Penne with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

Penne with Ricotta and Pine Nuts

• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta (health food store)
• 1 1/2 pound baby spinach, washed
• 2 Tb olive oil
• Course salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350*.  Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in the oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spinach penne until al dente according to package directions, adding the fresh spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain; return the pasta and spinach to the pot.
3. Add the olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper.  Toss well.
4. Serve immediately, topped with the ricotta, pine nuts, and parmesan. 

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Kid Rock - Born Free

Crazy Pizza Bread

Serves 4 to 6 Use your favorite pizza toppings for this. I used red bell peppers, green peppers and pepperoni to keep it kid-friendly. Other suggested add-ins: caramelized onions and roasted garlic (dry roast unpeeled cloves on a skillet for about 5 minutes, then finely mince or mash into a paste). If using a topping that will render fat, microwave it for a minute or two to prevent the fat from rendering into the dough while baking, which will alter the texture of the bread.
Serve with a simple marinara sauce or tomato soup for dipping.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Lindsay Chopped California Ripe Olives or 1/2 cup Lindsay Large Pitted Black Ripe Olives, sliced
1 1/2 cups favorite toppings, chopped
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a bowl. Let it sit for 3 minutes until foamy, then add in flour and salt. Mix (using a mixer, spoon, or your hands) just until it comes together. Add in the olives and toppings and combine well. Dough will be tacky, but feel free to dust with a bit more extra flour if it feels too tacky. Let rise for about 1 hour, then put in the refrigerator for another hour.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and flour a Silpat or waxed paper. Roll out into a rectangle about 11×17”. Sprinkle cheese over top. Then, using the Silpat or paper, fold along the long side, like an envelope. Seal sides so cheese is not exposed. Let rest while you preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let oven stay at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
Bake the bread, either on a pizza stone or baking sheet, for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. About 3 minutes before taking it out, lightly brush the top with olive oil and let it finish baking. Let rest on a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing.
To pack for lunch, wrap slices in foil and lightly toast before putting it in a lunchbox. Include a small container of tomato soup or marinara sauce for dipping.

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Scary Cherry Fizz Punch

 
1 cup prosecco or white sparkling wine (nothing fancy needed)
3 Tbsp pomegranate or pom-cherry juice
Hefty splash of ginger ale (about 2-3 Tbsp)
1-3 Maraschino Cherries
*spooky skull cherry skewer, or similar
(optional) splash of sweetened cherry syrup from Maraschino Cherry jar
(optional) splash of orange juice, fresh-squeezed

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a chilled drink glass. Skewer cherries, or simply plop into the glass.

Serve chilled!

Virgin Option. Replace the prosecco with 1/2 part ginger ale and 1/2 part lemon-lime or club soda. And I would add-in the optional citrus juice. About 1/2 orange squeezed per glass.

Brandied-Option. You can also add in a shot of brandy per glass. If you do this I would advise serving the drink "on the rocks" to dilute the alcohol a tad. You can even use coconut water ice cubes. Or make ginger ale ice cubes in advance.

Chicken in Green Chili, Mint and Cilantro Sauce

If you have a food processor or blender, this recipe is easy to make. The fresh green chili, mint, cilantro and turmeric combine, creating a flavorful bright green sauce. This is a great weeknight meal which is inexpensive and requires very little prep time.

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stalks
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 fresh Seranno peppers, cored and seeded
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon sugar
coarse salt
1 small tomato, seeded and cut into julienne strips (to garnish)
cooked basmati rice, to serve .

Place cilantro, spinach, ginger, garlic, chiles, mint, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and process to a smooth paste. If necessary, add a little water to the paste to facilitate the blade movement. Remove and set aside.

Put yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth (otherwise the yogurt will curdle) and set aside. Heat oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add the chicken and stir-fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the meat turns opaque. Add turmeric, sugar and salt to taste cook for an additional 2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and add half the yogurt. Cook for 1 minute and then add remaining yogurt, then continue cooing over medium heat until yogurt resembles a thick batter and the oil is visible.

Add the herb and spice mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and garnish with strips of tomato. Serve over cooked basmati rice.