Skillet Lasagna with Garlic Bread Croutons

Skillet Lasagna

 with Garlic Bread Croutons

1 whole garlic bulb roasted (then divided)

1/2 lb Italian sausage 

1/2 lb ground beef

1 tsp baking soda

1 medium yellow onion-chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp dried oregano 

3 Tbs red wine vinegar

1 heaping Tbs tomato paste

1 23-ounce jar of favorite marinara sauce

1 cup water

1 14-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2-3 cups fresh baby spinach 

1 box bow tie pasta (use half box or 2 cups), cooked and drained

15-ounces ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan 

3/4 cup grated mozzarella

Bread-hearty loaf French or focaccia bread-cut into 2-inch cubes

4 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp each: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning 

DIRECTIONS:

Roast Garlic (can be made ahead) To Roasted Garlic: Take garlic bulb, slice off top, about 1/4 inch off top. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil. Wrap in a small piece of crumbled parchment paper. Place in small shallow baking dish. Bake at 400, 40 minutes or until golden and the cloves are softened. Allow to cool before handling.

To make the Skillet Lasagna:

Boil water for pasta-cook pasta according to package-while making the sauce. (Plan to make 3 cups cooked pasta)

In a large skillet (with 3-inch sides) Brown the meats on medium heat, sprinkle on the baking soda.

The baking soda helps brown the meat well, and retains moisture during cooking. 

When meat is cooked most of the way add the chopped onion. 1/2 of the roasted garlic bulb, squeeze them from the roasted bulb (about 5-6 cloves), salt pepper, and oregano. Cook 2-3 minutes more.

Lower heat, to the browned meat mixture add the red wine vinegar and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes more to deglaze pan.  

Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, marinara sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.

Add the fresh spinach, stir in to wilt.

Add the cooked and drained pasta. Stir to combine.  Allow mixture to simmer 15-20 minutes, stir occasionally.

Add the grated Parmesan, stir. Add dollops of ricotta cheese on top, sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover and let simmer on low for 8-10 minutes-allowing cheeses to melt, and sauce to thicken.  Serve in shallow bowls with garlic bread croutons (below).

Garlic Bread Croutons (can make while lasagna simmers):

Set oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare a parchment lined baking sheet

Slice bread loaf into 2-inch cubes-set aside. 

In a large bowl, add the reserved roasted garlic (5-6 cloves), olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir together making a slurry. Add the bread cubes, using tongs, toss the bread in the garlic and olive oil mixture until well coated. Pour coated bread cubes onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning 

and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes-until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Optional Substitutions for Lasagna:

Vegetable Version: Use diced mushrooms, zucchini and carrot, sauté with baking soda and 1 tsp olive oil at the start of recipe and then proceed with the rest.

Meat Substitutes: can use ground turkey or chicken

Cheese Substitute for Ricotta is cottage cheese.

(20 Minute) Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake

 

(20 Minute) Warm Chocolate Fudge Cake

A delicious cake-made easy with ingredients you likely have on hand. Choose a quick icing or a chocolate ganache… this cake is great served warm or cooled-fancy with a scoop of ice cream or fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 Tbs)

2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate 

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar packed

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract 

3 eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder 

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet or another 10-inch round baking dish.

In a medium bowl add flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder -set aside. 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter, then add baking chocolate-broken into bits for faster melting, stir to combine.

Add both sugars to the melted butter/chocolate mixture. Stir. Add three eggs and vanilla, stir to combine.

Finally add the buttermilk and gently stir to combine.

Add the flour/cocoa powder/baking powder/salt mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just enough to combine. Pour into a prepared baking dish.

Bake on middle rack of preheated oven for 20-25 minutes-or until center is just set. Center may jiggle-ever so slightly. The cake will continue to cook after being removed from oven-especially when baked in cast iron.if baking in glass or an alternate baking dish, you may need to add 5 minutes of baking time.

Serve warm.  (Or can be served cooled) it’s a deeply chocolate, tender cake… )

Dust with powdered sugar, or make a quick chocolate icing or a rich chocolate ganache. (below) — This cake pairs well with a scoop of ice cream or fresh berries.

Quick Chocolate Icing

4 Tbs butter melted

Pinch of salt

2 ounces baking chocolate 

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Melt butter, add chocolate, stirring to melt, add salt, and vanilla.  Stream in confectioners sugar, stirring to prevent lumps. Pour icing immediately over warm cake.

Or 

Chocolate Ganache 

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat cream until very warm but not boiling.  Add the chocolate chips-stir until the ganache is glossy and chocolate is fully melted.  Allow ganache to cool slightly before pouring over cake.  Refrigerate leftover cake or refrigerate cake if not serving immediately.

Chocolate Mocha French Silk Pie

Chocolate Mocha French Silk Pie

We cook the eggs, so there are no raw eggs in this recipe!!

A balanced chocolate and mocha filling topped with sweetened whipped cream… a perfect choice for Thanksgiving or any special occasion dessert!

Use a deep dish pie plate, or a larger 10” or 12” regular pie plate.  Only have a smaller pie plate?? No problem-just know you might have a little extra filling, which you can refrigerate and enjoy too. Simply pour extra filling into a covered container and refrigerate.

Pie Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs sugar

4 Tbs shortening

4 Tbs unsalted butter

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon vinegar 

Filling

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate baking bars-melted

1/4 cup black coffee cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

12 Tbs unsalted butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbs confectioner’s sugar

Extra whipped cream for topping: 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 Tbs confectioners sugar.

Optional: Chocolate curls, chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa powder.

Dough:

Mix salt, sugar and flour. Cut in butter and shortening. Add vinegar to water, adding a little water at a time until a dough forms. (Do not add all of the water at once-use just enough to bring dough together, less water = flakier crust)

Roll to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

Fill a pie plate with dough. Crimp edges.  Blind bake pie dough. (Blind Baking: Place a parchment round in the pie dish on top of pie dough. Add 1/4 cup of pie weights (dried beans, or pie weights) Bake on lowest rack at 375 for 15 minutes. 

After 15 minutes-Remove parchment and pie weights—this can be done by lifting the parchment off and placing in a bowl to cool before handling weights.

Return partially baked pie to the oven on middle rack for 7-12 minutes more-until lightly golden and baked through. Allow crust to cool completely before filling.)

4 separate bowls will be used to create the filling.

Filling:

Over a double boiler add eggs and sugar whisk together and cook to 165 degrees-stir constantly until 165 degrees is reached. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour, and set aside. (If cooked egg/sugar mixture isn’t smooth, strain over a bowl before making the filling for pie)

Using 1/4 cup cooled black coffee-add espresso powder, mix to dissolve, add vanilla. Set aside.

Whipping the cream: Add 2 Tbs confectioner’s sugar and whip until soft peaks form. set aside.

In a medium bowl melt chocolate. Break up chocolate bar into smaller squares for faster melting. Use a microwave to heat and stir chocolate in 30 second intervals  stirring each time until smooth. Do not overheat.

Add the coffee/espresso/vanilla mixture to the melted chocolate-give it a stir.  -And then add the chocolate/espresso mixture to the cooled egg mixture, stir well until combined. (We will now call this the chocolate/egg mixture) Set aside.

In a mixer, whip the butter for 2 minutes until fluffy and light.  Add the cooled chocolate/egg mixture. Mix to combine. (Probably 30 sec.-1 minute-you can use a mixer) Mixture should be smooth.

Fold the chocolate/egg/butter mixture into the prepared whipped cream-use a big rubber spatula-try not to overmix or deflate the whipped  cream. Mix gently, to combine with an even color.  Pour filling into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate pie for 3 hours to overnight.  The filling will be loose at first-and will set up as it refrigerates.

Top with additional whipped cream once pie has set. This is a great make-ahead pie. Can be made up to 2 days ahead-and kept refrigerated.  Before serving add chocolate shavings, curls, or dust with cocoa powder. 

Cheddar Cranberry Pecan Cheeseball Turkey

 

Turkey Day Cheese Ball; A Cheddar-Cranberry-Pecan Appetizer 

8 ounces cream cheese-softened

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack

1/2 cup shredded yellow cheddar 

1 cup dried cranberries-roughly chopped-divided

1 cup chopped toasted pecans-divided 

1 tsp onion powder

2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley divided

Mix the softened cream cheese with a mixer, 1-2 minutes, adding the air will make the cream cheese spreadable and fluffy.  Add  the shredded cheeses, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (reserving 1/2 cup for topping)

Add 1/2 cup dried chopped cranberries (reserving 1/2 cup for topping)

Add 1 Tbs of chopped parsley 

Add 1 tsp onion powder

Mix well to combine

In a small bowl, mix together the reserved chopped pecans, reserved chopped dried cranberries, and reserved 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley. 

On a piece of cling wrap, place the cranberry/pecan/parsley mixture. Scoop out the cheese mixture (creating a ball shape) placing on top of the cranberry/pecan/parsley mixture. Coat the cheese ball with the mixture-covering completely.  Use the cling wrap to help shape and maneuver the cheese ball. Seal and refrigerate at least two hours to overnight.

To create turkey: 

Attach beak (candy corn) and candy eyes using a few melted chocolate chips to act as a “glue” to a pretzel rod--TIP: Make the turkey face ahead and allow time for the chocolate to set up.

Add the long pretzel rod-as the neck,  if cheeseball is firm, use a skewer to create a pilot hole for the neck.

Use small pretzel sticks as tail feathers

Use pecan halves for wings on each side.

Serve with crackers and vegetables.