This week's theme is...

Camping! Except that since we're going camping tomorrow for the rest of the week, it's really only the theme for today. When Michelle started coming with my family on our annual camping trip, of course, she wanted to do her fair share of the cooking. Since the first day's dinner is usually the most stressful (since we all just got there and we're all tired from setting up camp) we decided to give that one to Michelle. I promise it wasn't that we were trying to be mean, but she just stayed in my folks' RV so she didn't have much setting up to do. The first year she impressed us all by coming up with two already-prepared pans of chicken enchiladas that we just had to throw in the oven. Why none of the rest of us thought of that is still a mystery to me. For the next four years we had Michelle's chicken enchiladas for the first dinner of our trip. Once, my brother even told her she couldn't come unless she made them. To be perfectly honest, it feels really weird to be going on the camping trip without chicken enchiladas tomorrow night.

The traditional camping enchiladas were definitely not this recipe. They were just typical enchiladas with meat, cheese, enchilada sauce, and tortillas put together in some magical way by Michelle. I found this recipe in the recipe box and just couldn't resist putting it up here for you.

Chicken Onion Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

2 medium sweet Spanish Onions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tb oil
1 small green pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 cans (5 oz each) chicken meat (or you could just shred up 10 ounces of chicken)
1 small jalapeno, minced
salt
6 small flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
chicken broth
chopped parsley

Peel and thinly slice onions, and separate into rings (should be about four cups). Saute in oil with garlic until soft. Stir in pepper, cheese, chicken, jalapeno, and salt to taste. Heat through. Spoon onto center of tortillas. Roll up and place in shallow, buttered casserole dish. Spoon any additional filling around edges. Dilute sour cream with chicken broth to thin cream consistency. Spoon over enchiladas. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Baste with additional broth if top dries. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

In addition to this enchilada recipe I found another that I simply cannot keep from you. It would make me a bad person to keep this one to myself. I should let you know that this is not Michelle's original recipe, but it came from a magazine.

Crab and Green Chile Enchiladas

8 corn tortillas
2 cups green chile sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup cooked crabmeat
3/4 cup purple Bermuda onion, chopped
2 cups jack cheese, grated
2 cups sour cream

Lightly fry tortillas in 2 inches of oil and drain. Dip each into the green chile sauce. Heat four plates in the oven and place 2 tortillas on each. Place 2 Tb crab in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Combine onion, cheese, and sour cream and dollop generously over crabmeat. Fold bottom of tortilla up over filling, fold one side over, and roll closed. Place plates in 350 degree oven and heat for 10-15 minutes. Top with warmed green chile sauce.

Green Chile Sauce

1 Tb butter or lard
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 Tb. flour
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1+ cup green chiles, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3/4 tsp salt
dash of cumin

Melt fat over medium heat. Add onion and saute until limp (3-4 mins). Stir in flour and mix well. Add stock, chiles, garlic, salt, and cumin. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Fusilli with Creamy Spinach Sauce

I am a big fan of spinach. I use it all the time, even though Kyle says he doesn't like it very much (he almost always eats it, and often says he ended up liking it, but that's a whole different story). I never really had spinach as a child, because my mom probably doesn't like it. Or maybe my dad. I never really know. I suppose that's why the last post had spinach in it, as does this one. For some reason I just love spinach and love finding new ways to use it. That being said, for the first time on this blog I am posting something that doesn't necessarily appeal to my personal palate. It's not that it sounds bad at all, as it actually sounds great. It's just that it has mushrooms. I'm just not a big fan of mushrooms. If I were making it for my family I would probably make it without the mushrooms and just not tell Kyle they were supposed to be there. Or, actually, I'd probably just make it as is and put all of my mushrooms on Kyle's plate. Lucky for me he always eats my mushrooms, pickles, and tomatoes. Just like a good husband should.

Sorry that this post was rather Caitlin-oriented and not about Michelle at all, but for some reason I'm having a tough time thinking about her today. You'll all just have to forgive me.

Fusilli with Creamy Spinach Sauce

1/2 package (16 oz) fusilli
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 lb boiled ham, julienned
1/2 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic
1 cup cream
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup parmesan

Cook fusilli and drain. Saute mushrooms in butter until golden brown. Add spinach, ham, tomatoes, parsley, and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese) and salt and pepper and cook until thickened. Add pasta and cheese. Toss and serve.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi

I have always wanted to make my own gnocchi, but it seemed just too difficult and frustrating. According to this recipe, it shouldn't be. I have nothing special to write, as I am off to make this for breakfast. Ok, not really, but I wish I was.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi
Serves 4-6

2 cups cooked, squeezed, and minced spinach
1 1/2 cups ricotta
2 small eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan
4 tsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
nutmeg to taste
pepper to taste
1 cup bechamel sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan
butter

Combine spinach, ricotta, eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan, flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Shape into 32 walnut-sized balls and poach in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until they float. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and nap (apparently this mean just to coat each piece with some of the sauce) with bechamel. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan and dot with softened butter. Run under the broiler until golden.

Cheese Manicotti with Tomato Sauce

Even thought Michelle's family was not Italian, and the family she married into didn't necessarily act Italian, her married name was Luccio. This was all she needed to turn herself into quite an accomplished Italian chef (I apologize to anyone who has an Italian grandmother who would probably scoff at our American version of Italian cooking). She always made lasagne to go beside her Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve. Rarely was a meal served without crusty bread of some sort. And she made amazing manicotti. I, personally, can make a pretty good manicotti with a trusty jar of pasta sauce from the store, but of course Michelle's manicotti recipe comes along with a recipe for the tomato sauce. I do feel obligated to let you know that we did find this recipe torn out of a magazine and pasted to a 3x5 card in the recipe box, but I'm typing it from the handwritten card that Michelle copied it to. That counts as her recipe right?

Cheese Manicotti with Tomato Sauce

Manicotti Filling:
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup cubed mozarella
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 egg
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper

Puree in food processor in small batches. Cover and chill for one hour.

Tomato Sauce:
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 lbs tomatoes chopped into large pieces
1 T tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
2 spring parsley*
3 sprigs thyme*
1 bay leaf*
*All tied together in a bouquet garni (google it, I don't know what it is either)
2 cups broth

Cook the onion and celery in 1 Tb. butter and 1 Tb. olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add remaining ingredients except broth and cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 15 minutes more. Add broth and cook over medium heat for 50 minutes to one hour, or until sauce has reduced to 2 1/3 cups. Puree.

Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce into buttered 15 1/2 inch gratin dish. Divide cheese mixture among 12 cooked manicotti shells (or the manicotti pancakes below, rolled and placed seam side down) and arrange them on the sauce. Pour 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the manicotti. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmesan and dot with 3 Tb. butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

If you are feeling surprisingly adventurous, the printed recipe also has the recipe for the "manicotti pancakes." Kyle says he thinks Michelle usually just bought shells, but he did admit that she has been known to make her own pasta so you never know. I don't think this step is necessary, but it just feels wrong to leave it out. I'm just typing it straight from the card, so please excuse if the wording is weird.

Manicotti Pancakes
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender blend 2/3 cup each of flour and milk, 2 eggs, and 1/4 tsp salt for 5 seconds. Turn the motor off and with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container. Blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the better to a bowl and let it stand, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour.

Heat a 6 to 7 inch crepe pan (preferably iron) over medium high heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with clarified butter or oil. Heat the fat until it is hot but not smoking, and remove the pan from the heat. Add 2 Tb. water to the batter. Stir the batter, half-fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Quickly tilt and rotate the pan so that the batter covers the bottom in a thin layer and return any excess batter to the bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the pancake from the pan with a metal spatula, and cook the pancake until the underside is lightly browned. Turn the pancake and brown the other side. Transfer the pancake to a plate or clean tea towel. Make pancakes with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with clarified butter or oil as necessary. Stack the pancakes and keep them warm, covered with a clean tea towel.

The pancakes may be prepared in advance, stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and refrigerated or frozen. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Now that is how you make manicotti.

This week's theme is...

This week we're doing pasta recipes simply because I like pasta and there are a ton of pasta recipes in Michelle's recipe box. I have no stories associated with the first recipe I picked, it just has a fantastic name, is absurdly easy, and sounds delicious (but dangerous).

Fatman Fettuccine
Serves 3

1/2 lb fettuccine
1/2 cup shredded prosciutto
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup warm cream
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

Cook fettuccine in salted boiling water until done (about 8 mins or however long the package says). Meanwhile, toss butter into large serving dish and place in just warm oven.

Drain noodles quickly and dump into the serving dish. Toss until coated with butter and add parmesan, prosciutto, and cream until mixed. Serve on hot plates.

Crema al Limona con la Fragola

Since this recipe is in Italian, I still have no idea if I really know what it's supposed to be. Based solely on the ingredients and instructions I think it sounds delicious though. It also fits perfectly with our theme this week (well, this half of a week anyhow) of lemons and berries. Which brings me to another point. From this point on we will be doing a theme every week or so. We have yet to choose any more themes to use after this, but I'm sure we'll get to that at some point. If anyone who reads this has any suggestions for themes we should use please send them along. Now on to the recipe for what I assume is something along the lines of Strawberries with Lemon Cream. If I'm way off base here please let me know.

Crema al Limona con la Fragola

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tb lemon juice
2 Tb brandy
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 quart strawberries
1 bottle modest Italian white wine (Frascati Fontana Candida is suggested)
powdered sugar
lemon peel, cut into thin strips; or camellia leaves

Place cream in small bowl and beat until slightly thickened. Continue beating while gradually adding lemon juice, sugar, brandy, and lemon peel. Refrigerate for several hours.

Do not wash or stem berries. Marinate in wine for 30 minutes. Drain. Half or slice berries (it doesn't say so in the recipe, but I'm assuming you remove the stems here). Toss with 2-3 Tb powdered sugar. Pile berries in glass bowl or individual dishes. Top with lemon cream. Garnish with lemon peel or washed leaves. Serve (I love that the actual recipe cards says to serve it. As if you would do something else with it. Leave it to Michelle to make sure we didn't miss a single thing).

Lemon Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce

So apparently summer has kept us way too busy to be sitting in front of the computer, but some free time popped up and with the heat showing up all of a sudden it seemed like a good time to share an ice cream recipe. This is a three parter: meringue, ice cream and the sauce. It may take a little time but believe me, it is worth the effort.

Italian Meringue for Fruit Ice Creams

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
1/8 tsp salt (optional)

Combine sugar and water in a small heavy pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil to 240 degrees (soft ball). Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until stiff. Add hot syrup to whites in slow, thin stream, beating at high speed until very stiff (about 5 minutes). Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Lemon Ice cream

Meringue base
1 Tb grated lemon rind (approx. 2 lemons)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Combine rind with sugar. Press with spoon. Stir in lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate. Beat cream until stiff. Fold into cooled meringue. Stir lemon mix and fold in. Freeze.

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup blueberries
1-2 Tb sugar
2 Tb lemon juice
1 Tb water

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute while stirring gently. Pour into bowl, cover and chill.

Pretty simple over all, just a little downtime between steps. But that should give you some time to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and build the anticipation for a very delicious summer treat!

Kyle

*Note: Kyle mistakenly thought the recipe said honey when it said water, so I fixed them. It's an understandable mistake as Michelle apparently abbreviated water as HOH instead of H2O like a normal person. HOH looks surprisingly like HON, which would be an acceptable abbreviation for honey.