Category: Food

While I’m in the mood to spill all the family recipe secrets…here’s a gooood one. Couldn’t you just reach through the monitor screen and pinch some of that cheese?

Ummmm….

Start with the basic stuff:

1 large box of wide Lasagne noodles

1-16 oz. cottage cheese

1 can/jar spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese

2 lbs. Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Shred the Mozzarella cheese first thing. You’ll want all your ingredients sitting there ready to go. Seriously, shredding the cheese is the only thing that takes any time here.

Pour a small amount–maybe 1/2 cup–of sauce in a 9×13 Pyrex dish. Tilt the pan around to spread it over the bottom of the dish. I’m going to use the word “some” quite a bit, because there is no exact recipe with this.

Place the uncooked noodles on top of the sauce. Don’t you just hate mushy noodles? That won’t be happening this time.

Top the noodles with the cottage cheese and spread it completely over the noodles.

Top with a layer of Mozzarella. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese.

Top with noodles, then sauce, then Mozzarella, then Parmesan–in that order until you reach the top of the pan or you run out of something.

Make sure you save plenty of shredded cheese for the top–you won’t be sorry.

Seal the pan with a layer of foil–shiny side down. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Take the foil off and cook 10 more minutes–or until your lasagne looks…

like this. Let this beautiful thing rest for about 10 minutes. You can toast some garlic bread and toss a salad while you wait.

You are about to experience perfection.

I envy you.

Cheesey Lasagne

 

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Ingredients

• 1 large box of wide Lasagne noodles
• 1-16 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 can/jar spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese
• 2 lbs. Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Shred the Mozzarella cheese first thing.
2. Pour a small amount--maybe ½ cup--of sauce in a 9x13 Pyrex dish.
3. Tilt the pan around to spread it over the bottom of the dish.
4. Place the uncooked noodles on top of the sauce.
5. Top the noodles with the cottage cheese and spread it completely over the noodles.
6. Top with a layer of Mozzarella.
7. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese.
8. Top with noodles, then sauce, then Mozzarella, then Parmesan--in that order until you reach the top of the pan.
9. Make sure you save plenty of shredded cheese for the top.
10. Seal the pan with a layer of foil--shiny side down.
11. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
12. Take the foil off and cook 10 more minutes.
13. Let this beautiful thing rest for about 10 minutes.

2.1.7

The Coveted Chicken Salad. Sit up now. Pay attention.

I promise, there are people in my family going…”No. WAY!” right this minute. Because, you see, sometimes I can be just a tad…

selfish…

with certain recipes. This is one of them. I’m working on being a better person, so here it is. Use it quick before I have a panic induced relapse…

or buy up all the chicken in the world to make this only for…

me.

Oh, I could too.

:}

Coveted Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 Tbsp.  onion flakes

3/4-1 cup Miracle Whip

5 stalks celery, diced

salt

Instructions:

Boil the chicken breasts in water, with salt,  until cooked through–about 30 minutes.

Remove from water and refrigerate until cold enough to handle.

While you are waiting, dice up the celery and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a ridiculous amount of salt over the celery. Don’t worry, we’ll be rinsing it off in a while. This will help the celery lose the bitter taste it has sometimes. Set aside.

When chicken is cold, cut it into bite-sized pieces, being impeccable about removing everything but the actual white, breast meat. Discard fat, veins, gristle–nobody wants to eat that…trust me on this.

Place diced chicken in a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing. Please note that I did NOT say mayonnaise. That is because this is recipe MY recipe…my famous recipe…so if you want it to be right, then just plain do what I say. Miracle Whip. No discussion here. The end. Phew. I feel better now.

Mix the chicken and Miracle Whip well and decide if you need the extra 1/4 cup of salad dressing. I usually do. Now, sprinkle the onion flakes and bouillon granules evenly over the top and set aside.

Pour the diced and salted celery into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Let it drain for a few minutes then add to the chicken mixture. Again, mix very well.  Understand that the real flavors will be much better distributed if you leave the salad covered in the fridge for a few hours–or better yet, overnight. Then mix again, and salt to taste. You may proceed to serve it to your guests on a lettuce leaf or in a puff pastry shell. They will genuflect.

Now somebody should write me a check for a million dollars.

Seriously.

Get on that.

*********

Coveted Chicken Salad

 

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Ingredients

• 5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 1 Tbsp. onion flakes
• ¾-1 cup Miracle Whip
• 5 stalks celery, diced
• salt

Instructions

1. Boil the chicken breasts in water, with salt, until cooked through--about 30 minutes.
2. Remove from water and refrigerate until cold enough to handle.
3. While you are waiting, dice up the celery and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a ridiculous amount of salt over the celery. Don't worry, we'll be rinsing it off in a while. This will help the celery lose the bitter taste it has sometimes. Set aside.
4. When chicken is cold, cut it into bite-sized pieces, being impeccable about removing everything but the actual white, breast meat. Discard fat, veins, gristle--nobody wants to eat that...trust me on this.
5. Place diced chicken in a medium bowl. Add ¾ cup Miracle Whip salad dressing.
6. Mix the chicken and Miracle Whip well and decide if you need the extra ¼ cup of salad dressing. I usually do.
7. Now, sprinkle the onion flakes and bouillon granules evenly over the top and set aside.
8. Pour the diced and salted celery into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Let it drain for a few minutes then add to the chicken mixture.
9. Again, mix very well. Understand that the real flavors will be much better distributed if you leave the salad covered in the fridge for a few hours--or better yet, overnight. Then mix again, and salt to taste.

2.2.1

We’ve discovered something…

“molten” is quite a relative term. But no matter how it is used, if it’s attached to the word “chocolate” well then….

it’s positively glorious.

We’ve tasted Molten Chocolate Cake in many of it’s incarnations, or—various levels of done-ness—and found that each and every version has it’s own unique…charm…

Yeah, charm is a good word. My favorite version is this moist and fluffy but not-quite-so-liquid center darling. If, however you want the molten chocolate to actually be more like lava–then just take it out of the oven a minute or so sooner than I did.

Either way…don’t make any plans.

You’re going to want a moment alone.

Trust me.

Chocolate Molten Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

6 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Generously butter 4 – 3/4 cup molds, ramekins, or custard cups and dust the insides with granulated white sugar. Place the prepared molds on a baking sheet and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Now, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture.

In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. With a wire whisk gently fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, just until it is well combined. Don’t over mix or the batter will go flat. Divide the batter between the prepared cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the outside edges of the cakes are set but the middle still looks a little wet. You may have cracks on the top surface of the cakes.

Immediately remove from oven and let them rest for a minute or two. Run a knife around the edge of each cake and then turn it out onto the center of a serving plate.  Carefully remove the mold. Sprinkle the top of each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with Vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4 – 3/4 cup  individual cakes.

Oh, and whatever you do–don’t cook them longer than 15 minutes…or they tend to…ahhhh….blow up.

Yeah. Don’t ask.

Molten Chocolate Cake

 

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Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, cut into pieces
• 6 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs, separated
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
2. Generously butter 4 - ¾ cup molds, ramekins, or custard cups and dust the insides with granulated white sugar.
3. Place the prepared molds on a baking sheet and set aside.
4. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Beat the egg yolks and ⅓ cup sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy.
6. Beat in the vanilla extract.
7. Now, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
8. In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until frothy.
9. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft peaks form.
10. Gradually add the 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
11. With a wire whisk gently fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, just until it is well combined.
12. Don't over mix or the batter will go flat.
13. Divide the batter between the prepared cups, filling about ¾ full.
14. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the outside edges of the cakes are set but the middle still looks a little wet.
15. You may have cracks on the top surface of the cakes.Immediately remove from oven and let them rest for a minute or two.
16. Run a knife around the edge of each cake and then turn it out onto the center of a serving plate. Carefully remove the mold.
17. Sprinkle the top of each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with Vanilla ice cream.

2.1.7