Roasted Red Pepper Pasta.

It's me again, with yet another pasta recipe! I know, I keep trying the same old schtick again and again. I swear my Easter recipe is NOT a pasta recipe. I'm so grateful that my wonderful blog starter of a sister introduced me to The Pioneer Woman. She lives the life I only dream of. I would like to think I could survive on a ranch but I probably wouldn't. But how I love to dream about it. I got this pasta recipe from her.

As you saw with Norah's post, we got an abundance of red peppers from the food co-op. I do like to eat red peppers just plain but I had far too many to do that. And viola, this recipe appeared. I enjoyed it but personally I wanted a smoother sauce. I think I'd put the onion into the food processor, after cooking them, with the red peppers and pine nuts.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
3 red bell peppers

2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1/2 to 1 pound pasta: orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.

Roast red peppers, then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together.

"Applebee's" Quesadillas

We really like this recipe. The flavor is good and the taste is very similar to the actual Applebee's appetizer. I make these for lunch or dinner for a quick and easy dish. Most people have the ingredients on hand in their house most of the time. Last night I used a salsa I preserved in the fall along with my guacamole recipe.
I found the recipe in the book Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. I cut the quesadilla into 4 slices instead of the six.

2 10 inch (burrito size) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon diced canned jalapeno (nacho slices)
1 slice bacon, cooked
/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
dash of salt

On the side
sour cream
guacamole
salsa

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
Spread half of the butter on one side of each tortilla. Put one tortilla, butter side down, in the hot pan.
Spread cheeses evenly onto the center of the tortilla in the pan. You don't have to spread the cheese all the way to the edge. Leave a margin of an inch or so all the way around.
Sprinkle the tomato, onion, and jalapeno over the cheese.
Crumble the slice of cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the other ingredients.
Sprinkle the cilantro and a dash of salt over the other ingredients.
Top off the quesadilla with the remaining tortilla, being sure the buttered side is facing up.
When the bottom tortilla has browned, 45-90 seconds, flip the quesadilla over and grill the other side for the same length of time.
Remove the quesadilla from the pan, and, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the quesadilla three times through the middle like a pizza, creating 6 equal slice. Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side.

Italian Pasta Casserole

This recipe turned out really good. The flavors blended well together and it was fairly easy to make. I had almost everything needed for this recipe in the pantry and freezer. I think most would have the items needed on hand. I did leave out the turkey pepperoni for two reasons. One we did not have pepperoni on hand and second I did not think it would really need the pepperoni. I was right. You don't need the pepperoni in the dish. I also subbed sweet Italian sausage for the sausage links. This recipe was found in the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking November 2008 issue.

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble beef and sausage into a large skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes; tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.

Drain pasta; stir in meat mixture and pepperoni. Transfer half of pasta mixture to a 2-qt baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half cheese; repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Navajo Tacos

What can I say I love these. Everytime we go to a fair I'm always scouting around looking for the Navajo taco booth. Honestly these rank right up there on my all time favorite food list.

SCONES:
1 qt. buttermilk, warm

2 tbsp. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. soda

2 tbsp. yeast softened in 3/4 c. buttermilk

2 tbsp. oil

3 tsp. baking powder

6-8 c. flour
Mix ingredients. Let raise once. Fry in deep or shallow, hot grease.

To make the taco:

Add heated chili mixture or bean mixture to scone.

Cover with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and salsa. You can also add sour cream.

Serve.

Calzones

I've never been a fan of calzones. I love the concept but have never been impressed with the actual calzone. The other day I wanted something different so I set about making calzones for dinner. Along the way I discovered that there are lots of ways to make calzones and disagreements with how a calzone should be made. Some say you shouldn't put sauce in with the calzone and some say you should. I decided to take a little bit of sauce in the calzone. I also used fresh mushrooms, pepperoni, and onions along with mozzarella cheese. I found the recipe both for the dough and the pizza sauce on allrecipes.com.

Recipe for the dough
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, or until almost doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Pizza Sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

Mexican Pizza

12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 small flour tortillas
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
Two 15.5-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed
Salt and pepper
One 8-ounce jar taco sauce
One 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles
One 3 1/2-ounce package cooked chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups cheddar with the monterey jack and set aside.
2. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange 6 tortillas on the sheet so that the surface is covered, overlapping as needed. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese evenly over the tortillas, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides; cover with the remaining 6 tortillas, overlapping as needed. Prick the top layer with a fork and bake until the tortillas begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and 1/4 cup water and mash until the beans are soft and the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the bean mixture over the tortillas, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the taco sauce, chiles, chorizo and reserved cheese mixture. Bake until the cheese is melted, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meat Goulash with Macaroni

Salt
1 pound short pasta, such as macaroni, ziti rigate or gemelli
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 slices lean bacon, chopped
1 pound ground meat (a mixture of beef, pork and veal)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
Freshly ground pepper
3 large jarred roasted red peppers, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
Fresh dill, chopped (a generous handful

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the EVOO, 1/2 turn of the pan, in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes, then move the bacon to the side of the pan and add the ground meat, crumbling it. Brown the meat for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and onion; season with the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
3. In a food processor, puree the peppers until smooth and stir into the meat. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the beef broth and simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cooked pasta. Top with the parsley and dill.

Cincinnati Chili

Very different type of chili than I am use to but we did like it. We've only made this once but even the boys ate the chili, which says alot because my boys are so freaking picky.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions , chopped fine
1 clove garlic , minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and browned around edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and serve. (Chili can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)

5 ways to Cincinnati chili

TWO-WAY CHILI: Served over spaghetti.
THREE-WAY CHILI: Served over spaghetti and topped with cheese.
FOUR-WAY CHILI: Served over spaghetti and topped with onions and cheese.
FIVE-WAY CHILI: Served over spaghetti and topped with onions, beans, and cheese.