Easy Tortellini Casserole

Here's a simple casserole...perfect for Sunday lunch or a quick company dinner. It can be served as a meatless dish...or include meat of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 350 gram pkg. Olivieri Cheese Tortellini (or use herb and cheese)
• 1 each red, green and yellow pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 jar 700 ml. Classico pasta sauce (spicy red pepper is great)
• 1 - 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I like to add a little Parmesan as well)
• 1 pound farmer sausage, sliced diagonally (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Stir fry veggies until tender crisp.
3. Add to cooked, drained pasta...along with pasta sauce.
4. Stir together and put into casserole dish.
5. Top with grated cheese.
6. Cook at 350°F for 30-40...covering until near the end.

*If you are adding sausage, saute and stir in before putting into casserole dish.

Serve with a green salad and enjoy the taste of home-cooked Italian without a whole lot of home-cooking.

*Note ~ The Olivieri pasta is a Canadian product...but use your favorite fresh tortellini. Canadian products are sold by metric measure...metric conversion tables are readily available on-line, although measures aren't too important in this dish.

Barcelona Salad

While on my my last trip to Europe in Spring, we enjoyed trying Mediterranean dishes.
We went to this little quaint restaurant and ordered this avocado/tomato salad. Hm.....
This was delicious. But it was too easy...lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and fresh basil. I know that I always have those ingredients in my home. But what was in that dressing? That became the discussion of our entire meal....
The next night we went back to that same little restaurant and ordered exactly the same salad.
So I think I have experimented enough with dressings over the past months that I will post this recipe. I know my family has enjoyed this salad with a Mediterranean flare.

Salad Ingredients

• Your favorite lettuce greens
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Red Onions
• Fresh Basil
  

Mediterranean Salad Dressing ~ Chef Dez Cooking

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup oil packed sundried tomatoes, drained & finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. liquid honey (I used 4 Tbsp demerara sugar instead)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk thoroughly to combine.
   
2. I often use my small Braun multi-quick hand blender
   
3. Arrange your salad bowls with lettuce greens adding tomatoes, avocados, onions
4. Pour immediately over your ingredients in salad bowls.
5. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Hope you can add this to your favorites. Don't forget to add a loaf of Rustic Italian Bread.
It goes good with any salad. It becomes a whole meal.

"Whole Wheat?" Bread - Gluten-Free

Remembering what 'real' bread tastes like, I am always trying to come closer to that aroma and flavour of 'whole wheat' bread.
I think I have come VERY close in this recipe. The smell of it baking is wonderful.

I love the addition of Teff flour in this recipe. Gluten-free flours are very rich in nutrients making this bread a 'meal' in itself. The bean flour is high in protein and the Teff flour is very nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals... check it out here . Teff is an ancient Ethiopian flour that has just recently become readily available, naturally gluten-free!

Recipe Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 level tbsp instant yeast

whisk together and set aside to proof

Meanwhile, mix in heavy duty mixer

1 tsp of molasses stirred into 1/2 cup warm water
1 egg
1 tsp of vinegar
3 tsp oil

mix dry ingredients in Ziploc bag

1 1/4 cup of white bean flour (I grind my own small white beans-readily available in any grocery store- when the beans are fresh there is only a very faint bean smell to the flour and none in the baked product)
1/2 cup of Teff flour
1/2 cup of Arrowroot starch
1/4 Tapioca starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking powder

(Do not substitute flours or change measurements in this recipe)

add flour mix to wet ingredients and beat on high for a good 5 minutes or more.

Using a sturdy spatula transfer dough (it will be very sticky) into greased med. sized loaf pan.
Wet your hand and smooth dough evenly in the pan.
Place on stove under panel light , cover , and let rise.
This dough rises quite fast, let it rise until it rounds over the top of the pan..

Bake in 360º oven until browned.... about 1 hour. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes before removing.
Enjoy!

This bread keeps well, slices well, toasts well and I would think freezes well. I haven't had to freeze any yet! I would slice it before freezing.

(if you cannot buy the flours needed locally, they can be ordered on line )

Kraft Caramel Squares (with Gluten-free option)

This delicious square recipe came to me from my friend, Shelley, many years ago, but it is still a favorite of mine. I have adapted it to be gluten-free so I'll give both the original and the gluten-free recipes.

And yes, you really do have to unwrap 64 Kraft Caramels, but patience is a virtue and ,in this case at least, you are 'richly' rewarded ! smile

(This is a big recipe but it freezes well - or you can cut it in half)

It will make one 18x15 baking sheet , or two 9x13 pans

Original recipe
ingredients
64 Kraft Caramel candy
1 cup Carnation Evaporated milk
2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup butter (I use 1 cup)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

*******
For Gluten-free - exchange 2 cups flour for
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 tsp xanthan gum

and make sure you use gluten-free oats

**********

Method

(same for both)

1. melt caramels on top of the stove in the 1 cup evaporated milk on low heat.
2. mix flour, oats, soda, salt well
3. using your hands work butter into flour making crumbs.
4. using a little more than half of crumbs press into pans making a thin base
5. bake for 5 min. at 350'
6. pour caramel mixture over the baked base
7. sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over the caramel
8. crumble rest of crumbs over the top
9. bake for another 20 minutes or until golden
10. let set , cut while still warm and let harden in fridge.
11. try to eat just one piece !! smile
**
Note: I prefer to store these in the fridge until serving time - especially with the gluten-free ones, and they are great from freezer to mouth. smile