Three Cheese Lasagne

Sauce:

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic

Put the above five ingredients in a skillet. Brown, constantly stirring. Drain mixture. Return to skillet.

• 4 eight ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup water

Add the above three ingredients to the skillet mixture. Cook 5 minutes.

Filling:

• 1 lb. carton of low-fat cottage cheese (Rinse and drain in colander. Transfer to food processor and cream.)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Fold the Parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning into the cottage cheese.

Other ingredients:

• 12 dry wide lasagne noodles (for 3 layers)
• 12 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (3 one-third cups)

In 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, layer in the following order:

• ¼ of the sauce.
• Layer and repeat procedure once:
• 1 layer of the noodles (break to piece as necessary)
• Spread ½ of the cheese filling mixture over the dry noodles.
• ¼ of the sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Add water around edges to the level of the layer. It will be absorbed by the noodles.

Now add:

Final layer of noodles, piecing extra bits of noodle into center. Cover with remainder of sauce. Top with the remainder of the shredded mozzarella. Top with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Add enough water around the edges to make level with the layer. (I add as much water as I can get in the dish without making it boil over into the oven.) Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Coddle

I know that I missed this for St. Patrick’s Day. I know the tradition is usually corned beef and cabbage, but I was hungry for coddle, another dish of Irish origins. If I remember correctly, I was too busy going to the WNIT to make it then, even though it is cooked in a crockpot. I was first introduced to it when my friend David, Cathy’s husband and Lori’s son, was kind enough to make it for our knitting group of friends. David’s Coddle was great, but I tweaked it a little bit to my own family’s likings. This traditional supper of sausages, bacon, and onions and potatoes is at least 2 centuries old and is more a city dish than a rural one. Its urban history surprises me. Coddle was a favorite of Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels. It would be great served with soda bread. And thanks, David, for expanding my repertoire. :-)

1 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled

1 13 ounce Eckrich or similar brand beef sausage, sliced and browned

2 onions, cut into ½ pieces and browned in the bacon fat

Remove these three ingredients from the fat and place in a crockpot.

8 potatoes, cut in wedges

½ pound baby carrots

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I used the kind that you keep in the refrigerator.)

1/3 teaspoon pepper

2 cubes beef bouillon

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 cups water

¼ cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons, fresh parsley, chopped

Add these remaining ingredients and cook in the crockpot 10 hours on low.

Serve in bowls.

Waldorf Red Velvet Cake

I’ve been cooking for over 40 years, but this is the first time that I ever made a cake from scratch.

Before starting cake, mix 1 c. cold milk a little at a time 5 T. all-purpose flour, stirring constantly. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Refrigerate to cool for half an hour.

3/4 c. shortening

2-1/4 c. sugar

1 .3 oz. small individual bottle of red food coloring from the 4 color pack

3 eggs

3 T. cocoa

1-1/2 t. salt

1-1/2 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

3-1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 T. white vinegar

1-1/2 t. baking soda

Baker’s Joy

1. Cut shortening into sugar in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth.

2. Sift the rest of the dry ingredients together into a separate mixing bowl. Stir to mix dry ingredients.

3. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the shortening and sugar mixture a little at a time, stirring well between batches.

4. Stir the cooled cooked mixture into the dry ingredients.

5. Mix all other wet ingredients except the eggs together, then add to the mixture. Stir for 200 strokes.

6. Blend the eggs in the blender for one minute. Add the eggs to the mixture. Stir another 200 strokes.

7. Spray 2-9 inch silicone round cake pans with Baker’s Secret.

8. Pour half of the mixture into each pan.

9. Bake on the middle rack of a 350 degree preheated oven for 33 minutes.

10. Test with a knife to see if it comes out clean. If it does, remove cakes from the oven. If not, continue baking, but check every 2 minutes, using the clean knife test.

11. Once cakes are removed from the oven, cool exactly ten minutes.

12. Invert each cake onto rack to continue cooling.

13. When totally cooled, ice cake.

Icing for Waldorf Red Velvet Cake:

1 c. butter

3 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

14. Mix well while cake is cooling.

15. When completely cooled, on cake plate, place an approximately 12x12 inch piece of wax paper that has been cut into fourths, then reassembled.

16. Place one of the cakes on it. Ice the bottom layer.

17. Add the second layer and ice. Ice sides.

18. When icing has been completed, pull the waxed paper to reveal a cake on a clean surrounding area.

Cut, serve and enjoy.

Nancy's Banana and Strawberry Pie

This dessert is about as quick and easy as you can get.

1 graham cracker crust pie shell

1 small banana instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

1 banana, peeled and sliced

5 strawberries, washed, stemmed, and sliced lengthwise in half

1. Prepare pudding according to package directions, mixing it with 2 cups cold milk for two minutes.

2. Place banana slices in the bottom of the graham cracker crust pie shell.

3. Pour pudding mixture over the banana slices.

4. Place the strawberries halves, around the outer edge of the pie.

5. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

6. Slice chilled pie and serve.

Jim Beam Cake

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1 (18.25 oz.) package of yellow cake mix

1 (3.75 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

½ cup cold water

½ cup canola oil

½ cup Jim Beam (or rum)

1. Blend the 4 eggs in the blender for several minutes to make them fluffier while mixing the other ingredients.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the other ingredients for two minutes.

3. Mix in the eggs.

4. Place the nuts if using them in a greased and floured bundt pan.

5. Pour mixture into the bundt pan.

6. Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour.

7. Cool 10 minutes in the pan.

8. Invert on a plate.

9. Poke holes in surface of cake with a toothpick.

9. Add glaze (see recipe below).

Glaze:

¼ lb. butter

¼ cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup Jim Beam (or rum)

1. Melt butter in saucepan.

2. Stir in water and sugar.

3. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in Jim Beam (or rum).

5. For extra goodness, make twice as much sauce, saving half the sauce for serving time.

Nancy's Ramen Vegetable Pancakes

¼ cup of canola oil

1 3 oz. pkg. of Chicken Flavor Ramen noodles with seasoning packet

1 medium zucchini, unpeeled and shredded

½ red onion, shredded

6 baby carrots, shredded

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons of flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons light soy or dipping sauce (optional)

1. Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions. Drain.

2. Stir in ½ the seasoning packet and stir.

3. Add the shredded vegetables and stir.

4. Add the beaten eggs and stir.

5 Add the two tablespoons of flour and mix.

6. Heat oil in a small omelet sized skillet.

7. With a cookie scoop, fill with the mixture.

8. Drop into the oil and flatten a little.

9. Salt and pepper if you wish.

10. Fry one at a time in medium hot oil for about 60 seconds on each side.

11. Remove pancake and place on paper towel.

12. Return each pancake to a sheet of aluminum foil.

13. When they have all been browned in the oil, move the aluminum foil to a 250 degree oven to continue cooking.

14. Leave them there about 15 minutes.

15. Serve with light soy sauce for dipping, if you wish.

16. Serve with meat and another vegetable.