Most Delectable Baked Ziti 09/23/2009

Fresh Out of the Oven

I used this particular recipe a few years ago when I threw a Christmas party and it was a big hit. My guests had seconds and thirds, which is a good thing. I’ve been meaning to make this delicious dish again, but other recipes have gotten in the way. I guess deep down I was just being selfish, because once you have this dish, you will not crave the usual Baked Ziti ever again, I promise you. As you can see in the “Fresh Out of the Oven” picture, half of the dish was topped with sautéd green peppers. I received a bag full of home grown green peppers and I decided to add it as a topping for my husband, who LOVES it hot and spicy. Feel free to add green peppers to the whole dish as a topping or cook it along with the ground beef, onion and garlic. You can opt not to use ground beef/turkey to make it a lovely vegetarian dish. Throw in more vegetables too!

I highly recommend making this dish, especially if you like it cheesy. Next time I make this, I will use real Parmesan cheese. I keep on saying that, but I keep on forgetting to pick some up at the grocery store. So I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do! Serve with garlic bread and grated parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Dry Ziti Pasta (I used Whole Wheat pasta that I had on hand)

• 1 Medium Sweet Onion, Chopped

• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

• 1 Pound Organic Ground Beef or Ground Turkey (You can choose to go meatless, it’s still quite delicious)

• 1 – 2 to 3 pound Jar of Traditional Spaghetti Sauce

• 6 ounces/6 slices of Sliced Provolone Cheese

• 1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream

• 8 ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

• Grated Parmesan Cheese

Optional: • 1 Green Pepper, Chopped

1. Preheat Oven to 350° degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions on the box. About 8 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef/turkey over medium head. (Add green pepper at this step if you want to)
5. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
6. Using a bunched up piece of wax paper, grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with olive oil. Make sure you cover sides.
7. Layer ingredients as follows: 1/2 of pasta (bottom), Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 of sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.
8. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.
10. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve.
12. ENJOY!

Serves 10 – NUTRITION INFOMATION: Calories: 515 – Total Fat: 24g - Cholesterol: 67mg – Sodium: 894mg - Total Carbs: 47g – Fiber: 4g - Protein: – 26g

Cooking the meat & pasta                                                   Simmering the meat sauce                                                             First layer of pasta

Provolone and sour cream layer                                                    Second layer of pasta                                                             All ready to go into the oven

Pannukakku 08/23/2009

Fresh Out Of the Oven

This easy and quite delicious recipe comes from Finland. Pannukakku is considered the world’s easiest oven baked pancake. It can be served for breakfast or as a dessert. This rich, airy slightly sweet treat is best when served hot with your choice of toppings, maple syrup, melted butter, jam or fresh fruit and whipped cream. The choices are endless as to what toppings or additional ingredients you can add to this dish. Either way you prepare it, it is oh so delicious! Another idea is to just serve it plain-it’s a fabulous option.

I was first exposed to this dish 6 years ago on a mini-vacation to Connecticut for my first wedding anniversary. We stayed in a lovely Bed and Breakfast called Taylor’s Corner Bed & Breakfast. The hostess served it for breakfast with New England maple syrup and with her homemade fruit jams. Before leaving, I made sure I got the recipe so I can make this at home. Now I make it every Sunday morning for breakfast for my husband and I. I prefer to prepare it with vanilla and sliced fresh bananas baked in and I serve with warm maple syrup. And I bake it in the toaster oven since it fits my square pan easily. We usually eat the whole thing, it’s that good. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

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Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Butter (TIP: For healthier version, use non-stick cooking spray preferably butter flavor)

• 2 Cups Milk or Soy Milk

• 3/4 Cup Flour

• 1/4 Cup Sugar (TIP: You may half this amount OR not use sugar at all)

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt (TIP: You may omit salt, which I do)

Optional Mix-Ins:

• Add 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract to Ingredients.

• Add 1 Tablespoon brown sugar to Ingredients. (Great when you top Pannukakku with thinly sliced or chopped apple)

• Add 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon to Ingredients. (Great when you add it with brown sugar and top Pannukakku with thinly sliced or chopped apple)

Optional Toppings:

• Thinly sliced apples, bananas or pears. (TIP: a very nice combination are the apples and the brown sugar cinnamon mixture on top of Pannukakku)

• About a 1/2 Cup of fresh blueberries on top.

• A sprinkling of a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon.

1. Preheat Oven to 350° OR If you are in a rush, you can preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Melt butter in an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish or casserole dish. (TIP: For a double batch, use a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.)
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Mix VERY well. Make sure flour is not sticking to the bottom of mixing bowl.
4. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do NOT mix melted butter and flour mixture together.
5. Add any toppings of your choice.
6. Bake in 350° oven for 55 to 65 minutes until golden brown.
7. OR Bake in 425° oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
8. KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON PANNUKAKKU, IT BURNS EASILY!
9. Pannukakku will have a pudding like consistency. Cut into wedges and serve!
10. Serve with butter, maple syrup, jam or any dessert topping of your choice -if you choose to serve this as a dessert)
11. ENJOY!

Some of the Ingredients Used                                            Before putting it into the oven

Best Hard Boiled Eggs 08/21/2009

My Brown Hard Boiled Eggs

For the longest time, I’ve always had hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator. I like to use them in different recipes, like, tuna fish salad, macaroni salad and regular leafy salad, along with other recipes I make. Since I was a child, I loved to eat hard boiled eggs as a snack (so does my father) or as a quick lite lunch. The protein in the egg gives me the feeling of being full, which helps me with my snacking problem (which usually happens before lunch or dinner). Plus, a friend of mine ate a hard boiled egg once a day in the late morning and he swore that it helped him lose weight. I prefer to use organic eggs that I get from Whole Foods, but I would like to use eggs from my local Farmer’s Market, but I haven’t made it out to one lately. So, please try to use eggs from the local Farmer’s Market, if you can, and if not, use the organic, cage-free, vegetarian fed chicken eggs. You will taste the difference, I swear.

What made me decide to post this easy recipe for the best hard boiled eggs is that I witnessed my friend make hard boiled eggs for her daughter. To me, it was a crazy way to make them, she boiled them for like 30 minutes on the stove, without covering the boiling pot. It made the kitchen all hot and I saw a potential hazard if someone walked past the stove and bumped the boiling pot over. PLUS, I have tried several different ways to boil my eggs so the shell will come off easily. Seriously, I get SO annoyed when the shell doesn’t come off easy that I hunted down a way to boil the eggs so it would be easier for me. This recipe and the tip to remove the shell is so far the best thing I came across in my hunt for a good and easy way to make hard boiled eggs. Good luck and happy boiling!

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Ingredients:

● 4 to 7 Raw FRESH Eggs (number depends on size of pot)

● 1 Tablespoon Table Salt

1. Place raw eggs, gently, into pot (make sure you have a lid that fits snuggly).
2. Sprinkle salt over eggs.
3. Fill pot, with eggs, with tap water just to cover eggs. Don’t over fill because the pot WILL boil over.
4. Place pot onto stove and turn stove on HIGH.
5. Once water comes to a rolling boil (approximately 8-10 minutes), remove pot from heat and cover pot with lid. TIP: I recommend you set a timer for 8 minutes to remind you to check on the eggs. You do NOT want to forget the eggs and burn them or the pot (I have done this).
6. Set aside pot for 20 minutes. (Make sure you set your timer!)
7. After 20 minutes, move pot to kitchen sink and run cold water over eggs. Let the water run over eggs until you no longer feel the heat.
8. Let eggs sit in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. The cold water will stop the cooking process. Towel off eggs and place into your refrigerator.
9. Eggs will taste best after being in the refrigerator for more than 6 hours or over night.
10. ✮ A friend of mine suggested storing the eggs in the refrigerator with a little bit of water in the bowl or egg holder. So far, it works to keep them fresher longer.✮
11. ENJOY !!!

PEELING TIP: When eggs are ready to eat/use, crack them gently on counter top and place egg between your palms. Gently roll egg around in your hands for about 15 – 30 seconds. Start peeling shell off at top/bottom of egg. Work shell off using the edge of your thumb. I prefer to work the shell off around the egg instead of working a little at a time. Remember, the older the eggs, the hard it is to peel the shell off.