Monday, November 9, 2009

found these recipes..My mom's version of lasagna

This is a great meal for fall. It utilizes the abundance of cauliflower and a hearty lasagna which can be prepred easily for a simple yet filling meal. I do cut way back on cheese and use smashed tofu to replace some of the cheese. The bread needs a day to make total but that is mostly time to rise. The actual amount of time you work with the dough is five minutes or so. It is a no-knead bread and oh so tasty. Enjoy!

My Mother's Lasagna…EASY!!! and very different from what we are used to. By Pam Gross

Meat Filling (If you are vegetarian/vegan substitute tofu for cheese and TVP/soysause or veggies for meat)
½ lb. ground sausage
½ ground beef
¾ cup chopped onion
minced garlic clove
1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
½ Tbsp each: basil & oregano
1 6-oz. Can tomato paste
Cheese filling
½ cup each: cottage cheese & ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
The rest of the equation
2 cans crescent dinner rolls
sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1. In a large skillet brown meat, drain. Add remaining meat filling ingredients. Simmer 5 mins.
2. Combine the cheese filling ingredients and set aside.
3. Unroll can of dinner rolls. Lay it out on a baking sheet. Press the seams together so it is one big piece. Spread half of the meat filling down the center leaving a one inch gap from the edge of the dough. Pour cheese filling on top. Then add the remaining meat filling on top of the cheese. Lay the mozzarella on top of the meat filling. Open the second can of rolls and lay it over the top. Again, pinching the seams shut. Pinch the top and bottom dough together to form an enclosed loaf.
4. Brush the top with milk and shake sesame seeds over the top.
5. Bake at 375? oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.


Baked Cauliflower:
Pre-heat oven 400 degrees
One head broken into bite size chunks (de-cored)
grease a cookie sheet with canola oil just to cote bottom
Spread out cauliflower and salt-pepper to taste
Sprinkle a Tbs. of oil over top and toss to coat
Bake for 20 minutes turning once or twice
Take out and place in bowl
Add Tbs. fresh lemon juice and Tbs plus capers(small or large) and a tab of butter
Toss well and add more seasonings for your taste and serve hot

The Easiest Bread Recipe
This recipe was from New York Times a while back and has been handed down to me from many hands. I can barely read the copy but the recipe works and it can be amended to add a variety of seasonings and other stuff. I have arthritis and gave up baking bread due to lack of ability to knead. This is a non-knead bread. Anything which is un-needy is good for me.
Mix 3 cups all purpose or half wheat and half white organic flour together in a glass bowl with quarter tsp. active dry yeast and one and quarter tsp. sea salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and mix until it looks well blended and sticky. Cover with plastic warp and let sit in calm-warm spot for 12-18 hours.
When the surface of dough is bubbly it is ready to gently roll into a ball lightly for a few seconds with extra flour for hands and cover again 15 minutes. Then through flour on a kitchen dish towel (non terry) and roll the dough into your floured hands rolling it into itself forming a ball which will sit on the towel folded end facing down for another 2 hours lightly floured on top and covered with floured towel.
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees a half hour before baking. Place dough in a well greased casserole dish by gently allowing it to roll off towel into dish. No messing with it will form up when it cooks.
Bake for 30 minutes covered then 20 minutes not covered.
Viola……………Fresh bread. Best left out on wooden cutting board to crust over.

Enjoy....................