Baked Spaghetti Casserole

This is a Tricia Yearwood recipe that is making the rounds around the Internet and food blogs. If you have kids, they'll love it--just hold the "heat." It's quite friendly to "tweaks" and additions. I added a bit of crushed fennel (which I highly recommend) and red pepper flakes. Perfect! Mushrooms would be a great addition, too. Just think what you like on your pizza! In the summer, I'll be using fresh basil from the garden, for sure.

Be sure to use "thin spaghetti," which is not to be confused with angel hair. This is even better the next day. When I make it again, I will either prepare it the night before or in the morning and refrigerate it, covered, before baking to allow the flavors to mix.

Don't be put off by the "mushroom soup" topping. It's fine. What I find myself doing more and more is to buy a jar of prepared Alfredo Sauce and spread that on top instead of the soup. It's your call.
 

BAKED SPAGHETTI

Serves 4-6

• 1/2 lb. ground beef (about one cup)
• 3 slices bacon, cut into pieces
• 6 oz. thin spaghetti
• 1/2 - 3/4  cup chopped onion
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped green pepper (about one whole pepper)
• 1 tablespoon finely diced garlic, about two large cloves
• 2 - 4 tablespoons sliced black olives, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups diced, roasted tomatoes, juice and all (canned roasted tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings or oregano (I use the Italian seasonings)
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed fennel seed
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste) 
• 3/4  cup cream of mushroom soup mixed with 2 tablespoons pasta water
• 1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella, Cheddar or Italian blend cheese, divided
• 1/4- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish. Bring a large pan of salted water to boil.

In a large pan, fry bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towel. Remove bacon fat and save. Add ground beef to pan and brown along with the red pepper flakes if using. Salt and pepper to taste. Discard fat and remove ground beef to a plate or bowl. (If using a cheaper cut of ground beef, add a bit more meat since most will be fat.)

Add bacon fat, less 1-3 teaspoons, to pan and add the onion and green pepper. Cook just until the onion begins to get a bit brown. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant, less than a minute. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasonings, fennel. Mix. Now add the crumbled bacon and ground beef. Simmer for about 7-9 minutes. You want the flavors to blend and some of the liquid to evaporate to create a thick sauce but, if necessary, add a bit of liquid. Taste. Re-season as necessary.

It's important to always taste and re-season as you cook.

As meat mixture is simmering, add pasta to boiling water and cook less 2 minutes per instructions. Drain. Add back to hot pan. Stir to get rid of added water. Now add some of the bacon fat to prevent pasta from sticking and to add a bit more flavor.

Scatter about 3 tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of the greased dish. Place half of the spaghetti on top. Spread half of the sauce on top of pasta and sprinkle with one tablespoon of the black olives. Cover with half the grated cheese (not the Parmesan) and repeat the layering of pasta, sauce, olive, cheese.

Using a spoon, place dollops of the mushroom soup mixture or the Alfredo sauce over the top and, using the back of a large spoon, spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are boiling and the top is golden. Allow to cool a bit before cutting.

Fresh Parmesan is best. For the layered cheese in this particular
casserole, I used a combo of Mozzarella and Provolone. The original recipe called for all Cheddar which, to me, is more English thant Italian.

You know you want this!

Notes: If doubling recipe, use a 9 x 13 pan and 3, 14.5 oz. cans of tomatoes, being careful about increasing the red pepper flakes, fennel and garlic (can you ever not add enough garlic?????).

Leftover, refrigerated baked spaghetti slices up beautifully

and tastes even better the next day-- and it's not bad

with a dollop of sour cream, either!

NOTES: I now make this about every other week. I even have it for breakfast! I do the half recipe in an 8 x 8-inch dish. I first add about 1/4 teaspoon fennel and if not strong enough, add another 1/4 teaspoon. Because I love black olives, I add more than the called-for 2 tablespoons. I think they add a lot of flavor to this dish. I rarely use all cheddar cheese (which can be oily) and have settled on the Mozzarella and Provolone that I buy pre-shredded.

Baked Apples in Tea

Choose apples that are firm and just a bit tart.
Why can't they make Granny Smith apples in red?

My favorite quote about baked apples comes from the original Joy Of Cooking cookbook:

"Apples are baked in a hot oven,

in a moderate oven and in a very slow one

with results that seem to be equally satisfactory

to cooks and their victims."

This is quite true. No two recipes for baked apples is the same when it comes to oven temperature or ingredients. But there is one constant: use apples that are firm and a bit tart. This recipe calls for fresh nutmeg and it really does make a difference. A huge difference for the better.

The recipe that follows was inspired after reading a recipe that called for "unfiltered apple cider." I'm sure it's wonderful. But that means I have to try to find it, buy it and I will be left with a quart. So I used leftover tea. Earl Grey tea, to be specific. And I was quite happy with the results. You could also use an apple or cinnamon-flavored tea. Or you could just use water, like "the old days." (The Joy of Cooking recommends "1 tablespoon water for each apple.")

• 4 cooking apples, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg (maybe a tad more)
• 1 cup brewed tea mixed with 1 tablespoon brown sugar (if using unfiltered apple juice, omit the brown sugar)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lemon, peeled with a vegetable peeler into 4 long strips
• 2 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
• Butter

Preheat oven to 350-400 F.*

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add the fresh-grated nutmeg. In another small bowl or glass, combine the tea with the brown sugar and vanilla. 

Using a melon baller, scoop out the core of each apple being very careful not to cut open the bottom. If you do, the filling will ooze out when the apple is baked. Now peel the top 1/4 of each apple. If desired, brush the peeled, outer part of the apple with melted butter and roll in some additional white sugar.

Stand the apples upright in a glass baking dish. Taking a piece of lemon zest, push it down into the hollow core. Now, begin filling each apple with sugar-spice mixture. Put a pat of butter on each apple.

Pour the liquid around the apples and spoon a bit inside the sugar-packed core. Place in oven and cook anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Cooking time will depend on your apples. Softer apples will take less time, crisp ones longer. Check after 30 minutes. If desired, cover with foil and baste apples a few times during cooking. The apples will be done when the tip of a sharp knife easily pierces the thickest part of the apple. Remove each apple to a bowl. Drizzle with some of the liquid.

As you cut into the apple, the sugar mixture will spill out revealing the lemon zest. The tannins of the tea provide a nice balance with the sugary center.

NOTES: If desired, remove apples from pan when done and add the liquid to a small pan. Add a bit of butter and, if needed, a bit of sugar and reduce until syrupy. If using the apple juice, omit this step.

*A slow oven may result in the sugar not fully melting. A hot oven can cause the apples to "explode." For this recipe, I used Rome apples that were softer than I would have liked and it took a good 45 minutes for them to cook at 350 degrees. I cooked them for 30 minutes covered with foil and then removed it to finish them. Sometimes I do just the opposite and cook them uncovered and then put foil on the last 15-20 minutes. 

Chicken Soup With Rice, Lemon, Dill and Red Pepper Flakes

When I taught school in a small Indiana town, a Greek family opened a small restaurant and made a wonderful chicken soup with dill, lemon and red pepper. Sometimes it had  meat, sometimes it didn't. After trial and error, the following is pretty close. 

• 6 cups homemade chicken stock  Kitchen Bounty: Chicken/Turkey Stock
• 1 stalk celery cut up/diced
• 1 1/2 peeled carrots, thick parts cut lengthwise and then thinly sliced
• A few pinches of dried thyme flakes
• 1-3 teaspoons Kosher salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon or so of dried minced onion (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
• 3-4 strips of lemon zest (or to taste) that has been peeled with a vegetable peeler, reserved
• A few pinches red pepper flakes, reserved
• 6-8 tablespoons raw, white, long grained rice that has been washed and rinsed in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear. Or use Orzo.
• 1-3 teaspoons dried dill according to taste, reserved
• Diced chicken meat (optional) I usually leave it out

Bring the above ingredients just until they begin to boil. Lower to a simmer and cover for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally and tasting and seasoning as you go.

About ten minutes before serving, turn onto the lowest setting add the reserved lemon peel, dill, and pepper flakes. Just let the soup sit partially covered so all the flavors blend.

You can always leave the soup as is and serve lemon, dill and pepper on the side.

NOTES:

Rinse the rice to get rid of the starch that can interfere with the broth’s taste.

By all means go ahead and use fresh dill, especially as a garnish, but you will need several teaspoons. Place leftover dill between paper towels to dry and store in a leftover spice jar. This works well with any fresh herb.

Begin with just a pinch or two of red pepper flakes—you can always add more. It will take a while for the “heat” of the flakes to be released into the soup as it simmers, so keep that in mind before deciding to add more.

A Simple Lemon Cake

Moist. And easy.

I'm always on the prowl for a good cake recipe that doesn't feed an entire wedding party! I adapted this recipe that I found on the inside of a margarine box. It was pretty simple. The cake itself was moist and the simple frosting gave just enough lemon tartness without being overpowering. Great with a hot cup of tea or cold glass of milk.

This cake is even more flavorful the next day. 

CAKE

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon fresh-grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon fresh-grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup melted margarine
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 (scant) teaspoon almond extract

GLAZE

• 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted margarine or butter
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease or spray an 8 x 8-inch pan.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Stir in the zest from the lemon and the orange and use your fingers to incorporate throughout.

In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients. Add to flour mixture and mix with a spoon until incorporated. Using a wire whisk or hand-held beater, beat just until smooth being careful not to overbeat. If using an electric beater, blend and then beat on medium speed for about one minute. This is not a cake that has to be "beaten."

Pour into pan and bake 30 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, margarine or butter, and enough lemon juice to desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.

Now, really, how easy is that? Enjoy!