Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

November 23, 2020

I’ve been working on this baked ziti recipe for some time. I tried 3 different but similar recipes and took what I liked about each and made my own best baked ziti- featuring spinach, pesto, and Italian sausage. And lots of cheese. Any good baked ziti is cheesy.

I found pork sausage to be too heavy/greasy and was happiest with the results when I swapped it for ground Italian chicken sausage (I used mild sausage plus a pinch of crushed red pepper, but spicy would be even better!). The pesto adds richness and flavor to the crushed tomato sauce. As for the cheese, I stuck with freshly grated Parmesan and Mozzarella but you can switch up the cheese if you want- Provolone, Pecorino, Asiago, and/or Fontina would all be delicious additions. And go ahead and throw in some more veggies if you wish- extra spinach, some sautéed mushrooms or squash. (Just don’t tell my kids!)

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ziti pasta (or penne, rigatoni, etc.)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 -1 lb. mild or spicy Italian turkey or chicken sausage (I used mild chicken sausage and added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded mozzarella, divided (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
kosher salt, to taste (I used ~3/4 tsp.)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until the sausage is cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander. 
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes (uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so to brown the top).

Makes a 9×13 pan.

(Adapted from Epicurious and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

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Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

November 20, 2020

Another beet salad… this time with arugula, goat cheese, and avocado. Because they all go so well together and everyone in my family will happily eat their beets like this! This salad also includes sweetened dried cranberries or cherries and toasted walnuts (both optional- I was out of walnuts but would add them next time for more crunch). A tangy shallot-honey-balsamic vinaigrette finishes it off.

You can roast your own beets (instructions provided below) or buy them pre-packaged for convenience (and less mess). I didn’t included measurements for the salad ingredients because they’re customizable to taste. Use more or less of something if you love it or don’t. I added much more avocado than the orignal recipe calls for and used less than half of the vinaigrette on a salad for our family of 4.

Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

beets, cooked according directions below and diced (I used packaged pre-cooked* beets from Trader Joes)
baby arugula
walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (optional)
sweetened dried cranberries or dried cherries (optional)
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool. (*If using pre-cooked beets, you can just toss the diced beets in a bit of vinaigrette before dressing the salad and adding them to the salad.)
  3. Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

(Adapted from Food Network)

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Roasted Chicken Focaccia Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Red Onion Jam, and Herb Aioli

November 17, 2020

One of my very favorite restaurants in all of the Seattle area is DERU Market in Kirkland. It’s a catering business/bakery/restaurant all in one and makes the most amazing bread, cakes, sandwiches, pizzas, breakfasts, everything. Since we moved to a new town last summer we now live 45 minutes away and I still make the drive regularly because it’s WORTH IT. And they’ve been open throughout COVID and converted to a drive-through operation and it’s amazing.

Their focaccia is to die for. I could eat an entire loaf and call if a meal. They make all of their sandwiches on that perfect focaccia and this roasted chicken and goat cheese version is one of my favorites. And since I can’t have it as often and I want, I decided it was time to recreate it at home. I bought focaccia from a local baker at our farmers market. Homemade focaccia is high on my list of recipes to conquer at home, but for now, I still buy it. (If you’re local to Seattle, Essential Baking Company has an excellent focaccia you can buy at various grocery stores -including Whole Foods- in the area.)

Alongside the focaccia, the other essential parts of this sandwich are creamy goat cheese spread (don’t bother with crumbles- they’re pretty dry and it won’t be the same), shredded rotisserie chicken (by all means you can roast your own chicken but store bought ones are delicious and so easy!), fresh peppery arugula, herb aioli (DERU makes theirs from scratch- I used prepared mayo as a shortcut and added lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs), and red onion jam. Recreating the red onion jam was the hardest part but I think it turned out just right. Most recipes I referenced called for a lot of red wine, which I’ve never bought/used so I opted for a bit of red wine vinegar. The slow-caramelized red onions are also simmered in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. The jam is thick and tangy and sweet.

Last, I would like to note that this sandwich tastes better than it looks. Not that I’ve ever been a great photographer but it’s getting really hard to take a decent picture of anything now that it’s dark before dinnertime! So just trust me on this one. And if you’re in the area and have a chance to try DERU market, please invite me along!

Roasted Chicken Focaccia Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Red Onion Jam, and Herb Aioli

INGREDIENTS

rotisserie chicken (light and dark meat), shredded
handful baby arugula
focaccia, sliced horizontally
creamy goat cheese spread (I used La Bonne Vie spreadable goat cheese, Trader Joes also has a goat cheese spread)
extra fresh herbs (parsley, dill, and chives), chopped for garnish

Herb Aioli:
6 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Red Onion Jam:
1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the red onion jam, heat the butter (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until soft and caramelized (turning down the heat as necessary to prevent browning). Stir in the vinegars and brown sugar and cook over low heat another 10 minutes to reduce and thicken. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Onion jam can be refrigerated until ready to use.
  2. To make the herb aioli, in a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the bottom slice of focaccia on a baking sheet and spread with goat cheese. Top the goat cheese with a thick layer of onion jam. Top the jam with shredded rotisserie chicken, seasoning it with a bit of salt and pepper and sprinkling with some extra fresh herbs. Spread a generous amount of aioli over the bottom of the top slice of focaccia and place on top of the sandwich. Cover the sandwich loosely with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes until the sandwich is warmed through, uncovering for the last few minutes to crisp the top. Add a handful of fresh arugula to the sandwich, slice, and serve.

Makes enough aioli and jam for ~4 large sandwiches.

(Herb aioli adapted from Savory Experiments and red onion jam from Feed Your Sole)

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Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread/Muffins

November 12, 2020

My kids only love zucchini if it’s in a muffin (or cornbread) and these Greek Yogurt Zucchini Muffins have become a recent favorite. I make them a bit healthier by using half whole wheat flour and reducing the honey a bit. And then I let them sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top (or you can add them to the batter) so they think they’re really getting a treat! Bonus: Leftovers keep great in the freezer. Just thaw and reheat for a quick snack.

Greek Yogurt Zucchini Bread/Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup or agave (I reduced this to 1/3 cup honey)
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2% Fage)
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half white whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
2 tsp. orange zest (optional, but recommended)
up to 3/4 cup walnuts and/or chocolate chips (optional, we sprinkled some mini chocolate chips on top)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Whisk the oil, honey/maple/agave, egg, yogurt, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid over-mixing. Fold in the zucchini, orange zest (optional), and walnuts/chocolate chips (optional). NOTE: The batter will be thick but the zucchini will release moisture while it bakes.
  3. Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan or divide the batter among the muffin holes. Bake for 40-50 minutes for a loaf or about 15 minutes for muffins. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The bread/muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If you find the top of the bread is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.)
  4. Remove the bread/muffins from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Cover and store leftover bread/muffins at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins.

(Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

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Traditional Indian Raita

November 10, 2020

Here’s the fresh and cool cucumber raita I made to serve with that amazing and easy Indian butter chicken. Raita is creamy combination of yogurt, cucumber, and fresh herbs like cilantro and chives. I also added a bit lemon, jalapeno (for some heat if you want it) and some earthy coriander and cumin.

Traditional Indian Raita

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain full-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt and thinned it with a bit of milk)
1 cup finely diced seeded cucumber (I removed about half of the peel)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (or a combination of cilantro and mint)
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 tsp. finely chopped green onion or chives (I used chives)
1 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper (optional, or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
pinch freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Chill raita, covered, until ready to serve.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Epicurious and Feasting at Home)

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