Macaroni and Cheese Lite

I had a bone to pick with Macaroni and Cheese Lite... I made the original Moosewood recipe for "Whole Wheat Macaroni: Russian Style" some time ago on Vashon Island. It was a lot of fun to assemble, and was even cast in a starring role on my blog page (see the banner at the top of ahappytaste. blogspot.com... it's from the production line of WWM:RS). But the recipe itself was... well... gross. The red onion was practically raw, there were too many veggies, too much cottage cheese, in general: a mess. So when I saw that Macaroni and Cheese Lite was the updated version of this failed first attempt, I furrowed my overly plucked brow in concern. I knew that if I wanted to conquer this cookbook, I'd have to at least give it a try.

Butcha know what!? The new recipe was pretty good. I made a half recipe (something I am starting to realize I should do for all of these Moosewood attempts... often it is just too much food!) and baked it with extra cheese, a signature Alli Wright move. Instead of cabbage I used a little cauliflower and some peas. I omitted the caraway seeds. I cooked the veggies a bit longer than directed to sufficiently soften them and prevent any potential raw onion bits. This dish reminds me of tuna noodle casserole without the fish. It was quite tasty and filling!

Spinach Ricotta Pie

I made Spinach Ricotta Pie for a Super Bowl Party. Creating and assembling the pie crust a day in advance was a time saver. The filling has fresh spinach, ricotta, sharp cheddar cheese, onion, spices, and Sunday morning sleepies in it. Sour cream and a little paprika were spread on top right before baking. The pie was rich and creamy and was a wonderful accompaniment to my vodka cocktail. Go football teams!

Calzones with Spinach Cheese Filling

Last week, Charlie and I made Calzones with Spinach Cheese Filling. The crust was crunchy and light and the filling was perfectly cheesy and full of leafy spinach flavor. Calzones are a labor intensive endeavor but being able to eat the finished product is particularly fulfilling reward.

We started by making Moosewood's basic calzone dough. It was simple enough: yeast, a little sugar, water, salt, and flour. The dough had to rise for about an hour and during that time we prepared the filling. Onions, garlic, spinach (We used chopped frozen, which was thawed and pressed dry on paper towels), spices, and lots of salt and pepper came together on the stove. We then mixed this with ricotta, mozarella, and parmesan cheeses. Next, we assembled! To start, Charlie rolled out the dough.Then we filled each circle of dough with spinachy cheesy goodness. Crimping the edges and getting each pocket to stay sealed was a little challenging and the oven got a liiiiiittle smokey in the final moments of baking... but overall, we did well!Calzones with Spinach Cheese Filling, a little marinara sauce for dipping, apple slices, and a fresh green salad. Perfect!