Take It Easy for Dinner

When spring fever hits and you want to be outside, why rattle those pots and pans for hours in the kitchen? This recipe has tons of flavor, uses one pot, AND gives you an excuse to consume some serious amounts of Parmesan. Add a salad (or not), and voila!

Amazingly Quick Tortellini Stew

(Serves 6)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (for convenience, use chopped garlic in the jar)
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh zucchini
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 5.5 cups vegetable broth (adjust according to how thick you like your stew)
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini (dried tortellini works fine, too)
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
• Shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
2. Add garlic and zucchini, and saute 1 minute (do not brown it).
3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, broth, and seasonings, and bring to a boil.
4. Gently add pasta, and return to a low boil. Cook 6 minutes or just until pasta is tender.
5. Remove from heat, and immediately add spinach. Stir until spinach wilts.
6. Top with cheese, and serve.

Breakfast at the Inn Is a Sweet Experience

The Mentone Inn’s Cynthia Stinson has greeted many a sunrise surrounded by hungry guests. They quickly find that her breakfasts are made with love, as though each day were a special occasion. One dish in particular is like a warm hug with a hint of cinnamon and a blanket of sweet, buttery topping. It’s next-level on the comfort scale, and you assemble it the night before and bake it just before serving.

When she sent me a photo of this beloved recipe, she apologized for the stains on the paper. I knew then that it was a good one.

“It’s the most requested dish I make… I’ve been using it for 40 years,” Cynthia says. It’s also included in the inn’s cookbook, which she published back in 2009. She has only two copies left, but she is working on volume 2.

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Baked French Toast Casserole

(Serves 12-14)

Casserole:

• 1 loaf French bread
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt

Praline topping:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Maple Syrup

1. Slice French bread into 20 (1-inch) slices, and arrange in a buttered 9 x 13 dish, overlapping slices.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly.
3. Pour mixture over the bread slices, covering evenly. Cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the topping, melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in corn syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg; spread evenly over bread, and sprinkle with nuts.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden.
6. Serve with maple syrup.

Share and Share Alike… Sometimes

Mentone resident and extraordinary cook Mary Shurett shares a funny family story, along with a cherished dish you’ll adopt in your own family.

“As children, we enjoyed covered dish meals at my grandparents’ home with all of my mother’s siblings, their spouses and children. Everyone brought delicious food, including my Aunt Evelyn, who was famous for her banana pudding! It was the BEST!

Several years ago, I showed my cousin Peggy (Evelyn’s only child) a copy of her mother’s banana pudding recipe. Peggy looked carefully at the recipe, placed her finger on one ingredient and said,‘Mother NEVER put that in her banana pudding! She always omitted an ingredient or included something so that no one else baked one as delicious as hers!’ Oh, how I wish my mother were alive to learn this interesting tidbit!

Fast-forward to Christmas brunches, Thanksgiving and Easter lunches celebrated at my parents’ home. Richard Stout, the late husband of my niece, Karen, always brought his Carrot Soufflé and it was requested every year by all. The recipe, unlike Evelyn’s, was generously shared with me and now Karen happily shares it with you. Enjoy!”

Stout Family Carrot Soufflé

(Serves 12)

• 3 cans sliced carrots, drained
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (more if you love cinnamon)

1. 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add carrots, butter, and remaining ingredients, and process until smooth, stopping only to scrape the sides.
3. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart souffle or baking dish.
4. Bake for 1 hour or until set and lightly browned. Serve immediately.