SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Delicious, filling, and restaurant quality Manicotti.  No need to boil pasta making it easier to stuff Manicotti shells, use a knife to stuff halfway from one side, turn and finish stuffing from the other side.  Can be made ahead and kept over night in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup minced onion

1 egg

2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley, or 1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese / divide into 1 1/2 cup and 2/3 cup

3/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese / divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup

2 (26 ounce) jars marinara sauce or 6 cups homemade marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1 (8 ounce) package Manicotti shells, uncooked

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrrees

In a large bowl combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder/  Mix in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.  

Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

Note:  If refrigerated over night remove from the refrigerator and let sit on counter for 30 minutes before baking. 

         Tomato Lemon Pepper London Broil     

Very easy, very tasty, very tender!  A great meal with hardly any effort.  Bake or slow cook, both are good.  I like to serve with green beans and one of these sides; either rice, orzo pasta, or red potatoes (Potatoes can be added for the last hour if baking, two if slow cooking.)

Serves 4 - 6.  

Ingredients:

1 (2-pound) top round London Broil

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Lemon Pepper to taste

Garlic salt to taste

Onion powder to taste

1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

or for Italian flavor substitute

      1 (14 ounce) can diced stewed tomatoes

      1 (14 ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes

optional oriental flavor - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, or set slow cooker to high

Pour Tomato sauce in bottom of pan, or slow cooker

Mix Lemon pepper, Garlic salt and Onion powder

Rub half the spices on one side, then half on the other side.

Place roast in pan or slow cooker.  Pour stewed/diced tomatoes over the top.

Make sure liquid completely covers meat, this combined with cooking slowly
on low heat is the secret to its tenderness.

Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until fork tender.  Slow cook on high for two hours, turn to low and cook another 4 to 5 hours, until fork tender  Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before carving and serving.