Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Baked 4-Cheese Pasta

Bread crumb topping:
3-4 slices white sandwich bread torn into quarters
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Pulse bread in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to small bowl, stir in other ingredients. Set aside.

Pasta and cheese:
4 oz. Italian Fontina cheese, shredded
3 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. penne pasta
1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside. Add pasta and 1 Tbsp. salt to boiling water, stir to separate pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk flour into butter until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in cream, increasing heat to medium, and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute to ensure that flour cooks. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper; cover cream mixture to keep hot and set aside. When pasta is very al dente (when bitten into, pasta should be opaque and slightly underdone at very center), drain about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Add pasta to bowl with cheeses; immediately pour cream mixture over, then cover bowl with foil or large plate and let stand 3 minutes. Uncover bowl and stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl, until cheeses are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined. Transfer pasta to 9x13 in. baking dish, then sprinkle evenly with reserved bread crumbs, pressing down lightly. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Shredded Pork

Pork:
Pork roast, not too fatty
2 cups salsa
2 cups brown sugar

Put all ingredients in crockpot. Cook and shred. After shredded you can add a little more brown sugar to taste and cook for an additional hour in a low oven.

Salad Dressing:
2 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp. green salsa verde
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream

Mix in blender. Thin with milk if needed.

Cilantro and Lime Rice:
For every 3 cups cooked rice, add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, and juice of 2 small limes. Use zest of one lime completely, and 1 tsp. salt.

Toppings:
Tortillas, lettuce, rice, beans, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips.

Shrimp Scampi

1/2 carton frozen Shrimp Scampi
6-10 oz. fresh baby spinach
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. linguine, cooked and drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the shrimp in a 12 inch skillet for 6 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes. Cook and stir for about 5-6 minutes more or until the shrimp turn pink, and spinach wilts. Add pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Portion onto plates and top with sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Chicken Enchiladas

8-10 white corn tortillas
3 breasts boneless/skinless chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can diced green chilies
1 8 oz. sour cream
1 small onion - diced
2 cups shredded cheese

Boil chicken. While boiling chicken combine soup, chilies, onion and sour cream and set aside. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Spread sauce mixture onto each tortilla, place chicken in center, roll up and place seam-side down in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over all. Bake uncovered at 350˚ for 20 minutes.

Serve with MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

Heat 4 cups skim milk and 1 tablet Abuelita chocolate in a med. Saucepan over med-high heat. Mix constantly with a wire whisk until frothy and starts to boil. Remove from heat; add sugar to taste. Serve immediately.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 beef roast (any kind that boneless--as cheap as you can find!!)
1 or 2 pkgs. Italian dressing mix (like you'd make salad dressing with)
1 or 2 pkgs. Au Jus seasoning (in gravy section)
2-3 cups water (depending on how much au jus you want for dipping)
Sandwich rolls

Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Au Jus packets (I use two of each if it's a bigger roast, and one of each if it's smaller). Pour water over all and stir seasonings into the water. Cook roast in crock pot on high 6-8 hours or until tender enough to shred with a fork (I usually flip the roast over at least once to cook evenly in liquid). Shred meat, Serve on any kind of rolls, with Au jus on the side for dipping.

October Meals

Roast and Vegetables - Margaret

Shrimp Scampi - Tawnee

Thai Egg Rolls - Julie

Chicken Enchiladas - Kimberly

Enchilda Lasagna - Laurie

French Dip - Naomi

Baked 4-Cheese Pasta - Julianne

Shredded Pork - Ariane

Chili and Baked Potatoes - Melanie

Spinach Artichoke Chicken - Britta