Besides sharing recipes, I love to hear about and share cooking shortcuts. For instance, when I make lasagna, stuffed pasta shells or manicotti, I’ve learned that it isn’t necessary to cook the pasta first. As long as there’s enough liquid in the sauce, the pasta will cook until done when baking the dish in the oven.

Another idea for stuffing pasta or pastries, is to use a large storage bag. Just load the bag with filling and cut a small opening in the corner. Squeeze the filling through the small opening and throw the baggie away when finished.

I used both of those techniques to make manicotti last week. I also added frozen peas to the recipe, making it a one-dish meal.

Stuffed Cheese and Peas Manicotti
1-pint container ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
2 eggs
1 c. peas, fresh or frozen, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. family-sized manicotti pasta
2 c. red pasta sauce or 16-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Mix together the ricotta cheese, 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, peas, salt and pepper. Place mixture into a plastic baggy. Turn the baggy into a pastry bag by cutting off one corner. Then use it to squeeze the mixture into the uncooked manicotti shells.

Smear a little pasta sauce into the bottom of a 13×9″ baking dish. Then layer in the filled shells. Mix any remaining filling with the rest of the pasta sauce and pour over the shells. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Then cover with a foil tent to keep it from getting too brown, and bake for 10 more minutes. The cooking time for the recipe is longer than usual because uncooked shells are used.

If you decide to cook the shells, only 40 minutes of baking is required. But cooked manicotti shells are much harder to fill and messy. The extra cooking time is worth it.
Here’s another great summer-time recipe using peas.

Pesto, Pea and Pine Nut Pasta Salad
1-1/2 lb. short cut pasta, like bowtie or rigatoni
1/4 c. olive oil
1-1/2 c. prepared pesto
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 c Parmesan
1-1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 small bag fresh baby spinach, torn
1/2 c. pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta, drain, toss with olive oil and let cool. Combine pesto, lemon juice, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. When the pasta is cooled to room temperature, stir in the pesto-mayo mixture. Toss in the peas and spinach. Taste and adjust seasonings. Top with pine nuts. Serve at room temperature.

Please send me your cooking shortcuts.

I’m spending a lot of time outdoors, trying to keep up with the vines, gardens, mowing and weeds. It is nice to have help with dinner, and my slow cooker comes in handy.

Stuffed Round Steak with Wine Sauce
1/2 c. onion, small diced
1/2 c. Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. water
1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1-1/2 lb. round steak, tenderized
1/4 c. dry red wine
1/2 c. beef broth
Salt and pepper

Sauté onion, olives and mushrooms until tender. In a small bowl, combine vegetables, cheese, bread crumbs, water and herbs.

The last time we had a steer processed for meat, the processor tenderized a few of the steaks. So I chose one of those that was about 10×16 inches and 1/4-inch thick. Lay the steak flat on a cutting board and lightly season with salt and pepper. The cheese and olives are salty, so don’t over season. Spread the stuffing over the steak. Roll up the meat starting from the short end, like a jellyroll.

Use string to secure the roll, creating a small roast-like bundle. Place in a slow cooker and pour wine and broth over the meat. Cook on low for 7 hours. When done, remove the meat and let rest.

I decided to make a gravy to go with the meat roll and noodles. Pour residual juices in the slow cooker into a sauce pan. Cook at medium heat.

Stir in about 2 Tbsp. flour and cook until a roux forms. Then add about 2 cups of beef broth. Stir until a gravy forms. I also added 1/4 c. fat-free half-and-half to give the sauce a creamy texture.

Remove the string from the meat roll and slice 1-inch-thick portions. Serve with egg noodles and gravy.

If your garden is producing squash, double the stuffing recipe and use half to make stuffed squash.

Stuffed Squash
4-6 summer squash, cut in half length-wise
Stuffing mixture
1/2 stick butter
Salt and pepper

Scoop the meat out of the squash, making small canoe-like shapes. Chop the squash meat and add to the stuffing mixture. Mound the mixture into the squash canoes and place slices of butter on top. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top.

I have 48 hens, mostly Ameraucana, Black Sex-linked, Buff Orpingtons and one lone Barred Rock. The Black Sex-linked hens are the newest addition to the flock. I’m learning more about them, and I doubt I will raise that breed again. Those birds are noisy, bossy and aggressive. They are always raising a raucous, talking back and picking on others – pecking on others, that is. I get angry when I see one of them grab a beak-full of feathers from another hen.

While working in the vineyard last Friday, I saw two Black Sex-linked hens attacking green grapes on the vines. They’d knock them to the ground, peck at them a few times, and not even finish those before they’re attacking the next cluster. That was the last straw. Unfortunately, the bad behavior of a few will directly impact the entire flock. Until harvest (about 2.5 months), the girls will be in their fenced yard. I’ll be selling cage-free eggs instead of pasture-raised.

The last two years, I’ve fenced my blueberries to keep the chickens away. It’s a good thing. I love getting lots of berries. Saturday, I picked 8 pounds and there’s still more ripening. I’ll freeze a few gallon bags, but we will eat plenty now. Besides desserts, I use them in salads, smoothies and they are great with fat-free Greek yogurt for breakfast.

Blueberry Lemon Bars
Crust and topping:
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lemon, zested, divided
2 c. flour

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. Greek yogurt
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1/2 c. flour
3 c. fresh blueberries

Make the crust and topping by stirring the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 1/2 of the lemon zest together. Add the flour and continue to stir until well combined. Reserve a heaping 1/2 c. in the fridge to use later as a topping.

Press the remaining crumbles into the bottom of a 9×9 foil-lined baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 18 minutes.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add one egg at a time. Then add sugar, yogurt, remaining lemon zest, lemon juice and salt.

Continue to mix on a slower speed until well combined. Add flour and mix until that is combined. Gently foiled in the blueberries with a spatula.

Pour the filling into the baking pan and spread evenly over the crust. Remove the crumble topping that was reserved in the fridge. Break it up with your fingers or a fork and sprinkle it over the filling. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fairly clean.

Cool at room temperature. When completely cool, refrigerate for an hour. When ready to cut, lift the dessert out of the pan using the foil lining. Cut into squares and serve.

Lemons brighten up these catfish patties.

Spicy Catfish Patties
3 Tbsp. oil
2 lb. catfish filets, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 c. red pepper, finely diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chives, finely chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 c. flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/2 c. oil

Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Saute the catfish, onion, peppers and garlic, with a pinch of salt and pepper, for about 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked. In a bowl, combine the cooked fish and vegetables with mayonnaise, chives, cilantro, mustard, bread crumbs, eggs and lemon zest.

Gently press ingredients together, making 10-12 patties. Wipe the cast-iron skillet clean and heat oil until it shimmers. Dip each catfish patty into the flour until coated. Then fry on each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Be careful not to crowd the skillet, so it is best to cook in small batches of 4-5 patties.

Serve hot with homemade tartar sauce.

Last weekend, I ran tests on a batch of Black Spanish wine from last year’s harvest. The color is rich, it smells nice with just a hint of cinnamon and I declared the taste to be excellent. I’m looking forward to getting that bottled. It’s good when nine months of tending produces success.

So that afternoon, in a really good mood, I decided to play in the kitchen. I wanted to try a rustic Italian dish, and I settled on chicken piccata. Piccata is a preparation in which meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. The sauce is usually made with a wine reduction and finished with lemon juice.

Chicken Piccata with Capers and Artichokes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
flour for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 artichokes cleaned and sliced thinly
1 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced
2-3 Tbsp. capers

Slice each chicken breast along its width (as though to butterfly, but cut all the way through) and then pound between sheets of plastic wrap until 1/4 inch thick. Heat olive oil in a frying pan while dredging the chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Working in batches, saute two pieces at a time at medium heat until golden brown. Reserve on a paper towel-lined plate while preparing the sauce.

Using the same frying pan, melt butter and cook garlic, onion and artichokes until lightly browned. (A drained jar of marinated artichokes or thawed frozen may be substituted.) Add wine and chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. The residual flour from cooking the chicken will help the sauce thicken.

Add lemon juice and capers. Place chicken pieces back into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is warm. Serve over angel hair pasta and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

That dinner was excellent. With the leftovers, I made a rustic pizza the next day. First, start with a simple pizza dough.

Pizza Dough
1-1/2 c. hot water
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. yeast
4-1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Combine hot water, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. I use my mixer with a dough-hook attachment. When the yeast blooms, add half the flour and begin the mixer. Once that flour is incorporated, add the rest of the flour, salt and olive oil. Continue mixing with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. I have also kneaded by hand, and that takes about 10 minutes.

Once the dough is smooth, remove the hook and cover the bowl with a towel. Let rise for about 30 minutes. I made 6 pizzas from the recipe. Divide the dough and roll out on a floured surface.

Using a cast-iron skillet with about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat, I fried each pizza round until golden brown on each side. Then I smeared about 1/2 c. ricotta on two of the pizza crusts. I sliced the leftover chicken from the piccata and distributed it over the crusts, followed by the sauce. I topped with strips of provalone cheese.

Heat the pizzas in a 400-degree oven until the toppings are warm and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. I placed the 4 remaining crusts in a plastic bag and refrigerated for another dinner.

Last Sunday, I worked on a meat lasagna recipe. There are lots of good recipes for lasagna out there, but it’s important to me to make it my own.

At my winery, I usually serve appetizers. In addition, I want to create a special order menu for events by appointment. I have a birthday party appointment later this week and I am excited to debut the latest menu item.

Della Terra Farm’s Meat Lasagna
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage
1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, diced (about 3/4 of a cup)
2 ribs celery, diced (about 3/4 of a cup)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
1/4 c. fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
28-oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
12-oz. can tomato paste
2 c. Della Terra Farm’s Sweet Ruby Red wine
12 oz. ricotta cheese
12 oz. goat cheese
2 pasture-raised eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
12-15 lasagna noodles
1/2 c. prepared basil pesto

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage. Add onions, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Then add 1/4 c. parsley and the rest of the herbs, canned tomatoes and paste. I prefer to buy whole tomatoes and crush them by hand myself. A higher quality tomato is canned whole, while lesser ones are canned crushed. Add wine, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

Cook noodles in water. I always add salt and a drizzle of olive oil to the water. When the noodles are tender, but not quite done, drain them and cover with cold water. The cold water stops the cooking process, keeps them from sticking and makes them easier to handle. Just give each noodle a little shake before using it.

Combine ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, pepper, remaining parsley, grated Parmesan and half the mozzarella in a large bowl.

Prepare a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Then layer 1/3 of the noodles on the bottom, half the meat sauce and dollops of half the cheese mixture. Repeat. End by layering the last of the noodles, spreading the pesto and finishing the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly brown and the sides are bubbly.

That lasagna took time to prepare, but with the first bite, I knew I had a masterpiece.

A Tibetan proverb states “The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure. I’m pretty sure I walk double. I usually have funny thoughts, so I tend to laugh a lot. I couldn’t say anything about love, I’ve never measured that. So then I guess I love without measure. It’s the eating half that I struggle with the most.

If food didn’t taste good, I suppose I wouldn’t have trouble eating only half. Yesterday at the Leader office we all brought a salad. I tried to only eat a half portion…of each. It ended up being a lot.

Deb’s Light Chicken Salad
5-6 Chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, pepper and dried thyme
1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1/2 c. fat-free yogurt
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery seeds
1-1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
5 green onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 c. dried cherries chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
1/2 c. pecans chopped

Sear the chicken breasts on each side in a hot oven-safe skillet. Cover and finish cooking in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, salt, pepper, celery seeds and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add onions, celery, cherries and parsley.

Once the chicken cools, chop it into 1/4-to-1/2-inch cubes. Add to the bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors will meld. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top before serving.

Lea’s Sour Cream Potato Salad
5-8 medium red potatoes, boiled, peeled, chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1-1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. salt

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, mustard, seasoned salt and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine potatoes, celery, onion and eggs in a large bowl. Fold in sauce. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to let the flavors meld.

Hill Family Pimento Cheese Salad
1-1/2 lb. American cheese, grated
2 small jars chopped pimentos with juice
10 fl.-oz. jar sweet pickle relish
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (more or less until the right consistency is achieved)

Combine all ingredients. Like other salads, the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets.

Nancy’s Tuna Salad
12-oz. can solid white albacore tuna (preferably wild)
1/2 c. onions, chopped
3/4 c. grapes, quartered
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 c. Miracle Whip, or to taste
1/2 c. chopped pickles or prepared sweet or dill relish

Mix together and serve in sandwiches or on a bed of lettuce.

Now that my vineyard is pruned, I’m enjoying the growth spurt produced by each spur on the lateral cordon. I often think about the old wives’ tale that states “A thunderstorm in February means a frost on the same date in April.” That had me concerned because on February 19 of this year, marked for reference on my calendar, Rains County had a very strong storm with lots of thunder. I certainly don’t want to upset any “old wives,” but I am relieved to see that today, April 19, there will not be a killing frost. I’m hopeful this will be a good year for grapes.

I continued planting seedlings in my garden. I have now added pepper, tomatillo, eggplant and melon plants. I’m waiting to sow the finer seeds like carrots and radishes because I fear the rains this week will simply wash them away.

Before the vineyard, I had always planted my garden by mid-April. It seems that now I am always running behind.

I made a tasty fish dinner on Friday with fresh green beans and potatoes. The flavorful green-bean side was the best part.

Buttery Cracker-crusted Fish Filets
1 lb. fish filets
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. crushed crackers
1 pinch each salt and pepper

Combine lemon juice and melted butter. Stir together cracker crumbs (I used townhouse crackers and oyster crackers), salt and pepper. Coat each filet in the lemony-butter mixture and dredge in seasoned cracker crumbs.

Place on a lightly-greased baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or until done.

Green beans and Caramelized Onions
2 bunches of green beans
1-1/2 large onions, julienned
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic, minced
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. almonds, toasted

Cook the onions in olive oil on low heat, seasoning with salt and pepper. After about 20 minutes they will turn a lovely caramel-brown color. Add cleaned green beans and garlic.

Cook for about 5 minutes and then add chicken broth, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Cover with a lid and turn the heat as low as it will go. Let the beans cook for about 15-20 minutes more. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Microwave Potato Slices
Slice 4-5 small red potatoes, 1/2 inch thick
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. parsley, minced

Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Cook covered on high in the microwave for 4 minutes. Remove, stir and place pieces of butter on top. Cover and microwave for 4-5 minutes more or until done. Garnish with parsley.