BRONZE BUDGET BRIDE

1. Place tabbouleh in a large heatproof bowl; add 1 cup boiling water, cover, and let stand 30 minutes. Add lamb, next 5 ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well with hands, and shape into golf ball-size meatballs. Lightly spritz meatballs with cooking spray.

2. Coat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with cooking spray, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and heat 2 minutes over high heat. Brown meatballs in 3 batches over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per batch, shaking pot so meatballs brown evenly. Add remaining olive oil as needed. Drain browned meatballs on paper towels.

3. Deglaze pot with 1 cup water, cooking 2 minutes over medium heat and stirring to loosen browned particles. Add tomato sauce, bay leaves, and remaining pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, and return meatballs to pot; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, and serve meatballs and sauce warm, or freeze.

Note: If freezing, cool meatballs in sauce 30 minutes, transfer to a shallow 4-quart freezer-to-oven casserole dish, and cover with aluminum foil; label and date the container. To reheat thawed meatballs, bake, still wrapped in foil, at 350° for 45 minutes or until warm.

• YIELD: Makes 10 servings
• COURSE: Appetizers, Hors d'Oeuvres

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Remove silver skin from pork tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat covering the pork. Sprinkle seasoning over pork. Wrap pork with bacon slices, and secure with wooden picks. Place pork on a lightly greased wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan.

2. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Increase oven temperature to broil. Broil 5 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven; cover pork with foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.

• YIELD: Makes 4 servings
• COOK TIME:25 Minutes
• PREP TIME:10 Minutes
• OTHER:15 Minutes
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.

Cut pasta shells lengthwise through the other side. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each shell, gently pressing cut sides together. Place, cut sides down, in 2 lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dishes. Pour Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce evenly over shells.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.

YIELD: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.

Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).

Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Preheat oven to 375º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover frozen casserole with reserved foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shells are thoroughly heated.

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a 2- to 3-qt. pot over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and flavors are combined, about 30 minutes. Set aside.

2. While sauce is cooking, in a 12- by 15-in. baking pan, sprinkle squash with thyme, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic cloves and toss squash mixture to coat with oil. Bake until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 3 qts. salted water to a boil in a large pot.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor and purée until smooth.

4. Tear kale leaves from center ribs and discard ribs. Boil leaves until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain; let cool. Squeeze out as much water as possible and chop finely.

5. In the same pot, bring another 3 qts. salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water.

6. In a bowl, mix ricotta, nutmeg, 1 cup mozzarella, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.

7. Coat the bottom of a 9- by 13-in. pan with 1/3 of tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups). Lay 3 noodles in a single layer over sauce. Top noodles with squash, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 of kale evenly over squash. Arrange 3 more noodles on kale and top with ricotta, spreading evenly. Top with remaining kale and noodles. Cover noodles with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

8. Bake lasagna until juices are bubbling and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.