Manicotti...kind of....

This is a great entree idea for that pain-in-the ass friend we all have who's suddenly decided she can't eat gluten.  You know, the one who sometimes reeks of gin and cigarettes and shame...yeah - your big problem is gluten, sweetie...

Eh, well...you know what they say about gin glass houses....

OK, let's do this:

Easier Than It Looks Gluten Free Manicotti
makes 6 servings
prep time 20 min, bake time 35 min

Filling:
1 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
3 handfuls spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
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8 oz container ricotta
1 cup shredded parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1 egg
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Instead of noodles:
2 large zucchinis sliced very thinly on your  little hand slicer
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marinara sauce, jarred or homemade
fresh basil for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375ºF

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the spinach and garlic for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Allow it to cool for a couple minutes and combine it with the second group of ingredients.

 For the zucchini, it helps to have a sushi mat, but it's not essential.  You can get sushi mats at Whole Foods or Asian markets.  You can also just use a place mat covered with parchment or wax paper .

Arrange the zucchini slices so they overlap and form a rectangle.  Double up to cover any weak spots :

 

Add about 1/2 cup of the filling in a horizontal line across the bottom of the zucchini.

Carefully roll the whole thing up:

 

Pour about a cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the rolls and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  Top with a little sauce and shredded parmesan and crank the oven up to broil for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is a melted and golden.  Garnish with chopped basil.  Or gin.

Jay and Lynn Quiche

I always keep an emergency quiche in the house.  It's easy, delicious and you never know when you'll have a house full of tipsy, possibly stoned people that raid your kitchen and bitch because all you have is canned beans and mustard.

Now if you're one of those people, feel free to make your own pie dough, but know that you're wasting precious time that could be spent eating quiche and/or pie.  Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market both make excellent frozen pie doughs that contain no preservatives.  Whole Foods even has organic and whole wheat options.

Jay and Lynn Quiche with broccolini and arugula covered in Kick Ass Dijon Dressing

OK, let's do this:

Jay and Lynn Quiche
Makes 8 servings unless you are Jay and Lynn, then it makes 2 giant servings.
Prep time: 8 min, Bake time 40 min



1 frozen pie dough, thawed in the fridge overnight or on the counter away from the dog for about and hour.
2 T olive oil
1/2 large red onion, diced (go ahead and chop the whole thing - you'll probably use it later) 
4 big handfuls of baby spinach
5 large eggs
1/3 cup mayonnaise (trust me on this)
2/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
handful of chives, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a pan over med/high heat; add oil.

Drop one piece of onion in - if it sizzles, add the onion and cook 'til they brown.

Add the spinach and cook til it's dark green and wilty.

Remove from heat and drain by placing the mixture in a colander and pressing with a spatula.

Once the spinach has cooled for just a couple minutes, combine it with all the other filling ingredients and whisk with a fork for a minute.

Pour filling into the pie shell and use the whisking fork to stab the bottom of the pie shell a few times.

Bake at 375ºF for 40 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly in the middle.

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Real life application:

Look what Lisa P. made!

"Made Lanie's stupid easy quiche for din! Sooooooo gooooood"