Sting's Favorite Meal (when he's eating meat...

right now, though, he's macrobiotic) It deserves the full name. It's so good, it makes us wonder what his favorite meal is when he's macrobiotic. It has meat, and some of you don't believe in the pleasures of the flesh, so you'll just have to believe me that it's damn good.

2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 1/2 c prepared tomato sauce (a 20 oz jar)
1/4 c heavy cream
1/2 c frozen baby peas
salt
1 lb bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 T shredded basil

In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add sausage and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Partially cover pan and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in cream & peas, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Mix sauce, pasta, & 1/4 c cheese. Toss over low heat until some sauce absorbed. Transfer to bowls, top with remaining cheese & basil.

I always recommend a Chianti Classico with this dish.

Ok, so it's ripped off of Food & Wine, my bougie pleasure. Here's our substitutions:
just a little onion instead of shallot if we don't have one
we usually try to use plain sauce, usually Five Brothers or Bertolli or whatever they're calling it now, but we haven't found one that doesn't work
1 cup or more of regular frozen peas. We really like peas.
spaghetti, because I can't find the other two without trying
1/2 c of non-freshly shredded, whatever kind of Parmesean cheese I can find. Sometimes even Kraft. It's true. Please don't tell or I'll have my subscription revoked. And we generally just throw it all in because we forget.
We always play Sting while we eat it. Tucker's request. I know I'm not supposed to like Sting when they economy isn't doing well, but I do.

It takes about 20 mintues of active time, 1 hour total, and serves 6.

Rich & Cheesy Macaroni

Super-fatty. Just as it should be.

from Kathy McCarty

2 and 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
6 T butter (divided)
1/4 c flour
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 c milk
8 oz cubed velveeta
1 1/3 c small curd cottage cheese
2/3 c sour cream
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 and 1/2 c soft bread crumbs

preheat oven to 350
cook and drain macaroni
place in greased 2 and 1/2 quart baking dish

In a saucepan melt 4 T butter
Stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth
Gradually stir in milk
Bring to a boil
Cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened
Reduce heat
Stir in velveeta (until melted)
Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream (those curds never really fully melt)
Pour over macaroni
Sprinkle with cheddar cheese
Melt remaining butter* and toss with bread crumbs (*I just sprinkle the crumbs on top and it tastes lovely w/o the extra butter)
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top
Bake uncovered @ 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown

Deep Dish Potato Pie

I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit. Super-easy. I found a recipe online that I tweaked a bit. Serves four with seconds for all.

Ingredients:
2 pie crusts (I buy 'em pre-made)
3 large russet potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup or so vegetarian sausage crumbles
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
black pepper
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Lightly oil 10" deep-dish pie plate (turns out that I don't have a big pie plate, so I used a bread pan and baked it 10-15 minutes longer)
3. Place pie crust in pan
4. Arrange layers of potatoes and onions
5. Add sausage crumbles, cheese, parsley and pepper
6. Pour cream on top and dot with butter
7. Arrange other pie crust on top, sealing edges
8. Slice crust to vent steam
9. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 and bake for 50 additional minutes (or until potatoes are tender)
10. Remove from oven, rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve

It's SOOO good. Next time I'll add spinach and mushrooms. I bet loyal meat-eaters would enjoy this hearty, flavorful comfort food just as much as my veg friends and I did.

Spicy Thai Stir Fry

Last year I was sitting in a meeting not paying attention. My mind started to drift to what I was going to make for dinner. I wanted something spicy, but I didn't want to work too hard. I invented this recipe, and it has become a staple.

1 rounded spoonful of peanut butter
1 rounded spoonful of chili garlic paste (available in the Asian food aisle)
Soy sauce
Chopped peanuts

Any assortment of the following:
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 or 2 bell peppers, chopped
A few handfuls of sugar snap peas
sliced mushrooms
bean sprouts
bok choy
any sort of veggie you would like in stir fry. You may like broccoli, I find it disgusting, but I can see how you might like it in this dish.

Saute the veggies in non-stick spray or vegetable oil. Start with the ones that take the longest to cook. I usually cook the mushrooms for a minute or so, then add the peppers, throwing in the peas at the last minute, so they heat up but don't lose their crunch.

While cooking the vegetables, mix together the peanut butter, garlic chili paste, and soy sauce. Whisk the sauce together, adding soy sauce until it is the consistency you like to see in a sauce. I usually use twice the amount of soy sauce as anything else.

Add the sauce when the vegetables are ready to go. Serve on brown rice or barley. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

16 oz uncooked ziti
3 cups spaghetti sauce
15 oz ricotta (or cottage) cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded
1T dried parsley
1 egg
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
3T grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cook pasta for 9 minutes
3. Stir together 1/2 sauce, pasta, ricotta, mozza, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper
4. Put into 9x13 baking dish and top with rest of sauce. Sprinkle with parm and cover w/ foil.

Bake for 30 mins.