Creamy Penne Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
12 ounces penne pasta
1 medium zucchini
Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of dried dill or Italian herbs, to taste
Chopped fresh chives for topping

Ingredients for the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons brown rice flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup gluten-free yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon mild rice vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom of a large gratin dish or casserole and set aside
2.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and partially cook the pasta.
3.  Meanwhile wash, trim, and slice the zucchini into half-moons.
4.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Add the zucchini and minced garlic, season with sea salt, ground pepper, and a dash or two of dried dill or Italian herbs. Stir to coat, and quickly stir-fry, just until the zucchini is tender-crisp. Don't overcook it. It will continue to cook in the oven.
5.  Start making the creamy pasta sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the butter. When the butter melts, add in the brown rice flour and stir with a whisk to make a paste. Heat it through, stirring and cooking the paste for a minute.
6.  Slowly add in the milk and whisk the milk with the paste to combine. Add in the yeast, garlic powder, sea salt, nutmeg, rice vinegar and mustard.
7.  Stir the sauce until it thickens and turn down the heat. If it gets too thick you can thin it with a dash of milk.
8.  When the pasta is done, drain it well, and drizzle it with a touch of olive oil. Pour the cooked penne into a large gratin dish or casserole. Add in the zucchini. Pour the sauce in and gently, very gently, combine the penne, zucchini, and sauce until the penne is coated. Sprinkle the top with fresh snipped chives.
9.  Cover the dish with foil. Bake the pasta in the center of a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until heated through and bubbling.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
· Butter, for greasing pan
· 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
· ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
· ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
· 4 eggs
· 1 ½ cups white sugar
· 1 Tablespoon flour
· 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
· ½ cup fresh lemon juice
· 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
· 1 cup sugar
· 2 eggs, beaten
· Confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling
· Strawberries, for garnish


Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk together 1 1/2 cup flour and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish to form a crust.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.
4. Whisk together 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Pour lemon mixture into the prepared crust. Skim off any bubbles from the surface of the filling. 
5. Mix the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a bowl until well blended. Whisk in 2 eggs, and then spread over the lemon mixture. The mixtures will separate during baking.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.
7. While still warm, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
8. Once cooled, cut into squares. Top each square with a fresh strawberry.

Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
Potatoes Cut in to cubes or wedges
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes into cubes or wedges. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 to 6 minutes depending on size.
3. While potatoes are cooking put enough oil to just cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet or other heavy pan and heat in oven.
4. Drain the potatoes and place them back in the pot. Put the pot back on the burner and shake to dry the potatoes and to rough up their surface. This is what gives roasted potatoes that perfect crust.
5. Add the potatoes to the hot oil, toss to coat and roast turning once or twice.
6. When potatoes are almost tender sprinkle with fresh garlic and Parmesan, salt and pepper and continue roasting until potatoes are tender. Turn at least one more time for even browning.
7. Just before serving, toss with fresh chopped parsley.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Ingredients:
¾ cup oil
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 small can whole kernel corn, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ cup diced green onions
1 large tomato, diced
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
Tortilla chips

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and vinegar for the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the peas, corn, peppers, onions, tomato and parsley. Pour dressing on top of pea salad and mix well. Serve alone or with tortilla chips as a dip.

Chicken Gumbo Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
4 medium ribs celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 bag (16-ounce) frozen sliced okra
1 can (14 ½ ounce) diced tomatoes
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
3. Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook chicken in bacon fat in 2 batches, 5 or 6 minutes per batch or until beginning to brown. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl.
4. Using the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for about 7 minutes or until a deep golden brown color, stirring constantly. Gradually add in chicken broth, stirring with whisk to prevent lumps. Heat to boiling and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove skillet from heat.
5. In a large Dutch oven, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat until hot. Add celery, onion and pepper; cook about 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in Cajun seasoning, cooking about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth mixture, okra, tomatoes and remaining salt, heat to boiling on high. Stir in chicken chunks and bacon; reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, stirring occasionally.
6. Divide gumbo between 2 ungreased 9 ½-inch deep-dish pie plates. Top each with 1 sheet puff pastry, tucking pastry corners under to form a round top. Cut six 1-inch slits in pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
7. Bake one pot pie for 35 minutes or until pastry to golden brown and puffed. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.  Meanwhile, prepare second pot pie for freezing.

To Freeze: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes and then bake as directed.