Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

i hadn't made a baked pasta/casserole dish in ages so after four straight day of pounding snow, i figured it was now or never. this recipe (from epicurious) was quite good and is a keeper, but more for the simplicity and ease in making it. the ingredient list is really short so high quality products are essential (especially the moz and parmesan) as every component stands out. this is an easy, hearty, user-friendly, adaptable recipe for a crowd-pleasing dish.

what would i do differently next time?

- up the sausage (1 pound)
- mix the spinach in to the sauce to wilt it a bit and incorporate it better
- the sauce was good, but next time maybe i'll use a more concentrated tomato sauce



Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes
adapted from epicurious

3/4 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce
10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

Hamantaschen

I've always been enamored with hamantaschen ever since my days of spending countless hours at the Hungarian Coffee House in Morningside Heights. it always seemed like the perfect foil to bitter, dark coffee. crumbly, rich, but not too sweet cookie combines perfectly with gooey apricot or raspberry fillings with crunchy seeds. Purim being around the corner, it was the perfect time to make my yearly batch.

This recipe is on the lean side. i was interested in trying it because it used oil instead of butter. I can't say it's my favorite, but it definitely has its place, more of a clean-tasting, neutral cookie, has the taste and consistency of animal crackers. i used raspberry jam for the filling.a very forgiving dough that rolls easily cold can be rerolled like a charm. remember to pinch the corners of the triangle because these guys rise.

I have no idea which is more traditional, these oil-based one or something like the Maida Hatter cookies i made last year. In any case, these were good, easy and simple.

Hamantaschen
adapted from LA Times

Servings: About 3 dozen
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (i used 2/3 c)
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups (13.8 ounces) unbleached flour, plus additional for rolling out
About 1/2 cup Nutella (about 1/2 c raspberry jam)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs until lemon-colored. Beat in sugar, oil and Cognac. Gradually stir in the baking powder and flour, mixing on low speed until a soft dough is formed. Add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if necessary.

2. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and form it into a fat cylinder shape. Close up the corners and chill until firm, at least 2 to 3 hours (can be chilled overnight).

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 to 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Put 1 section on a lightly floured surface, and chill the others. Knead lightly just until the dough is smooth enough to roll out. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a scant one-fourth-inch thick.

5. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a glass with a thin rim, cut rounds, and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Place a rounded half-teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each. Pinch the sides together to form a triangle, leaving the filling exposed in the center. Pick up scraps and form another ball. Repeat until all dough is used.

6. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about an inch apart on the sheet and bake until just lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Each cookie: 106 calories; 2 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 33 mg. sodium.

Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce (ga kho gung)

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen -- Andrea Nguyen
1 2/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed and cut into 1 in chunks
Chubby 2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
3 T caramel sauce
2 T fish sauce
1/4 t salt

1. In a small saucepan, combine the chicken, ginger, caramel sauce, fish sauce, salt, and water and stir to distribute everything evenly. Cover and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Stir again to break up the chicken pieces and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Fragrant plumes of steam will shoot from under the lid and the content will boil vigorously. The sauce will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices. If the content threaten to boil over or the lid rattles, lower the heat.

2. After the 10 minutes, uncover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and the color deapens to a rich reddish brown. Remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish sauce, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with scallion, and serve immediately.

Almond olive oil cake

i love olive oil cakes. they're easy to prepare, no advanced planning, but result in a great homey cake cake with great grassy/fruity flavor and texture. a perfect tea/breakfast cake. the "glaze" turned out to be more of a frosting since i didn't add enough milk / lemon juice to thin out the consistency. but can't say that detracted from the results. crackly, crunch top gave it another textural dimension.

this is a definitely a favorite. nothing fancy but just plain awesome.

Torta di Mandorla (Moist Almond Cake)

adapted from Gina DePalma via Serious Eats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup blanched or natural almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon or 1/4 a medium orange

1/2 cup orange juice

For the Glaze:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

A few drops of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to thoroughly combine them and set aside.
3. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in thoroughly in both directions for about 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back lightly when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack.
7. While the cake cools, make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When the bubbles subside, lower the heat and watch the butter carefully, swirling it in the pan occasionally to distribute the heat. When the butter begins to turn a light tan color and smells slightly nutty, turn off the heat and let the butter sit. It will continue to darken as it sits.
8. While the butter cools, sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth but thick, then slowly whisk in the butter. Taste the glaze and add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Stir in the toasted almonds. Spread the almonds and glaze onto the top and sides of the cake and let it sit until set and dry.

Mapa Tofu

my favorite mapa tofu made with beef and kochu jang.