The Cookbook Experiment: Aunt Lauretta's Lasagna

Sunday's cookbook experiment is courtesy of a lovely lady named Martha Lee Cash! I have known her and her husband and family for almost forever. Don and Martha Lee are two more heroes of faith that I greatly admire.  I grew up with a few of their children and love them all very much.

This recipe is from her Aunt Lauretta.  I had to try it because....oh my, here comes the confession! My last name (married) is Maurizi. That is Italian! My husband was raised Italian around all these amazing women who could cook. Conquering good Italian cooking is a passion of mine. What I would give to spend time in the kitchen with Nick Stellino! But, anyway, here is the confession: the first time I ever made lasagna was almost six years ago. It was a total flop! So bad a flop I never attempted it again. This cookbook experiment and a recipe coming from Martha Lee, I decided to try it again. I am glad that I did! It was wonderful and everyone loved it.

Aunt Lauretta's Lasagna

(2 1/2) cans Italian tomatoes
(4) 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
(2) teaspoons salt
(3) teaspoons dried oregano
(1/4) teaspoon onion salt
(2) cups minced onions
(1) cup Parmesan cheese
(2) cloves garlic, minced
(1/2) cup olive oil
(2) pounds ground chuck or round steak , ground
(1) pound lasagna noodles
(1 1/2) pounds Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
(3) packages Mozzarella cheese

In large saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, and oregano.  Simmer uncovered. In skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add ground meat. When meat loses color, add to tomato sauce.  Simmer 2 1/2 hours. Cook lasagna as directed on box. Drain. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bottom of two baking dishes, place few spoonfuls of sauce. Top with crisscross layers of noodles, then half of ricotta; top with 1/3 of mozzarella and 1/2 the Parmesan. Repeat again ending with sauce. Top with mozzarella and bake until bubbly.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I knew I would not use the 1/2 can of leftover Italian tomatoes so I used all of the 3 cans.  
• I did not know what size the cans of Italian tomatoes were to be so I used the regular 14.5 ounce ones.
• I really like a hint of basil in my tomato sauce so I added this with the oregano.
• Please do not buy cheap Parmesan. There was an article recently about all the "wood pulp" some manufacturer's use to keep the grated cheese from sticking together. I used Murray's Parmesan Reggiano and grated it myself while the sauce was bubbling away.
• I should have realized that the lasagna noodles were going to be VERY HOT and VERY STICKY! I used a cookie sheet sprayed with a little cooking spray to spread out my lasagna noodles so they would not be stuck together. I used a set of tongs but still burned the mess out of my fingers! I'm sorry Aunt Lauretta but next time I am going to use no-boil noodles! Does that make me "wimpy Italian"? I hope not.
• I was not very good at splitting up the ricotta cheese on the fly. I should have separated it before I needed it. And truthfully, I think I would have liked a lot more on it than I put on it.
• There was no size for the Mozzarella cheese packages. I thought I would be okay with one large bag that they have at Kroger but sadly I was wrong. I needed at least two of them.
• This recipe was AMAZING! Thanks to Aunt Lauretta and Martha Lee I am no longer afraid to make lasagna. I can only improved from here!

The Cookbook Experiment: Sweet and Sour Franks

Tonight's cookbook experiment is another recipe from Dick John. He has a lot of recipes in this book and I am enjoying finding them and preparing them. He is such a very special person.

Sweet and Sour Franks by Dick John

(1) onion, chopped
(1) 8 ounce can tomato sauce
(1) tablespoon soy sauce
(1) bell pepper, sliced
(1) tablespoon oil
(1) clove garlic
(2) tablespoons vinegar
(1) 20 ounce can pineapple chunks
(2) tablespoons brown sugar

Saute onion and garlic in oil.  Add tomato sauce, vinegar and soy sauce.  Stir in pineapple and bring to a boil.  Then add small cocktail wieners and simmer  for 5 minutes.  Add bell pepper and sugar and cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes. Serve with cocktail picks and French bread.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• The recipe did not say how long to saute the onion and whether it was just until translucent or until caramelized.  I cooked them until they were translucent.
• I was not sure if I was supposed to add the juice from the pineapple into the sauce. I just dumped the whole thing in, without draining it.
• My family did not care for the large size of pineapple chunks. Next time I would use crushed pineapple.
• I did not like the green pepper at the end. I would have chopped it and sauteed it with the onion and garlic.
• Overall it was a good recipe and it kept the men happy that we had meat on the table.
• Thanks Mr. John!

The Cookbook Experiment: Amish Layered Dinner

Tonight's cookbook experiment also included this dish by Dick John. Mr. John is very important to me. He was a good friend of my father's and he is married to a very sweet lady, Pat John (one of her recipes is posted previously and it is to die for!).

Amish Layered Dinner by Dick John

(2) cups hamburger (uncooked)
(2) cups sliced raw potatoes
(2) cups chopped celery
(1/2) cup diced onions
(2) teaspoons of salt
(1/4) teaspoon of pepper
(1) cup diced green peppers
(2) cups canned tomatoes
(1) onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper before adding the next layer. Place potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add a layer of celery. Add layer of hamburger. Add the layer of onions. Add the green pepper. Pour the tomatoes over the mixture. Lay onion slices on top, if desired. Bake for 2 hours, covering with foil after about one hour.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I should have used very low fat hamburger. I did not think about it and it made the casserole a little bit greasy (okay, a lot greasy)
• I peeled and sliced about five potatoes to equal the 2 cups
• I did not measure the salt and pepper...I confess. I just liberally used them both (the pepper more than the salt actually)
• At the store today I did not pick up any canned tomatoes because I thought I had some at home. Nope! I used some canned whole Roma tomatoes that I roughly tore apart over the top of the casserole.
• I was really, really not sure how this was going to turn out, especially when what seemed like backward to me to put the aluminum foil on AFTER it had baked an hour. I did it, but I thought that was definitely different.
• This was tasty. I loved the way the celery just seemed to melt away and you would have never known they were in there if you did not see it being fixed.
• The onions were as equally amazing, of course I am an onion fan. They were so tasty.
• Thanks Mr. John. This was a hearty meal for my boys!! I love you! 

The Cookbook Experiment: Dinner - Hamburger Rice Skillet

My daughter and I are cooking every recipe from this cookbook over time:

This is the cookbook from 2006 that our church, Princess Anne Plaza Baptist put together.

Tonight's recipe is from the most incredible Sharon Giambrone.  It is called Hamburger Rice Skillet.  My favorite part about this recipe is that I have all the ingredients in my fridge/cupboard.  Talk about making it easy on me as I don't like to leave the house very much anymore!! Thanks Sharon!! I love you!

Hamburger Rice Skillet
(1) pound ground beef
(1) med. onion in rings
(1) med. green pepper, chopped
(1) clove garlic, minced
(1) cup of medium grain rice
(1)16 ounce tomatoes, diced
(1) 8 ounce tomato sauce
(1) tsp. Worcestershire sauce
(1/2) teaspoon of basil

In skillet, cook beef, onion, pepper and garlic until brown, drain.
Add rice, cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, basil, 1 1/2 cup of water, 1 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer 25-30 minutes until rice is tender. Stir occasionally.

I have to tell you, this is on the stove bubbling away right now and it smells like a little piece of heaven! Always trust an Italian cook!

I can't wait to put this plate in front of my Breezy!

Cowboy Casserole

It's been a long time since I have posted! I am sorry....life gets busy, family gets sick and the computer takes a backseat! So did my family's dinner menu. I realized I was fixing the same thing over and over again. I have heard it said the average family eats the same five things every week. YUCK! I don't want that for my family! BUT I am tired and I don't have very much time or resources for new recipes!

I decided to pull up my big girl panties and try something new. It was mostly made up out of my head after looking at several old cookbooks and not liking what I saw.  I wanted something quick, in the skillet and that ever one would like. This is what I came up with:

Brown the following in a very large skillet:

(2) pounds of ground chuck (poor Chuck)
(1) medium onion, chopped
(1) medium green pepper, diced

Drain fat from the hamburger after it is completely done and put back in skillet. (Your skillet should be on medium heat.)

Drain the following and add to the hamburger:

(1) can of pinto beans
(1) can of black beans (rinse them first)

Stir this into the hamburger and then add the following:
(1) teaspoon garlic salt
(1) teaspoon chipoltle chili powder
(2) teaspoons chili powder (regular kind, nothing fancy)

Next add to regular size cans of diced tomatoes WITH their juice and stir.
Now add the following:

(2) cups of Minute Rice with (2) cups of hot water.

Stir and bring all to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or so until rice is cooked and juices have reduced.

Serve on a plate circled with Frito corn chips and sprinkled liberally with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded pepper jack cheese.

 

My soup is growing and changing.....

So I am making some soup for a friend who is going through a rough time.  It started out to be ordinary chicken soup but it is changing fast.  Here is what I have done so far:

Melted a stick of butter and softened up one good size yellow onion and about 6 minced cloves of garlic.  I then added three good size boneless chicken thighs that had been well salted and peppered.  I let them saute in the butter mixture for a while.

Next I added two cans of chicken broth.  A few cups of water too.  I let that boil until the chicken was falling apart and done.

Next was the addition of about two cups of baby carrots.  Then I added about four peeled and chopped russet potatoes and some rough chopped cabbage.  I tasted the broth and was not too happy. 

Next I added a can of Hunt's chopped tomatoes (they are my favorite because they are flash steamed to peel not chemical treated) and one can of Hunt's tomato paste.  I sprinkled in some dried basil., and oregano.  NOW it smells good! I have to let this simmer awhile to let the potatoes finish cooking and then I think I will be able to quit adding things to it!!