Ground Beef Assistor

There are a wide variety of products out there that help you turn plain ground beef (or whatever) into a complete meal by providing the extra ingredients and seasonings needed. I am not a fan of these products, because a well-stocked pantry should have pretty much everything you need to make beefy-macaroni casserole. I came up with this recipe off the top of my head 10 minutes after I got home from work one day last week and it was probably the tastiest thing I've had in a while.

BTW: Feel free to notice how carefully I've avoided the use of any trademarked names or phrases in this post!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 cups dried macaroni pasta (small shells, elbows, etc.)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (topping)

Directions

Brown the beef, onion, celery, and bell peppers together in a dutch oven or large, heavy skillet. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked. Put into serving bowls and sprinkle with the cheese. Makes about 12 servings and is great the next day heated in the microwave.

Note: Depending on how much liquid was in the tomatoes (and how moist the veggies were), you may need to add more water to allow the pasta to cook. Ideally, the stew should thicken up so there is very little liquid in it just as the pasta cooks completely. You may need to add 1/2 cup of water once or twice during cooking if the stew sets up while the pasta is still crunchy.

Easy Pasta Casserole

This quick pasta casserole is very good and rediculously easy to do. With the exception of the dairy, all of the ingredients are inexpensive pantry (or freezer) staples, making this great for cooking on a budget while still being nutritious and tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 pound tri-color rotini, farfale, or other casserole-friendly pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tub (15-16 ounces) of ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesian cheese, divided (Please use the good stuff - ideally, it should have a rind that has "Parma" stamped on it. If you do use pre-ground stuff, at least get some from your store's deli instead of from a green can.)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (Yes, fresh from an actual nutmeg nut!)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 4 jerks Worchestershire sauce (It's the secret ingredient!)
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup course breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve a 1/4 cup of the pasta water, drain, return to the cooking pot and set aside off heat.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add spinach, shallot, garlic, and a heavy pinch of salt. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the shallot has softened and the garlic has lost its raw bite. Add ricotta cheese, half the Parmesian cheese, milk, nutmeg, chili flakes, pepper, and Worchestershire sauce. Contintue to cook over medium-low, stirring constantly until the cheeses and milk have come together. Add remaining kosher salt to taste. Dump the spinach mixture into the pasta pot and stir to combine. Spray a large casserole with nonstick spray. Pour the pasta/spinach mixture into the casserole and top with the mozzarella cheese. Mix the remaining Parmesian and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the mozarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Jicama, Greens, & Pasta

I'm all for "Waste not, want not", so I was thrilled when I found this recipe, in preparation for Jake's upcoming Cooking with Greens class, which uses jicama. I don't have to worry about tossing the remaining jicama out.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup peeled and chopped jicama
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (about 14 oz.) fat -free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 oz.any white beans or frozen black eyed peas
4 oz. uncooked medium pasta like radiatore
1 head chicory, mustard greens, or kale washed stemmed and thinly sliced
2 to 3 hot pepper sauce (optional)

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add bell pepper, onion, jicma, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomato paste, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil; stir in beans/black-eyed peas. Cover and simmer over low heat 20 minutes or until peas are tender.

Cook pasta according package directions. Drain and set aside.

Add greens to saucepan; cover and cook on low until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in pasta. Cook until heated through. Season to taste with red pepper sauce. Garnish as desired.

Mac Salad

A nice cool salad for those hot summer afternoons. Great for a Saturday lunch, backyard barbecue, or Hawaiian luau.

Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni noodles, well cooked in salted water
• 8 ounces frozen peas, thawed
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve chilled.

Quick Salmon Salad

If you've cooked up a bunch of salmon and have leftovers, this is a great way to stretch them out to feed more people. Even if you don't have leftovers, you can use canned salmon and it's almost just as good!

Ingredients

• 6 ounces cooked salmon, roughly chopped (or one can salmon)
  
• 8 ounces salad pasta (such as ziti, shells, wheels, etc.), cooked according to package directions and rinsed under cold water
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded or matchstick cut
• 2 green onions, sliced on the bias
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
  
• salt and fresh black pepper
  

Directions

Mix pasta, mayo, carrots, onions, oregano, parsley, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Fold in salmon and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

The secret to this recipe is the pine nuts. When they are toasted they add a rich smokiness that's almost like bacon. To toast pine nuts, put them in a dry skillet over medium high heat. Toss them frequently so they don't burn. When they just start to brown, immediately take them off the heat because they will scorch quickly.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced fine or pressed through a garlic press
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 box rigatoni or penne regatta pasta
  
• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (if packed in oil, rinse the oil off)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 3 cups chopped lettuce or baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
  
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions

Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt in a salad dressing shaker. Shake to combine and set aside.

Combine drained pasta, artichokes, tomatoes, basil, olives, and feta cheese in a large bowl.

Fill chilled salad bowls halfway with lettuce. Top with pasta mixture and dress with the dressing. Add pine nuts and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings

Greek Pasta Salad

I love Greek food (see post for 11/2/08). However, it can be a bit fussy and require a lot of prep. This easy recipe requires just a few common ingredients and can be done in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 6 cups cooked pasta (rotini, fusili, or pene, or ziti)
• 1½ cups diced cucumber
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomato, drained
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled.
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Mix everything together. Chill and eat.

Anti-Lasagna

Here we continue the theme of easy recipes using our pre-made meat sauce (see last Saturday's post for details).

I love lasagna, but I dislike taking the time to painstakingly lay out each layer of noodles, meat, cheese, etc. No-boil noodles make it a little easier, but it's still a lot of hassle. This delicious recipe allows you to forgo the hassle and just dump everything together. It tastes just like the original thing, and you don't miss the layers of noodles at all.

Ingredients

• 1 box (1 pound) pene, farfalle (bow tie), or fusilli (corkscrew) pasta, slightly undercooked
• 5 cups (about half a batch) of Saturday's (12/20/08) meat sauce, (fresh or thawed)
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 4 eggs
• 32 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese (about 1 ounce, you probably want to use the good stuff)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsely
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray or vegatable oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add cheeses, parsely, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix until well combined. Lube a large baking dish with nonstick spray. Dump pasta into baking dish. Mix sauce with Italian seasoning and basil and pour onto the noodles. Smoothly spread cheese mixture on top with a rubber or silicone spatula. Bake for 1 hour or until the top has set up and is starting to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.