Baked Ziti Pasta

Confession!!! I didn't use gluten free pasta for this recipe. I really had ziti on my mind and the grocery did not have any, so… gluten it is! However, the rest of the recipe is gluten free. You could always substitute another thick tube pasta such as rigatoni or elbow mac. Also, I opted to not use DF replacement cheese and decided to just go without. However, I added real mozzarella to Hubs half so if you get to enjoy dairy, PLEASE feel free to cover the entire pasta with that delicious mozzarella. 

Hubs made a delicious dipping sauce for our bread. He sautéed a little minced garlic with some fresh basil seasoned with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. He added it to a plate of olive oil and away we went, dipping our favorite bread in for a swim. 

printable recipe here!!

Baked Ziti Pasta

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups uncooked baked ziti (about 12 oz)

2 t olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 pound lean ground beed (you could always use turkey here)

1 t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

 t dried thyme

 1/2 t salt

28 oz can crushed tomatoes (is gluten free)

mozzarella cheese (optional)

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Mince your garlic.

Cook your pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.

While your pasta is cooking, heat your olive oil over medium heat.

Add in your minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.

Add in your ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Drain off any excess fat. 

Place the pan back on the heat and add in the oregano, thyme, basil, and salt and stir it all together.

Add in your crushed tomatoes.

Stir and bring to a boil.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.

Grab a 4 quart baking dish and add a small amount of the tomato mixture. Just enough to cover the bottom. 

Add 1/2 of the cooked pasta on top of the sauce.

Now add 1/2 of the beef mixture on top.

If you are using the mozzarella, add a layer of cheese.

Add the remaining pasta, tomato mixture, and cheese in that order.

Bake for about 30 minutes and bubbly.

Thanks Y'all!

-Wise Wife 

Jalapeño Corn Fritters

Sunday Supper is usually left for Hubs to cook because I take care of dinner the rest of the week. However, after a long day of golf in SUPER hot Alabama weather, I decided I would help him out a little bit. Don't get me wrong, he still grilled pork tenderloin and steamed our obligatory artichoke, but sides were up to me. I roasted some asparagus seasoned with a little garlic powder, onion power, oregano and salt and made one of Hub's favorites, corn fritters. 

I got the Hubs thumbs up approval for this recipe!! Woohoo!! 

Really he will eat/love anything that is fried but he really loves corn fritters. They aren't deep fried so they aren't terrible for you. Of course, all things in moderation. Really the only reason I like to pan fry these is to create that crunchy crust. You could bake them, but they just won't be as good. Hate to admit that, but that is the truth. 

Corn fritters are pretty easy as long as you can get the frying part down. I decided that the smaller fritters had a better crunch to them and hence we enjoyed more. I used an ice-cream scoop to portion the fritters out, but ended up only filling the scoop up about 3/4 of the way full.

If you don't have access to fresh ears of corn or they are out of season, you can always use canned corn. Use about 2 1/2 cups of corn kernels. 

Also, if gluten and dairy don't bother you feel free to substitute all purpose flour and dairy milk. 

Printable Recipe Here!!

Jalapeño Corn Fritters 

GF/DF

Ingredients:

4 ears fresh corn

1 large egg

5 T GF all purpose flour

3 T GF cornmeal

4 T soy milk

1/2 medium sweet onion

1 jalapeño 

1/2 t salt

1/4 cup canola oil, for frying (or as needed)

chopped green onions (optional)

What to do:

Remove the husk and silk from your corn.

Remove the corn kernels from the cobs, scraping the milk off as well. 

Finely dice your onion.

Remove the seeds of your jalapeño and finely dice.

Place your egg in a small bowl and slightly beat.

Add corn, egg, flour, cornmeal, milk, onion, jalapeño, and salt into a large bowl.

Mix all together. I know it doesn't look like it will stay together, but I promise it will once it hits that hot oil!

Heat your canola oil in a cast iron skillet to about 350- 375°.

Using an ice-cream scoop, add a dollop of the corn mixture into your hot oil. It should sizzle immediately.

Cook for 2-2 1/2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil.

Serve topped with chopped green onions.

Thanks Y'all!

-Wise Wife