Nicole’s Recipes

This makes a HUGE 13×9 dish. Cut it in half if you’d like, or make two 8×8’s so you have one for the freezer.

1 pound dry ziti or penne pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork sausage
1 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 pint jar stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups package italian cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Don’t overcook because they will cook again in the oven. I slightly undercook mine.

2. Place ground beef and sausage in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain. Add onion and spices and tomato sauce and tomatoes. Simmer for 20-30 mins.

3. Blend cottage cheese, sour cream and shredded cheese together reserving parmesan for top.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

5. In the prepared dish, layer 1/2 of the cooked pasta, then half the tomato/meat sauce, then all of the cheese mixture spreading it carefully. Layer with the other 1/2 of the noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan on top.

6. Bake, covered with foil, in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheeses are melted.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion and garlic; toss to combine. Add the thyme, rosemary and nutmeg; toss well. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until potatoes are hot.

2. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are golden and almost tender. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper; toss well. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

I cut the sugar in half, but the recipe is otherwise the same as this one: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/beautiful-burger-buns-recipe

1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/8 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to make a soft, smooth dough.

2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in bulk.

3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8-10 pieces. Shape each piece into a round 1″ thick (more or less); flatten to about 3″ across. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy. *

4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds. *LOVE the egg wash- it makes the bun!

5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.

*I pat into a rectangle or square and cut with a pizza cutter.

1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Throw it in a bowl and make the dough. (how’s that for instructions? haha) Cover and let rise an hour.

Drop balls of dough in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 mins.

Bake at 375 degrees F till golden brown.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and tie with string. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces.

2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Then, transfer to the oven to finish. Bake until 180 degrees.

3. When the chicken is nearly done, add the wine and bouillon to skillet. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

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These are simply the best. I have made a million chocolate chip cookies, and these are the only ones I like. You have to cook them right though!! You can’t skimp and buy crappy chocolate either unless you like crappy cookies. (Nobody likes crappy cookies so quit buying crappy chocolate- we can tell.)

2 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
2 tsp vanilla (real!)
2 large eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips (mine are 60%)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and sugars together until light. Stir in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, stir. Add baking soda, salt, flour and mix until uniform. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake 9-11 mins. Try to distribute the chocolate chips so you don’t get one without chips. Those are gross. You know that the dough is only the glue for the chocolate….nobody wants to eat glue do they?

Notes:
Chocolate chip cookies are not my favorite. I think this is because there is a glut of very bad chocolate chip cookies out there. Most people overcook them or don’t put enough chocolate in them. I’ve had dough that tasted salty and gross. Cheap chocolate makes them taste- well, cheap. If you think we can’t tell you use imitation vanilla- you are mistaken, folks.

I tried this recipe though and I love these, especially right out of the oven when they are still crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and the chocolate is oozing. The key is a good recipe, good chocolate and cooking them properly!

I use a light metal pan low in my oven. If you have a dark pan, put it higher in your oven so the bottoms don’t get done before the tops. You don’t want the tops done before the bottom either so you have to put a light pan lower in your oven.

Take the cookies out when the edges are golden and the middle is still blonde. If you watch, you will see the middle looking wet when it’s not done yet and then suddenly it’ll be dry, but still blonde. Take them out right then or they’ll overcook. The bottom should be golden and firm enough to not crumble when you transfer the cookie. A couple minutes is the difference between a blah cookie and a perfectly cooked cookie.

I let them sit 5 mins on the pan and then transfer to a rack. If you cooked these right for your oven and pans, they will stay soft and chewy even after they are cooled. Experiment with your equipment and see what works for you.

A word of rebuke for some of you who need it:
Come on people! I’m tired of nasty chocolate chip cookies. Everyone hates the thin spreading ugly ones and the thick dry cookie balls that don’t spread. They shouldn’t be hard and dry, or crunchy. The chocolate should taste good, not like something you want to spit out on the sidewalk. If I’m going to eat one of these, it better be good, since chocolate chip is not my favorite. Have some pride in your cooking and take the time to do it right with good ingredients or don’t cook at all!!

These deli-style “bulky rolls” are perfect for over-stuffed sandwiches or gourmet hamburgers. Top them with sesame or poppy seeds for that authentic “bakery look.”

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup water

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring till the dough forms a cohesive mass and begins to clear the sides of the bowl.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then allow it to rest for 10 minutes (which gives the dough a chance to absorb the liquid, and the gluten in the flour a chance to relax.)

Knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes, or until it’s smooth and supple. The dough should be quite stiff, but not at all “gnarly;” adjust its consistency with additional flour or water, as necessary.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow the dough to rise till it’s noticeably puffy, about 1 hour.

Shaping:
Divide dough into six equal pieces. Shape the pieces into round balls, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet. (I usually pat into a rectangle and then cut squares instead of rounds.)

Brush tops with butter, sprinkle with poppyseeds or sesame seeds if you wish. Cover the rolls, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they’ve almost doubled in volume.

Bake the rolls in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.

Yield:6 large kaiser rolls.

The name doesn’t sound appetizing, but trust me.

Cake:
1 pkg devil’s food cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or use milk with vinegar)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 jar marshmallow creme
1 cup toasted pecans
Handful of chocolate chips
Chocolate syrup
1 recipe frosting (below)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 13×9 pan

Put cake mix, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in mixer and blend on low for 1 minute. Scrape sides and blend on high for 2 minutes. Pour batter in prepared pan, smooth out, bake for 40 minutes or until cake tester is clean.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips, drizzle chocolate syrup across cake. Spread warm cake with marshmallow creme.

Make frosting. (below) Spread on top of marshmallow creme. Sprinkle with toasted pecans. Eat.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole milk
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan, add cocoa and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add sugar and whisk until smooth. Pour over cake and spread quickly before frosting sets up.

NEOPOLITANA PIZZA CRUST:

I’ve made a lot of pizza crust. This is the best. You have to plan ahead to make this one, but it’s worth it. I got rid of all my other recipes for this one. It makes enough for 2 large pizzas. The crust is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and full of flavor. No more cardboard crust!

5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast
1 3/4 cups plus 2 T cool water
olive oil

1. In a 4 qt bowl, mix flour, salt, yeast and water with a dough hook until a coarse ball forms. Let dough rest for 5 mins.

2. Mix again until dough just clears sides of bowl and barely still sticks to bottom. (Add more flour or water at the rate of 1 tablespoon at a time to get this consistency). Let rest 5 more mins.

3. Mix again until dough is slightly sticky and supple, 2-3 mins. Dough should be translucent when stretched. (Do a windowpane test.)

4. Place dough on floured counter and dust with flour to absorb surface moisture. Knead a little, then fold into a ball and place in a bowl brushed with olive oil, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp 30 mins.

For pizza TODAY:
Let set on the counter for another hour. Punch down, cover, put in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Remove from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before you plan to bake it.

For pizza TOMORROW:
Put directly in the refrigerator after the original 30 min rising. Be sure to remove it from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before you plan to bake it the next day. The aging of this dough makes the flavor improve.

After dough has been chilled, it will be softer, more pliable, and expanded. Gently transfer cold dough from your refrigerator to a table, trying not to deflate it. Make into individual balls and rub with olive oil. Loosely cover with plastic and let stand for 2 hours before making pizzas. You want it to be room temperature and start puffing up a little again. Then, shape it and get ready to top and bake it.

Preheat oven to 500. Prepare a dark pizza pan with cornmeal or olive oil. Bake in the center of the oven for the best crust texture. It will bake fast at 500 so watch closely. The fast bake makes the outside nice and crispy without drying the inside crust to cardboard like so may other homemade pizza recipes!! The fast bake also makes those delicious little brown cheese freckles all over. Yum. Enjoy!

ALFREDO SAUCE:

1/2 pint heavy cream or half and half
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese
3/4 cup grated asiago, parmesan or romano cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh garlic
2 tsp basil pesto (optional- just plain alfredo w/out)
salt and pepper

In a saucepan over low heat, mix the cream, butter, and cream cheese, stirring constantly, until melted and well-blended. Mix in cheese and garlic. (Add pesto now, if you want) Continue to cook and stir 15 minutes. Spread over the pizza crust. Top as desired and bake.

RED SAUCE:
(still tweaking this)

1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tsp garlic minced
salt, pepper to taste

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.