Zucchini, onion and ricotta pie (sorta salata di zucchine e cipolle) from saver.com

14 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
12 cup grated pecorino
12 cup ricotta
12 cup roughly chopped parsley
4 eggs, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. bread crumbs

Instructions

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic and shallot until golden, 4–6 minutes. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Stir in pecorino, ricotta, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 10″ pie plate with butter; coat with bread crumbs. Spread zucchini mixture evenly over top; bake until golden on top and slightly puffed, 40–45 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Dina’s tossed mushrooms

Unstuffed-Mushrooms

All the deliciousness of stuffed mushrooms without all the work! An easy side dish you can serve any night of the week!

  • 1 pound white button mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1⁄4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil to drizzle
  • olive oil spray
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Slice off the bottom of the stems; then, use a moist paper towel to gently remove any dirt from mushrooms.
  3. Quarter or halve the mushrooms, depending on the size.
  4. Sprinkle water in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish then place mushrooms in a single layer on top of the water.
  5. In a small bowl combine next six ingredients: breadcrumbs through salt/pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the mushrooms.
  6. Drizzle evenly with olive oil then spray the top with olive oil spray so it’s evenly coated. Bake uncovered until the mushrooms are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

 

Cauliflower Gratin from 12tomatoes.com

  • 422533034_xl tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups hot milk
  • 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
  • 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
    2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch or two of salt, followed by the cauliflower florets. Let them cook for five to six minutes ñ you want them to be tender but still firm. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
    3. While the cauliflower is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. Then, add the hot milk and stir everything until it starts to boil.
    4. Whisk the milk for about a minute, until it thickens, and then take it off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of Gruyere. Stir everything together until blended well.
    5. Spray an 8×11 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, then add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture to the dish. Then, add all of the drained cauliflower, followed by the rest of the sauce.
      1. Mix the remaining Gruyere cheese with the bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top as well.
      2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.

 

 

Broccoli Tots from http://www.thetwobiteclub.com/

1 head brobroccoli-tots-4-1ccoli, cut into equal sized florets
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper

 

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Pour 1 inch of water into a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Place the broccoli into the boiling water, cover, and reduce the heat to medium.  Cook the broccoli for 5-6 minutes, or until it can easily be pierced by a fork.  Drain the broccoli and set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Lay the broccoli out onto paper towels and cover with more paper towels,  Press down firmly on the broccoli to absorb as much moisture as you can.  Another method is to put the broccoli in the center of a dish towel and ring out the water as seen here. Finely chop the broccoli.
  4. In a large bowl, combine combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Stir everything together until well mixed.  Fill each muffin cup in a mini muffin tin to the top, pushing down on the filling with your spoon so it’s nice and compacted.
  5. Bake for 18-20 minutes in preheated oven. The top will be starting to golden. To easily remove from the pan (without scratching it to death), run a plastic knife around the edges of each tot and they should come out easier.

Notes

  • If they seem to be falling apart when you take them out of the pan you can (1) put them back into the oven to cook for a few minutes longer so they are a bit crisper or (2) let them sit in the pan for a few minutes to let the insides firm up a bit before removing them from the pan.  You have to be ginger with them if they’re sticking a little to the pan!
  • The sharp cheddar can be substituted with whatever cheese you have on hand.