Steak macaroni & cheese by Lodge

Pasta salad with golden cherry tomatoes & fresh mozzarella

Pasta salad with golden cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella twice graced our table during our recent camping trip to Upper Blue Lake in Eldorado National Forest. Early Friday morning, my sister and husband left camp to pick up his aunt. Shortly after their departure, his nephew and wife arrived for the weekend.

With three additional campers, we though a simple buffet lunch would be in order. The menu (pictured above) included a cheese and salami board, pasta salad, salsa ranchera with tortilla chips and clam dip with potato chips. The salsa and clam dip were prepared at home for the trip.

The seven campers only ate around half of the pasta salad. The prospect of taking leftovers home concerned me until I heard the five families in the campground had planned a potluck dinner that evening. I quickly threw the pasta salad in as our contribution, along with my secret barbecue sauce and leftover salsa.

My sister contributed campfire roasted tri-tip. Our neighboring campers contributed cowboy sushi roll, fresh abalone, fresh canteloupe and a big tossed salad, plus a few miscellaneous items. Some 20 campers devoured the food.

I mixed the ingredients for the pasta salad in my 10-inch Griswold cast iron skillet. To expedite preparation in camp, the pasta was precooked at home. I also pre-prepared the sherry vinaigrette with sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, dried basil, salt, pepper and olive oil. 

Dishes like the pasta salad are often thrown together on the fly. You can substitute red cherry tomatoes or dice fresh tomatoes for the golden tomatoes in the recipe. If desired, add 8 to 12 ounces diced cooked chicken or cuded salami to the salad.

PASTA SALAD WITH GOLDEN CHERRY TOMATOES & FRESH MOZZARELLA

You my want to cut this recipe in half for a smaller family.

12 ounces penne regate
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh sliced basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 (8 ounce) container fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced in half
1 (10-1/2-ounce) container golden cherry tomatoes. sliced in half
1 (4-ounce) jar capers, drained and rinsed (optional)
3/4 to 1 cup vinaigrette or Italian salad dressing
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste.

AT HOME: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cool under cold running water. Drain and place inside a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Prepare or purchase your favorite vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Store in refrigerator until you are ready to pack for the trip.

IN CAMP: Slice the green onions, parsley and basil. Place inside a large bowl. Drain mozzarella cheese. Slice each cheese ball in half. Slice tomatoes in half. Place cheese and tomatoes in bowl with the herbs. Drain and rinse capers. Place in bowl.

Lightly toss pasta, herbs, tomatoes, cheese and capers with the salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover. Place in cooler until needed for the meal. Serves 8 to 10.

Throwback Thursday: Spinach and mushroom lasagna roll-ups

This recipe for rolled single serving lasagna was originally posted in May 2005. Interestingly, I haven't prepared the dish since. My plan was to prepare it at a Dutch oven cookoff, but plans changed.

I learned that it's best to leave the last inch or so of lasagna noodle free of filling. The starch in the pasta will bond so the roll-ups don't fall apart as two did for me during the test run. I'll lay them on their side next time I bake the lasagna roll-ups in the Dutch oven.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM LASAGNA ROLL-UPS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

16 cremini caps, cleaned and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups part skim ricotta
8 curly edge lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (12 to 14 minutes)
2 cups prepared marinara sauce
8 slices mozzarella cheese

In a 10-inch Dutch oven over moderate heat, saute mushrooms, chopped onions, and garlic in oil until mushrooms give off their juices and darken and onions are tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; the salt will help draw water out of the vegetables as they cook.

Add dry chopped spinach to the pan and heat through for 1 minute. Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg. Add ricotta and stir into mixture to heat cheese through, 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat but leave in the warm skillet. Place lid on Dutch oven and place about 5 hot coals on lid to keep warm.

Heat marinara sauce in a small pan over moderate heat. Place cooked lasagna noodles on a large work surface or cutting board. Spread lasagna noodles with a layer of spinach-mushroom filling. Leave the last inch of surface free of filling. Roll up pasta and arrange the 8 bundles in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Pour warm sauce over roll-ups and top with mozzarella.

Place lid on Dutch oven and bake at 350-degrees (17 coals on lid and 8 under oven) for 15 minutes or until heated through. At the last minute place about 10 extra coals on lid. Watch closely and remove from heat when cheese starts to brown.

20-inch Lodge skillet at Upper Blue Lake

Debbie and I returned from our annual camping trip to Upper Blue Lake with my sister and husband. This year one of our daughters and granddaughters joined us, along with one of the wranglers from Oakland Camp. We enjoyed six days of sun, wind and cool mountain air.

This is the first article from the trip. As I coordinated the menu with my sister, my thought was to prepare several meals in my "new" 20-inch Lodge skillet (model 20SK). I found the skillet at an Eagle Point, Oregon, antique shop last April. Newly re-seasoned, I used the large skillet to cook four meals for the family. I wanted to cook as many meals as possible to hasten the build-up of patina.

Enjoy these photos.

The Lodge model 20SK skillet awaits dinner Thursday evening. I use the large World War II Navy surplus coffee boiler to heat water for washing dishes. The boiler was manufactured by Vollrath.

Spicy Japanese buckwheat noodles (called soba noodles) was on the menu Thursday evening. The sauce was made from sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce. Two (9.5-ounce) packages soba noodles and two pounds shrimp were used.

I fried 1-1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon for breakfast Friday morning. The small pot holds syrup for hotcakes.

Oat blueberry hotcakes were cooked in the skillet. The batter ran until it set in the less than level skillet 

To make the hotcake batter, I doubled my families traditional hotcake recipe, then replaced 1 cup of the flour with a cup of old fashion oats. I dropped a 6-ounce package fresh blueberries to the batter at the last minute.

Friday evening I prepared succotash with kale to accompany grilled chicken. After sauteing onion, roasted red pepper and garlic, I added a bunch of kale.

After adding two (1-pound) packages frozen whole kernel corn to the vegetables, I scooped the dish into the waiting pot. Garlic bread is warming in the foil packages to the left. My brother-in-law grilled chicken for the entree.

We used Saturday's leftover tri-tip to make fajitas for lunch Sunday. I'm seasoning the meat and vegetables with scratch-made taco seasoning.

Penne rigate with poblano cream sauce in camp

All of our meals last week were prepared over the campfire. With a mix of hard and soft wood supplied by my brother-in-law, the campfire burned most of the day, from six in the morning to late in the evening. Rain clouds, distant thunderstorms and cool breeze off Upper Blue Lake made the fire a welcoming feature of our camp. Its comforting flames provided warmth throughout the day.

I prepared our first campfire meal Thursday evening. Penne pasta with poblano cream sauce and chicken sausages filled the crew after an ambitious afternoon of setting up camp. I'll post the recipe for the poblano cream sauce soon. Please enjoy the photographs in the meantime.

I began the meal by placing a large pot of salted water over the fire. Once the water boiled, two 13.25-ounce packages of whole wheat penne rigate were cooked al dente. In the meantime, I combined around 3 cups poblano chili base with 1 pint of heavy cream in a saucepot. The sauce simmered over medium heat to blend flavors and reduce.

The chili base was prepared at home and transported to camp in the cooler. It consisted of roasted poblano chilies, chicken stock, garlic, cilantro and lime juice, pureed in the blender.

With pasta cooking in the stockpot and sauce simmering next to it, I sautéed onions and sweet peppers in my Lodge No. 12 skillet (hidden from view). Here, I'm adding a dozen roasted red pepper and asiago chicken sausages to the skillet.

A close up of the sausages as they brown in the Lodge No. 12 skillet.

Layered skillet casseole

This recipe has been a family favorite of the Karoly's since our July 1981 wedding. The original comes from Sunset Magazine. The original recipe was written for a large heavy skillet or stove-top Dutch oven. I now cook it inside a 10-inch camp oven.

The photographs show you how I cooked the casserole inside the Dutch oven. The list of ingredients remain the same as listed below. The instructions are modified as noted in the photo captions.

Sauté the beef over a bed of coals or camp stove burner. I usually begin the dish over the burner, then bake with coals top and bottom in the 10-inch camp oven. You can add sweet bell peppers in addition to the onions and garlic, if desired.

For the test recipe, I prepared my own marinara sauce. The recipe was written for bottled marinara or spaghetti sauce. It's your choice.

Once the meat and sauce are ready, spoon cottage cheese over. Ricotta cheese works as well (used in the test recipe). Evenly spread a layer of uncooked wide egg noodles over the cheese.

I reserved half of the cooked meat and onion for the top layer. Note the recipe directs you to leave the meat on the bottom of the pot. The remaining half of the sauce covers the noodles.

At this point, I placed the Dutch oven over 5 charcoal briquettes and placed the lid on the oven. Fifteen coals were placed on the lid. Some 30 minutes into baking, I removed the lid and spread mozzarella cheese over the top layer. It took about 15 minutes to brown the cheese.

LAYERED SKILLET CASSEROLE

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cups (or 1-16 ounce jar) marinara sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon each dried oregano leaves and salt
1-1/4 cups water
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
3 cups (about 6 ounces) medium-wide egg noodles
2 cups (1/2-pound) shredded mozzarella cheese

Crumble beef into a 3- to 4-quart heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook, over medium heat until meat browns; drain off fat.

Stir together sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and water and spoon about half over meat mixture. Spoon cottage cheese over; then top evenly with uncooked noodles. Spoon over remaining sauce.

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until noodles are tender; remove from heat.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over top; replace cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt cheese.

Simple camp meal prepared cast iron skillet and grill

Tonight's dinner began as a way to use some Farmer's Market produce, the country sausage that I prepared last week and a container of crushed tomatoes in the refrigerator. Since the forecast called for temperatures in the 100s in the California Mother Lode, cooking the meal outdoors save us from overheating the house. Except for the pasta, I used my Griswold #10 skillet and Camp Chef Sport Grill to cook the meal.

Here's the menu:

• Spaghetti with country sausage tomato sauce and garnished with toasted bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese
• Grilled summer squash marinated in a balsamic reduction
• Sliced cucumbers with sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the tomato sauce, I sauteed about 1 pound of country sausage with 1/2 chopped onion until the sausage was cooked. I then poured a 1/2 cup of Madeira wine over the sausage and cooked it until most of the wine had evaporated. About 2 cups of crushed tomatoes and 6 tablespoons of half and half were then stirred into the skillet. The sauce simmered over low heat for about 30 minutes. Since I let the sausage season the tomato sauce, no additional seasoning was needed.

I served the sauce over a plate of cooked spaghetti and garnished it with toasted bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. The bread crumbs added an interesting contrast in texture to the pasta dish.

To prepare the balsamic reduction, I simmered 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 4 fat cloves of minced garlic in a saucepan until reduced by half. I then stirred in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Two sliced summer squashes were then marinated for several hours in the refrigerator.

I grilled the squash until browned and tender on a Camp Chef grill box. While the grill box doesn't give food traditional grill marks, it does give food great flavor.

Evening meal at Canby Grove

My family and I attended the wedding of our niece and her husband in Port Gamble, Washington, yesterday. On the trip north, we met Chef Ira Krizo for breakfast in Canby Grove, Oregon, where he invited the family to dinner on Saturday evening on the homeward bound leg of the trip.

We arrived at 5:30 p.m. after a four-hour drive from the Kitsap Peninsula in Northwestern Washington, in time to watch Ira and his staff serve the meal to the guests of the camp. Ira served the staff dinner at 6 p.m.

This is the third time that we've enjoyed meals at Canby Grove Christian Center, where Ira is the executive chef. Even after 41 years in the business, I enjoy watching others work in the kitchen. It's a pleasure watching the cooks in motion as they put the finishing touches on the meal and filled serving bowls.

In the photograph, Sous Chef Jay Gillett (right) dips pasta cabronara into serving bowls while Chef Ira (center) portions sliced chicken onto the pasta. Other staff filled bowls with roasted vegetables and garnished the chicken and pasta.

According to Chef Ira, the menu consisted of grilled chicken with pasta carbonara (prepared as a bacon cream sauce). He garnished the chicken and pasta in each serving dish with steamed peas and extra shredded Parmesan cheese.

Canby Grove hosted around 200 guests at a weekend family camp. The meal was served family style at some 27 large round tables. Ira and staff served three meals to the group today. They leave after breakfast tomorrow. The cooks used Friday to prepare for the four meals.

Tuna and noodles

During my teen years it would seem on nights that I was famished, mom always baked a hearty casserole of tuna and noodles. I could never endure the large chucks of celery floating in the casserole. Consiquently, I never really cared for the combination of canned tuna, sauce and noodles.

To this day, tuna and noodles is one dish that I won't purposely eat. I don't remember the last time that I sat down to a helping of the casserole. And I've never cooked it for my own family.

Tuna and noodles wasn't my first choice for dinner at work last Wednesday. My original thought was to prepare hamburger stroganoff, a dish that the residents have enjoyed monthly for the past several months.

A resident who's approaching the half-way mark in the program asked me Tuesday if I could bake tuna and noodles with canned cream of mushroom soup. She'd recently resolved to offer solutions instead of continuously complaining about "chicken burnout." I accepted the idea and menued it in place of the stroganoff.

The residents began asking "What's for dinner" early in the afternoon. With the division between likes and dislikes running neck and neck, I though the casserole was going to be a disaster. Battle lines were clearly drawn. They either loved it or left the kitchen in disappointment.

Then something happened. As the afternoon progressed, likes inched ahead of the dislikes. By dinner time a full 60 percent of the residents said they looked forward to the meal. Over 90 percent of the residents ate the tuna and noodles for dinner that evening.

"Mr. Steve, you did good," said a resident as I headed home for the evening! I smiled and thanked her. I was able to take a dish that I don't like and deliver a quality product to the residents.

TUNA AND NOODLES

One (2 pound 11 ounces) pouch pack of tuna will work for this recipe. Sysco sells 6 pouches in each case under the Classic label.

I prepared the casserole with 1 (50-ounce) can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. See note for procedure. To boost flavor, add 1 pound sliced mushrooms to the sauteed onions and celery.

1-1/2 pounds egg noodles
2 pounds 12 ounces tuna
4 ounces margarine
12 ounces onions, small dice
12 ounces celery, small dice
3 ounces all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 quarts chicken stock
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Cook noodles according to package direction. Drain and place in bowl. (Should yield 4-1/2 pounds cooked.) Flake tuna and add to noodles.

Melt margarine in medium-sized saucepan. Add onions and celery. Saute until tender. Add flour and pepper to onion mixture. Stir until blended. Cook 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock gradually, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook until thickened. Add tuna and noodles to sauce. Stir gently until well blended. Check seasoning.

Pour noodle mixture into greased 12x20x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake at 350°F until mixture is heated to 180°F and cheese is melted, 30 to 45 minutes. Serves 25 (8-ounce) portions.

Note: One 50-oz can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup and 1-pint milk may be substituted for the sauce made from margarine, flour and chicken stock.

This recipe was adapted from 11th edition of Food For Fifty by Mary Molt, Ph.D, R.D. (Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2001).

Pasta shells with roasted broccoli and walnuts

Pasta salad is currently on the menu at work one time each week. When I started in December, I quickly discovered that the residents had tired of the vinaigrette-based salad.

To offer variety, I often morph the salad into a hot pasta dish every other week. This gives me the opportunity to experiment with a full range of different flavors.

Successful tests will be incorporated into the new menu, which will feature one pasta dish for lunch each week.

Spaghetti puttanesca filled the void twice in the past two weeks. While popular, the sharp bite of the puttanesca isn't universally accepted.

Today's pasta dish came from an article that I clipped in the doctor's office last year. The photograph of the dark green roasted broccoli in a bed of pasta shells caught my attention.

Since I was looking for vegetarian entrees at the time, I clipped the recipe and filed it in my large recipe binder.

As often happens, the recipe sat in the binder for a year. I had intended to use it at Deer Crossing Camp this past summer.

The recipe could've made a good inter-session dish. The crew would've enjoyed the rich blending of broccoli and walnuts roasted in olive oil with garlic.

It's a fair compromise when you feed a significant number of vegetarians, as I did during inter-session at Deer Crossing.

PASTA SHELLS WITH ROASTED BROCCOLI AND WALNUTS

To use frozen broccoli spears, steam until cooked about halfway. Cut the stems off the broccoli. Reserve the stems and cooking liquid for cream of broccoli soup.

Roast as directed. Since the semi-cooked florets will be moist, the roasting process may take a few minutes longer.

2-1/2 pounds pasta shells
6 pounds broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper together. Pour onto a sheet pan. Roast in a 400-degree F oven until the broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

Serves 24 portions.

Spaghetti puttanesca

I made spaghetti puttanesca for the residents at work for lunch today. Out of respect for the women, I called it "spaghetti with a lot of stuff in it!"

The residents enjoyed garlic, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, pepperoncinis, olives and olive oil tossed in with spaghetti. The sharp bite, which is characteristic of the dish, made it a hit.

I enjoy cooking the dish because it's easily modified to accommodate ingredients in stock. Since I don't stock anchovies or capers, I left them out. Two ingredients that I stock in the pantry -- roasted red peppers and sliced pepperoncini peppers -- enhanced the pasta dish.

Spaghetti puttanesca is a good fall-winter dish for the menu when imported produce is expensive and California-grown produce is non-existent.

SPAGHETTI PUTTANESCA

This recipe re-printed from Professional Cooking, 4th edition. My version eliminated the anchovies and added 1/2 (28-ounce) roasted red peppers (chopped) and 1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers to the recipe.

3-1/2 pounds tomatoes
2 ounces olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
15 anchovy fillets, chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
5 ounces black olives
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 ounce olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pounds spaghetti

Peel, seed and dice tomatoes. Let them stand in a colander to drain moisture. If using canned tomatoes, drain and chop coarsely.

Heat olive oil in a saute over moderate heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add anchovy fillets and saute for a few seconds.

Add tomatoes, capers and olives. Bring to a boil and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add oregano, parsley and second quantity of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Boil spaghetti, drain, toss with the sauce and serve immediately. Grated cheese is usually not served with this dish. Portion 12-ounce servings.

NOTE: "Spaghetti a la puttanesca (whore's spaghetti) is a spicy, tangy and somewhat salty Italian pasta dish that culinary experts regard as modern and reflects the bounty of the market rather than the garden. The ingredients are inexpensive, easy to find and typically Mediterranean. Italians refer to the sauce as sugo alla puttanesca" (Wikipedea, January 23, 2010).

Creole macaroni on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan

Here's another YouTube video. Produced by America's Heartland in January 2009, the clip takes a look at the daily routine below decks on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Culinary Specialist John Smith's description of Creole macaroni caught my attention. Smith stirred a large steam-jacketed kettle of the popular casserole or "spaghetti sauce with macaroni."

I remember cooking the casserole, topped with lots of shredded cheddar cheese and finished in a medium-hot oven, during my sea-going days in the Navy. The dish features a combination of elbow macaroni, ground beef and canned tomatoes with sauteed onions and green bell peppers. It's all-American comfort goodness.


America's Heartland description: "This is a story not so much about the exciting life topside but the more routine life below decks. While seemingly mundane, the galley crews like 'Culinary Specialist' or 'C.S.', Torry Mitchell, take enormous pride in their work."

CREOLE MACARONI (OR AMERICAN CHOP SUEY)

This recipe is adapted from U.S. Armed Forces Recipe Service card L-64. It yields 100 (1-cup) portions or 2 (18 by 24-inch) roasting pans. Bake at 350 degrees.

1-1/2 gallons water
1 (#10) can tomato paste
1 (#10) can diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 pounds diced green bell peppers
1-1/4 pounds chopped onions
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2-2/3 tablespoons dried crushed basil
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
6 pounds elbow macaroni
11 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese

Combine water, tomato paste, tomatoes, peppers, onions, sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, basil, red pepper and thyme in steam-jacketed kettle or stock pot. Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

Add macaroni to boiling, salted water. Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Do not overcook.

Brown beef until it loses its pink color. Drain or skim off excess fat. Combine beef, tomato sauce mixture, and macaroni. Mix well. Pour about 8-1/4 quarts macaroni mixture in each pan. Sprinkle 1-1/3 cups cheese over macaroni mixture in each pan.

Using a convection oven, bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees on high fan, closed vent or until mixture is bubbling and cheese is melted. Internal temperature must reach 155 degrees or higher for 15 seconds. Hold for service at 140 degrees or higher.

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Check this Diners, Drive Ins and Dives video for Chef Roy Donohue's take on Amercican chop suey. It was filmed at Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire.

First meal of the session

Deer Crossing Camp menus spaghetti with meat and vegetarian sauces for the first dinner of each session. The meal is universally accepted, easy to prepare and reminds new campers of home.

Vegetable lasagna with roasted zucchini and mushrooms

I an not a vegetarian, nor do I see myself becoming one. The closest I come most days is with my morning cereal with milk and sugar. Other than an occasional meatless meal, I eat meat every day at lunch and dinner.

(Of course, I'm talking about being an ovo-lacto vegetarian, not vegan.)

A vegetarian meal is one where I simply leave the meat out of the dish that I'm cooking. I don't make any effort to make a special vegetarian dish. Any item without meat, like a slice of cheese pizza or scrambled eggs with hotcakes, qualifies as a vegetarian meal in my mind.

I just made the best lasagna ever last night. While I still relish an aromatic tomato-based lasagna with three or four layers of quality Italian sausage sandwiched between layers of ricotta and mozzarella, roasted diced zucchini and crimmini slices did a very good job of substituting for the sausage.

I will use this recipe this summer at camp. I'll be able to use vegetables on-hand to vary the layered dish each week or two. I should be able to purchase no-boil lasagna noodles from Sysco.

Pre-cooking the vegetables drives out excess water and adds flavor. The biggest flavor boost comes from the caramelization of the natural sugars in the vegetables.

Pair pre-cooking technique to the moisture content of the vegetable. High-moisture vegetables, like eggplant and zucchini, are best sauteed or roasted. Blanch, chop and saute low-moisture vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.

Vary the vegetables as desired: Substitute 1-pound diced eggplant for mushrooms. For spinach and mushroom lasagna, saute 1 pound sliced crimmini mushrooms with a small amount of onion. Season and remove from skillet. Add 10-ounces (12 cups) chopped spinach leaves to skillet and saute until wilted. Season and combine with mushrooms.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA WITH ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND MUSHROOMS

You need 16 no-boil lasagna sheets (approximately 3-1/2- x 7-in.) for the recipe. It takes 4 sheets to cover the bottom of a 9- x 13-in. baking pan. Depending on the size of the lasagna sheets and the baking pan, their may be some overlap.

1 pound zucchini, diced small
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3-1/2 cups tomato sauce
8 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To roast zucchini and mushrooms, toss vegetables with olive oil and garlic. Spread vegetables in a thin layer on 1 or more greased sheet pans. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables in a 400-degree F. oven for about 35 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Yields 3 to 3-1/2 cups roasted vegetables.

Combine ricotta cheese, eggs and parsley until eggs are incorporated in cheese mixture. Season with pepper to taste. Set aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/2-cup tomato sauce over bottom of 9 x 13-in. baking pan. Lay 4 lasagna sheets so they cover the completely tomato sauce. Spread 2/3-cup ricotta over noodles, 1-cup vegetables evenly over ricotta, 2/3-cup tomato sauce evenly over vegetables and 1-cup mozzarella cheese and 3 tablespoon Parmesan over sauce.

Repeat layering noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, tomato sauce and cheeses 2 more times. For the fourth and final layer, lay the final 4 lasagna sheets over the previous layer. Top with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 heaping tablespoons Parmesan.

Cover pan with large sheet aluminum foil greased with cooking spray. Bake covered 40 minutes in 375-degree F oven. Remove foil and continue baking 15 minutes until cheese brown in spots. Remove and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into 8 (2 x 4) or 15 (3 x 5) portions as desired.

Dutch oven macaroni and cheese

I find that it takes about 1-quart cheese sauce to properly moisten 1-pound dry macaroni, when cooked, for macaroni and cheese.

1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup minced onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 bay leaves
1 quart milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
Kosher salt and while pepper, to taste
2 cups croutons, crushed

Cook macaroni according to package directions at home. Drain water. Cool macaroni in cold water. Package in zipper-top bag and refrigerate.

If desired, Melt butter in a 12-inch Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sweat until soft. Do not brown onions or butter. Blend in flour, mustard, paprika and bay leaves. Cook until mixture is smooth and buddly.

Gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes while stirring until smooth. Gradually mix in cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to sauce and mix thoroughly. Top with croutons. Place lid on Dutch oven and bake approximately 25 to 30 minutes with coals for 350 degrees. Serves 10 to 12.

Alfredo sauce with cream cheese?

This video come to YouTube from chef Frank Terranova's "Cooking with Class" segment on NBC 10 News in Providence, R.I. Navy culinary specialist Chad Loveland of the USS Springfield (SSN 761) shows the Johnson and Wales University chef how to make Alfredo fettuccine with cream cheese in place of traditional heavy cream.

Spinach mushroom fettuccine

Although this recipe would satisfy almost any vegetarian, dedicated meat eaters will love it too. Spinach mushroom fettuccine dishes up a satisfying bit of pep. And it’s a refreshing change from a steady diet of beef and chicken.

This quick dinner pasta dish caught my attention for two reasons. First, I need to build my repertoire of vegetarian dishes for camp. By next summer, I plan to add eight to 12 new recipes to my recipe file.

On the home front, spinach mushroom fettuccine comes together quickly. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes from stove to plate.

I doubled the original recipe (page 106, Northern California edition, October 2008 Sunset) to make sure it multiplies easily for the camp kitchen. Although I haven’t tested a larger batch yet, I’m confident you can double or triple the basic recipe. Adjust the size of the skillet or saucepan accordingly.

I made two changes to the Sunset recipe. First, I felt the addition of extra garlic was needed to give the dish a flavor boost. Reduce the garlic to one or two minced cloves if it’s too much garlic.

And I changed the whole wheat pasta to fettuccine, reminiscent of fettuccine Alfredo, which is made with reduced heavy cream and melted butter. Any whole wheat or plain spaghetti or fettuccine will work for this recipe.

Clean and slice the mushrooms as the pasta water comes to a boil. Then mince the garlic and wash the fresh spinach leaves. Turn your attention to the sauce as the pasta cooks. The sauce and pasta should be ready at the same time.

SPINACH MUSHROOM FETTUCCINE

Carefully stir the sauce after you combine the cream cheese and milk. It takes about 10 minutes the soften the cream cheese to the point where it blends with the milk. Stir gently to avoid breaking up the mushrooms.

Save some pasta water and use it to thin the dish as it absorbs the sauce.

1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
4-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds sliced mushrooms
12 ounces cream cheese
1 cup milk
4 quarts lightly packed spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Boil 1 gallon water in a large stockpot and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and milk and heat until boiling, stirring often. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with chives and serve with Parmesan on the side. Serves 8.

Chicken Spaghetti

Tonight's meal comes from jail and fits every stereotype of jail food. It's heavy, starchy and loaded with fat.

But the creator of this baked chicken casserole missed one important stereotype about jail food -- it tastes good. And yes, it fills you, and makes you feel good about the meal.

The cooks at the Ionia County Jail, Ionia, Michigan, regularly prepare chicken spaghetti. "Inmates ask to take this recipe with them when they are released," said cook Cindi Ruehs. Cole slaw, peas, mixed fruit, bread and margarine accompany the meal.

The recipe is featured on the 2008 Jones Zylon Cooking for Crowds calendar. The company supplies the corrections industry with serving trays, dishes, flatware, carts and racks.

Monday night, I found that Reuhs' chicken spaghetti recipe easily converts into a skillet casserole dish. You'll get eight to 12 servings in a standard 10-inch skillet. A precooked (4-1/2-pound) fryer and a one-pound box of spaghetti formed the base for my recipe.

I roasted the chicken Sunday evening with one sliced onion and one carrot in a 375-degree F. oven. Monday, while spaghetti cooked in a large stockpot, I boned and diced the chicken, discarding the skin. The roasted onion and carrot added a nice flavor element to the casserole.

When cooked to al dente, I dumped the drained spaghetti and diced chicken into the skillet. I then mixed 2 (14-ounce) cans of condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. The sauce, chicken and pasta were mixed in the skillet.

I baked the casserole in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Although Reuhs' adds cheese to the sauce, I elected to top the dish with shredded sharp cheddar cheese after crisping the pasta in the oven. Once I spread the cheese over the casserole, it took another 20 minutes to add some color to the cheese and bring the whole dish to 165-degrees in the center.

Chicken spaghetti is a great one-skillet dish. Add frozen broccoli flowerettes or peas to boost its flavor profile. A handful of diced flat leaf parsley makes a simple garnish.

And the nutrition profile isn't as bad as you'd think. One serving (at eight servings per skillet) contains 533 calories with 54 percent of the calories from fat. You can reduce fat in the recipe by using Campbell's 98% fat free condensed soup and discarding the chicken skin.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

25 pounds diced chicken
4 cups diced green peppers
12 pounds spaghetti
3 (50-ounce) cans chicken soup
3 (50-ounce) cans mushroom soup
5 pounds shredded cheese
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons pepper
3 pounds margarine

Day before serving: Cook and dice chicken. Save chicken stock to cook spaghetti in. Dice green peppers. Day of serving: Start preparation about 2:30 p.m.

Remove fat from stock. Cook spaghetti in stock. In tilt skillet, melt margarine and saute green peppers until tender. Add soups to butter mixture and heat until warm.

Add cooked spaghetti and diced chicken. Heat to temp (165-degrees F.). Add cheese and mix in.

Servings: 120 (8-ounce) black or orange handle spoodle.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Brocollini

Spaghetti carbonara was introduced in this country by service men returning from the Italian theater in World War II. It's said the modern version became popular in Italy after U.S. troops began supplying Italians with eggs and bacon. Carbonara sauce dates to Roman times.

I like the dish because it's easily prepared from ingredients on hand in the home. The recipe adapts to about any smoked or cured meat in the fridge. All you need is any long, thin pasta, fresh garlic, any dry aged cheese and eggs.

I first prepared this recipe Thursday evening. I was looking for a quick dish. I found it in the April 2007 issue of Sunset magaine (page 144 in the Northern California edition).

The headline instructs the cook to "Toss and serve." Spaghetti carbonara is one of those dishes where the cook prepares each of the components ahead and tosses it together just before serving.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA WITH BROCCOLINI

Substitute bacon for the pancetta if desired. Substitute bacon grease for olive oil.

2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch broccolini (about 6-7 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound spaghetti

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Add 1/2-cup grated Parmesan cheese to eggs. Add parsley and pepper to eggs and whisk to combine well. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Add garlic and broccolini and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

When water boils, add salt and spaghetti. Boil pasta until it is tender to the bite. Drain well and immediately pour pasta into bowl with egg mixture. Toss to thoroughly coat pasta with egg mixture (the heat from the pasta will partly cook the egg and melt the cheese). Pour pancetta mixture on top of pasta and toss to combine thoroughly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Red Pepper and Parmesan Cream Sauce

These days cooking in my house often boils down to what's in the cupboard. The new job and the long commute leaves little time for shopping and cooking.

When I see an appealing recipe in a cooking magazine, I often adjust the recipe to match my cupboard inventory.

I purchased the latest issue of Fine Cooking last week for bus reading material. Two recipes struck my fancy.

The creamy potato soup on the back cover will help expend my overstocked potato bin. That's a recipe for this weekend.

After reading Tony Rosefield's "Pasta from the Pantry" (Fine Cooking, November 2006, pages 72-75), my first thought was to run to the market to buy the ingredients.

I then remembered that I had a container of Trader Joe's Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup and a box of mostaccioli in the cupboard. I often use the soup to flavor rice pilaf or a substitute for tomato sauce. And I like to stock several varieties of pasta.

In the original recipe, you gently saute fresh minced garlic, then add the contents of a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers that have been drained and thinly sliced. From this point on the two recipes flow in an identical manner.

The tomato and red pepper soup saved a difficult step for camp cooks. Most campers don't pack a blender. The soup brings all the robust flavor of the red pepper to the skillet.

PASTA WITH RED PEPPER AND PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

This recipe has lots of potential. Any hearty flavor will enhance it's delicate creaminess. The author suggested sauteed cauliflower or sliced Italian sausage. Crisp smoked bacon or carmalized onions will work as well.

3/4 pound dried large tube pasta, such as rigatoni, pene rigate or mostaccioli
1 cup tomato and red pepper soup
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tooth tender. Meanwhile, place the soup, broth, thyme, pepper flakes, garlic and vinegar in a large heavy skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until reduced slightly.

Stir in 3/4-cup Parmesan cheese and cream until smooth. Add drained pasta to skillet and cook 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat to blend. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining cheese.