Veggie Lasagna

Delicious recipe adapted from here. We doubled the egg plant and added mushrooms for more veggie deliciousness. 

Ingredients:

• 3 red peppers, cut into large chunks
• 4 aubergines, cut into ½ cm thick slices
• 500g sliced mushrooms
• 8 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the dish 
• 300g lasagne sheets
• 125g mozzarella
• handful cherry tomatoes, halved

For the tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 200ml white wine
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 bunch of basil, leaves picked

For the white sauce

• 85g butter

  85g plain flour

  750ml milk

Method:

To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and carrot. Cook for 5-7 mins over a medium heat until softened. Turn up the heat a little and stir in the tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, pour in the white wine, then cook for 5 mins until this has reduced by two-thirds. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and add the basil leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool then whizz in a food processor.

To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the plain flour, then cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to the boil, stirring. Turn down the heat, then cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon.

Heat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil two large baking trays and add the peppers, mushrooms, and aubergines. Toss with the olive oil, season well, then roast for 25 mins until lightly browned.

Reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil a 30 x 20cm ovenproof dish. Arrange a layer of the vegetables on the bottom, then pour over a third of the tomato sauce. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets, then drizzle over a quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have three layers of pasta.

Spoon the remaining white sauce over the pasta, making sure the whole surface is covered, then scatter over the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Bake for 45 mins until bubbling and golden.

Great Easy Brownies

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup butter, melted

• 4 eggs

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

  1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

  Procedure:

  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350F (175C) for 20 to 30 minutes, until top is dry and edges begin to pull away from the pan. Cool and cut into squares. Dust with powdered sugar. 

Ethereal Dessert (Strawberry Angel Food)

 Christy’s favorite birthday cake. A Moo family recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Angel food cake (recipe here)
• 500g frozen strawberries
• 1 3oz package lemon Jello
• 1 pint (400g) vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream for frosting

Procedure:

• Defrost strawberries. Crush and strain the juice into a bowl. Add water to juice to make 1 cup of liquid. 
• Bring juice/water mixture to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in Jello. Add ice cream and stir until melted. 
• Chill mixture in a shallow bowl until thickened but not set (about 1 hour). Fold in crushed strawberries. 
• Chill mixture until almost set. 
• Cut cake into 3 layers with a serrated knife. Divide filling evenly between two layers. 
• Frost with whipped cream. 
• Keep covered in fridge until just before serving. 

Angel Food Cake

 The boys call it “bat cake” because it hangs upside down. Adapted from here. Original recipe calls for cake flour, but it works fine with patisserie flour  

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 (350g) cup sugar 
• 1 cup (133g) patisserie flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 325F (165C)
• Pulse sugar in food processor (or blender) until it is fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add flour and salt to the remaining sugar in the food processor and pulse until mixed. 
• Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat in a large bowl. Add set aside sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and beat to mix. 
• Sift one third of flour mixture one into the egg whites, gently folding it in. Repeat until all flour mixture has been folded in. 
• Pour batter into 10” angel food cake pan, smoothing it out evenly. 
• Bake 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove when cake is golden brown and beginning to crack. Turn upside down to cool immediately. Allow at least 3 hours to cool (may leave overnight). 
• Gently run a thin knife along the inside of the pan to remove the cake. 

Mushroom rice

Cook 1 cup mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter.  Add and cook 1 cup pea pods in butter ‘til crisp. Add 3 cups hot cooked rice (cooked in chicken broth) (I use 2 cups water, 2 chicken boullion cubes, 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 tablespoon butter; put all together in pan, bring to boil, cover tightly and lower heat, cook for 15 minutes). Season with onion powder, salt and pepper, dash of soy sauce.  Can add sliced water chestnuts 

Mini Donuts

 For use in a mini donut maker. I’ve experimented a bit with increasing the sugar, to make them a little more dense. Nutmeg is optional, but I makes a more authentic donut taste  

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (~200g)
• 1/2 cup sugar (~100g)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 125g butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Method

• Mix dry ingredients. 
• Add butter, egg, and milk, and mix until creamy. 
• Brush oil on preheated donut maker, spoon in batter. Close lid and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. 

Empanadas

•  Ingredients:
• 1 large potato, diced into 1/4” cubes (or a handful of uncooked fries, chopped
• 400g ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, grated
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 rib celery, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (115g) chilled butter, cubed
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Method:

1. Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter, 1 egg and ice water, pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape the dough into a ball. Tightly cover the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 min.
2. If using raw potato, place potato cubes into boiling water for about 3 min, until tender.
3. Cook ground beef, onion, celery, and carrots in a large skillet. Add potatoes and cook until beef is brown and vegetables are softened (about 8 min total).
4. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and beef broth. Cook 1 minute.
5. Add peas and simmer on medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 375° (190°C).
7. Remove dough from fridge and divide into 10 equal parts (60–65g each). Roll each ball on floured surface to make circles of about 7” diameter.
8. Add about 1/3 cup of filling on one side of each circle.
9. Use egg wash to dampen the edge of the dough (about 1/4”wide). Fold the dough in half over the filling. Use a fork to press the edges together. Arrange empanadas on parchment paper and brush with egg wash.
10. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cristina’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

 This is the cookie recipe I’ve been looking for. Nice thick cookies that are still soft and chewy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (cold)
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). 

Mix flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. 

Cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla and mix on low. 

Gradually add flour mixture—do not over mix. 

Stir in chocolate chips. 

Chill dough one hour. 

Scoop dough in balls with large tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheet. 

Bake one sheet at a time, 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. 

Remove from oven and let sit 5minutes on baking sheet. 

Ground Beef Casserole

 Great meal for the whole family. Can substitute noodles for chickpea noodles for lower-carb option.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (= 450g) ground beef
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce (= 890ml total)
• 1 (8 ounce) package egg noodles (= 230g)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese (= 85g)
• 1 large white onion, diced
• ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, or more to taste

Brown ground beef and drain grease. Mix in sugar, salt, garlic salt, and tomato sauce. Simmer 20 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cook noodles in boiling water until al dente (about 5 minutes). Drain and allow to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (= 175ºC).

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, and onion in a bowl. In a greased 9x13 pan, layer: half the noodles, half the sour cream mixture, half the ground beef mixture. Repeat layering. Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake until cheese has browned, about 25 minutes.