Slow-cooker lasagna in red and white

I am on a roll lately with the great slow-cooker recipes.
First the short ribs.
Then the carnitas.
Then I decided to experiment with making lasagna in the slow cooker. And it was really good.
I made my version vegetarian, but it should work to add cooked ground meat in the layers, if you like that sort of thing.

There was a bit of work involved in this one. Which is typical of lasagna. I tried to cut down on that by using pre-washed bagged spinach and pre-cut bagged mushrooms. If I did not already have carrots at home I would have bought the pre-shredded ones. It did not add too much time to peel and grate the ones I already had. Same for chopping the onion.

Slow-cooker lasagna in red and white

Makes 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

3 eggs
2 cups evaporated milk (do not use regular milk - it does not work well in the slow-cooker)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1 jar of your favorite red pasta sauce (I used Classico Spicy Red Pepper)

1 box lasagna noodles
1 cup Parmesan cheese (divided into thirds)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided into thirds)
12 ounce bag baby spinach
5 ounce bag sliced brown mushrooms
4 carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium white onion, chopped


Mix first 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Get all your veggies open, cleaned prepped and ready to use.

Spoon about a cup of the egg-cheese mixture into the bottom of the slow cooker then sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the red sauce.
Layer noodles over the sauce in a single layer, breaking into pieces if needed to make them fit.

Sprinkle half the carrots, half the onion and all the mushrooms over the noodle layer, then sprinkle on about a third each of Parmesan and mozzarella.
Spoon over about a third of the remaining egg-cheese mixture and then about a third of the remaining red sauce.

Make another layer of noodles.
Cover that layer with spinach and remaining onion and carrot, then add another third of the Parmesan and mozzarella.
Spoon on another third of the egg-cheese mixture and red sauce.

Add one more layer of noodles. Cover with all the remaining egg-cheese mixture and remaining red sauce.
Sprinkle on remaining Parmesan and mozzarella.

Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.

This was tricky to scoop out the first night.
The noodles were a little "loose" in the sauce, so it did not want to stand up.

But it tasted really good!
And it was even better reheated for dinner the second night.

And it stood up nicely then, as seen in the picture.

This is not a slow-cooker meal I can make on a weekday since it cooks in only 5-6 hours. On work days I need 8-10 hour recipes.

But it was a great thing to start at midday on a day off and just forget about until dinner.
I got it all ready and started while Ben napped.
I paired it with Caesar salad and a good wine for dinner.

I liked the blend of red and white sauces in this. I was just creamy enough, but not too rich.
And the veggies were terrific. If I had anything like ham or prosciutto, I would have chopped that up and added it to one of the layers. I think that would be good.

I thought about doing the ground meat, but that was one more step and would have dirtied another pan. With the veg version it was all just done right in the cooker.

Mint-cilantro pesto

Cheese ravioli with steamed white rose
potatoes and mint-cilantro pesto.

I am a big fan of the cilantro. And mint ain't half bad either.
So the idea of a pesto that uses both of those, a nice Parmesan cheese and some pine nuts? Yeah, I like that idea. A lot!
This is an easy, versatile sauce.It is great on ravioli (get the pre-made ones from the store for a very quick dinner) and a nice condiment for kebabs (lamb, beef or chicken - I have not tried it with shrimp, that could be good, too).
I like a traditional pesto, made with basil, just fine. But the brightness of the mint and the cilantro just make this shine as a "summer" pesto. Though I will be making this all through the fall and winter.

Grilled lamb and veggie kebabs with mint-cilantro pesto.

Mint-cilantro pesto

1 cup packed, fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (plus more to taste if you like it lemony)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil (I use a fairly good one here since the oil is key to pesto)

Blend mint, cilantro, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper to a coarse puree in a food processor. Keeping the food processor running, slowly pour in olive oil and puree until almost smooth.
Taste and add lemon, salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Enjoy on your favorite pasta for a really quick dinner (seriously, there are some really good pre-made raviolis and tortellini out there!) as a dip for a good crusty bread, as a dipping sauce for grilled meat or veggies.

Really, just enjoy!

By the way, if you are looking for more ways to zip up that store-bought ravioli, check out these ideas from Real Simple.

Lemon spaghetti

I was looking for a tasty side dish to pair with pan-roasted pork tenderloin and came across a recipe in "Everyday Italian" by Giada DeLaurentis.

The combination of lemon and Parmesan cheese sounded like it would be a nice compliment to the meat and a simple side of steamed asparagus.

After reading the recipe, I decided (of course) to make a couple of my own modifications.

So, here is my version, with a little more cheese than she called for and with some garlic that she did not call for.

Lemon spaghetti

2/3 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 pound dried spaghetti

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest

salt and pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, then drain pasta.

Toss pasta with lemon sauce, basil and lemon zest. If you want the pasta to be saucier, toss in reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time to get desired consistency.

This was a great side for my roasted pork. The lemon gave it nice little zing and the garlic I added gave it more of the bite I was hoping for.

I think this would be good on its own as a simple dinner with a salad. It also seems like it would pair well with grilled shrimp or fish.

Spaghetti carbonara

So the pictures of this did not come out great.

For some reason I have trouble photographing pasta.

But the dish was so tasty I had to post it anyway. I mean really, really tasty.

I only started making this recently. I looked at several recipes and took the parts of each that sounded best to me, cobbling together this version.

On a whim, I added some sauteed shrimp on top. But it is still good without the shrimp.

It's also good with some sauteed asparagus or peas or zucchini tossed in with the pasta.

Spaghetti carbonara

6 ounces bacon or pancetta

1 small white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp dried oregano or thyme

1 cup dry white wine

4 eggs

1 cup cream

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra for garnish

3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta

Cut bacon or pancetta into a small dice and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Discard all bout about 1-2 tbsp of the bacon fat in the pan.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If the pasta is done before the sauce, drain it and set it aside.

In the same pan that the bacon cooked in, sautee the onions, garlic and dried oregano for about 5 minutes or until tender and just starting to brown.

Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add in a dash of salt and pepper, nutmeg and grated cheese.

Add bacon and pasta to onion mixture. (If pasta has gotten sticky while siting, give it a quick rinse with hot water and drain it well.)

Toss gently over medium heat to combine.

Remove pasta/onion mixture from heat and add eggs/cream mixture and parsley, gently tossing to combine.

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

OK. I am back.

Yes, I have been cooking the past couple weeks.

And now I have a few things stored up in my brain to blog about here.

First up:

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

This was a great side dish to have with a simple grilled flank steak. It was very rich and creamy and flavorful, but still light with the ricotta.

And the next day I cut one of the stuffed zucchini pieces into slices and scrambled it with an egg and a little bit of chopped up, leftover steak. It was delicious!

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

5 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow or white onion, chopped

2 medium roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

3/4 cup manchego cheese, grated (pecorino or romano or parmesan will work, too.)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3 tbsp Italian or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp dried mint

2 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

2 egg yolks, beaten

salt and pepper

Using a small spoon (I like to use a grapefruit spoon), scoop out the pulp from the zucchini halves and discard. You want to scoop it out to leave a rim about 1/4 inch around the edges.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sautee pan or skillet over medium heat.

Cook garlic and onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, or until soft.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, 1/2 cup of the manchego, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, parsley, mint, oregano and egg yolks.

Gently stir in the tomato-onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Rub inside of zucchini with remaining olive oil to coat lightly and season with salt.

Place zucchini cut side up in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet.

Broil on high for about 5 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and fill each zucchini half so that filling mounds a bit, but does not spill over the sides.

Mix together remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the filled zucchini pieces.

Cook at 400 degrees about 10-15 minutes until hot, then zap under the broiler to get the tops golden brown and crispy.

I like this picture. The cross-section shows how really yummy that filling is.

The ricotta is creamy, but fluffy; the manchego has a lovely, nutty flavors; and the herbs and tomatoes give it a nice, fresh flavor. The eggs and bread crumbs hold it all together.

I served these hot, but they can also be served at room temperature.

Garlic roasted in olive oil

This is the garlic, before cooking.
After cooking it will be golden brown.

I like to use roasted garlic in a lot of things.
It is great in pasta dishes and potato dishes.
It's also great on the side with baked brie and bread.
Or just with the bread.

Once at an Italian restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach, they put out a little bowl of what they called "Italian candy."

It was just plump cloves of garlic roasted in olive oil.

Roasting garlic turns the sharp taste into a mild, nutty flavor.

This is quite a simple method.

Garlic roasted in olive oil

garlic cloves, as many as you want or need
olive oil
sea salt

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the garlic cloves, but leave them whole.
Put garlic cloves in a small, oven safe dish. I like to use glass or ceramic. I worry metal might react with the garlic and change the flavor. Who knows? I just play it safe.
Pour just enough olive oil over garlic to cover it about half way.
Season lightly with sea salt.

Place dish of garlic in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Stir and cook for no more than 30 minutes more, keeping an eye on it.
You want the garlic to get soft and a little bit golden brown. You don't want it to get too dark and brown. If you cook it too long, it turns from nutty to bitter.
If it looks done before the full hour is up, take it out.

Remove garlic from oil, setting oil aside.

The garlic can now be used in any number of ways.
Oh, and the oil is now infused with roasted garlic. It's great as a bread dipper.

easy roasted roma tomatoes

The finished product, fresh from the oven. Can't wait
to have a few! I cook them in a foil pan that I can
toss in the recycling. I've done this on cookie sheets
and in glass dishes, but it can turn into a
hard to clean, sticky mess. So this is easier.

I know some people are not fans of tomatoes.
Me? Love 'em.
I will eat them like apples.
I like them sliced with cottage cheese.
I put them in sauces, in salads, on sandwiches and in stews.
And if I see an unripe, green tomato at the market, which is a rare thing, I buy it to make fried green tomatoes.

But one of my favorite ways to prepare them is to roast them.
It's very easy and the result is soft, yummy tomatoes with a super concentrated flavor.

So, if you are not a tomato fan, this is not for you.

But if you like tomatoes as much as I do, give this a try.

I eat these roasted tomatoes as a snack, as a garnish for roasted meats, on burgers, on sandwiches, on salads, with bread and a good sharp cheese as an appetizer, tossed in pasta... really, I just eat them.

I made some Monday to go with dinner and they were gone in a flash.

So tonight I made some more.

I like to use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds.
The serrated edge is also good if you cook artichokes
and need to scoop that fuzzy stuff out to get to the heart.

These are the seeded tomatoes, coated in olive oil
and seasoned with pepper, sea salt and dried oregano.

Easy roasted roma tomatoes

10 roma tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried basil or oregano or your favorite herb blend

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out and discard the seeds and juice.
Place in baking dish.
Coat tomatoes with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper and herbs.

Roast at 425 degrees for an hour or until as roasty-toasty as you like them.

I like mine when they are just starting to get crisp around the edges but are still soft and juicy in the middle.

They are good hot or at room temperature.

Tonight I just ate a few of them straight out of the oven as a snack.

I will put the leftovers in the fridge to add to a salad for dinner tomorrow.

Caprese salad - or tomatoes with mozzarella cheese

One of my favorite easy salads is a simple concoction of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

I have had this in various forms: thick slices of large tomato layered with slabs of mozzarella cheese; tiny tomatoes with creamy white pearls of mozzarella; chunks of juicy romas with long shreds of cheese on top.

All are were slightly different, but all were good.

I even had one at a great restaurant in Sonoma wine country that used a mild sheep's milk feta instead of the mozzarella.

I have not had a Caprese salad in quite a while. I used to order it at restaurants a lot, but once I started making it at home, I sort of stopped that. I like how easy it is to customize this to what I am craving.

Yesterday while I was at Whole Foods picking up a couple things for dinner, I saw this little basket of mixed tomatoes.

Red, orange and yellow... all beautiful and bite-size.

It was too pretty not to buy.

And the idea of sweet little tomatoes with creamy fresh mozzarella began to sound lovely.

I used white balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic works in this, too. It will just be a little darker and a slightly heavier flavor. You also can just use a bit of your favorite Italian dressing or vinaigrette.

Also, the herb I use depends on what looks best or what flavor I want. Sometimes I use basil. This time I used oregano.

Sometimes I use a little garlic. This time I did not. Again, it is all what the mood calls for.

In the past, when I have made this with large tomatoes, I have used the drier type of mozzarella, cut into slices to place atop the tomato slices, then top it with the dressing.


More often when I make this I use the mozzarella that comes packed in water. I like the texture better, and the flavor. This time I bought mozzarella pieces the size of cherry tomatoes.

Here is the simple version I made last night. I did not really measure this stuff. It's a taste thing for me. The sweetness of the tomatoes will determine how much or little salt and pepper and herbs I add.

Let your taste buds and the number of people you want to serve be your guide here and make it to your liking.





Jill's late-summer Caprese salad

Red, orange and yellow grape/cherry tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
olive oil
white balsamic vinegar
sea salt flakes and fresh black pepper to taste
fresh mozzarella cheese

Wash tomatoes, remove any stems then cut each in half and place in a bowl. You want the juices here. They combine with the oil and vinegar to make the dressing.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add a splash of the oil and vinegar and toss gently.
Then try it, and adjust to your taste.
Add the oregano.
Taste it again. Adjust the seasoning and oil and vinegar as needed.

You can serve this immediately or let it sit a while. I put mine in the fridge for about an hour.
I also made a little extra to have for lunch the next day. It will keep overnight just fine.

To serve I cut the mozzarella pieces in half and put them on a small plate.
Then I spooned tomatoes on top of that and drizzled some of the oil/vinegar mixture over that.

The oil and vinegar mixed with the juice from the tomatoes makes a good amount of dressing for this.

I added a piece of a good crusty bread to the plate and used that to mop up some of that dressing.

It was an excellent starter to dinner. It's light, but substantial with the cheese in there. The flavors are so fresh and so bright and clean. It's a perfect, beautiful late-summer plate.

Chicken Marsala

I love chicken. It's just so easy.

But it can get boring to have it the same way over and over.

So I like to mix it up.

And really, it's not that tough.

Last night I made a dish I have had several times at different restaurants, but had never made at home: Chicken Marsala.

Basically this is sauteed chicken breast cutlets in a mushroom sauce flavored with Marsala wine.

I served this with some capellini pasta and simple steamed baby green beans.

It was a very easy meal to make. Restaurant food at home!

Why do I eat out again?

Oh yeah... Then I don't have to do the dishes.

I planned on one piece of chicken for each of us and then a couple extra for leftovers for lunch today.

Chicken Marsala

(4 servings)

4 chicken breast steaks or boneless, skinless breast pieces pounded to about 1/4 inch thick

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

6-8 ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered

(I used 6 baby portabellas and the rest were small Italian brown mushrooms. I cut the baby portabellas into eighths and the small brown mushrooms in half. White mushrooms would work fine for this, too.)

1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine

1 fresh rosemary sprig

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil on medium-high heat.

Cook the chicken until golden brown on each side, mine took about 2 minutes on each side.

Transfer to another dish and cover. Set aside.

In the same pan, melt 1 more tablespoon of the butter and add the garlic and shallots.

Cook about 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes.

Mushrooms should be tender and the juice should be cooked off.

Add the Marsala wine and the sprig of rosemary.

Cook until wine reduces by about half, 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and cook about 5 more minutes or until broth is reduced by about half.

Stir in parsley.

Add chicken and any juices back into pan and cook about 1 minute, until heated through.

Remove and discard rosemary sprig.

Stir the last tablespoon of butter into the sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Top: Baby portabellas

Middle: small Italian brown

Bottom: portabellas,
cut into eight pieces each

penne with pancetta and peas in lemon cream sauce

After a few very meat-centric meals, I wanted a pasta.

But I was not thinking tomato-based. I wanted a fresher taste.

So I modified a recipe a bit to come up with
penne with pancetta and peas in lemon cream sauce.

For you vegetarians, just skip the pancetta
and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.

I have no doubt this will still be a winner.

Some other ways to mix it up: Use fresh asparagus
instead of peas; add some grilled chicken pieces;
serve with shrimp or as a base for baked or grilled salmon
or other fish; add bite size pieces of ham instead of pancetta...
really, whatever sounds good. The sauce seems pretty versatile.

This comes together pretty fast once you get the sauce started.
So you want to have all your ingredients ready to go before you start.

penne with pancetta and peas
in lemon cream sauce

10-12 thin slices pancetta

1.5 ounces pine nuts

2 tablespoons butter

3 shallots, halved then sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

12 ounces penne pasta

Grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large sautee or frying pan, cook pancetta
until crispy and set aside. This does not have to be done
in perfect strips or circles since it will be crumbled later anyway.
Save this pan, you will use it to make the sauce.
Just drain any excess fat.

RAW PANCETTA

Start water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

In a dry sautee pan toast pine nuts over medium-high
heat until golden brown. Keep an eye on these.
Once they start to brown, they go fast. Remove toasted nuts
from hot pan or they will continue to cook.

TOASTED PINE NUTS

In pan that you cooked pancetta, melt butter over medium heat.

Add shallots and garlic, cooking until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

RAW SHALLOTS

Add broth and wine. Simmer over medium-high
heat until reduced by about half.

Add cream, lemon and orange peels and cayenne pepper.
Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes.

LEMON AND ORANGE ZEST WITH MICRO PLANER

Add peas. Simmer until peas are just
heated through, about 2 minutes.

FROZEN PEAS, THAWED AND ADDED TO SAUCE

CHOPPED FRESH MINT

Stir in mint, lemon juice and pine nuts.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remember, you will be adding the pancetta, which is salty.
I actually did not add any salt, just a touch of pepper.

You can toss the sauce and pasta together
or serve the sauce over the pasta.

I served the sauce over the pasta.

Crumble some pancetta on top
and add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

OK. I think that is it.

Mangia!

YEP, IT WAS TASTY!

Pizza on the grill

I will grill pretty much anything.
Especially when it starts to get warm and I don't want to turn on the oven.
Plus some things just taste better from the grill.

For me, pizza is one of these things.

I don't have the money to build a beautiful stone pizza oven in my back yard.
So I improvise. I make pizza on the gas barbecue.


There is no real recipe for this. Just add what you like.

I have made it right on the grill which works fine. You just have to watch it more to make sure the fireis not too high and the crust is not burning.

I recently got a cast iron grill pan (Emeril brand, bought at Bed Bath and Beyond, in case you are looking for one).
One side is ridged to give meats and veggies great grill marks, but solid so small stuff cannot slip through the grate. One side is solid, like a griddle.
I used the solid side for the pizza.
I made pizza last night. Here's what I used and what I did.

Pizza from the grill

1 package of your favorite pizza dough (if you have Trader Joe's near you, they have great
dough in the refrigerator section near the dips and dressings.)

whatever sauce you like, for this one I chose marinara. (again, I used Trader Joe's.)

I also have made pizza with no sauce and with white sauce, such as alfredo.

toppings: use what you like. What did I use last night?

red onion, thinly sliced

brown Italian mushrooms, sliced

pepperoni

shredded mozzarella cheese

dried oregano

grated Parmesan cheese

OK. The pizza cooks fast.

The trick is to have everything ready to go before you start the crust.

Heat the grill to high and let it warm up.

On a lightly floured surface, work the dough by handto stretch it to the size and shape that works for you.

You can stretch it fairly thin, it will contract a bit when cooking.

Mine are oblong since that is the shape of the griddle pan I have.

Get all your ingredients set up near the grill so assembly is quick and easy.

Put dough on griddle pan or grill (if cooking directly on grill, lower heat to medium).
Close the grill and let crust cook, checking every couple minutes.
Cook until crust is as done as you like it.
Remember, this is all about making the perfect pizza for you.

Flip the crust.

Begin adding your toppings.
I layered in this order:
sauce

a small amount of cheese
(to give toppings something to stick to)
onion
mushrooms

pepperoni
remaining cheese

Close the lid and cook until cheese is melted and bottom crust is as done as you like it.

Once the pizza is done, remove it to a cutting board and let sit for a couple minutes.

Slice and enjoy.

I added a touch of Parmesan and dried oregano to mine.

Some other tips for making pizza on the grill:

Slice the veggies super thin.

I use a ceramic blade slicer to make paper-thin slices.

If you want chunkier veggies but are worried they won't cook quickly, because the pizza does come together in about 10-15 minutes from start to finish, give the veggies a quick sautee to start them softening.

I do prefer the thinly sliced veggies. They keep their freshness and cook just fine in only a few minutes.

Keep everything close at hand. I had the mushrooms, onion, pepperoni and cheese on my cutting board in little piles and the sauce in a little bowl.

I used the same board to stretch and form the dough before cooking and then to remove the pizza when it was done.

The easiest way to get the pizza off the grill and onto the board is to slide it off onto the board using a big spatula.

If you have an extra set of hands to hold the board, even better.

Experiment. Customize. Mostly, have fun.

Tomato tart (on phyllo dough crust)

This recipe was passed along from my friend, Jennifer. She made it for the main course at our last stampers gathering.

I used it as a savory bite to go along with the tea sandwiches and cake at a little luncheon I had at my house over the weekend.

It is very easy to make and has a beautiful presentation.

I had a lot of the ingredients left over, so I made another tart this morning and took it to work.

I was very popular today.

Tomato tart

6 sheets phyllo (may also be spelled fillo or filo) dough, thawed

(Look for it in the freezer section near the puff pastry)

6 tbsp. butter, melted

6 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, very thinly sliced

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

8 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/8-in thick slices

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp. fresh basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay 1 sheet phyllo on paper and brush lightly with a little melted butter.

Sprinkle all over with 1 tbsp Parmesan.

Repeat layering 5 more times (with phyllo, butter and Parmesan), pressing each layer firmly so it sticks to the sheet below.

Lay the last phyllo sheet on top, brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp Parmesan.

Scatter onion across top, sprinkle with mozzarella and arrange tomato slices in a single layer.

Sprinkle with thyme and basil.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake until phyllo is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Makes about 20 3-in squares.

Note: cut tomatoes very thinly so juice evaporates while baking, or dough will be soggy.

I pretty much followed this to a T. But I did not add salt. I figured Parmesan is usually salty enough.

Oh and the original recipe only called for thyme.

I like a little more herb, so I added the basil.

The second time I made it I used oregano and basil instead of thyme and basil.

I think pretty much any combo of thyme, basil and oregano would be fine.

I think dill or tarragon or sage might not be the right flavor with the tomato and cheeses though.

And when I cut it, I cut it into smaller pieces. It ended up being one lovely Roma slice in the middle of each piece of tart. I got 30 pieces out of it.

The dough, which is very fragile when you are handling it, holds up really well to the tomato. I think the Parmesan acts as a good binder in there.

Next time I make this I want to experiment with some different veggies. Maybe toss some red and yellow peppers on there or some mushrooms.

The key with the veggies will be to make sure they are sliced thin enough so they don't sog down the dough. And if juicy Romas work, a pepper should be just fine.

Risotto with asparagus and prosciutto (or using up party leftovers in creative ways)

I wanted to use the leftover prosicutto and asparagus rolls from the party, so I figured on cutting those into chunks and putting it in a risotto.

Then I figured I could also add the leftover mushroom and tarragon filling from the mushroom cups. I had maybe a cup of it left and it would add some creaminess and earthiness.

I also had about 6 slices of prosciutto and 12 asparagus spear left that I did not use for the rolls, so in they went, too.

(I also had a lot of leftover tomato and basil bruschetta. I just set that to boil for a few hours until it reduced into a nice sauce for pasta. Then I portioned it out and stuck it in the freezer.)

First up, a simple risotto that serves as the base for whatever ingredients YOU like to toss in there.

1/2 stick of butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups risotto

4 cups broth (I used what I had, which was a mix of veggie and chicken)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

start broth heating in a small sauce pan

in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onions and garlic until soft

add the rice and stir to coat it in the butter

cook, stirring frequently, until rice looks milky, about 10 minutes

slowly add heated broth to rice and continue to stir occasionally until mixture comes to a boil

reduce heat and boil gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

Once the rice is al dente or cooked to your liking (it will be a bit sticky, that is just the way risotto is since it is so starchy), toss in whatever ingredients you like. I had the asparagus and prosciutto (I tossed the raw asparagus in a couple minutes before rice was done since it had to cook a little to catch up to the asparagus from the party).

I have made this in the past with some frozen peas and prosciutto.

It's also good with some frozen artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, grilled shrimp, sliced mushrooms, a drizzle of truffle oil if you are feeling decadent ... Pretty much anything.

I finished the dish by stirring in the Parmesan and parsley.

And it went quite well with a bottle of wine that was opened, but not finished at the party: 2004 Francis Coppola Black Label Claret.

Thanks again for that, Bob.