Stir-fried Basil Beef with Shiitakes and Cashews

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I was walking through PCC Market, trying to decide what to make for dinner, when I happened upon this recipe. PCC often places featured recipes strategically throughout the store and this one was sitting near the meat counter. The minute I saw Thai basil, grass fed beef and cashews in the list of ingredients, I was sold. After gathering all necessary ingredients and going through checkout, I headed home to prepare the following recipe for Stir-fried Basil Beef with Shiitakes and Cashews.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 lb grass fed beef, sirloin or top round, cut into thick strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced fresh Shiitake mushrooms
1 small hot red chile, sliced (I used a milder small green chile)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cane sugar
20 Thai or sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup roasted cashews

Heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat in wok or large saute pan. Stir-fry beef and garlic for 4 minutes and remove from pan. Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion, mushroom, chile and red bell pepper for 2 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Stir in beef mixture and add soy sauce, sugar, basil leaves and cashews. Heat through and serve over steamed jasmine rice.

I would like to share one interesting note regarding grass-fed beef that was included with this recipe. Grass-fed beef takes less time to cook than grain-fed beef because it is leaner and lower in fat. It is also high in healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids. Stovetop cooking is perfect for grass-fed beef because you have more control over the temperature than on a grill.

This recipe was delicious all the way around. The grass-fed beef had amazing flavor and the cashews added the perfect amount of crunch. I also appreciate that Shiitakes are a meatier mushroom that hold flavor well and provide a robust texture. I don't use Shiitakes often so this was a nice reminder that they add complexity to a dish.

The only change I made is to use a mild to medium green chile instead of a hot red chile. I needed to keep the heat level of the dish on the low side so Olivia could enjoy dinner with Brad and me. There is one additional change I would make; I would double the number of Thai basil leaves. I love the flavor of Thai basil and as I ate my portion, I was craving more. Other than these small revisions, the recipe was near perfection. It definitely earned the Lovejoy stamp of approval.

Recipe Source:
Lynne Vea, PCC Natural Markets Chef via pccnaturalmarkets.com

Birthday Celebration at Boat Street Cafe

I was granted the great pleasure of planning a birthday party for my best friend, Natalie. This was her fortieth birthday so I wanted to make sure it was extra super duper special. Let me just start out by sharing that Natalie is a true blue friend. The kind of friend that loves without boundaries and always has my best interests at heart. She is my kindred spirit and even shares my love of all things French; especially Parisian. Keeping this in mind, it was a no brainer to plan her birthday at a downtown Seattle French restaurant called Boat Street Cafe.

Although unassuming from the exterior, the ambience at Boat Street Cafe exemplifies a charming French countryside cafe. From weathered table tops to mismatched chairs to simple place settings, the restaurant is near perfection. The walls display just the right amount of art and the dim lighting creates warmth. I provided the simple bouquet of hydrangeas and the delectable macaroons from our favorite West Seattle Bakery, Bakery Nouveau. Everything else in the photos was provided by Boat Street Cafe.  

Boat Street Cafe is widely known for serving incredible brunch, but they also provide a lovely dinner menu. The snapshots and descriptions below are examples of their dinner menu offerings but people in our group also tried Carlton Farms Pork Rib Chop, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Boat Street Pickle Plate, Steamed Mussels, Warm Bread and Butter, and Rosemary Veal Chop. Dare I mention that someone even tried the Braised and Seared Lamb Tongue?

Alaskan True Cod: spinach, roasted blood orange, Tremiti olives (Tremiti olives are Italian olives that are picked young and fresh, then immersed in sea salt and water for several months)

Skillet Roasted Painted Hills Ribeye Steak: caper aioli, parsley-shallot salad, lemon

Pan Roasted Mad Hatcher Chicken: avgolemono,baby leeks, golden turnips (avgolemono is a sauce or soup made with lemon juice and egg, mixed with broth and heated until thickened)

At Natalie's request, a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and orange buttercream frosting; special ordered fromWest Seattle's Stuffed Cakes. Her wish was our command.

Finally, the birthday girl with her husband, Dave. Happy Birthday, dear friend!  

Chickpea, Cheese and Onion Burgers

My father deserves full credit for discovering this recipe. He was reading an article about Paul McCartney's new cookbook based on meat free Mondays, and this recipe was featured in the article. Brad, Olivia and I were traveling through Oregon while on a ski trip to Mt. Bachelor. When we arrived in Eugene to spend a few days with family, my dad had this recipe on the counter, alongside all of the required ingredients. He couldn't have made it any easier for me to prepare the following dish. Thank you, Daddy-O!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (14-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded Gruyere
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour, for dusting

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender and not colored. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Put lentils and chickpeas in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add onion mixture, tahini and parsley and pulse again until nearly smooth. Spoon into large bowl and add egg, breadcrumbs and cheeses.

Mix with hands and add salt and pepper. Shape into patties and lightly dust with flour. Heat remaining oil in large skillet. Place burgers in pan and cook until golden on both sides. Serves 4.

Okay, this burger was seriously tasty. It ends up that lentils and chickpeas are great partners. The combination provided a hearty, substantial product that served as a great background for the flavors of the cheeses and spices. Feta cheese served a textural purpose but the Gruyere was the star for me. Vegetarian burgers can sometimes be dry but the Gruyere added a wonderful creaminess that helped the burger maintain moisture.

The flavor profile was really pleasing. Although Feta and Cumin go well together, I would have never thought to combine Gruyere and Cumin or Gruyere and Tahini. The combination of these ingredients, however, worked perfectly. The only change I made to the recipe was to omit the cayenne. My dad did not have cayenne in his pantry so we decided to go without. I don't feel as though the recipe suffered as a result, but I will try it with cayenne next time for comparison.

The most special contribution to this recipe was the high quality breadcrumbs. My father purchased a loaf of Spelt Bread from Cottage Grove Farmhouse Bakery and my step-mom converted it to breadcrumbs. This particular bakery is located south of Eugene in a small town called Cottage Grove. They use no chemicals, no additives and their motto is "just real honest bread." The only ingredients in this loaf were organic wholegrain spelt flour, water, honey, yeast and salt. Spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family that has a lower amount of gluten than regular wheat flour. It is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium and fiber. Although not gluten free, spelt seems to work for many people that have wheat allergies. I have been eating variations of spelt for years and I have always enjoyed it in any form.

I would like to give a shout out to my brother, Nick, who received a special treat in his burger; a small piece of wooden spoon. My dad and step-mom have a 1970s Oster Blender that I used instead of a food-processor. It ended up working just fine but somehow during the process, a chunk disappeared off the wooden spoon I was using. Oops. :) Anyway, my brother handled it like a champ and moved forward with enjoying his meal.

Source:
"Meat Free Monday Cookbook" by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney via relish.com

Classic Chicken Stock

I believe this may be the most basic recipe ever featured on my blog. I know it sounds like a no brainer, but I have never made chicken stock from scratch. I have prepared vegetable stock on the fly, without a recipe, but that is the closest I have come to preparing classic stock. As many of you know, I have not eaten chicken in over 13 years so touching and preparing raw chicken is a stretch for me. Even though this recipe allows for chicken bones, wings and thighs; I chose to use a whole free range organic chicken from PCC Market. This was much easier to handle than separated sections of chicken.

I have not yet decided what I am going to make with my stock. I may end up freezing it in recipe portions or preparing homemade soup for dinner tomorrow night. Either way, this should be delicious and it is so much less expensive than purchasing pre-prepared organic chicken stock.

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken with bones (or chicken bones, wings and thighs)
4 qts (16 cups) cold water
1 onion, stuck with 4 cloves
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black peppercorns

Place chicken and water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove any remnants that rise to top of water. Add onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 hours.

Strain, cool and refrigerate. Lift off fat with spoon.

Use within 2 to 3 days or freeze. You may also freeze immediately after cooking. Makes about 2 quarts but recipe may be doubled. Hint: make in large quantity and freeze in portions that match amounts required in favorite recipes.

I tasted the stock and it is quite flavorful. I also appreciate that the degree of saltiness is mine to determine. Although I followed the above recipe, I couldn't resist making a few additions; 2 smashed cloves of garlic and one extra rib of celery with leaves. I would also consider adding chopped fennel to my next batch.

As a side note, all vegetables used in this recipe were organic and the parsley was harvested fresh from my garden. Enjoy!

Source:
"Creative Soups and Salads" by Lou Seibert Pappas
Page 13

Seared Salmon with Cucumber and Brown Butter

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I am fairly certain that Brad and I are salmon purists. We tend to like salmon best when it is grilled on the Weber with nothing but salt and pepper; a little garnish of dill and/or lemon on the side. I am however, intrigued once in a while when I come across a salmon recipe that I have never seen. This particular recipe for Seared Salmon with Cucumber and Brown Butter was interesting to me because I often see braised cucumbers being prepared on Food Network. I have never eaten cooked cucumbers but my curiosity has been peaked for quite some time. This alone, encouraged me to move ahead with the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet (center cut or head end), in one piece
salt and pepper
1 medium or 1/2 large cucumber, split length-wise, peeled, seeded and sliced (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
whole or chopped chives for garnish

Slice salmon on a diagonal into 8 equal pieces, about 1/2 inch thick (or have it cut at fish market). Season slices lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook salmon slices until just slightly underdone, about a minute and a half on each side. Transfer to warm plates.

Add cucumber to skillet and cook until lightly browned.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Add butter, pinch of salt and lemon juice. Cook until butter browns slightly. Remove pan from heat, arrange cucumber slices alongside salmon, and drizzle browned butter over fish. Garnish with chives.

The dish was enjoyable but there were a few things that I would alter. The first is to leave the salmon as a whole fillet instead of cutting it into several pieces. I purchased a beautiful piece of fresh Wild King Salmon from Seattle Fish Company. It was such a nice fillet that I contemplated disregarding the recipe directive to cut into it. I really had to talk myself in to slicing through the fillet and in retrospect, I wish I had left it whole. We would have preferred the salmon portioned out after searing took place because cutting it into smaller pieces seemed to cause the fish to lose moisture. I also think salmon cuts better when it is cooked..... just a personal preference.

The next change I would make is to squeeze fresh lemon juice over the finished product instead of adding it to the cucumbers and brown butter as they cooked. The cucumber quickly absorbed the lemon juice so we were left with cucumbers that tasted strongly of lemon. I can imagine how good the cucumbers would have tasted sauteed in brown butter only.

All in all, this recipe had good bones but personal preference would lead me to make a few changes. I would like to try it again with a full fillet of salmon and a fresh squeeze of lemon at the end. I will put it on my list of recipes to re-try with a few tweaks. That is what cooking is all about anyway, right? Find a recipe with a good idea and then alter it to fit your personal taste.

Recipe Source:
"West Coast Seafood; A Complete Cookbook" by Jay Harlow
Page 62

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I know this is difficult to believe, but prior to preparing this recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie, I had only eaten Pecan Pie one time in my life. Even more difficult to believe is that Brad had never tasted Pecan Pie at all. When I came across this recipe, I knew that I wanted to make it this year for Thanksgiving; even though I am not a big fan of corn syrup. To be honest, the one time I ate pecan pie, it had me at first bite. When I learned that I could add chocolate to the equation, it was a no brainer. I moved ahead with the following recipe.

Ingredients:
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 recipe Basic Pie Crust, rolled and fit into 9-inch pie plate (or organic pre-made pie crust)
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In heatproof bowl, set over (not in) saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 2 or 3 minute. Or, melt chocolate in microwave. Set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stirring occasionally, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust and place pie plate on rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.

Bake just until set; 50 to 6o minutes, rotating halfway through. Filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped. Let cool completely on wire rack, at least 4 hours before serving.

This pie was pretty amazing. From the rich gooey center to the chewy edges, the dessert was pure heaven. The chocolate cut through the sweetness of the corn syrup and sugar but I still recommend cutting the amount of sugar in half. I know Pecan Pie is meant to be sweet but I think the corn syrup provided enough sweetness to need very little help from sugar. This is the only change I would make to the pie. Other than only being able to eat a small piece to avoid wonky blood sugar, this pie eating experience was close to perfect. Brad concurred.

Although I am providing the recipe for Basic Pie Crust below, I decided to buy a pre-made Wholly Wholesome Organic Pie Shell from PCC Natural Market. This particular pie crust has no hydrogenated oils and is made with organic ingredients so I felt good about using it. I actually liked it almost as well as the crust I make from scratch. It didn't get quite as flakey during the baking process but it was still delicious.

Basic Pie Crust-
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 Tbsp ice water

In food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Don't over mix.

Turn dough out onto large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough,; press to shape into 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm; at least one hour (or up to 3 days).

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to 14-inch round with floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate. Do not stretch dough.

Using kitchen shears, trim dough to 1-inch overhang. Fold under itself to form rim and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to one day.

Recipe Source:
marthastewart.com

Dark and Stormy Cocktail

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

The Dark and Stormy was a perfect choice for our Thanksgiving cocktail because of the earthy color and deep, warm flavor. Our friends Tom and Heidi helped decide which cocktails we would serve. The Dark and Stormy was Tom's great idea and Heidi recommended that we serve hot spiced cider with rum. Both drinks were tasty but the Dark and Stormy was our official Thanksgiving cocktail.

Ingredients per serving:
ice
1/4 lime, cut into two thick slices, one for garnish, one to squeeze over ice
2 oz Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda black rum
4 oz ginger beer

Fill highball glasses with ice. Squeeze lime slice over ice. Add Gosling's rum. Add ginger beer and place slice of lime on rim of glass for squeezing or garnish.

This cocktail was tasty with a capital T! Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda black rum has great depth of flavor without  being too strong. I purchased ginger beer by The Ginger People and the flavor was lovely. I have only tasted ginger beer a few times but this brand is my favorite thus far. (I recommend checking their website for other products. The ginger chews are one of my brother's favorite treats). The only change I would make to this recipe is to squeeze one additional slice of lime. The extra acidity added the perfect touch.

I read about a few alternatives to this cocktail that I thought I would share. The first is to add fresh-grated nutmeg as a finishing touch. The second is to swap black rum for white rum to make a Light and Breezy. As you can see in our photo above, the Dark and Stormy was perfect for our Thanksgiving weather so we stuck with the original. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:
simplyrecipes.com

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Even though we host Thanksgiving every year, the holiday has become a time to both relax and reflect on our many blessings. How does one relax while hosting a holiday? Wish I could take credit for being zen-like by nature but it is not the case. I am only able to enter a relaxed state by ordering Thanksgiving dinner from Metropolitan Market and then filling in the blanks with homemade pie and an appetizer. Metropolitan Market does such a fabulous job maintaining classic flavors (I am a stuffing junky and their stuffing is amazing!), that I have decided to let them do the hard work. Why reinvent the wheel, right? Last year I was fairly motivated so I prepared two pies from scratch and an appetizer. This year, I decided to make one appetizer, one pie and to have Brad prepare a Thanksgiving cocktail.

Although the recipes were new to me, the bulk of my preparation time was spent setting a beautiful table; which is always enjoyable. The setting was quite a departure in color and complexity from my usual Thanksgiving table (this year's table setting was much simpler) and it turned out even prettier than in previous years.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

The appetizer I chose to prepare was Sweet Potatoes with Pecans, Goat Cheese and Celery. The recipe was originally designed to be served as a side dish in place of classic Sweet Potato Casserole. When I looked at the recipe however, I immediately envisioned it as an appetizer instead of a side dish. Served as any part of a meal, this dish would not disappoint.

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp olive oil
3 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch coins
salt
3/4 cup toasted and cooled pecan halves, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp dried cranberries or cherries, minced (optional but I used cranberries)
3 oz firmish goat cheese, crumbled
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat large baking sheet generously with olive oil (about 1 to 2 Tbsp). Lay sweet potatoes in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Roast, without disturbing for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip each piece; undersides should be blistery, dark and a bit puffy and should release from pan with no effort. If they don't, cook longer. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and return to pan for another 10 minutes or so, until underside matches top.

Meanwhile, prepare salad. In large bowl, combine pecans, shallots, celery, parsley, cranberries and goat cheese. In small dish, whisk together 4 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Pour half over salad and toss.

When potatoes are done, arrange then on serving platter. Scoop spoonful of salad over each round. Drizzle remaining dressing over top to taste. Serve immediately.

The recipe is savory, sweet, not too heavy and just plain tasty. I do however, highly recommend using the optional cranberries. The sweetness was perfect against the richness of the goat cheese and pecans and the chewy texture partnered beautifully with the crunchy celery. Just a reminder that pecans are easy to burn while toasting. The process works best when using a skillet on low heat and stirring the nuts frequently.

Just a side note that I used organic vegetables from PCC Natural Market and herbs from my garden for this recipe. I also want to give some love to my friend Heidi Matzen for preparing delicious green bean and sweet potato casseroles for our meal. The Matzens were our Thanksgiving guests last year as well as this year and they are lively and lovely guests. The lively comes from her husband Tom, 2 year-old son Vaughan, and 4-year old son Griffin and the lovely is courtesy of Heidi. :) We are truly thankful for such dear friends.

Recipes for pie and cocktail to follow........

Recipe Source:
In Style Magazine, November 2012

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Three Ways: Cinnamon-Sugar, Spicy and Salty

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Happy Halloween week! Since having Olivia, we have come to realize that Halloween is not a day-long holiday but instead a week-long holiday. We decided to embrace the full week so three years ago, we instituted our annual family pumpkin carving night (which includes Brad, me, Olivia and Brad's best friend, Carl). I usually think of extracting pumpkin seeds as cumbersome but this year, I decided to save them for roasting. We ended up carving five pumpkins (one for each of us and one for our cat). Needless to say, seeds abounded.

Who knew there were so many recipes for roasted pumpkin seeds and so much discussion about how to prepare them? The biggest point of discussion seemed to be whether to boil the seeds in salt or to allow them to dry on cookie sheets prior to roasting. The second point of debate was whether it is better to leave some of the pulp with the seeds for extra flavor or to remove all pulp. I had already spread my seeds across cookie sheets and removed all pulp so I moved forward from there. Next time I roast seeds, I will try boiling them in salt water because this process is supposed to help the seeds absorb and retain a salty flavor. I will also leave some of the pulp with the seeds because I kid you not, it took me an hour to separate the two.

Because there are so many pumpkin seed recipes, it was impossible to narrow my options to one. With an abundance of pumpkin seeds on hand, I decided to roast them three ways; sweet, spicy and salty. The only difference in the recipes is the way they are flavored. Roasting instructions for all three are exactly the same.

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp melted butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I couldn't find my cayenne pepper so I used chile powder.... it worked great!)

Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter
2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop out inside of pumpkin and separate seeds from pulp. Don't worry if there is some pulp remaining on seeds before roasting..... pulp may add flavor. Just remove biggest pieces so seeds are easy to toss.

In bowl, toss seeds with melted butter or olive oil until fully coated. Add salt and seasoning. Spread seeds in even layer across greased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil). Bake for 30 minutes or until seeds are golden brown. Stir occasionally while baking so seeds toast evenly. 

This roasting project was 2/3 successful. The spicy seeds are by far my favorite with the salty seeds coming in second. The idea of cinnamon-sugar seeds is fantastic but they are unfortunately, quite easy to burn. I turned them frequently throughout the 30 minute roasting time. I even took them out three minutes early but half of the batch was slightly burned. I ended up separating the good seeds from the burned seeds so we were at least able to enjoy a few of them. I highly recommend changing the baking time for the cinnamon-sugar seeds to 20 minutes. 

After realizing that the seeds might cook quicker than the recipe states, I ended up removing the spicy and salty seeds from the oven at the 25 minute mark. The textures and flavors of both were perfect after this slight alteration. 

All in all, this was a fun cooking project and the end result was pretty tasty. I would like to thank my little blonde kitchen helper for measuring and adding the ingredients to each of the batches. She does fabulous work. 

Recipe Source:

seriouseats.com

Easy Manicotti

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This has been the most beautiful northwest summer that I can remember. Days were sunny and warm without being too hot and evenings were clear and and dare I say, a bit balmy. We had no recorded rain in July, a fraction of an inch in August and about the same in September. Although we could begin to smell Fall in the air, it did not arrive until four days ago. And with a change in temperature, came the rain. Needless to say, it is time to pull out the sweaters and rain shoes and to start preparing comfort foods for dinner.

I ended up choosing this easy manicotti as my first comfort dish. Lucky for me, my friend Kasia had a bumper crop of tomatoes and I was the recipient of the overflow. I started my morning by blanching the tomatoes and then cooking them down into a beautiful homemade tomato sauce. I tend to wing my tomato sauce recipes so my final product is a little bit different every time. This time I added minced garlic from my garden, chopped white onion, olive oil, fresh garden basil and oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and white sugar. I am convinced that the best way to make sauce is to add ingredients based on your personal taste so I am not providing measurements for each ingredient. I also love starting in the morning and cooking the sauce down for 6 to 8 hours. The house smells great as the sauce cooks and the flavors have time to meld.

Once the sauce was done cooking all day, I was ready to prepare the following manicotti recipe. 

Ingredients:
1 box organic manicotti shells ( I used Garden Time organic shells)
olive oil
16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan plus 1/4 cup for topping
1 lb ground beef, ground turkey, sausage or tofu (I used grass fed ground beef)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp pepper
4 cups spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute meat in splash of olive oil, set aside. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions and set aside. Combine cooked meat, spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and pepper.

Stuff manicotti shells with mixture and arrange in 9" X 13" baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over manicotti and bake for 45 minutes. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese.

I am going to make my overview short and sweet today. This recipe is quite flavorful. My favorite part of the dish is the way the nutmeg compliments the creaminess of the ricotta. I always grate my own whole nutmeg (see photo below) with a microplane zester/grater which adds a depth of flavor that does not occur when you use pre-ground nutmeg.

I also appreciated the ease of preparation. If I hadn't prepared sauce from scratch, total preparation time would have been less than 20 minutes. As a side note, I prepared half of the manicotti with sliced olives instead of beef. I cut large whole black olives into three slices and then added them to half of the ricotta mixture. I liked the vegetarian version as well as the beef version and Olivia couldn't seem to get enough of it. You could easily forego meat and prepare the manicotti with olives or another firm vegetable. 

Finally, I know I often get on my soap box about using fresh and organic ingredients but I swear it makes a huge difference. Grass fed beef has a more robust flavor than run-of-the-mill beef and using fresh herbs adds a brightness to food that can be found no other way. Enjoy!

Recipe Courtesy of Garden Time Organics