The Houndstooth Gourmet

I’ve been making lasagna for many years and have come to put my own “signature” on my version. It’s not particularly traditional-but as Rachel Ray would say, “there’s things in there that will make your guests go hmmmmm”. And Yum-O! And hopefully, “can I have the recipe?”

The twists that I put on my lasanga are: using bell peppers to compliment the ground meat, adding nutmeg as a background taste to the meat and cheese, adding lemon zest to offset and balance the creaminess of the cheese, and adding the tang of cream cheese because I saw Paula Deen do this once, and dang! it’s good!

As always, making a lasagna will feed a crowd and while it’s time consuming to put together, the work is all up front. Once assembled, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a day before making it-leaving plenty of time to clean the kitchen!

This lasagna is a please your family- feed a crowd-hook your boyfriend good. Just ask my husband, Frank

Most of all, lasagna just says love.

 Lasagna a la Mona

Ingredients

• Lasagan noodles, cooked according to package direction and enough to make 3 layers of pasta
• 2.5 lbs. meatloaf mix, or ground beef
• 1 Tablespoon Italian herbs
• 2 lb. container of ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella, plus 1/4 cup for topping
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, pluse 1/4 cup for topping and more for passing at the table. About 2 cups total
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounce cream cheese or neufastchel cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 24 oz. jar marinara

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Remove to a large bowl. Increase heat to high and add ground meat. Season meat with salt, pepper, nutmeg and Italian herbs.Using a spatula, chop meat and cook thoroughly. At this point, you may want to drain meat in a collander to remove excess fat and liquid. Combine meat with the cooked vegetables.

In another large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest and egg.

To assemble:

In a large lasagna pan, place about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce and spread evenly to cover bottom of pan. Place one layer of lasanga noodles. Spread more marinara over noodles to cover evenly. Top evenly with one half of the cheese, then one half of the meat and vegetable mixture.

Place another layer of lasagna noodles on top and press down to even the bottom layer and spread the filling evenly. Repeat with marinara, cheese and meat mixture.

Place the top layer of lasanga noodles over the second layer of filling and press down to evenly distribute filling evenly. Pour marinara over top layer to cover evenly. Reserve the rest of the marinara to serve warm at the table.

Cover lasagna with foil and place on middle rack of oven. Cook for one hour. Remove foil and sprinkle reserved mozzarella and parmesan evenly over top.

Turn on broiler. Place lasanga under broiler to melt cheese and lightly brown the top.

Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before cutting. This is very important-it will allow the lasagna to “set up” and keep your slices together when plated.

Serve with more parmesan and the remaining warmed marinara at the table.

Mangia!

Lasagna a la Mona is being submitted to Presto Pasta Night-a fun weekly blog event sponsored by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast.

Tags: presto pasta night, cheese, pasta by Ramona
8 Comments »

 As I reported in the most recent At The Market, I bought a large bunch of really fresh and fragrant dill last Sunday from Gardener’s Gourmet. The first dish in which I incorporated the dill is gnocchi. Gnocchi (roughly pronounced NYOK-kee) are Italian dumplings and are named for gnocco, which is slang for “lump”.

Gnocchi are made from potatoes and other ingredients. They can be used as pasta and be accompanied by a variety of things, from a light tomato sauce, to braised meats, to butter and cheese.

Gnocchi recipes reach back to as far as the 12th century are are most common to Northern Italy. Typically, gnocchi are made by boiling potatoes, followed by ricing them, adding flour, egg and salt. Kneading this dough together is quick and portions of the dough are then rolled into batons and cut into 1 inch long pieces. The gnocchi pieces are then rolled on a fork, or gnocchi roller to give them their signature ridges which are great for holding sauce. Once formed, the gnocchi are quickly cooked in boiling water and are done when they float to the top.

After cooking, gnocchi can be added to a dish, or fried in butter to name just a couple ways to use them.

Here’s a recipe for gnocchi which is adapted from Mario Batali’s recipe on Food Network’s website. You will notice that I chose to use Yukon Gold potatoes as a change from more traditional Russett potatoes. The result was still light, yet creamy and the dough came together quickly without having to add more flour (which has unfortunately been a problem which has bitten me in the ass before- I call those gnocchi “sinkers”).

I served the gnocchi browned in butter and topped with Pecorino Romano cheese. The recipe makes about 90-100 gnocchi, but don’t fear, they freeze well and cook up frozen only a bit slower than when fresh.

To freeze, place the gnocchi on a lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid. Store frozen gnocchi is an airtight Ziploc baggie.

Herbed Gnocchi with Dill and Pecorino

makes 90-100 gnocchi

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 cups All Purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (more for garnish)

Directions

Peel and quarter potatoes, keeping size uniform. Rinse potatoes in cold water. Place potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow potatoes to simmer, partially covered, until a fork is easily inserted (about 20  minutes).

Drain the potatoes in a collander and allow to cool for several minutes. Using a food mill or ricer, run potatoes through onto a lightly floured surface. Bring milled potatoes together and make a well in the center. Sprinkle all of the flour, dill and Pecorino cheese over the potatoes. Place egg and salt in the center of the well, and using a fork, stir into flour and potato. Once the egg is mixed in, bring the dough together by kneading it gently until a ball is formed. Knead for 3-4 minutes until the ball is dry to the touch.

Lightly four surface and your hands. Cut a 1 inch thick slice of the dough ball off. Gently roll into a baton or rope, until 1 inch thick throughout. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces. Using your thumb, roll each piece (uncut side) on the tines of a fork, or gnocchi roller. Here’s a great pictorial from Food Network to guide you through this technique.

To cook gnocchi, place in boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they float. Transfer to sauce, or as I did, fry them up in a bit of butter, until browned, in a non-stick skillet. Sprinkle with extra Pecorino Romano.

Enjoy!

*Weekend Herb Blogging is a weekly event started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This week, WHB is hosted by Thyme For Cooking.

Tags: herbs, cheese, Recipe, potatoes, pasta by Ramona
11 Comments »

 St. Patrick’s Day is a week away and for my DC Foodies entry this week, I felt a little Irish and made a decadent Guinness and Chocolate Cheesecake.

Go check it out at DCFoodies.com.

Tags: DC Foodies entry, cheese, Recipe, chocolate, baking by Ramona
1 Comment »

Cookthink is a great recipe website and blog where you can retrieve recipes based upon what you have on hand, what meal you are making, and even what mood you’re in. They began the Root Source Challenge several weeks ago. Each challenge is based on a specific ingredient, which you use or feature in a recipe. This week’s Root Source Challenge is orzo.

Orzo is a small pasta which means “barley” in Italian. It is often used in soups and can be used for making a risotto.

For this challenge, I wanted to incorporate orzo into a recipe in an unusual manner. What first came to mind was timpano-you know, like from the movie Big Night. Timpano uses rigatoni or ziti along with many other ingredients to create layers within baked dough.

It seemed a bit daunting.

So, I thought “hey, what about stromboli?” Instead of traditional Italian stuffing, I could use ingredients more reminiscent of Greece and the Mediteranean region in general. Hence, “Mediterranean Stromboli”. Layers of seasoned ground beef with onions, orzo with spinach, Manchego cheese, roasted red bell peppers and kalamata olives are combined to put a twist on the traditional pizza shop turnover. However, I served it with the traditional marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

The result was delicious and well worth the effort, especially since the recipe makes 2- 12 inch stromboli. The orzo added an unexpected creaminess to the stromboli.  Mediterranean Stromboli would make a great snack or appetizer and would work well in a buffet. Most of all, I wish I had thought of this for the Superbowl.

Mediterranean Stromboli

makes 16-18 servings

Ingredients

for the dough

• 1 1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F.)
• 1 Tablespoon yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3-31/2 cups All Purpose flour

for the filling

• 1 lb. ground beef (80/20 mix)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup orzo, cooked according to package directions
• 1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 oz. Manchego cheese, roughly shredded
• 4 roasted red bell peppers, skins peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch strips ( I used jarred fire roasted peppers)
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (1 egg for orzo and spinach mixture, and 1 egg for brushing the dough before baking)
• 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping on the side (optional)

Directions

Add 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir, then allow to sit for 5 minutes until it gets foamy. Add the remaining water, olive oil and salt. Using a dough hook, turn mixer on low to medium low speed. Gradually add in 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth. Add an additional cup of flour and continue to mix dough until it begins to pull away from the sides.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead dough for 10 minutes, using additional flour as needed to stop sticking.

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Allow the dough to rise for approximately one hour in a warm place. The dough should double in size.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

While the dough is rising, cook orzo according to package directions and combine it with the spinach. Once the mixture is cooled, add one egg and stir to incorporate.

For the meat and onions, place a skillet over medium high heat and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes until transluscent. Do not brown. Add meat and begin to brown. Chop the meat with a flat wooden spatula to get it to separate into small pieces. Add garlic powder, oregano, marjoram and cinnamon. Once browned, check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Punch down the dough and transfer it onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 inch x 12 inch rectangle. Layer half of fillings evenly over dough; meat and onion mixture, orzo and spinach mixture, manchego cheese, peppers and olives. Leave about 1 inch of the dough’s edge uncovered.

Carefully begin to roll the dough and stuffing. Towards the end of rolling, tuck in the edges and fold them under the bottom seam. Repeat with other half of dough. Transfer stromboli to a greased or silicone lined baking sheet. Cut slits on top of dough approximately 2-3 inches apart, depending on how big you wish to make each serving.

Brush egg wash over dough, avoiding the slits. Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Turn the baking sheet half way through cooking for even heating.

Allow stromboli to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Optional-serve stromboli with a side of your favorite marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping.

*Cookthink holds a weekly Root Source Challenge where winning recipes get published on their site and a prize is awarded to the winner.

Tags: cheese, Recipe, pasta, beef by Ramona
6 Comments »

In the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, there once lived a cheese maven, named Jill Erber. With thoughts of bringing cheeses from near and far, she transformed a tiny storefront into a mecca for cheese lovers from around the area. Soon, the word of her shop’s cheeses, wines, and gourmet goodies spread and Jill decided it was time for more elbow room. Just a few doors away sat a new space ready for Jill to fill. This weekend, I visited the newly opened Cheesetique and apparently I wasn’t the only one anxious to get a peak into the new digs.If you’ve been to Cheesetique, a familiar feel will comfort you when you walk in the door. The beautiful wooden trough sits in the front window, with its companion counter full of soft cheeses just a step away. Beyond, two large counters sit side by side; one filled with dozens of cheeses, all perfectly and temptingly labeled, and one with meats. Proscuitto, salami, speck, lamb and chicken, oh my!Stainless steal racks, short and tall, are filled with even more high quality olive oils, salts,vinegars, tuna, biscuits and beer. A wall of wines leads is a clever way to display a nice collections of beverage to compliment just about anything she carries. In the back of the store, yet another case holds dairy products such as creme fraiche and mascarpone as well as meats from Neiman Ranch.On my visit, I sampled 2 wonderful cheeses- a Stilton with chives and and Midnight Moon. Delicious. For home, I purchased a 6-month old Farmerhouse Cheddar and a couple mini salami links.Now, what’s behind the the red curtain, you ask? Well, it will be a small cafe and tasting room opening next week-perfect for extending the enjoyment of Jill’s products. I highly recommend signing up for the Cheesetique newsletter so you can keep apprised of what she is carrying, as well as upcoming classes and events.

Cheesetique
http://www.cheesetique.com
2403 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 706-5300
Map

Tags: a la minute update, cheese by Ramona
3 Comments »