Get me to the Greek

Very vaguely associated with Greek Pastichio....definitely Americanized and speedy cooking techniques.  Get me to the table quick is the name of the game in this house...a little something different from our usual baked ziti.


1 package of fat rotini noodles, boiled al dente and drained
1 lb. package of lean ground lamb
1 fat yellow onion chopped
handful of frozen chopped peppers (from a stirfry mix)
3 fat garlic cloves minced
1 cup of parmesan grated
1/2 cup of grated mozzarella
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs, using one at a time in recipe
1 tsp of ground pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of dill weed
1/2 tsp of dried rosemary
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 jar of light alfredo sauce
1/4 cup of  milk
1/2 cup (generous) crumbled feta

browning in the pan

Boil noodles, drain and cool.
Brown lamb, breaking up chunks.
Brown onions, peppers, garlic and seasonings with lamb.  Allow to cool

Mix noodles with mozzarella, cottage cheese, 1/3 cup of parmesan and one beaten egg.
Spread into a glass baking dish sprayed with non stick spray.

Top with meat mixture evenly.

Add milk, remaining parmesan cheese to jarred Alfredo Sauce with one more beaten egg.
Pour over meat and noodles.

Put in 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Pull out of oven, remember you forgot the feta cheese.

Sprinkle casserole with feta and run under the broiler for 2 minutes.
Serve with Pita Panzanella.  Pat yourself on the back for not calling out for take-out.  Take a picture for your friends.

Cinco de Mayo Seafood roll-ups

A savory Mexican adaptation of my favorite meatless Italian rollups, this time with seafood and cheese and a chunky enchilada sauce instead of Italian gravy.  I know the prevailing rule is no cheese with seafood, but we like this spin on a creamy filling and briny seafood combination.

• 12 lasagna noodles, par cooked and drained and patted dry
• 16 oz. baby shrimp, frozen, defrosted patted dry
• 16 oz of claw meat, don't bother with lump, refrigerator section please
• 8 oz of cream cheese
• 8 oz of monterey jack cheese
• 8 oz of swiss cheese
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 1 small green pepper minced
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 tsp of seasoning salt (or adobo seasoning my favorite)
• 1 sm onion minced
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• Large jar of smooth green chili sauce or
• Chunky tomato salsa
• 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
• Chopped black olives
• Sour cream, guacamole, salsa as garnish

Saute the green pepper and onion and garlic until soft and wilted in some butter.

Mix shrimp, crab,onion, garlic, green pepper, and  seasonings, along with all the  cheeses.  Stir well.
Spread  a large spoonful on each lasagna noodle and roll up like a jelly roll.
Place seam side down in a greased lasagna pan.
Cover all rolls with a green enchilada sauce.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.
Pull out of oven and top with 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese.
Put back in oven for 5 minutes more to melt the cheese.
Serve individual rolls,
Top with sour cream, olives, guacamole and salsa.
A green salad with lots of avocado and chopped tomatoes and a citrus vinaigrette works great with this dish.
I would make flan with caramel for dessert.

Roasted Ratatouille Perhaps

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.  Julia Child (1912-2004)

I used to make enormous vats of ratatouille that would sit in a steam table all night and as the evening progressed the veggies would continue to cook until they were indistinguishable mush.  I HATED IT!  Now, when I get the urge for all the lucious goodness of fresh  veggies, I make ratatouille my way and it makes me very happy.   A roasted ratatouille in a way with the delightful addition of kalamata olives.  I would even serve this cold, with crumbled feta cheese as a salad course.  Eggplant is so underutilized and this is a good side dish.


1 medium eggplant, about 1 lb peeled & cubed
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium yellow bell pepper cut into chunks
1 small onion (or ½ cup) sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 package of grape tomatoes, washed
1 cup Greek olives (kalamata)
2 large clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
½ cup x.virgin olive oil


Place vegetable chunks and olives in a large bowl.
sprinkle herbs, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil over all, and toss to combine. spread vegetables in a greased, shallow baking pan.
400°F for 35 to 40 minutes, stir halfway through.
serve with freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese if desired.
or cool and serve with crumbed feta cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley to brighten the  dish.

A convenient link to the local Saturday Morning Markets, with their hours of operation.

Eggplant

New Mexican Creamed Corn with red peppers and chipotle

Canned creamed corn is insipid and flavorless at best. Lightly grilling the corn on the cob before scraping the kernels into a cast iron skillet foaming with browned butter will add a lovely smoky flavor to a wonderful side dish.  In addition, the inclusion of red peppers, a chopped chipotle will increase the flavor factor ten-fold.  This is a lovely addition to your dinner table in celebration of fresh corn season, a Cinco de Mayo party or a Tabasco Fiasco Fiesta, as we fondly recall a party from our youth.  Don't ask.

Ingredients:
8 medium ears of corn, husks and silks removed
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 of a large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 chipotle chile, in adobo sauce minced
1 cup of heavy cream
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 of a lime squeezed.  About one tablespoon of lime juice
1 tablespoon of minced cilantro
If you do not like cilantro, please sub some flat leaf Italian parsley
2 tablespoon of cotija cheese, crumbled

Optional addition:  3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
Of course, keep it vegetarian without the addition of bacon

Grill the corn over low/medium heat until the kernels are just lightly toasted.  Our goal is not to overbrown and cook the corn, it will be cooked more later in a cast iron skillet.  Lightly does it.

Cool.
Cut each ear of corn in crosswise to ease in cutting the corn off the cob.
Use a sharp knife to shave the corn off the cob.  Use a coffee cup sauce to hold the fatter end of the corn cob and slice down, carefully.  Use the back of a butter knife to milk the cob and reserve the juices from the cob in the saucer.
Heat butter (or if you are feeling very wicked, use rendered bacon grease) in cast iron skillet until foaming and a very light toasty brown.  Add sweet red pepper dice and shallot and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook a minute more.  Finally add the scraped toasted corn kernels and reserved corn milk.   Add the heavy cream and cook until is thickens over low to medium heat.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Very little salt will be needed, actually, since cojita cheese can be quite salty, as well the heat from the chipotle will be sufficient for most.  Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and put in serving bowl.  Top with cotija.  If you are being wicked, add the bacon crumbles.  Enjoy.

Hint:  Freeze the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in an ice cube tray and once frozen, pop out and bag in a freezer bag.  When you need to use just a bit of chipotle pepper in a recipe, take a rock hard chipotle and grate it over the dish on a microplane.

Chipotle peppers in adobo
Fresh Corn