Lasagna Roll Ups

20 whole lasagna noodles

Sauce:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 whole onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs.  ground beef or Italian Sausage or any combination of similar meats

2 can spaghetti sauce

1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. basil

 Filling

30 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

3/4 cups parmesan cheese

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. basil

2 cups grated mozzarella

Preparation Instructions

Boil lasagna noodles until al dente. Drain and lay flat on a sheet of foil.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the meat and stir it around, cooking it until totally browned. Drain excess fat, then add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Make the filling by combining cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil. Stir to combine.

To assemble, spoon a layer sauce into the bottom of disposable foil loaf pans. Spread 2-3 tablespoons the cottage cheese filling on each noodle, and then roll them up. Lay them sideways in the pans (4 will fit in the loaf pans.) Top with remaining sauce, plenty of grated mozzarella, and some grated Parmesan.

If baking immediately, bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

If baking from a frozen state, bake, covered in foil, at 350 for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes, or until lasagna is done.

This recipe is a variation of the one found here.

Cranberry Chicken

3-4 lbs of chicken breasts

1 can (15ish oz.) cranberry sauce (whole berry or jelly)
1 small bottle (8 oz.)  Catalina or Russian dressing
1 packet of onion soup mix

Combine the ingredients and pour it over several of raw chicken breasts. Freeze batches of chicken in desired amounts

Thaw the chicken, place in a baking dish and then bake at 350° for an hour or until chicken is done.

I have no clue where i got this recipe!

Ground Mustard and Garlic Vinaigrette

¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar

2 green onions, firm parts only, trimmed of the white “furry” ends
4-5 cloves of garlic
½ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar or honey
2 Tbsp. coarse grain mustard
1 c. canola oil

In the jar of your blender, combine all the ingredients except for the oil. Blend on high. While the blender is running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream.

If possible, refrigerate the dressing for a few hours before serving.

If you prefer a more “rustic” vinaigrette, pulse the ingredients together in the blender and then pulse the oil in in larger quantities. Transfer to a lidded container and shake vigorously before serving. 

This recipe can be found here.

Mini Lemon Loaves

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
1 large lemon, zested {5 teaspoons, approximately}
1½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted {which ends up being about 1 3/4 cup sifted flour}
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. milk

glaze:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray mini pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream. Scrape sides and mix again. With mixer on low speed, incorporate all dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in milk. Scrape sides and mix a few more times by hand.

Spoon batter equally into prepared pans. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown and are baked thoroughly.

While lemon loaves are baking, mix ingredients together for glaze and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds or so to dissolve sugar into lemon juice. The glaze is done once the sugar has dissolved.

Once loaves come out of the oven, cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pans. Spoon glaze over loaves and continue to cool completely. Store in air tight containers until ready to serve.

This recipe can be found here. 

Asian Cabbage Salad

1 (14 oz.) bag coleslaw mix

1 rib celery, sliced

½ cucumber, sliced

1 small handful sugar snap peas (about 20 baby ones)

½ red bell pepper, sliced

¼ of a small red onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds*

1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*

Optional: 1 ½ cup cooked, shredded or diced chicken

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. black pepper

* To toast almonds or sesame seeds, place them (not together, do one thing at a time!) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Turn constantly until golden brown. Let cool before using.

Begin by making dressing. Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Place all salad ingredients in a bowl

You need to pour on the dressing and toss to coat. Place salad in the fridge to sit for 30-60 minutes. 

Right before serving mix in toasted almonds and sesame seeds.

Find the recipe here.

Natchitoches Meat Pies

½ lb. lean ground beef

½ lb. ground pork

½ green pepper, chopped

½ red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2+ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

¼ tsp.Tabasco sauce to taste

1 can beef broth

Pie Crust

1 egg

1/4 c. cold water

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it’s about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.

Add 2 tsp. Tony’s and 1/4 tsp. Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Tony’s and Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind that the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.

Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, I use a bowl that’s about 6″ across the top; I just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough.

Place about ¼ c. of the meat mixture onto one half of the dough circle, keeping about a 1/2″-1″ margin from the edges.

Fold the other side over and gently pinch the edges shut.

Preheat oven to 400° and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place prepared pies onto your baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool a few minutes and then eat as soon as humanly possible. So good. There are…no words.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: You could do this one of two ways; you can freeze them unbaked and just add the egg wash and bake them for an extra 15-20 minutes, or you can bake them and heat them up in the oven or microwave, whatever suits your needs better.

Pie Crust

3¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. salt

1¼ cups shortening

Ice water (probably about 3/4 cup)

Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add shortening in small cubes.

Cut in shortening (room temperature) until you get pieces that are about pea-sized.

Start sprinkling the ice water by about a tablespoon at a time over the flour/shortening mixture.

Very, very gently, turn the dough with your fingers so it gets exposed to the water. You’re NOT mixing, just trying to moisten all of the flour/shortening mixture. Gradually, all of the flour mixture will be moistened. Gently pat the dough into a ball (it should come together easily but not be sticky).

Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use.

Rolling the Dough

When you’re ready to roll out your pie crust, lightly flour your work surface and place the dough ball on the surface. One of the keys in making pie crust is to handle the dough as little as possible.

These recipes can be found here and here. 

Swig-let Sugar Cookies

5½ cup + 2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp., baking soda

½ tsp. cream of tarter

1 cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup canola or vegetable oil

1¼ cup sugar

¾ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. water

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.

Cream butter: blend in the sugars together for 2 minutes, slowly stream in the oil while beating. Add the water and vanilla and then beat in the eggs one at a time until combined.

Add the flour mixture ½ a cup at a time, mixing until combined.  Use 1½ inch scoop and place dough on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place ¼ cup sugar in a small dish with a pinch of salt. Take a glass and dip it into sugar. Press the glass into a ball of dough until it is ½ inch thick (the dough will form a jagged edge and spill past the edge of the glass). Repeat the process of dipping the glass into sugar and pressing it into a ball of dough.

Bake for 7 minutes only. Gently remove cookies from pan onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Place them in an air tight container in the fridge.

Frosting:

¼ cup solid vegetable shortening

¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine softened

½ tsp. almond extract

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately ½ lb.)

1 Tbsp. milk

Red food coloring (or whatever color you want)

In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.

Add milk and food coloring; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Spread over cold cookies and serve immediately or let the icing dry (it will dry to the touch) and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

The original recipes can be found here and here.  The original recipe called for a much larger cookie but I thought it was too big so I made them smaller. . . .here is a comparison: 

Irish Soda Bread

Make it early in the day, as it tastes best after sitting for a few hours.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

¼ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor.

This recipe can be found here.

2 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Whisk ¼ cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 Tbsps. cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 Tbsps. milk, 3 Tbsps. vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth.

Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes.

This recipe can be found here.

Hard-Boiled Eggs {Pressure Cooker}

6 eggs

2 c water

Electric pressure cooker

Set up electric pressure cooker.

Put a trivet, metal rack or a metal steaming basket into the bottom of the cooker.

Add 2 cups of water and lay the eggs on top of your trivet.

Close the lid and lock it (according to your units directions). Plug it in.  Push the start button, and select 6 minutes.

After the timer goes off, unplug the unit and let it sit for 5 minutes. 

Open lid and remove eggs.  They will be hot!