Ingredients

• Brown & wild rice combo (to make ~6 cups)
• fresh sausage (e.g., bratwurst)
• butter
• 1 lg. onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz box sliced mushrooms
• a fresh spice that matches the sausage (e.g., thyme)
• 2–3 tbsp. plus 1/4 c. parmesan

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the rice mix according to the package directions. Cut the sausage into rounds, and sautée. Reserve. In the same skillet, add butter, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and spice. Sautée. Mix with the sausage, rice, and 2–3 tbsp. parmesan, and pour into a buttered 13x9" casserole. Dot with more butter. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle top with the remaining parmesan, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing
• 3 medium zucchini (1 1/2 pounds), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
• 2 long, narrow eggplants (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 pound plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/3 cup panko or coarse dry bread crumbs

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°. Oil 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Put the zucchini slices on one sheet and the eggplant on the other. Brush the slices all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on each sheet in a slightly overlapping layer. Bake for 15 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until slightly softened and bubbling, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Oil a large, shallow baking dish (about 10 by 15 inches). Lay half of the eggplant in the dish and spread one-fourth of the tomatoes on top. Scatter with half of the feta and basil. Layer half of the zucchini on top, followed by another one-fourth of the tomato and the remaining basil, eggplant and zucchini. Top with the remaining tomato and feta. Mix the panko with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot or warm.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp. plus 2 teaspoons water
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 4 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. Madeira or ruby port
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 c. beef broth
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp. cornstarch

Preparation

Toss beef with 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and baking soda in bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in medium saucepan; add water to just cover and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are soft and tip of paring knife inserted into potato meets no resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until any surface moisture on potatoes has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and mash potatoes well. Stir in melted butter. Whisk together milk and egg yolk in small bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallion greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just starting to soften and dark bits form on bottom of skillet, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Add Madeira and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaf, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beef in 2-inch chunks to broth, and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook until beef is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and breaking up meat chunks with 2 forks halfway through. Stir cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water together in bowl. Stir cornstarch mixture into filling and continue to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack 5 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag and snip off 1 corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes in even layer over filling, making sure to cover entire surface. Smooth potatoes with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet and broil until potatoes are golden brown and crusty and filling is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

CI

[CP: This recipe is really flexible. I made it with zucchini and summer squash (sauteeing rather than baking), and substituting the farmer’s cheese for crumbled feta, and it came out great.]

Ingredients

• 6 large poblanos (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 large butternut squash (4 pounds total)—peeled, halved, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces farmer cheese (crumbling, dry cottage cheese style cheese)
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until they are charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let them cool. Peel, stem and seed the chiles, then cut them into thin strips.

Brush the butternut squash with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread it on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the squash is tender, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the poblano strips and cook until they are very tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and season the poblano mixture with salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the poblano mixture into a large baking dish and top with half of the butternut squash and half of the Monterey Jack and farmer cheeses. Repeat with the remaining poblano mixture, butternut squash and both cheeses. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden and bubbling. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the pumpkin seeds and serve.

Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thick macaroni
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 2 vegetable stock cubes (optional)
• 1 lg. onion, finely chopped
• 1 lg. clove garlic
• 2 lb. minced meat (half pork and half beef, or lamb, etc.)
• 2 tsps dried mint, rubbed
• 1 tsp oregano
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup pureed tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 heaped tbsp butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup grated Halloumi (or other dry, hard) cheese

For the white sauce:

• 8 cups milk scant
• ½ c. corn flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp grated cheese
• zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

Macaroni:

Grease a shallow baking dish (15x13"). Break the macaroni in half (this will enable you to arrange the cooked pasta better in the baking dish later). Add macaroni to a large pan of boiling water, together with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 vegetable stock cube (optional). Boil, uncovered, until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well and put aside in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp butter to the pasta, 3/4 cup of your grated cheese, the beaten egg and 1tsp dry mint. Mix well and set aside.

Meat Sauce:

Heat the rest of your oil in a large frying pan; add your chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the mince and cook until well browned. Add the pasata and the tomato paste, the sugar, oregano, dried mint, cinnamon, the stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of hot water, the salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Towards the end, add the parsley and remove from the heat.

White sauce:

Dissolve your corn flour in 1 cup of milk, then and1 tsp salt. Add the egg (lightly beaten), and the finely chopped parsley and lemon zest. In a big non-stick pan add the remaining 7 cups of milk and bring almost to the boil. Gradually whisk the dissolved corn flour and egg mixture into the hot milk, stir well over the heat until the mixture boils and thickens; mix until smooth and remove from heat.

Next steps:

Add half of the macaroni into your greased dish. Top the macaroni with the meat sauce and spread evenly. Add rest of the pasta over meat sauce. Pour over ¾ of the white sauce and use a fork to make sure that some of the white sauce goes through the pasta to the base of the dish. Now add the rest of the white sauce and smooth the surface, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs and cheese on top. Spread several nobs of butter equally along the surface of the dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden brown. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 2 baking potatoes, cubed
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed a bit smaller than the white potatoes
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 3 tbsp. curry powder, divided
• 1 12-oz can coconut milk, divided
• 1/4-1 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 lg. onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef or pork
• 1 lb. mixed peas and carrots (frozen or fresh)
• 2 tbsp. golden raisins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes and cook until tender, around 15 min. Drain well and mash with 2 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. curry, 1/2 c. coconut milk, salt, and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat remaining butter and oil over medium heat. Add remaining curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, onions, and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until spices are fragrant. Add ground meat and cook until browned, stirring to break up clumps. When nicely browned, drain off excess fat. Add peas, carrots, and golden raisins. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables have thawed (if frozen). Add remaining coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Mixture should be thick and saucy. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Spoon the meat mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan and press down gently. Spoon the potato mixture over the top and spread to cover. With a fork, make tine marks all over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the top is lightly browned and meat is bubbly, about another 15 minutes.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 lb. ground goat
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lg. onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 c. chopped tomatoes (2-3 fresh, 14.5 oz can)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper

Crust

• 1 c. coarse blue cornmeal
• 1-2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4 c. plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Topping

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. smoked chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it starts browning. Add the onion and garlic and spices and continue cooking until the meat is thoroughly browned. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more spices if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be moist; neither dry nor soupy.

While the filling simmers, prepare the crust. Combine cornmeal, 1 tbsp. flour, salt, baking powder, yogurt, and vegetable oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. It should be a very thick consistency batter, just pourable. The extra 1/4 c. of yogurt or 1 tbsp. flour can be added to adjust either way.

Pour the meat into an 8x8" baking dish. Pour the crust on top of it. Bake at 450 until the top is crusted over and a bit browned, about 20-25 minutes. Serve with topping.

Penzey’s Spices