» CANNELLONI ‘A LA ESPAÑOLA’ «

(09 December 2010) - It is Ruben’s birthday. A month ago he made a request for this dish for his birthday, so there you go: cannelloni for dinner. This is a favorite in my family -time consuming- but it’s worth it.
Wednesdays I keep “Rori” (that’s what “Ms. Kissy-kissy” calls my new granddaughter). That is also what I call my other 4 year old granddaughter, because when the baby is here, that is what she does: kiss her and kiss her…
So I decided to have a head start on tomorrow’s dinner, because ”Rori” will be here again and so will “Ms. Kissy-kissy”, so the fun continues. Grandchildren: they make your life sweet.

Ingredients:

• ½ Package of breakfast sausages or 1 6-8 oz Italian sausage (I like the Bratwurst brand)
• 1 Lb ground beef (lean)
• 1 Box of manicotti or cannelloni (you will need 2 per person)
• 1 Cup of chopped onion
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 4 Garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
• 1 Can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
• 1 Tsp of thyme leaves
• ½ Tsp of sage (crushed)
• 5 Tbs of unsalted butter
• 5 Tbs flour
• 4-5 Cups of milk
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peel off the sausage skin and sauté the sausage in a frying pan (without oil) over medium heat. Chop up the sausage with a wooden spoon or a fork while cooking until it’s crumbly. Remove the fat if there is any and put the sausage on a side dish. In the same pan heat the oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and the ground beef. When it’s brown add the cooked sausage, tomato, spices and salt. Simmer until there is no more liquid in the pan. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the box. Don’t let it boil hard, or it will brake. When the manicotti is done, drawn over paper towels. Meanwhile butter the bottom of a baking dish and set aside. Take the cannelloni pasta and fill each piece with the meat mixture, placing them in the prepared baking dish.
Until this point, you can prepare them in advance; cover the dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate. Now it’s time to prepare the Béchamel sauce: Heat the milk until it’s almost boiling. Melt the butter over medium heat, and add the flour all at once stirring very quick using a whisk. When it’s all babbly add the hot milk and keep stirring, until the desire consistency. Add the salt and taste it. The sauce shouldn’t be too thick.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Take the pasta out of the refrigerator, and spoon the Béchamel on top until all the cannelloni is cover. If the sauce it is too thick, a few tbs of milk can be added over the top. Finish the dish with a good sprinkle of grated cheese. Bake it for 20 minutes (less if you just prepared all). It should be golden on the ridges when it’s done.

Serve with a salad and the appetizer of your choice. *Serves 6 people* - HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBEN!

» SARA’S LASAGNA «

(21 May 2010) - We went to my daughter’s for dinner on Mother’s Day and she made this dish twice (one with rice pasta and the other with regular pasta). We all like it a lot.
If there is a meal that can serve a lot a people, that’s lasagna. Once you cook everything and layer it, bake it and it’s done. It is satisfying and everyone loves it. If there are leftovers… Reheats very well next day. The meal can be completed with a good salad. For dessert something light should be prepared to counter the richness of this dish, like a fruit salad, witch I did on this occasion.

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs. of lean ground beef
• ½ Onion (chopped)
• 28 Oz. of tomatoes (diced)
• 2 Cans of tomato paste (6 Oz.)
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 2 Tbs of sugar
• 2 Tsp of salt
• 1 Tsp of oregano
• 1 Tsp of thyme
• 2 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 6 Strips of (rice or regular) lasagna pasta (cooked)
• 3-4 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent. Add ground beef and cook and brown. Drain fat (if it’s needed) and add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, salt, and spices. Simmer on low heat while pasta cooks (follow the instructions in the box). When the meat is done, remove the bay leaves. Lay 3 strips of pasta in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (previously batter it) and cover with the meat sauce. Top them with cheese and layer with more pasta, then meat, and lastly more cheese (you may have some meat left over… save it for a serving of spaghetti!) Bake at 350 ºF for 45 minutes or until cheese is golden and the lasagna is bubbly.

This is an excellent dish for large reunions. *Serves 8 people* - Rich and fulfilling!

» SPANISH PASTA WITH CHORIZO «

(15 May 2010) - My mother used to make this dish. It’s easy to do. If you like pasta and tomato sauce, no doubt you’ll like this one.
I have a cousin in Madrid (Spain) with whom I exchange Christmas cards every year. He sent me a very nice E-mail regarding my web site and asked me why I don’t have recipes with Spanish ingredients. So, Luis here goes one for you…

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of rice penne (or regular pasta)
• 1 Can of diced tomato (~28 oz.)
• ½ Cup of chopped onion
• 4 Garlic cloves (peeled and minced)
• 1 Package of chorizo Cantimpalos
• 3 Tbs of olive oil
• Parmesan or Romano cheese (for grating)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the tomato, onion, and garlic in a covered frying pan over medium heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta with a little oil, following the cooking instructions. When done put it in a colander to drain the water.
Put some butter on the bottom of 13x9” baking pan. Put the tomato in a blender, or use a hand blender.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Mix the pasta with the sauce and place it in the baking dish, cooking it for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle it with plenty grated cheese, arranging the chorizo on top and putting the slices close together, because they shrink when they bake.
I buy the chorizo at Walmart or I can get it from “La Tienda”. The pasta, I buy it at “Earth Fare”, but any good supermarket will have gluten free products like this one.

This is a great dish. Serve it with toasted garlic bread. *Serves 4 people* - Very Rich!

» QUINOA PASTA WITH VEGETABLES «

(21 April 2010) - God gives as many gifts: One is family, another one is friends. I have very good friends: They call me and pray for me every day when I’m sick. Madelén is one of them, the other one is Bonita (I think her mother liked that name), which means pretty in Spanish. And that she is! Especially in the inside.
She is been a blessing for me. She has courage, sweetness, and constancy. Bonita is going to be cancer free for ten years. The doctor said that she needed chemo and radiation. She said, “No, I am going to fight natural with The Alleluia Diet 75% row food, 25% cooked - Nothing that breathes.” And so, she did along with plenty of carrot juice mixed with fruits and other vegetables.
Her husband also decided to follow the plan, gaining a better health, no bad cholesterol, no hypertension, and a few less pounds…
Thanks, Bonita, you are an inspiration and this recipe is for you!

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup of quinoa (or brown rice or multigrain pasta – I like ANCIENT QUINOA HARVEST)
• ½ Cup chopped onion
• 1 Medium tomato (chopped)
• 1 Large zucchini (cut lengthways and slice)
• 3 Garlic cloves (minced)
• 15 Leaves fresh basil, chopped (1tsp of the dried would do if you don’t have the fresh one)
• 1 Tsp thyme leaves (dried)
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• Parmesan or Romano cheese (for grating)

In a frying pan with oil, sauté the onion at medium high heat. While that’s cooking, prepare the tomato and add it to the pan. Also add the garlic, the zucchini, spices, and salt to taste.
Sauté all vegetables for about 20 minutes and stir them often. Meanwhile, cook the pasta with a little salt, following the cooking instructions on the box. I like my pasta not al dente, not soggy either. When it’s ready, add to the vegetables mixing it carefully. If it is too dry add a little of the pasta’s water. Dish up with plenty of grated cheese.

Great with garlic bread toasts. *Makes 2 servings* - Super healthy and tasty!