I began cooking when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it was almost therapuetic, even then. After I got married, in 1982, I began really trying to come up with recipes and menus of my own.
I catered a few parties here and there, but I have no artistic abilities, so cake decorating wasn't my thing, and that limited my opportunities.
I do make a lovely display of food, and can, given time and space, make a lovely buffet or tablescape, but my food is what I focus on. After all, the beautiful cakes, etc. only look that way until they are cut... it is then that the true test of the cook begins. I'm not saying my food is ugly, because it isn't. You eat with your eyes first, so it has to be visually appealing.
I cook some really fancy things, and I will include those recipes here and there. But everyday food is where the majority of cooks need help. It is the newly married couple, or the beginning cook I want to reach; those struggling to come up with tasty dishes for the average Sunday meal or a dish they can make over the weekend and re heat or restyle during the week, to broaden their menu on a smaller budget.
I love to smoke foods, grill a steak, etc. But I am a southern "if it ain't fried, it ain't supper" kind of gal. Most of my dishes aren't typically low fat nor are they figure friendly. They are comfort food... pure and simple.
One of the hardest things I learned to make was a good mashed potato dish... sounds simple, but there are so many potatoes out there, and some are great for roasting, but few lend themselves to that creamy texture we love when sitting down to a true "Sunday supper at Grandma's" taste.
So it is the everyday cook who should most enjoy my dishes. I certainly don't advocate fried food everyday, but I truly enjoy my share of country fried steak and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, pork shoulder, etc. I love to eat, I love to cook for others and my motto is "Never trust a skinny cook; if they don't eat their own food, why should I?'"
There are plenty of folks out there who can show you how to make a standing rib roast, and I may publish my own version, but I want you to be able to take that unexpected afternoon off or that lazy Saturday and turn it into something that takes you back to your childhood, or makes you think of your Grandma or Great Grandma when you eat it.
Please let me know how these recipes work for you and your family. Tell me and the followers if you put your own spin on a dish. I'd love to know if the tips, recipes, etc are helpful....comment on individual recipes or post as you like. I love to hear how someone has made a dish their very own.

The photos of recipes you will see here are pics of the actual dishes I have made and served my family... if you look closely, you may see a dirty dish or two, or a hand in the photos... I think you should only publish a recipe you have tried and tested on your own family. ENJOY!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Lasagna

1/2 of a box of lasagna noodles,cooked according to package directions,remembering to salt your pasta now, if you like it. This is the only chance you will have to season the noodles. If you use bottled minced garlic, you can pour a little of the juice from it in the pan and it will add garlic flavor to your noodles. and drained.
I drain them, then lay them out on paper towels and cover them. This keeps them dry and is better than letting them sit in the colander and get sticky. If they are too wet, your lasagna will lose it's flavor..



Lasagna ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-11/2 lbs. ground beef
1 Large can Crushed tomatoes
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1t parsley flakes
1t oregano
1t basil
or 1 1/2 T Italian Seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
1 egg
Shredded parmesan cheese
2 bags Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in large saute pan
Over medium heat, saute onions until translucent,but not brown
Add garlic and saute for one minute.
Crumble ground beef into saute pan and brown.
Drain this and return to pan.
Add tomatoes, paste and stir.
At this point, if the sauce is like a sloppy joe, you should begin pouring tomato sauce into it, until it is the right consistency. You are going to bake this and you don't want it to be too dry.
Add spices, and simmer for about five minutes. Taste and see if anything needs to be increased. If so, add to taste any of your spices. This is where you should add salt, but I'm not a salt person, so I tend to leave that out.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg, add parsley flakes and stir in cottage cheese. Add 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese and stir. Set aside.


In a lasagna pan,  ladle out 1/3 of the meat mixture across the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Cover with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Add another layer of noodles and sprinkle 1/3 of the  mozzarella on top of this. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over this, and cover with noodles. Repeat the same procedure again. Top with some of the meat mixture, sprinkle mozzarella over this and spread remaining meat over enter third lengthwise, spread parsley flakes over this,and bake at 375 until cheese is slightly browned, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven, let stand for about five minutes and slice to serve...
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