Florentine Spaghetti Bake & Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

Florentine Spaghetti Bake

Ingredients

·         1 cup uncooked spaghetti
·         1 pound bulk Italian sausage
·         1 large onion, chopped
·         4 garlic cloves, minced
·         1 jar (3 cups) pasta sauce
·         1/2 cup mushroom stems and pieces, drained
·         1 large egg, lightly beaten
·         2 cups cottage cheese
·         2 cups chopped spinach
·         1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
·         1/2 tsp seasoned salt
·         1/4 tsp pepper
·         2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage and onion, crumbling meat, until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in pasta sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes.
2.      Drain pasta. Combine the egg with the next 5 ingredients. Spread 1 cup sausage mixture in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with spaghetti and remaining sausage mixture. Layer with egg mixture and mozzarella cheese.
3.      Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned and heated through, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

*In flyer Nov 27-Dec 3, 2022
Recipe and photo credit: Taste of Home

Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

Ingredients 

·         3/4 cup all-purpose flour
·         1/4 tsp baking soda
·         1/2 tsp baking powder
·         1/2 tsp salt
·         3/4 cup brown sugar
·         1 cup dried fruit chopped
·         2 cups quartered moist dates or any other favorite dried fruits
·         3 cups (12 ounces) walnut halves
·         3 large eggs
·         1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1.      Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray the loaf pans (either one 9-by-5-inch 8-cup loaf pan or two 8-by-4-inch 4-cup loaf pans) with vegetable oil spray or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
2.      In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and the nuts, and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
3.      In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pans.
4.      Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10 to 15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cool completely in the pans on a rack.
5.      When completely cool, remove the cake from the pans.
6.      To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.

*In flyer Nov 27-Dec 3, 2022
Recipe and photo credit: Leite’s Culinaria