Milano Shrimp Fettuccine

4 ounces uncooked spinach or egg fettuccine
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with
    basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sliced scallions

Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, sauté shrimp and garlic in oil until shrimp are pink. Stir in tomatoes; simmer 5 minutes.

Blend in cream and scallions; heat through. Do not boil. Serve over hot cooked fettuccine.

Yields 4 servings.

Mexican Manicotti

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup refried beans
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 manicotti shells
1 1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) can picanté or taco sauce
8 ounces dairy sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Combine ground beef, refried beans, oregano and cumin; mix well. Fill UNCOOKED manicotti shells with meat mixture. Arrange in a 10 x 6 x 2-inch baking dish. Combine water and picanté sauce or taco sauce; pour over manicotti shells. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for at least one hour until pasta is tender.

Combine sour cream, scallion and olives. Spoon down the center of the casserole; top with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Microwave instructions: After pouring water and sauce over shells, cover with vented plastic wrap. Cook on HIGH for 10 minutes, half-turning the dish once. Using tongs, turn shells over. Cook, covered, on MEDIUM for 17 to 19 minutes or until pasta is tender, giving dish a half-turn once.

Combine sour cream, scallion and olives. Spoon down center of casserole; top with cheese. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Makes 4 servings.

Mexican Macaroni

8 ounces macaroni
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Mexican-style tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
8 ounces dairy sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.

Combine macaroni and next 4 ingredients; stir in half of cheeses. Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish; top with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Serves 6.

Mexican Manicotti

8 manicotti shells
1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup cooked chicken
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced or chopped ripe olives
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook and drain manicotti according to package directions.

In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, chicken, onions, olives, red pepper, cilantro and garlic. Mix well. Fill manicotti with mixture and place in a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine salsa with tomato sauce, mixing well. Spoon over manicotti. Cover tightly and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove cover and continue baking for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese, if desired and bake 3 minutes longer until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Mexican Lasagna

1 (8 ounce) can Ro-Tel Tomatoes with chiles
2 (16 ounce) cans Hatch green chile sauce (with
    pork and tomatoes) or make your own green chile
1 (16 ounce) can olives, chopped
Shredded Co-Jack cheese, to taste
Flour tortillas
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into strips

Mix tomatoes, green chile sauce, olives and chicken together.

Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Tear tortillas in half (to fit pan). Put down one layer of tortillas, spoon on chile mixture (be generous), layer with cheese and repeat from tortilla layers. Top with cheese.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer until brown. You can make this ahead of time and then bake just prior to serving.

Let stand for a few minutes prior to serving.

Greek Spaghetti

12 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Garlic powder or mashed garlic cloves

Burn butter until golden. Add garlic powder or crushed cloves and serve over cooked, drained spaghetti.

Greek-Style Lasagna

Serves 4.

9 lasagna noodles
8 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 (10 ounce) package frozen, chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sliced pitted black olives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a medium baking dish with vegetable cooking spray; set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions, but do not add salt. Drain.

Meanwhile, spray a medium nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add beef and onion. Cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Place mixture on a paper towel-lined plate; drain.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, ricotta cheese, feta cheese, olives and 2 tablespoons mint. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in prepared dish. Top with 3 noodles. Spread some spinach mixture over noodles. Top with some beef mixture. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato sauce over beef mixture. Continue layering with remaining noodles, spinach mixture, beef mixture, and sauce. Cover with foil. Bake until filling is heated through, about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining mint. Serve immediately.

Greek-Style Penne with Fresh Tomatoes, Feta and Dill

Source: Bon Appétit - August 2002

For this warm-weather dish, a salsa cruda à la Grec - or uncooked Greek-style sauce - is combined with hot pasta and served at once. Be sure to use the ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can find, preferably from a farmers’ market or your own backyard.

4 to 6 servings.

2 pounds tomatoes, halved, seeded, chopped
1 cup chopped green onions (white and pale green parts only)
7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces penne pasta

Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Set tomato mixture aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Add hot pasta to tomato mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Fried Italian Ravioli

12 dozen fresh ravioli*
2 large eggs, beaten
Salt and cayenne pepper

* Fresh ravioli is usually available in the chilled section of your grocery.

In a large bowl beat together salt, pepper and eggs. Detach the raviolis one by one. Dip into the egg mixture, then deep fry for about 2 to 4 minutes — until golden and crispy.

Serve hot with tomato salsa as appetizer.

Serves 4.

Mexican Macaroni

From the kitchen of Janet in Georgia

2 cups small macaroni (cooked and drained)
1 (11 ounce) can Green Giant Niblets whole kernel sweet corn
1 to 3 small cans chopped black olives
1 medium-large yellow onion (chopped)
3 pounds ground beef
5 (10 ounce) cans enchilada sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 to 1-pound block mild Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large pot boil water for macaroni.

In another large pot brown hamburger and chopped onion. Drain meat mixture and return to same pot. Add corn, olives, enchilada sauce, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Allow mixture to come to a boil then turn down and let simmer. Stirring occasionally. When water boils add macaroni and let cook till tender. Drain.

At this point add about 1/2 cup grated cheese to mixture. Stir till completely melted. Add macaroni to meat mixture. Scoop half macaroni/meat mixture into large baking dish. Spread a thin layer of cheese over this. Scoop remainder of macaroni/meat mixture over this. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 1 hour.

Serve with garlic bread and green salad.