Chile Rellenos

Sauce:
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chiles:
1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 poblano chiles, charred, seeded, and deveined *see Cook's Note
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or till done with other steps. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Notes
To char the chiles (or any fresh chile): Put the chiles over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles (use plastic gloves!) Once peeled, the chiles may be chopped, sliced or stuffed.

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

1 large firm eggplant
Salt
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
6-10 soft rolls, warmed in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes before serving
3/4 cup part-skim Mozzarella, shredded
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, warm

Directions

Slice the eggplant crosswise about 1/2-inch thick - make slices as consistent as possible. Season eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 1 hour then rinse with water.

Beat eggs with a fork and place in shallow bowl. Place flour in another plate and bread crumbs in another. Then dip the eggplant slices in flour, then egg then seasoned bread crumbs, covering all surfaces, and set on cookie sheet.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to heat up. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)

Add the breaded eggplant slices to the pan cook 3-4 minutes. Flip and put the cheese on and cover. Cook till the other side is browned and the cheese is melted.

Remove from frying pan and place onto paper towels to blot any excess oil.

Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices onto warmed roll, top with warm marinara sauce.

Gnocchi with Sage-Butter

1 package potato gnocchi
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi pasta, and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper for a few seconds, then add the cooked gnocchi. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Garnish with remaining Parmesean cheese.

Layered Mexican Chicken Rice Bake

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

1 bell pepper (any color)

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

4 Cups cooked/steamed rice

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

Chili Powder to taste

2 12.5 oz cans chicken (for shredded chicken use 3 cups)

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning

1 Cup prepared Salsa

1 can great northern beans (or any bean of choice), drained

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and peppers for about 5 minutes or until softened; season with salt. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in cooked rice, season with cumin and chili powder and reduce heat to low. Transfer mixed rice to a 9×13 inch baking dish.

2. Place chicken breast into a medium skillet over medium heat. Season with garlic salt, ranch seasoning and salsa; mix and reduce heat to low. Layer the beans, cilantro, chicken and top with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Linguine Carbonara

2/3 pound linguine
3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs-beaten with 1 tablespoon milk and 2 tablespoon pasta cooking water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp. makes it pretty spicy)
1 cup Kirkland Crumbled Bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon parsley-chopped (optional)
freshly ground pepper-to taste

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve a little of the cooking water for the egg mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and peas, and cook over very low heat. Stir in the red pepper. Next, add the cooked pasta to the pot, and stir to combine. Add the bacon crumbles and the egg mixture and toss. Turn the heat off and add the cheese, parsley, and black pepper. Serve.

Florrie's Salad

Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Spinach
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chicken, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup Almonds
3 tablespoons sugar

Candy the almonds by placing them in a small frying pan with the sugar over medium heat. Stir almost constantly until sugar begins to melt and coats the almonds. Remove from the pan and place on cookie sheet to cool.

Place all other ingredients in a large bowl, and coat with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
2 generous teaspoons raspberry jam

Mix all ingredients and place in refrigerator until ready to pour over salad. The flavors mix better together if you make this a little ahead of time and let chill in refrigerator.

Parmesan-Herb Pasta

1 lb spaghetti, cooked with 1 teaspoon salt in water
1/4 cup margarine
2 teaspoons parsley
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Melt margarine over medium heat and add herbs. Pour over pasta to coat. Add parmesan cheese.

Baked Chicken-Bacon Alfredo/Guiltless Alfredo

8 oz. penne or bowtie pasta
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows)
2 chicken breasts, marinated in Italian dressing for a few hours, grilled and chopped (about 1 1/2 c. chopped chicken)
6 oz. (1/2 package) cooked bacon, chopped
1 14-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 c. chopped green onions (about 1 decent-sized bunch)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo sauce. When pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.


Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk (not skim)
1/3 C (3 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thick (it should look as thick as a normal alfredo sauce) remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Taco Soup

1-1 ½ lb. Ground beef, browned with onions
Brown with a medium size onion-diced
2 small cans corn (drained)
1 can red kidney beans (drain)
1 can black beans (drain)
1 other can of beans (or 2 of one of the above beans)
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1-2 envelopes ranch dressing mix (to taste)
1 large can whole tomatoes (can chop or puree)

Put all ingredients in a crock pot for about 2 hours. Top with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips

Manicotti

8 manicotti shells
1/2 pound ground turkey (or beef)
1 clove garlic
1 cup cottage cheese, drained
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Spaghetti sauce
oregano
Parmesan cheese

Brown ground turkey and garlic together. Remove from heat and add cottage cheese, mozzarella, salt and mayo. Fill manicotti shells with about 1/4 cup filling. Place in baking dish. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with oregano and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake about 10 more minutes.

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 small eggplant (3/4 pound)
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Wash and peel eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Dip eggplant into egg, then into flour, turning to coat both sides. In a large skillet cook eggplant, half at a time, in hot oil for 4 to 6 minutes or till golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

Place eggplant slices in a single layer in a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till heated through. Serves 4.

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

12 dried jumbo pasta shells
1 beaten egg
1 12-ounce container cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 14 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Snipped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Cool shells in a single layer on a piece of greased foil.

For filling, stir together egg, cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, and oregano. Spoon scant 1/4 cup filling into each cooked shell. Arrange filled shells in a 2-quart square baking dish.

Combine undrained tomatoes and tomato sauce; pour over shells in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more till heated through. Sprinkle with additional snipped parsley. Serves 4.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded (or canned chicken)
Sauce:
1/3 c honey
1/4 c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
equal parts mixed together of:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray.Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz. elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
8 oz grated cheddar cheese (sometimes I double this)
1/4 cup more milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni. Make white sauce by melting butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat add flour. Stir over heat till bubbly. Add milk and stir over heat until it has consistency of thick cream. Remove from heat, add cheese. Stir over heat till it melts completely. Add extra 1/4 cup milk. Add salt, garlic salt and pepper. Pour cheese sauce on macaroni and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Macaroni with a twist
Replace half the cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack cheese. Add several drops of hot pepper sauce when you add the other spices.