Lasagna (No Boil)

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 onion, grated
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped (optional)
3 clove minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
8 oz cup water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top)
2 cups ricotta cheese (full fat version, please)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 8 oz package wide lasagna noodles, uncooked

Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet.  Season with salt and pepper. When almost completely cooked, add mushrooms.  Cook until meat is fully cooked and mushrooms are tender.  Add garlic and cook for a minute more.  Add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and water.  Stir until combined.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and gently simmer 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a 13x9-inch glass baking dish, layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles (I use three length-wise and break one more to fit cross-wise), 1/2 of ricotta mixture, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Beefy Tortellini Soup

This delicious soup makes a TON! Feed the masses, or make it one night during the week, and then heat up the left-overs for an easy Sabbath Day dinner--talk about a satisfying day of rest!

In a large stock pot, cook 15 minutes on medium low:

1 lb hamburger, 85/15 (any leaner and you'll have to add fat to cook the veg)

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 small carrots, 1/4 inch rounds

salt and pepper

Add and cook 1 minute:

3 cloves minced garlic

Add, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes:

3 14.5 oz cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes, blended*

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 boxes beef stock in a box (about 8 cups)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon sugar

Add and simmer 3 minutes:

20 oz Buitoni cheese tortellini

Add and simmer 3 minutes:

1 can cannellini beans 

10 oz bag spinach (chopped, if you want, or you could use 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed)

Serve with:

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Big ol' slice of bread

*The easiest and cleanest way I've found to do this is to dump the tomatoes into a quart jar (one can at a time) and use a stick blender until smooth.

Lasagna Florentine

1/4 cup minced dried onion (or grated fresh)
1 clove minced garlic (I probably use about 3 cloves)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (not just drained, squeeze all the water out--yes, with your hands)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top)
2 cups ricotta cheese (full fat version, please)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used a 24 oz jar and everything seemed fine)
3/4 cup water

1 8 oz package wide lasagna noodles, uncooked

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine onion, garlic, spinach, nutmeg, parmesan, and ricotta. In another bowl (a 1 quart measuring cup with a pour spout works great here), combine spaghetti sauce and water. In a 13x9-inch glass baking dish, layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles (I use three length-wise and break one more to fit cross-wise), 1/2 of ricotta mixture (fingers are the best tool here), and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

from The Pioneer Woman Website

Ingredients

* 12 ounces, weight Pasta, Cooked Al Dente (my box of Farfalle was 16 ounces, so I upped all the amounts)
* Reserved Pasta Water, If Needed (a mug-full)
* 3 ounces, weight Chopped Pancetta (6 slices thick cut bacon)
* 3 whole Leeks, Sliced Thin (1 very large Vidalia onion, small chop)
* 1 Tablespoon Butter
* ½ cups Dry White Wine (3/4 cups chicken stock)
* ½ cups Heavy Cream (3/4 cup)
* Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
* Parmesan Cheese, Shaved (instead I finely grated at least 1/2 cup, maybe 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus some large grated for anyone to sprinkle on top)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Saute chopped pancetta (bacon) until fat is rendered and it starts to brown. Add sliced leeks (onions) and cook for 8 minutes. When you add the leeks, you can also throw in a pat or two of butter if you want to. This’ll give the dish some scrumptious flavor. I add it after the bacon is browned because I don’t want the butter to brown. After 8 to 10 minutes, pour in wine (chicken stock), then cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced. Reduce heat to low (remove from the heat), then pour in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan shavings (grated Parmesan). Toss in pasta, adding a little pasta water to thin as needed. Serve with Parmesan shavings over the top—delicious (really!)!

Random note: Often I hear cooks say that certain pastas are better for certain sauces--that the way they are shaped helps carry the sauce better. I've never noticed any difference--until this dish. I found that the little pinch in the middle of the farfalle (bowtie) carried a little extra sauce that made this dish a little more enjoyable than if there was an even coating of sauce on the pasta. Three "a little"s in that there sentence. Is that some literary device I should remember? Anyway, I warned you this was a random note.

Update: Okay, I tried this recipe again using reasonably priced, non-organic leeks, costing $2.50 for four from Harmon's. While I liked the flavor, I have to say I did not like the squeeky-cheese experience that happened every time I bit into the leeks! Really. You know the sound cheese curd makes (if it's the good stuff). Well that was the sound we made eating the leeks! Now I love the flavor of leeks. I know this because of the out-of-this-world-fabulous Potato Leek Soup that we make (hope to put that recipe up this fall). But in that recipe, the last thing you do is blend everything so it's a smooth, velvety bit of loveliness. No chance of a squeak there. So my recommendation is, ditch the leeks and use a large Vidalia onion in this recipe.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Here's the original recipe--you'll notice it's easily halved for a smaller version and very food storage friendly.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2 cups macaroni
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cans tuna, drained
1-2 cups frozen peas (optional)
grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Mix in soup, milk, tuna, and peas. Pour into a large casserole dish (9x13). Grate cheese and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

There you have it! Easy peasy and very kid friendly. This was Jeff's favorite dinner. But after cooking it for twenty years I got a bee under my bonnet and decided I wanted to avoid some of the ingredients in commercially canned soups. So I tried to create a roux version. I looked here for guidance. I think it taste's better than the original, but it takes a whole lot longer to make, and there are more dishes to clean. But if I keep practicing I'll eventually be able to have the roux done by the time the noodles are cooked, and maybe I'll be able say this one's easy peasy too!

Tuna Noodle Casserole with a Roux

5 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups macaroni
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (to make it more kid friendly, grate the onion) 1 stalk celery, finely chopped (to make it more kid friendly, you could leave it out)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped crimini mushrooms (I like crimini better than button)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas
cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onion and celery until translucent. Increase heat to medium-high and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture and cooked macaroni. Pour the entire mixture into a 9x13 pan (I've always used glass pans and never had a problem with the casserole sticking. If you do, try buttering it first.). Sprinkle generously with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Believe it or not, I don't have this written down anywhere so it's coming straight out of my head. I think I got it from Laura Worley in Tracy, CA.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 1/2 bags frozen broccoli (enough to cover a 9x13 inch pan - if using fresh broccoli, blanch it first)
cooked chicken (again, enough to cover a 9x13 inch pan)
grated cheese (holy cow, enough to cover a freakin' 9x13 inch pan--what do you want from me? :D Just kiddin'!)

Layer these three ingredients in your 9x13 inch pan.











(I must say, that is one beautiful picture of goodness!)








2 cans cream of chicken soup
mayo (a little less than the amount of soup)
juice of half a lemon (I am a fresh lemon juice nazi. Bottled juice is nasty, but I do keep this on hand if I don't have any fresh lemons. It's a pretty good substitute.)

Combine these three ingredients and spread over the other three.








Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until heated through and golden. Serve over rice. (That means don't forget to start making the rice right after you put in the casserole!)

And take a picture of the finished product, because I forgot!

Salmon Salad

If you see this salad at my house it usually means warm weather has finally arrived! While everyone in the family loves it (okay, except Sarah, but she'll grow out of that!), I wonder if they'll ever tackle making it on their own. Why? Because everyone grosses out when they see me getting the salmon ready to put in the salad. Come on people, don't fear the salmon! It's worth it. :)

Oh, and if you're taking this somewhere for something like a pot luck dinner, garnishing with a sprig of parsley and three cherry tomatoes makes for a lovely presentation.


Salmon Salad

1 1/2 cups seashell pasta
1 large can salmon
1 cup chopped celery (I chop these really small--a fine dice.)
1 small, carrot, shredded (Use a grater.)
1/2 cup sliced olives
1 Tablespoon parsley (I usually use dried parsley.)

Dressing Ingredients
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (Use a fresh lemon! Bottled stuff is icky!)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (See, you've got to use a fresh lemon anyway or you'll have no zest!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise (In the picture you'll notice the blender--that's my homemade mayo.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
(I also rinse out the big pot I cooked the pasta in with cold water to cool it enough so I can put the cold pasta back in it to mix the salad. Makes for one less dish to wash. The serving dish I put it into is too small to stir everything in.)

(And here they should say DRAIN THE SALMON!)
Remove skin and bones from salmon.
(This is not necessary, as the can of salmon will tell you that everything is edible--full of calcium and such--but the skin and bones [and I even get rid of the really dark colored meat] just isn't very pretty. Sometimes my desire for the added calcium trumps my desire for prettiness, so I make sure I really crush the bones--just using my fingers--they crush easily. To remove the skin and bones, I dump the salmon into the same colander I used to drain the pasta [but I've put the pasta back in the big pan, remember?], then gently break apart the salmon--the bones will easily come right out, and if you gently rub your thumb along the skin and dark meat, it will come off easily too. It's a little messy, but since everyone in my family is happy happy when I make this salad, it's worth it.)

Toss pasta, salmon, celery, carrot, olives, and parsley. Combine dressing ingredients. Toss with pasta mixture. Refrigerate for at last one hour.
(This is to let the flavors blend. Letting it sit overnight is even better--which makes this a great Sabbath Day meal, because all the work is done on Saturday!)

Pasta Basics

Once upon a time, I was a novice cook (in many ways, I still am). I signed up to bring a cold pasta salad to a church event. The salad turned out fine, but I complained to my friend about how long it took for the pasta to cool before I could finish the salad. She furrowed her brow. She blinked, and blinked again. "Didn't you rinse it in cold water?" I furrowed my brow. I blinked, and blinked again. :) No, I stirred and stirred. When that didn't work I spread it out on a cookie sheet, turned it over and over. I put the cookie sheet in the fridge--all in an attempt to cool off the pasta so I could hurry and finish the salad. :)

So here are a few pointers when it comes to cooking pasta.

I'll take instructions from Martha Stewart, and give you my opinion on the matter.

Getting Started

For each pound of pasta, you need at least four quarts of water. (Really. If you don't use enough water, the pasta gets gummy.) Use a six-quart (or larger) pot so you have plenty of room for both and don't have to worry about the water boiling over. Add at least two tablespoons of coarse salt after the water comes to a boil. (No need to measure here, I usually just fill my palm.)

Preventing Sticking
Enough water and frequent stirring are the keys to keeping pasta from sticking. You do not need to add oil to the water (this actually prevents sauces from clinging to the pasta). (I agree.) After adding the pasta, keep the heat on high so the water returns to a boil as quickly as possible. (And stir, stir, stir! Especially straight pasta like spaghetti and vermicelli [we prefer vermicelli at our house--it's a little thinner than spaghetti]. I can't tell you how many of my first attempts at spaghetti resulted in sheathes of pasta instead of individual strands. Make sure nothing is sticking on the bottom too.) Always cook uncovered.

When It's Done
Pasta should be al dente (firm to the bite). If undercooked, it will have a chalky core and floury taste; if overcooked, it will be limp and soggy. Start tasting the pasta two or three minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time; pasta will continue to cook a bit after it's drained. (Whenever a recipe calls for pasta, use the instructions on the box. The author may be assuming you're using the brand found in her store which is actually only sold in Maine and cooks a little slower/faster than the box you're using. Also, if the pasta is going to be used in a dish that continues to cook [like a casserole], you'll need to undercook it a little. A good recipe will anticipate that, but if your final dish seems squishy, just cook the pasta less next time.)

Draining
Before draining the pasta, reserve one or two cups of the cooking water; the water contains starch from the pasta that will add body to sauces. (Bow Broccoli does that.)After pouring the pasta into a colander, shake it a few times but don't rinse it (unless you are making pasta salad). (There was no internet when I needed that information! :D)

Finishing Touch
Immediately toss the pasta with the sauce of your choice, adding some reserved pasta water as needed to enhance the consistency of your dish. (Now that there is for real cooks that tweak recipes with their mad intuition skills. Since we usually have kids at the table, and kids can be picky, and sometimes only want sauce on the side, if they want it at all, we usually toss the pasta in olive oil and have a big dish of freshly grated Parmesan cheese for them to sprinkle on their naked pasta.)