Baked Ziti in a Mornay Sauce with Italian Sausage and Fennel

This recipe comes from Emeril Lagase and it is a winner. Here is the link Baked Ziti
 The picture did not come out as good as I wanted it to, but I may take a photography class so I can get better at this.  I have noticed that my pictures are lacking the appeal I want it to have.  That is a home grown tomato. Don't ask me how much it cost to get that one tomato.  I cut the recipe in 1/2, but I will give you the whole recipe.


Printable Version:   Baked Ziti in a Mornay Sauce with Italian Sausage and Fennel
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Pinch nutmet
6 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (I used the whole bulb with the outside taken off)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds hot Italian sausage links, but into 1/2 inch pieces (I took the sausage out of the casing)
1 pound ziti pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonaded
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Set aside and keep warm.

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the sausage and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, sausage mixture and Mornay sauce. Mix well. Pour into a greased 2-quart oval baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese and place in the oven on the top rack. Bake until the top is golden brown and bubbly, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Spoon onto serving plates and garnish with fresh basil.


Shrimp Cakes with Ginger Butter



This picture didn't turn out very well, so I will replace it when I make them again.  Jud liked them more than I did, but I would definitely make them again. I saw this recipe on Giada De Laurentis' show. Mini Shrimp Cakes with Ginger Butter







Printable Version:   Shrimp Cakes with Ginger Butter
Shrimp Cakes:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 large button mushrooms, stemmed, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 large shallots, minced
1 medium carrot, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg
zest on 1/2 large lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus extra as needed for frying shrimp cakes

Ginger Butter:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
One 1/2-inch long piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely grated (about 4 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions:
For the shrimp cakes--Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, 6-7 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the shrimp, breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined but still chunky. For the mixture into 15 patties, each 2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick, using damp hands. Place on a plastic wrap-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the ginger butter--Mix together the butter, ginger and soy sauce in a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, until combined. Place the mixture on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over and form the mixture into a log about 7 inches long and 1-inch in diameter. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve, slice the butter into 1/4-inch thick pieces and place on cooked shrimp cakes.

Bistro Stew

This came from our favorite soup book,The Big Book of Soups and Stews by Maryana Vollstedt. We have been using this book for years, but decided to try something we had never tried before.  It is a very hearty dish with lots of beef cubes and chunky vegetables.  We gave it a 10.







Printable Version: Bistro Stew
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock or broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
4 cloves garlic, halved
4 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
3 cups baby carrots
6 baby pattypan squash, quartered I used zucchini
8 ounces mushrooms, halved
Mix flour, salt, and pepper on a piece of waxed paper. Roll meat in mixture to coat. Use all the flour.
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add meat and brown in batches, about 5 minutes for each batch. Remove meat to a plate as it browns. Add onion and saute" until tender, about 5 minutes. Add more oil if needed to keep onions from sticking. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Add stock, tomato paste, marjoram, and garlic. Return meat to Dutch oven. At this point, I put it all in the crock pot and cooked it on high for about 2 hours. Then I turned down the heat to low and added the potatoes and carrots and cooked it an additional 2 1/2 hours. Then I added the squash and mushrooms and cooked about 45-min. --1hour. Back to the recipe: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add squash and mushrooms and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Taste for seasonings.

Menu white board

In making a menue for my refrigerator, I use an 8" X 12" white board. I use a permanent marker to make the lines for 7 days. I write Lunch and Dinner on the two sides. You could put the days of the week on the side, but I never make them the day it says. I just have my meals for the week and make them whenever I desire.

Then I use a white board marker that can be erased for my meals for the week. I put the page number and the recipe book at the bottom of the entry.  This is really a nice way to keep track with what's for dinner.


Pan Fried Trout with Tomato/Basil Sauce 2

I have made this dish before, but I used the lazy way this time.  I had some roma tomatoes that were going to go bad, so I put a little olive oil with 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, and about 6 of the tomatoes.  I let them cook until they were nice and soft. Then I added about 1/4 cup of fresh basil. I poured this over the trout or in my case tilapia.





Remove the sauce from the heat. Clean-out the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes on each side.  Top with tomato mixture.


Jambalaya

Printable Version:  Jambalaya

This recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meal--Comfort Foods recipe book. I think next time I may use a little less pepper sauce. We like spicy, but this was a little too spicy.









Ingredients:
1 cup enriched white rice, following directions on package
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breast meat, diced
1/2 pound andouille, chorizo, or linguica sausage, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery from heart of stalk, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
A few drops cayenne pepper sauce
2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (14oz) chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 round teaspoon chili powder
1 rounded teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
4 drops each cayenne pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Coarse salt and black pepper, to taste
4 springs fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stemp and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
4 scallions, sliced thin.
Method:
Cook rice and keep covered.  Place a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and melt butter into it. Add chicken and brown 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook 2 minutes more. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper sauce. Saute' veggies until tender, another 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and chicken and cook a minute more, stirring to incorporate flour. Add tomatoes and broth to pan and combine ingredients well. Season with cumin, chili powder, Old Bay seasoning, Tabasco, and Worcestershire.  Scatter shrimp into pot and cook until shrimp are pink and firm and sauce thickens a bit, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, ladle jambalaya into bowls. Scoop rice with an ice cream scoop and place 1 scoop in the center of each dish of jambalaya. Top rice and jambalya with chopped thyme and scallions. I put the rice in the dish first, and then topped it with the jambalaya.

Poblano Sauce

This is great on chicken, pork tenderloin, fish, or anything else. I haven't tried it with cardboard, but I think it would be good.

Poblano Pepper Sauce:

• 3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Place peppers, vinegar, cilantro and honey in a blender and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified.