Let's Split

Piping hot bowl of split pea and ham soup with homemade croutons and thick shavings of Romano cheese.

The temperature outside is dropping fast and all I want to do is sit inside on my couch and eat and drink. Steaming hot comfort food is a necessity for the bitter winter days.  And this soup is a MUST for your winter repertoire - because it is simple, healthy, satisfying and insanely good!

It is an easy split pea and ham soup, that can be made in a slow cooker or on the stove.  I made this in my slow cooker and let it go all day long.  

Simply Insane Split Pea and Ham Soup:

• 1 Pound dry split peas (sorted and rinsed) 
• 1 ham hock (I used one I had frozen from a ham I cooked for Thanksgiving)
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced red onions
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 2 cloves finely sliced garlic
• Course ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (about 1 Tsp. each)
• Croutons - 4 Slices crusty bread -  Cut crusty bread into largish square pieces and pan fry them in 2 Tbsp of olive oil and dust lightly with garlic powder

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into slow cooker and turn cooker on High for first two hours.
2. Turn to Low for last 4-6 hours
3. About an hour until finished pull ham hock out and pick bits of ham off and cut into small pieces for later. 
4. In batches, take the soup (sans the ham hock) and process it in a food processor or blender until finely pureed.  Return blended soup back into slow cooker along with the chopped ham, and let cook uncovered for the last hour.  
5. It's Done - Ladle into bowls and top with homemade croutons and thick shavings of Romano cheese.

*If you don't have a slow cooker then just throw everything in a large stock pot and bring to a boil - then turn to low and let simmer for a few hours (stirring occasionally) - then follow the rest of the directions as above and once blended, just finish it with a further 15-30 minutes cooking on low - rather than an hour with the slow cooker.
 **And if you don't want to blend the soup and leave it all whole, it is still very good - just a different texture.

diced carrots and onions

Dry split peas (prior to sorting)

Fun with the new camera

Rinsed peas, carrots, onions, and ham hock -just add stock, water, bouillon, and spices

I didn't get any shots of the slow cooker in action - but I am pretty sure you can all visualize broth added and cooking...slowly.

And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, it is often even tastier the next day, because all the flavors have had time to really meld together even more.   I know I always say to put your own twist and try new variations, but try this version first, because I really can't think of anything I would add or take away. 

Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Snack Attack

POP QUIZ, Hot Shot...

You have a tube of crescent roll dough, mini Bavarian bratwurst, cream cheese and mixed berry jam - What do you do?....What...do...you....do?

Make a sweet and savory snack.

I first made a twist on pigs in a blanket.  Simply roll out a triangle of the puff pastry dough and place a link of bratwurst and a few slices of red onion on the widest end of the dough and and roll it up.  Then top each roll with a little shredded cheddar cheese and get ready to put in oven.

Prior to rolling up

Hot out of the oven.

I repeated the process for half of the dough and reserved the other half for our sweet pastry.

For the sweet option - make a mixture using a 1-to-1 ratio between your jam (I used mixed berry) and softened cream cheese.  Once mixed well, place a spoonful in the center of the dough and enclose it within the dough by pinching the edges together.  You can see how i did it in the pictures below.

Then put everything on the same greased baking sheet and put it into the oven according the directions on the pastry packaging.  Use the cooking times on the package as a guideline as it will most likely take a bit longer.  So you will just want to keep and eye on everything and take it out of the oven once it's reached a nice golden brown.

Prior to baking

Golden perfection

Puff pastry is another one of those great, versatile ingredients that can turn even the most ordinary of foods into something a bit more interesting.

Farina, Farina

'What the hell is farina', you ask?  Just the generic name for what you may otherwise know as Cream of Wheat.  I am sure that most of you had Cream of Wheat as part of your morning routine at some point during childhood.  And until rather recently it had remained a childhood memory.

My wife and I have started eating a lot more of it, and during the cold months, it's just perfect.  Even in it's most simple form - cooked in water - it is a rib-sticking good breakfast.  Though I usually top it with brown sugar and a bit of margarine to make it a bit more interesting.

For this batch, I wanted to dress it up a bit more - and all that took was adding a little shredded, sweetened coconut and chopped almonds.  And for a bit of a surprise, I put a dollop of margarine (I prefer Brummel & Brown - it's yogurt based, so it's a bit healthier and has really great depth of flavor) at the bottom of the bowl sprinkled with brown sugar - so when the steaming hot farina is poured over it, it melts and creates a rich, creamy surprise when you dig your spoon in and reach to the bottom of the bowl. 

Start with a generous dollop of Brummel & Brown margarine sprinkled with brown sugar.

Pour the cooked farina over the butter and then top with a large pinch of brown sugar, shredded sweetened coconut, and roughly chopped raw almonds.

I know this post isn't anything too crazy, but I wanted to show that you can dress up even the most ordinary and seemingly generic of things.

Also, I wanted to show that I don't eat eggs at every breakfast.  Though I have made a savory version of this using eggs.  Just nix the sweet stuff and top the cooked farina with a bit of bacon or sausage and a poached egg.  Simple and savory. 

Do yourself a favor and if you don't have a box of Cream of Wheat at home, grab a little bit of nostalgia during your next trip to the grocer and experiment.  A little goes a long way, and a box lasts a long time...it's nice and quick to warm the soul on a frigid morning.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I hope everyone got a little time off of work and was able to spend some time with friends and family and eat some great food.

I had a very nice holiday (thanks for asking)!  Got to visit some of Mercedes' family, and of course, spent out first Christmas with our new pup, Jasper.

Jasper last weekend, in a field near a farm in Strasburg, PA

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Pizza Party

So it wasn't a party per se.  Just pizza.  But really what more do you need than pizza to have a party?  Maybe beer? 

I have a well-weathered pizza stone that I try to put it to work as often as possible.  I have made it my New Year's resolution to get off my ass about not wanting to bake and start learning to make bread - namely pizza dough - because I have been buying my dough. 

For my pizzas I usually find my inspiration at Trader Joe's.  If you aren't familiar, or don't have access to a TJ, I am sorry.  I really love their fresh pizza dough - it's 99 cents and makes great pizza.  I have made my own sauce before, but in a pinch I really like TJ's pizza sauce too (the stuff in the refrigerated section).  When I want crispy crust (which is most of the time) I can get 2 pizzas out of one dough.

This first pizza has sort of become my signature pizza (so please respect all copyrights - not really, just tell 'em where you got it and enjoy).  The second was a whim, because I had this incredible Stilton that was screaming to be put on pizza - so I paired it with caramelized balsamic red onions and ...Yowza!

1st - red pizza sauce, smoked andouille sausage, porcini mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese (and a little cheddar)

To start - take your dough out of the fridge and find a warmish place to put it and let it sit for about an hour to bring it to room temperature.  It usually works out nicely to take it out as you are starting your prep work.

When you are about 30 minutes out from your dough being ready, put your pizza stone on the lowest rack of you oven and set the oven to the highest temperature it will go (mine is 550).

Once at room temp, take your dough and lay it down on a counter or cutting board that you have dusted with corn meal.  For thicker crust you can use one full dough - though I like to split it so I have two pizzas with crispier crusts that allow you to really taste the toppings - rather than a wad of dough.

I cut the dough in half with a sharp knife and set one half aside, and place the other in the center of my workspace.  Now I start using my hands to flatten the dough from the center out and then I get my rolling pin and flatten it out until it's as round as I can get it and about as big as my pizza stone.  I then make sure it is well coated in corn meal so it is easy to handle and it provides a nice texture.

Not grab your blazing hot pizza stone out of the oven and set it somewhere that can handle the temperature.  Then transfer your dough onto the stone - now, since I don't have a pizza peel, I transfer the dough carefully by hand by draping it over my hands and laying it down on the stone.  You have to be fast and very careful, because the stone is insanely hot and the dough starts to cook instantly.  Once on the pizza stone I get the sauce and toppings on as quickly as i can and get it all back in the oven. 

For the first pie - I first put a generous layer of red pizza sauce down and then sprinkle a light layer of shredded mozzarella to get a solid base and an extra layer of flavor.  I then add my toppings (I like lots of toppings so I really heap it on there.  And because the oven is so hot, the toppings will cook down A LOT - so what looks like too many toppings turns out to be just right.)  I put on 2 links of smoked andouille sausage (casing removed and crumbled),  sliced red onion, sliced porcini mushrooms, and shredded mozzarella cheese and a little bit of cheddar for a little bite - about a 1 to 1 ratio for all three ingredients - and then as much cheese as your little arteries can handle.

Make sure to spread the ingredients evenly, so everything cooks evenly.  Then toss it all back in the oven and keep an eye on it.  I don't want to give times, because if can vary greatly to the temperature of your oven, thickness of dough, and quantity of ingredients.  Just flip your oven light on and start checking on it regularly.  I like to wait until the cheese in the middle starts getting golden brown, though not allowing the crust to get too dark.  The pie in the above pic went a touch too long, but the darker crusts are still incredibly delicious in their own way.

This second pie was a first for me.  Again, nothing too complicated, just a matter of putting it all together.  This was inspired by an absolutely phenomenal Stilton (Bleu Cheese family) that I got from Trader Joe's. (This post is starting to read like a paid advertisement for Trader Joe's, but in all truth I get most everything for all my pizza from TJ's and I have never been disappointed.) 

Then I thought, what better way to accent the sharp, creamy, funky flavor of the Stilton than some caramelized red onions in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt.  I cooked them ahead of time and sauteed them low and slow for nearly an hour and set them aside in the fridge.

I got the dough ready and onto the stone the same as the first pizza.  Though the sauce for this pie was a mix of bleu cheese dressing (Litehouse is the BEST EVER), and a little mayonnaise.  I then topped the sauce with a light layer of shredded mozzarella and tossed it in the oven.  I let that cook in the oven for about 5 minutes or so and then took it out and added the onions and crumbled Stilton (I added it about half way through as I didn't really want the onions to cook any more and the cheese didn't need much time to melt and I didn't want to over do it) and threw it back in until golden brown.  MIND BLOWING!

I have heard it said that 'pizza is like sex - even when it's bad, it's still pretty good' - so get out there and experiment.  Try new styles and new toppings.   There are no mistakes. 

For the PIZZA! 

C'mon - get your mind out of the gutter!

Grown-Up Brunch

I guess I consider myself a 'grown-up'.  I mean, I did just get married this year - and even though we were dating and living together for nearly 6 years prior to tying the knot, it does somehow feel a tiny bit different to be married....in a good way.  We hang out with other couples - and on Sunday I made an actual, legit Brunch....for proper adults.

Now, this doesn't mean I am going to pop out 1.3 kids and start a stamp collection, but it's sort of nice to get civilly 'shit-canned' on a Sunday afternoon.  There is an odd, sort of 'responsible' feeling you get as you tie on a late-morning buzz from mimosas and rum and eggnog.  It's not like we were taking shots or funneling champagne, but it felt somehow 'grown up' to casually sit around and chat while sipping on a cocktail and listening to Christmas tunes play in the background on a frigid Sunday afternoon.

Oh, yeah - the brunch part - I figured I should probably make something to eat too...so I decided to pair our libations with one of my favorite breakfast dishes from my Mother's kitchen.

This is a 'breakfast strudel' - essentially a dynamite batch of scrambled eggs all wrapped and baked in puff pastry and served with cheesy breakfast potatoes.

Now, I was in a zone (*see slightly impaired) while creating this so I managed to forget to take pictures of the 'process' - so I will do my best to describe it and hopefully by seeing the finished product you will be able to visualize it.

BREAKFAST STRUDEL

• 1 box (1.1#) puff pastry dough - for this batch I used the single sheet puff pastry dough from Pillsbury and just used two containers.
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup frozen cubed hash browns 
• 1 red pepper, diced 
• 1/2cup onion diced 
• 1cup Bacon (or ham or sausage)
• 11 eggs 
• 2 Tbsp minced chives (fresh) 
• 4 oz cream cheese softened 
• 2 Tbsp orange juice  

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese shredded

Preheat Oven to 400*

1. THAW pastry according to pkg directions, about 30 min.  
2. MELT butter in skillet, med hi, add potatoes & saute 5 min.  Add pepper & onion & saute 3 min, add bacon (that you have previously cooked and chopped).  
3. WISK eggs & chives & add to pan - scramble JUST until set.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Off heat stir in cream cheese and OJ until blended.  Refrigerate eggs while working w/pastry.
4. UNFOLD a pastry sheet on a work surface lightly dusted w/flour.  Roll pastry lengthwise to 12"x 10", then transfer to parchment (or silpat) to fit a baking sheet.  Trim pastry (See NOTE Below), fill w/ 1/2 egg mix, and braid (see note).  Repeat w/remaining pastry & egg.  Lift parchment w/strudel onto backing sheet.
5. COMBINE remaining egg & water  - brush over top of strudel.  Sprinkle w/cheese and bake 20-30 min or until golden.  Let cool 5 min. before slicing.

 NOTE:  After pastry has been rolled out, cut off TOP corners.  Notch BOTTOM corners to create end flaps.  Spoon mix down center of pastry and make cuts at about 1.5 inch intervals on both sides at 45* angle (see illustration).  Fold up the flaps at both ends, then braid (crisscross) the strips across the filling - just folding each 'flap' over one another.  (see above photo for finished dish)   Finish with egg wash & cheese.  

It all turned out dynamite and everyone really enjoyed it.

I did brunch 'Like an Adult!' (to the tune of 'Like a Boss' by The Lonely Island).

However, the further the afternoon poured on towards the evening, the more the drinks flowed.

Now I'm not saying my 'grown-up' brunch ended with a living room full of upside down furniture and six 30-ish year old adults dancing in their underwear to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ......


...................................................................or am I?



..............I am not.

Ham & Eggs

Well by now if you have followed my posts you'll know I don't hesitate to cook an egg.  A well cooked egg can take simple ingredients and just add that extra 'mmmmmmmm' factor.  So this dish I threw together in a very short time, because it is very simple...just presented uniquely.   I mean it doesn't get much more classic than ham and eggs.

I had some left over ham steaks so I threw that down in a hot pan with butter and a few whole sliced onion rings - cooked those until brown.  I then took the steak and onion out of the pan and set aside while I cooked the egg in all the goodness the ham and onions left behind.   I prefer my eggs over easy as I think the yolk give the dish the wow factor.  Then just a dollop of sour cream, some green onion, and tortilla chips (I made the chips by just cutting a corn tortilla in four and frying it a little Canola oil).

Simple ingredients, combined and arranged originally is my favorite way to do it.  So if you take a lesson from this post then let it be to just be creative in preparation and presentation.  The food some how just tastes better if it looks appealing.

Burger Night!

Few things bring me as much happiness as a fat, juicy cheese burger.   I mean it's just good for the SOUL.  Then toss some tots on the side and you have yourself a red, white & blue meal.

Thanks to my wonderful Mother-in-law who sent us a very nice package from Omaha Steaks we had some nice hamburger patties for me to cook up.  I just seasoned them liberally with crushed black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.  Then in a blazing hot skillet I melted some real butter and threw the burgers down.  I cooked at high temp for about 3 mins a side to get a nice medium-rare - these were pretty thin pattys so you might want to up the time if you are forming your own FAT patties.

Now the burger is a magical vehicle for creativity, because you can really dress it up and top it with whatever you like and chances are no matter what...it's gonna taste good.  I like the classic American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and raw red onion as much as I like the more crazy burger varietals out there.  So I just simply twisted the classic a bit and took the lettuce, tomato, and onion and chopped them up and dressed in bleu cheese dressing, making a nice little salad to top my burger that I have topped with two slices of melted American cheese.  All that between two toasted buns (I like the potato buns - rich and buttery - sooo good)....let me stop here for a second...I can't stress enough the importance of a toasted bun...so, whatever you do to top the burger, you must, must at least toast the bun.  If you don't you are missing out on all that added flavor and texture.  I toasted my buns, or rather grilled them by putting them face down in the same pan I had cooked the burgers in, soaking up some of the left over juice and butter from the burgers and grilling them until golden brown.  Then toss some tots on the side and dig in!  The first bite is a doozy, so make it a big one.     

EASY TURKEY MEAT LOAF

This is a staple recipe in my house.  One of my favorites, and one of Mercedes' favorite too.  It is incredibly easy and tastes great....and it pretty healthy too. Mercedes especially likes the leftovers when I make meatloaf sandwiches.  

Dim Sum - Yum

  DIM SUM GARDEN RESTAURANT: 59 North 11th Street  Philadelphia, PA 19107

So no more than a block or so away from the Reading Terminal Market (see previous post) is another little food gem, serving up something very special - *MAGIC*.  At first glance the place looks a bit dicey, located under a bridge and tucked next to an alley, but I can assure you this place it LEGIT. Always tasty, very clean, and the service is friendly.  I go there mostly for their Soup Dumplings - they are little pockets of 'dreams come true' served up in the steamer tray.  I order the pork & crab (yes, pork and crab mixed together - who knew?) and they are always hand made from scratch and served up screaming hot.

Just take your dumpling, delicately lifting it by the top and set it on the large soup spoon they provide.  Then with the tip of your chopstick pierce the side of the dumpling and watch the magical soup spill into the spoon.  Now, (carefully) slurp it all up together after applying a liberal dose of their 'dumpling sauce' that always sits table-side - and let your taste buds wrap their minds around this magical mix of flavors.  It's salty, sweet, sour, spicy, umami, and bright all at the same time!

I can't stress enough to just take your time (because these innocent looking little dumplings will go like a forest fire in your mouth if you aren't careful).

Then to try something new I also got their noodles, served in soup (or not if you choose), I ordered the beef brisket (as recommended by the staff) and it was pretty awesome.  The broth is quite light but the brisket is nicely tender and spiced, accompanied by green onions, baby bok choy, cilantro, pickled cabbage, and a generous portion of their incredible homemade noodles.  Now, just add some siracha and this meal is hearty enough to fill up the hungriest, and warm up the coldest during this holiday season.

It's only a short walk from Macy's and other nearby retailers if you are out Christmas shopping and need to grab a bite.  Go on, it's the season for giving, so treat yourself to a some soup dumplings or any of their other homemade offerings.

Dim Sum Garden: 59 North 11th Street  Philadelphia, PA 19107 - it's near the corner of 11th and Filbert St.  You just head north of Filbert on 11th for about a half block and you will see this glowing gem calling you in to have some fresh hot tea (on the house). 

Fish out of Water

Pan Fried Trout w/ Orange-Sage Butter and Sauteed Asparagus and Onions

So I am fully aware that it has been a long time since I last posted.  Probably long enough that I could have raised this trout myself and cooked it up in time for this post.   In truth, I cooked this dish nearly a month ago and am just getting around to posting.  I also have several more dishes that have been sitting in my queue, so those will be on their way shortly too.  The main reason for the delay has been the lack of a properly working computer to post on.  My old iBook has now been put out to pasture and I am the proud parent of a new iMac.  So from here on out you can anticipate regular posts without me shading out for weeks at a time with no explanation. 

Another new addition to this whole blog thing is my Nikon D5100 camera.  So expect to see the photos step up their game as well.  Up to now all my pictures have been taken with my iPhone.  Now many of the shots will still be taken via iPhone (mostly the quick kitchen cooking shots) though I do hope to use my DSLR more and more - however it is a bit tricky and risky to do in an active kitchen.

 

Well, enough with the explanation, lets get back to the food.

After work the other night I took a trip over to Reading Terminal Market as I occasionally do (though not nearly often enough).  Now for those unfamiliar to Philly, the Reading Terminal is one of the true Institutions in Philly.  It is one of the most incredible places for food you will likely find in the entire city - if not the entire East Coast.   It is a huge, enclosed public market full of over 80 permanent merchants selling everything from the freshest local produce to hand crafted wares from the Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish).  It is all housed in one open space and is always full of locals and tourists alike, gawking at all of the beautiful meats and cheeses available to buy, and breathing in the intoxicating aromas wafting from the local eateries such as DiNic's Roast Pork or Hershel's East Side Deli.   Needless to say, if you need something...anything...and you want it fresh from a local business you can't miss at Reading Terminal Market.

So I picked up two beautiful fillets of trout from a fresh fish vendor and cooked them up that night.  First I took the trout out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature while I got together the mix for the breading.

2 - 8 oz. Trout Fillets -

Corn Meal Coating:

• 1/2 Cup Corn Meal
• 1 Tsp. Paprika
• 1/4 Tsp Cayenne Chile Powder
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp. Onion Powder

Now I didn't coat the fish in anything previous to applying the corn meal breading, I just used the natural moisture in the fish to get the corn meal mixture to stick (though if you need to add moisture try squeezing some orange juice over the uncoated fish).   I made sure to evenly coat both sides, pressing firmly to make sure it sticks.  Then in the meanwhile preheat your skillet on medium-high heat.  Then pour in 3 Tbsp Olive oil and allow to heat up properly - not to the point to smoking however.  Then add the fish and allow to fry for about 2-3 minutes aside depending on thickness of fish - my fillets were 8 oz each so they were a bit on the thicker side and needed a bit longer to cook.  You will want to cook the fish until it is opaque and flakes apart easily.

Orange-Sage Butter Sauce:

To top it all off - I made a sauce for the fish using brown butter, orange juice, and fresh sage .  Take 2 Tbsp of butter and allow to brown in the skillet, then take 1/4 cup of orange juice and 1 Tsp of freshly minced sage.  Allow to cook down a bit until it has thickened up a little and then pour it over the fish.  I unfortunately didn't make enough, so you can always add more butter and OJ to make more - you will use it all I promise.

Then for the side all I did was saute some sliced onion and asparagus spears olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Nice and easy...nice and tasty.

Turkey Shmurkey

Well, obviously I haven't posted in awhile so I missed out posting my Thanksgiving meal.  It was pretty low key - just me the wife and the dog...and about 10 pounds of ham. 

On the Lamb...

Get Baked!

I always say I am half Irish and half Italian and that my stomach resides in my Italian half.

Italian food has been a big part of my life - from my grandmother's homemade pizza and cannelloni to my mother's slow cooked spaghetti sauce to any Italian hoagie I can wrap my gluttonous little fingers around.  I enjoy preparing Italian dishes almost as much as I enjoy eating them.  Though this was my first attempt at making manicotti - and of course I had to try and twist the classic recipe and serve up something tasty and visually unique. 

RECIPE:  Baked Manicotti w/ Ground Lamb and Roasted Red Peppers  (this recipe will make a lot - probably enough for 6-8 people - or a lot of leftovers)

What's cooking an Italian dinner without a little vino to aid in the process?

First things first.  Let's get the sauce started.  I like to make a very easy red sauce that goes well with most any pasta dish. 

Sauce - (this is just the base of the sauce - so add  your own spices to dress it up as you like, because I know sauce can be a very personal thing.  I will often add red wine if I have it, perhaps a touch of balsamic vinegar if the sauce is seeming too sweet.  And always have some basil, oregano and garlic and onion powder on hand to tweak to taste):

• 3 14.5 oz. Cans of  Diced Tomatoes (if you don't want it too 'chunky' get crushed tomatoes)
• 1 Small - Finely Diced  Onion (white or yellow work just fine, but I like the bite you get from a red onion)
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil - and another 1 tbsp. of olive oil for sauteing onions
• 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
• Salt to taste

1. First saute the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for 5 minutes or so.
2. Toss in your garlic and stir that around and saute for another minute or two
3. Now add your tomatoes and olive oil and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat to let simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally
5. NOTE: use a potato masher to smash down the tomatoes to get all the juice out and make it more of a 'sauce' consistency - you will want to to this a few times because it will get easier as the tomatoes cook down.  
6. Always season to taste - add spices to make it your own and figure out what you like.

CAUTIONARY TALE:  Knife safety is paramount!  My onions aren't as finely or evenly diced as I typically like because while cutting them I was distracted for a second and then proceeded to cut my thumb fairly severely - though nothing a little super glue couldn't handle.  (FYI - this was not due to the wine)

 
Manicotti:

• 1 Package of Manicotti
• 15 Oz. Ricotta Cheese (I mistakenly grabbed the low fat kind and would highly recommend the full fat version)
• 2 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella (reserve a little to sprinkle on top of the dish)
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan or Romano  - 1/2 for manicotti filling and half to sprinkle on top while baking 
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 12 Oz. Ground Lamb
• 1 Jar of Roasted Red Peppers - Drained and Finely Chopped
• 1 Egg (helps to bind everything together)
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/3 Cup Panko for bake topping
• Salt to taste

1. Cook Manicotti according to package instructions
2. Brown lamb in skillet with rosemary and pinch of salt
3. Mix all cheeses, peppers, egg, parsley, and lamb in bowl
4. Transfer mix into pastry bag or large Ziploc bag.  If using Ziploc bag cut small piece of one of the corners off so you can use it to fill the pasta tubes more easily
5. Take your 9X13 baking dish and coat bottom with some of your tomato sauce 
6. Fill manicotti tubes with mixture and lay flat in bottom of dish. (you will see I did it a bit differently below, but trust me this is the easier way to do it)
7. Once all tubes are filled pour remaining sauce over top and cover the dish in foil and toss in 350 degree oven.
8. Cook for 30 Minutes - remove foil sprinkle remaining cheese and panko on the top and bake for 15 more minutes...and that's it.

Brown lamb - lightly salt while cooking

Mix together lamb, red peppers, ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg and parsley and mix until well blended

Cover bottom of baking dish with tomato sauce

Fill pastry bag or large Ziploc bag with filling mixture.  If using Ziploc bag cut small piece of one of the corners off so you can use to fill the pasta tubes more easily.

My visual twist turned out to be a pain in the ass.  Instead of filling the manicotti tubes and laying them flat on the bottom (traditional style), I decided to cut them in half prior to filling and then stand them up in the pan and fill them upright.  It was very tedious and rather frustrating.  While I was happy with the end product, doing it again I would prepare it more traditionally and then perhaps cut them and stand them up on the plate after it was baked. 

Last 15 minutes in the oven - topped with cheese and panko

Final plate - I also served a simple salad of baby spinach with a blue cheese and balsamic vinegar dressing.