Thanksgiving 2012 Manicotti

Another year, another Thanksgiving without turkey, and certainly not to be missed.  Truth be told, I was always partial to the leftovers, day after (white meat specific), so it is a pleasure to be able to have something different on Thanksgiving without the stress of cooking all day.   This year, I whipped up a new recipe, using sweet potatoes, chanterelles and more.  It turned out divine, and was great for "used food" as well.   With the exception of the cheese part of the filling, this can be made ahead of time, allowing ease for prep, and is so noted after each part of the recipe.

Roasted veggie ingredients

·         2 garnet sweet potatoes (approx 1 pound), peeled, cut into cubes

·         1/3 lb chanterelles, chopped coarsely

·         ¼ yellow pepper cut into match sticks

·         2 large shallots, chopped

·         ¼ fennel bulb (remove core), sliced thin

·         4 cloves of garlic, smashed to release flavors

·         1 Italian sausage (since we are veg-heads I used Tofurky Italian Sausage)

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

·         olive oil to drizzle the veggies for roasting

·         Marsala wine

Roast above veggies at 400 for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, halfway through, drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of Marsala wine, remove, cool.

Note - this can be done ahead of time (a day or so)

Cheese filling ingredients

·         10 ounces of ricotta cheese

·         1 large egg plus 1 egg white

·         ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan (can use Tillamook Italian blend)

·         ¼ cup gorgonzola cheese

·         Fresh sage to taste

·         1 teaspoon sea salt

Place roasted veggies and above cheese filling ingredients into a food processor.  Blenderize, to remove large lumps (in order to “squeeze” into manicotti shells).  If extra moisture is required, drizzle in a bit of olive oil or Marsala wine. Note - the sausage can be extra challenging if not chopped up well enough.

Bechamel Sauce

·         3 cups milk (this year I used organic non-fat and half and half combined), heat to 200 degrees

·         in 2 quart sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter  

·         when sizzling add in 3.5 tablespoons of flour

·         mix together well and cook (do not brown) for 5 - 7 minutes

·         add in the dairy mixture and cook for an additional 20+ minutes

·         product should have the appearance of melted ice cream (thickened)

·         add in ¼ cup of fresh gorgonzola, 1 tablespoon of pesto (I make my own) and 2- 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil

Note - can be made ahead, but is best when warmed to room temp before using

To prepare

·         1 package Manicotti shells (about 14 shells) uncooked

·         lasagna pan, lightly coated with olive oil

·         pour ½ cup + of béchamel sauce on bottom

·         stuff the shells (John uses a gallon Ziploc, with a corner cut off)

·         Arrange the stuffed shells in pan

·         Pour remaining béchamel sauce on top
layer w/ ½ pound of fresh mozzarella cut into matchsticks

·         drizzle Marsala wine around the edges

·         cover w/ foil

·         bake for one hour at 400 degrees

·         let sit 10-15 minutes before serving

 And as my hero, Julia would say…Bon Appétit!

this recipe is for "sister" Kim!

Broccoli Barley Soup

Prep time: 1/2 hour

Cooking time: 1.5 - 2 hours
Yield: 3 quarts

Ingredients

· 3 garlic cloves, minced

· 1 large onion, chopped

· 1carrot chopped / halved and diagonal

· ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms

· 3 tablespoons butter/ olive oil (combined)

· 2 quarts vegetable broth

· 3/4 cup uncooked medium pearl barley

· 1 pound fresh broccolini

oChop stems coarsely for cooking

oCut florets off of stem and set aside for later use

· 1 cup half-and-half cream

· 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

· ¼ cup dry sherry

· 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

· ½ cup Tillamook “Italian” cheese (pre-grated in a bag)

Directions

· In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute the garlic in the butter /olive oil.  When translucent add the next three ingredients until tender. Add the vegetable broth, white pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for one hour. 

· Using an immersion stick, puree above ingredients.

· Add barley to pot, return heat to a low boil then reduce to a simmer and “lid”.

· Cook for an additional 30 minutes.

· Add half and half at the end of the thirty minutes, with the Dijon, sherry and half and half.  Blend together well, add in the cheese.  Ready for serving once heated through.  If too thick (NEVER!) thin with broth or half n’ half.  Serve and as Julia would say....
Bon Apetit!

 

Life with Metsuki

Last summer (on July 4^th) our dear Tara Dog departed this planet.  It was a long tough summer without her.  Her spirit lives on and is ever present in our home and hearts.

In mid August, we decided to start the search for another dog, as our home seemed so empty without her, even with our lively kitties (Una and Taika).  After a relatively tedious 3 month search, John and I adopted a chocolate lab puppy (4 months old).   As a bit of historical, when we first started the search we had both agreed that a puppy was not in the forecast…. HOWEVER, after numerous visitations to shelters in the area, meeting dogs that seemed totally disinterested in us, and a few odd experiences with craigslist and owners seeking to find new homes for their dogs, we stumbled across “Suki” and pretty much were captured by her very amazing and magical eyes.  Yep, she lured us in.

Included in the adoption fee at the Humane Society (Bend) is a gift certificate for free kibble from the locally owned Pet Express.   So! In addition to bringing home an exuberant puppy, we also came home with offerings of dry kibble and a bag of meat and veggie frozen biscuits. I of course, being the label reader, decided that while I loved the concept of the frozen patty (chock filled with meat and other goodies), that I could also create a similar product for less money.  One challenge of course, that we are vegetarians (specifically, the odor of cooking meat in the house is not something John cares for).   Thus as an alternative, I came up with the solution of making veggie patties for Suki and inter-mixing them with the frozen carnivore patties from Pet Express.  Best of all, they are healthy for Suki.

Recipe as follows:

2 cups of brown rice (cooked)

1 large sweet potato baked (leave skin on)

1 cup of fresh cranberries

1 organic carrot (cooked)

1 organic Fuji apple

½ cup (maybe less) of veggie broth

In a food processor, mix up the brown rice with the baked sweet potato, adding veggie broth to mixture (will blend easier).  Add in the fresh cranberries, organic cooked carrot and chopped apple, process until smooth, no lumps.  Use the veggie broth while processing, for the consistency you desire.

Line a muffin tin with plastic wrap, and place a ¼ cup of the mixture into each cup.  Freeze.  Once the product is frozen, remove and wrap in wax paper and place in a Ziploc.  This recipe made 16 (1/4 cup amount) portions.    Amount is dependent on size of sweet potato etc. 

My next batch I am hoping to fire up the barbecue, grill a few chicken tenders and salmon and add that to the mix.   Stay tuned!

Woof Woof! (which means bon appétit! in dog language).