Lamb Tenderloin with rosemary Au Jus

Many of my friends and acquaintences in the Rocky Mountain and Midwest parts of the country don't care much for lamb. I think it may be because they never had fresh lamb, most of which is shipped to the east and west coasts. Fresh lamb - and I mean up to a week old - is one of the finest tasting meats there is. The previously frozen New Zealand lamb in many of our supermarkets, would in all probability, turn off the most avid lamb lover. Lamb tenderloins with feta cheese ravioli is a culinary delight that is rarely - if ever - found even in the best of restaurants. This is primarily a combined Italian and Greek dish that will delight your palate.

The following recipe is from a dear friend - Linda Pilo - who lives in North Carolina; one of the most creative cooks I have ever known.

Ingredients:

8 tenderloins of lamb (lamb loin or leg may be substituted)

Goat (Feta) Cheese filling

4 ounces goat (feta) cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1 Tablespoon sun-dried tomato, diced
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
8 wonton skins (thin) or homemade pasta dough rolled out thin
Egg wash

Mix cheese with remaining ingredients. Egg wash one side of wonton. Place 2 TBS of filling and cover with other wonton to form a large ravioli. Cut or trim into circles. A cookie cutter will work well here.

Sauteed Swiss chard and Pancetta:

Beet greens (or spinach as a last resort) can be substituted
2 TB olive oil
2 oz pancetta chopped finely
1 TB minced garlic
1 bunch swiss chard, leaves coarsely chopped

Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add Olive oil and pancetta and cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic and swiss chard and sauté until the greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Au Jus:

8oz lamb trimmings
1-1/2 quarts Veal or Lamb stock
2 cups Merlot or Red Wine
1/2 cup shallot, minced
1 Tablespoon fennel seed

Brown lamb trimmings and degrease. Add 1 cup veal stock at a time and reduce to sauce consistency. Add 1 tsp fennel seed; continue additions until you develop enough sauce. In a separate pan, combine the red wine, shallot, 1 tsp fennel seed and reduce to a syrup. When you have enough reduced stock, add the reduction and simmer 10 min. Adjust salt and pepper and strain.

Presentation

Season lamb; grill or saute, let rest. Saute chard and cook ravioli; toss in butter and salt. Place a bed of chard in center of plate, top with the ravioli. Drizzle sauce around the plate. Slice the lamb on a bias and lean up against the ravioli. Garnish each tenderloin with a sprig of rosemary and on top of the ravioli with julienne of sundried tomato.

Pane di verdura (Vegetable Bread)

Vegetable bread is ideal to serve by itself or for brunch or dinner with fish, meat, or soup. Although the recipe calls for carrots, red peppers, spinach, asparagus, and corn kernels, any vegetable you have on hand can be used. It makes an ideal snack or light lunch with cheese and fruit.

Dough

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 c. milk, warmed to about 100 degrees
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 c. flour (10 to 11 oz.)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c. bran flakes
• 1 stick butter, softened (1/4 lb.)

Vegetables

• 1 small carrot, cut into 1/4-in. strips
• 6 small asparagus spears, peeled
• 1/2 medium red pepper, seeded, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1- to 1 1/2-in. strips
• 6 oz. spinach, cleaned
• 1/3 c. corn kernels
• Egg wash made with 1 egg with half the white removed, beaten
• 1 Tb. fresh bread crumbs

Place envelope of yeast, 1/4 c. warm milk, and 1/2 tsp. sugar in the bowl of a food mixer and proof for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture bubbles on top. Add the 2 c. flour, 1 tsp. salt, 3 eggs, and 1/2 c. bran flakes, and beat with the flat beater on speed 4 for 3 minutes. Add the stick of butter in pieces and mix on speed 3 for about 30 seconds, just long enough to incorporate the butter. The mixture should be sticky and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (depending on time of year, heat, and humidity), until at least double in bulk.

For the vegetables: Place the carrot strips in 1 in. of water in a skillet and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the 6 asparagus spears and pepper strips, cover, and boil about 2 minutes. Then add the spinach and corn, cover, and boil 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, spread the vegetables out in a large pan so they cool quickly.

When the dough has risen, push it down gently and place on a floured board. Spread the dough out by patting with a wet hand (to prevent the dough from sticking to it) into a rectangle approximately 11 x 13 in. Arrange the vegetables on top of the dough.

Roll the dough with the vegetables inside, using a dough scraper to scrape the dough off the table. It should form an oblong loaf about 12 in. long by 3 in. thick.

Butter a baking sheet and place the loaf on it seam-side down. Fold a piece of aluminum foil (about 2 1/2 to 3 ft. long) lengthwise into fourths. Butter the foil and wrap it around the bread. Tie loosely in place with a piece of string. This will hold the bread in shape, preventing it from spreading out too much on the cookie sheet. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Let rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the string and the collar and continue cooking 10 minutes longer at the same temperature, for a total of 30 minutes. Let the bread rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. Cut the bread into 3/4-in. thick slices.

Arrange the bread on a serving plate. Slices can be served as a garnish to meat and fish or served with cheese. If made ahead, refrigerate the loaf and reheat for a few minutes in the oven so it is about room temperature for serving.

Pumpkin Nut Bread

It's PUMPKIN season. If you want a ready quick bread for toasting in the morning, try this while the pumpkins are in season. • 2/3 cups shortening • 2 2/3 cups sugar • 4 eggs • 2 cups pumpkin - fresh pureed (or canned) • 2/3 cups water • 3 1/3 cups flour • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1 tsp cloves - ground • 1/2 tsp allspice • 1 tsp cinnamon • 2 tsp baking soda • 1 cup walnuts either chopped or crushed • 8 jars wide mouth w/lids and rings for; sealing, or 4 - 18 oz Jars) • 8 waxed paper circles cut to fit inside jars

Cream shortening and sugar together, adding sugar slowly. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir well. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into greased canning jars, filling only half-full. Place jars in a pan of water. Bake upright in preheated 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes. (Cake will rise and pull away from sides of jar.) When done, remove one jar at a time from oven. If cake rises above the top of the jar, slice off the excess. While still hot, place wax paper circle on the top end of the cake. Wipe sealing edge of jar. Place lid on jar and close tightly with ring. Turn jar upside down. (Cake will loosen at this time.) Repeat with other jars. Leave jars upside down until sealed. (Jar is sealed if lid remains flat when pressed in center.) To serve:Open jar and if necessary, slide a knife around inside of the jar to loosen the cake, and remove the cake from the jar. Warm cake in the oven if desired, or slice and toast. Slice and serve with whipped cream or butter. Because the jar is sealed, the cake keeps indefinitely. It can be made ahead of the holidays. 1/2 Cup Raisins are are optional (We still have a few jars we made in 1998 while I was teaching college in Waco, TX, and they taste great even at this late date; still very good)

Il pollo o il coniglio con le noci di pino ©

Pine nuts, or pinoli, are not the least expensive nuts in the world, but what a flavor and taste they impart to most any white meat recipe that calls for nuts. And when toasted first then crushed - or even whole as this recipe calls for, you are in for a rare culinary treat.

Ingredients:

1 2 ½ Lb chicken cut into pieces (can use boneless breasts-skin on)
5 TBS butter
1 Large onion thinly sliced
3 tsp pine nuts
1 slice very finely chopped prosciutto
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 Cup chicken stock/broth
1 TBS flour
1 Cup heavy cream

Assembly:

Rinse and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the butter in a heavy, heat proof casserole dish with a cover; add the chicken, sliced onion, prosciutto, and pine nuts. Cook over medium heat while frequently turning the chicken pieces. Once they are evenly browned season with the salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer very slowly, occasionally adding a few TBS of the stock.

Once the chicken is tender, remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Scrape the contents of the casserole dish into a blender with the flour and puree the mixture. Pour the puree back into the casserole dish stirring continuously over low heat, and blend in the heavy cream. Simmer over very low heat until the sauce is slightly thickened- do NOT let it boil!! Add the chicken pieces, reheating them thoroughly so they will absorb the flavor of the sauce. Serve immediately

Final Notes:

This can be served with most any pasta - egg noodles are preferred. Spinach, baby carrots, rice, an antipasto, or just about anything you choose to accompany the chicken dish will work. REAL garlic bread is also recommended. (Posted here somewhere down the line.)

This recipe also works very well with rabbit if you’re so inclined.

Beef au Gratin

If you enjoy beef, and you like garlic, this recipe is the epitome of both. With a minimum amount of planning, you can have an extraordinary meal in less than 45-minutes. We have it at least twice a month, and have a hard time eating anything else at a later date. Served with the Sliced Garlic/Peppercorn Bread toasted, and a small antipasto, this is one of THE best meals you will ever eat!!

Ingredients:

1 ½ - 2 Lbs of boiled Beef (Eye of round works well here - shown above)
6 TBS butter
3 Leeks - white part only finely chopped
2 Garlic buds (Largest ones you can muster up!) finely chopped
3 TBS flour
2 Cups hot beef broth
¼ Cup dry white wine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 Egg Yolks
1/3 Lb Gruyere or Swiss cheese

The beef must be boiled first. For best results, trim the beef of excess fat. Submerge the eye of the round in boiling salted water. This way, the layer of albumin instantly coagulates around the meat on contact with the boiling water and assures the retention of all its nutrition. Boil for three hours on very low heat. Cool for several hours, or you can refrigerate the whole roast overnight.

Cut into ¼ inch thick slices

In a medium sized skillet, melt four TBS butter and gently sauté the chopped leeks and garlic until they turn a golden brown. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and gradually add the hot beef broth; stir constantly over medium heat. Add the wine. When the sauce has reached a smooth, creamy consistency, remove from the heat. Season with the salt and peppers. Once cooled, add the egg yolks one at a time blending in well with a wooden spoon or wire whisk.

Butter the bottom of an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with sauce. Sprinkle half of the grated Gruyere cheese. Place the slices of meat on top of one another and cover with the remaining sauce and cheese. Dot with the remaining 2 TBS of butter and place in a 400F. oven. When golden brown, remove from oven and serve immediately.

With this particular dish, REAL garlic bread (posted here) goes extremely well, as does a glass of a hearty red wine.

Green bean almondine also goes very well with this meal.

GREEN BEAN ALMONDINE
2 cans whole green beans, drained

5-6 slices bacon,fried crisp; 1 sm. onion, finely chopped;1 sm. can chopped mushrooms, drained; 1 c. slivered almond; Parmesan cheese. In baking dish, alternate layers of green beans with crumbled bacon, onion, mushrooms, and almonds. Bake at 350 degrees until thoroughly heated and liquid reduced. Makes 6 servings.

Apple-Peach Walnut Crumb Pie ©

If you like apple or peach and/or crumb pies as many of us do, you will most likely enjoy this one. It's a little more work having to grind the walnuts, but the result is wonderfullly rich, toasty tasting pie. It's the best of both worlds.





Ingredients for pie:

1 Unbaked, 9" or 10" pie crust

4 1/2 Cups peeled, thinly sliced apples (your favorite)
2 Cups peeled, 1/2" diced peaches (canned is quickest)
3/4 tsp cinnnamon
1/4 tsp cardamon powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBS flour
1 heaping tsp cornstarch (dissolve in 2 TBS of the peach syrup)
1/4 tsp salt

Prepare the crumb topping ahead of time.


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare crust and place in pie pan or pie plate. Combine all above ingredients in a large bowl and mix well; spoon into pie crust using as little juice as you can.

Spoon crumb topping over pie filling

Crumb topping ingredients

1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup of walnut meal, flour, or finely crushed walnuts
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter.

Mix together the flour, sugars, walnut, salt, then cut in hard butter to get a crumbly mixture. Spread evenly over the filling.

Bake at 425F. for 15-minutes, then reduce to 350. Continue baking at 350F. for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot with French vanilla ice cream, and a steaming hot cup of your favorite flavored coffee.

Baked Eggs

With winter fast approaching, baked eggs make for a hearty breakfast or a brunch before shoveling that wonderful white stuff. Although basically a breakfast or brunch dish, it also can double for a Sunday night supper. It's very filling, and will last you most of the day.




Ingredients:

• 8 Eggs
• 8 Oz Sour Cream
• 2 4 Ounce Cans chopped green chilies
• 1 Cup shredded Monterray or Colby cheese
• 1 1/2 cups diced 1/4" diced ham
• 2 TBS Butter
• 4 Gratin dishes

Instructions:

Butter each gratin dish. Layer the bottoms with diced ham, then chilis, 2-3 dollops of sour cream, and some shredded Jack. Crack 2-eggs for each dish, and pour over sour cream. Continue building layers until everything is used, then spread the remaining shredded Jack cheese on top. Cover each gratin dish with foil, and bake at 350F. for approximately 15-minutes. Remove foil, and bake for another 10 minutes at 350F.

These can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated. If they are assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated, the eggs may take a little longer to fully cook.

Antipasto ©

Many of the meals here call for a salad or an antipasto either before or with the entree. Here is a simple and quickly made antipasto.






1 Green Pepper thin sliced
1 medium Tomato 1/2" diced
1 Onion halved and thin sliced
8 Oz. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 cup halved pitted black olives
Hard (Genoa) Salami 1/2" diced
Provolone Cheese 1/2" diced
Parmesan and/or Romano cheese freshly grated
Artichoke Hearts
Lettuce


Dressing

¾ Cup Olive oil
¼ Cup Wine Vinegar or dry Marsala wine
3 Crushed Garlic Buds
1/4 tsp oregano
Fresh Ground Pepper

Toss salad ingredients, and pour dressing on the veggies immediately before serving. Mix well and serve with REAL garlic bread (Posted here) or croutons. Garnish with a sprig of oregano or thyme.

You can add cherry or grape tomatoes, tortellini - anything really. An antipasto is just to whet the appetite.

Suggestion:

If using grape or cherry tomatoes, pierce them first metal skewer, and let them soak in the dressing for an hour or so before serving.

Amish Scrapple

This version of scrapple does NOT use hog's head, jowels, liver, offal or any other pork by-products.





2 pounds pork shoulder (or pork butt)
1 whole fresh pork hock
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup white cornmeal
1 teaspoon cayenne
1-2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp savory
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 large shredded apple-skin and core removed

Cut up pork shoulder (butt) into 2 inch chunks. Place the pork chunks, pork hock, sage and cayenne in a stock pot and cover with water. Simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until meat falls apart. Drain and reserve stock. Pull meat from bone and chop all the meat with a knife or food processor, being careful not to grind it too fine. Set aside.

Measure 5 cups of stock and return to pot. Bring it to a simmer; add meat, cornmeal, salt and peppers, and stir constantly until thick and smooth, about 15 to 30 minutes.When thick, stir in shredded apple. Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans and refrigerate until completely chilled and set into a firm block. Un-mold scrapple. Slice and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.

Goes great with eggs, sausage, hash browns, home fries, and a toasted Kaiser roll with your favorite jam or jelly. Apple jelly is particularly good here. Once removed from the loaf pan, it can be frozen in a large freezer bag until you are ready to use it. Makes 12 servings

New England Clam Chowder ©

One summer very long ago, we went to Maine for a weeks vacation at Old Orchard Beach, and stayed at the summer home of friends. The ocean body surfing was great, the water was freeeeeeeeeeezing, but the jazz at the local clubs was hot - not what one would expect in the 50's and 60's in a Maine summer resort town. We even got to sit in with the groups; I was a musician by trade.

It was during that trip, that I finally realized that a clam was not just simply a clam or something to be used for bait, but a delicacy to be savored. As a teenager in the 50's, a bunch of us kids would go clamming every weekend near Ocean Beach, a Connecticut coastal city where we lived. Normally, we'd bring back 1 to 1 1/2 bushels of clams. The next day we'd break them open and use them for flounder or fluke fishing bait. Little did we know.

The friends we went to Maine with were originally FROM Maine. The second day we were there, we went to the docks and bought four 2-pound lobsters and a bushel of clams. We spent several hours shucking them, and finally had nearly a gallon. Then came the chopping and cooking. When they were cooked and cooled, the following recipe was the appetizer that was to preceed the lobster. We never did get to cooking the lobster that night, because our hosts made 5-gallons of chowder. It was addicting.


• 1 - 3 Cups/Cans of Cooked Chopped Clams
• 1 Onion Diced
• 3-4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and diced to 3/4 inch cube
• 3-6 Strips of thick bacon
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 TBS bacon fat (can also use fatback salt pork diced and browned in lieu of bacon)
• 4 TBS Flour
• 2 Cans of evaporated milk or the equivalent of heavy cream
• 1 8-Oz. bottle of clam juice
• Additional milk (Optional)
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tsp Chopped Parsley

Drain clams and reserve the juice. Fry the bacon in a pan. When done, remove bacon strips, place on a paper towel and let cool, then crumble the strips and set aside. Saute onions until they are near translucent. In the meantime, make a roux consisting of the 2-TBS of bacon fat, 2 TBS butter, and 4-TBS flour. You want a nice white roux, so strain the bacon fat before making the roux. Add butter to bacon fat and heat to melt the butter until hot, but NOT smoking - just hot enough so that when you add the flour, the flour will bubble.

Remove from heat then whisk in the flour for the roux until well blended. Add evaporated milk, sauteed onion, bacon bits, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, and then add diced potatoes. If it is too thick for you, add 1/2 cup of milk at a time until it is of the consistency you like. But remember, the potatoes will add liquid when cooking. When the potatoes are tender, add the chopped parsley and the clams. Bring back to a simmer, and simmer for another 5-minutes. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper, chopped parsley, and additional bacon bits on the chowder before serving. Serve with REAL garlic bread.

This is a wonderfully thick chowder that can be served in a regular or sourdough bread bowl.

This chowder is a great pre-cursor to any seafood meal.

Smoked Southwest Chicken Marinade ©

This marinade is not overpowering and provides a nice Southwest flavor.

Tequila Marinade

1/3 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Lime or Lemon juice
1-2 Diced jalapeno or habanero peppers
1/4 Cup tequilla
2-3 TBS chopped cilantro
4 Cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Place chicken in a sealable bag and add marinade. Seal, shake around a few times during the refrigeration period of 2-4 hours. Prepare the charcoal, and pre-soaked mesquite chips. Place chicken pieces on grill half way up the BBQ'er. Then thoroughly cook, slice in strips and arrange attractively on a plate with a cilantro garnish. Serve with lots of salsa and chips, fried green tomatoes, or jalapeno corn bread.

Beef and Chicken Manicotti ©

This Manicotti recipe is for a large gathering. It's an all day project and lots of work, but I guarantee, it will satisfy the hungriest of souls. It has two different shell stuffings - chicken and beef - and two different sauces - a red sauce and a white sauce.

Ingredients:

28 manicotti shells ( 2 boxes) We prefer Barilla Shells

For the red sauce:

3 tablespoons quality olive oil
1 medium onion -- finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper -- finely chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 quart canned whole tomatoes with juice
3 teaspoons Spice Island Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning (recipe posted here somewhere)
2 teaspoons Spice Island Italian Herb
1/2 cup Sweet Marsala wine
6 - 10 fresh basil leaves -- torn or 2 TBS dried leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Beef Filling

1 2-3 lb. beef chuck roast or eye of the round
2 tablespoons cracked fennel seeds
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
2 cloves garlic -- crushed
1 container ricotta cheese (8 oz.)
1 cup water
1 cup red sauce

Chicken Filling

3 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces sliced almonds
1 can sliced mushrooms (2-1/2 oz.) -- drained
8 drops Angostura Bitters
1/2 cup shredded prosciutto
1 container ricotta cheese (8 oz.)

Bechamel (White) Sauce

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Select the number of manicotti shells for the number of persons to be served ( 2-each of the beef and 2-each of the chicken). The recipe makes enough to stuff at least 28 shells, so cut the recipes in half for 14 shells.

Instructions:

Red Sauce

Sauté garlic, onion, pepper in the olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick (2-3 hours.) Let cool, then puree in a blender. BE SURE IT HAS COOLED FIRST!!!!


Beef Filling

Place beef roast in cold water with the spices and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat. (Crock pot works well here, but takes longer) Turn heat down, and simmer for 2 – 3 hours or until meat flakes easily. Let cool and remove all fat.

Break into 1-inch chunks, and put in food processor and chop. Add another teaspoon of fennel seed, and ½ tsp of anise seed to beef in food processor. Chop finely. Save in bowl and refrigerate until ready to stuff shells.

Chicken Filling

Place chicken in just enough cold water to cover it, and add the 1 ½ Tsp Nutmeg and the salt. Bring to boil over medium heat. Turn heat down, and simmer until done (30-minutes). DO NOT over cook.

Cool chicken, then break into 1-inch pieces and place in food processor with 1 Tsp nutmeg, almonds and mushrooms. Chop to a course mixture. Place in bowl and refrigerate until ready to fill shells.

White Sauce

Melt butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in flour until well blended, then pour in the milk and cream all at once. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly. When thick enough to heavily coat whisk, remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.


Assembly

Chicken - Blend in one container of Ricotta cheese and shredded Prosciutto with the chicken mixture. Stuff tubes, keeping them on separate plates.

Beef - Blend in one container of Ricotta cheese with the beef mixture and 1 cup red sauce. Stuff shells, and keep separate on another plate.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking dish or pan large enough to hold 14-16 stuffed tubes.

Arrange tubes, chicken-filled in one row, beef filled in a second row.

Pour white sauce over chicken-filled tubes, and red sauce over beef-filled tubes – alternating so that you have a red and white filled baking dish. Drizzle stripes of white sauce over the red; drizzle stripes of red sauce over the white. Bake for approximately 30-minutes.

Leftovers freeze well, but the shells may get a little 'leathery', so before reheating them, spritz with water and cover them with waxed paper so they steam throuogh well and tenderize.

Pepperoni Lasagna ©

I think everyone in the world has their own lasagna recipe; this particular recipe has at least one ingredient that is not presently available - so far as I know right now. BUT, you can make your own - the recipe is at the end. Spice Islands had a Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning(1) that makes good sauce better; a great sauce, incomparable! They stopped making it a few years back. They got so many requests for it, that the company started making it again for a while; then once again, stopped production. I bought a case of the jars when I was emailed that it once again would go out of production. The Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning, combined with Spice Islands Italian Herb (still in production) is a match beyond your wildest tastes. This a VERY large recipe for a 12” x 18” x 3” pan. It will feed at least 10 people - and maybe more. It freezes well if you have leftovers. The recipe can be cut in half for a smaller portion.

Ingredients:

4 TBS quality olive oil
4 Large garlic cloves
2 medium onions ¼ inch diced
2 green peppers ¼ inch diced
1 Lb whole mushrooms, sliced
2 Quarts whole, canned tomatoes
2 6-Oz cans of tomato paste
½ Cup sweet Marsala wine
2 TBS Spice Islands Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning
2 TBS Spice Island Italian Herbs
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 package of pre-sliced pepperoni(*)
1 Lb. lean ground beef
1 Lb bulk Italian sausage or sausages removed from the casings

2 1-Lb containers of ricotta cheese
1 Lb shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses

2 Packages of Barilla Lasagna noodles
Olive oil - 1 TBS


Instructions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add finely chopped garlic buds. Sautee until golden, then add diced onion, green pepper, ground black pepper, Italian herb, salt, and sugar. Sautee until soft, then add sliced mushrooms. Sautee for 5-minutes.

(*)In a separate pan or small pot, bring 2-cups of water to a boil, and then add the sliced pepperoni. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10-minutes. Drain off water and grease; dry on paper towel. Slice pepperoni rounds in half, then in half again so you end up with quarters. Add to the onion/pepper mix; stir well.

In another large pan, brown the ground beef; drain, add to sauce. Brown sausage; drain, and add to sauce.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, and the wine. Stir well breaking up the whole canned tomatoes, bring to a boil then turn heat to very low, and simmer for a few hours stirring every so often until it thickens. Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat and let cool. When cooled, you can pour it into a food processing bowl and pulse a few times to make it a little smoother, OR you can leave the sauce chunky (as we like it.)

Boil the lasagna noodles according to manufactures directions. Drain, rinse, pat dry with paper towels, and cover the noodles so they don’t dry out.

When all is cooked and ready, start building the lasagna.

Instructions:

1. Oil the pan, then spread a thin layer of the sauce.
2. A layer of noodles.
3. Sauce, even dollops of ricotta (heaping tablespoons)
4. A sprinkling of mozzarella
5. Sprinkle parmesan and Romano cheeses

Repeat layers until all the fantastic ingredients are used. The top layer should be sauce, some shredded mozzarella, and a sprinkling of Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 325F. for approximaely 45-minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5-minutes of baking time.

This dinner/supper should be served with an Antipasto with lettuce, tomato, artichokes, black olives, diced Genoa salami, onion, green pepper, diced Provolone cheese, olive oil, a little vinegar of your choice, and grated Romano cheese as a precursor to the meal, REAL garlic bread (Posted) and a large quantity of a good quality Chianti - either white or red.

If you have the time and the ingredients, make canolli or a cassata (both posted). Have some dry Marsala on hand, or servings of espresso to accompany the dessert.

(1) This is as close as one can get to The Spice Islands Spaghetti Sauce seasoning:

3-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon summer savory
1-1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4-1/4 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground marjoram
2-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons ground basil
1 TBS Porcini mushroom powder

If you can't find the powders called for, get the leaf varieties. Put the mix in a coffee bean grinder and run it until you have a fine powder. You may have to do this in separate batches. The final Seasoning powder calls for 1 TBS per batch of sauce. For the ABOVE sauce recipe, use 2 tsp - it's a little more potent than Spice Islands. Store remaining powdered spice in a tight fitting lidded jar, and in the dark. The intensity of the ground leaves is much more flavorful.

LOL - be prepared to gain a few pounds.

Morgh-e tu por-e torsh-o-shirin ©

Yet ANOTHER chicken recipe :-) The title translates into 'Sweet and Sour stuffed chicken'. This Iranian recipe is a wonderful meal served with rice, and will duly impress your guests.








Ingredients:

4 Rock Cornish game hens
2 TBS sesame oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup pitted and finely chopped prunes
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup crushed pistaccio nuts (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp hawaish

Procedure:

Clean and rinse the hens in cold water, then pat dry and rub with salt.

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet and brown onion and garlic. Add prunes, apple, apricots, raisins, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, cinnamon, saffron water, and sugar in a separate bowl. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. or prepare your charcoal grill for smoking and grilling. Stuff the hens or chickens with the fruit mixture and truss the cavities shut. Place the stuffed birds in a greased ovenproof dish or roasting pan(*) and pour in the orange juice. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, basting with pan juices, until the meat separates easily from bone.

Serve from the ovenproof dish or arrange the birds on a serving platter. Serve with Saffron Steamed Plain Basmati or Jasmine Rice, bread, salad, fresh fruit, and fresh herbs for garnish.

Rock Cornish game hens are best used for individual servings, and they take less time to cook in the oven.

(*) If you have a rotisserie (a plus, but not necessary) and/or a charcoal smoker/grill, these small hens are absolutely delicious smoked and continuously turned on a rotisserie with a few( 3 or 4) water-soaked apple wood chunks on the charcoals just to provide a delicate hint of smoke. Baste with the orange juice.

Banana-Blueberry-Lemon Bread ©

This is a quick and easy treat for a Sunday morning brunch, or simply a mid-morning snack with a cup of steaming hot coffee or tea.




Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar
1 Stick butter softened
2 VERY ripe bananas mashed
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups AP flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 Cup walnut(*) flour (NOT walnut meal)
1/4 cup mini lemon bits
1/4 cup mini chocolate bits
1 Cup blueberries (frozen or dried are ok pre-soaked)
Cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs, flours, baking soda, mashed bananas. Blend well with a hand mixer with beaters. Pour batter in a buttered/sugared or floured loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon mix over the top of the batter. Bake in pre-heated oven at 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, or unitl a toothpick or metal skewer comes out clean and dry.

Walnut Flour(*)

Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, one pound of shelled walnuts. Be sure there are no shell pieces mixed in. Roast walnuts in a 500-550 degree oven until they have turned a nice dark color, but NOT burned (about 20-minutes)

Let the nuts cool completely, then put small batches in a coffee bean grinder and grind into a fine powder. Once the entire batch has been ground, spread out on a cookie tray and place back in a 350 degree oven until very dry. Watch carefully because they can easily burn at this stage.

What you will get as an end result is a dark loaf of delicious banana bread with a multitude of complimentary tastes.

Chicken Scallopini ©

Dontcha love chicken? It's so easy to prepare, and it's cost effective.








Ingredients:

4 tbs. Butter, divided (unsalted)
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup water
½ tsp. Chicken bouillon or your own home made chicken base broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
¼ cup white wine
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

Melt 2 tbs. Butter in a large non-stick skillet. Sauté mushrooms until tender and any liquid has evaporated; remove from pan; set aside. Melt remaining 2 tbs. Butter in same skillet. Sauté chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown and cooked through; remove from pan; set aside. (If chicken isn’t done when golden brown place in oven on 400 degrees until remaining recipe is finished)

Add onions to pan; sauté until tender. Add water, wine, and bouillon to pan. Bring to boil. Cook and stir until mixture is reduced by half. Add cream to pan. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Return mushrooms to sauce and let cook together about 2 minutes on low heat.

Serve over a bed of linguini, penne or ziti with chicken on top. Spoon sauce over plate. Serve with REAL garlic bread (posted here) , a nice dry white wine, and a salad.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolma) ©

Lebanon, Greece, Yemen, and other Eastern countries have their own version of stuffed grapes leaves. This recipe is a combination of several different ones. Stuffed grape leaves are a delicious snack for a party, or watching a ball game especially when served with a cold, lemon dipping sauce.





Ingredients

16 oz Jar grape leaves or fresh-grape leaves
3/4 c Long grain uncooked rice
2 tsp Fresh dried mint
1 c Water
2 lb Ground lamb, beef and pork - even amounts
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp GREEK oregano
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 TBS cumin
1/2 tsp crushed or powdered dill seeds
4 lg Garlic cloves
2 - 3 large lemons

To prepare fresh grape leaves for rolling, dip one leaf at a time in boiling water for about 30 seconds and cool. Mix ground meat with rice; season with salt, pepper, cinnamon and the other spices. Remove stem from each grape leaf, if using fresh leaves. Spread each leaf on flat surface. Place about 1 teaspoon of meat stuffing across the leaf about 1/2" from stem point. Fold leave forward toward stuffing. Then fold right side over then the left side and roll leaf forward very tightly.

When fully rolled, squeeze it to secure. Repeat for each leaf. Neatly place each stuffed roll in a large pot in layers. Pound the garlic with mint and salt to taste, then add add 1 cup water or more as needed, and lemon juice; pour over grape leaves in the pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook covered, very slowly for 1 hour. Add more water if needed. Steam until grape leaves are soft and are pierced and cut easily with a fork. Do not over cook. The leaves should not fall apart. These can be further processed in a hot water bath. Put stuffed leaves in sterilized quart or pint canning jars, pour an even mixture of water and vinegar to 1/2" from top. Process for a full 15-minutes.

Lemon Dipping Sauce

6 egg yolks
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup chicken or beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Beat together the egg yolks and lemon juice and add these to the stock. Cook over a low flame, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot or cold (yields about one cup). Note: This sauce can also be put to good use in soups, with fish and lamb dishes, and with salads.

Chicken with Orange, Almonds and Pistachio Nuts ©

The middle east is known for pistachio nuts, and are used in a lot of recipes. Here is one you may want to try.





Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Basmati or long-grain rice
2 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 TBS Cooking oil
2 TBS Butter
1/4 Cup slivered Almonds
1/4 Cup Crushed Pistachio nuts
1/2 Cup thin slices of Orange peel
3 TBS Sugar
2 Large onions
1 TBS Hawaish(*)

2 Cups Sugar
Saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
Salt
Fresh ground Black pepper


Instructions:

Soak rice in warm water for 2-hours. Rinse and dry chicken. Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Add chicken pieces sprinkled with HAWAISH and fry until color changes. Add a cup of hot water, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add more hot water during cooking if necessary. About 1/2 cup of water should be remaining at the end.

Save three spoons of sugar for later use. Add remaining sugar to a cup of hot water and bring to a boil. Add chicken juice, 2-3 spoons of oil and saffron, and mix well. Soak almonds in cold water for an hour. Thinly slice orange peels. Boil for a few minutes, drain and repeat. Soak in cold water for an hour, drain, and repeat. Finally, boil for a few minutes with three TBS sugar. When rice is rinsed, pour a bit of oil and hot water in a pot, and add 1/2 of rice. Spread chicken pieces over the rice, and cover with 1/2 of remaining rice. Spread half of almonds and orange peel over rice and cover with remaining rice. Pour sugar and chicken-juice mix prepared earlier over rice. Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. Add remainder of almonds, orange peel, and pistachios, and mix well.

Garnish with a sprig of sage.

(*)HAWAISH

HAWAISH (Spice Mix) All the spices are mixed proportionately and stored to be easily measured out for recipes. 2 TBS ground cumin 1 TBS pepper 1/2 tsp coriander, ground; 1 tsp turmeric, ground; 4 whole cloves, broken up; 4 pods cardamom seeds; 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated; 2 bay leaves Mix all ingredients together. Store in a glass jar with a tight cover. Keep the 2 bay leaves in the mixture to keep the spices dry and clean. Do not include the bay leaves as part of the spice mixture.

Serves 2.

Lemon-Blueberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake ©

Lemon and blueberries seem to go together very well for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner desserts. We tried this recipe and were pleased; hopefully you will be too. This recipe in the original version was posted in King Arthur's Baking Circle by Mrs. K The original recipe can still be found in the Baker's circle posted under knead2quilt's (or K2Q) recipes. The original recipe is one of the most popular on the site, and justifiable so. MrsK was a long time contributor and her recipes are all wonderful.

Lightly grease (BUTTER) and flour a 9 x 13 pan or a 10"x10"x2" corning ware glass dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Topping:

2 TBS butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour

With a fork or a pastry blender, cream contents to make a fine crumb mixture and set aside.

Cake:

1 stick (1/4 pound) softened butter
1 1/2 c. white sugar
8 oz. of Marzetti's Fruit Cream Cheese dip.
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1/4 cup lemon bits
2 cups blueberries (If frozen, thaw, dry, and coat with flour)

Cream the butter, sugar, and cream cheese.Mix in well-beaten eggs. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and extract, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Gently stir in the dusted berries and lemon bits at the very end. Pour the batter in the pan and sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake tests done with a toothpick or a metal skewer. The cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when completely done.

Snow Crab Stuffed Mushroom Caps©

Ohhhhhhhhhh, what an appetizer!!!! Try doubling or tripling the recipe!!






20-25 Stuffing Mushroom Caps, Cleaned
1/3 c. Butter
6-8 oz. King Crab Meat
1 oz. White Wine
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp savory
1/2 Cup Onions, Diced
1 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped
1 oz. Half and Half Cream
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onion and sauté until they become translucent. Add wine, seasonings, parsley, lemon juice, crab meat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Next add cream and swiss cheese, cook an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Finally add bread crumbs and stir well. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps and place caps on cookie sheet. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on to the tops of the caps and place cookie sheet in oven. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and serve immediately.