Baked Manicotti

This is kind of a twist on regular manicotti - you roll up lasagna noodles instead of trying to tediously stuff manicotti noodles.

Tomato Sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soup spoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil.

Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

What I did: I did make it like the recipe says, but had a hard time with soaking the noodles. Next time I will just boil the noodles, but not completely cook them. Just enough that they are pliable though b/c they will continue to cook in the oven and I do not like mushy noodles.

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Bean Burritos

This makes almost 20 burritos - so you will have some to freeze for lunches or snacks or whatever. Way healthier than the frozen ones from the store!

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained

6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

4. Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

5. Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

What I did: First of all, I used whole wheat tortillas. These usually are not as good as white ones, but at Sam's they sell some really good ones in a large package that is perfect for this recipe. They are Santa Fe Tortilla Company and they are whole wheat, but they are still soft and chewy like a white tortilla and pliable enought that I didn't have to preheat them for wrapping. So I recommend those if you can find them.

We had them for dinner and each made our own burritos with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, hot sauce, whatever you want. Then I wrapped the leftovers with just the bean mixture and cheese and wrapped them up in plastic right away instead of putting them in the freezer for a while.

My husband was a little skeptical, but they do reheat really well and put a little sour cream & salsa on the side. I think next time I will definitely add a can of green chiles though.

Original recipe: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Meals for the week

Here are the new recipes for this week

Grilled Mexican Chicken Burgers (recipe here)
Spinach Pasta Caesar Salad & breadsticks (recipe here)
Edamame & Mushroom Risotto (recipe below)
Spaghetti

Edamame and Mushroom Risotto

2 TB olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed & sliced
1 pound frozen edamame
3 cups vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine (or veg broth)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1. Heat 1 TB olive oil in large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside

2. Cook edamame, following package directions. Drain, cool and remove beans from shells. Add beans to mushrooms in skillet, discard shells.

3. Place broth and water in med-size saucepan and bring to a simmer

4. In large saucepan, heat remaining TB oil over med heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and stir until rice is coated with oil. Cook for 1 minutes, stirring.
Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed - about 1 minute.

5. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth mixture. Cook over med-low heat, stirring until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time., cooking in the same manner. This should take about 30 minutes.

6.Gently heat mushroooms and edamame. Stir into rice and remove from heat. Stir in the pepper and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

7. Divide among 4 bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese

Source: Family Circle Magazine, 4/1/09, pg 105

April 3-10

Sorry about last week, here are the new recipes I used last week:

Fish Topped Au Gratin Potatoes (not bad, but not that great, so I'm not posting recipe)
Stromboli Recipe here
Chicken Tetrazzini (made with leftovers from storebought rotisserie chicken) Recipe below

The plan for this week:

We still haven't gotten to the frozen lasagna and the pork tacos, so they are still on the list, new items are

Barbecue chicken with mashed potatoes and corn
Creamy chicken and Vegetables with Noodles Recipe here
Chicken Ranch Tacos Recipe here
Honey-sesame Chicken and fried Rice (use Sun Bird brand seasoning packet, look for it near the Asian foods and follow directions)
Spaghetti Sandwiches (recipe below)

I guess we are all about chicken this week!


Chicken Tetrazzini
7 oz spaghetti or linguine noodles
2 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cups cut up or shredded chicken or turkey
1 cup sliced olives or mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350. Cook and drain noodles - undercook them a little so they aren't mushy (they will cook in the oven too)
2. Mix broth, milk, flour, butter, S & P, in 3 qt sauce pan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
3. Stir in cooked noodles, chicken, olives/mushrooms. Spread in ungreased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.


Spaghetti Sandwiches
my mom used to make these with leftover spaghetti sauce. They sound a little weird, but they're good!

Bread
Mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded)
eggs
milk
spaghetti sauce

1. Mix up eggs and milk just like you would for french toast, but without the cinnamon & vanilla, etc.

2. Dip one side of a piece of bread in the egg mixture, place on hot griddle egg-side down. Top with mozzarella. Dip another piece of bread and place it on top of the mozzarella, egg-side up. Flip the sandwich when one side is cooked and cheese is starting to melt. Cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

3. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce on top.

Bowties with Lemon, Sun-dried Tomatoes & Spinach

1/3 cup sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed)
1/2 cup boiling water
8 oz farfalle pasta (bowties), cooked according to pkg
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 TB lemon juice
2 TB butter
6 oz fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan
1 TB fresh oregano

1. Place tomatoes in small bowl, soak in boiling water 10-15 min. until soft. Remove tomatoes, reserving liquid. Slice tomatoes into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over med. heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. cook 2-3 minutes.
3. Increase heat to high. Add broth, lemon juice and reserved soaking liquid. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup.
4. Reduce heat to low & add butter. Stir in tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Add pasta, stir to coat. Sprinkle with cheese & oregano.

What I do: This is one of my old stand-bys, but I add chicken (cook in step 2 with garlic & remove from the pan after its cooked. Add to pan again with the pasta) Also, instead of sun-dried tomatoes I usually use the roasted red peppers that come in a jar. Slice them into strips and use the liquid out of the jar). I haven't made this in a while, but I think I usually end up adding some extra broth.

Ziti Mexi-Cali

Today is the 15th day of 100+ temperatures and its only June! So here's a good recipe for one of those days. All you have to cook is the pasta.

8 oz ziti or other short pasta
14.5 oz can Mexican-style diced tomatoes with/jalapenos or chiles
1 can yellow corn, drained or 1 cup frozen kernels
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

1. Cook and drain the pasta.
2. Combine pasta and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix well.

note: if using frozen corn, rinse them under warm water to defrost them before adding to bowl.

What I did: I added a little spoonful of lite sour cream on top of each dish.

Source: Cheap. Fast. Good! by B. Mills & A. Ross

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

2 tsp veg oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups (12 oz) shredded low-fat cheddar
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
reduced fat sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion & red pepper, cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles & salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro adn 2 cups of the cheese.

2. Spread 1 TB enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce. Roll up & place seam side down in baking dish.

3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice & remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil w/cooking spray & place over enchiladas (sprayed side down). Seal tightly & bake 35-40 min. at 350. Remove foil during last 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted & sauce is bubbly. Top each enchilada with small spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle on some cilantro.

What I did: I used dried cilantro, so I added it in with the pineapple, beans, etc. I don't think I added the salt, and I used more than 8 tortillas. I made it in 2 small pans & froze one for another day and I can't remember if I put 5 or 6 enchiladas in each pan, but I definitely got more than 8 out of the recipe. Also, not a big deal, but if you have the time, let the veggie mixture cool off before adding the cheese - it might be easier to fill the enchiladas w/o melted cheese stringing everywhere

Source: Thanks Mindy! And if I remember correctly, you said this was a Weight Watchers recipe.