Lasagna

In addition to having the best mom in the entire world, I also have the mom with the best lasagna recipe in the world.  Lasagna is a very popular food in Utah.  And everyone seems to thinks their mom’s lasagna is the best.  I, however, beg to differ because my mom’s truly is the best.  No offense to any of you who love your mom’s lasagna.  I’m sure it’s perfectly adequate.  I’ve yet to come across any lasagna that tastes better or even remotely as good as my mom’s. 

Robynne’s Lasagna

1 pkg pre-cooked lasagna noodles (it will save you a lot of time)

1 lb. Italian sausage

2 cans Hunts traditional tomato sauce

Three- 8oz packages of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 small container of sour cream

1 small container of cottage cheese.

Preheat oven to 350

Cook sausage thoroughly.  Don't drain the fat from the pan.  Add both cans of sauce and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

Combine sour cream and cottage cheese together in a bowl.

In a glass baking dish, layer sauce on the bottom.  Then add a layer of noodles, sauce mixture, sour cream mixture and 1 of the packages of cheese.  Repeat this step for 2 more layers.

Bake covered in foil for about 20 minutes.  Then uncover foil and continue baking another 15 min.  

VERY IMPORTANT:  LET LASAGNE SIT FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING.

San Francisco Style Pasta

I made this last night and couldn't believe I haven't blogged about it... This is one of my favorite dishes and reminds me of growing up.  My dad used to make it all the time.  Sometimes the simplest things taste the best.  I think this pasta is a great way to get lots of different types of veggies into a meal. I made this for some boys who used to live next to me and they inhaled it. It's the perfect summer time dish. It's served cold and keeps very well for leftovers.

San Fransisco Style Pasta
A package of Farfalle (bow ties) or fusilli (corkscrews) or tube shaped pasta.  I use whole wheat pasta to make things a little more healthy.  It seriously tastes the same.  
Green bell pepper
Red bell pepper
Head of broccoli
Baby carrots (cut in half)
Black olives (cut in half or whole)
1 pkg Parmesan cheese
Hard salami (cut into bit sized pieces)
Olive Oil


Cook the pasta until done.  While the pasta is cooking cut up the green and red bell peppers, broccoli, baby carrots and black olives into small bit sized pieces. Once the pasta is done, rinse under cold water until pasta is no longer hot.  Drain.  Drizzle olive oil over pasta.  Add the pkg of cheese, veggies and salami.  Toss all together.   

Pesto

Last week we had an amazing 4th of July BBQ.  One of my room mates made homemade pesto.  It was by far the biggest hit of the night!  The boys ate this up.  I thought I'd share.  Can't wait to make me another batch this weekend! 

Homemade Pesto

2/3 cup olive oil

2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 or 2 cloves garlic (I like using 2, it gives it a little more bite)

I usually throw the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in the blender and pulse them until they're pretty well chopped. Then pour the olive oil in slowly with the blender on medium speed until it incorporates.  Finally, add the cheese, and blend on low speed just until it's mixed in.  This is enough to go with a 1-lb box of pasta.

Weird... But I love it. Pasta with ham and egg pasta

This is a strange one.  But I love it.  I mean- who doesn't love butter, ham and pasta?  My Dad discovered this .  I think it's great!  I don't think my step mom cared for it. 

This is also an ideal dish for one. You really can cook it in 10 minutes once the water comes to a boil-just adjust the proportions accordingly.
 

Pasta with ham and egg pasta

Makes 3 or 4 main course or about 6 first course servings

Salt and black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
4 to 8 tablespoons (1/2 to 1 stick)
butter
8 slices ham (about 6 ounces), cut into ribbons
4 eggs
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste
 

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Turn the oven on to its lowest setting; warm 4 pasta bowls in it. When the water is ready, add the pasta. Meanwhile, put 1 tablespoon of the butter and the ham into a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the ham colors, about 2 minutes, then divide the ham among the pasta bowls.
2. Add the remaining butter (the more the better, of course) to the pan and, when the foam subsides, crack the eggs into the pan. Cook them sunny side up, until the whites are nearly firm and the yolks very runny. The butter will begin to color while the eggs are cooking; if it threatens to burn, lower the heat to medium.
3. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving a bit of the cooking water. Put the pasta in the bowls. Use a spatula to transfer a fried egg to each bowl of pasta and pour all the butter from the pan around the eggs onto the pasta. Slice the eggs on the pasta and toss them with the pasta, adding cheese and, if necessary, a little of the pasta cooking liquid, to make a sauce. Add salt if necessary, and lots of black pepper, and serve.

My go to meal for boys and children- Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

Being the snob that I am... I can't JUST eat mac and cheese (unless it's velveeta).  No. It has to be fancy.  This is my dad's recipe for mac and cheese.  I'm afraid I've been spoiled... Nothing else will do. 

I've yet to make this for boys or children and not have them enjoy it.  I certainly love it!

Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 onion chopped
I bell pepper chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can milk (or cup)
2 cups cheddar or mixed cheese
Paprika

Cook macaroni.
Brown ground beef.
Combine all of the ingredients except ½ of the cheese and paprika. Mix well. Pour into a glass pan. Top with the remaining cheese and paprika.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

My go to meal- Tortellini Stir-fry

I make this meal a lot.  I mean a lot.  At least a couple times a month.  Mainly because it's easy, has lots of veggies, heats up well for leftovers, and goes a long way.

1 9 oz package tortellini
1 T vegetable oil
1 pkg frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/3 cup peanut or garlic stir-fry sauce (sometimes to mix it up, I'll even use low sodium teriyaki sauce)
2 T water
2 T chopped peanuts or cashews (optional)

Cook Tortellini according to package directions. Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add veggies and stir 8 min. Add Tortellini, sauce, and water. Cook 2 min. Sprinkle on nuts before serving.

Sausage and Veggies

I found this recipe here and it was originally posted on Cooking Light, one of my favorite places to find recipes. Very great healthy and tasty meal!

Ingredients

• 1/2  pound  hot Italian turkey sausage
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  chopped red onion
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  cup  mushrooms, quartered
• 1  small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1  small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1  small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
• 1/4  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 4  cups  hot cooked penne (about 1/2 pound uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Preparation

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sausage is done. Stir in tomatoes; cover and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Add pasta and black pepper; stir well. Cook over medium-low heat 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.