Baked Ziti with Spinach and Turkey

This is a fantastic and interesting twist on baked ziti.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Turkey

• 1 (5oz) container of fresh baby spinach, washed & chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large shallot
• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage
• kosher salt & pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 pound ziti
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 heaping tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese
• 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Especially for dishes like this, where there are a lot of ingredients, I like to prepare everything I need ahead of time. Chop all of the onions, shallots, carrots, sage and spinach. Grate the cheese and measure out the flour, stock and milk. This will make your entire cooking experience less stressful and will really cut down on the mess while you are preparing the meal.

Add the olive oil to a large pan and add the ground turkey. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink.

Add the shallots, onions, carrots, garlic and sage. Season liberally with salt & pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until the carrots are starting to soften up a little. Add the chicken stock and lower the heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente.

In a separate pot melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir to combine. Once the flour is incorporated, whisk in the milk slowly and stir until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt,1/4 teaspoon of pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Continue to stir until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Add the spinach to the turkey mixture and stir until incorporated and the spinach has begun to wilt. Add the pasta and white sauce to the turkey mixture and combine.

Pour the pasta with sauce in a large casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Add the parmesan cheese and fontina cheese to the top of the casserole.


Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it is bubbly hot and the cheese is light golden brown.

Adapted From: Rachel Ray

Poached Eggs on Toasted Baguette with Goat Cheese

If you were to randomly drop by my house, chances are you would see the television on "The Cooking Channel". Ever since its debut I think I've watched it non-stop. A new show started this week and it's hosted by another one of my all time favorite chefs, Bobby Flay. It's called "Brunch at Bobby's". I watched an episode yesterday that featured this dish and it was as if I was pulled by a magnet to the store to buy the ingredients to make this...immediately.

Poached Eggs on Toasted Baguette with Goat Cheese

• Olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 3 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 1 large or 2 small sliced heirloom tomatoes (or any fresh tomato)
• 4 eggs, poached
• 1 cup micro arugula or regular arugula
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon

Heat an indoor grill or a grill pan and broiler on high heat.

Cut the baguette in half and then slice in half lengthwise. Brush the top of the bread with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Toast the bread on the grill until nice grill marks appear and bread is lightly toasted.

Remove from the grill and spread the bread with the goat cheese. Put the bread under a broiler and heat until goat cheese is golden. Top with the sliced tomatoes and poached eggs.

I used to shy away from making poached eggs because of their delicate nature. While I was watching Bobby's show I learned that if you add a glug of vinegar to the water when you are poaching an egg you don't need to swirl the water around the egg to make it hold it's shape. You simply drop the egg in the water and leave it alone. The only thing you have to be sure of is that you don't over cook it. You only want to leave the egg in the water about 2 minutes if you want your yolk to be slightly runny. Any longer than that and you will have a solid yolk. Poach the eggs and then gently blot it on a paper towel to get any excess water off the egg before placing it on the baguette.

(crack the egg in a small dish first and then gently slide it right in the water)

To make the vinaigrette:


Whisk the vinegar, mustard, tarragon and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, until emulsified. Then you can whisk in the honey and pepper.

**My thoughts on this vinagrette is that it made way too much. I didn't need even half of this. If you want to cut the recipe in half, feel free to do so...or you can save this rest if you want.

Place the arugula in a bowl and drizzle a tablespoon or two of the vinagrette.

Top the eggs with the arugula and then drizzle with a little more of the vinagrette.

(gently break the yolks when serving)

Source:Bobby Flay

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Just hearing the words "Frozen Hot Chocolate" reminds me of one of my favorite movies of all time, Serendipity. Besides being an incredible movie, it introduced millions to the infamous cafe in New York City "Serendipity". They are best known for their frozen hot chocolate that was featured in the movie. I must warn you that eating this could very likely turn you into an addict, which might lead to a few extra inches on the thighs. It really is like heaven in a cup.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

• 6 half-ounce pieces of your favorite chocolate (I went with a Ghirardelli chocolate bar)
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups crushed ice
• whipped cream (optional)
• shaved chocolate (optional)
• chocolate syrup (optional)

Chop the chocolate into small pieces to expedite the cooking process.

Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and stir until melted.

Add the sugar and cocoa mix and stir until completely incorporated.

Remove from the heat and mix in 1/2 cup of the milk. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature (this shouldn't take long if the milk is cold).

In a blender, add the rest of the milk (1 cup), ice and the chocolate mixture. Blend until no large chucks of ice remain. If you have an ice maker on your refrigerator, I suggest using crushed ice in the blender. It works much faster and doesn't bog down the blender.

Drizzle some chocolate syrup around the inside of your glass.

Pour the frozen hot chocolate in the cup and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!!!!!

Adapted from: Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry with Vegetable Medley

This recipe comes from one of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten. She has some of the most amazing recipes I've ever made. I cannot think of a single dish of hers that I have made that I haven't loved. This recipe is about as simple as it gets, but it is beyond delicious.

Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry

• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, sliced
• 1/4 pound black forest ham, sliced
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To defrost the puff pastry, remove it from the packaging and let it sit on a floured surface until it loses some of its stiffness. When you attempt to unfold the dough it should easily seperate at the seam. If it is still hard it will break. Do not force it. Put it back down and let it sit for a while more. Once it easily unfolds, roll it out on a floured board until you get it to approximately 10x12 inches.

Place it on the parchment paper lined pan. Spread the mustard on the dough, leaving a one inch border all the way around the outside edges.

Place a layer of ham over the mustard.

Slice the cheese in strips and layer over the ham.

Beat the egg, add the water and then brush the egg wash around the border of the pastry.

Roll out the second piece of dough and place it on top. Seal the edges by gently pressing down with your fingers and then go around with a fork and gently create a seal.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it is just puffed up and golden brown.

Vegetable Medley

This was really just a mixture of leftover seasonal veggies that I had in the refrigerator that turned into a really great tasting side dish.

• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash (peeled, seeded and diced into 1 inch cubes)
• 2 cups zucchini (1 small cut into a small dice)
• 1/2 of a large onion sliced into rings
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter and olive oil. Add the squash, zucchini, onion and all spices. Mix to combine.

Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you are using an oven safe skillet (one that does NOT contain any plastic on the handles) place it in the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. If you do not have an oven safe skillet, transfer the veggies to a baking sheet and then bake in the oven.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Source: Ina Garten