Baked Mostaccioli, Leon Salad & Bubble Loaf

For as many years as I can remember, when a birthday was coming up for one of my guys, I gave them the choice of me making one of their favorite meals or going out to dinner on their special day.  When the boys were younger, they always picked something they loved that I made.  In, I'd say, the past 5 years or so, they all have opted for going out to a sit-down restaurant.  We don't go to restaurants with servers very often, so it was always a nice treat and a good way to try new restaurants in our area.  My husband just celebrated his birthday, and I gave him the normal options expecting him to choose to go out to dinner.  I was extremely surprised when he asked if I'd mind cooking and proceeded to tell me exactly what he would like.  He chose Baked Mostaccioli, Leon Salad, and Bubble Loaf.  As much as I was looking forward to a night out, it was such a compliment for him to choose my cooking over restaurant fare!

My twin sister, Mary Gage, gave me this recipe for Baked Mostaccioli and it has been a family favorite for years.  This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm cooking for a family with a new baby, or where someone's had surgery, etc.  The original recipe called for ground beef only, but I kicked it up with 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 Italian sausage.  This recipe makes quite a bit as it sits higher than the top edge of my 9x13-inch dish.  It's hearty and quite flavorful.

Leon Salad is the perfect pairing with any Italian-style dish.  The actual salad doesn't have many ingredients, but the homemade dressing is what makes this special.  I asked Marcia Wrobbel for this recipe after tasting it at a work potluck over 30 years ago.  At that point, I still lived with my parents and had never gone grocery shopping.  I quickly learned that there is lettuce other than the "head lettuce" (iceberg) which we always used.  Also, one of the ingredients in the dressing is Parmesan cheese.  At that time the only Parmesan I was aware of came in a green can!  I was so excited to make this salad for my family, I did so the next time my mother made an Italian dish.  I had to confess to Marcia that it was awful, as it seemed as though there was sand in the salad.  She asked if I had used the "green can Parmesan."  After admitting that I had, she told me that Parmesan cheese is sold in a wedge, and was kind enough to tell me how to grate it properly on the bumpy side of the box grater!  Our family has never gone back to the green can!  I've served this salad many times throughout the years including for large functions.  The key here is to toss the salad with the dressing just prior to serving so the lettuce doesn't wilt.  It is best when tossed with the dressing, but I've also served the dressing on the side.

Bubble Loaf is another recipe that my sister, Mary, turned me on to.  She found it in the Apr./May '97 Taste of Home magazine.  It's super easy to make, you just have to allow enough time for the frozen bread dough to defrost and then after adding the herbs, it needs to rise before baking.  It is sooo worth it! My youngest son actually asked me to make 2 loaves for this meal!

These three recipes combined make for an Italian meal that won't soon be forgotten.  Enjoy!

Baked Mostaccioli

8 oz.mostaccioli                                        1 (4 oz.) mushroom pieces

1 lb. ground beef                                     ½ cup water

1 lb. Italian sausage                                1 tsp. salt

1 med. onion, chopped                             1 tsp. sugar

1 sm. green bell pepper, diced                 1 tsp. crushed dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced                              ¼ tsp. pepper

1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes                   1 large bay leaf

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce                       16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 (6 oz.) cantomato paste                         ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, cook mostaccioli in a large amount of boiling water according to package directions; drain.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion bell pepper, and garlic until meat is browned and vegetables are tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, undrained mushrooms, water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Cover; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in cooked mostaccioli.  Place half of this mixture into a 9x13-inch or 3-quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese on top; add the remaining meat mixture.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until heated through.  Remove foil; sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Leon Salad

Salad

            2  bunches romaine lettuce, finely torn

            1/4 lb. Italian salami, cut julienne

            1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded

            1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained

Dressing

            1/2 cup vegetable oil

            4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

            2 tsp. dry mustard

            1 tsp. salt

            1 tsp. pepper

            1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (not Kraft in the green can!)

In a large bowl, toss all salad ingredients.  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients*.  Pour dressing over salad and toss.  Serve immediately.

Helpful hint:

I use a Tupperware shaker cup to mix the dressing ingredients.  Then if I’m taking this recipe to a party, I take the salad fixings in a large Tupperware bowl and the dressing in the shaker cup.  Just before serving I shake the dressing, add to the salad and toss.

Bubble Loaf

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1-1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough, defrosted  (I use Bridgford brand)

In a very small bowl, combine seasonings with butter.  Pull off 1/2-inch ball size pieces of dough, dip in butter/herb mixture and place in a loaf pan.  Set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until loaf doubles in size.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 min. or until golden brown.  Invert on a plate to serve.   

Valentine's Day Themed Tea

I hosted a Valentine-themed tea in my home and thought I'd share some of the things I did to fit the theme.  My desire was to have each item be either red or include a heart-shaped food item.   The recipes can be found at the end of this post.

The tablecloth was red with hearts of different sizes woven into it.   I used heart-shaped dishes and doilies as well as lacy dishes, which made me think of Valentines I had made as a child.  The teapots with poppies on them held the signature tea, which was made using Earl Grey tea, then adding cranberry, apple and lemon juices.  In the cup it was a very pretty red liquid.  The white teapot held hot water, to be used with an assortment of teabags that were avalable.

The sugar bowl held sugar cubes that I embellished with Royal Icing hearts I had purchased at the local cake decorating store.  I made a "glue" using powdered sugar and water, applied it to each sugar cube and placed the heart on top.  When the sugar cube melts in the tea, the heart floats to the top!

For the salad, I purchased an Romaine American Blend in a bag, but added cute little red bell pepper hearts to dress it up.  This is easy to do if a bell pepper which is more flat on the sides is used.   Also, cutting through the skin side first makes this much easier.  I served a raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing on the side, as it was a red dressing!

It wouldn't be a tea without scones! (Picture from a different tea)   I made the scones with dried cranberries using the recipe found in my friend, Nan Taylor's book, "The Graceful Art of Tea" (visit www.teagraces.com to purchase your own copy).  The recipe calls for heavy whipping cream or buttermilk; I always use Trader Joe's Heavy Cream.

 With the scones I served Smucker's Raspberry Jam, homemade strawberry curd, and Devonshire cream (see later post for Devonshire cream recipe).

I found this recipe on Pinterest for an Egg Sandwich with Beet Garnish.  It originated at rosemaryandthegoat.com.  After boiling the eggs, I soaked them in the beet juice for a couple of hours to get the deep pink ring.  Cutting the beets with a small heart cookie cutter was easier than the bell pepper.  These need to be assembled at the last minute so the bread doesn't dry out and so the color from the beets doesn't bleed into the egg.  The most flavor came from the fresh basil that was mixed with mayonnaise and spread on the bread.

I had found some heart-shaped crackers, but needed to find something red to put on them.  Just in time for my tea, my Feb./Mar. 2012 Simple & Delicious magazine arrived with a recipe for a Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Spread.  I chose to taste it before adding the red pepper flakes, as I wasn't sure the heat would be a welcome addition to a tea food.  After the taste test, I decided to omit the red pepper flakes and to double the amount of sun-dried tomatoes.  It was very tasty and my guests deemed the second favorite dish I served.

This recipe was also discovered on Pinterest.  These Queen of Tomato Hearts originated on winosandfoodies.com.  These were easy to prepare using store-bought puff pastry, a little Dijon mustard and tomatoes.  Two sizes of cookie cutters were used to get the desired effect.  These were well received, but most ladies said they would like to try them with a different filling the next time.

This next item was the favorite of the group.  The recipe for these Chicken, Pear & Gorgonzola Tarts came from my Dec./Jan. '09 Taste of Home magazine.  It uses store-bought mini phyllo tart shells.  The only ingredient I couldn't find was dried pears, but the final product was great without them!  The red came from the bacon sprinkled on top.

  

These bright red Raspberry Balls were a colorful addition to the dessert selection.  My mother has made these coconut balls (almost exact recipe) for years using strawberry, lime, and/or orange Jello depending on the season.  I found this recipe on Pinterest (it originated at homesteadinghousewife.blogspot.com) and decided to make the raspberry version because I had already planned another strawberry dessert.  I omitted the almond extract, as I felt it was not needed and it was not part of my mom's recipe.  I was pleased with the flavor and the color as they are more of a vivid red than when strawberry Jello is used.

One of the ladies in my tea group told me once that there should always be a chocolate selection offered at a tea.  I don't think this is an "official rule," but one she made up as a chocoholic!  I always have something chocolate to offer, and this time it was Oreo Truffles.  I got this recipe from my baking buddy Lori Duncan.  The trick with these is to put the balls in the freezer for at least 1/2 hr. before dipping in the chocolate.  It makes them easier to handle and the chocolate sets much more quickly.

My final selection was a Lemon Cheesecake Tart with a fresh strawberry heart on top.  I found this recipe several years ago in the Sunday paper on an ad for Dickinson Lemon Curd.  Depending on the event, I've made these using raspberries, slices of Kiwi, pineapple, and a small dollop of mint jelly.  This time I omitted the mint flavored apple jelly as I didn't want to add any green to them.  No matter what fresh fruit I use, these are always well received.  This recipe also uses the mini phyllo tart shells.

The event was a smashing success!  The table was beautiful, the food was good, and the company was excellent!

I swethered (an Irish term for going back and forth in my mind) about how to type up the recipes.  Should I present them to you in their original form, or exactly how I made them because they were successful that way.  I finally decided on the latter, so if you want to know how the original recipes were written, please visit the websites listed above.  Below are the recipes just as I made them, which I guess makes them mine!  Enjoy!

 Valentine Tea

5 Earl Grey tea bags                                                           3 cups cranberry juice

5 cups boiling water                                                           1/2 cup sugar

4 cups unsweetened apple juice                                    1/3 cup lemon juice

Place the tea bags in a large heat-proof bowl; add boiling water.  Cover and steep for 8 minutes.  Discard ea bags.  Add the remaining ingredients to tea; stir until sugar is disolved.  Serve warm.

Yield:  3 quarts

Scones

2 cups flour                                                                            1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder                                            1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar                                                           2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the first four ingredients in a large bowl.  With a pastry cutter, work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Work in the eggs and cream, until mixture is tender and moist.  Drop the dough by generous 1/4 cup portions onto a greased cookie sheet (can be turned onto lightly floured surface and knead into a circle about 3/4" thick; then cut into wedges).  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until scones are golden in color.  Scones may be made a day before and stored in an airtight container, but are at their best served fresh and warm.  Yield:  12 scones

Egg Sandwich with Beet Garnish

1 can sliced beets                                                                Mayonnaise

3 hard boiled eggs, peeled                                             Fresh basil, chopped fine                   

White bread cut into 2" circles                                                          

                                                 

                                                                   

Drain juice from beets; put in a small bowl.  Place cooked, peeled eggs in beet juice for at least 2 hours to infuse the edge with color.  (If you want the whites to turnpink all the through, let them stand about 7 - 8 hours.)  Cut the bread using a 2" circle cutter.  Mix mayonnaise with fresh cut basil and top the bread circles with this mixture.   Slice the eggs carefully so you dont lose any of the yolk.  Top the bread slice with a slice of egg and then using a very small heart cutter, cut a slice of beet to go on top.  You don't want to put the beet heart on too soon or it will start to dye the yolk.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened                                           1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

1/4 cup sour cream                                                              1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese                                    1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes,                      1/8 tsp. pepper

   patted dry and chopped finely                                 

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

Place all ingredients in a food processor; cover and process until blended.  Chill until serving.  Spread on crackers or toasted bread of your choice.

Tomato Tarts

1 box frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Dijon mustard

Tomatoes, cut into thick slices, then into hearts using the smaller cutter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  You will need 2 heart-shaped cutters in 2 sizes for this recipe. For each tart, cut out two of the larger hearts.  Using the smaller cutter, cut a heart from the center of one of these larger hearts.  You should have the same amount of solid hearts as you have cut-out hearts.  Using your finger, brush a little water around the edge of each solid heart; place the cut-out heart on top.  With a fork, prick the exposed dough from the bottom solid heart (in the well created by adding the cut-out heart).  Spread a little Dijon mustard on this inner well area.  Using the smaller of the 2 heart cutters, cut the tomato hearts; place one tomato heart in the well of each tart.  Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until puffed and a beautiful golden brown.  I also baked the small cut-out hearts to be used at a later time as a garnish on soup!

Chicken, Pear & Gorgonzola Tarts

8 bacon strips                                                                     2 tsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar                                                     1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon                                             1/4 tsp. pepper

2 (5 oz.) cans white & dark chicken in water           2 pkg. (1.9 oz each) frozen mini phyllo tart shells    

1/3 cup pear nectar                                                           1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

3 Tbsp. apricot preserves

Place bacon in a baking pan; broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until crisp.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over bacon.  Broil 1 minute longer or until bacon is glazed and bubbly.  Drain on paper towels.  Cool and crumble.

In a small skillet, combine the chicken, pear nectar, preserves, butter, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 - 4 minutes or until thickened.  Place tarts on a baking sheet; spoon about 1 teaspoonful of filling into each tart shell.  Sprinkle with bacon and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 - 7 minutes or until heated through, serve warm.  Yield:  30 tarts

Raspberry Coconut Balls

1 large bag flaked coconut

1 small and 1 large box raspberry Jello
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a large bowl, toss the coconut with the large box of Jello powder.  Add the can of sweetened condense milk, mixing thoroughly.    Pour the small box of Jello powder into a small, shallow bowl.  Roll the coconut mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll in the Jello powder to coat the outside.  Place on a cookie sheet for approximately 1 hr. until they stiffen a little.  Store in an airtight container.

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. Oreo sandwich cookies

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 oz. milk chocolate chips

In a food processor, crush 7 of the Oreos until fine crumbs; set aside in a small bowl.  Add the remaining cookies to the food processor and crush until fine crumbs.  Add the cream cheese and process until completely mixed.  Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for at least 30 min.  Melt the chocolates in a double boiler.  Dip each Oreo ball into chocolate, coating completely and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with a small amount of reserved crushed Oreo crumbs.  Hint:  Because the balls were in the freezer, the chocolate will harden quickly, so you'll want to sprinkle with the crumbs after every two balls are coated in chocolate.

Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup lemon curd

1 cup whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip)

2 pkg. (1.9 oz.) miniature phyllo cups

Fresh strawberries, hulled, cut in half and notched at the top to resemble hearts

In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese until smooth; add the curd and mix until combined.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Place in a piping bag fitted with a star tip; pipe mixture into each phyllo cup, filling to the top.  Place a fresh strawberry heart on top of each tart.  Refrigerate until serving.  Hint:  I've used 1/4 of a kiwi slice and a raspberry with a little mint jelly at Christmas time and used the kiwi, mint jelly and pineapple for Green Bay Packer colors for a Super Bowl party.  No matter the fruit I use, these are always a huge hit!

Yield:  30 tarts

Heart-Shaped Mexican Pizza

We typically don't go out to dinner on Valentine's Day, as the restaurants are usually crowded so the wait is long.  Each year I try to make something where I can cut something into a heart or decorate the meal with hearts.  This year, I found a recipe on Pinterest for a Mexican Pizza.  It originated at allrecipes.com and was called Jimmy's Mexican Pizza.  I doubled the recipe to have enough for my family.  The recipe is printed below.

The recipe calls for 10-inch (medium - soft taco) tortillas.  I turned a heart-shaped plate upside-down on top of each tortilla and used a sharp knife to cut them into hearts.  Two tortillas are needed for each pizza.  Instead of using a pie plate for each one, I put them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  I used the Reynolds Non-stick Aluminum Foil.

While I had the ground beef, onions, garlic, and spices cooking in a large saucepan on the stove, I spread each tortilla with the refried beans.

When the meat mixture was ready, I applied a layer on top of the beans.

Next I put another tortilla on top of that and put the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  While that was in the oven, I cut my tomatoes and green onions.

Once out of the oven, I added a layer of salsa.  Our salsa of choice is Chachi's Salsa Pico de Gallo (medium heat).  

The recipe calls for Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, but I opted for the pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend.  This was added on top of the salsa.

Next I put on the chopped tomatoes and green onions.  Back into the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.

I served each one on a cute heart-shaped plate.  Believe me, they tasted as good as they looked.  Although I usually follow a recipe exactly the first time I try it, I did omit the diced jalapeno (we got enough heat from the salsa) and I may have used more cheese, tomato and green onion than the recipe called for, because I know my family's tastes.  This is definitely something I would make again, although I probably won't always take the time to make it heart-shaped. Enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

Ingredients

·       1/2 pound ground beef

·       1 medium onion, diced

·       1 clove garlic, minced

·       1 tablespoon chili powder

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       1/2 teaspoon paprika

·       1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

·       1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

·       4 (10 inch) flour tortillas

·       1/2 cup salsa

·       1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

·       1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

·       2 green onions, chopped

·       2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

·       1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers

·       1/4 cup sour cream (optional)

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).   Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray.

2.     Place beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat.   Cook until beef is evenly browned.   Drain off grease.  Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.

3.     Lay one tortilla in each pie plate, and cover with a layer of refried beans.   Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over each one, and then cover with a second tortilla.   Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

4.     Remove the plates from the oven, and let cool slightly.   Spread half of the salsa over each top tortilla.   Cover each pizza with half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.   Place half of the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the jalapeno slices onto each one.

5.     Return the pizzas to the oven, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.   Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before slicing each one into 4 pieces.

Heart-Shaped Bacon and Egg Sandwich

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  I usually do a theme related meal for dinner, somehow incorporating a heart or more into the dish(es) I make.  Yesterday, I decided to surprise my boys with a bacon and egg sandwich (a favorite breakfast option) only make it heart shaped.  Some time ago I had purchased a heart-shaped egg ring, so I was all set.

I put a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Then, I took my heart-shaped egg ring on top and drew around it, make the pattern for where I would place the bacon.  I cut the strip of bacon in half

before placing it within the lines I drew.  The bacon went into the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

I used bread where each slice was bigger than a "normal" sandwich loaf provides.  I used my egg ring and cut around it with a serrated knife.  This created somewhat of a jagged edge, so I decided to use the ring as a cookie cutter which resulted in the smooth edge here, plus it was much faster!  I toasted two bread hearts in the toaster oven.  In the mean time, I heated my pan with the egg ring in it, added a little butter and fried my egg, making sure that the edges were cooked before lifting the ring to flip the egg over.

Using a pretty heart-shaped plate, I started with one heart toast, then added the egg, the bacon, and the other piece of toast.  As you can see from the bacon picture, I didn't account for shrinkage when I used the egg ring to draw my template.  Next time, I will take that into account and draw my heart about 1/4-inch bigger than the egg ring.  Some of us like to add a little bit of ketchup for flavor.  My boys were quite surprised with their Valentine breakfast.  Perhaps you can do this for your special someone(s) as a special treat!

This is the final product!