Penne Alla Vodka Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is a great dish to make ahead of time, freeze for a later date or refrigerate for during the week. Although, I love the traditional ziti, I happen to love "stuff" in my ziti. The more the merrier. Baked ziti was made to be a "one pot wonder" so to speak. Give this one a try. This one is for 4 people as its just my daughter and I, so I try and keep things smaller for us. So double, tripe and quadruple for your family if necessary.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of sausage, no casings (I use patties)

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes

1 cup of heavy cream

3 tbs. of butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb. of ziti

1 8 oz. container of ricotta cheese, I use low fat

1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, I use low fat

1 egg

3 tbs. olive oil

1 cup of vodka

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

I begin by heating the olive oil and butter. I then add in the red pepper flakes and let them heat up a minute or 2 so that the flavor pops. Then add in the sausage. Cook this until brown and add in onions and garlic. Cook onions until they start to become translucent. Add in crushed tomatoes,heavy cream, vodka salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes, but not necessary. Heat water for ziti and cook until almost al dente. Drain and add into pot of sauce. I do this so clean up is much easier. In another bowl I add in ricotta cheese, mozzarella, minus 1 cup and egg. Blend these together and add that to the pot of sauce. I spray the bottom of a medium size baking dish lightly and pour the mixture in. Then I top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake in at 375 degree preheated oven for 45-55 minutes. Remove, let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve with toasty bread and butter. Delicious.

Sauteed Spinach over Gnocchi

Gnocchi I find to be so delicious, but they are what I believe to be called belly bombs. I know for me I want to eat my whole plate, but I am just so filled up by just a small amount. It could be that I usually make them which a rich and decadent sauce. So trying to eat my greens I decided to top them off with very delicious spinach.

Ingredients:

1 large bag of fresh spinach

6 cloves of roasted garlic

1/4 tsp. of salt

1/4 tsp. of pepper

1/4 cup of crushed walnuts

Grated Fontina cheese (optional)

Directions:

First I roast the garlic. For this recipe you can do ahead of time. Take the 6 cloves garlic and cut the tips off. Place in a piece of tin foil and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil or chicken broth on top so they don't dry out. Roast for about 20 minutes. In a large fry pan heat the oil and add in the garlic. (Use must squeeze from the peel). With the back of a wooden spoon break up the garlic and start to saute, but do not let brown. Now add in the spinach. It will be a huge amount for the pan, but as you all know this will cook down to a much smaller amount. This cooking process will take about 20 minutes. Once the spinach is reduced, add in the walnuts, cover and set aside so that the garlic and spinach flavors marinate together. Bring a pot of water to boil and add in the Gnocchi. Once they are done, pour over the spinach and toss and serve. I love cheese on my pasta, but instead of using Parmesan, I use some Fontina cheese. Use your favorite cheese.

Texas Lasagna

                                    

Ingredients: 

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 (6 ounce) can chopped black olives

1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

9 lasagne noodles, cooked and drained

1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels

1 1/4 cups frozen green peas

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 pinch dried oregano

1 pinch Italian seasoning

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees) C. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Brown beef in a skillet over medium heat and drain excess grease. Add the olives, mushrooms, and onion. Stir and cook until the onions are soft. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, pepper, oregano, and Italian seasoning. In a small bowl combine the peas and corn.

To assemble, lay 3 noodles on bottom of prepared pan, then one half of the beef mixture, half of the corn and pea mixture. Repeat. End the layers with the remaining noodles.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

                                            

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all the moms out there a very 
Happy Mother's Day! 

Lisa Montalva
The Gourmet Mom

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 bananas, sliced

8 strawberries, slice

1 cup of blueberries

2 cups of orange juice

2 tbsp of cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl and let sit for at least 2 hours. Serve.

Spaghetti Bolognese

A great dinner for Mother's Day is Spaghetti Bolognese. Its pretty inexpensive to make and can feed many people. The Bolognese sauce was derived in the city of Bologna, Italy and has been a classic ever since. It is typically a meat based sauce with vegetables, although I rarely see a vegetable any time I have eaten at a restaurant. Over the years I have come up with many versions, but this is a favorite of mine. Its also a good way to hide the veggies from the kids and some adults.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of spaghetti

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb, ground pork

1 large onion

3 carrots

2 cups of mushrooms

1 small zucchini

1/2 cup white wine

1 tsp. of oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

3 tbsp. of olive oil

Directions:

I usually start and chop up the onions, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini and add to a food processor. I pulse a few times until it becomes a thick paste like consistency. Add the olive oil to a large fry pan and begin to brown the ground beef and pork. When it is cooked through and very crumbly, you can add in the vegetable mixture and combine well. Then add in the white wine, oregano, basil and crushed tomatoes. I like to simmer my Bolognese for 3 hours, but it will taste delicious after 30 minutes, so depending on your time, cook as needed. Bring pot of water to boil, cook pasta and drain. When pasta is cooked add to Bolognese sauce, toss and serve.

*Remember that you can add any vegetables you want. Broccoli, cauliflower, peas, eggplant, brussel sprouts, etc. Like I always say be creative and make it your own.

Angel Food Strawberry Shortcake‏

I am not sure what it is about Mother's Day, but it brings Strawberry Shortcake to mind. Since I was trying to make it an easier recipe and lighter on the calories, I decided to use an Angel Food Cake. I love playing with food color, so I made the whipped topping pink because it is girly.

To all the mom's, have a Happy Mother's Day!

Ingredients:

1 pre-made angel food cake (or bake it yourself)

1 quart of strawberries, minced (also remove 8 whole strawberries for garnish)

1 large container of whipped topping (I use light)

red food coloring

1 cup of strawberry jam or preserves

1 can of whip cream

Directions:

In large bowl empty the whipped topping and add in 2 drops of food coloring. More than likely that's all you will need to get the pretty pink color, but maybe even 1 drop will be just fine. You will have to decide the shade of pink you want. Just remember you can always add, but you cant take away. When you get to the desired color, place bowl in refrigerator to stiffen back up so its easier to spread on cake. Now slice angel food cake in half. Since angel food cakes have wholes in the center. I usually just take the knife and gently slice the cake in half. Remove the top and place it on a dish. Empty half the preserves or jam on the bottom layer and spread out evenly. Place the top back on, spread the remaining jam and begin to frost with the whipped topping. Sprinkle the minced strawberries on top of the whipped topping and for an extra treat top with spray can whipped cream and a whole strawberry. Happy Mother's Day.