Three-Cheese Baked Pasta (Food & Wine, Feb 2006)

Penne pasta nicely absorbs this incredibly rich three-cheese sauce. As an alternative, look for dried garganelli pasta; it's more difficult to find and slightly thinner than penne but it soaks up less sauce, creating a creamier dish.


The cheese needs a wine with structure; a three-cheese sauce need tannins and acidity. Pour a substantial Tuscan red like an earthly Chianti.


What You'll Need:
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
One 10 1/2-ounce log fresh goat cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound dried penne or graganelli
1/2 pound Taleggio cheese, rind removed, cheese cut into 1-inch pieces


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.


Stir in the flour until smooth and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until pale brown, about 4 minutes.


Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and bubbling. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking often, until very thick, about 10 minutes.


Stir in the goat cheese, Parmesan, salt and nutmeg.


2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain the penne and return it to the pot.


Stir the cheese sauce into the pasta.


Mound the penne in eight 2-cup oven-proof dishes or spoon into a 9" X 13" baking dish.


Tuck the Taleggio into the pasta and scatter a few pieces of cheese on top.


Bake the pasta for about 25 minutes, or until heated through and nicely browned on top.


Serve right away.


* Makes 8 total hands on time: 20 min Total time: 45 min 10 min prep / 0 min assembly and blending / 0 min slicing / 25 min baking / 0 min chilling
* Easy Scale - 1 = easy / 5 = most difficult : 4 on the easy scale

MAKE AHEAD: the assembled pasta can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Green Salad with Craisins

I received this recipe a few years ago and have made a few variations. This recipe makes a lot of salad - perfect for parties. We served it up at my mom's 60th birthday party and at various other get-togethers and it's always a hit. Enjoy!

(serves 18)

What You'll Need:
Salad:
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 head iceberg lettuce
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (small) package Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup craisins
1 pound bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 package almonds, sliced
6 chicken breast halves, cooked, diced

Wash all lettuce well; break into bite-sized pieces. Toss in cheese, craisins, bacon, almonds and chicken.


Dressing:
½ C. sweet onion, chopped (I chop it very finely in the processor)
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
½ C. red wine vinegar
1 C. canola oil

Directions:
In blender, combine onion, sugar, mustard, red wine vinegar; blend, slowly adding canola oil until well mixed.

To Serve:
Toss salad and dressing together just before serving or serve dressing on the side.

Variations:
When I don't have time to cook the chicken and bacon, I buy the already been cooked bacon and chicken. The bacon isn't quite as crispy, but the salad is just as good.

I haven't tried it, but I'm sure turkey bacon would be fantastic.

Muddy Buddies (Chex)

This is NOT my recipe but I make it for parties and everybody always loves it. I get requests for the recipe all the time.

What You'll Need:
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated.
Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

To Serve:
Pour into a bowl and serve it up.

Better-Than-Sex-Cake

I was given this recipe when I worked in the billing office about 8 years ago. I make it when I need a home-made recipe but don't want to use a lot of special ingredients. Everybody always raves about how much they love it. I get special requests for it.


What You'll Need:

1 Box Chocolate cake mix
(+ingredients for making the cake (oil & eggs))
1 Bottle Caramel Ice Cream Topping (I don't like Smucker's)
1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz)
1 Tub of Cool Whip
1 Bag of Score Candybar chips or Heath Candybar chips OR 3 candybars crushed.

Directions:
Make and bake the cake as instructed on the box:



While the cake is in the oven, mix the caramel ice cream topper with the sweetened condensed milk.



Once the cake has baked, use a fork to put holes throughout the cake. The more the better.


When there are holes throughout the cake, pour the caramel/condensed milk mixture over the top.


I like to help the mixture spread evenly over the top of the cake. I'll use the back of a spoon to continue to spread the mixture until it has seeped in evenly.



Place a lid on the cake and place in the refrigerator over night (or until chilled) thoroughly).
In the morning, spread the cool whip over the top as the frosting.



Sprinkle the candybar topping over the top of the cake until well coated. Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Tasty Spanish Tapas: Fresh Mint and Bean Pate

We tried a new appetizer at Elida's Baby Shower: Fresh Mint and Bean Pate. It was lovely and an unexpected hit with everyone. It was fresh, light and filling! Best of all it was quick to prepare.

This is actually an original recipe based on another veggie pate recipe we found in a Spanish Tapas Book: Tapas, A Culinary Journey of Discovery.
However that recipe called for fava beans and they are not in season. We decided to experiment and it paid off.

What You'll Need:

• 1 17 oz can organic white (Navy) beans drained and rinsed
• 8 oz goat cheese softened
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 2 scallions finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Spanish Olive Oil + extra to serve
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• zest from lemon
• ~60 large fresh mint leaves (~ 1/2 oz | 15 g)
• French bread sliced thinly - 20 slices
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Put the beans, goat cheese, scallions, oil, lemon rind, lemon juice and mint leaves in a food processor and process until well mixed.
season the pate to taste with salt and pepper
transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour before serving
To Serve:
Preheat the broiler to high
toast the bread slices under the broiler until golden brown on both sides
drizzle a little olive oil over the toasted bread slices
Spread the pate on top and serve immediately

• Makes a lot (2 french breads thinly sliced worth) | total hands on time: 20 minutes / Total time: 80 minutes / 5 minutes prep /5 minutes assembly and blending / 5 minutes slicing / 5 minutes broiling / 60 minutes chilling / 5 minutes assembly
  
• Easy Scale - 1 = easy / 5 = most difficult : 1 on the easy scale
  

Variations:
The original recipe I based this recipe on, called for fava beans, which makes this variation a 2 on the easy scale since its more time consuming.

• Substitute 1 lb (12 oz / 800g) fresh fava beans in their pods, (shelled give you about 12 oz/350g)
• Cook the fava beans in a pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until tender
• Drain well and let coolslip off their skins - this quantity will take about 15 minutes to skin

Healthy, Seasonal, Tasty Soup: Butternut Squash Soup

Are you sick? Looking for a hearty warm and tasty soup? Something healthy? Something different from chicken noodle soup from a can?

While visiting in November, Mom made a great butternut squash soup for Thanksgiving. We revisited this tasty sweet soup at the Tin Angel in SLC over the holidays. That soup inspired us to make this America's Test Kitchen recipe, an amazing soup.

It takes about 1 hour from start to finish, but it's worth every second.

What You'll Need:
-- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
-- 2 medium shallots, minced (~ 4 tablespoons
-- 6 cups of water
-- 3 lb butternut squash (1 large), unpeeled, cut lengthwise, seeds and stringy fibers scraped w/ spoon and reserved. Take each half of the squash and cut in half, vertically.
-- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-- 1/2 cup heavy cream*
-- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar**
Directions:
-- Heat butter in large dutch oven*** over medium-low heat until foamy
-- Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently until softened and tanslucent (~ 3 min)
-- Add squash scrapings and seeds and cook, stirring occationally, until fragrant and butter turns saffron color (~4 min)
-- Add water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat
-- Reduce heat to medium-low and place squash, cut-side down, in steamer basket and lower basket into pot.
-- Cover and steam until squash is completely tender (~30 min)
-- Remove pot from heat and transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet; reserve steaming liquid
-- When squash is cool enough to handle, use large spoon to scrape flesh from skin into medium bowl; discard skin
-- Pour reserved steaming liquid through mesh strainer (or cheese cloth) into the second bowl with the squash. Discard solids in strainer.
-- Rinse and dry Dutch oven
-- In blender, puree squash and reserved liquid in batches, pulsing on low until smooth.
-- Transfer puree to Dutch oven
Freeze/Store any soup you won't be eating immediately and adjust the cream and sugar below. Or if you're looking for a lower fat version, the soup at this point is very creamy and sweat enough without the cream and sugar.

-- Stir in cream and brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat until hot.
-- Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

• Makes 1.5 quarts (4-6 full servings) | total time: 60 minutes / 5 minutes chopping /10 minutes supervised cooking / 30 minutes steaming / 15 minutes straining & assembling
• Easy Scale - 1 = easy / 5 = most difficult : 2 on the easy scale (because of time)
  

Notes:
*May be labeled as Heavy Whipping Cream, which is the same thing
**I use regular brown sugar without complaint.
***A Dutch oven is a francy name for a big pot with a strainer pot inserted in it, used to make pasta.

Variations:

• top soup with drops of balsamic vinegar and a crouton

Easy & Fresh Appetizer: Tomato & Mozzarella Skewers

We love parties. We will find any excuse to have a party...this year there will be an 8/8/8 party on the 8th of August, just like there was a triple seven party this past year.

So, in light of multiple parties, we are always looking for a healthy, easy, fresh, tasty, inexpensive appetizer to share.

The Tomato Mozzarella Skewer fits the bill:
What you need:

• Fresh mozzarella cubed into 25 bites or 25 mozzarella balls
  
• one package organic cherry tomatoes
• Fresh Basil leaves (25)
• balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing shaken with fresh ground pepper
• toothpicks (25)

Assemble basil (first for cap of appetizer), mozzarella cube and cherry tomato
Don't pierce through the cherry tomato so the appetizer stands up on the tomato
place in a shallow bowl over dressing

• Makes 25 | total time: 35 minutes / 10 assembly time
  
• Easy Scale - 1 = easy / 5 = most difficult : 1 on the easy scale

Variations:

• You can have without the dressing
  
• instead of a skewer, stuff the tomato with the mozzarella: carve out a portion of the tomato by using the small end of a melon baller; stuff mozzarella into tomato; dress with loosely chopped basil and place over dressed dish.