Pasta Pie





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Yesterday despite the snow we ventured downtown to our favorite place to shop for kitchen essentials and pantry staples. I also love to shop the Strip District for inspiration on what to make the following week. Lucky it was Saturday and one of our favorite bakeries & cafe’s was open. I was checking out the showcase and the owner had made an Italian Meat Pie. This inspired me to look for a meat pie recipe. I did not find exactly what I was looking for; however, stumbled across a recipe by One Little Project at a Time, Three Cheese Italian Rigatoni Pie that intrigued me. This will not stop me from researching to find a pastry meat pie recipe, so be on the lookout for more details in the upcoming week.

I slightly modified the original recipe with the link from of above to incorporate some lighter ingredients and add additional seasoning. This pie turns out picture perfect and ridiculously delicious (Husband approved)! 

Ingredients
  • 1 pound Rigatoni
  • 3 cups; plus 1/3 cup of homemade pasta sauce or your favorite store bought sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil,
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef (93/7)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 1/4 cup Romano Locatelli (grated)
  • 1/4 cup Asiago cheese (grated)
  • One 16 oz container of fat free cottage cheese (fat free ricotta cheese) or my family always likes a combo of both
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-1/2 cups of 2% mozzarella cheese
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp of Pasta Sprinkle or Italian seasoning
Instructions:
  1. Cook the Rigatoni in a large pot of boiling water. Cook the pasta according to the package but decrease the time by Cook it about 1 minute. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
  2. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon of oil to prevent it from sticking. Then add the parmesan cheese, asiago cheese, and romano and mix until the cheese is evenly distributed. Set aside.
  3. Spray a large skillet preferably nonstick with cooking spray, sprinkle meat with salt and pepper, brown the ground beef on medium heat. Remove any excess liquid once cooked and no signs of pink meat.
  4. Add 3 cups of pasta sauce to the meat and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Mix together the container of cottage cheese and the egg & pasta sprinkle.
  8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  9. Cooking spray a 9 inch springform pan and place the remaining 1/3 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of the springform pan. Spread the sauce evenly.
  10. Take the cooked rigatoni and stand each piece up on its end in the pan. Continue until the whole pan is tightly packed. You will feel like you don’t have enough noodles but you will.
  11. Pour the cottage cheese mixture over the rigatoni and spread evenly over all the noodles. Shake the pan and gently pound the pan on the counter to get some of the cottage cheese to venture down in the noodle vessels.
  12. Pour the meat mixture over top and spread evenly over the noodles. Use your a straw to poke the meat and cheese mixture down into the noodles. You can also gently pound the pan on the counter and shake this helps as well.
  13. Bake, uncovered, the beautiful pie for 15 minutes at 400F.
  14. Remove from the oven and top with the mozzarella cheese.
  15. Bake for another 15 minutes at 400F.
  16. Let stand on wire rack for 10 minutes then run a plastic knife (this will prevent scratching of your pan) around the edge of the pan to help remove the springform pan.

 

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Enjoy!

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Bacon & Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

 

I made these this morning since it was something we could gab and go and be on our way to the strip district! In my opinion it’s the best way to spend a Saturday morning in the Burgh. 

These packed cookies have a little bit of everything to get you going in the morning.

12 large cookies 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups cornflakes

2/3 cup sugar

5 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

1 egg

1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 1/2 sheet baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 

2. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and peanut butter with sugar, until light and fluffy.  Add egg and and incorporate.

3. Reduce speed & add in flour and baking soda. Slowly increase speed to low medium to incorpate ingredients together. 

4. Add in raisins, bacon and cornflakes. Mix on low to blend ingredients together.

5. Use size 16 scoop to form large cookies placing 6 to a pan. Flatten the cookie slightly with glass cup. Place one sheet at a time in the center of the oven. Bake for 18 minutes. 

6. Remove pan from oven and immediately place cookies on wire rack to cool. 

Pizza Flavored Oyster Crackers in the Actifry

 
Pizza is a favorite in our household. These tasty crackers are a satisfying alternative when you are craving a bite. They are also perfect for a football party. This recipe was inspired by the TOH magazine Feb/March 2016 issue. However I cut the fat down significantly with the power of the actifry by only using a quarter of the fat. 

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) bag of oyster crackers

3 TB pizza seasoning 

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tb hot pepper flavored olive oil

1 tb of olive oil 

1/3 cup freshly grated peccorino romano cheese

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in the actifry and set the timer for 15 minutes! Let the crackers cool slightly before snacking!

 

Bacon and Cheddar Popovers

Bacon and Cheddar Popovers!

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One of my husband’s favorite meats is bacon or anything pork related. For Christmas he even received a shirt that  has a pig on it and the T-Shirt says “I like PIG butts and I cannot lie”. Hilarious ! These popovers can be very versatile. If you don’t like the bacon & cheddar cheese combo, you can use your favorite breakfast topping like ham or sausage or even pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Or if you want to make them vegetarian (like me) you could use feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes.

This recipe yields 8 popovers

Predirections:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Generously cooking spray the popover pan
  • Fill 4 of the tins with water about 3/4s full

Gadgets:

  • Popover pan or muffin tin
  • Oven
  • Measuring cup with spout

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

2 large eggs (whisked lightly)

1/4 tsp of Ruth Ann’s Muskego Ave Chicken & Fish Seasoning (Penzey’s Spices) (optional)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup of skim milk

3 slices of bacon (already cooked & diced)

8 tsp of shredded 2% cheddar cheese ( you can find this at Aldi’s)

 

Directions: 

  1. Mix together in a medium to large bowl the flour, salt, and Ruth Ann’s seasoning.
  2. Add in the milk and whisked eggs, whisk the batter to incorporate ingredients together fully.
  3. Pull the batter in 8 of the 12 vessels using a measuring cup with a spout filling the tins about 2/3s full.
  4. Top each popover with 1 TB of diced bacon and 1 tsp of cheddar.
  5. Place the popovers in the preheated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minute ( no peaking). Peaking with allow steam to remove and that is what create the beautiful popover shape.
  6. Once time has elapsed decrease temperature to 350 degrees and place the timer on for an additional 15 minutes or until popovers are a deep golden brown. Please make sure not to under bake the popovers.
  7. Place the popover pan on a wire rack to cool slightly prior to taking the popovers out of tins.
  8. Enjoy!

 

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Rustic Feta &  Kalamata Olive Loaf

 

Beautiful… Beautiful Bread ❤️

  

If you don’t know it already  I am passionate about baking bread and find time to make a homemade loaf often. Bread takes time and patience and minimal ingredients. I find it magical and always a surprise. 

This recipe yields one loaf and can be made in 2-3 days depending on when you want to bake it. 
Ingredients:

1 tsp honey

1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast 

2 tsp kosher salt

1 & 3/4 cup warm water

3 1/2 cups AP flour (plus some for dusting)

1-2 TB Cornmeal 

1/2 cup reduced fat feta 
1/2 cup katamala olives (chopped) 

Dutchoven 7 or 9 qt 

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Place the water,honey and yeast in a measuring cup and let proof for 5 minutes.

2. In the meantime place flour, & salt in a very large glass bowl. Mix with wooden spoon to incorporate the salt throughout.

3. Once the yeast has proofed ( becomes activated and foamy) add to the dry ingredients. Mix well with wooden spoon (do not knead) and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature.

4.Punch down the dough. Turn the dough onto a heavily floured surface; pat into a 9-in. square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9×3-in. rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-in. square. Turn dough over; place in a cooking sprayed bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

5. Punch the dough down and repeat folding process as mentioned in step 4. Return dough to the same bowl; refrigerate, covered, for 24 to 48 hours.

6. Dust bottom of a parchment paper with cornmeal. Turn dough onto a heavily floured surface. Place the olives and feta on the bread and knead them gently into the dough for 6-8 times; shape into a 6-in. round loaf. Place on prepared parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with Dutchoven in the center of the oven. Allow the Dutchoven to heat in oven for 1 hour. Which allows the dough to rise well agai, dough inch in size. 

7. Once dough has rised for the last time, remove plastic wrap & take a sharp knife and a cut design on the of top of loaf to allow steam to escape. I like to make a few silts diagonally.

8. Reduce oven setting to 450°. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid with silicone gloves. Place the dough on parchment paper in to the Dutchoven. Cover with the lid and place the Dutchoven back in the center of the oven. Bake bread 1 hour. No peaking. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).




Unstuffed Peppers Remake

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One of my goals this year is to post more dinner recipes. This recipe made me happy because I did not have to stuff peppers. The original recipe is a TOH recipe. I modified the recipe to incorporate more whole grains, lower fat dairy, and lower saturated fat protein as well. I don’t honestly think anyone will miss the extra calories and fat.

Predirections: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

This recipe yields six servings

Ingredients:

2 Medium Green peppers (chopped)

1/2 a medium onion or about 1/2 cup of yellow onion chopped

1 (2 cup ) jar of your favorite marinara sauce (we used our favorite homemade sauce)

1 1/2 tsp of spicy Mrs. Dash

pinch of salt

a few clicks off the pepper mill

3 large cloves of minced garlic

1 pound of 93/7 ground beef or turkey

1 cup of instant uncooked brown rice

1 cup of 2% mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs

1 cup of very low sodium beef broth

cooking spray

2 quart oven safe casserole dish 

 

Directions:

  1. Place a large skillet on the stove on medium heat and spray with canola oil or olive oil spray. Place meat, peppers, garlic, and onion in skillet make sure to cook the meat until no longer pink. Season meat with pepper, salt and Mrs. Dash.
  2. In meantime bring the broth to boil in a small sauce pan add in the rice and decrease temperature & cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Once the rice has cooked thoroughly add it to the meat mixture along with the marinara sauce. Mix the ingredients together well. Add about half of the cheese and stir. 

4. Carefully pour the ingredients into the 2 quart casserole dish. Pat the top with a spatula to make sure the mixture is spread evenly.  Top the dish with the bread crumbs and remaining cheese.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

6. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Chip Bars

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I love to take recipes and make them healthier. These bars called for butter and regular ap flour. I went ahead and made the switch to whole wheat pastry flour and substituted the butter for some canola oil and pureed pumpkin. I know not everyone likes pumpkin so if not use a really ripe banana or unsweetened applesauce. This will help with the moisture. My husband loves….loves pumpkin and he couldn’t even tell I added it to this baked good.   Also I swapped out the semi sweet chips with dark chocolate chips.

This recipe yields 15 bars

Predirection:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray with cooking spray a 9 by 13 inch glass pan.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs (lightly beaten)

3/4 cup brown sugar or raw sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup of dark chocolate chips

 

Directions:

  1. In a medium to large bowl mix flour, salt, soda, and baking powder with large spoon.
  2. Add in canola oil, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla. Mix all ingredients well and fold in chocolate chips.
  3. Spread the batter into a prepared glass 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Spread the batter evenly with spatula. The trick to making sure the batter does not stick to the spatula is spraying it with cooking spray. Make sure the batter is evenly spread &  place the pan in the preheated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 17 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean (without any wet residue).
  4. Enjoy!

 

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Quick Cornbread 

I was cleaning out the freezer and came across chili. Yes! This will be perfect for dinner tonight. Which also allowed me to mix up this cornbread for two in a flash. You will find that this cornbread is slightly sweet and very moist.

The secret to good cornbread is buttermilk! Plus a good cast-iron skillet.

My husband and I picked up this beauty of a cast iron at a local flea market.

This recipe uses an 8 inch cast-iron skillet.

This recipe yields 8-10 small slices of cornbread.

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1/2  cup of low-fat Buttermilk

1 cup of self rising cornmeal mix

1 tsp baking powder

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

1/4 cup honey

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place cornmeal mix and baking powder and salt in a small to medium bowl. Mix with spoon.

3. In the center of the dry ingredients form a well. Place buttermilk, honey, canola oil in center and mix thoroughly with spatula.

4. Spray your cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and pour in the wet batter. Bake on 450 for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cranberry Honey Scones

  
Cranberries are tart and have an unique flavor. They are loaded with antioxidants and are considered a superfood. They are rich in vitamin c and fiber. These magic berries are not just for the holidays, they are very versatile because you can add them to your salads, cereal (hot or cold), baked goods like muffins and quick breads. They also pair nicely with turkey, chicken, and pork. One of my husbands favorite chicken salad recipes contains cranberries and almomds. So they are definitely not just for your Thanksgiving dinner. 

These scones are egg free! And if you wish to make them vegan use almond milk instead of buttermilk and maple syrup instead of honey.

This recipe yields 14 mini scones

Pre-directions: preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cooking spray your scone pan and set aside.

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1/2  teaspoon of ground Vietnamese cinnamon

4 tablespoons of honey

2/3 cup of low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

1/2 cup of coconut oil

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

A generous 1/2 cup of dried cranberries

The zest of one Clementine (about 3/4 tsp)

Raw sugar optional for sprinkling 

Directions:

1. In a measuring cup add buttermilk, honey, vanilla, and orange zest. Allow ingredients to marry well working on the pastry dough.

 In a medium bowl mix flour, soda, cinnamon, and baking powder. 

2. Add in the coconut oil and cut into pastry flour with pastry cutter or your own hands. I prefer the ladder method. The end result will be the sam, you want the mixture to resemble wet sand.

3. Add in wet ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix together scones. The batter will be wet.

4. Use a size scoop 24 to place batter into prepared scone pan. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

5. Remove from the pan after cooling for 5 minutes in the pan. Allow the scones to cool for the remainder of time on a wire rack.

These scones have a beautiful golden brown hue to them due to the honey and whole wheat pastry flour. 


Pumpkin Pie Spice French Toast made with Homemade Italian Bread

 

Yesterday we worked on making homemade bread for a few hours. One of the many benefits of making fresh homemade bread is using the leftovers. Today I made one of my husband’s favorites French Toast Recipes.

My sister also loves French Toast as well. Growing up that is all she would eat for breakfast when we would have sleepovers at my grandma and grandpas. So I deocate this recipe to my sister Jenna Lynn and my husband Josh.
This recipe yields 5 slices of toast.  

Ingredients: 

2 tb puréed pumpkin 

1/4 cup egg substitute 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup skim milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 Tablespoon of raw sugar 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

5 slices of freshly made day old bread

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter or cooking spray

Optional ingredients powdered sugar & pure maple syrup (as pictured) 

Directions:

1. In a medium deep bowl mix first six ingredients and whisk them together well.

2. Place nonstick sauté pan on stove on medium heat. Add pad of butter Or cooking spray. 

3. Soak slice of bread on both sides in the wet ingredient mixture. Place on sauté pan and cook for 2 minutes then flip and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes or until browned on both sides. Repeat with additional slices. 

4. Enjoy with either pure local maple syrup or powdered sugar. Or if you are feeling really  advantageous you could use both like my husband.