Lasagne ala Debbi

Lasagna ala Debbi

1 lb Ground Round/Beef
1 lg chopped Onion
2+ cloves minced Garlic
1 large chopped Green Bell pepper (you can also use red ones. I love both.)
1 (16oz) can chopped Tomatoes
1 sm can Tomato Paste
1+ cups Red Wine
2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 cube Butter
1 lb Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
8 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese
10 oz chopped frozen Spinach (thawed and drained)
1 lb Lasagna Noodles

Brown meat; add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, butter, seasonings and red wine. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Cook and drain lasagna noodles. Mix together ricotta and spinach. In a lasagna pan, layer half of the noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the mozzarella and top with half of the meat sauce.

Next layer remaining ingredients as follows:
Noodles, ricotta, parmesan, meat sauce and top with mozzarella.

Bake at 350° F for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is bubbly.

Even better the second day.

BETTER! Make in the crockpot. Killer... 

Debbi
(1/28/10)

Comment:

Direct from the Potters mouth.  However as we all do I tweaked it a bit.  Below is what worked for me and it is just as greaaaaaaaaat! 

used 7% ground beef.
2 large sweet red onions
10 cloves garlic (Go Emeril!)
no mushrooms cause didn't have them on hand
used red pepper whole , not crushed.
used homemade ricotta (goat of course)

Yummy,yummy. Had left overs last night and will have two more meals. All in all I got 4 meals for two out of this recipe and lunch two days for the Em girl. Who by the way gave it her stamp of approval.

L  of  C

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Denise's Best Tuna Casserole

I haven't made tuna casserole in YEARS, but I've been thinking of it for a while. Dunno why.

I started with "Best Tuna Casserole" from allrecipes.com, but of course I'm constitutionally unable to make a recipe as written, so I will share the modifications. You can go look up the original if you please.

Denise's Best Tuna Casserole

16 oz pasta, cooked al dente and drained
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup diced mixed sweet peppers (red and green is nice)
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup shredded mixed cheeses (mine were holiday leftovers)
2 small cans tuna, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of onion soup
fresh ground pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crunchy fried onion topping (or potato chips)

Mix all but the last two, pour into a 9"x13" pan. Top with cheese, then crunchies, bake 15-20 min at 425°F.

The two cheeses I mixed in were flavored monterey jack - one with leek and mushroom, one with salsa. I had 2-3 ounces of each left over from holiday snacking. Swiss, cheddar, colby, or any other shred worth cheese would work, too.

Denise
(1/7/10)

---

Comments:
Well, duh, Debbi! make half a casserole! That recipe is easy to halve - one can of soup, one can of tuna, half a pkg of noodles, etc. Put it in a 2 qt casserole dish (or 8" or 9" square or a 9" round cake pan) to bake. I was all out of 9"x13" when I made mine, so it went into two smaller pans anyway.

Or make the whole recipe and divvy it up into individual portions without the crunchy stuff and freeze them. The 10-oz pyrex dishes come 4 to a package and cost just a few bucks.

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Aziza's Beef Curry

Aziza's Beef Curry

24 oz lean Steak
1-1/2 tbsp Oil
1 med to lg Onion, sliced
5 tsp Curry Powder (at least)
1-1/2 cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 to 5 lg Garlic Cloves, minced
1 med Tomato, diced
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
2 cups Water, boiling
2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tbsp Water
1 pkg Noodles, cooked

Cut beef into 1" cubes. Sauté onion in oil over med heat until tender. Stir in curry powder, cook 1 minute. Add beef cubes, mushrooms, tomato, garlic, salt and sugar. Continue cooking until the beef cubes are lightly browned.

Boil the 2 cups of water. Add enough of the boiling water to barely cover the beef. Cover skillet and simmer gently about 1-1/2 hours, or until beef is extremely tender.

Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water. Stir into beef mixture. Simmer gently until thickened. Serve over cooked noodles.

This cooks up perfectly in the crockpot.Do the stove-top cooking part, put the contents of the skillet into the crockpot, add the water, cover and cook according to your manufacturer's directions for your slow-cooker.

Deb's note: Also good over rice or mashed potatoes. Or in tortillas. Even plain.

Debbi
(1/6/10)

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Crawfish Fettucini Casserole

Crawfish Fettucini Casserole

3 lbs. crawfish with tail fat (or substitute)
3 sticks butter
2 large onions, diced
3 sticks celery, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
4 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp corn starch (dissolved in 1/8 cup hot water)
1 pint half and half
1 lb. jalapeno jack cheese (or substitute Velveeta for smoother texture)
1 pound fine or medium egg noodles (boiled per package directions)

Over medium heat, saute onion in melted butter until transparent, then add celery and bell pepper, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add parsley and crawfish then cook additional 10 minutes. Add cheese, cream and corn starch slurry.

Boil noodles about 10 minutes. Grease casserole dish with oleo. Mix noodles and crawfish mixture in casserole dish. Top with grated cheese (American or parmesean) if desired. Bake at 350°F for 15-30 minutes or until bubbly.

xanytoo
(6/8/08)

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Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole

My Grandmama made this every holiday, and I miss it SO much:

1) Slice baking potatoes to fill a large casserole when layered. I usually use about 3 pounds. This really depends on having good potatoes. The potatoes can be peeled (pretty) or unpeeled (better for you).

2) Butter the casserole dish, and heat the oven to 450° F (if you aren't already cooking something).

3) Spread 1/2 (or 1/3, if you are going to make this gooey) of the potatoes in a layer in the casserole dish. It is really pretty to overlap them in concentric circles.

4) The next step is to layer sauce. When I was really little, she made a white sauce with cream and butter, and added a jar of sliced mushrooms. As my Grandfather got diabetic, she changed the sauce to Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. At Thanksgiving,m there might be sliced mushrooms and slivers of butter in the layer as well. (Healthy Choice works fine.)

5) Spread with shredded cheddar. We liked it best when this was SHARP.

6) Repeat steps 3-5 once (or twice if company is coming).

7) Be sure to top with cheese (and if you have dried onions, add some now).

8) Bake until golden brown and the potatoes are cooked. For an 8" by 8" dish, at 450° F, I tend to need 40-50 minutes. If I am cooking at 400° F, maybe 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Shelly P.
(11/22/07)

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Gayle's Red Enchiladas

This recipe is mostly simple, although it has a few steps. I've written much out for those who aren't experienced with cooking like this. A lot of you are, I know. I don't usually have time to do things like make my own enchilada sauce. So it calls for canned sauce. You can make your own if you want. It's a good recipe to make up the mixture, divide it into parts for individual meals and freeze. Assembly is easy and quick for the later meals.

The amounts on this are very flexible. For example, if you have a large family, buy a big cut of meat. If you have a small family but freeze stuff a lot, buy a big cut of meat. If you have a small family, buy a smaller one. You can buy a roast with the bone in, or buy one without the bone.

Seasonings can be adjusted to taste - more or less chili powder, cumin, thyme, etc. On the sauce, if you like hot, don't dilute the enchilada sauce.

Gayle's Red Enchiladas

1 pork roast, about 3 pounds
2 carrots
2 stems of celery
1 onion with skin

3-4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp thyme
2-3 jalapeno peppers

1 sm can red enchilada sauce
1 reg can tomato sauce
1 pkg small flour tortillas

Put the pork roast in a large (not huge) stock pot. Add the carrots, celery and onion after cutting them into large hunks. This makes it easier to pick them out of the stock later. Fill pot with water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer this for at least 3 hours. Longer if you have the time and/or patience, because the flavors develop. Remove the meat from the pot and strain the broth. I usually end up setting a colander over another stock pot and pouring everything through that because the meat falls apart. Separate the meat from the veggies.

On your cutting board, pull the hunks of meat apart with the grain going in the same direction. Chop into small cuts, 1/2" or less, across the grain. Return the chopped meat to the stock pot. Add chili powder, cumin and thyme. Stir into the meat. A cup at a time, add broth and stir into the meat. Add enough broth to almost cover the meat. Simmer this mixture until most of the liquid has gone away. This part will require watching the pot and stirring frequently. You can use the rest of the broth to make posole, yum.

Just at the end of simmering the meat mixture, roast 2-3 jalapeno peppers. I have a gas stove, so I just place mine on the burner over the flame. (You can also skip this part if you don't want to bother.) Pop the peppers in a bag for 3-5 minutes to sweat. Remove the charred skin, open the jalapenos and remove the seeds and core. Slice into thin strips and then chop finely. Stir into the meat mixture just before assembly.

At this point, you can refrigerate everything and continue another day if you're over it, or you can divide and freeze it.

Because we can't stand a lot of spicy heat, I use 1/2 can of red enchilada sauce to 1 can of tomato sauce. Mix this together to blend well. Put in just enough sauce to cover the bottom of an oblong casserole dish.

Start assembling the enchiladas. Lay out a tortilla and just to the right of center (left if you're a leftie, I suppose) lay down a strip of meat, about 3 tbsp. You can add cheese if you're so inclined. Starting with the right side, roll the tortilla up and lay it seam side down in the casserole dish.

After you've filled the casserole dish (mine holds 6-8), top the enchiladas with enough sauce to have gotten every part of the tortillas wet. Cover with aluminum foil and put in the oven, preheated to 350°F. Cook for 40 minute or until hot through.

Sometimes I add the rest of the sauce and Monterrey Jack cheese about 5 minutes before removing from the oven and finish cooking uncovered.

Jola Gayle
(1/23/07)

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Chiles Rellenos

Chiles Rellenos

4 Poblano peppers, try to get pretty ones with long stems that aren't deeply indented or
     they will be a bitch to peel
monterey jack cheese (or your preferred filling)
2-3 roma tomatoes
a tbsp of tomato bullion
1/2 of an average white onion
a clove of garlic
3 eggs, separated
a small amount of flour (I dunno how much, maybe a 1/4 cup?)
oil or lard for frying
toothpicks, unless you like to live on the edge

Wash and dry your peppers. Blister (blacken) the outsides of the peppers (I do this over the flames of my gas stove, but you can use a griddle, just takes longer). The peppers will get lighter in color. Wrap the peppers with a damp towel.

Grate your cheese and separate your eggs and/or make your side dish.

Rub the skin off of the chiles. It doesn't have to be perfect, but get as much as you can. Make a slit in each chile. Clean out the seeds and stems, but be careful! Those suckers BURN (ask me how I know!). Stuff your chiles with cheese and toothpick them shut. Flour your chiles.

Heat oil/lard for chile frying. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Beat the yolks in their separate bowl. Fold yolks into whites, being careful not to deflate the whites. When oil is hot, dip/roll chiles, 1 at a time, into the egg mixture and fry them. This works best if you bathe the top of the chile with oil while the bottom is cooking. When the bottom is a nice golden color, roll the chiles over and let the top cook. Remove to drain on paper towels.

Heat a little oil/lard in a sauce pan big enough to fit your chiles. Roughly chop your tomatoes (3 or 4 pieces is good). Put in blender with onion, garlic, bullion, and a bit of water (just enough to blend). When thoroughly pulverized, fry sauce in the oil until the color turns a nice deep red. Add water to get the consistency of tomato soup. Put your chiles in the sauce to reheat.

In our opinion, these are best served with fresh warm tortillas and mexican cream, with arroz rojo on the side.

geeze...it really looks more complicated than it is. I made these just a couple days ago and it took probably about 1/2 hour to make the whole meal, including the rice. If you choose not to use the bullion, you will need to add salt. If you do use it, don't add salt or it will be too salty.

~Jen
(11/28/06)

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Pumpkin-Sage Polenta

Pumpkin-Sage Polenta

Serve this alongside pan-sautéed ham steaks. Polenta thickens if you make it ahead of time; just thin it with water or chicken broth. Rewarm it over medium-low heat, stirring with a whisk. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the Parmesan cheese.

2-1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1-1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups instant dry polenta
3/4 cup (3 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup (1 oz) shaved fresh Parmesan

Bring milk and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add pumpkin and salt; stir with a whisk. Reduce heat to low, and gradually whisk in polenta; cook 1 minute or until thick. Remove from heat. Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, cream cheese, and sage; stir until cheeses melt. Top with shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
CALORIES 197 (21% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 3g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 10.1g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 253mg; SODIUM 614mg; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 28.7g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Maggie
(11/26/06)

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Pumpkin Shrimp Risotto

Pumpkin Shrimp Risotto

6 baby pumpkins*
24 unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
1 lb. unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
1-1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms
1 (2 oz) package fish bouillon cubes
2 quarts boiling water
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 shallots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb. Arborio rice
1 (3 oz) package refrigerated shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp butter or margarine

Buerre Blanc Sauce
Garnishes: fresh dill sprigs, whole shiitake mushrooms

Cook baby pumpkins in 1/2" boiling water in a Dutch oven, covered, 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Cut off and reserve tops. Peel pumpkins, and cut in half. Discard seeds. Mash pulp, and set aside 1-1/4 cups, reserving remainder for another use.

Peel large shrimp, leaving tails on; de-vein, if desired, and set aside. Peel medium shrimp, and devein, if desired; set aside.

Discard mushroom stems; thinly slice caps.

Stir together fish bouillon cubes and 2 quarts boiling water until bouillon dissolves.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add shallots, garlic, and rice, and sauté until shallots are tender.

Add 1 cup hot fish broth; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Repeat procedure with remaining hot broth, 1 cup at a time. (Cooking time is 35 to 40 minutes.) Add 1 cup mashed pumpkin (reserve remaining 1/4 cup pumpkin for Beurre Blanc Sauce), medium shrimp, sliced mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and thyme; cook, stirring constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large skillet; add large shrimp, and sauté 2 to 4 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

Spoon pumpkin risotto onto serving plates, and drizzle evenly with Beurre Blanc Sauce. Arrange large shrimp around risotto, and top with reserved pumpkin tops. Garnish, if desired.

*1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin maybe substituted for pulp from 6 baby pumpkins.

Yield: 6 servings

Maggie
(11/26/06)

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Bobotie (Chutney)

Bobotie (Chutney)

Chutney is traditionally served with mince meat dishes in S. Africa. My favorite is bobotie:

2 thinly sliced onions
1 kg ground beef or mutton
1 slice bread
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp. medium curry powder
1-1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tbsp. turmeric
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup almonds (quartered or sliced)
1/2 cup raisins
4 lemon or bay leaves (or zest of one lemon rind)
3 tbsp CHUTNEY

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Brown meat and onion in pan.

In a separate bowl mix milk and bread, stir and pour off the milk (but save). Mix all ingredients expect for half of the milk, 1 egg and the bay leaves (I also keep out the almonds).

Spoon mixture into greased pan and insert leaves into surface of mixture (leave sticking out a bit for easy removal after cooking) and sprinkle almonds on top if not already mixed in. Bake for 30 min.

Mix remaining egg and milk and pour over meat. Bake for another 30 min.

Serve with rice and chutney.

I have another version that uses apricot jam that is mixed with the bread and milk (in lieu of the chutney) but that's in Afrikaans and it's too late for me to translate. I have to admit that I haven't tried this version yet since Mrs. Ball's chutney is more expensive here than apricot jam but the one above is from the Afrikaner equivalent of The Joy of Cooking so I'm sure it's good.

erin in SB
(10/28/04)

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Crustless Quiche

ooo, synchronicity!

I tried a new recipe for this on Saturday, and it's delicious. Adapted from "The Frugal Gourmet".

Crustless Quiche

1/2 cup butter
10 eggs (gulp! it makes a big pie)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb large-curd cottage cheese (I used a 12 oz container of small curd)
1 lb jack cheese, shredded (I used 6 oz of Swiss)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Melt the butter. Whip the eggs until fluffy and add the flour, baking powder, salt and butter. Stir well. Add the cottage cheese and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. At this point you can add anything you want. I added chopped onion, green pepper, and 1 box of thawed frozen chopped spinach squished dry. Pour into a greased 9" X 13" baking dish. I topped with slices of tomato. Finish off with the rest of the shredded cheese.

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Lower oven to 350°F and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting up for serving.

Yummmm, it's even good microwaved on the 3rd day. My husband has been out of town, so I've been having it for breakfast every morning.

Jeff Smith's suggestions were Caraway and Onion, Garden with zucchini, tomato and parsley, or clean-out-the refrigerator.

J. Gayle
(4/5/04)

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Killer Corn Pudding

Killer Corn Pudding

Our family loves corn pudding, and this is what we all believe to be the ultimate recipe. It has a kick that the others don't, and unlike some other recipes it never separates. You can also assemble it a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it, and bake it just before you eat.

4 large eggs
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp. each onion powder and salt
1/4 tsp. each ground red pepper and garlic powder
10 oz. frozen corn
17 oz. can creamed corn
1 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 325°F. Butter a deep 1-1/2 qt casserole or souffle dish. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Beat in butter, flour, onion powder, salt, red pepper, and garlic powder, until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into prepared casserole. Bake 1-1/2 hours or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

We fight over the leftovers at the end of the day.

Elaine in Kentucky
(11/16/03)

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Drunken Sweet Potatoes

And while you're at it, forget about the mini-marshmallows (yuck) and make:

Drunken Sweet Potatoes

Topping:
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
pinch of ground cloves

In small bowl, combine topping ingredients and set aside.

Potatoes:
4 Lb. sweet potatoes

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

2 tbsp. bourbon (must be bourbon, thankyewverymuch)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grated orange peel

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

In large pot, put sweet potatoes with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and peel. (Note: you can wimp out and buy canned sweet potatoes, but drain them well first.)

In mixer bowl beat potatoes until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spoon in potato mixture and sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350°F with lid on dish or a foil covering. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.

Notes:

• The recipe says it serves 16.
• I've also made this by cutting up the taters in small chunks, 1" or so, rather than mashing them. I
• like it better that way.
• I served this at a church potluck once. The former Baptists did have a bit of a problem with it. (vbg)

Sockie, who really is on the way out the door to change that lightbulb
(11/16/03)

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Beef-Surpassing Portobellos

Beef-Surpassing Portobellos

• one and one-half portobello caps per diner - should be very fresh
• 1 medium onion per four portobello caps, chopped
• butter
• Japanese soy sauce (not the low-salt varieties)
• dry vermouth
• a pinch of my own personal formula for curry powder (oh dear...)
• pepper
• a fairly tannic-flavored red wine
• basil leaves, big, washed and dried (two leaves per one cap)
• some smoked mozzarella cheese, preferably from New York City

Heat your skillet on medium, so that when you put in the butter (one tbsp. per cap) it melts quickly and begins to sizzle very slightly. Sprinkle your curry powder over the butter and just as the butter turns orange from the curry powder, add the chopped onion and toss very thoroughly. Lower the heat and cover the onions to let them sweat for ten minutes. Then stir them around to reduce their water a little. Rake them to the side of the skillet, and place the portobello caps top down into the pan. Place a bacon press or some other clever confection of weight on top of the mushrooms, but it should not be so heavy that it smashes them.

Cook on medium heat this way for four minutes. Move them around every once in a while to make sure nothing sticks.

Remove bacon press or whatever and place a tablespoon of butter into the upturned underside of each cap. To this add a spoonful of the nice Japanese soy sauce, and a splash of the vermouth. Then flip them so that all of this goes into the pan. Repeat the bit about the bacon press/weight, and cook for four minutes. Just a minute before you flip them back with the cap side down, crank up the heat to about medium-high.

Work the onions around the mushrooms, but the surface of the cap should not be sitting on top of the onions; rather it should be directly touching the cooking surface of the skillet. Nothing should be sticking to the bottom at this point - yet.

Place two big basil leaves in the upturned caps. On top of this put a few strips of the smoked mozzarella, but if it's a properly-made cheese you'll be able to sort of peel of the outside layer of cheese, which is the part where the strongest smoke flavor is, and those parts are best for this dish. If you don't like a strong smoked mozzarella you can surely substitute a milder one.

Now monitor the condition of the onions. The moment they turn brown and threaten to scorch (but aren't scorching yet) pour about a cup of the red wine over them. Shake the pan so that the red wine is circulating throughout the pan. Cook the red wine down quickly by having the pan on high heat. As soon as this happens, shove the whole skillet under the broiler (which you will have preheated...oops.) and watch it ceaselessly until the cheese has melted and turned golden on top.

These are good served on warmed plates, with a little of the reduced wine-sauce spooned over them, and a twist of the pepper mill adds a nice fragrance.

Saffron rice has a nice affinity with this dish.

A recipe from Alfred
(4/9/03)

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Chile Mac n' Cheese

Chile Mac n' Cheese

For those of you truly having winter (unlike us), this is the best comfort food when you're frozen to the core. This may have been posted before in the 'way back time. Not for the faint of heart or hard of artery! Some of the measurements are variable, depending on your personal tastes.

8 oz. elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Tillamook Extra Sharp at our house)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan (the good stuff, not from the green can)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 can (undrained) chopped green chilies,
     or 4 roasted and peeled Hatch green chilies, chopped (depending on your heat preference)
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
fresh ground pepper
parsley (fresh if you've got it, dried if you don't)

Cook pasta to al dente, drain, rinse to cool, set aside. Set oven to 350º F.

Make cheese sauce: melt butter, stir in flour. Cook a few minutes then add mustard and a few grindings of pepper. Begin adding milk, stirring to remove lumps. Add cream cheese and continue cooking on low until cheese melts. Stir in chilies & can juices. Set aside. Sauce will thicken as it cools, add a bit more milk if you think it's needed.

Assembly
In a casserole (spray with Pam to help the clean up later), layer 1/3 each of the drained pasta, then sauce, cheddar, parmesan, and dusting of parsley. Repeat layering, end with sauce, top with parsley.
Bake 1/2 hour or until casserole is bubbling well. Absolutely the best when served still molten and creamy.

Deb
paca_mama
(1/16/03)

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Carrot Casserole

Carrot Casserole

The original is from the New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook by Jean Hewitt, my changes are in ( ).

6-8 large scrubbed carrots cut in 1/4" pieces (cut how you like)
Cover with water, add dash salt and simmer gently until almost tender.

While that is cooking, mix:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/4 c. and it was plenty)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
(I used 1 tsp cardamom in place of both)
1/4 cup raisins

Drain carrots, reserving 1/4 cup of boiling water.

Add the 1/4 cup boiling water to the above mixture, pour in casserole dish (or keep on the stove on gentle heat), dot with 2 tbsp. butter and put in 300°F oven for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve hot. 6 servings.

As predicted, my family didn't like it. One kid hated it, one kid ate it w/o carrots, and DH liked it except for the carrots. I thought it was good, but I like savory dishes better than sweet ones.

Denise
(1/12/03)

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Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

O.k, this doesn't live right up there along a gourmand's taste, but it's a good side dish for holiday gatherings. My family loves it, including my oldest son, who won't eat much that doesn't look crunchy. Plus, this travels well to other houses.

2 (10oz. ea.) frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg well beaten
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
pepper and salt, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tbsp. chopped onions
2 tbsp. butter

Cook broccoli. Drain well. Combine soup, mayonnaise, egg, cheese, onion and seasoning. Add to broccoli and pour into buttered casserole dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with Ritz cracker crumbs. Bake at 350° F, 30 minutes.

Helen
(12/24/02)

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Candied Sweet Potatoes

Candied Sweet Potatoes

I make candied sweet potatoes the way my grandmother did.

I par boil the potatoes, cut the length-wise into long spear like shapes, and coat them with a mixture of molasses and honey, to which about 1tbsp of orange juice concentrate has been added (I don't measure).

I put them in the oven, and baste them with more of the molasses mixture as they cook, every 5 or 10
minutes.

When they are tender and quite lacquered, I take them out. They will look very dark, and gooey, and they are quite delicious, sweet, but not cloying.

Carolyn
(11/26/02)

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Chicken and Mushroom Stew

This came in my http://www.chefgeorgehirsch.com newsletter this morning. I'm going to try it in the crock pot this weekend. HG

Chicken and Mushroom Stew
Copyright © 2002 by George Hirsch
4 Servings

1 (3 lbs.) chicken, cut into eight pieces
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup oyster or horn mushrooms, whole
1/2 cup Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp thyme
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup dry white wine, or Beaujolais Nouveau
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup non-fat half & half
1/2 loaf of French bread, sliced brushed with olive oil and toasted

Pre-heat a large sauté pan to a high. Dust chicken with flour. Add olive oil and onions and sauté for one minute. Add the chicken and brown on all sides. Toss in mushrooms and sauté until they are light brown, about 5-10 minutes. Add the wine, cook for two minutes, then broth, thyme, nutmeg, cover pan, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the half & half.

Layer the toasted bread on a large deep platter. Pour finished stew over top and serve.

Sheri
(11/15/02)

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Veggie Cashew Chili

Veggie Cashew Chili

I could swear that I put this on the sheepthrillsmansion website a while ago, but I can't get on that site right now, so here it is again. It may differ slightly from that recipe, as I don't write recipes down, unless someone asks. . This makes a lot of chili, and can be frozen etc.

2 medium sized eggplants, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
   (NOTE: there are "boy" eggplants and "girl" eggplants. Really.
  Use the boys, as they have fewer seeds. These have a narrow tapered bottom)

4 good sized onions, chopped
a lot of garlic -- at least half a head, peeled and chopped
4-5 carrots, cut into small rounds
3 green or red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cans dark red kidney beans, or black beans, drained and rinsed well, or
   one lb dried beans, soaked and cooked until tender but not mushy
2 large cans crushed tomatoes, or alternatively, 4-5 smaller cans diced
tomatoes with green chiles (this latter option is better)
one can beer
4 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tbsp ground ancho chile
1 tbsp freshly ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 cup UNSALTED roasted cashews
handful chopped cilantro
1/4 cup vinegar -- pref. red wine or balsamic
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté eggplant and garlic together in olive oil. Eggplant will absorb all of the olive oil at first (use a nonstick pan so you don't have to keep adding oil), but eventually it will start to release it again. Add onions, peppers, carrots, saute for about 10 minutes more. Add all spices, and continue to stir and saute a few minutes more until fragrant.

Dump sautéed vegetables, cans of tomatoes, beans into a large slow cooker or stock pot on the stove. Add beer. Turn crock onto high for one - two hours, then put it on low for a few more hours or until guests arrive and vegetables are tender. Alternatively, if on the stove, bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours.

About a half hour before serving, throw in the cashews, balsamic vinegar, and cilantro.

Serve with brown rice, shredded cheese. Whole milk yoghurt or sour cream on top is also good.

Carolyn
(9/16/02)

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