Baked Ziti with Sweet Turkey Sausage

My Mom gave me a ceramic roasting pan last Christmas. It works great with baked pasta- it gives the edges that nice crispy, chewy texture that you can't get with a metal pan. Tonight we made a Baked Ziti with Sausage. It sounds pretty heavy, but we lightened it up by using a homemade marinara sauce, turkey sausage, light mozzarella and light ricotta. You can use a store bought sauce, but watch the label as a lot of them have a ton of sugar and/or sodium. The Marinara recipe below only takes an hour or so, and you can freeze a bunch of it in containers to use later.

Baked Ziti with Sweet Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti noodles

• 1 pound sweet turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

• 1 (15-ounce) container regular or part-skim ricotta cheese

• 4 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, reserve 1 cup, for topping

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Reserve some of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a hot skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Remove sausage and add to a medium saucepan with the marinara sauce(recipe below) and simmer. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and garlic powder and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce/sausage mixture in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish. Top with half of the cooked ziti. Top with half of the cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Repeat layers (remaining ziti and remaining cheese mixture). Top with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Marinara Sauce

(Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, minced

• 4 medium garlic cloves, smashed

• 6 cups canned San Marzano tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, heat olive oil, add onions and cook over medium to low heat until onions are transparent. Add garlic and cook until almost brown and then add tomatoes. Cook for 1/2 hour over low to medium heat, then add basil and oregano and continue to cook for 30 minutes longer. In a food mill or a blender, puree into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Crème D'asperges (Cream of Asparagus Soup)

Today's cold snap reminded us that summer is not quite here. Instead of the customary grilling, I decided to make a nice comfort soup with my fresh in-season asparagus. This soup doesn't call for anything fancy and can be prepared in 15 or 20 minutes.

A lot of French soups call for Creme Fraiche to add richness, but in a pinch it's okay to add sour cream as a substitute. (If you're really hardcore and want to make your own creme fraiche, you can add a tablespoon or two of buttermilk to unpasteurized sour cream and leave it out on your counter for a few hours until it thickens up).

Using light sour cream (or even regular sour cream) instead of heavy cream will keep the fat and calories down to a reasonable level. You can have 2nd's of this delicious soup and still feel great. Give it a try... and if you have a favorite quick soup, post it in the comments below.

Crème D'asperges (Cream of Asparagus Soup)

Ingredients

2 pounds green asparagus
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sour creme (or creme fraiche)

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Preparation

Cut tips from 12 asparagus

1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Wisk in sour creme, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish bowls with asparagus tips.

"Guilt Free and Gourmet" Steak & Potatoes

Grilled NY Striploin, Potato Salad with Olives and Roasted Red Peppers and Grilled Zucchini with Kalamata Olives and Mint

Who said you have to feel stuffed after a nice steak with a couple of side dishes? We grilled off a 6oz (well trimmed) NY Striploin and paired it with a Mediterranean potato salad and zucchini and felt great afterwards. The key is portion control, and cutting out the high cal/high fat components that will give you that bloated "I just want to lay down" feeling.

Potato Salad with Olives and Roasted Red Peppers

Here's a guilt-free potato salad with no globs of heavy mayo to weigh you down. Mix up a sherry vinaigrette, then toss in the warm potato slices. Let them sit a few minutes before adding some chopped kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and Italian flat leaf parsley. You'll feel like you're having dinner in the Mediterranean! You can do the potato slices in a grill pan, but for maximum flavor you'll want to do them outside on the BBQ.

Potato Salad with Olives and Peppers

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 pound hot cooked small (2-inch) boiling potatoes, quartered
2/3 cup bottled roasted red peppers (4 ounces), rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
2/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup pitted brine-cured black olives, halved

Preparation

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using side of a large heavy knife. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, salt, and red-pepper flakes, then whisk in oil. Add hot potatoes to vinaigrette and toss to coat. Let stand until potatoes cool to warm, about 30 minutes, then stir in peppers, parsley, and olives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Zucchini with Black Olives and Mint

The mint in my herb garden is just starting to come in, so I was eager to try it out for the first time this year. I grilled some zucchini and tossed it with chopped black olives and the fresh mint. Wow, what a great combination of flavours. It's very buttery (zucchini), bright (mint) and savory (olives) at same time. You've gotta give this one a try!

Grilled Zucchini with Black Olives and Mint

(Adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives

1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 large)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Prepare grill.

Pit and thinly slice olives. Cut zucchini diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices and in a bowl toss with oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

Grill zucchini, in batches if necessary, on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly charred and just tender. (Alternatively, zucchini may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned heavy-ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer zucchini to bowl and toss with olives, mint, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Long Point Surf & Turf

Recently my Aunt Donna and Uncle Jim hosted a get-together at their house. My parents were also able to make it, having made the long drive from Midland, Ontario a couple of days beforehand. Jim & Donna have a beautiful spot high on the north shore of Lake Erie. Their phenomenal view overlooks the lake as well as a nature preserve, which attracts a large variety of birds and other wildlife. This area of Ontario also provides our region with the bulk of high quality fruits and vegetables throughout the spring and summer months. We happened to be visiting during asparagus season, and as a reward for our good timing Jimmy had an entire bag for us courtesy of a neighbour down the road.

While we were enjoying the view all afternoon, Jim and my Dad had some beef ribs slowly roasting in the oven. Dad also brought an Arctic Char fresh from Nunuvik, NWT, which we were all excited to try. The Arctic Char has a thick, orange colored flesh and a consistency that reminds you of salmon. The skin looks like that of a trout. Donna coined the dinner "Long Point Surf & Turf".

To prepare the fish, we simply grilled it some with salt and pepper. Once off the grill we hit it with some grilled lemon juice and a bit more salt. This fish has an extremely fresh, clean flavour, with no discernible "fishy" taste. I'm not a big fish-guy, but this one is a real winner and I will try it the next time I see it on a menu. The bbq beef ribs were "fall-off-the-bone" perfect .... and the asparagus was tender and tasty. Great job everyone, and thanks for a memorable visit. Remember, you can click on the photos to see them full-size.

Sweet & Sour Striploin Kebabs and Mixed Greens with a Tangerine Lime Vinaigrette, Toasted Walnuts, Dried Cherries and Crumbled Blue Cheese

Here's a healthy low fat/low carb dinner for a weeknight that doesn't take a lot of effort to prepare. We baste the kebabs on the grill with a sweet and sour BBQ sauce to get them nice and sticky. The salad can be put together and plated prior to putting the kebabs on the grill - they'll only take 7 or 8 minutes.

Kebabs-

NY Striploin steaks trimmed of all fat and cut into thin 1" pieces

red onion

red, yellow and green pepper

your favorite steak seasoning

sweet BBQ sauce

Salad- toss together:

mixed greens

tangerine lime vinaigrette

toasted walnuts

crumbled blue cheese

sourdough croutons

dried cherries

A Kicked-Up Roadhouse Dinner

When is a standard Roadhouse dinner not a standard Roadhouse dinner? When you swap a salisbury steak for a Top Sirloin in a Mushroom, Shallot and Marsala Sauce. Now you're talking French bistro!

At first glance this looks like a pretty standard entree at any roadhouse or diner. But one taste and you'll know it's something quite different...

Top Sirloin with a Mushroom, Shallot & Marsala Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons olive oil

• 2 finely diced shallots, or 1 white onion, finely diced

• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 cup Marsala wine

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

• 4 Top Sirloin steaks

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 bunch fresh chives, optional

Directions

Begin the Marsala sauce by heating the olive oil in a deep saute pan. Cook the shallots (or onion) and mushrooms gently until they become translucent. Deglaze the pan with the wine and add the stock and fresh thyme. Remove and set aside. Lightly dredge steaks in flour. Coat a very hot pan with oil (canola works better than olive oil). Sear steaks for 3 or 4 minutes until the meat is caramelized (you don't want them to cook through, just brown them). Remove meat and let it rest. Once the pan cools to a medium heat, add the reserved Marsala sauce and steaks. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, flipping steaks occasionally. After 2 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking down the Marsala sauce until it is reduced to a thick gravy.

Remove steaks and strain Marsala sauce. Whisk in butter to finish. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Spoon the sauce over the steaks, garnish with chopped chives, and serve.

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)

Cinco de Mayo is a celebration held in commemoration of Mexico's independence from France on May 5, 1862. While it has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

We've had some really fun adventures in Mexico and remember our times there with a smile. As a tribute, we always like to spice things up with a Mexican dinner whenever May 5th rolls around. This year I found a really innovative soft taco created by one of my favorite chefs in the world- Bobby Flay. Flay's preparations are in the intermediate or advanced category, so you have to have the time available to spend creating. His recipes are typically American Southwest or Spanish influenced, and inevitably seem to include one or two obscure ingredients that aren't readily available. This time I got lucky and had everything available. (I intentionally left out the poblano pepper from my version.)

This soft taco has a mexican-spice rubbed chicken breast, guacamole, onions sauteed in BBQ sauce and a tangy, crunchy coleslaw. It has a ton of flavour, and is low cal and satisfying. I served my Southwest mango, corn and black bean salad on the side.

Spice Rubbed Chicken Breast Tacos with Grilled Poblanos, BBQ Onions and Coleslaw

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay, 2008

Ingredients

Grilled Poblanos:

• 3 large poblanos

• Canola oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

BBQ Onions:

• 2 sweet onions, skin-on, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

• Canola oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup BBQ Sauce

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each)

• Canola oil

• 8 flour tortillas

• Barbecued onions

• Coleslaw

• Guacamole

Directions

Heat the grill to high.

For the Poblano peppers (if you want to use them):

Brush the poblanos with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chiles on the grill and cook until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, place in a bowl and cover with plastic for 10 minutes. Remove the skin, seeds and stem and cut into thin slices.

For the onions:

Brush the onions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Brush with some of the bbq sauce during the last few minutes. Most of the skin should come off on the grill, but if not, take it off when the onions come off the grill.

For the chicken:

Heat the grill to high.

Whisk together the ancho, cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a small bowl.

Season top side of the breasts with the rub mixture, turn over and season the back with the remaining salt. Drizzle with some of the oil and place on the grill, rub side down and grill until lightly golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, close the lid and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Grill the flour tortillas briefly, just to mark and heat. To build the tacos, fold each tortilla around some of the chicken, poblanos, onions, coleslaw and guacamole.

Mango Bruschetta

Sometimes it's fun to change up the "old reliable". Bruschetta is classically made with roma tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and some balsamic vinegar (hopefully from Modena, Italy).

But since "bruschetta" is originally from the Italian "bruscare" meaning "to roast over coals"... we can substitute what we want to. For this appetizer I used fresh mangos as a base. Instead of basil I used cilantro, and made a "vinaigrette" from fresh lime and orange juice. Finally I made a small dice with some onions and red peppers for some crunch and piled it high on a crusty toasted Tuscan bread. This one is super-simple, and a real treat with dinner. You can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days.

The Mango Bruschetta is shown here with a panko-crusted Tilapia and dilled tartar sauce.

Mango Bruschetta

Crusty Italian bread

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Butter toasted bread and top with mango mixture.

Dilled Tartar Sauce

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons diced dill pickle

1 Tablespoons diced white onion

Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Stir together the mayonnaise, pickle, onion, and lemon juice. Chill and serve.

Panko Crusted Fish

Ingredients

1 pound piece boneless, skinless tilapia

1 cup panko (Japanese coarse bread crumbs)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus for seasoning

2 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil, for frying

Directions

Prepare a paper towel-lined baking pan and set aside. Toss the panko, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in 1 shallow bowl or pie plate, and beat the eggs lightly in another.

Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper, dip in the eggs, and then press into the panko mixture to coat evenly, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the fish in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a constant sizzle. Fry the fish, turning once, until evenly brown, about 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil, and, if necessary, keep warm in the oven on the rack. Repeat with the rest of the fish. Serve hot with the tartar sauce.