Diane, you might as well start typing up the recipe.... sounds fabulous! Please...

Nice that you keep in touch with old friends, they're the best!

Nancy

I haven't made any lately, but this weekend I am going to make a Salmon Pie. I found several recipes online, so I think I have an idea how to do one.

Will let everyone know how it turns out :)

Yum! We're waiting patiently Diane. You know I lost all of my recipes except a few hard copies of my favorites.

Beverly

tap tap tap..........

Diane, those look sinfully delicious and how nice to share them with old friends. I'll be watching for the recipe too.

Salmon pie sounds good too - please do let us know.

Lee

Have absolutely no idea where on the internet I got this one-- if anyone comes up with a source please let me know.

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Cookies/Bars to try

Brandy Cre Brûlée Bars
========================
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups whipping (heavy) cream
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon brandy or 1 1/2 teaspoon brandy extract
1/3 cup sugar
. 1. Heat oven to 350ºF. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar and the
butter with spoon. Press on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of ungreased
square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 20 minutes. 2. Reduce oven temperature
to 300ºF. In small bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar with spoon
until thick. Gradually stir in whipping cream and brandy. Pour over
baked layer. 3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until custard is set and knife
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For
bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Place bars on cookie sheet lined with
waxed paper. 4. In heavy 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/3 cup sugar over
medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir until sugar is completely
dissolved and caramel colored. Cool slightly until caramel has
thickened slightly. Drizzle hot caramel over bars. (If caramel begins
to harden, return to medium heat and stir until thin enough to
drizzle.) After caramel on bars has hardened, cover and refrigerate
bars up to 48 hours.

Exported from Home Cookin 5.5 (www.mountain-software.com)

copy....save....make....snarf down!

Linda

Holy Moly - is that ever rich - YUM.

Linda said it perfectly and I can't wait to try these too.

Thank you.

Lee

Opening artery and inserting stent. wow that looks good!

For Labor Day, I was invited to a friend's house and decided to try a new and different appetizer - it sounded weird, but the reviews say yum. I had to refill the plate over and over, so the other guests enjoyed it too and all said it was a do again! Needs a few short cuts for assembly. Original recipe called for scallions but I used chives. All ingredients were available at Trader Joes!

Rice Crackers with Goat Cheese and Edamame By Aïda Mollenkamp

Finger food that disappears almost as quickly as it is made.

Slacker solution: To skip Step 1, leave the bag of frozen edamame in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. If you cant find rice crackers, use any neutral-flavored cracker, such as water biscuits.

Ingredients

8 ounces frozen shelled edamame (about 1 3/4 cups)
24 rice crackers, such as KA-ME brand
5 ounces chèvre (fresh goat cheese)
3 scallions or chives, very thinly sliced
Hot chile oil, such as KA-ME brand

Instructions

Cook edamame in boiling water according to package directions, or microwave 2 1/2 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and run cold water over them to cool. Drain well and sprinkle with salt.

On top of each cracker, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese, then top with 3 to 5 edamame, a pinch of sliced scallions/chives, and a few drops of chile oil.

Serve.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chowhound - pictures

Thank you for sharing.

Decadence is good once in a while.

Nancy

goodt idea to start this thread again! isn't it great to spend some time with old friends, diane? i'm sure they LOVED that dessert!

jessica--that recipe is one of those "unusual sounding" things that i know i am just gonna have to try--thanx for posting it!

i've tried a number of new dishes recently and this grilled chicken (par-boiled before grilling so you don't burn the heck out of it before it is thoroughly cooked) has been made twice in the last 2 or 3 weeks. i cut back on both the mustard and the honey the first time but the 2nd time, i made it exactly as written and to us, that really is the way it should be done.

dijon and tarragon grilled chicken--Bon Appétit

Makes 6 servings.

1/3 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 chickens (each about 3 1/4 pounds), each cut into 2 legs, thighs and wings and 4 breast pieces
Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Process until smooth. Place chicken pieces in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Pour tarragon-mustard mixture over chicken; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken on barbecue. Cover and grill until chicken is almost cooked through, turning every 5 minutes and basting with marinade, about 30 minutes. Grill without basting until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes longer. Serve chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

MMMM, San! I am going to try that chicken recipe. I have tons of fresh tarragon in my herb garden and everything else is stuff I always have on hand! Thanks!

Linda

Good to bring this back, thanks Diane. Lovely that you all keep in touch.

san that sounds like a recipe we would really like.

I made these in July for our visiting vegetarian. Very well received and will definitely make them again soon. Nancy has me wanting Mexican......not sure why I didn't think to post it on that thread. Too darn many recipes not enough meals!

The **** indicate steps I took to make this a bit less labour intensive. Lots of words but they really go together quickly.
Cheese And Spinach Enchiladas (Emeril)

4 Poblano chile peppers about 1 pound ( I used canned chiles)
4 Lb fresh spinach stems removed and well rinsed (I used a package of frozen)
4 Tbl unsalted butter plus 4 tablespoons
1 Cup chopped yellow onions
1 Tbl chopped garlic
2 Tsp chili powder
3/4 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne 1/4 Cupall-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup
2 Cup half-and-half
1 Cup cubed queso fresco or queso blanco
1 Cup cubed Pepper Jack plus 1 cup grated
1 Cup grated cotija or Parmesan
2 Tbl vegetable oil
12 corn tortillas ( I used flour tortillas)
1 Cup chicken stock (I used vegetable stock but next time will use chicken)
1 Cup heavy cream

**** I used canned and omitted this step****Roast the peppers by placing them on an open gas flame, turning them frequently with tongs until all sides are charred black, about 7 to 10 minutes. (Alternately, the peppers can be roasted under a broiler, or on top of a gas or charcoal grill.) Place the blackened peppers in a plastic or paper bag, and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers, split in half lengthwise, and discard the seeds and the stems. Roughly chop and set aside.~

**** I used frozen and omitted this step**** Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In 3 batches, add the spinach and blanch for 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and shock in an ice bath.

Remove and squeeze out the excess. Chop and set aside.In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until very soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the flour and cook, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon, to make a light roux, 2 minutes. Gradually add the half-and-half, and cook, stirring, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir to incorporate. Remove from the heat and fold in half of the chopped chiles. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Fold in the cubed queso fresco and both Pepper Jacks, and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the grated Pepper Jack and cotija. Set aside.

***** I used flour tortillas and softened in the microwave*** In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium temperature. One at a time, add the tortillas to the hot oil and cook, turning, until soft and pliable, 15 seconds per side, adding more oil as needed. Remove from the pan and place on a work surface.

Place about 1/2 cup of the spinach mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll up into a cylinder.

Place, seam side down, in a single layer across the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish.

In a saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and cook, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon, to to make a light roux. Slowly add the chicken stock and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining poblano peppers and cook for 1 minute.

Pour over the filled enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover evenly with the grated cheeses. Return to the oven and bake until the cheeses are melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are completely warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

(I've a terrible time posting so this may be duplicated - sorry if that happens)

Thanks, Diane for starting this up again and for that great Creme Brulee Bar recipe, OMG! I've tried a couple of new recipes lately, not too exotic or different but really big hits in this house.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch thyme
Dash Tamari Sauce
Dash Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup beef broth
2 cups cooked mixed vegetables (leftover or frozen)
5 potatoes and 2 garlic cloves, boiled and mashed with butter and milk
1 tablespoon butter

Brown meat in oil and drain. Stir in onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, flour and broth, Tamari and Worcestershire. Add cooked vegetables. Transfer to casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Annova's Marinated Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Cucumber

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (can use a bit more)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
One 15-oz. can chickpeas, well rinsed & drained
1 lb. seedless cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise
6 large red radishes, thinly slided
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas and let marinate for at least 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the cucumbers, radishes, onion, and herb(s) and season with salt and pepper.
source: posted at finerkitchens.com
My note: I use cilantro. If I only have a regular cucumber on hand, I seed it before cutting into chunks. Must use good brand (and fresh)olive oil. I usually marinate the chickpeas longer. This is best at room temperature. We love it!

Ive recently made this twice and it was wonderful both times!!! Really is easy no hassle bread, as good as you can buy at your favorite bakery. And dont doubt the amount of yeast recipe calls for as the 1/4 teaspoon works perfectly. And I let the dough rest the full 18 hours. You get a loaf that has crusty crust and holey soft interior.

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising

No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Jessy, that looks great..and simple..I fell in love with edamame because of Mc Donalds Asian Chicken Salad. LOL

Oh I love this Salmon Pie ... :)

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cans Pillar Rock Wild Salmon, drained

Boil potatoes till tender. While the potatoes are boiling sautee onion in butter, set aside.

Mash potatoes, add buttermilk, salt and pepper, eggs, parsley and onions. Mix well.

Fold in Salmon and spread mixture in 9X12 lightly oiled baking dish.

Cover with pastry dough. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

I tried the No-Knead Bread recipe replacing one cup flour with spelt flour. It made a looser dough but with it going into a pot it worked fine. Bread was Great. I also used a shortcut. Instead of flouring a board and dumping the dough onto it I put olive oil in a bowl, dumped in the dough, turned it to coat, covered and let rise for the 18 hours. Worked great by turning the oiled dough into the cooking pot.

It's really easier than the recipe indicates. I reckon I'll have to post a picture to provoke someone into trying it. :-)

earl--some of us are SO flour-challenged, that we really need more than a BIT of encouragement. i'd love to see a pic! the instructions in step 2 seem to be the ones you changed and the original ones actually seems a little confusing to me--are you suggesting a total rewrite on that?

tonight i made a recipe that laurie/lpinkmountain posted some time back. i made it exactly as written (after halving the entire recipe) if you like feta, it's a keeper folks! and i can't help but wonder what it would be like with a little spinach and black olives in there? hmm...only one way to find out, i think :) thanx, laurie!

Baked Greek Pasta and Cheese
Serves six people. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
1 lb. spaghetti
1 lb. feta or well salted ricotta, crumbled (I always use feta)
4 TBLSP melted butter, (can use olive oil)
3 eggs beaten
1 TBLSP minced parsley
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Break spaghetti into 2" or 3" lengths. Cook in 2 quarts boiling water for 6-8 minutes. Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl. Add spaghetti when ready and drained. Place this mixture in a greased baking dish and bake in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes until the top becomes golden brown. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.
Note: This can be a little on the dry side so I always add a splash of lowfat milk to it before I bake it. Just a splash. The size of the baking dish isn't specified in the recipe, I just use my large pyrex baking dish. The size isn't that important as it will bake up nice in any shape of casserole dish. Whenever I make it, it's a huge hit.

Our grandson is being tested for food allergies and at present can't have anything with gluten in it. DD made this for breakfast with the apples. It was so good that DH hunted down the Rice Flour so I could make it. I made it at our home the other day with peaches. The fruit rises to the top, the flour goes down to make a crust, and the rest becomes custard in the middle.

Pancake Torte

2 cups milk
1/4 stick (++) softened butter
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup of fruit, or shredded coconut.

1. In a blender add the milk, butter, flour,sugar and eggs. Blend until smooth. If using coconut add it now.

2. Butter (++) a 9-inch pie dish and arrange sliced fruit on the bottom. Pour the blended mixture over and bake at 350º F for 35 minutes. Cool slightly and slice like a pie to serve. Good warm or cool.

** I needed to bake it for a bit longer since it was still liquid on top at 35 minutes. I kept watching it every 5 minutes and it got done very quickly.... one set it was runny the next done.

Westelle

That sounds good, better than my usual oatmeal every morning :) I might try this with regular flour.

Craftyrn: I worked on a Fluffly Cheesecake for a couple months and
finally got it to my taste buds.
Here is the recipe.

Fluffy Cheesecake

Ingredients:

6 extra large eggs, Separated
1 cup of Vanilla Ice Cream
1 ¼ Cups of Sugar
1 /4 pound of Butter (softened in micro wave and let cool but still soft)
2 packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. ( 16 Oz. )At room temp.
Sugar ¾ cup for Batter and ½ cup for egg whites
1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
6 Tablespoons of Orange juice2 teaspoons of Vanilla flavor
Grate the skin of one orange , with a hand grater, fine side. ( 2 tablespoons )
2 heaping tablespoons of AP flour

Beat the egg whites, until they start to peak. Add the ½ cup of Sugar,
A little at a time, at a medium speed for 1 minute.
Beat for another 3 minutes, or until they hold stiff peaks.
Put aside, until the batter is mixed.

In a bowl large enough to hold the batter and beaten egg whites,
Add the 6 egg yolks, Cream Cheese, ¾ cup of Sugar, Lemon juice, Orange Juice,
Softened butter, Vanilla flavor, Flour , Ice Cream and grated Orange skin.

Beat this for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth, add Cornstarch and mix on low speed 1 minute.

Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the cake batter, using a rubber spatula.
Then fold in the remaining egg whites , very easily but well.

Pour this into a 9 x 13 in. SS Pan or your favorite pan, that is oiled and dusted with flour.
Or you can use a Graham Cracker crust.

Place this Pan into a slightly larger pan, that has about ¾ inches of water.
And then into a pre heated 320 degree oven on the middle shelf.
Bake for about 50 to 55 minutes or until the top is a Golden tan ( not Dark Tan !!! )
Turn the oven off but leave the cake in, until it cools down.
When cooled down, cover the top with Aluminum Foil and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour.

You can add a topping of your choice , a Pineapple Sauce, preserves, thickened peach pie filling , etc.
Seems to be OK for freezing.
LOU

I have one for Baked Salmon, Fish or Crab Cakes,
That I will send next.

If you try any please let me know.
LOU

ohiomom: I don't think you'll have the same outcome if you use wheat flour instead of Rice Flour.... there is a difference that can only be attributed to the use of rice flour. Most groceries have rice flour so give it a try.

Craftyrn: I forgot the pic of the Cheesecake.

{{gwi:1492318}}

Here is the Salmon , Fish, or Crab Cake Recipe.

LOUS - Baked Salmon or Crab Cakes

Chopped small , 1/3 cup of : Onion, Celery , Red Bell Pepper and
Micro wave for 2 minutes. Let it cool .

In a Bowl , put 1 - 14 ¾ oz. can of Pink Salmon or Crab Meat and
break up larger pieces. ( You can substitute Imitation Crab meat )
Sprinkle with : Black pepper and add:
½ teasp. of Garlic Powder , Onion Powder and ¼ level teasp.of Old Bay Seasoning.
2 level teasp. of Parsley flakes
3 heaping tablespoons of Mayonnaise
Fold and Blend this together and add: 1 cup each of Italian Bread Crumbs.

Beat 1 egg and add 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder, beat well.
Add this to the Salmon mix and blend with a fork ( Just enough to mix it through.)
If the mix is too wet add a little more Bread Crumbs

Make 6 Balls ( work easy ) and flatten slightly to 4 inches round and ¾ inches thick
.I baked them on a cookie tin , lined with Aluminum Foil, sprayed with Pam

Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 320 Degrees. Then brush with melted butter and
Broil on Low for 5 minutes or until a Golden Tan.
Serve Hot or freeze separated w Plastic wrap , in a Zip Lock or container.

Bon Appetite

{{gwi:1477616}}

Thanks Westelle ... I know my grocer has it :)

This was a hit for dinner. Healthy and easy and yet another way to serve chicken:

MISO CHICKEN
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 oz each)
1 teaspoon canola oil

Marinade
2 tablespoons miso paste (preferably Kochujang)
1 1/2 teaspoons light sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Place chicken in a shallow dish. Combine marinade ingredients with 1 tablespoon water; pour over meat. Chill, covered, 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from marinade; drain excess. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad.

SELF
May 2007

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

gee arabella--i have a bottle of miso i'd bought for something and can't remember what--looks like i need to get some chicken. that and some "fluffy cheesecake" ought to make anyone happy!

i've tried a couple new things in the last week or two--one was the "cracked potato" recipe lucy posted. i left out the garlic but followed the rest of it. the potatoes were nice and crusty on the outside and almost fluffy on the inside--we liked that alot! and guess i felt like living dangerously and decided to make some sort of appetizer based on profiteroles, which i'd never made before. i cut a hole in a sandwich bag since i don't own a pastry bag or tips and while they weren't very professional looking, the texture and flavor were great! i based the filling on the linked recipe because i had fresh scallops and baby spinach leaves on hand and was pleased with the results. now to work on the presentation...

Here is a link that might be useful: turnovers with shrimp, scallops & spinach

Ohiomom,

On your Salmon Pie,

"2 cans Pillar Rock Wild Salmon, drained"

How big are the cans?? We don't have this brand in Reno.

Linda P

I watched Giada making this while I was riding my exercise bike a few weeks ago. It was very good. Though I eat meat I can go without it for days/weeks - this was a nice no meat meal. I used smoked Gouda instead of Mozarella and skipped the mushrooms since I'm not a big shroom fan. I also used whole grain pasta and skipped the butter and added salt to try to make it a little healthier.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Gibby, thanks for posting that recipe. Not sure I'll go in that exact direction, but it gave me some ideas to go with what I'm trying to figure out for todays dinner.
Westelle, Thank you for that recipe too..I'm trying to eat gluten free as much as possible too..atleast GREATLY reducing my wheat intake.

Anyone else get Penzey's One magazine? I just started getting it and love the magazine. I just tried the Unstuffed Peppers recipe (on the front cover of this months magazine). Great stuff and so pretty too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Penzey's One

Hi all --

I made something I've never made before today -- oxtails. My local butcher recommended them... I salted and peppered them, dusted with flour and browned them. Then added a sliced onion, a diced carrot, two sliced garlic cloves, half a bottle red wine, a pint of home-canned tomato puree, some water, sprigs of thyme, and two bay leaves. Put the lid on, put it in the oven, and let it cook for 4 hours at around 325... It is sooooo good... I've been sneaking little pieces of meat and sauce, and I can't wait until its dinner time... Have some potatoes baking in the oven to sop up the outrageously rich and delicious sauce...

Emily

OK, Boo, so where's the recipe? LOL I do pick up an issue of Penzey's One sometimes when I stop for spices, but I haven't seen that one.

New recipes? It got into the 20s here last night and I decided to bake bread so I got out the Electric Bread cookbook Carol (dishesdone) sent me and started again. I'm going to bake every single recipe in the book, that's my goal. Today it was cinnamon raisin, it's yummy and I'm having a slice now, toasted, with coffee. Other than that, this is my other new recipe and I liked it a LOT, basically lentils, onion, carrot, bay leaf, salt, pepper, turkey kielbasa, cooked in the crockpot for several hours and eaten with honey wheat bread. I got the recipe from Eating Well. It's best if you've spent three hours standing in a river fishing and you're cold and hungry, LOL.

Annie

Typing! Typing! Typing! I should know better by now!

Penzey's Unstuffed Peppers

I omitted the pecans & water chestnuts and added some diced tomatoes. I also used part chicken and part hot Italian sausage for the meat (instead of all hot sausage).

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Hot Italian sausage, casings removed
5 cups cooked white rice
1 cup cooked wild rice
2 roasted red peppers, chopped (about one cup)
2 8oz cans sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped onion (about two - I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
4 diced garlic cloves
1 serrano pepper seeded and diced
1 Tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp Turkish oregano
2 tbs Chesapeake Bay Seasoning (or Old Bay Seasoning)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional (I used chipotle)

Place the cooked rice in a very large mixing bowl. Add the roasted red peppers, water chestnuts, celery. parsley, pecans and cilantro and mix well. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, garlic and serrano pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the Italian sausage, fennel seed and oregano, 1 Tbsp Chesapeake Seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium heat until meat is well browned, about 20 minutes. Add the meat to the rise mixture along with remaining seasoning and mix well.

Prep time: 1 hour (includes cooking rice)
Yiels: about 13 cups

San, glad to hear you liked the Greek Pasta Bake. I love it but it is so rich. Would definately be great with spinach. I usually make it plain because it is my "go to" recipe for when I have picky eaters over or extremely skeptical non-vegetarians. I find when I reheat it though, it gets dry so I just compensate by adding the milk.

I'm quite glad that it is finally "soup weather" again. Last weekend I made asparagus soup to use up some fast diminishing asparagus in the fridge, and tonight I made Genoa minestrone with the last of my fresh basil. Very yummy, but hardcore vegetarian.

I've been mostly canning the last two weeks, most of my efforts have been marginal.