Romantic Dinner for Two: Beef Wellington

Dear Armida:

Help! I'm dating an incredible girl right now and everything is going great. She loves to cook and has invited me to her place for dinner a few times already and now I want to reciprocate...but I am not a good cook nor do I know what to cook in order to impress her. Do you have any suggestions? She's a total foodie and I so want to cook something she'll love.

Cookless in Seattle

Dear Cookless in Seattle,

Believe me, I know your dilemma. When I first started dating my [now] husband, he struggled at first when he tried to cook for me. I though it was such a wonderful gesture and I'm sure your girlfriend will think the same thing about you, even if your food is not perfect. However I found (and tested!) the following meal. It's incredibly romantic and it looks difficult, but it's quite easy. Just follow the steps.

First, you need INGREDIENTS

• Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 package of ready-sliced white mushrooms
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tablespoons Sherry or Marsala or Zinfandel Port wine
• 2 Filet Mignons, no more than 1" thick
• 1 package of Puff Pastry Sheets, take out one sheet and thaw it in the refrigerator
• Garlic powder
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• 4 oz of mousse pâtè (optional)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water
• A good bottle of red wine

First, start the following process one and a half hour before she arrives.

In a large 10" non-stick skillet, heat up one teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high. Add the chopped shallot and cook for 1 minute. Then add the sliced mushrooms and the thyme and saute for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and quickly remove pan from heat source, add the sherry to the pan then put it back on the heat. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Once your mushrooms are done, remove from heat and let them completely cool.

While your mushrooms are cooling, take out your two filet mignons. Coat each filet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and rub it in gently. Season each filet with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Wrap each file in plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Once your filet mignons are done marinating, crank up the oven to 450°. Now it's time to sear the filet mignon.

Get a large non-stick skillet and turn on the heat to medium-high. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Once pan begins to smoke, add one filet. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Do not move the meat while it cooks. If pan is too hot, reduce the heat a little. Once both sides are seared, set filet mignon aside and repeat with the other filet. When done, cool both filets. Now, place a large piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board and place your pastry dough on it. Slice the dough in half, lengthwise.

On one rectangle mound about 2 tablespoons of the mushrooms. If you are using the mousse pâtè, top the mushrooms with a small slice of pâtè then top that with the beef filet mignon (see picture above). Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and wrap the dough up and over the meat, sealing it with the egg wash and tucking in the ends as you would a wrapped present. Repeat with the other beef filet.

Arrange the two Wellingtons on a baking sheet and brush the top of the completed Wellingtons with more egg wash. Bake at 450° degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove meat from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Plate the Beef Wellingtons individually with a side of green beans or pasta or your favorite side dish. A good red wine will go well with this dish such as a 2004 Da Vinci Chianti or a 2002 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

This dish will surely impress anyone!!! Give it a try.

Recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine

Enchiladas Suizas

I have such fond memories of enchiladas suizas. My mom used to take us to the now defunct Bol Corona, which was a great restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. They had the best enchiladas suizas. My mom makes pretty good enchiladas, too and I learned this recipe from her. Use up any leftover chicken or turkey for these babies. Also, if you don't want to cook your own chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. These pictures are from my turkey enchiladas I made for my in-laws in Minnesota last week. Delish!

INGREDIENTS (yields about 20 enchiladas)

• 4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
• 1 (28 oz) Las Palmas Green Chile Sauce - Mild
• 24 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• Corn or Vegetable oil for frying
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 small head of lettuce OR cabbage, finely shredded
• 4 sliced tomatoes
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced into wedges
• 1 container of Cacique Crema Mexicana OR regular sour cream

First, turn on your oven to 350 degrees. Get out two 9"x13" rectangular baking dishes or casseroles.

In a large 10" skillet pan add about 1/2" of oil and heat to medium-high. Now get a 2 or 3 quart sauce pan and set to medium heat and pour in the Las Palmas green chile sauce. Set aside 1/4 cup of the sauce.

Add the 1/4 cup reserved sauce to your shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Set aside.

You will do the following process until all your chicken or turkey is gone:

1. Add one tortilla at a time to the hot oil.

2. Fry the tortilla for 50 seconds on one side, turn over with a tong, and fry for another 30 seconds on the other side. You want enough oil so that the tortilla floats. Add more oil, if necessary.

3. Adjust heat if the oil is too hot or not hot enough. You don't want to fry the tortilla stiff. You still want it to be pliable enough to roll. If your tortilla breaks, just fry up another one. Set one tortilla aside for the sauce below. 4. Once your tortilla is done frying, move it into the sauce pot with the warm green chile sauce.

5. Quickly coat both sides of the tortilla with the green chile sauce then place it into your baking dish.

6. Add about 2 tablespoons (don't overfill it) of the shredded chicken into the tortilla and roll and place flap side down in the baking dish. You will fill two baking dishes with this recipe.

7. Once all your enchiladas are done, top them with the shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and bake them uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese has melted. You will have about 3/4 cup of green chile sauce left.

8. While your enchiladas are baking, pour the remaining green chile sauce in a blender and add one torn tortilla. Let the tortilla soak in there for about 5 minutes to get soggy, then blend on high until it's smooth. Pour the sauce back into the sauce pan and simmer on low.

9. To serve: Place three or four (if you're really hungry) enchiladas on a plate. Top first with a tablespoon of the blended chile sauce, followed by the shredded lettuce or cabbage. Then place two or three sliced tomatoes and two wedges of avocados. Finish it off by drizzling Mexican crema. If you don't have crema, just blend 1 cup of sour cream with 1 tablespoon of milk and season with salt and pepper.

10. Ah, the colors of the Mexican Flag! Brilliant!!!

Snobby Wine, Capital Sushi!

I am addicted to wine tastings. I don't know why, but my husband and I spend way too much money on wine and wine paraphenelia. Last night was no exception. The Brasserie and Wine Sellar was hosting a Honig wine tasting for $10 bucks, which consisted of two whites, three reds and one late harvest. Honig Winery is Napa Valley's premier producer of exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, but their cabs were our favorites.

Matthew and I both gave their 2001 Honig Cabernet Stagecoach Vineyard ($65) two snaps, a wink and a divaspank!

Honorable mentions also go to their 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($33) and their 2004 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc ($50). These are expensive wines, so buy them for a special occasion. Matthew didn't like the Brasserie too much because he felt the people were stuck up and snobby. I didn't really notice it, but then again I was just focusing on the wine.

To make my hubby feel better, I took him out to our favorite sushi restaurant, Ono Sushi. This ain't your regular sushi joint. It's hip, it's happening, and it's loud. The restaurant has a huge menu and they have tons of specialties, but we like the sushi platter for two ($37), their miso soup ($2.50),and they make killer lemon drop martinis ($8).

Platter for two with tuna, salmon, yellow tail, red snapper, surf clam, scallops, octopus and unagi sushi and California and Tuna Rolls.

All their food is freshly prepared and we like to sit at the sushi bar and watch one of the many talented chefs create their masterpieces. The decor of the place is eclectic, for lack of a better word. Anyone from an AARP member to a drag queen will feel comfortable here. If you're squirmish about trying sushi, I recommend this place. All their fish is fresh outta the water and they have incredible specialties like the Volcano Roll ($12) or the Ono Sushi Roll ($13) which are bound to convert any sushi hater into a sushi lover.

Ono Sushi is pricey, of course. But it's well worth it. If you're on a business trip, bring your clients here. It's a great restaurant with a good ambiance and on Wednesdays they have $1 and $2 dollar sake specials!!!

All photos taken with my Samsung mobile phone.

Eating out at the Mall of America

When I visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota this past week, I was in awe and in shock. They have an entire theme park, Camp Snoopy--the nation's largest indoor family theme park--in the middle of the mall! The Mall of America is the nation's largest mall. It is a 4.2 million square foot complex and is home to more than 520 shops; it also has a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; a 14-screen movie theater and more. So, as you can see, this mall is every girls (and guys) dream.

After our day of shopping we ate a late lunch at Tucci Benucch, a country Italian restaurant. The blurb of the restaurant says that "the setting is an Italian country home with distinct dining areas... [The restaurant] serves as an oasis amidst the busy activity of the shopping mall [and] features thin-crust pizzas, pastas, gnocchi, chicken and fresh fish created by our chefs to add to your dining experience." It sounds pretty fancy, but it isn't. We didn't try their thin-crust pizzas, which is their specialty.

I had the Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad with oven-dried tomatoes, pinenuts and mustard vinaigrette ($13.95) and a glass of prosseco--you know me, I always have to have my bubbly.

My husband had the Stuffed Mushrooms with fresh spinach, garlic breadcrumbs, and lemon butter ($7).

My salad was good but I don't think it was worth the 13 bucks. The oven-dried tomatoes were too salty for me and the salad could certainly use more ingredients like roasted chicken or olives. There was something missing in this so-so salad. On the other hand, the stuffed mushrooms were quite delicious and filling. My husband got 3 very large mushrooms stuffed with a garlicky-breadcrumb mixed with spinach. The mushrooms were swimming in the lemon-butter sauce which tasted great with the fresh bread they serve you. I highly recommend this as an appetizer or just for a light meal.

The service was prompt and the bus boy would not stop filling our water glass! Tucci Benucch is a good place to go for lunch or a light meal, it just seemed to me like a fancier Olive Garden and a lot pricier, too.

My So-Called Lunch

Dear Lunch,

I have a love-hate relationship with you. Sometimes you are so good and appetizing but most of the time you let me down. Like today, for example. What were you thinking? I picked you up at Ralph's because you looked so good there on the deli section. Your curvy noodles seemed to be floating in the clear container; the cilantro-scallion-julienned carrot combination enticed me, but it was the peanut dressing that did it for me. I just couldn't pass you up. And at $3.99 I thought you were a good deal.

All night long I looked forward to eating you the next day. I couldn't wait to get to work and devour you at exactly noon. Then the next day came but I was extremely busy at work that noon came and went. Then 1PM came, and I was still busy...then 2pm rolled around. It wasn't until 3pm in the afternoon that I was finally going to enjoy you.

My salivary glands were, well, salivating. I took you out of our mini-refrigerator and I opened the clear container you came in. I got my super-cold diet 7UP and I was ready to consume you. I opened you up and you smelled so good. My mouth couldn't wait to slurp up one of your dreamy noodles. I placed the peanut dressing all over you and covered every single strand with the creamy goodness and then, I tasted you.

Ay! Caramba...woe is me.

I thought I was eating cardboard noodles with peanut butter. I could barely taste the scallions or carrots. The only flavor I could identify was the cilantro. I tried so hard to find something good in you, but there was nothing. Nothing.

Why does this always happen to me. I'm an equal opportunity lunch eater, yet most of my lunches end up being disappointments???

I guess, for now, I'll have to stick to the usual salads they sell at our cafeteria. But mark my words, people, I will find the perfect lunch one of these days!

Minnesota Wild Rice Sausages

Minnesota is famous for three things: Paul Bunyon and his blue Ox, the Mall of America, and wild rice--don't ya know. Wild rice isn't a rice at all, but a cereal grain, for which reason the French explorers called it Folles Avoines (wild oats). Its technical name is Zizania Aquatica because it is a grain found growing in lakes. The Ojibwe and Chippewa Indians have been harvesting it from canoes for centuries.

We purchased Lunds/Byerly's Wild Rice Sausages on our recent trip to Minnesota and we grilled them here in San Diego last night. These sausages are SO GOOD! The wild rice gives them a fuller and nuttier texture and a totally different taste. One sausage contains your meat group and your grain group! As always, we like to eat our sausages with saurkraut, pickled cauliflowers and carrots and a good grain mustard.

If you can't find wild rice pork sausages at your local store, you can order them online from Louies Fine Meats located in Cumberland, Wisconsin.

Here's a dressed sausage with grainy mustard, pickled peppers and cauliflowers and lots of saurkraut!!!

Kay's Dill Seed Bread

My husband and I are finally back in San Diego after spending a week in Northfield, Minnesota. We had a great time although it did take me time to get used to the cold weather. I learned many new recipes from my in-laws and I can't wait to try them on my family here. As I mentioned before, my father-in-law is a great breadmaker, but my mother-in-law, Kay, is also an incredible breadmaker. The night before we left she made her famous Dill Seed Bread. If you can't find dill seeds at your grocery store, try a natural food store or you can order it online. Note, these are actual seeds, not dill weed.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg. Or 2-1/2 t. Dry yeast
• ¼ c. Warm water
• 2 T. Sugar
• 1 c. Cream-style cottage cheese, room temperature
• 1 T. Minced onion
• 1 T. Melted or softened butter
• 1 Egg
• 1 t. Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 t. Dill seed (not weed)
• 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 c. (or slightly more) flour

1. In a small glass bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and add the sugar to proof.
2. In a separate large bowl combine the cottage cheese, minced onion, butter, egg, salt, baking soda and dill seed; add the proofed yeast to the mixture.
3. Now start adding the flour one cup at a time; you should add enough flour to allow the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead approximately 10 minutes until all of the cottage cheese curds are no longer visible. If you are mixing by hand rather than by Kitchenaide style mixer, you may want to blend or process the cheese prior to kneading by hand.
5. Let dough rest in a warm, draft free area and allow the dough to double in size, about an hour. Once the dough doubles in size, punch the dough to expel the gasses.
6. Shape dough into a loaf and place on a sprayed cookie sheet and allow to double in size again.
7. Brush the loaf with a mixture of egg and milk.
8. Bake at 350 F. until dark golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.
9. Brush the loaf with softened butter upon removal from oven. You can also sprinkle with kosher salt and/or dill seed.
10. YUMMY!

Cracked Wheat Bread with Cranberries and Walnuts

My father-in-law, Jim Blaha, is a master breadmaker. He makes all sorts of breads but his forte is cracked wheat bread. While I was visiting the Blaha's during Thanksgiving he made this bread but it had cranberries and walnuts in it. The bread was hearty and really good. All you need for breakfast is a warm slice of this bread with butter. The following recipe is not exactly the one he makes but it's pretty close. Jim bakes his breads in the cob oven my brother-in-law, Michael, built for him. If you don't have a cob oven (which 99.99999% of Americans don't) a regular oven will do.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup cracked wheat
• 1-1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 pkg dry yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 chopped walnuts
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook cracked wheat in the 1-1/2 cup boiling water for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
2. In a small glass bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup of warm water and let proof.
3. In another bowl, stir together shortening, salt, molasses, honey, cranberries, walnuts and the rest of the water and add to cracked wheat.
4. Stir in the flours a little at a time. When the dough is stiff, turn out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes, use extra flour if necessary.
5. Shape into a ball, place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise until it's doubled.
6. Punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Let rise again until they double.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on racks.

The Perfect Sangria

So, what do you do with all the leftover red wine you have after a party? Okay, okay, some of you may not have leftover wine after a party, but what if you buy a bottle of wine and it's really bad, what do you do then? Well, my friend, have I got the recipe for you. Sangria.

Sangria is a blood-red color beverage, usually served chilled. Its name literally means "blood" in Spanish. This fruity concoction is made with red wine, fruit juices, soda water, fruit and brandy or cognac.

We had a lot of leftover wine and fruits after Thanksgiving and we used up all these ingredients by making sangria. The recipe is easy, however you do have to wait at least 18 to 24 hours before you can drink it. The key to this recipe is letting the sangria chill overnight for the flavors to develop.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Rioja)
• 1 Cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup brandy or cognac
• 1 short cinnamon stick
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Apple, diced
• 1 Orange cut into thin slices, set 4 slices aside
• 1 Lemon, halved
• Ginger ale or club soda, optional

PREPARATION:

In a 2 qt. sauce pan, heat up the orange juice on medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, sugar, four of the thinly sliced oranges and the brandy or cognac. Simmer for a few minutes until sugar dissolves.

In a large pitcher, pour the wine in and add the diced apple, the remaining orange slices and squeeze the juice of one lemon. Add the brandy-orange mixture to the wine and stir to combine. Chill overnight. I chilled mine outside in the snow! When ready to serve, add ice into your glasses, pour sangria and add some of the fruit. Top it off with ginger ale or club soda if you prefer.

Please drink responsively. As you can see in the background my brother-in-law, Michael, who had a bit too much sangria to drink!

Norwegian Pancake: Lefse

Minnesota is a state of many cultures but the predominant influence here is the Scandinavian culture, yah! Since I've been staying in Northfield, Minnesota these past few days, I found that there is a Norwegian community here. There is even a private college in town, St. Olaf College, named for Olaf II, the patron saint of Norway. Saint Olaf's School was founded by Norwegian immigrants in 1874 and a great dish these immigrants brought with them is lefse. It's a potato-based pancake that is very yummy. I had the opportunity to learn how to make this pancake while I was here.

Lefse was introduced to Norway a little over 250 years ago and, like Ireland, Norway suffered from the effects of the potato famine in the mid-1800's, which is about the time that many Norwegians came to the United States. They brought their knowledge, griddles, mashers and rolling pins. The result is a delicacy that's part of a special tradition that's been replicated in every Norwegian-American town for more than 150 years.

LEFSE FROM DOT

• 5 large potatoes
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup flour to each cup of potatoes

Boil potatoes, mash very fine (with a ricer, if you have one). Add evaporated milk, salt, sugar and butter. Beat until light. Let stand until cool.

Add flour, one cup at a time. Remember, it's 1/2 cup of flour to every one cup of mashed potatoes. So try to measure how much mashed potatoes you have.

Place a linen cloth over your cutting board and sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour. The linen cloth prevents the lefse from sticking. Get our rolling pin out and sprinkle it with flour, too. Roll small pieces of dough (about 2" diameter), place it over the cloth and roll with your rolling pin. Sprinkle flour so that dough doesn't stick. Roll out as thinly as possible. Use a lefse stick (see below), if you have one, to move the thin pancake to the hot griddle. If you don't have a lefse stick, use your fingers or a thin spatula. Bake the pancake on a medium heat griddle until light brown, turning frequently to prevent from scorching. Place lefse between clean towels to keep from becoming dry. To eat the lefse while still warm, spread butter over it then sprinkle it with brown sugar. Roll the lefse like a taco and enjoy anytime! I like to eat it in the morning for breakfast. Thanks to Dot for this recipe.

A Sweet & Spicy Cheese Spread

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas coming up, it's always good to know a few quick recipes to bring to holiday parties or to make for your own party. Since I've been in Minnesota, I've learned several new recipes and I've picked up a few good tips. One super quick recipe I recently learned is this sweet and spicy cheese spread. All you need is a pound of cream cheese, a jar of a jalapeño jelly and crackers. I'm sure you have this jelly in your pantry right now. I know most of us do, but we don't really know what to do with it. Well, this is the perfect recipe for that jam. You will absolutely love this cheese spread.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Jar of a Jalapeño jelly such as Zippy Jalapeño, Smokehouse Jalapeño Pepper Jelly or Key Lime Jalapeño Marmalade.
• 1 box of your favorite crackers

Directions:

Place your cream cheese in your serving platter. Spread about a cup of the jalapeño jam or jelly on top of the cheese. Place your crackers around the spread and watch it sell like pancakes!

Frozen Cranberry and Orange Relish

What I love about cooking are all the various recipes there are out there for me to try! I've been in chilly Minnesota these past few days and I've already learned so much about the regional cooking here. One recipe that I tried and really enjoyed was this cranberry relish made from frozen cranberries. Yes, you read correctly: frozen cranberries. What I love about this recipe is that it only contains three ingredients and there is NO COOKING! My father-in-law, Jim Blaha, showed me how to make the relish in a food grinder but if you don't have one available, a food processor will work just as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (12-ounce) package Ocean Spray® Cranberries, rinsed and drained then frozen
• 1 unpeeled orange, cut into eighths and seeded
• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar

Directions: Place half of the frozen cranberries and half the orange slices in food grinder or food processor. Process until mixture is evenly chopped.

Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining cranberries and orange slices. Stir in sugar. Store in refrigerator overnight. Makes about 3 cups.

Quick Party Platter

A good tip I learned from watching the Food Network all the time is to "always keep cheese, fruits and vegetables around the house for easy snacks or for unexpected company." I like to keep a wheel of brie and pastry dough (frozen) in case I need to make emergency baked brie. Other cheeses that are good have in store are fresh mozzarella balls, feta and smoked Gouda. Apples always go great with cheese, specially brie and Gouda. And sliced or quartered tomatoes pair up magnificently with either feta or mozzarella.

***

I had to put together a quick platter the other day for unexpected guests. So what I did, I sliced a tomato and seasoned it with kosher salt and pepper and sprinkled a little bit of dried basil on it. I then cut bite size pieces of feta and alternated it with the tomatoes. I also sliced a Granny Smith apple and alternated it with slices of smoked gouda. Fortunately, I also had some left over cooked lamb shanks and I sliced it thinly and placed it on the platter. Drizzle the lamb shanks with a little olive oil and serve at room temperature with crackers. So you see, it does pay to watch the Food Network; I learn so many things from it all the time!!!

Chicken and Spinach Manicotti

There is nothing like homemade manicotti with béchamel sauce. It may be time consuming because you have a lot to prepare, but the outcome is awesome manicottis that your entire family will love. The best part is that it's not as fattening as other manicottis and it's quite healthy!!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 bag of ready to eat Spinach (poke bag and microwave for 3 minutes and let it cool)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. basil
• 1 pound non-fat cottage cheese
• 2 cups grated mozzarella, divided
• 1 cup grated parmesan, divided
• 1 package of Manicotti (about 12 to 14 shells)

BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 4 TBSP. Butter
• 4 TBSP. Flour
• 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 Cup Warm Milk
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of nutmeg

1. In a very large pot, start boiling water for the pasta. Season with a palm full of salt.
2. In a large 10" non-stick pan heat 1 tsp. olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic next and sauté for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the ground chicken to the pan and cook until it's no longer pink. Meanwhile, remove the spinach from the microwave and squeeze out excess water. Give the spinach a rough chop.
4. To the chicken add the remaining spices: oregano, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Then add the spinach and cook to combine for another 5 minutes. Place the mixture in a glass bowl and let it cool down (about 15 minutes).

   

5. Once the water for the pasta starts boiling, add your manicottis and cook according to package instructions. Make sure you don't overcook them. Strain and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pasta so that it doesn't stick. Let it cool until they are easy to handle.

6. To your chicken and spinach mixture, add 1 pound cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Mix to combine. You can add the mixture into a piping bag and fill the manicottis, or just use your fingers (like I did) and fill them up. Set aside.

   

7. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

8. To make the béchamel sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat in a large sauce pan. Add the 4 tablespoons of flour and keep stirring with a wire whisk. Cook for about 3 minutes, but don't let the flour brown. Turn heat down to medium. While still whisking, slowly pour in the warm milk about 1/2 cup at a time. Keep whisking after each addition. Once your sauce gets to desired consistency (that of an Alfredo sauce) add the sliced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Also add a dash of nutmeg and keep on whisking until the mixture comes to a boil. The total time for the béchamel sauce should be between 10 and 15 minutes. Use sauce immediately.

9. To Assemble: In a 9.5 x 10.5 glass baking dish, place 1/2 of the béchamel sauce at bottom of dish. Then place your filled manicottis over it. Top the manicotti with remaining béchamel sauce then 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then place manicotti under the broiler for 5 more minutes to caramelize the top.
   

10. Remove from broiler and let it cool for about 5 minutes. It will be bubbling hot. Serve with a side of tomatoes and a slice of garlic bread. Believe me, your family will love it!