Easy Beef & Spinach Lasagna

(Adapted from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/gmeat/easy_beef_&_spinach_lasagna_recipe.html)

• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground white meat turkey (the kind of ground turkey with the lowest fat content)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 jar (26 to 30 ounces) prepared spaghetti sauce (or more)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 carton (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 package (10 ounces?) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained (Use your hands to squeeze out the water.)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 box brown rice lasagna noodles (or regular ones)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, or however much you want

Heat oven to 375°F. In large nonstick skillet, brown ground beef/turkey over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Pour off drippings. Season beef with salt; stir in spaghetti sauce and red pepper; set aside.

Boil lasagna noodles until cooked.  There will be a few extras; you won't actually need the whole box.  Drain and use immediately.  (Otherwise they will stick together.)

Meanwhile in medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, and Parmesan cheese.

Spread some beef sauce over bottom of a square baking dish (8x8"? 9x9"?). Arrange lasagna noodles lengthwise in single layer, tearing them as needed to fit in dish.  Spread entire ricotta cheese mixture over noodles; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and top with more beef sauce. Arrange remaining noodles in single layer; press lightly into sauce. Top with remaining beef sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. [Note:  I think these directions were for layering in a 9x13" pan. For the square pan that I use, I think it's layered as follows:  beef, pasta, half the ricotta, mozzarella, beef, pasta, other half of the ricotta, mozzarella, beef, pasta, last of the beef, last of the mozzarella.]

Bake in 375°F oven 45 minutes or until cooked. Let cool for a bit before serving.

Pumpkin Muffins

(From http://www.pioneerthinking.com/pumpkinmuffins.html)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 3 each eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cups melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 cups pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Add all ingredients into large bowl and mix together until well blended. Batter will be lumpy. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pan. Sprinkle generously with topping mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Yields 1.5 dozen.

Comments:
I don't remember if I've made this before. It's not the definitive recipe from home.

Aztec Soup (aka Tortilla Soup)

(From http://www.netcooks.com/recipes/Soups/Aztec.Soup.html)

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 small white onion
• 2 quajillo chiles, seeded and soaked in hot water 15 minutes
• 4 epazote leaves (optional)
• 4 corn tortillas
• shredded cheese
• sliced avocado
• Mexican crema or sour cream
• oil as necessary

Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, chiles, and epazote in a blender with just enough of the chicken broth to allow the blades to move and make a smooth puree. Heat about 1 Tbls. of oil in a medium saucepan and fry the puree for about 15 minutes. Add the remainder of the broth and cook another 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.Cut the tortillas into Frito-size strips and fry them in oil until crispy; drain on paper towels. Serve the soup garnished with the tortilla strips, cheese, avocado slices, and cream. Shredded, cooked chicken may also be added as a garnish.

Comments:
I made this once. The flavor was decent, but the broth was very thin. I have a better recipe somewhere. The tortillas don't need any oil to fry if using a non-stick pan.

Chicken saltimbocca

(From http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/books/05/26/giada.recipes/index.html#chicken)

• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to flatten evenly
• 6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 (14-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat. Season with ? teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Place the chicken cutlets flat on a work surface. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Arrange an even layer of spinach atop the prosciutto and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll and secure with a toothpick.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a high flame. Add the chicken rolls and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer the chicken to 6 plates and set aside. Increase the heat to high and cook the sauce until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Moussaka

(From http://southernfood.about.com/od/eggplantcasserolerecipes/r/bl30621c.htm)

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• dash cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Slice eggplants in 1/2-inch slices. In a large kettle, boil eggplant slices 5 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain in colander or on paper towels. Sprinkle eggplant with 2 teaspoons of salt and place a layer of paper towels on top of the salted slices. Place a heavy casserole or bowl on top of eggplant, pressing down to squeeze out excess water. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef; drain off excess fat. Add drained tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon. Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread meat mixture over the eggplant. Top meat mixture with remaining eggplant slices.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour; remove from heat. Gradually stir in milk; return to heat and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add shredded cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Add a small portion of the mixture to the eggs, beating quickly, then return egg mixture to sauce in saucepan, whisking in quickly. Pour cheese sauce over the all.

Bake at 400° for 30 minutes, or until topping is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. This eggplant recipe serves 6.

Chicken Marsala

(From http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/bl21220e.htm)

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves without skin
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 to 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (1/2 to 1 cup sliced)
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine

Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and basil; mix well. Heat oil and butter in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour mixture. Cook chicken until lightly browned on first side (about 2 to 3 minutes). Turn chicken and add mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 minutes longer, until lightly browned; stir the mushrooms. Add Marsala wine to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Serve with hot cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Comments:
This is very good. The chicken turns out quite tender.

Valentino's Pizza Crust

(From http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Valentinos-Pizza-Crust/Detail.aspx)

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Pat dough into pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil. If desired sprinkle basil, thyme or other seasonings on crust. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.

Comments:
I can't remember if this is the one I've made before. It might be. Has the advantage of not needing kneading.