recipe: eggplant parm

taken from: Allrecipes.com 

changes: 
- followed recommendations to "sweat" the eggplant before baking it (added in instructions below)
- used an Italian panko breadcrumb instead of regular breadcrumbs (which i will not use moving forward for breading anything)
- scaled down to 5 servings (from 10. recipe for 5 serving posted below)
- baked for 7 minutes per side at 425 F degrees (vs 5 minutes per @ 350. added in instructions below)

photo taken from allrecipes.com

ingredients list:
- 1 & 1/2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch thickness)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided 
- 1/2 (16 oz) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp dried basil

to make:
sweat the 1/4" slices by sprinkling with sea salt and letting them sit for 30 minutes (i let mine sit in colanders so both sides can breathe). rinse, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 

preheat oven to 425 F degrees. 

dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. place in a single layer on a baking sheet. bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes per side.  

decrease oven temp to 350 F degrees.

recipe: marinara sauce II

taken from: New York Times Cooking

changes: i didn't have fresh basil, so i opted for dried oregano. otherwise made verbatim.

photo from NYT Cooking

ingredients list*:
- 1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
- small dried whole chili, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano

*this will make about 3.5 cups, about enough for 1 lb of pasta.

to make:
pour tomatoes in a large bowl, and crush with your hands. pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. reserve.

in a large skillet (not a deep pot), heat the oil over medium heat. when it is hot, add garlic. as soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. add  the whole chili or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using), and salt. stir.

place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (if using). let it wilt, then submerge it in sauce. simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface has turned a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (if using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, and add more salt/oregano if needed). discard basil and chili, if using. 

result: i've made a ton of different red sauces and never really found "the one" - they've either been too sugary, or just... off. this was the first marinara i've made that was just right - just a very well balanced, perfectly simple good sauce. this will definitely be my keeper... as will be buying quality san marzano base sauce, which i think is a key to this recipe.  

recipe: meatless (mushroom) meatballs

taken from: allrecipes.com (Chef John)

changes: none - made exactly as written.

ingredients list:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb fresh white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped or zipped through a food processor
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 oz finely shredded parmesian-reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- finely ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch dried oregano

recipe: vegetable lasagna roll-ups

taken from: Food Network - Ree Drummond

changes: decreased amount of mushrooms (from 24 oz to 16 oz, and used baby bellas instead), skipped yellow squash, subbed chicken broth for wine, added spinach, forgot to add tomato paste, didn't cook lasagna noodles -- let them soak in water while i chopped & prepped everything else, decreased amount of mozzarella (from 1.5 lbs to 1 lb)

ingredients list:
- 1 lb lasagna noodles 
for sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup white wine, or chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large handful of spinach
ricotta mix:
- 32 oz ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 eggs
- salt and freshly ground black pepps
- 1 lb shredded fresh mozzerella
- grated parmesan, for sprinkling

to make: 
noodles: cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold water and set aside until ready to use. OR -- soak in hot/warm water until ready to use (they should soften by the time the ingredients are prepped)

sauce: heat olive oil and a large skillet over medium eat. add the garlic & onions and cook for a minute. add red peppers and saute for another minute or so. add the mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach and cook for a few minutes. pour in the wine (or broth), and add the red pepper flakes, some salt & pep and stir. pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste. stir to combine, then simmer for about 20 minutes or so. stir in the parsley when removing from heat.

ricotta mix:
in a bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

to assemble: in large rectangular baking pan, spoon half the sauce on the bottom of the pan. spread out noodles on a work space, and spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mix onto each one, spreading it evenly across the noodle. roll each noodle + cheese mix tightly, and place rolled noodles in the pan on top of the sauce. top with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. bake immediately at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, uncovered, until bubbly. to cook from frozen, bake covered at 350 F for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly, about and additional 10 minutes. 

(this can also be prepped in separate trays / loaf pans if freezing separately) 

recipe: spinach & cheese manicotti

this was part 2 of my freezer cooking day, and surprisingly enough, the first time i've ever made manicotti. since these are still in the freezer, not sure what the final verdict is, but the prep was actually easier than i expected it to be. i used the recipe from allrecipes.com.

photo from seriouseats.com

ingredients list:

- 1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese

- 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

- 1/2 cup minced onion

- 1 egg

- 2 tsp minced fresh parsley

- 1/2 tsp pepper 

- 1/4 tsp garlic powder

- seasoned salt to taste

- 1  & 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese, divided

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

- 2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce, or an equivalent amount of homemade sauce

- 1 (8 oz) package manicotti shells

- 1 cup water

recipe: baked ziti

photo from thepioneerwoman.com/

i needed some good freezer-friendly meals, so i took a Sunday and whipped up a mass amount of marinara sauce, then doled in out in a few small trays of baked ziti and manicotti. i'm usually not a huge baked ziti fan (i feel like it often has no flavor due to weak sauce or not enough sauce... it's just boring pasta), but i had a REALLY good batch of it a ways back by a gal who made it super-creamy, cheesy. that landed me at the Pioneer Woman's recipe, which was drowning in creamy cheese. 

i followed her recipe mostly verbatim, just cutting the amount of meat in half (1 lb instead of 2) and using turkey instead of beef + sausage. i also added a bit of sour cream to increase the cheese factor. 

i saved it a few small trays -- the tray i cooked up that night was pretty delicious, next test will be trying the freezer tray to see if it holds up.

ingredients list:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 can (28 oz size) whole tomatoes, with juice
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) tomato sauce or marinara sauce (or an equivalent amount of homemade sauce)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb ziti, cooked until not quite al dente 
- 1 tub (15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 & 1/2 lb mozzerella cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg 
- 1 (8 oz) container sour cream (optional)
- fresh minced parsley (optional)

recipe: zucchini lasagna

on the theme of being healthy, this recipe from Skinny Taste caught my eye yesterday when i was scanning recipes while gorging on unhealthy snacks watching tele. i've been trying to cut back on pasta, and this surprisingly didn't make me miss it. i subbed turkey meat for the ground beef and added in bit more seasonings, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. 

ingredients list:
-  1 lb lean ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 an onion, diced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 medium zucchini, slicked 1/8"  thick
- 15 oz part-skim ricotta
- 16 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp parsley

recipe: ravioli stuffed with prosciutto, spinach, mushroom, ricotta in brown butter shallot sauce

i was house-bound for a day, which was the perfect opp to finally make ravioli. since i don't make pasta often (*ever), i don't have a pasta maker or any fancy equipment, so i was going at it old school. while i was a little intimidated by that part, the fillings part was exciting... prosciutto, spinach, mushrooms, homemade ricotta...basically ever type of ravioli i love, all rolled into one. YUM. 

the ravioli dough was easy enough to make, but impossibly difficult to get a thin as i'd like it. most sites recommended about 1/16 of an inch, mine was... a little thicker than that. the flavor was fantastic, although in the end i would have preferred a more delicate/thinner ravioli casing. it was more like a hearty gnocchi married a ravioli than a thin little pasta pocket. damn tasty though, so i wasn't a total fail... just something that def needs a bit of work.

the recipes online are nearly identical, so i didn't use anything specific, although next time i may futz around a bit to make a softer dough that's easier to roll thinner (mine was super-elasticy and tough).

ingredients list - pasta:  

- 4 cups all-purpose flour

- 4 large eggs, beaten

- 1 tsp olive oil

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1-2 tbsp water, if needed

recipe: shrimp, tomato, & zucchini ricotta pasta

with a hodge-podge of ingredients in the house (leftover ricotta from lasagna, zucchini, basil, shrimp), we decided to actually make use of them and throw them into a new pasta. i used inspiration from Dinners, Dishes and Deserts, which hit the nail on the head of exactly what we were planning to do here. it was really quick & easy to assemble, and not only was it healthy AND delish, but it made me feel good for actually using the random zucchini's we always end up receiving and forgetting about(zucchini's seem to be the most seasonally gifted veggie, though the one i most infrequently eat). the original recipe also calls for sausage, but we left that out since we were trying to health this one up for a change. 

ingredients list:

- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

- 1/2 container (about 6 oz) ricotta cheese 

- 8 oz pasta (any kind)

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 medium sized zucchini, diced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 can fire roasted tomatoes, drained

- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 tsp dried oregano

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 2-3 tbsp fresh basil leaves

- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: Italian wedding soup

this is another recipe i've made a bunch of times but somehow never made its way onto this blog. it's not necessarily "traditional" wedding soup since i like mine with shredded chicken and the teeny tiny meatballs, and pastina... so it becomes a very thick, heavy soup. the more the merrier in the soup pot... and it is SO good! definitely a great winter recipe, or to make as a lead in to a big Italian meal. perfection.

i've always used Giada De Laurentiis' recipe from foodnetwork.com as my base recipe, adding in all the little extras i like and a few substitutions here and there. it makes a pretty large pot of soup which is great because it's freezes well (just make sure you freeze it WITHOUT the pastina and egg in it - these are always to better to add in at the time you're heating the soup to eat).

ingredients list: (makes about 6-8 large servings)
- 1 recipe for Italian meatballs, scaled down to 1/2 inch diameter meatballs (*about 30-40 mini meatballs. i used this recipe while making a larger batch of meatballs)
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth (i used homemade broth from a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 large chicken breast
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- 1 lb spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into small matchsticks 
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-1&1/2 cups pastina pasta
- 2 large eggs

recipes: marinara sauce & italian meatballs I

while the hubs was out of down recently i decided to be a good wifey and made a huge batch of meatballs, sauce, and soup. some good home cooking for our new fridge. although i've made both a few times, i was surprised i didn't have any stock recipes for marinara or meatballs on my blog. and didn't have a go-to recipe saved either. so i quested out for the best of the net for new recipes to try. i went with Best Marinara Sauce Yet and Chef John's Italian Meatballs, both from allrecipes.com which is pretty trusty for good/solid classic recipes based on the reviews. i adapted both recipes slightly, but both came out really good - especially with some delish bakery bread and crispy cab sav on the side. mmmmm!

ingredients list: marinara sauce: (makes enough for 3-4 dinners for 2 people)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 4-5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine (i used a cab)

recipe: tomato basil sauce

so... somehow we ended up with three 6 lb, 10 oz cans of pureed tomatoes. largest cans i have ever seen in my life. i've been meaning to make sauce for some time now, but the 'time' aspect of that is what has messed me up. today was finally the day. i looked at the Tomato and Basil Sauce recipe from allrecipes.com as loose inspiration with a few tweaks here & there... the end result was really good - actually more flavor that i expected (the Italian half of me us usually pretty bad - i rarely eat red sauce b/c it's "boring"... opting for cream sauces & vodka sauces instead...or just curry haha). i made it pretty spicy, but the amount of red pepper can easily be adjusted for personal pref.

ingredients list (servings: unknown. this is a ton of sauce): 

- 1 onion, finely diced

- 8 gloves of garlic, minced

- 4 tbsp of olive oil

- 1 tbsp of garlic oil (if available - i had snagged this from the Asian market & it seemed like a  good fit here)

- 2-3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

- 1 (6 lb, 10 oz) can of pureed tomatoes

- 2 tbsp white sugar

- 1 tsp oregano

- 1 tbsp italian seasoning 

- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper

- salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

- 1 bay leaf

- 1.5 cups fresh chopped basil

to make: heat olive and oils in large pot; add onion until it's soft. add garlic to onion and cook for 1 additional minute. add 

balsamic vinegar & allow to cook down for 1 minute. 

add pureed tomatoes, white sugar, oregano, italian seasoning, red pepper, salt & pepper to taste, and the bay leaf. allow sauce to come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 1 - 1.5 hours. 

remove from heat, remove bay leaf, and stir in basil. done! 

 

chicago!

last weekend we took a long weekend to Chicago for a much-needed little getaway. purpose was to check out the city, and EAT. we had 3 days, and 5 goals: deep dish pizza, Chicago dog, Italian beef sandwich, David Burke steakhouse, and mmmmmburger. it was a very fat weekend, but one of the better once i've had in sometime. to avoid a long, blabbering post, here is the top line of the pit stops:




1) Chicago dog: Honestly, this sounded disgusting to me -- not going to lie. definition of a C-dog consists of: all beef hot dog on poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, chopped onion, dill pickle, tomato, relish, celery salt (pretty much... every item i hate). that was Kyle's must-have try though (when in Rome...) ... he was happy as a clam to have one at the Cubs game, tho verdict was "too weird" tasting and not something he would order again. i had a modified version: dog with poppy seed bun, but only with a heaping pile of  caramelized onion on top. DAMN that was good.

2) Deep dish pizza: After experiencing this MASSIVE brick of pizza, i realize that we have been misusing the term "pie" for pizza here in NY for a long time. it is exactly that - a colossal heavy crust of inches of cheese, sauce, toppings, cheese sauce, holy jesus. we got it from the original Gino's East which was next door to our hotel. it was an amazing mouth party, but... if i was going to do the inevitable NY vs. Chicago pizza hands-down i gotta go thin crust NY. deep dish pizza is not something you casually order on a Friday night and expect to move afterwards... we walked a few miles that night, and i felt like a fat piece of garbage. not sexy.

3) Italian beef sandwich: We had seen these bad boys on a few travel shows (Adam Richmond, Anthony Bourdain...); i wanted to try the Bourdain reco of Johnnie's Beef, but it was a bit out of our stomping ground, and Al's Beef (Richmond reco) kinda had a spot niched out in every little neighborhood. it was messy as hell, and a tasty sloppy treat. the hot pepper topping was a little weird (it had celery in it -- what is with the celery everywhere?), but it was still a well received meat treat on a hot summer afternoon.

4) David Burke's: Here's where things get serious. If you're not familiar with David Burke's, beyond having the title of the best steakhouse in Chicago, it has a Himalayan sea-salt tiled room where they dry-age their beef. after going through this process for anywhere from 30 to 75 days, the result is an uber-concentrated meat flavor. i ordered the 35-day aged rib eye (K the 55-day aged), and we split truffled mashed potatoes and asparagus served with poached egg, citrus, and parmesan. everything was as amazing as expected, with the surprise delight being the truffled mashed potatoes... i've never had my socks blown off by mashed potatoes (they are an amazing comfort food, but can only be "so good" on the scale of "yes I want that" foods").... these were effing ridiculous. i've had straight truffles before, but this... aah i don't even know. they have a touch of magic in everything here. including the bread, which looked like a gigantic loaf of hearty bread but turned out to be a light fluffy bread puff. served with pure extra fatty butter. F. i want to go back.

5) burger! This city is a city of 592380810983092834 amazing burger options. selecting one location was so stressful. we ended up going with Butcher & Burger. all the ingredients are the finest quality, local, etc as a base. they love cows. they love cows that eat delicious things. which leads to the happy result of them loving to eat delicious cows. the menu is a pick & play of patty types, patty spice blends, roll selections, toppings, cheeses, sauces. it's stressful to say the LEAST. i think i came out with the most fantastic combination of all time - 1) natural & local house blend beef patty; 2) salt & pepper spice blend; 3) swiss cheese; 4) griddled mushroom & caramelized onion; 5) black truffle aioli & 6) pretzel bun (which notably was pillow soft, not firm like most pretzel buns... over the top pleasant surprise). AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH one of the best i've ever had. amazing meat, amazing juicy patty, amazing every other ingredient added that made the most perfect flavor combo ever. STRONGLY RECOMMEND. if you are in Chi-town, GO. i went halfsies with K who did a bison burger with traditional toppings (cheddar, thick-cut bacon, fried egg)... also amazing. unread.

recipe: foccacia bread

i haven't cooked anything new in a while, but i saw a pic of carmelized onion & gruyere foccacia on foodgawker.com this weekend and it seemed like a perfect lil snack. the recipe was taken from Fifteen Spatulas with just a slight tweak or two (including skipping the gruyere b/c i didn't have any).

ingredients list: 
- 2 tsp quick rise yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 3.5 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- salt & pepper
- tomato slices
- parmesan cheese

to make: place the yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. add in the flour, salt, 1/4 cup olive oil and mix it up by hand or with a paddle attachment. attach the dough hook and kneed for 10 minutes on medium low. cover the bowl and let it rise for 1 hour, then punch garlic into the dough.

in the meantime, chop the onion and cook in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 15 minutes until it starts to carmelize and turns a light golden brown.

preheat oven to 400 degrees. spread the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over a baking sheet, and stretch the focaccia over the entire sheet. add the the carmelized onion, tomatoes, the parmesan, and some salt and pepper all over the dough. bake for 15 minutes until the edges start to brown.
***
this was good - it was a little puffy for focaccia, but still tasty. next time i might add a little olive oil over the top as well, but other than that it's a easy go-to focaccia.

recipe: penne with vodka sauce

i LOVE penne vodka. oddly enough, even though it's super-easy i rarely make it. i made this last night along with my lil italian feast... i used the Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Sauce recipe from allrecipes.com, eliminating the sausage from the original recipe since i was making chicken with it. 

ingredients list:
- 1 lb uncooked penne pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (note: this will be *spicy* penne. if you want traditional vodka sauce, i'd cut it at least in half)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vodka
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

to make: bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until done, then drain and set aside.

while pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. add onion and cook until edges start to turn golden, adding garlic and red pepper for the last minute of cooking. add tomatoes and salt, and bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. add vodka and cream, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add pasta and fresh parsley. toss and serve.
***
this was a great recipe, but although it said it was a 'spicy' vodka sauce, i didn't think it would be with a 1/2 tsp red pepper. well it was - i think because the pepper sautees for a minute all of the heat comes out. though i was craving traditional vodka sauce, it was still yum and this easily adjusted to taste for next time. this would be fantastic with a bit of panchetta added to the mix... so easy, so yum. i'd pop it a 7.5*******~.

recipe: stuffed roasted red pepper chicken

this was one of the first recipes i ever made, back in the hayday of our old apartment. it's super easy, but looks very cute when done. i don't think i've made it in over a year (or two?) so yesterday seemed like time to give it another run when i was feeling like making an italian din din. it's the Stuffed Chicken Valentino recipe from allrecipes.com, and looking back i think i made it verbatim from the original.

ingredients list:
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 3/4 tsp dried italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (6 oz) jar roast red peppers, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 4-6 tbsp mozzerella cheese, shredded
- salt & fresh pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, leaving the halves attached on one side (open and laid flat, the chicken should now resemble a butterfly. i always have a horrible time slicing this and am lucky when it doesn't look like a butterfly with holes in it :-/ ) place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound flat.

combine parm cheese with italian seasoning and chives, and sprinkle over chicken breasts. at one end of each breast, place 3 strips of roasted pepper. top with 1-1.5 tbsp shredded cheese. roll each breast up, starting on the side with the peppers & cheese. insert a toothpick in each roll to prevent unrolling. place in prepared baking dish. season with salt & pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

bake for 20 minutes, then set oven to broil and continue cooking for an additional 5 - 10 minutes. allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
***
this one is always yum. i use a little less italian seasoning than the recipe calls for since it's such a strong flavor, but i think even if that was switched out for garlic & onion powder and some paprika concoction that would be yum. rating 6.5******~ (it's delish, but not the MOST flavorful recipe ever. just a solid old go-to).

recipe: bruschetta

this is my fav bruschetta recipe - Double Tomato Bruschetta from allrecipes.com (tweaked slightly). the bread is just toasted (and soft) enough, and the balsamic / cheese / tomato / basil ratio is just right. the best part of it is that this doesn't have any giant hunks of ingredient on it that peel off all awkwardly when you try to eat it. i've had a lot of bruschetta that does that and it's just GD awkward, then it's all falling over your face.

ingredients list:
- 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 french baguette
- 2 cups shredded mozz cheese

to make: in large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the baguette and mozz cheese. allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes; meanwhile, preheat oven to broiler setting.

cut baguette into 3/4 inch slices. arrange slices in single layer on baking sheet, then broil for 2 minutes, until slightly brown. add tomato mixture on top of each baguette slice, then top with mozz cheese. broil for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
***
this is fav... always at least an 8 ********. 

recipe: sausage and pepper pizza

today's lunch, impromptu pizza party.

ingredients list:
- 1 recipe for pizza dough or fresh store-bought (i use store bought)
- 1 & 1/2 cups red sauce (i used homemade meat sauce that i had leftover, recipe below)
- 1 & 1/2 cups mozz cheese, shredded
- 2 hot sausages, sliced into small chunks
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/3 onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 tbsp olive oil, separated
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- pinch salt

meat sauce ingredient list (full recipe):

- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage

- 3/4 pound lean ground beef

- 1/2 cup onion, minced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

- 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste

- 2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce

- 1/2 cup water or red wine

- 2 tbsp white sugar

- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves

- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

- 1 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1 tbsp salt

- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

to make sauce: brown sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. add to slow cooker along with crush tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, italian seasoning, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley. simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

to make pizza: mix 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and parsley in small bowl and set aside. heat a large skillet on medium-high heat, and preheat the oven (with pizza stone in the oven also) to 450 degrees. sautee sausage in 1 tbsp olive oil  in the hot skillet for about 5-7 minutes, adding pepper & onion for the last 3-4 minutes, then set aside. roll out pizza dough on lightly floured surface. lightly flour the hot pizza stone, then carefully transfer the dough to the stone. spread meat sauce onto the dough, then pile on first some cheese, the meat & veggies, more cheese, and a few dashes of oregano & crushed red pepper. bake in preheated oven for about 14-16 minutes, removing it at the 10 minute mark to brush the crush with the garlic olive oil mixture. allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving (i always burn my mouth when i make pizza)
***
yummmz. i love anything that has this sauce in it, so this pizza was the tits. we usually brush the olive oil onto the crust before baking it, but waiting until 10 minutes into the baking process made for a softer crust... it was like a delicious lil bread stick at the end of each piece. so perfect. 7.5*******~.

recipe: lasagna

this lasagna recipe was the first i ever tried, and i have never attempted to find another it's so good (unless i'm doing a white lasagna, but that doesn't count : ) it's the World's Best Lasagna recipe from allrecipes.com. the key to it is the sauce, which is a great meat sauce on its own to just make. 

ingredients list:  

*Note: I recommend making this the day before baking and serving it... letting the flavors sit in the fridge and meld together gives it just a little extra oompf. just take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to baking to let it adjust, or you may have to bake longer. 

***
so once again, this was awesome. love it. my dads uncle is off the boat italian, and really enjoyed it... enough to say it restored his faith in the irish (sicilians... not so much... but the irish are redeemed. you're welcome, world). i don't have any thing i would change on it, other than my sh!tty job of cutting it. it's almost a guarantee if you make it, you will not regret it. mmm 9 ********. 

• - 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• - 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• - 1/2 cup onion, minced
• - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• - 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• - 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
• - 2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
• - 1/2 cup water or red wine
• - 2 tbsp white sugar
• - 1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
• - 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• - 1 tbsp salt
• - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• - 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• - 1 box lasagna noodles
• - 16 oz ricotta cheese
• - 1 egg
• - 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• - 1/2 tsp salt
• - 1.5 lbs mozzarella cheese, 1 lb sliced, 1/2 shredded
• - 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

to make*: brown sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. add to slow cooker along with crush tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, italian seasoning, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp parsley. simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally (note: if i'm lazy, i'll skip browning the meat and just cook it over high heat for the first 1-2 hours).

in a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg.

bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook lasagna noodles until -almost- done. drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process, and set aside.

to assemble, spread 1.5 cups of meat sauce in bottom of a 9x13 lasagna pan. arrange 5 noodles lengthwise over sauce. spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. top with half of the SLICED mozz cheese, and 1/4 cup parm cheese. repeat layer. on top of the second layer, add 5 more lasagna noodles, then top with meat sauce, the shredded mozz, and additional parm cheese. 

cover with foil, sprayed with cooking spray. when ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. bake for 30 minutes with foil, 30 minutes without. let cool about 15 minutes before serving.