Recipe: Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage, Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy

Noodle Bowl, and Scallion and Egg Pancakes for Jan, Ontario

Hi Jan:-) I'm not sure if these two recipes will work for you but take a look at them and try them if they sound good. The first sounds like a good one for teenage sons, and the second, though lighter might be something they would like if they like Asian food. (They could fill up on the Scallion and Egg Pancakes:-) You could use chicken and chicken stock in the noodle bowl recipe if you don't want to go the shrimp route. I haven't tried either of these recipes but people who have seemed to like them. I plan to give them a try myself soon. If I think of some other recipes for you, I'll be sure to post them, too.

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007
Yield: 4 servings

Salt
1 pound cavatappi corkscrew shaped hallow pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
Black pepper
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 boxes, 10 ounces, chopped frozen spinach
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear.

Defrost spinach in microwave 8 to 10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave. Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.


Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Noodle Bowl
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches ginger root, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or grated
1/2 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced, a couple of cups
1 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces, then cut sticks lengthwise
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup seafood stock, available on soup aisle or, 1 cup clam juice
1 1/2 pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 pound vermicelli (thin spaghetti) (Rice - glass noodles?)
4 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces, then shredded lengthwise into thin sticks
(Cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice)


Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and bok choy, then season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and seafood stock or clam juice. Put a lid on the pot and bring soup to a boil.

Add shrimp and noodles and cook 3 minutes. Add in scallions and cook 2 minutes, then turn off soup and let it sit 2 to 3 minutes more. Adjust salt and serve.

Scallion and Egg Pancakes
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Yield: 4 servings as a starter or side

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar, eyeball it
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari dark soy sauce
1/8 cup water, eyeball it
1 tablespoon light oil, plus some to drizzle
4 scallions cut into 1-inch lengths
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten
Salt
4 large plain flour tortillas

Mix honey with vinegar, sesame oil, and tamari, then stir in water and transfer to a small serving dish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil smokes, add scallions and sear them, crisping them at edges and charring the greens, 2 minutes. Pull pan from heat and add egg mixture seasoned with salt. Toss and scramble the eggs, putting the pan back over the heat briefly if necessary, then remove eggs to a plate. Wipe pan clean and add a drizzle of oil to skillet and a tortilla. Blister the tortilla, 30 seconds, turn it and add 1/4 of the scallions and eggs to top the tortilla. Fold the tortilla into quarters and crisp the outsides then remove, repeat with remaining ingredients then serve with sauce for dipping.