Zucchini Brownies

So... as many of you might know, I happened across a ginormous zucchini a week ago.  It happens to many people, quite frequently, this time of year!  Anyhow, I ended making quite a few different things with it, and the top favorites were zucchini brownies and my variation of zucchini bread.  With that, here is the chocolaty delight!

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. white sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. white flour

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 c. grated zucchini (do NOT drain water out)

1 c. chopped walnuts, if desired

Frosting:

1/4 c.  butter

6 Tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c. milk

2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350; grease and flour a 9 x 13" baking pan.  

2. In a large bowl (I use my kitchenaid for everything), mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended.  In a separate bowl (again, I just put it all in my kitchenaid), sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients and mix well.  Fold in zucchini and nuts. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center springs back when gently touched.

3. To make frosting, melt butter and cocoa and mix well together, then set aside to cool.  Blend together milk, sugar, and vanilla, then blend in cocoa mixture.  Spread over brownies once completely cooled.

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Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup cool whip

1 c. flour (next time we'll use whole wheat)

1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cup. buttermilk (we used regular, and it turned out fine, but next time I'm going to use buttermilk)

1/4 c. melted butter

1 c. fresh/frozen blueberries

maple syrup

For topping, beat together cream cheese and cool whip until smooth.  Chill until serving.

For pancakes, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Combine the eggs, buttermilk and butter then add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in blueberries.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot, greased griddle; turn when bubbles form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown.  Spread topping over pancakes.  Top with warm syrup, sprinkle with additional blueberries if desired.

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Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

The photo does not do this dish justice!  It's a great summertime meal... easy, few ingredients, and delicious!  Also, we made a lot of substitutions the second time we made it, simply because the ingredients were a bit expensive.... enjoy!

7 oz. tofu (we used grilled chicken instead)

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and halved lengthwise (any color works great)

1 large yellow squash, halved lengthwise (we used zucchini the second time)

1/2 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed (we used green beans the second time)

4 oz. baby portobello mushrooms (I just use 6-8 white button mushrooms)

2 cups uncooked whole wheat rotini pasta

1/2 cup balsamic dressing (I made my own using 1/4 c. olive oil and 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar)

parmesan cheese

Preheat grill so that the coals are medium heat.  Brush all the vegetables and chicken with balsamic dressing, and set aside.  Once the grill is ready, cook the mushrooms and chicken (depending on thickness) for 5-7 minutes, turning frequently, and all other vegetables for 10-12 minutes, turning for even cooking.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package, then keep warm until vegetables are done.

Remove vegetables from grill, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a large colander.  Add pasta and fresh-snipped basil (I just used some dried basil) and add remaining dressing.  Toss to evenly coat.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

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Salmon w/ Lemon Relish

This is a recipe from my Grama posted for her! :) It's a wonderful, light, summer meal.

1/4 c. pine nuts (or sunflower seeds - pine nuts are expensive)

1/4 c. raisins

slivered zest and juice of 1 lemon

about 1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets

coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

3 T. olive oil

5 oz. baby spinach

Preheat oven to 450.  Spread nuts on a baking sheet & toast in oven, tossing occasionally until lightly browned, 5-7 min.  Remove from sheet and reserve.   

Place raisins & lemon zest in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Season salmon with salt and pepper, roast 8-10 minutes.  Drain and discard liquid from raisins and zest.  Return to bowl and add lemon juice, nuts, parsley, and oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Place salmon on a bed of spinach, spoon lemon relish over the top.

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Orange-Berry Bread

I made up this recipe... it's the first one I've ever actually made up.  Pretty excited about it!

Zest & Juice of one navel orange

1 Tbl. powdered sugar

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. raw cane sugar (or white sugar)

2 eggs

1/4 c. plain yogurt

1/3 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 2/3 c. whole-wheat flour (or use part white)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. frozen berries (I used a mixture of blackberries, marionberries, and blueberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1 tsp orange zest and 1 Tbl. orange juice with powdered sugar and set aside (this is your Orange glaze).  In a bowl, whisk together the remaining zest and juice, butter, sugar, eggs, yogurt, buttermlik, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and make a well in the center.  Pour the milk mixture into the well and mix until equally wet.  Fold in berries.  Pour batter into a 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Once you pull it out, make numerous holes with the toothpick and quickly pour the orange glaze evenly over the top, letting it drip down in the holes.  Let cool in pan, then enjoy!

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Parmigiano and Herb Chicken Tenders

I have to give credit to Cory for this yummy recipe!! Every once in a while I get a strange and dire craving for chicken strips with ranch.. well, now I have a recipe so I can make them myself - and healthier!  

Just a head's up, I followed this recipe pretty closely, but am giving you my improvised recipe I would use next time.  The original recipe called for double the coating ingredients and to season the chicken before coating.  We had a lot left over, even when we used twice as much chicken, and I found it was slightly on the salty side.  So, the following is my version; if you want the original, just comment and I'll email it to you.  Thanks, Cory!!

Ingredients:

Olive oil for frying

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (about 10 pieces)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat; that worked fine)

1 large egg, beaten with 1/8 cup water

Breading:

1 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (we used grated; that worked okay)

3 sprigs/stems fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped, 1 to  1 - 1/2 Tbs (or 1 to 1 -  1/2 tsp. dried)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, 1 1/2 Tbs. (or 1 - 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (oops, I forgot this!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place a nonstick cookie sheet in oven with a tin foil liner.

Heat 1/4-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium to medium high heat.

Place flour in a shallow dish.  Beat eggs with water in second dish alongside the flour.  In a third dish, combine breading ingredients.  Coat chicken in flour, then egg, then breading.  If you want to make clean up really easy, you can use gloves and disposable pie tins.  We found that using tongs worked great for coating.

Cook chicken until deeply golden on each side, about 3 - 4 minutes.    Cook chicken 5 or 6 tenders at a time in a single layer, adding additional oil if necessary.  If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, lower heat slightly.  Transfer to cookie sheet in preheated oven and finish off for another 5 minutes cooking time. Serve hot or cold with green salad or complete as a Parmigiano.  (OR, do what we did and have it with ranch dressing accompanied by a spinach salad and homemade oven fries!)

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Spinach and Feta Pita Bake

This was delicious... obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it.  But, anyways, I made my own pita bread (using the same recipe as I did for our Thai Chicken Pita wraps), and then just chopped up all the veggies and spread on top!  We also made a change by adding about 1/2 cup cooked and chopped chicken to the recipe.  Chicken was seasoned with fresh parsley and rosemary from our herb garden.

Ingredients:

4-6 pitas (I used 4 large ones)

1 (6 oz.) tub sun-dried tomato pesto (I used 1/2 a tub of regular pesto, and next time, I will make my own)

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch spinach, rinsed and chopped

4 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup feta cheese

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbs. olive oil (a little less would do fine)

ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Spread pesto on one side of each pita, and place them on a baking sheet (pesto side up).  Top with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, cheeses, and chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.  Back for 12 minutes at 350 degrees or until pitas are crisp.  Cut into quarters and serve.

One more thing... I think this would make an excellent appetizer for a party.  My plan is to use mini pitas or crackers with the toppings, kind of like bruschetta.  Yum yum!  

**Also, we discovered that this does not make good leftovers.  We suggest chopping up enough veggies for what you will eat in one sitting, then use the left over pitas and bake for your next meal with fresh-cut toppings.  The oil just kind of soaked the pitas and microwaving made everything soggy.

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Granola

                 

Mmmm it's delicious!! And healthy... and multi-purposed... and really yummy. Okay, enough. I got this recipe from chowwreview.blogspot.com and adapted it a little bit.  Feel free to use your own combo of nuts and dried fruit but this is what I did:

4 c. rolled oats

1 1/4 c. chopped walnuts + 1/4 c. chopped hazelnuts (because I was using up the rest of them)

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

dash of sea salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/4 c. honey

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. craisins + 1/2 c. raisins (to use up the rest of them)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.  Heat up the coconut oil and honey on the stove until smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix until evenly coated.  Spread in a 15" x 10" jelly roll pan and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Mix in dried fruit, let cool.  Can be kept in freezer for up to 3 months, or at room temp for a week.  

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One-Pot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)

1 c. mushrooms (I prefer fresh, and sliced)

1/2 c. chopped onion (1 medium)

1 14-oz can chicken broth

1 3/4 c. water

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 tsp. dried italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. black pepper

6 oz. dry spaghetti, broken

Directions:

Cook meat, mushrooms, and onion in a large saucepan over med-high heat until meat is browned and onions are tender.  Stir in broth, water, tomato paste, seasoning, and pepper and bring to a boil.  Add in spaghetti, a little at a time, stirring constantly.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat and boil gently for 17-20 minutes or until noodles are to desired doneness and sauce is desired consistency.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

I thought this was absolutely delicious, and Mac loved it too!  It was way easy, and it took about 30 minutes, start to finish.  I didn't have any tomato paste, so I reduced the water to 3/4 cup and used a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce instead. Turned out great!  I also made a whole-wheat french baguette to go along with the meal, and that was an excellent accompaniment to soak up the sauce.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are completely, one-hundred-percent, irresistible, give-you-a-heart-attack goodness.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (use adam's chunky)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I actually substituted some whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

10 reeses' peanut butter cups, cut into eights

Directions:

Cream butter and peanut butter. Add in sugars, beat til creamy, then add in eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy.  Sift together flour, soda, and cocoa.  mix into wet ingredients.  Mix in the goodness (chocolate & peanut butter chips, and pb cups).  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, although, i've found they need to be cooked about 12 minutes.  They'll still be a little gooey to the touch when they come out of the oven.

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

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Lemon-Raspberry Scones

These are seriously AMAZING!! I LOVE them.  Really. I do. But, I can't claim them as my own because I got them from someone else's amazing food blog, and you should all check it out! http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Raspberry Mega Scones Recipe

This particular scone recipe lends itself to endless combinations. I used raspberry jam here because of its color and flavor, but use whatever you have on hand - the chunkier the better. If you can't be bothered with making the glaze, just sprinkle some coarse raw sugar over the scone before baking after brushing with a bit of cream.<

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
3 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz), chilled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup fine grain natural cane sugar or granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups half-and-half ( or you can also use heavy cream or whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon


Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). You can also cut the butter in using a knife and fork. Pulse in the sugar. Now add the half-and-half, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Pulse (or mix until) dough just comes together - don't over mix, but if the batter is too dry add more cream a bit at a time. Turn out onto a floured piece of parchment paper or Silpat mat, divide into two equal sized pieces of dough and set one aside. Take the first piece of dough and roll out into (roughly) a 9x9 inch square, 1/2-inch thick. You want to keep the dough from sticking to the mat/paper if possible, so sprinkle with more flour if needed. Slather the slab of dough with the jam and fold the left side of the dough in toward the center. To discourage the dough from breaking or falling apart I fold it in by folding the Silpat in and then peeling the Silpat back afterwards. Fold the other side in using the same technique (if I'm not making sense, see the photo). Slide onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other piece of dough. The two scones will fit on one baking sheet but give them a few inches between each other so they don't bake into each other. Brush with a bit of cream (optional), and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden where the scones touch the pan.<

While the scones are baking, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until well combined, and set aside. When the scones come out of the oven brush them generously with the glaze and let cool. Slice into pieces as big or small as you like.

Makes two mega scones

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Cinnamon Rolls

FYI - this isn't healthy at all.  Just yummy. And, it's also not my recipe. It's Mary's.

Rolls:

4 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 cup warm milk (105 degrees)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. butter/margarine

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

4-5 c. all-purpose flour (I used closer to 5)

Filling:

1/3 c. butter/margarine, softened

1 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Icing (Blend following ingredients with electric mixer):

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. cream cheese

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Knead into a large ball.  Let rise until doubled.  Roll out on floured surface, 21" x 16" x 1/4" thick

Preheat oven to 375.  

Combine brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Spread butter evenly over rolled dough and sprinkle with sugar mixture.  From long side, roll dough and pinch to seal.  Cut to 1-3/4" slices.  Bake 15-20 minutes, checking on browning.  Ice when cool.

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Photos...

...of the dishes are coming soon!! :)

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Fruit & Cream Trifle

Really easy and deliciously healthy (for the most part) We made it up, so sorry the measurements aren't exact.  Next time, I'll pay more attention to how much of each I put in each layer and such!

Fruit of choice (we used strawberries, kiwi, bananas, peaches, and mandarin oranges all sliced, about 1 1/2 cups each)

1 large pkg. vanilla pudding

1 container cool whip, thawed

1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped with 2 heaping teaspoons sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla

1 9 x 5 pound cake, cut in chunks

Slice up all the fruit, whichever you choose.  Make the pudding according to the package instructions, then fold in cool whip.  

Begin layering the trifle with pieces of pound cake first, top with a bit of each kind of fruit, then pour some of the pudding mixture to cover.  line slices of the fruit around the outside of the dish so it's aesthetically pleasing. :) Repeat process until all is used up.  Top with whipped cream and garnish as desired!

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Very yummy topped with grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream w/ chips and salsa on the side!

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
1 (15 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper<
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen corn<
1 tsp. dried cilantro (or 1 Tbsp. fresh)
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, beans, and garlic into a large pot. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low heat all day, or medium-low for 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

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Breakfast Cookies/Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I substituted w/ 2 Tbsp. coconut oil)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins (I used 1/2 raisins, 1/2 craisins)
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Directions
Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. 

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies/bars are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Thai Chicken Pitas

I got this recipe from Rachael Ray, but I made quite a few changes.  It's yummy!! This is the original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/thai-chicken-wrap-with-spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 Tbls. Soy Sauce

1 Tbls. Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper

Stir-fry the above ingredients in a skillet over med-high heat. Drain cooking liquids and set aside.

Salad:

1/2 cucumber - peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced at an angle

2 cups bean sprouts

1 cup shredded carrot (two carrots)

3 green onions, sliced thin

1/2 Tbls dried basil

1 tsp. sugar

2 Tbls. White Vinegar

Salt

Mix the vegetables and dried basil.  Sprinkle top with sugar, vinegar, and salt to taste. Add chicken and toss.

Mix peanut sauce (I used store-bought, found in asian cuisine section) with 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.  Spread inside pita, then spoon chicken/veggie mixture into pitas. Makes about 8 whole pitas, I think.  Depends on how much filling you use.  

You can get store bought pitas, or use the pita bread recipe I use: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pita-bread-recipe/index.html

I use whole wheat flour in place of bread flour, and rapid-rise active dry yeast instead of regular.  Also, if you make smaller pitas, you can stretch this recipe to about 10 pitas instead of 8.  

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Paprika Chicken

DELICIOUS!! And really easy. Oh, and a little bit of a kick!

This is from Gourmet Magazine, and calls for a 3 1/2 lb. whole chicken, cut into serving pieces.  I instead used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut the spices in half, but would recommend 4 and keep all the spices if you're going to replace the whole chicken....

1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces (about 3 1/2 lbs)

1 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 sweet onion, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the oil with the spices, and add 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper.  Add the chicken and onions to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.  Put chicken mixture into a shallow 3-qt baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes or until is done through and skin is golden brown.  Drain off juices and fat before serving.  

I served it with rice and steamed broccoli, but might also go well with fresh bread and a salad... Also, I baked for exactly 30 minutes and it was perfect.... just a note...

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March Menu

I'm only going to post recipes for the new recipes after I make them so I can tell you what changes to make. :) Also, my February menu left me with 3 extra meals (due to night's out or extra left-overs), so there's some repeats from last month...

3/2-3: Spaghetti & Meatballs

3/4: Turkey Noodle Soup (from the freezer)

3/5-6: Chicken curry & rice

3/7: Krautranzas (from the freezer)

3/8: Popcorn, apples, and cheese

3/9-10: Chicken Flautas

3/11: Pita bread & hummus

3/12: Thai chicken pitas 

3/13: Thai chicken & rice

3/14: Chili (from the freezer)

3/15: Popcorn, apples, and cheese

3/16-17: Beef stroganoff & broccoli

3/18: Split Pea Soup (freezer)

3/19-20: spaghetti & meatballs w/ veggies

3/21: stir fry w/ rice

3/22: Popcorn, apples & cheese

3/23-24: Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

3/25-26: Krautranzas (Mac's going to be home by himself, so I don't really have to plan)

3/27-29: OREGON!!!!! 

3/30-31: Pasta w/ pea sauce

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Really Simple Tomato-Mozzarella Casserole

1 lb. dry pasta (recipe calls for Ziti, but I used rotini... really, any short, sturdy pasta will work)

1- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbls. vegetable oil

2 Tbls. Fresh chopped basil (or 2 tsp. dried - I used Italian Herb Seasoning instead)

1/2 tsp. (or more) salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup. grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package in a large pot.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Put back in pot and set aside.  In a 12" skillet, cook minced garlic in the oil until tender, but do not brown.  Add tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Stir in basil, sugar, and salt.  Add sauce to the pasta and toss, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread 1/2 of the pasta mixture into an oiled 9 x 13 baking pan.  Sprinkle 1/2 of each type of cheese over the top.  Spread the rest of the pasta mixture, then the rest of the cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

*Mac and I both decided it would be delicious with ground beef in it as well!  You could replace the diced tomatoes with 1/2 lb. or so of ground beef, if you want it to be meaty.

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