MEXICAN MANICOTTI or ITALIAN ENCHILADA?

   

                           

My first thought was to try creating an Italian – Mexican fusion, combining some of popular flavors of each cuisine.  But Patience encouraged me to think carefully about what I wanted to do.  I wanted the main component to be Italian sausage, mushrooms, and onions sautéed together with garlic and basil, classic Italian spices and herbs.  This would be wrapped in a flour enchilada and baked in the oven with an enchilada sauce.  However after the sausage-mushroom enchiladas were prepared I decided to  replace the enchilada sauce with diced tomatoes with garlic and basil, creating my own version of a Mexican Manicotti, or an Italian Enchilada.

Whatever the name, it was delicious.

INGREDIENTS”

1.     Italian sweet sausage, casings removed

2.     White mushrooms, sliced

3.     Onion, chopped

4.     Olive oil

5.     Garlic and fresh basil

6.     Sweet Vermouth or dry red wine

7.     Diced tomatoes

8.     Flour tortilla

9.     Grana Padana cheese

PROCESS:

In olive oil over medium high heat cook the sausage, mushrooms, and onions, with the herbs and garlic, stirring frequently until the mushrooms begin to brown.  Add the wine and continue cooking until the wine is cooked off.

Mix the diced tomatoes with salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil.  Add ½ of the tomatoes to a 9x11 baking dish.  Fold the sausage mixture in the tortillas and place in the baking dish.  Cover with the remaining tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

COMMENTS:

Patience loved this, and that is all that matters.

10-5…Manicotti

I forgot to take the photo before starting to serve..


Rummaging through the freezer I found a tub of “Sunday” gravy and some spinach-ricotta filling leftover from the ravioli adventure. Remembering an article in a Cooks Illustrated periodical on using no boil lasagna for the manicotti I decided to give it a try.

Rather than the usual ground beef filling I struck out on my own, using chicken and spinach, combined with a variety of cheeses, as well as the ravioli filling.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken breast
Olive oil
Garlic
Fresh spinach
egg
Parmesan, mozzarella, and cottage cheese (No ricotta on hand)
No boil lasagna

PROCESS:

Saute the chicken in olive oil with garlic. Before it is finished add the spinach and cook down. Remove, chop coarsely, then pulse in food processer to a workable paste. Place in a bowl and mix in the cheeses, the egg, and the chopped basil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place a layer of the sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.

Place the lasagna sheets in boiling water for several minutes until soft…about 4-5 minutes). Remove, and place the sheet on a flat surface and add the filling then roll carefully and place in a baking dish with the seam side down. Cover the rolls with another layer of sauce, grated parmesan, and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, add more cheese and place back in oven for about 5 minutes.

Remove and allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.



COMMENTS:

Not as good as mom’s, but it did bring back some powerful culinary memories.

Our neighbor Keyth joined us ( his wife is out of town) and brought a dish of the ravioli he made today. I gotta tell you…if I wasn’t me, I would be envious of me.