Baked Mostaccioli

I made this last week using the pasta sauce recipe previously posted. YUM. I love pasta.

Ingredients needed, in addition to pasta sauce:

1 # box of Mostaccioli pasta [or Penne]
16 oz Ricotta [your choice of whole or low fat]
1 1/2 C of Shredded Italian blend or Mozzarella
1 1/2 C of Shredded Cheddar [I used Sharp]

Cook your pasta sauce. I cooked mine 3 hours.

Note: reserve 1 cup of sauce for topping.

Cook your pasta al dente and drain into a large bowl.

To the pasta:
Crumble in Ricotta. [or scoop out small spoon portions - helps distribute evenly]
Add 1/2 cup of each shredded cheese.
Add pasta sauce [remember to reserve 1 cup]

Pour into baking dish [dishes].
Top with remaining sauce.
Top with remaining shredded cheeses.

If baking immediately bake at 350* for 1 hour.
If refrigerated, let sit at room temp 30 minutes and bake until hot & bubbly.
If frozen, thaw and bake until hot & bubbly.

Pasta Sauce

I'm making baked mostaccioli today. No pics cause it's not ready yet. Here is my basic pasta sauce recipe. I use ground beef or italian sausage depending on what dish I am making. I also tweak it for shrimp and grits. The house smells yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 # of beef or italian sausage
• 1/2 vidalia [or yellow] onion, diced
• 2 TBS minced garlic [jar]
• 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 regular can of diced tomatoes [no salt]
• 2 TBS basil [dried]
• 2 TBS oregano [dried]
• 1/2 TSP black pepper
• 1 TSP onion powder
• 3 TBS sugar
• 2 TBS tomato paste

Cook the beef [or sausage] with the onion and garlic.
Drain fat.
Add the tomatoes, paste and spices.
Simmer on low for an hour or two.

Canned tomatoes may differ in acidity, adjust sugar to taste.
Dried spices differ by brand and age, adjust to taste.

Southwest Chicken Stew

No time to cook... and my corner of Kansas is going to be cool this week. Not that I let warm weather keep me away from a good soup.

This is made in a crock-pot.

Ingredients:
8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained [reserve juice]*
1 jar mild chunky salsa*
1 can fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 or 1/3 cup diced onion
1 TSP dried Parsley
1 TSP Onion Powder
1 heaping TBS Cumin

* to spice it up a bit substitute one or both:
Rotel instead of diced tomatoes
Medium salsa instead of mild

In a large bowl mix everything but the chicken. Ladle about 1/2 on the bottom on your crock-pot. Layer your chicken and add the remaining mixture on top.

Cover and cook on low about 6 hours. As you stir the chicken will shred.
If it is too soupy uncover and cook on high about an hour to thicken.
If too thick add your reserved tomato juice.
This all depends on the amount of water that cooks out of your chicken.
4 - 6 servings

Options for serving:

• with saltine crackers
• with tostito chips or strips
• with a piece of good bread
• with a squeeze of lime juice
• ladled on a bed of basmati rice
• topped with shredded cheese
• diced cilantro wilted into each serving
• sour cream 

You could also cook this in the oven until the chicken is done and serve the chicken whole with the mixture as a side accompanied with a salad.

Peach Bread

I'm not a fan of a lot of sweets but this is yummy.

Peach Bread

Preheat oven to 350*
Grease a loaf pan or mini pans

Ingredients:
1 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Stick butter or margarine
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Cup peeled, mashed peaches [about 2 to 3 depending on size]

Cream sugar and butter.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Add peaches.
Add flour and baking soda.

Pour into greased pans and bake for 45 to 60 minutes until done.

For smaller pan sizes begin checking at 30 minutes as ovens vary.

Confession: I slathered a little butter on mine :)

[Edited from questions received]

Tart treat

Higher temps are coming...

2/3 Cranberry juice
1/3 Pineapple juice
Splash of lime (big splash...as in 1/4 wedge)

Just eyeball the portion according to the size of your glass.

Simple comfort

It has been a stressful week. I needed some comfort, in a bowl.

This simple dish reminds me of the wonderful comfort from Mama's kitchen.

Hamburger Pasta Goulash

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef (85/15)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
3 cans of diced tomatoes (no salt)
2 to 2 1/2 cans of water (adjust to desired thickness)
1 1/2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
3 TBS tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste*

In a dutch oven cook ground beef, garlic and onion. Drain fat.
Add diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste and simmer on low (covered) for one hour.
Bring to boil and add macaroni. Lower heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cover. Let sit 10 minutes before serving

* I add pepper only.
Sometimes I add 1/2 of a diced bell pepper while cooking the beef.

Summer canning

Waiting on peppers... we're out of pepper mustard! (similar recipes call it pepper butter)

42 Jalapeno peppers (wash, remove stems & seeds)
2 C Prepared yellow mustard
1 Q Cider vinegar
6 C Sugar
1 T Salt
1 1/2 C Flour (approximately)
1 1/2 C Water

You can combine varieties of peppers for a milder flavor (Anaheim, Banana, etc)

OPEN YOUR WINDOWS!

Remove stems & seeds (from most or all) peppers. Wear gloves for this task. Grind them up in a processor.

Place in a large pot and add the mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over a medium heat.

Lower heat while you combine flour and water to make a paste and add to mixture, taking care that the paste isn't lumpy. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
(Most recipes don't call for the water bath process, but I do it anyway)

Makes about 7 pints or 16+ half pints

Yum~