Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients:

Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

Hugarian Goulash

Ingredients:

1 lb of lean ground beef
1 lb of ground pork
2 medium yellow onions, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
28 oz of whole canned tomatoes (San Marzano), squeezed
28 oz of tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of water
2 bay leaves
16 oz elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

Directions:

 

Begin by browning your ground meat in a large pot. Once browned, drain any fat, and return to the stove. Next, add the onions and garlic, and cook for about another five minutes with the meat. Add salt and pepper and mix. Add in the whole tomatoes, squeezing them as you place them in the pot. Add in your tomato sauce, the oregano, basil, sugar, garlic powder, and worcestershire sauce and give a good stir. Add in the cup of water, cover, and reduce the heat to a medium, low heat.

Cook your noodles according to the box. When they are cooked, drain, and set aside. When you are ready to serve, locate and remove the bay leaves. Add the noodles into the meat sauce, making sure you incorporate all of the ingredients. Serve in a bowl, and top with grated parmesan cheese if you have it.