Delicious Creamy Baked Ziti

I love Baked Ziti but I usually find it turns out quite dry.  I found this recipe and love it.  This recipe has two sauces a tomato and creamy version.  This recipe takes a little longer than others ones but is worth the extra time.

Ingredients
1 (16 ounces) container cottage cheese
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounces) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (about 1-1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper, to taste


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside.  Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking only until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano and basil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, whisk cornstarch into heavy cream.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese to thickened cream.  Stir cottage cheese/cream mixture into tomato mixture and mix well.  Add half of the cubed mozzarella and the pasta and stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce.

Transfer pasta mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining cubed mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving: 8 - 10.

Layered Mexican Tortilla Cheese Casserole

One of my daughters is a Vegetarian so she is always on the look out for vegetarian recipes.  Her sister found this recipe and decided to try it out on the family.  The entire family loved the casserole and we are not vegetarians.  They added more cheese, corn and can tomatoes than what is called for in the recipe.  Adjust to your taste.

Ingredients
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained or 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded  Mexican Cheese

Directions
COMBINE tomatoes, 1/4 cup cilantro and lime juice in small bowl; set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

SPRAY 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.  Arrange one fourth of tortillas in bottom of dish; spoon one fourth of tomato mixture over tortillas.  Top with one fourth of beans, one fourth of corn and one fourth of cheese.  Repeat layering 3 more times with remaining tortillas, tomato mixture, beans, corn and cheese.

BAKE 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield:  4 servings

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I found this recipe on a cooking blog. I haven't tried it yet but it looks very good. Here is the link if you would like to browse through the blog.

The fish and chili garlic sauce will come in handy for a lot of Asian cooking and both keep for long time. You might be able to find both in your regular grocery store. If not, a local asian food market will definitely carry them. As for the lemongrass, you only need one large stalk so, once you find it, you’ll use it up.

Because of it’s nuanced flavor, lemongrass is a hard one to substitute. Though it won’t be quite the same, if you really can’t find lemongrass, try using lemon zest (about 1/2 tsp for each 3” of lemon grass) or a combo of lemon zest and ginger (about 1/2 Tbsp for each 3” of lemon grass).

If you’ve never worked with lemongrass before, cut off the end of the bulb and peel away the tough outermost leaves. Then cut off the green, almost grass-like stem. You only want to use the bottom few inches of the stalk, the bulb-like yellow portion.

Though it takes a little planning to have the ingredients for this on hand, it’s so worth it. Totally delicious. The kids loved it (both of them!). And it takes, at most, 30 minutes including prep. It’s a perfect meal to plan for a night you know you’ll be busy or running late.

Ingredients

2/3 c fresh lime juice
1/3 c fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
3/4 c chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
1 c thinly sliced green onions
3/4 c thinly sliced shallots
3 Tbsp minced fresh lemongrass
1 Tbsp thinly sliced Thai or serrano chilies (you can substitute jalapenos in a pinch), seeds and veins removed for minimal heat
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c chopped fresh mint
2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves
chopped cashews, for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

2. Bring broth to simmer in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce from step 1, cilantro and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into lettuce leaves and garnish with cashews; serve.

Serves: 6

Bow Tie Turkey Skillet

This one-pot meal is a family pleaser and a snap to make. It's tasty and goes together quickly.

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (You could substitute ground beef)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1-1/3 cup beef broth

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

In a large skillet, cook ground turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. stir in the pasta, tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Add squash and green pepper. Cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes longer or until pasta and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Yield: 5 servings.