive Garden offers an appetizer for nearly every entree on the menu.  Their salad is truly one of the best and I must confess that I have a bottle of their signature salad dressing in my refrigerator as I am writing this.  I, however, love to forgo the salad for what I think is their best soup, Zuppa Tuscana.  This soup is creamy and pretty easy to put together. 

Zuppa Toscana

(Olive Garden)

1 (16 oz) package smoked sausage

2 potatoes, cut into ¼ inch slices

¾ cup chopped onion

6 slices bacon

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded

2 Tbs. chicken bouillon powder

1 quart water

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300º F. Layer the sausage links onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cut in half length-wise. Then cut at an angle into ½ inch slices. Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken base or bouillon, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

I felt that this recipe (as written) is a little sausage heavy and kale light.  I used a 19 oz. package of Italian sausage.  I thought that by only being 3 oz over the amount the recipe asked for wouldn't make very much difference.  It didn't really, but there was WAY too much sausage even with 16 oz.  The next time I fix this soup (and there will be a next time), I will use half that amount of sausage.  I would also use more than 2 cups of kale.  I felt that it could have used 3 or maybe even 4 cups.  Just make sure you wash it thoroughly.  I hope you give this recipe a shot, because it has loads of flavor.  Enjoy!!

A Gift from My Mom

Quite a while back, my mom told me that she wanted to make me an apron.  I had mentioned to her earlier that I couldn't find an orange apron anywhere and she said that she could make one for me. Later, she confessed that she wanted to embroider "The Orange Skillet" on the apron and she was looking for a picture of an orange skillet to put on it. 

My mind started churning and I told her that I had something in mind.  Unfortunately for me, I can draw much better in my head that I can in real life. Artistry is something I probably get from my dad. I grew up watching him draw all the time.  I later watched my brothers draw. 

In second grade, my teacher, Mrs. Smith (whose grandson I taught last year), assigned everyone in the class a building in our town and we had to draw it. I was assigned the Lexington State Bank building in Welcome, NC. From that moment, I decided I wanted to be an architect and it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I changed my mind and decided to become a music teacher. Long story short...my whole family (including my mom, although she'll deny it) is very artistic.

One Sunday, I decided to finally start putting the images of a skillet that I have been drawing in my head onto paper.  I make quite a few sketches and gave them to my mom.  These sketches are of a skillet that resembles a treble clef (obviously representing music, another of my passions) I told her which ones I liked the best and she chose one and blew it up and embroidered it onto the orange apron she had already sewn.  The result is the most awesome gift and I am proud to share it with you.

Pasta Milano - Macaroni Grill

Like pretty much everyone who eats out at restaurants, I have favorites.  At Romano's Macaroni Grill, I absolutely love the Pasta Milano dish.  There are three main Italian restaurants in Winston-Salem (Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Carrabba's).  Each one is very different and I have different favorites at all of them. 

In addition to my favorite entree, I also love the different breads.  Olive Garden has delicious bread sticks that stand on their own without any type of dipping sauce. Carrabba's has a pretty simple bread, but their dipping sauce is where it's at. Macaroni Grill, however, has the most flavorful bread.

Pasta Milano

(Macaroni Grill)

4 chicken breasts

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

36 oz. bow tie pasta

4 Tbs. butter

1 ½ cups sun-dried tomatoes

1 lb. mushroom, sliced (opt.)

1 quart heavy cream

1 head garlic, roasted

½ tsp. pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 cup Parmesan cheese (extra for garnish)

fresh parsley (opt.)

Wash and dry chicken breasts. Mix garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on chicken. Grill chicken on the stove top in a skillet or outside on the barbecue grill, until it is done all the way through. Set chicken aside.

Place pasta in salted boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile sauté the mushrooms and tomatoes in butter until soft. Place heavy cream, roasted garlic, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese in food processor and puree.

Place cream mixture in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Mix in mushrooms and tomatoes and add to the cooked pasta. Slice the grilled chicken and place on top of the pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

I, of course, did not add the mushrooms.  I just sauteed the tomatoes in butter until soft. I don't have a food processor, so I did not do that step either.  If you are making this recipe for just a few people (as I did), you don't need to use four chicken breasts.  Also, 36 ounces of farfalle (bow tie pasta) is a bit extreme.  I used a 12 ounce box. If you choose to include the mushrooms, I doubt you would actually need a full pound of them.  Use your common sense and make judgements for yourself.  If you have a hard time finding sun-dried tomatoes, Costco (of course) has a great option.  I use them a lot so this $7-$8 bag is well worth it.

I would have to say, however, that it is very nice to have an Italian Parsley plant now.  I can step out the back door and gather whatever I need.  My mom started a few of these herb plants for me and it has made things so much easier.  I hope you give this dish a try and I'm sure you'll enjoy!!

Homemade Waffles

There are waffle people and there are pancake people.  I am definitely a waffle person.  Before now, I used to always make pancakes when preparing breakfast foods at home simply because I didn't own a waffle maker.  If you like waffles (even a little), it is a terrific purchase.  Like many of your (I'm sure) I am slightly worried about where in the world I am going to store this amazing new appliance.  I don't care though, because it's worth every penny.

Unless one has an electric griddle or a really large pan, most can only make one or two pancakes at a time.  With this waffle maker, I can make four waffles at once while doing something else entirely.  It may sound like I am trying to sell you a waffle make, but that is not the case I assure you.  I just want to point out the benefits and justify my purchase to myself.

My recipe came from the instruction booklet that came with the GE Waffle Baker. There are many mixes out there (including Bisquick) that you could use as well.  I chose to top my waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream (not to mention Aunt Jemima's syrup).  There was very little sugar in the actual waffles so if you choose to get sugar free syrup you can cut even more calories.

Waffles

2 cups flour

2 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Preheat waffle baker. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt dry ingredients. Whisk together milk, oil and eggs. Gradually add milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just blended. Pour batter onto waffle baker (1/3 cup for each waffle). Makes 4 ½ cups (approx. 10 waffles).

Blueberry Waffles: After pouring batter onto waffle grids, sprinkle fresh blueberries over batter, then close lid.

If you don't already have a waffle iron, take a chance.  I hope you enjoy!!

Chocolate Martinis

Tonight, for my meal, I prepared several favorites.  Alice Spring's Chicken (Outback), Corn on the Cob and Grilled Zucchini.  I've prepared all of these things for The Orange Skillet before so I don't really need to share the recipes with you again.  I never really posted how I prepared the corn, but it's not difficult. I boiled it in water.  I've heard that you can also microwave it, but I haven't tried that method yet.

The pièce de résistance for tonight's meal was the chocolate martini I had while I prepared it. Three years ago, my friend Michelle had me over to her house and we had the MOST delicious martinis.  The recipe was from Michelle's friend Melissa. For the longest time, Melissa referred to me as "Michelle's friend, Ross" and I called her "Michelle's friend, Melissa." Anyhoo, Melissa gave  me the best recipe for this sweet favorite and I am going to share it with you.  I won't lie to you, though...it's expensive.

Melissa's Chocolate Martinis

1 ½ shots Godiva choc liqueur

1 ½ shots crème de cacao (clear kind – not dark)

½ shot vodka

3 shots milk

Mix all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake. Stain into chilled martini glass drizzled with chocolate syrup.

The Godiva liqueur alone costs $26 - $30 per bottle. I found it on sale.  It will last for a while unless you plan to make one for all your friends too. It is very important that you use the clear crème de cacao.  My friend, Stephanie, and I tried both the dark and the clear and we only approve of the clear. It doesn't really matter what kind of vodka you use.  I usually buy whatever is cheapest for this recipe (because I've already spent my money on the Godiva).  If you prefer, you can leave it out altogether. Drink safely and never drink intoxicated. Enjoy!!

Bacon, Blue Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Chicken with Corn on the Cob

It's really tough to keep finding new recipes to use on here, but I enjoy expanding my cooking repertoire. I tend to gravitate to recipes that have ingredients that I like.  It is also a plus if I don't have to buy every ingredient in the recipe.  It's a lot of work when you don't have at lot of things.  I try to plan recipes with like ingredients close enough together so I can use them up before they go bad.  For example, I planned this recipe close to the other blue cheese recipe (the Buffalo Chicken) so I would have no problem using all the cheese.  I could have also used it on a salad or something similar.  I didn't make them back to back, but did plan them close together.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It's a great website to find all different kinds of dishes.  There are categories to search various possibilities. You may also search for a specific recipe you would like to try. 

I made a few changes to this recipe.  I broke my rule, but in this case, I thought I would be pretty safe and I saved myself some time in the long run.  The recipe called for pounding the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness, putting the spinach mixture on them and wrapping the breasts and securing with toothpicks. I felt stuffing the breasts would be much better. I was correct.

Chicken Breast Stuffed with

Spinach, Blue Cheese and Bacon

8 slices bacon, cooked crispy

4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts

1 (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350º. Stir together spinach (thawed and squeezed dry in paper towel), blue cheese and crumbled bacon. Lay the chicken breast halves out on a clean surface and cut an opening to fill them with mixture (be careful not to go all the way through chicken). Using the same pan you cooked bacon in (drain the fat), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Quickly brown each piece of chicken on top and bottom. Place breasts in baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes until juices run clear and filling is hot. Serve immediately.

I highly recommend this recipe and I will definitely prepare it again. Enjoy!!

Quick and Easy Chicken Salad Snack

This creation was a fun and fast version of chicken salad that came from Sam's Club.  I love the sample ladies (and gentlemen) that demo different products and give ideas on how to use them. Mainly, I love to fill up on the samples. Once (on a weekday), I went to Costco and they some lady offered me a plate for my samples.  It was Heaven.

This chicken salad isn't really your mother's chicken salad. It's more of a snack that can be used to top a Ritz cracker. Just find your favorite brand (if you have one) of canned chicken, and you're almost there.  I like to be the 6-pack of canned Kirkland brand chicken.

Chicken Salad Snack with Mrs. Dash

(all ingredients are measured to taste)

1 can of white meat chicken, drained

Mrs. Dash (original blend)

Mayonnaise (your favorite kind)

Salt (and Pepper)

Icicle Pickles (or other relish/pickle) optional

Ritz Crackers (or other cracker)

In mixing bowl, break apart chunks of chicken meat. Add Mrs. Dash, salt and pepper to chicken and stir. Gradually add mayonnaise until all of the chicken is covered (not too much). Taste and add additional Mrs. Dash if necessary. Dice pickles and add to chicken salad. Make sure you've drained the pickles well.  Serve atop your favorite cracker of choice.

I know many of you already have a great chicken salad recipe of your choice, but this is a great and super quick way to have a snack when you don't have time to make the real thing. Enjoy!!

Roasted Potatoes with Red Onions

Tonight, I decided to focus a little more on my side dish in stead of focusing on my entree. If you're wondering why I haven't been posting everyday, it's because I sometimes repeat recipes.  When you have favorites, sometimes you want to have them more than once in a while.

Tonight, I prepared the Roasted Potatoes with Onions.  Apparently, it's a dish that they serve at Olive Garden, but I've never had it.  I suppose that I haven't ever ordered an entree at Olive Garden that gave me the option to choose a side.  These potatoes smelled so delicious while they were baking. I love the smell of rosemary.  It definitely has a very distinctive aroma and adds lots of flavor to any dish.

I paired this side dish with the Sicilian Chicken.  I've already posted the recipe for that.  It has stewed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, cinnamon and olives.  I love it so much.

Roasted Potatoes and Red Onions

2 lbs small red potatoes

1 red onion, large – cut in 1” pieces

8 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Parsley, chopped

Fresh rosemary sprigs, as needed

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Wash potatoes and cut into quarters. Combine potatoes and onions in large mixing bowl. Add garlic, rosemary, oil, butter, salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat potatoes and onions with seasonings. Arrange potatoes and onions in a single layer on a sheet tray. Cut side of potatoes should touch baking pan. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Garnish with chopped parsley and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve immediately.

I also salted them when I took them out of the oven.  If you decide to try this, make sure you give yourself plenty of prep time. Enjoy!

Cheese Filled Manicotti

If you aren't aware based on the recipes I've prepared, you should know: I love cheese. My mom says it was one of the things she craved most when she was pregnant with my brothers and me. I don't know if it's related, but my brothers and I all love cheese. I actually have a drawer in my refrigerator completely dedicated to different cheeses. I actually have so many cheeses that they won't all fit in the drawer. Let's so what kind of cheeses are in Ross's cheese drawer (the last 3 won't fit, but I'll include them anyway):

Parmesan

Romano

Goat Cheese

Mozzarella (shredded and string cheese)

American Slices

Cheddar (mild and sharp)

Colby Jack

Blue

Jarlsberg (Swiss)

4 Cheese Italian

4 Cheese Mexican

Laughing Cow

Feta

Cream Cheese

Ricotta

I have only included the cheeses that are currently there, nothing that has been used up and/or discarded (such as the marscarpone cheese that was recently used for Spinach and Artichoke Dip). Well, when my mom first told me about this recipe (found on the back of the Ronzoni pasta box), I knew that it was right up my alley.  I have prepared it several times and it's a favorite, but for some reason, I haven't had it in a while.  It was wonderful, like reuniting with a long lost friend.

Cheese-Filled Manicotti

14 pieces Manicotti, uncooked

4 cups ricotta cheese (32 oz.)

2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 eggs

1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 13 x 9 baking dish. In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1 ½ cups mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley, pepper, salt and nutmeg; spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Arrange filled past in single layer in prepared dish. Pour sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan. Bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I usually only prepare a half-recipe unless I have a group of people coming over.  I can only eat about 3 Manicotti shells full of cheese. I really don't need 11 more in the refrigerator. I usually use more than the prescribed mozzarella and Parmesan, and I ALWAYS use freshly grated Parmesan. Freshly grated Parmesan always has more flavor than the pre-grated, pre-shredded varieties.

Also, I always run cold water over the shells so they'll be cool to the touch and thus easier to fill.  I spoon the cheese mixture into a Ziploc bag, snip the corner, and 'pipe' the mixture into the shells.  It is definitely the fastest and least messy method. I've tried actually spooning the cheese into the shells and it takes forever.  Once I tried to use my cookie press to pump the cheese into the shells...BAD IDEA. The Ziploc method is definitely my preferred. I hope you give this one a try. It is very easy, delicious and great for vegetarians (unless you're a vegan). Enjoy!!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

If you have never tried Spinach and Artichoke dip, I would begin to think, you've been living in a vacuum. It (in my guess) is probably one of the most popular appetizers of all time. There are quite a few variations out there, but one of my favorites is by Olive Garden. 

As you've probably noticed from previous recipes, Olive Garden posts their recipes on their website. Probably not the smartest thing in the world to do, but better than letting epicurious.com or allrecipes.com give our your secrets.  At least by posting your recipes, you have people going to your site and you have the chance to make them drool over your creations.

I would have to also tell you, many of Olive Garden's better recipes are pretty complicated.  I did the chicken Marsala which was fairly easy, but the better version, the stuffed chicken Marsala, is loaded with lots of steps and ingredients. The spinach and artichoke dip, however, is one of the simplest dishes you can hope for. This recipe pretty much requires you to get the listed ingredients, dump them in a bowl, mix them up and bake them (Trained monkey, nuff said). The hardest part was finding all the ingredients. Marscarpone cheese is not very easy to find.  It's a spreadable cheese that is similar to cream cheese with a different flavor. It has more of a buttery flavor. Luckily, a friend of mine found it at Lowe's Foods.  I found a few recipes online that are substitutes for marscarpone, but having never tried them, I won't post any of them.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

(Olive Garden)

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced

1 lb cream cheese, room temp. (16 oz.)

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temp.

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour, sifted

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

¼ tsp. fresh thyme leaves

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

1 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

5 green onions, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

6 oz pack fresh spinach, chopped

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except bread and extra virgin olive oil. Coat a large non-stick baking pan with pan spray; fill pan with mixture. Bake at 325ºF for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and center is hot.

 

I served this to some friends on Saturday and it was a big hit. I must admit that I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it was totally an accident.  I bought a 9 oz. package of spinach and left out the green onions. I bought the green onions and meant to put them in, but forgot.  It wasn't until I was typing out the recipe today that I realized that I made these mistakes. I put this in an 8 x 8 casserole dish and baked it.  It made quite a bit and five of us (however much we really wanted to finish it) could not eat the whole thing.  My advice would be to either half the recipe or make the full recipe and only bake half at a time and freeze the other portion for later. I really hope you enjoy.