Scuderi Kids "Fast, Fake-baked Ziti"

from the kitchen of Cheryl

“Cooking ‘Round the Clock” Rachel Ray 30- minute meal
“I love this fast, easy to make dish, especially the béchamel sauce”

*Cheryl adds 1 pound of cooked hamburger. Also I substitute all the cheese for ¼ cup dried parmesan cheese.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of sugar added to them (you can also used crushed or diced)
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
½ tsp salt , or to taste
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or ½ - 1 tsp. dried
1 pound ziti rigate (can also use penne, rigatoni or rotini)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
A generous grating of fresh nutmeg or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 Cups whole milk (you can use 2 cups water and 6 Tablespoons of powdered milk)
½ cup shredded Asiago cheese
½ cup shredded Parmigianino Regianno cheese
1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
Crusty bread, to pass at table.

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat the broiler.
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat; add oil, then garlic. Sauté garlic a minute or two; do not let the garlic brown. Chop whole tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes and salt (and cooked hamburger, if desired) and simmer 10 minutes. Add basil and simmer over low heat 10 minutes more.
When water boils, add salt and pasta and cook 6 minutes, leaving pasta a little chewy.
While pasta cooks, make the béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook 1 minute. Stir in milk and bring sauce to a bubble. Cook 5 minutes to reduce.
When past is cooked, drain and transfer to a big casserole dish. Pour the tomato and basil sauce over the pasta and turn to coat the pasta. Pour the béchamel over pasta—do not mix. Cover the top of the pasta with Asiago, Parmigianino, and mozzarella (or just sprinkle with dried parmesan cheese). Place the casserole under hot broiler and melt cheese until brown and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings

North African Hamburger over Rice

From the kitchen of Cheryl
Inspired by Melissa d’Arabian of Food Network’s North African Meatballs
Serves 6

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested (don’t use the juice for this recipe)
½ cup pitted briny olives, chopped( kalamata, or stuffed manzanilla work well)
¾ cup chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes (or ½ teaspoon if you like it spicy)
Pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make Sauce:

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors and reduce sauce, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Hamburger part:

1 pound hamburger
1 Tablespoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 4 Tablespoons canola oil, for cooking
2 teaspoons dried parsley or 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cook and drain hamburger. Add hamburger to the sauce and add remaining ingredients and cook for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over 6 cups of cooked rice or Couscous. You can cook it with 1 Tablespoon of chicken broth. I like to add to the rice ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ cup chopped dried dates, handful of chopped dried apricots, dash of cinnamon and a pat of butter.

Cooked carrots is a nice accompaniment to this main dish.

Everything Lo Mein

From the kitchen of Cheryl
Inspired by Rachel Ray, of Food Network

Sauce:
6 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
6 Tablespoons water
3-4 drops hot sauce or Sriracha hot chili Sauce (if you like it hot use more)

Lo Mein:

12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups chicken, thinly sliced into strips
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander (spice aisle)
2 teaspoons powdered ginger or 2 inches fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced onion or 6 green onions, cut into 8 –inch lengths then sliced lengthwise
½ pound chopped mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, cut into quarters, seeded, then sliced (or use frozen green peppers)
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
3 cups chopped green cabbage or 2 cups fresh bean sprouts

Sauce: Mix together sauce ingredients and reserve.

Bring spaghetti water to a boil, salt water with 1 teaspoon salt, pour in spaghetti and cook until al dente (9 minutes). Drain.

While spaghetti cooks, heat a Tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. When oil ripples, add beaten eggs and scramble them to a light golden brown, remove and reserve.

Season the meat with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and coriander. Heat the remaining canola oil to a ripple, then add meat and stir-fry 4 minutes, push meat to the side and add ginger, garlic and veggies. Stir-fry veggies 2 minutes or until cabbage is cooked, then drain and add spaghetti and eggs back to skillet. Pour sauce over the spaghetti and toss to combine. Turn off pan. Toss 30 seconds and let the liquids absorb.

Stracciatelle: Italian Egg Drop Soup

Translated as rag soup

from the kitchen of Cheryl

28 ounces ( 3-1/2 cups) chicken broth
2 eggs
3 TBS. Parmesan cheese (fresh or dried) or 3 TBS Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/8-¼ tsp black pepper
2 TBS. dried parsley or handful of fresh

Bring broth to a boil. Scramble eggs with cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper. Drop broth to simmer and drizzle the eggs into pot in a slow stream by scooping eggs into broth with a fork. Drizzle the eggs in a circular motion, moving slowly. When the eggs are all incorporated in broth, add the parsley and turn off the heat.

Serve with crusty bread.
For a broth with more flavor:
 Save vegetable peels and scraps, also water from canned olives, vegetables, mushrooms, water from boiling potatoes, ginger peels, celery ends and leaves, chicken fat, (anything that you think would add flavor to soup) in freezer then boil in water for 20 minutes. Strain out scraps and discard. Use 3-1/2 cups of the broth mixed with 4 teaspoons chicken or beef bouillon.

Adapted from “Rachael Ray 30 Minute-Meals”

Minestrone Soup

from the kitchen of Cheryl

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef, browned
2 onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
3-4 c. diced carrots
1 large can tomatoes, stewed, crushed or diced
2 quarts water
1 TBS. Beef bouillon
2 bay leaves
1 TBS. salt (need more if adding extra ingredients)
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 TBS parsley
2-4 TBS worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup tomato juice (optional)
1 tsp. celery salt (or Bon Appetit*)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
5 drops Tabasco sauce

Optional ingredients:

Mix of frozen vegetables of your choice for a total of 2-4 cups , peas, corn, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, shredded cabbage
Beans: kidney, pinto, black, garbanzo (also called chick peas) cooked or from a can
Mushrooms
Olives
Corkscrew pasta or macaroni- ½ cup

Cook 1-3 hours. If desired, last 10-15 minutes, add ½ cup macaroni or corkscrew pasta, and a combination of your choice of Chvegetables.

This recipe is adapted from Carol Watt’s recipe (see “Recipes from the Heart” p. 11) and is a great starting flavor to add your choice of ingredients to.

· Bon Appetit is a mixture of salt, celery seed, and onion

Recipe can be used in crockpot.

Zuppa Toscana

from the kitchen of Cheryl

½ pound sausage (2 large links), can also use beef summer sausage, or lean turkey sausage
3 cups chicken broth (can use fat-free)
3 cups milk (can use fat free)
2 TBS minced onion
1 TBS bacon bits
¼ tsp. salt
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium potato
2 cups chopped kale

1. Saute the sausage until cooked.
2. Combine chicken broth, milk, onion, bacon bits, salt and pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat
3. Dice potato and add to the saucepan (peeling is optional). When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. (Impatient cooks can bake potato in microwave to shorten cooking time.)
4. Cut the sausage at an angle into ¼ inch slices and add to the saucepan. Simmer for 1 hour or until potato slices begin to soften. (Add the kale to the soup and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Inspired by “Top Secret Recipes Treasury II” imitating Olive Garden’s soup

Serves 3

Salsa Chicken

from the kitchen of Cheryl

Mix in crock pot: 2 cup salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
Add: 4 frozen chicken breasts
Cook on high for 4 hours. Check at 3 and 3 ½ hours to see if chicken is cooked. Shred chicken.
Add: 1 cup cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
Serve in a tortilla or over rice.