Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

 

Ingredients

16 jumbo pasta shells

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

5 ounces fresh spinach

2 cups ricotta cheese, 16 ounces

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for the pasta water

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Marinara Sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the spinach in a steamer basket and set it over a pot with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam for 1 minute, until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out the excess water and chop the spinach.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with the ricotta, pecorino, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and several grinds of pepper.

Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with more marinara on the side.

Christmas Morning Coffeecale

 Almond Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Dough

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 packages (1/4 ounce each or 4 ½ teaspoons) instant yeast

1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 1/2 cups Ultra Grain all-purpose flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour)

FILLING:

1 package (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

8 ounces almond paste

GLAZE:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 4 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Di+rections

Dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine -- till you've made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Filling: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing all of the ingredients together till smooth. Chill till ready to use.

Assembly: 

Cover two baking pans with parchment paper. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and divide it in half. Roll each half into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. 

Spread half of the filling on the dough, leaving a half-inch border all around the dough. Fold ⅓ of the dough towards the center and fold the other side on top of the folded side.  See photo.

Cut 1-inch-wide strips from each side of the filling out to the edges of the dough. Seal edges.

Place bread on the prepared pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Baking: Allow the braids to rise, and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. 

Bake the braids for 22 minutes rotating pans halfway through the baking time. 

Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. Yield: 2 braids.

You can also shape the dough into one large wreath.

Neditereannean Sablefish Dinner With Sage Butter Gnocchi

 Sablefish {Black Cod}

Ingredients

2 servings

1 pound sablefish fillets

2 cloves garlic crushed

1.2 cup each of diced red onion, Kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Add salt and pepper to the flour.

Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet.

Dredge the fillets in the flout. Place in the skillet skin side up.

Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat until brown.

Tuen the filets over. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for  5-6 minutes.

Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce

1 (12 ounces) package of gnocchi

¼ cup butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 fresh sage stem, leaves chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add gnocchi pasta and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Melt butter in the pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until softened and golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Stir in sage and salt. Add cooked gnocchi and pepper; toss gently to combine.

Serve with the fish.

Chicken Scarpariello

 

4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound, two large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, each cut in  half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil

4 links of sweet or hot Italian sausage about 1 pound

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 sprig each of fresh sage and rosemary 

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

8 hot or sweet pickled cherry peppers, thinly sliced, optimal

Directions

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. 

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the potatoes, onions, and peppers to the baking dish. Add the herbs. Place the sausage and chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.

Sprinkle the garlic evenly over the mixture. Drizzle the oil over the mixture. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken.

Bake uncovered for one hour. Stir mixture after 30 minutes.

Serve with crispy Italian bread.

Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)

 

I ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3-4 lb chuck roast

½ onion, chopped

1 large carrot chopped

1 large celery stalk chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups dry red wine

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 sprig each of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme tied together with kitchen string 

2 cups beef stock

1 container Italian plum   tomatoes (26-28 ounces)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

5--6 large carrots, quartered 

Serve with 

Polenta, Spaghetti or mashed potatoes 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Salt and pepper the roast, then brown it on both sides. Remove to a plate.

Sauté the vegetables in the oil that remains until they’re soft and a little browned. Add the wine to stir up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. 

sm Add the herbs, tomato paste, tomatoes and herbs, and beef stock. Put the roast back in the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep at just a simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. If the liquid begins to boil, you may need to place the lid ajar. You don’t want a rapid boil, just a few lazy bubbles or the meat will get tough.

When the meat is tender, remove and slice thin.  Remove carrots to a serving plate.

Boil the sauce for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken it.

Place sauce in a serving bowl.

Getting Ready For Christmas-Cookie Baking Time

 

Rainbow/Venetians/Neapolitan/Tri-Color Cookies

Ingredients

4-ounce can of almond paste

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

10 drops of green food coloring

8 drops of red food coloring

6-ounce jar of apricot preserves

4 ounces of semisweet chocolate

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch baking dishes; line with waxed paper; grease paper.

Break up paste in large mixer bowl with a fork. Add butter, sugar, egg yolks and extract and beat with the mixer until fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in the flour and salt.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir into the almond mixture with a wooden spoon, using a turning motion similar to folding.

Remove 1-1/2 cups batter; spread evenly into one of the prepared pans. Remove another 1-1/2 cups batter to small bowl; tint green with coloring. Spread into the second pan. Tint remaining 1-1/2 cups batter red. Spread in remaining pan.

Bake 15 minutes or until edges are lightly golden; cake layers will each be 1/4 inch thick. Immediately remove cakes from pans onto large wire racks. Carefully peel off waxed paper. Cool.

Place red layer on upturned jelly roll pan or large platter. Heat preserves; strain; reserve chunks in a strainer for other uses. Spread half of the strained preserves over red layer. Top with a white layer. Spread with remaining preserves. Cover with a green layer, top side up.

Cover with plastic wrap. Weigh down with a large wooden cutting board, heavy flat tray, or large book. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt chocolate on top of a double boiler over hot water.

Trim off the uneven cake edges with a sharp knife. Frost the top layer with half of the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate dry. Turn the rectangle over and frost with the remaining chocolate. Cut cake crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip into 1-inch squares, Srite in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in the freezer.