8-10 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
About half a bunch of cilantro
1-2 limes
1-2 jalapenos
Salt
Chop everything a small as you can. If you prefer a milder salsa, use only one jalapeno, and clean out the seeds. Using both jalapenos with seeds and pods will make a VERY hot salsa in most cases. Add salt to taste.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Lemonade
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
7 cups water
1 cup sugar
Mix lemon juice water and sugar till totally dissolved in 2 qt pitcher. Cut lemon rind halves in fourths and add to the pitcher. Add ice to the top of the pitcher and chill.
7 cups water
1 cup sugar
Mix lemon juice water and sugar till totally dissolved in 2 qt pitcher. Cut lemon rind halves in fourths and add to the pitcher. Add ice to the top of the pitcher and chill.
Banana Banana Bread
Banana Banana Bread
Original recipe yield:1 - 9x5 inch loaf
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hr and 15 minutes, or till toothpick in center comes out clean. I left the other info, just to give you more options.
Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Next time I plan to sprinkle brown sugar over the top before baking.
Original recipe yield:1 - 9x5 inch loaf
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hr and 15 minutes, or till toothpick in center comes out clean. I left the other info, just to give you more options.
Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Next time I plan to sprinkle brown sugar over the top before baking.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
I also added a few chocolate chips just under half a bag I think...
DIRECTIONS
Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
I also added a few chocolate chips just under half a bag I think...
DIRECTIONS
Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
Pumpkin Cookies from Thanksgiving
INGREDIENTS ½ cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups pumpkin puree almost a whole large can
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
About ½ bag chocolate chips
About ½ cup butterscotch chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the margarine, vegetable oil and sugar.
Beat together the egg, vanilla and pumpkin.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; combine with pumpkin mixture and stir in chips
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. (I used my cookie scoop and flattened the top to make them uniform and small) Be careful not to overbake.
Since then, I have started cutting the oil to 3/4 cup and then just dumping the whole large can of pumpkin in. It works great. Also, I sometimes add more butterscotch chips as well.
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups pumpkin puree almost a whole large can
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
About ½ bag chocolate chips
About ½ cup butterscotch chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the margarine, vegetable oil and sugar.
Beat together the egg, vanilla and pumpkin.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; combine with pumpkin mixture and stir in chips
Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. (I used my cookie scoop and flattened the top to make them uniform and small) Be careful not to overbake.
Since then, I have started cutting the oil to 3/4 cup and then just dumping the whole large can of pumpkin in. It works great. Also, I sometimes add more butterscotch chips as well.
Laura's Slow Cooker Taco Soup
INGREDIENTS: 1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 oz) black beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside. Saute onions.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours. My sister, Laura also sometimes adds a can of rotel tomatoes. (they are tomatoes mixed with chilies. This would make the soup a bit hotter) Also, Laura uses the frozen costco super sweet corn instead of canned.
We have also recently made it without meat to save calories and it's still good. At times you are less concerned about calories, it is delicious with a little sour cream and crunched up corn chips added when serving.
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 oz) black beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside. Saute onions.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours. My sister, Laura also sometimes adds a can of rotel tomatoes. (they are tomatoes mixed with chilies. This would make the soup a bit hotter) Also, Laura uses the frozen costco super sweet corn instead of canned.
We have also recently made it without meat to save calories and it's still good. At times you are less concerned about calories, it is delicious with a little sour cream and crunched up corn chips added when serving.
Chewy Caramel Popcorn Balls
I got this from the good old River mountain ward cookbook. I think Corinne Barton submitted the recipe. I have made them countless times. They seem pretty fool proof since I haven't even messed them up once and EVERYONE loves them!
1 square of butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar (or a little more)
1 cup corn syrup
2 qts pop corn (This makes them pretty carmelly which is just the way I like them. If you want them to be less rich, add more popcorn.)
Heat first four ingredients to boiling and boil to soft ball stage, stirring constantly. (It needs to continue bubbling, but turn down the heat slightly if it starts sputtering. NO FUN getting hit with flying carmelly lava!) I have never used a candy thermometer, so I don't know the temperature.(see below for my explanation of how I test it) After it reaches the proper stage I pull it off the heat and let it cool for just a minute before pouring it over the corn. Then I use two fold top baggies to cover my hands like gloves, and form them into balls. (I have tried to use vinyl gloves, but the caramel sticks to them. The baggies work best for me. The caramel doesn't stick so its easier to form balls and they protect you ever so slightly from the heat.) You can let them cool a little if they are too hot. But they are easier to form when at least warm, so don't wait too long.
To measure soft ball stage, I just use the old ice water method. Have a bowl of ice water handy and put a couple of drips of caramel into the ice water. Let it set for a few seconds to get cold and then feel it to tell how solid it is. Basically soft ball stage is just what it says. When cooled it should form into a soft ball. You want it solid enough to hold up, but not hard as rock. I actually make them differently based on the taste of those who I make them for. My husband likes them a little more firm, and some others like them a little softer... On my stove it takes about 12-13 minutes to get them to the right stage when I make a double batch. It's a little longer of course if you make more. The caramel also slowly darkens in color, that's another indication that it might be ready. I usually make double batches, and I think that is ideal, but I have even quadrupled at times. It takes a REALLY long time to get it to soft ball on a quadruple batch. Just a couple more notes: I usually use dark brown sugar for everything, because I love the richer flavor, but I don't notice much difference with these. I also use more than a cup per batch. I often just dump a 1 lb box in a double batch. (That adds approximately an extra 1/3 cup)
1 square of butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar (or a little more)
1 cup corn syrup
2 qts pop corn (This makes them pretty carmelly which is just the way I like them. If you want them to be less rich, add more popcorn.)
Heat first four ingredients to boiling and boil to soft ball stage, stirring constantly. (It needs to continue bubbling, but turn down the heat slightly if it starts sputtering. NO FUN getting hit with flying carmelly lava!) I have never used a candy thermometer, so I don't know the temperature.(see below for my explanation of how I test it) After it reaches the proper stage I pull it off the heat and let it cool for just a minute before pouring it over the corn. Then I use two fold top baggies to cover my hands like gloves, and form them into balls. (I have tried to use vinyl gloves, but the caramel sticks to them. The baggies work best for me. The caramel doesn't stick so its easier to form balls and they protect you ever so slightly from the heat.) You can let them cool a little if they are too hot. But they are easier to form when at least warm, so don't wait too long.
To measure soft ball stage, I just use the old ice water method. Have a bowl of ice water handy and put a couple of drips of caramel into the ice water. Let it set for a few seconds to get cold and then feel it to tell how solid it is. Basically soft ball stage is just what it says. When cooled it should form into a soft ball. You want it solid enough to hold up, but not hard as rock. I actually make them differently based on the taste of those who I make them for. My husband likes them a little more firm, and some others like them a little softer... On my stove it takes about 12-13 minutes to get them to the right stage when I make a double batch. It's a little longer of course if you make more. The caramel also slowly darkens in color, that's another indication that it might be ready. I usually make double batches, and I think that is ideal, but I have even quadrupled at times. It takes a REALLY long time to get it to soft ball on a quadruple batch. Just a couple more notes: I usually use dark brown sugar for everything, because I love the richer flavor, but I don't notice much difference with these. I also use more than a cup per batch. I often just dump a 1 lb box in a double batch. (That adds approximately an extra 1/3 cup)
Ode to Todd Wilbur :)
Anyone who has heard me speak much about cooking knows of my obsession with Top Secret Recipes. Since I have included a couple of his recipes in my blog, I feel like I need to give credit where credit is due. The man who creates them is named Todd Wilbur and his books are called Top Secret Recipes. I own pretty much EVERY recipe he has ever published and I LOVE every one of my books. He is amazing! He basically orders things from restaurants, then takes it home and analyzes and tests it till he finds a way to make a clone. He also has many snack food clones, as well as a ton of recipes that he has made lighter versions of. I frankly think his versions are BETTER than the original. On top of that, they are very entertaining books, he's a funny guy. There is tons of interesting information, helpful tips, fun stories, and even some interesting food history. I would advise all of you to buy his books, I promise you will not be sorry. A lot of them are sold in paper back, but I don't bother with those :). My favorites are hard bound; I think I own every one that is hard bound. I am going to list the titles of the ones I have. A couple I had to buy used, because I assume they are out of print and oddly I haven't seen any of these books listed on his site. But they are worth hunting for because they are much easier to use than the little paper backs. The paper backs close easily, while all of these will lay open when you are making the recipe and they are not made of that yucky cheap newspaper-like novel paper that I hate. (I have an odd newspaper aversion.)
So here is the list with some explanations:
"Top Secret Recipes Super Secret Restaurant Collection"
"Top Secret Recipes More Super Secret Restaurant Recipes"
These two books were put out by QVC, but I got mine for less on Amazon. The First one is possibly my very favorite. It is mostly all restaurant recipes( no fast food recipes). Tons of delicious recipes. The second one is pretty newly released and I just got it, but am excited to try a new batch of recipes. They both claim to have lots of new recipes, not in past books.
"Top Secret Recipes Classics"
"Top Secret Recipes More Classics"
These were sold at Costco, but I think I got both of mine from Amazon. They are divided into five sections: fast food, snacks, restaurants, beverages, and lite. They take recipes from his first 7 or 8 books, as well as add some new bonus recipes not printed elsewhere.
These last three, I don't know their origin, and I can't remember which I got from Amazon and which from ebay.
"The Best of Top Secret Recipes" It is set up like the classics with the five sections and says that it includes Todd's favorite recipes from his first seven books plus new recipes.
"A treasury of Top Secret Recipes" This book is a collection of three of his first books all in one big hardbound book. The three books included are: Top Secret Recipes, More Top Secret Recipes, and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes.
"Top Secret Recipes Treasury II" This is just like the first treasury. Three of his books all combined into one big book. This is one of my favorites because it includes tons of his lighter recipes. The three books included are: Top Secret Recipes Lite, Low Fat Top Secret Recipes and Top Secret Recipes: Soda's Smoothies, Spirits, and Shakes
The reason I gave you the titles is because they are very similar to his other books sometimes, and its easier to find them with the exact title. Make sure they are hard cover books :). If anyone wants a list of the recipes let me know or come on over and look at mine to decide which you would want! I could also list the books in a prioritized list based on which ones I use the most if you want :).
Just so you know, if you buy ALL of these books there will be a lot of recipes that are repeated in different ones since many of the collections come from the same books, but there are also tons of recipes that are only listed in one. I was not sorry I bought all of them, because they each have recipes that no other books have that I have used. (I spent lots of time analyzing them when I first got them to make sure I wanted to keep all of them.) LOVE THESE BOOKS!!
So here is the list with some explanations:
"Top Secret Recipes Super Secret Restaurant Collection"
"Top Secret Recipes More Super Secret Restaurant Recipes"
These two books were put out by QVC, but I got mine for less on Amazon. The First one is possibly my very favorite. It is mostly all restaurant recipes( no fast food recipes). Tons of delicious recipes. The second one is pretty newly released and I just got it, but am excited to try a new batch of recipes. They both claim to have lots of new recipes, not in past books.
"Top Secret Recipes Classics"
"Top Secret Recipes More Classics"
These were sold at Costco, but I think I got both of mine from Amazon. They are divided into five sections: fast food, snacks, restaurants, beverages, and lite. They take recipes from his first 7 or 8 books, as well as add some new bonus recipes not printed elsewhere.
These last three, I don't know their origin, and I can't remember which I got from Amazon and which from ebay.
"The Best of Top Secret Recipes" It is set up like the classics with the five sections and says that it includes Todd's favorite recipes from his first seven books plus new recipes.
"A treasury of Top Secret Recipes" This book is a collection of three of his first books all in one big hardbound book. The three books included are: Top Secret Recipes, More Top Secret Recipes, and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes.
"Top Secret Recipes Treasury II" This is just like the first treasury. Three of his books all combined into one big book. This is one of my favorites because it includes tons of his lighter recipes. The three books included are: Top Secret Recipes Lite, Low Fat Top Secret Recipes and Top Secret Recipes: Soda's Smoothies, Spirits, and Shakes
The reason I gave you the titles is because they are very similar to his other books sometimes, and its easier to find them with the exact title. Make sure they are hard cover books :). If anyone wants a list of the recipes let me know or come on over and look at mine to decide which you would want! I could also list the books in a prioritized list based on which ones I use the most if you want :).
Just so you know, if you buy ALL of these books there will be a lot of recipes that are repeated in different ones since many of the collections come from the same books, but there are also tons of recipes that are only listed in one. I was not sorry I bought all of them, because they each have recipes that no other books have that I have used. (I spent lots of time analyzing them when I first got them to make sure I wanted to keep all of them.) LOVE THESE BOOKS!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Enchilada Soup
Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-2 lbs of chicken breast fillets
½ cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (it’s corn flour)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce (I usually just dump the whole 10 oz can in)
16 oz velveeta
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
Garnish: Shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, pico de gallo
Brown chicken in oil in a large pot and set aside. Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute till onions begin to be translucent. Add chicken broth. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soulp for 30-40 minutes or until thick. (Make sure it's not simmering too hot and stir occasionally as well to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom. The simmering time is very important for the texture of the soup.) I usually just provide chips sour cream and salsa and let people assemble their own soup to their liking. The recipe for the pico is below, but I often just buy the fresh salsa from the produce department instead.
Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ cup diced Spanish onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-2 lbs of chicken breast fillets
½ cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina (it’s corn flour)
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce (I usually just dump the whole 10 oz can in)
16 oz velveeta
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
Garnish: Shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, pico de gallo
Brown chicken in oil in a large pot and set aside. Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute till onions begin to be translucent. Add chicken broth. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soulp for 30-40 minutes or until thick. (Make sure it's not simmering too hot and stir occasionally as well to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom. The simmering time is very important for the texture of the soup.) I usually just provide chips sour cream and salsa and let people assemble their own soup to their liking. The recipe for the pico is below, but I often just buy the fresh salsa from the produce department instead.
Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ cup diced Spanish onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of Salt
Tara's recipe for Lasagna
I came up with this, by combining a recipe I learned in a high school cooking class and one my room mates made. I took my favorite parts and then added a few of my own changes and voila!
I usually make this in a 9x13 pan, but I will admit it overflows half of the time! It works better in a deeper foil pans, or larger dripper/lasagna pan. If you do use a 9x13 and don't want a lava filled oven, put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch drips.
sauce:
1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce (26 oz) (I've used everything from Hunts to Prego)
1-2 lbs hamburger (I usually just use one..or less even, to save money)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tsp of garlic salt (I just shake a little in, I don't measure)
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup of water
Brown beef and onion in large pan, add everything else and simmer for 30 minutes. If you don't want to simmer it that long, just add a little less water. If I don't have paste, I just add another can of tomato sauce and cut out a little of the water. In fact, you can chuck ALL of the ingredients beside the hamburger and onion and just use 2 bottles of premade sauce if you want to. I would add a little extra water (about 1/2 cup) for the noodles to absorb. The reason I add extra water is because I don't cook the noodles before I put them in the lasagna. If you do cook your noodles first, you don't need to add any extra water.
1 full package of Lasagna Noodles (16 noodles)
1-2 lbs grated mozzarella
1 (24 oz) pkg cottage cheese (the larger size)
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (overflowing)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
While the sauce is simmering, Mix cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese and parsley. To layer lasagna, start by spreading sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then lay 4 noodles on it. (I usually have to break up the 4th noodle to make it fit.) On top of the noodles put 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, then I sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on that, then the sauce and again with the noodles, and so on. On the top layer you just put sauce directly over the noodles and then more mozzarella. I use all of the sauce by the end. Make sure the noodles are thoroughly covered with sauce, so that they will cook completely. Put foil over the pan, but dome it so it doesn't touch the cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, then take off the foil and bake for another 20 till the cheese is starting to brown on top. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (this just helps the noodles absorb more liquid, not to mention necessary cooling and setting up of the cheese) and then serve! If you do cook your noodles first, you can also cut baking time to 40 minutes. Just take off the foil 20 minutes earlier or don't use the foil at all.
Variation: We have also made this with spinach, mushrooms, and/ or Zucchini. It is AWESOME with vegetables, but if you add them (particularly zucchini) DO NOT ADD ANY WATER!!!
I usually make this in a 9x13 pan, but I will admit it overflows half of the time! It works better in a deeper foil pans, or larger dripper/lasagna pan. If you do use a 9x13 and don't want a lava filled oven, put a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch drips.
sauce:
1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce (26 oz) (I've used everything from Hunts to Prego)
1-2 lbs hamburger (I usually just use one..or less even, to save money)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/2 tsp of garlic salt (I just shake a little in, I don't measure)
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup of water
Brown beef and onion in large pan, add everything else and simmer for 30 minutes. If you don't want to simmer it that long, just add a little less water. If I don't have paste, I just add another can of tomato sauce and cut out a little of the water. In fact, you can chuck ALL of the ingredients beside the hamburger and onion and just use 2 bottles of premade sauce if you want to. I would add a little extra water (about 1/2 cup) for the noodles to absorb. The reason I add extra water is because I don't cook the noodles before I put them in the lasagna. If you do cook your noodles first, you don't need to add any extra water.
1 full package of Lasagna Noodles (16 noodles)
1-2 lbs grated mozzarella
1 (24 oz) pkg cottage cheese (the larger size)
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (overflowing)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
While the sauce is simmering, Mix cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese and parsley. To layer lasagna, start by spreading sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then lay 4 noodles on it. (I usually have to break up the 4th noodle to make it fit.) On top of the noodles put 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, then I sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on that, then the sauce and again with the noodles, and so on. On the top layer you just put sauce directly over the noodles and then more mozzarella. I use all of the sauce by the end. Make sure the noodles are thoroughly covered with sauce, so that they will cook completely. Put foil over the pan, but dome it so it doesn't touch the cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, then take off the foil and bake for another 20 till the cheese is starting to brown on top. Take it out of the oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (this just helps the noodles absorb more liquid, not to mention necessary cooling and setting up of the cheese) and then serve! If you do cook your noodles first, you can also cut baking time to 40 minutes. Just take off the foil 20 minutes earlier or don't use the foil at all.
Variation: We have also made this with spinach, mushrooms, and/ or Zucchini. It is AWESOME with vegetables, but if you add them (particularly zucchini) DO NOT ADD ANY WATER!!!
Chinese Hamburger Casserole
My mom made this when I was a kid. I made it again today and it was a hit with the whole family!
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup rice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cans mushroom soup
1/4 tsp pepper
chow mein noodles
Brown and rinse hamburger then saute onions in same pan. Add all remaining ingredients except chow mein noodles and mix together. Pour into 9 by 13 pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes then remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes. The original recipe says to top with chow mein noodles at this point and bake an additional 10 minutes. I just pull it out after the hour and serve it over chow mein noodles. This prevents soggy noodles in leftovers...if there ever were any :)
Another thing I do to conserve expensive meat is use less hamburger than called for. ( I buy five pound chubs when on sale, cut them into 8 sections, bag and freeze, then I use the sections like I would a pound...)
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 cup rice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cans mushroom soup
1/4 tsp pepper
chow mein noodles
Brown and rinse hamburger then saute onions in same pan. Add all remaining ingredients except chow mein noodles and mix together. Pour into 9 by 13 pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes then remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes. The original recipe says to top with chow mein noodles at this point and bake an additional 10 minutes. I just pull it out after the hour and serve it over chow mein noodles. This prevents soggy noodles in leftovers...if there ever were any :)
Another thing I do to conserve expensive meat is use less hamburger than called for. ( I buy five pound chubs when on sale, cut them into 8 sections, bag and freeze, then I use the sections like I would a pound...)
Ham Pocket
I had this one when I was a teenager. My grandmother made these for her school kids. I LOVED it.
3 lbs bread dough I either use rhodes or ask my local bakery for french bread dough, but any kind works.
1 lb ham
1 lb cheese any kind
My favorite combinations are white bread with half pepper jack half provolone or mozzarella, and wheat bread with cheddar
Roll out 1/2 of dough and place on the bottom of a cookie sheet. Place ham and cheese (I think it works best to do two layers: ham,cheese, ham, cheese), and then roll out the other half and place on top. Grandma rolls it big enough to go over the edge of the pan and then she rolls her rolling pin over the edge to seal the dough. If you want more of a decorative look you can roll the bottom layer of dough over the top layer and then pinch them together kind of like a pie crust. Cut a few slits across the top of the dough so air can escape and let raise a few minutes while you preheat the oven. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to an hour or till golden brown. (optional: spread a little egg white over the top with a pastry brush before baking and it will turn out shiny and pretty.)
3 lbs bread dough I either use rhodes or ask my local bakery for french bread dough, but any kind works.
1 lb ham
1 lb cheese any kind
My favorite combinations are white bread with half pepper jack half provolone or mozzarella, and wheat bread with cheddar
Roll out 1/2 of dough and place on the bottom of a cookie sheet. Place ham and cheese (I think it works best to do two layers: ham,cheese, ham, cheese), and then roll out the other half and place on top. Grandma rolls it big enough to go over the edge of the pan and then she rolls her rolling pin over the edge to seal the dough. If you want more of a decorative look you can roll the bottom layer of dough over the top layer and then pinch them together kind of like a pie crust. Cut a few slits across the top of the dough so air can escape and let raise a few minutes while you preheat the oven. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to an hour or till golden brown. (optional: spread a little egg white over the top with a pastry brush before baking and it will turn out shiny and pretty.)
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