Mexican-Italian mashup

Wow! I really took quite the hiatus from this blog. It feels good to start posting again. These pepperoni quesadillas are a tasty way to make a comeback. They are unique and delicious! Using corn tortillas is a must. I used the 6-inch tortillas, but the bigger ones would work, too. These quesadillas are great for lunch or dinner, served alongside some healthy veggies or fruit.

THE RECIPE:

Corn tortillas

Spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce

1 package pepperoni slices*

Shredded cheese

Heat an electric skillet to 400-425 degrees. Lay several slices of pepperoni on skillet -- enough for one batch. (For example, I laid out 10 slices, because I needed five slices per 6-inch tortilla and could only cook two tortillas at a time.) Don't cook all the pepperoni at once, because you need each batch to have its own drippings. Cook pepperoni until they release their drippings and become crispy. Using tongs, remove pepperoni from skillet to a plate lined with a paper towel. 

Swirl tortillas around in pepperoni drippings, then top half of each with sauce, a little cheese, cooked pepperonis, then a little more cheese. Doing two layers of cheese helps the quesadillas stick together. Fold over. Cook a couple minutes on each side, until golden and crispy. In the meantime, push them off to the side and start cooking the next batch of pepperoni to move things along.

Let finished quesadillas cool on paper towels, then enjoy!

*I often look for ways to reduce fat and sugar, but the reduced-fat pepperoni just didn't work in this recipe. They didn't release any drippings, and the corn tortillas really need oil in order to taste right and crisp up.

Note: This recipe is made with ingredients that are generally gluten-free, but be sure to check labels of particular brands.

Fresh from the garden

My mother-in-law introduced me to this delicious angel hair pasta for using tomatoes and basil from my garden. It is very easy to pull together, and it tastes light and fresh. I could eat it every week. For variation, try adding artichoke hearts or pine nuts.

THE RECIPE:

3/8 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. finely chopped green onion
2 c. diced garden-fresh tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

8 oz. angel hair pasta

Grated Parmesan cheese

In skillet or saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic and onions, and saute for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, cook angel hair according to package directions. Drain, then toss thoroughly with tomato mixture and basil. Let stand about 5 minutes to absorb liquid, then toss again. Top individual servings with grated cheese.

Perfect panzanella

Let me introduce you to panzanella. It is a rustic Italian tomato-bread salad, and it's a delicious way to use garden fresh tomatoes. Panzanella originated in the Tuscan countryside, where peasants needed a way to use stale bread. Today, you can make the recipe your own with all kinds of yummy add-ins. Here's what I did.

THE RECIPE:

6 c. rustic Italian bread OR 1 whole French baguette, cut into chunks*
1/2 c. olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
3 large, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes (3 to 4 inches in diameter)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp. drained capers (optional)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss bread chunks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange bread in single layer on baking sheet and bake on middle oven rack for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Bread will be hardened and crisp and golden when done.

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes into chunks and put in a colander over a large measuring cup or dish to drain and catch juices. Toss tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir periodically, letting drain for at least 15 minutes. Try to reserve 1/2 cup juices.

Whisk remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, sugar and pepper into reserved tomato juices to create a vinaigrette. Toss thoroughly with toasted bread pieces and let stand 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, feta, capers, basil, or whatever your heart desires. Serve immediately.

*Choose a bread that is dense and crusty, not fluffy like French bread.

Scrumptious shells

My whole family loved these stuffed shells. I adapted a recipe from Carrie's Cooking Corner, using fresh spinach from our garden instead of frozen. I will definitely make this again. I am always glad to have another good meatless recipe on hand.

THE RECIPE:

20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
16 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained*
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
16 oz. spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and seasoning. Spoon filling into shells. Pour half of spaghetti sauce into bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Line up filled shells in baking dish, then spoon remaining sauce down the middle of each line of shells. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake a couple of minutes more.

*I used 4 packed cups fresh spinach, which I washed and roughly chopped.

Quick tip

Spaghetti is one of those fast and easy meals we often make when we are starving and short on time. Here's a quick tip to give a fresh approach to an old favorite: Melt a couple of ounces of cream cheese into your regular marinara. It gives the sauce a yummy twist.

Any favorite crust recipes out there?

Isn't pizza wonderful? I can't think of anyone who doesn't like it. We decided to make our own pizzas the other night, but we didn't have time to wait for dough to rise. Therefore, I went to the Web for a quick and easy recipe for no-yeast crust. It was completely easy to make, and it tasted fine, but I didn't like it well enough to make it again. Our main enjoyment was in making the pizzas and adding all the toppings. Do any of you have a favorite pizza crust recipe you can share?

THE RECIPE:

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. cooking oil
2 Tbsp. cooking oil

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine ingredients (except 2 Tbsp. oil) in bowl and mix well. Knead dough in bowl ten times, then split into two balls. On lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 13-inch circle. Place on pan and turn up edges about a half-inch and pinch. Brush with remaining oil. Add desired toppings. Ours took 25 minutes to bake.

Holy ravioli!

When you don't have time to put dinner together, make this alfredo ravioli bake. The only thing I did that's worthy of being called "cooking" was chop a red pepper. The dish requires an hour to bake, so if you can plan ahead for that, you'll have a nice dinner with very little effort.

THE RECIPE:

1 25-ounce package frozen cheese-filled ravioli
1 8-ounce package pre-sliced mushrooms
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 16-ounce bottle alfredo sauce
8 ounces shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but Swiss, Parmesan or a mixture would work)

Mix all ingredients -- don't even worry about thawing ravioli -- in a baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

By the way, this meal cost me $6.29 at Wal-Mart. I price-matched the mushrooms and cheese. I used a pepper from our garden. Three of us only ate half the pan, so we have lunch for tomorrow. Not bad.

Got extra tomatoes?

We love to use up our garden bounty by making tomato melts. Make them however your family will eat them. Feel free to experiment with toppings and seasonings. Make it for lunch, as a side dish, or even for your main dish if you're strapped for time.

THE RECIPE:

French bread, sliced however you want
Fresh tomatoes, sliced
Shredded cheese (mozzarella, Parmesan or both)
Garlic powder or salt
Dried basil
Pepper

Set oven to broil. Arrange tomato slices on bread. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Season as desired. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden and edges of bread are crisp.

From garden to gourmet

This recipe for homemade tomato-almond soup is unique and wonderful. It tastes so fresh, because we use tomatoes from our garden. It has an unusual, gourmet taste to it. The almonds provide a bread-crumb effect. It seems like something that would be served at an expensive, authentic Italian restaurant. You need to like tomatoes in order to like this. We like it well enough to make multiple batches and freeze them. It tastes the very best with french bread dipped in it.

THE RECIPE:

3 Tbsp. butter
4 c. chopped vine-ripened tomatoes*
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth (more or less if desired)
2/3 c. light cream
1/4 c. ground almonds
1 tsp. sugar
Dried basil to taste (shred fresh basil if desired)
Salt and pepper to taste
French bread for dipping

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until the skins start to wrinkle. Season with salt and pepper. Add broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, under a preheated broiler, toast ground almonds until they are golden brown. This will take only 1 or 2 minutes, so watch them closely.

Remove the soup from heat, place in a food processor or blender, and blend the mixture to form a smooth consistency. Alternatively, mash the soup with a potato masher. Pass the soup through a strainer to remove any skin and seeds. Place soup in saucepan and return to heat. Stir in cream, almonds, sugar and basil. Serves 4.

*This recipe is best made with garden fresh tomatoes. Store-bought tomatoes will give you a watered-down flavor. I chop, bag and freeze many of the tomatoes from my garden just so I can make this soup during the off-season. If you must use store-bought tomatoes, you could probably add an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce to increase the tomato flavor.

Brushing up on bruschetta

This bruschetta chicken bake is a unique dish that's easy to throw together, because one of its main ingredients is boxed stuffing. Even at that, it doesn't taste like dinner from a box.

THE RECIPE:

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Fresh chopped tomato, as much as desired
1 pkg. Stove Top stuffing for chicken
2 chicken breasts, cut up
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves
Handful toasted pinenuts
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place canned tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl. Add garlic, stuffing mix and 1/2 c. water. Stir and set aside. Place chicken in 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with basil, cheese and pinenuts. Top with stuffing mixture. Sprinkle with fresh tomatoes. If desired, sprinkle grated Parmesan for looks. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Note: You may want more cheese. I always do.

Primo pasta

This pasta bake is so darn easy. It tastes good, and it's quite healthy. It's a great way to get some spinach in your diet.

THE RECIPE:

15 ounces spaghetti sauce
8 ounces rotini noodles, cooked and drained (I use either the colored veggie noodles or whole wheat)
3/4 c. sour cream
5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (you could always try fresh)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon mixed ingredients into 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Artichoke and spinach: a dynamic duo

I love this artichoke-spinach lasagna. Joe says it is a delightful little jaunt through Italy. (Never mind that he's never been to Italy.) I don't even know that it really tastes Italian, other than its being lasagna. We love the twist on the traditional dish, though.

THE RECIPE:

2 jars alfredo sauce
1/4 c. milk
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
3 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped red pepper (optional)
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
10 lasagna noodles
2 handfuls fresh spinach

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions; be sure not to overcook. In small bowl, whisk together sauce, milk and oregano. In large bowl, combine chicken, artichokes, onion, pepper, garlic and cheeses. Spread 2/3 cup sauce over bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of noodles, overlapping to fit. Layer half of spinach over noodles and top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layers, starting and ending with sauce. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more.