Worlds 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.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 bananas, mashed 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Lime Mousse In Almond Cup With Fresh Fruit On Raspberry Sauce

Serves: 10 to 12



Lime Mousse

14 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup lime juice

2 lime zests



Separate the eggs. Beat yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, lime juice and zest. Boil the cream and pour a little at a time into yolk mixture, whisking all the time. Place mixture over low heat and whisk until thick. Remove from heat.

Dissolve gelatin in cold water and add to cream mixture.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating continuously until very stiff. Fold egg whites into warm cream mixture.

Refrigerate for 3 hours.



Raspberry Sauce

10 ounces of fresh or frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur



Puree raspberries and sugar together in a food processor or blender.

Strain through a wire sieve to remove the seeds.

Add lemon juice or liqueur and mix thoroughly. Set aside.



Almond Cups

11/2 cups flour, sifted

11/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

6 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup butter, melted



Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Using a whisk, add sugar, egg whites and extract to the flour. Work batter as little as possible. Whisk in melted butter to form a smooth paste.

Make 12 thin crêpe-like circles onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and shape each pastry by placing it over a glass or bowl while hot and cover with a slightly larger glass. It only takes a few minutes to harden.


Assembly

Spoon mousse into almond cups to cover the bottom. Garnish with fresh fruit and place on a plate in a pool of raspberry sauce.

Peppermint Bon bon Cookies

Yield 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candies

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

Additional coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies, divided

1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)

2 1/2 teaspoons milk (optional)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels, melted (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup crushed peppermint and 6 Tbsp. sugar. Let cool 30 minutes.



Add eggs to melted chocolate, 1 at a time, stirring well. Stir in extracts.



Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate morsels. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until firm enough to shape.



Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked on top. Sprinkle coarsely crushed peppermints onto cookies; press candy lightly into cookies. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.



Whisk together powdered sugar and milk; drizzle over cooled cookies, if desired. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Sprinkle cookies again with chopped peppermint, if desired. Let cookies stand until glaze and chocolate are firm.

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients


U.S. Metric Conversion chart



1 medium lemon

1 teaspoon(s) parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper

1 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon(s) all-purpose flour

4 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

1 tablespoon(s) olive or salad oil

2/3 cup(s) chicken broth

Lemon slices, for garnish

Parsley sprigs, for garnish



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Directions



From lemon, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel; squeeze 1 tablespoon juice.

On sheet of waxed paper, mix grated lemon peel, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon flour. Use to coat chicken-breast halves.

In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot olive or salad oil, cook chicken breasts until tender and golden brown on both sides and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, turning chicken once, about 7 minutes. Remove chicken to warm platter.

In 1-cup measuring cup, with fork, mix chicken broth, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon flour until smooth. Pour chicken-broth mixture into drippings in skillet. Over high heat, heat to boiling; boil 1 minute. Spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs.

The Ultimate Cheesecake with Warm lemon Blueberries

 

Ingredients


Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 pint sour cream

1 lemon, zested

1 dash vanilla extract

Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.



In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.



Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.



For the Filling:



In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.



Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.



Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.



Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.





Warm Lemon Blueberries:

1 pint blueberries

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons sugar

In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.

Yield 6 Servings

Easy Crockpot Enchiladas

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
10 oz can enchilada sauce
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 lb hamburger (vegetarian option: extra firm tofu)
15 oz can ranch style beans, drained
11 oz can mexicorn, drained
¾ pound Cheddar cheese grated
2 ¼ oz can sliced black olives drained
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
8 corn tortillas

First Make Enchilada sauce

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil in a saucepan.
2. Add in hamburger, and brown. (Or tofu)
3. Stir in enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper.

Get out your Crockpot!

1. Place 2 corn tortillas in the bottom of the crockpot. Layer with 1/3 of the Enchilada sauce mixture. To with ½ cup beans, ½ cup corn, ½ cup cheese, and ¼ cup olives.
2. Repeat step 1 twice more.
3. Complete by putting 2 corn tortillas on top and sprinkling with cheese.
4. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
5. Enjoy!

Goes well with: green salad or fresh fruit.