Monday, September 27, 2010

World's Best Lasagna








Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
  • 3/4 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic 
over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, 
tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, 
basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, 
and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 
1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. 
Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, 
combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 
9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over 
meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. 
Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups 
meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup 
Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining 
mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent 
sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the 
foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 
an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Bacon and Thyme






Ingredients

2 C. Bisquick baking mix
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato
1 T. brown sugar
all purpose flour for dusting counter


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a  counter top lightly with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, bacon, and chopped thyme. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, milk, and brown sugar.
3. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Dump mixture out onto a floured counter and knead a few times just to finish mixing the dough.
5. Pat out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut biscuits and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes until just lightly browned on top.
7. Enjoy warm with a little butter.
Yield: 8-10 small biscuits

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Very tasty Shrimp Gumbo







Ingredients



1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. water
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced (or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. water
1 (6 1/2 oz.) pkgs. quick cooking long grain wild rice
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen peeled & deveined shrimp
Several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce




Directions

In large saucepan, combine frozen onion, green pepper 
and 1/4 cup water. Bring mixture to boiling, then reduce heat. 
Cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are 
tender.While onion and pepper are cooking, cut up tomatoes. 
Add undrained tomatoes to onion mixture 
along with garlic, rosemary, paprika and pepper. 
Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and both packets from rice mixture. 
Bring mixture to boiling. Add frozen shrimp. Return to boiling, 
then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, 
or until rice is tender and shrimp turns pink. 
To serve, ladle gumbo into individual bowls. Pass hot pepper sauce.

This is very tasty Pumpkin Spice Cake






INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
½ cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts







Frosting 




6 oz. cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter, soften
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar



DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch bundt or tube pan.
2. In a large bowl cream oil, applesauce, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ginger powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined, stir in chopped nuts.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
6. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate
7. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and the grated rinds smooth. Gradually confectioners’ sugar, and mix well. Add orange juice until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Drizzle over bundt cake.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Best Alfredo Sauce










Ingredients




8 oz Cream Cheese
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons Garlic


  Add Cream Cheese, Butter and milk to a medium
sauce pan at medium heat.After Cream Cheese and
butter milt it will become thicker.Mix in Parmesan Cheese and garlic...