Eggy Breakfast Sandwich

This was breakfast. Tasty warm messy breakfast. I made Bisquick drop biscuits (yes, I support Bisquick. I have no urge to make a floury mess at 9 AM) and lightly spooned melted butter over the tops when I took them out of the oven. Filled with a salt-and-pepper egg over easy and added slices of cold, salty French feta.

There is almost nothing I love more than Valbreso feta.

Spicy Baked Penne

The best things in the world start like this:

and end like this:

Oh baked penne, how I love thee. You are perfect for dinner parties, where I'm too cheap and lazy to toil over lasagna. (My secret has been outed). You are also perfect as leftovers, eaten cold out of the baking dish at 1am after the 800th round of this game:

(My last dinner party involved going through the entire family Apples to Apples card set TWICE. Oh yes, that's how we nerds party.)

Before all the epic nerdery began though, we were nomming down on this:


Don´t mind me, just licking my laptop screen.

Spicy Baked Penne:

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 28-ounce cans crushed Italian plum tomatoes
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 cups canned chicken broth
1 pound penne or rigatoni
2 1/2 cups packed cheese (sharp cheddar and mozzarella are tasty)


Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a LARGE skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, dried basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Add broth; bring back to boil. Reduce heat to medium or lower and simmer uncovered until mixture is thick and is reduced, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook pasta until aldente. Drain well but don't rinse. Return pasta to pot. Pour sauce over and toss to blend. Mix in half the cheese. Transfer to baking pan and top with remaining cheese.

Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Serves 5 to 6.

(PS, if you´re wondering why the pictures look suddenly fab, it´s because they were taken with my friend´s gorgeous fancy expensive camera. I am using them to my advantage.)

Stuffed Shells (Or, The Only Food With Mystery Filling You WANT To Eat)

I’ll be the first to admit I have an obsession with stuffed pasta. It’s the novelty of it really. “Oh hey there pasta, let me cut you open. *GASP* What is this glorious surprise you have here for me?”

Well, that’s the idea. I imagine the people who eat my stuffed pasta think that since I spoil the surprise for myself by being the relatively unimportant figure behind the meal. *cough*

And they’re so easy to make I’m appalled that I don’t make stuffed shells more often!

Step 1: Glorious fiery bubbling sauce



Step 2: Messily stuffed ricotta-romano joy shells


Step 3: Cue Spice Girls: “When 2 become 1~~~~~” (+ cheese :D)


Step 4: Melty cheesy happy pasta goodness



Stuffed Shells:

Sauce:
1 zucchini, cubed
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped finely
½ lb ground beef
1 cup olives, diced
24 oz tomato sauce (jarred pasta sauce works fine, too)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp basil
Salt and pepper
(The spice measurements are all relative, as you have to adjust it to your own tastes, really)

Filling:
1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
24 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
Salt and pepper
¾ cup Romano cheese

1 box conchiglie (AKA super huge shell pasta)
1 ½ cups mozzarella and cheddar cheese, grated

Brown ground beef in a large pan; transfer to small bowl and set aside. Add 1 tbsp of oil to pan over medium-high heat. Toss in zucchini, garlic, mushrooms, and onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add olives, beef, tomato sauce, and spices. Stir well and simmer for about 20 minutes over medium-low heat.

Boil pasta as directed.

Mix all filling items together. Fill pasta shells with about 1 tbsp filling each. (Warning: pasta shells will be very hot so run them under cold water before handling!)
Line pasta shells in a 9x13 baking dish; cover with sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese over top and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with salad!

Serves 6-8.

--Jirafa

Bento #1--Teriyaki Beef

Sometimes I'll be posting images of my bentos just for fun and recipes if they're relevant. My classes end after 1 this quarter so I usually just head home to eat and don't bother with a bento but tomorrow I'm donating blood on campus so fortifying bento it shall be!

Top tier: White rice with teriyaki beef mixed with celery and onions.
Bottom tier: Peach yogurt, cheddar cheese, mini-chocolate.
Side car: Cucumber slices mixed with lemon, salt, and pepper.

--Jirafa

Chicken Spinach Pizza

It seems to be a spinach week. Now, without any attempt at transitioning, here’s a story. Sometimes I tell myself, “I love you.” Well tonight, I needed to prove this love to myself.

So I made pizza.

Really good pizza.




I got all my little ingredients on there, happy and willing to transcend their boring, lonely lives into something fun and delicious! And they were all so snug and I thought, this looks great. But what could really make this fabulous? I need to show that love.

I know, chicken.



It’s all about the love. <3

Chicken Spinach Pizza

1 personal-sized Boboli whole wheat pizza crust
¼ cup tomato sauce (more if you like saucy pizza, just keep it away from your relatives)
½ cup mixed mozzarella and cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup baby spinach
1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 thinly-sliced chicken breast, sliced into strips and coated with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Arrange pizza to preference. I like to do sauce, cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and chicken lastly. But be wild. Mix it up. But do keep in mind that the spinach will burn if you leave it too close to the heat. So maybe don’t be too wild.

Pop pizza into oven heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Plate, tell yourself “I love you,” and devour.

Serves one hungry college student.

(By the way, I'm sure it tastes just as fabulous without chicken, for those of you who would like to avoid eating feathered friends)

--Jirafa

Spinach-Ricotta Manicotti

Winter quarter begins tomorrow so I held a farewell winter break luncheon today. Manicotti seemed like the perfect food to have on a chilly day. Yes, what really is better than manicotti, salad, and Torchwood season 1?

Manicotti shells that boiled intact, maybe. Lo and behold, ALL of the shells went into the water whole and came out aldente and like flat tortillas instead of round tubes.

Fine. Manicotti is essentially lasagna enchiladas anyway, no reason to not treat it as such. If this happens to you, fill the pasta, curl it into a tube shape and place it into the pan seam side down. It comes out looking and tasting just the same and it’s really a lot easier to fill this way!



Spinach-Ricotta Manicotti:

1 80z package manicotti pasta
1 ½ cup medium cheddar cheese, grated
1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Sauce:

½ lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 24oz can or jar of tomato sauce
1 cup sliced black olives
1 tablespoon basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Ricotta filling:

2 cups fresh baby spinach
15oz ricotta cheese
¾ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 cup parsley
Salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan, brown the ground beef on medium-high. Transfer to bowl; cook onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Return ground beef to pan, as well as all remaining ingredients. Turn heat down to low; cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Boil pasta as directed. While pasta boils, combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Run pasta under cold water, as it will be very hot. Then, using a small spoon (or your fingers, it’s a messy job), fill the manicotti tubes with the spinach-ricotta filling. Line manicotti in a 9x13 glass pan.

Cover manicotti in sauce; finish by covering in both cheeses.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Serves ~6

--Jirafa

Quick and Dirty Tuna Spaghetti

I got the idea for mixing tuna with tomato sauce from my French Éclair, who fed me one weekend while we practiced our Japanese. In truth, I stole the idea. Stole it, ran away, and—okay, I’ll stop.

Some of you are still eating Thanksgiving leftovers.

I’m not quite sure if that makes you lucky or not. I cooked a small dinner for my two roommates. What was your Thanksgiving like? Huge family or close-knit group? Did you eat with friends? Roommates? If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, did you have a great Thursday? :D

At any rate, leftovers are gone at my place and I was hungry.




Good college fare. And not “good” in the “can be nuked in the microwave” kind of way. I’m still frightened by most microwavable food.



This is me making use of the only leftover vegetable from Thursday. Don’t judge me.

Tuna Spaghetti:

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6-8oz angel hair or spaghetti pasta
2 cups pasta sauce of choice
1 small can chunk tuna in water
Various spices

Boil pasta according to directions. In the meantime heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan. Add celery and garlic and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pot. Add cooked celery/garlic, pasta sauce, tuna, and whatever spices you’ve chosen. I find that canned sauces come lightly seasoned so I like to throw in basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, a dash or two of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through and serve with parmesan cheese.

+This would also be great with some diced onions. Just throw them in with the celery.

-Jirafa

Parmesan Basil Risotto (con Saffron)

How do people name their recipes? Honestly, this was going to be Basil Saffron Risotto but then I thought that the Parmesan was important so it became Basil Parmesan Saffron Risotto which sounded ridiculous. What next? Basil Parmesan Saffron Olive Oil Chicken Stock Salt Pepper Nonstick Soup Pot Risotto? *cough*

But saffron is special, so shouldn’t it be in the title?

Saffron optional.

Enough of me.



I love risotto. You love risotto. You will love my risotto.

No promises.

But seriously.



Look at that. I mean…


Look at it. (Not too much please. Clearly I can't photograph risotto. Try not to hold it against me.)



People get whiny when they hear “risotto.” “So much stirring!” “Too much work!” “Arrogant rice!”

The last comment isn’t common.

It’s really easy. I promise you.

Italians, don’t judge me. I only wish to one day meet your level of mastery.

Excuse me.


Parmesan Basil Risotto

*1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup chopped onions (optional. They aren’t in this recipe although they would have been if I had an onion. I weep.)
2 tbsp olive oil (safflower oil works fine if you’re like me)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup milk (you can use 1% but please no less. It compromises the glory. Light cream is spectacular.)
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp saffron-infused water
1 tsp basil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook for about three minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add broth, saffron, and onions (if desired) and bring slowly to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring two or three times. Once the rice has thickened and the broth mostly evaporated, add milk, cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

If your risotto looks too thick, add either a splash of broth or milk to loosen it up some. The risotto is done when you pull a spoon across the bottom of the pan and it takes a second or two to slide back into place.

Serve by itself or with steamed asparagus. Also makes a decadent side dish to pan-fried chicken!

*For those of you unfamiliar with Arborio, it really is a different type of rice. You might have to look hard to find it at your grocery store. Here’s an example!


-Jirafa

Not Another College Quesadilla

Not Another College Quesadilla

Hearing a college student say “quesadilla” brings images of either Taco Bell or greasy fake cheddarized tortillas to mind. Wait, did I say “or?” I’ve shied away from quesadillas for most of my life, considering them food for picky children and people who refuse to eat “ethnic” food (thus depriving themselves of any worthy food experience and wasting their taste buds *COUGH*).



Oh. Nevermind. Hello, Beautiful. Come to change my mind, have you? Well I refuse to be affected by you.



I…refuse… Oh, who am I kidding? This quesadilla is just darn delicious. Underneath the colorful toppings hide the real stars of this show.



That’s right. Pan-fried chicken, cut into strips. Juicy strips. Juicy strips of love and joy.

*cough*


Who says being a college student means having to eat lame food?

Not Another College Quesadilla:

1 thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup medium cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup sliced grape tomatoes (any other tomato would work fine, too, this is just what I had)
½ cup baby spinach
2 soft taco-sized flour tortillas
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Lightly coat both sides of the chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry chicken until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. When the chicken is cooked, remove and slice into strips.

In a medium-sized frying pan set 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Cover with ½ of the cheese, spinach, chicken strips, tomatoes, the rest of the cheese, and top with the other tortilla. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and tortilla is browned and slightly crispy.

Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and salsa.

Next recipe: Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cake (Scheduled post: Tuesday, November 18, 2008).

Spinach-Ricotta Lasagna

Spinach-Ricotta Lasagna





Lasagna is a family-food for some, a comfort food for many. It works best for dinners parties, served with garlic bread and salad. It’s one of the few foods I will eat leftovers from, so it holds a heralded spot in the recipe center of my brain.



The secret to a fabulous lasagna is in the ricotta center. I see so many lasagnas that don’t include this portion; it makes me sad. If you’re cooking for kids, I understand why it’s easier to just leave it out. As a child I remember scraping the visible vegetables out of my lasagna and eating only what had cheese touching it.



As an adult, I’ve learned to love this spinach-ricotta center. Lasagna feels barren and lost without it.



Does anyone know why lasagna noodles have those cute ruffled edges?



I can’t tell what’s more fun: putting together lasagna or eating it?

Spinach-Ricotta Lasagna:
Mama Pita’s Pasta Sauce (see previous post)
1lb lasagna noodles
16oz medium cheddar cheese, grated
16oz mozzarella cheese, grated
*Spinach-Ricotta Filling (see below)

Boil noodles as directed on package.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a 12x18 glass or ceramic baking dish, spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Layer with noodles, more sauce, and 1/4 of the cheese. Layer with noodles, all of the ricotta mixture, more noodles, followed by sauce, another fourth of the cheese, more noodles, the rest of the sauce, the third-fourth of the cheese, more noodles, and top with the remaining amount of cheese.

Place into the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top and looks golden and crispy.

Spinach-Ricotta Lasagna Filling:
2 cups fresh baby spinach
15oz ricotta cheese
¾ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 ½ cups parsley

In a large bowl mix together all ingredients.

Next Recipe: Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cake (Scheduled post: Wednesday, November 19, 2008).

Vaguely Greek Salad

Vaguely Greek Salad



I love a good salad. The best part of salads is how forgiving they are. Mix a little of this, a little of that, and you’ve got a masterpiece.



I call this Vaguely Greek Salad for the reason that throwing olives and feta onto lettuce and calling it Greek seems a little presumptuous. But it really is quite good.



Mmmmmmmmmm…

Vaguely Greek Salad

1-2 bags prewashed mixed greens
½ cup black olives (Kalamata also work well if you have some on hand)
1 avocado, sliced
½ to 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, sliced
1/3 cup plain feta

Fill a large salad bowl with mixed greens and arrange the various vegetables on top, ending with the feta cheese. *Serve with your favorite dressing.

*I enjoy using balsamic vinaigrette for this purpose.