Free Recipies

Guacamole

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:26:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
* 1 lime, juiced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately

Carrot Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:25:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 4 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3 cups grated carrots
* 1 cup chopped pecans
*
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Grilled Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:24:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
* lemon pepper to taste
* garlic powder to taste
* salt to taste
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1/3 cup water
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken Pot Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:24:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
* 1 cup sliced carrots
* 1 cup frozen green peas
* 1/2 cup sliced celery
* 1/3 cup butter
* 1/3 cup chopped onion
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
* 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
* 2/3 cup milk
*
* 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving

Apple Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:23:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:22:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
* 3/4 pound lean ground beef
* 1/2 cup minced onion
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
* 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 12 lasagna noodles
* 16 ounces ricotta cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 15 graham crackers, crushed
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
*
* 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 3/4 cup milk
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Pumpkin Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup water
* 3 cups white sugar
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:19:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely.

Banana Crumb Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:18:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 bananas, mashed
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Pear Cranberry Crumble

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:16:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
* 1/3 cup dried cranberries
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4 firm, ripe pears, each peeled, cored and cut into 12 slices
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons cold butter
DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the apple juice, cranberries and vanilla; let stand for 15 minutes. Arrange pear slices in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with sugar. Pour apple juice mixture over pears.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats brown sugar, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until pears are tender and tipping is golden brown. Serve warm.

Peach Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:15:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 5 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
* 5 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Place peaches in prepared dish. Cut each slice of bread into five fingers, and lay the fingers over the peaches. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, egg and butter and mix until well blended. Pour over bread and peaches.
3. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes, until golden.

Mixed Fruit Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:14:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 3 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
* 4 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
* 1 banana, sliced
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 pinch salt
* 1/4 cup butter
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). .
2. Combine apples, peaches, banana, raisins and water in a 7x11 baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit.
4. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes, until topping starts to brown. Serve warm.

Crumb Topping for Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:13:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup butter, diced
DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork or stand mixer just until the topping is crumbly. Top your pie before baking.

Crumb-Topped Rhubarb

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:12:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* TOPPING:
* 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats
* 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Spoon into a greased 12-in. x 8-in. x 2-in. baking dish; set aside. Combine flour, brown sugar and oats. Cut in butter until crumbly; sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Blackberry Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:08:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup butter or margarine, divided
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup water
* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
* 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
* 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 10-in. round or oval baking dish, melt 1/2 cup butter; set aside. In a saucepan, heat sugar and water until sugar melts; set aside. Place flour in a mixing bowl; cut in remaining butter until fine crumbs form. Add milk, stirring with a fork until dough leaves sides of bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead three or four times. Roll out to an 11-in. x 9-in. rectangle 1/4 in. thick. Spread berries over dough; sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Cut into 1/4-in. thick slices. Carefully lay slices in baking dish over butter. Pour sugar syrup around slices (syrup will be absorbed). Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle sugar over top and bake 15 minutes more. Serve warm or cold. (*If self-rising flour is not available, use 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder.)

Dirt cake

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Ingredients

* 1 20 oz. pkg. oreo cookies
* 1 stick butter
* 1 8 oz. cream cheese
* 1 cup 10x sugar
* 3 1/2 cups milk
* 2 packages instant vanilla pudding (or chocolate)
* 1 12oz cool whip

Directions

1. Take the package of cookies and using a food processor crush the entire package and set aside.
2. Cream the margarine, cream cheese, and sugar together.
3. Combine the milk with the pudding and add the cool whip.
4. Combine the two mixtures.
5. In a plastic flower pot or glass bowl, alternate layers of cookies and pudding mixture.
6. Beginning and ending with cookie mixture.
7. Refrigerate Well.

Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:38:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (4 pound) whole chicken
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup hot pepper jelly
* 1 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1. To Prepare Chicken: Remove giblets and set aside for another use. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Pull front skin down over neck cavity and tuck under chicken. Fold wings under breast, and tie legs and tail together securely with kitchen twine or string.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Melt jelly and 1/2 cup butter or margarine together in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter or margarine separately.
4. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and baste with melted plain butter or margarine. Bake for another 30 minutes, basting often with the plain butter or margarine. Then baste liberally with the melted jelly/butter mixture and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Teriyaki Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:33:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut in half
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. Rinse chicken halves, and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken cut side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, soy sauce, grated ginger and garlic. Mix well, and pour mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake chicken uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour, basting frequently. Test to see if its done, making sure there is no pink left in the meat. Let cool slightly, then cut into smaller pieces to serve.

Chicken Fried Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:29:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 30 saltine crackers
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons dry potato flakes
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

DIRECTIONS

1. Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, potato flakes, seasoned salt, and pepper to bag and mix well.
2. Beat egg in a shallow dish or bowl; heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
3. One by one, dredge chicken pieces in egg beat, then place in bag with crumb mixture, seal bag and shake to coat.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook coated chicken in skillet for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden brown and juices run clear.

Strawberry Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:22:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups milk
* 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 pint heavy cream
* 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
* 1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
* 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 3-qt saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Stir in small amount of milk mixture into yolks, then return all to saucepan. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool 20 minutes. Pour into pie shell; chill several hours until firm. Whip cream and sugar; spread half over pie filling. Arrange berries on cream. Add cream around edge of pie.

Cherry Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:13:00 +0000

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup milk
*
* 2 cups pitted sour cherries
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and place in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Remove as soon as butter has melted, about 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until well blended, then pour the batter into the pan over the butter. Do not stir.
3. Rinse out the bowl from the batter, and dry. Place cherries into the bowl, and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Distribute the cherry mixture evenly over the batter. Do not stir.
4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the cobber should come out clean.

White Bean Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Ingredients

2 big handfuls baby spinach, washed and dried
2 cans white cannelloni beans (or freshly cooked equivalent)
2 handfuls walnuts, toasted
a couple glugs of citrus-flavored olive oil
a small splash of champagne vinegar
a few pinches fine-grained sea salt
a bit of crumbled cheese (manouri, goat cheese work nicely)

Directions

Rinse and drain the beans. If you like your bean salad on the warm side, my shortcut for heating them up is to run them under hot water (saves having to wash a pot).

In a large bowl combine the spinach, beans and walnuts. Add the olive oil, a splash of champagne vinegar, and salt. Toss gently but make sure you get everything nicely coated. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top and enjoy.

Baked Pasta Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Ingredients

extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound whole wheat pasta shells
sea salt
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups well-chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
zest of 2 lemons
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded or torn into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter/oil a large casserole dish or baking pan - something roughly equivalent to 13x9-inch pan.

Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain pasta, toss with a glug of olive oil. Set aside.

In the meantime, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Saute the onions with a couple pinches of salt for a few minutes (or if you want a bit more depth of flavor until caramelized). Stir in garlic. Stir in spinach. Cook for just about 20 seconds, until the spinach collapses a bit. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds and 1/2 of the zest. Add to pasta and stir and stir - mixing extremely well, a minute or so.

Now sprinkle the bottom of baking dish with the rest of the zest. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, now sprinkle with some of the cheese, add more pasta, then more cheese. Finish with a layer of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and melty. Serve sprinkled with the remaining almonds.

Olive Oil Crackers

noreply@blogger.com (Free Software of the Day) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:12:00 +0000

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

If you have a hard time finding semolina flour, just use white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour), it will be make a slightly different cracker but should still work. To get creative with your crackers you can top them with lots of things before baking: freshly grated cheese, artisan salts, cornmeal, a dusting of your favorite spice blend, seeds, or a wash of your favorite flavored or infused oil. You can simply cut the unbaked cracker dough into various shapes using one of those pizza cutting wheels.

Whisk together the flours and salt. Add the water and olive oil. Using a mixer with a dough hook attachment mix the dough at medium speed for about 5 - 7 minutes. Alternately, feel free to mix and then knead by hand on a floured countertop. The dough should be just a bit tacky - not too dry, not too sticky to work with. If you need to add a bit more water (or flour) do so.

When you are done mixing, shape the dough into a large ball. Now cut into twelve equal-sized pieces. Gently rub each piece with a bit of olive oil, shape into a small ball and place on a plate. Cover with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 - 60 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 450F degrees. Insert a pizza stone if you have one.

When the dough is done resting, flatten one dough ball. Using a rolling pin or a pasta machine, shape into a flat strip of dough - I can usually get down to the 4 setting on my pasta machine w/o trouble. Pull the dough out a bit thinner by hand (the way you might pull pizza dough). You can also cut the dough into whatever shape you like at this point. Set dough on a floured (or cornmeal dusted) baking sheet, poke each cracker with the tines of a fork to prevent puffing, add any extra toppings, and slide into the oven (onto the pizza stone). Repeat the process for the remaining dough balls, baking in small batches. If you don't have a pizza stone, bake crackers a few at a time on baking sheets.

Bake until deeply golden, and let cool before eating - you will get more crackery snap.