Comfort me....

Every once in a while you just need a little comfort food.  Bad day, bad week, bad whatever, there are just those days when you crave a little comfort.  And sometimes it comes in the form of food.

I've been cooking for my friend Randy for years.  She's the perfect client because she loves everything I fix.  Today she asked me if I would cook for a friend of hers who lost her husband and days later was told she had breast cancer.  Puts your own silly problems into perspective when you get a call like that.  Felt like someone needed comfort food more than I did.

One of Randy's favorite meals that I make is my Green & White Manicotti.  With fresh oregano and basil growing like mad in my garden, I thought this would be a lovely offering.  It would be made with love, for sure, but adding fresh ingredients grown with care and tenderness could only make it better.  It may be a silly idea to most people, but I believe that your emotions, your "energy," goes into your food when you prepare it, which is whay I never cook for someone when I'm angry or upset. So today I would cook with love and compassion.

As you know, I try to take familiar dishes and make them a little healthier.  So the key to lightening up my manicotti is cottage cheese.  Traditional manicotti is heavy on the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  I reduce the quantities and replace ricotta with cottage cheese.  And I don't add eggs.  No one can tell the difference; it's still little bundles of creamy goodness.

I mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, basil, oregano, chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stuff manicotti shells until they're bursting.  I use fresh chopped tomatoes this time of year to create my own marinara sauce (you can use your favorite bottled sauce if it's easier) and line the bottom of a baking pan with it's chunky goodness.  Then lay the stuffed shells on top of the sauce and cover with more sauce, making sure all shells are fully covered (about 4 cups total should do it).  Then I pour a cup of water around the sides and top with a little sprinkling of mozz or parm.  Bake, covered, for about an hour and your mouth will be watering when you open the oven door.   The smells coming out of that oven will be amazing!  Let it rest for about 10 minutes to absorb some of the liquid and then dig in!  Oh, and try to stop yourself from going back for seconds.

Bad day, bad week, bad whatever.... someone else's journey is harder than yours.  We all just need a little comfort.  If you have the chance to cook for someone who really needs it, do it with love.


Green & White Manicotti
Serves 4-6

3 bunches spinach, stems removed
16 oz cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package manicotti shells (usually 14 shells)
5 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons each dried basil and oregano
1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt & peppper to taste

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Wash spinach (don't dry it) and steam in a large, covered pot until fully wilted. Drain and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out all liquid and finely chop.
• In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and chopped spinach.  Stuff shells with filling.
• In a separate bowl mix chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs, maple syrup, pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
• Cover bottom of baking pan with tomato mixture.
• Add stuffed shells and cover with remaining sauce, being sure to fully cover tops of all shells.
• Add a cup of water around all sides of the pan.
• Top manicotti with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake, covered, for 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. (This allows the liquid to be absorbed, don't get greedy!)

Enjoy and be well....