What''s for dinner tonight?

[brightlight]

We''re doing some home renovations including the kitchen, so we''ve had to eat out basically every night. My husband and I can''t wait to just have a Lean Cuisine or some other frozen entree. We''re constantly craving a basic frozen dinner.

 

[brightlight]

Date: 7/30/2009 1:55:17 PM
Author: Ellen

Velcome!



I have a lasagna recipe I made up, if anyone is interested, it''s not hard. However, if you would rather not know so you don''t have to make it, I''ll understand.

kas baby, your chicken sammies sound wonderful!!

I wanna know!

 

[kas baby]

Date: 7/30/2009 1:55:17 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 1:42:07 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 7/30/2009 1:37:26 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 1:02:27 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 7/30/2009 12:57:41 PM
Author: Ellen
Tonight is Miss Hulling''s Sour Cream Noodle bake, fresh green beans cooked with Vidala onion and bacon, and whole wheat rolls.

That sounds yummy....

I shall be over shortly....

It is, I''ll set another place!

Thankees!

Velcome!



I have a lasagna recipe I made up, if anyone is interested, it''s not hard. However, if you would rather not know so you don''t have to make it, I''ll understand.

kas baby, your chicken sammies sound wonderful!!

thanks! I modeled the recipe after a sammie I would get at a little shop on campus-- soooo good! theirs has a mint/pesto mayo that goes on it... it is just divine when they make it well. I didn''t like it as much when my usual girl wasn''t there and I got a sloppy sammie

 

[soocool]

I am heading out to my local seafood store in nearby Buckingham Pa. I can''t decide between their heavenly 4 oz crabcakes (no fillers and breaded with panko breadcrumbs) and fresh corn from a nearby farm or the dry sea scallops which I saute in garlic and butter and then put on a bed of angel hair pasta (homemade) with cubed sauteed yellow squash and vidalia onion. Which would you pick?

 

[Pushin40]

Date: 7/30/2009 1:55:17 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 1:42:07 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 7/30/2009 1:37:26 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 1:02:27 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 7/30/2009 12:57:41 PM
Author: Ellen
Tonight is Miss Hulling''s Sour Cream Noodle bake, fresh green beans cooked with Vidala onion and bacon, and whole wheat rolls.

That sounds yummy....

I shall be over shortly....

It is, I''ll set another place!

Thankees!

Velcome!



I have a lasagna recipe I made up, if anyone is interested, it''s not hard. However, if you would rather not know so you don''t have to make it, I''ll understand.

kas baby, your chicken sammies sound wonderful!!

I would love your lasagna recipe! Being a nice Polsih girl, I really just wing it when I make that kind of stuff. You can''t really screw up lasagna, but I do put too much sauce in sometimes, etc.

Looking to improve my Italian cooking!!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 2:09:19 PM
Author: soocool
I am heading out to my local seafood store in nearby Buckingham Pa. I can''t decide between their heavenly 4 oz crabcakes (no fillers and breaded with panko breadcrumbs) and fresh corn from a nearby farm or the dry sea scallops which I saute in garlic and butter and then put on a bed of angel hair pasta (homemade) with cubed sauteed yellow squash and vidalia onion. Which would you pick?

Oh my lord, no contest, the scallops.

Ok, I will post the lasagna recipe in a short bit!

 

[D&T]

Date: 7/30/2009 1:55:17 PM
Author: Ellen

Velcome!



I have a lasagna recipe I made up, if anyone is interested, it's not hard. However, if you would rather not know so you don't have to make it, I'll understand.

kas baby, your chicken sammies sound wonderful!!

ETA: I meant to say... yes yes please!!! I don't know why, Mine is either too dry, not enough cheese, or my noodles are either over or under cooked.. I've only tried twice and failed both times

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

mmmmm stouffers lasagne is one of my favorite comfort foods! I''m having flashbacks to college right now.

Lasagne is really easy to make and it lasts forever in the freezer in single portions.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 7/30/2009 2:09:19 PM
Author: soocool
I am heading out to my local seafood store in nearby Buckingham Pa. I can''t decide between their heavenly 4 oz crabcakes (no fillers and breaded with panko breadcrumbs) and fresh corn from a nearby farm or the dry sea scallops which I saute in garlic and butter and then put on a bed of angel hair pasta (homemade) with cubed sauteed yellow squash and vidalia onion. Which would you pick?

OMG both sound so good!! I would go for scallops and corn

no pasta for me.

 

[Ellen]

ALL my guys love this. That in no way means it''s the best ever, but it can''t be too bad, because that rarely happens.

9 lasagna noodles
1 roll italian suasage (I use RB Rice)
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
3 c. shredded mozzerella (don''t use cheap, it matters)
canned Parmesan cheese
1 large jar Prego Italian sauce with fresh mushrooms
28 oz. can whole tomatoes (optional, if you use, squeeze maters to get out most of juice or it will make the dish really soupy. I use if I have them, but really good without also))
good dash of pepper and garlic powder, very little to no salt (really enough in cheeses)
1 tsp. white sugar
2 tsp. dry Italian seasoning


Cook noodles according to directions, MINUS 1-2 minutes. (they will cook a bit in the oven) Immediate pour into collander, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.


Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook sausage, breaking up/crumbling as you go. (I find using a knife and fork to cut it up helps once it''s almost done) When cooked, drain grease. (I usually spoon it out onto paper towels, then drain and wipe pan out, just so it doesn''t end up greasy) Put meat back in, add sauce and spices. (and tomatoes if using) Simmer for at least half an hour, with the lid on. (I''ve done an hour or more sometimes, can''t hurt, the flavors just have even more time to marry)


For a single batch, I use a baking dish with an 8x12 opening, and it just fits.

Put down 3 noodles. Spread 1/3 of cot. ch. over noodles. Spoon over 1/3 meat sauce, sprinkle 1 c. mozz., and shake light coating of dry Parm. all over. Repeat twice more.

Bake at 350 for 30 min. Let sit at least 5-10 min. so liquids can redistribute themselves and it sets up.

Chow!

 

[D&T]

Thanks Ellen! I shall try hopefully this weekend, or next

 

[Ellen]

Welcome!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/30/2009 1:39:54 PM
Author: Haven


Ugh! Neither can I. That''s why I always make baked ziti--it tastes just as good, and I don''t have to worry about the noodles staying in place!

I make ziti instead, too. My kids have a book with food ideas (to feed to cats) and the zita is called "Zebra Zita," and we always make that, minus the Zebra (in the book there is a picture of a Zebra sitting in the ziti)!

 

[D&T]

Date: 7/30/2009 3:03:20 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/30/2009 1:39:54 PM
Author: Haven


Ugh! Neither can I. That''s why I always make baked ziti--it tastes just as good, and I don''t have to worry about the noodles staying in place!

I make ziti instead, too. My kids have a book with food ideas (to feed to cats) and the zita is called ''Zebra Zita,'' and we always make that, minus the Zebra (in the book there is a picture of a Zebra sitting in the ziti)!

never tried it, I might have to now

 

[whitby_2773]

Date: 7/30/2009 2:15:38 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 2:09:19 PM

Author: soocool

I am heading out to my local seafood store in nearby Buckingham Pa. I can''t decide between their heavenly 4 oz crabcakes (no fillers and breaded with panko breadcrumbs) and fresh corn from a nearby farm or the dry sea scallops which I saute in garlic and butter and then put on a bed of angel hair pasta (homemade) with cubed sauteed yellow squash and vidalia onion. Which would you pick?

Oh my lord, no contest, the scallops.

ellen, i luuuurve scallops, but - i make jumbo lump crab cakes which would make you weep for the love of them!

i bring the crab in from a company called sea king in MD on the chesapeake - fresh caught and packed in ice, and i make small, delicate crab cakes, barely mixing the ingredients (mirepoix, various herbs and spices) so the crab stays in lumps, rather than shredding. then i make my own cocktail sauce from scratch - from home grown tomatoes, peeled and cooked down into a semi paste mixture (with a few extra ingredients added), mix it with cream of horseradish, then let it stand overnight so the flavor develops. just before serving, i coat then cook the cakes caaaarefully then serve them hot on salad with the cocktail sauce on the side. they''re....oh man!

i started making these after i had a number of visits to MD and came back to NY only to find it was virtually impossible to find comparable crab cakes ANYWHERE. most cooks mix the cake mixture too heavily, so the jumbo lumps shred, and the cocktail sauce is generally bottled. until you''ve tasted tomato cocktail sauce which has been cooked down slowly over an 8 hour period, you haven''t tasted how good a crab cake can be!

YUM!

(but then again - ''scallops for dinner'' isn''t exactly slumming it either!!)

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 3:10:26 PM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 7/30/2009 2:15:38 PM
Author: Ellen
Oh my lord, no contest, the scallops.

ellen, i luuuurve scallops, but - i make jumbo lump crab cakes which would make you weep for the love of them!

i bring the crab in from a company called sea king in MD on the chesapeake - fresh caught and packed in ice, and i make small, delicate crab cakes, barely mixing the ingredients (mirepoix, various herbs and spices) so the crab stays in lumps, rather than shredding. then i make my own cocktail sauce from scratch - from home grown tomatoes, peeled and cooked down into a semi paste mixture (with a few extra ingredients added), mix it with cream of horseradish, then let it stand overnight so the flavor develops. just before serving, i coat then cook the cakes caaaarefully then serve them hot on salad with the cocktail sauce on the side. they''re....oh man!

i started making these after i had a number of visits to MD and came back to NY only to find it was virtually impossible to find comparable crab cakes ANYWHERE. most cooks mix the cake mixture too heavily, so the jumbo lumps shred, and the cocktail sauce is generally bottled. until you''ve tasted tomato cocktail sauce which has been cooked down slowly over an 8 hour period, you haven''t tasted how good a crab cake can be!

YUM!

(but then again - ''scallops for dinner'' isn''t exactly slumming it either!!)

Those really do sound devine whitby! And don''t get me wrong, I love crab "anything", but, my first love is scallops. Though, that "could" change if I ever tasted your cakes and sauce!! Speaking of, I don''t make my own, and I''m sure homemade is always better, but this stuff is not bad at all for ready made. It''s all I will serve.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Whitby-you''re a cruel CRUEL creature

 

[trillionaire]

FI''s A/C is not working

...

So we are having cold chicken pesto pasta and grape tomatoes, and a side salad.

Fruit salad for dessert (blueberries, strawberries, peaches and kiwi)

I would love some iced tea for dinner, but FI doesn''t have any regular tea bags...

... or sugar, now that I think of it!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 7/30/2009 2:44:09 PM
Author: Ellen
ALL my guys love this. That in no way means it''s the best ever, but it can''t be too bad, because that rarely happens.

9 lasagna noodles
1 roll italian suasage (I use RB Rice)
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
3 c. shredded mozzerella (don''t use cheap, it matters)
canned Parmesan cheese
1 large jar Prego Italian sauce with fresh mushrooms
28 oz. can whole tomatoes (optional, if you use, squeeze maters to get out most of juice or it will make the dish really soupy. I use if I have them, but really good without also))
good dash of pepper and garlic powder, very little to no salt (really enough in cheeses)
1 tsp. white sugar
2 tsp. dry Italian seasoning


Cook noodles according to directions, MINUS 1-2 minutes. (they will cook a bit in the oven) Immediate pour into collander, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.


Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook sausage, breaking up/crumbling as you go. (I find using a knife and fork to cut it up helps once it''s almost done) When cooked, drain grease. (I usually spoon it out onto paper towels, then drain and wipe pan out, just so it doesn''t end up greasy) Put meat back in, add sauce and spices. (and tomatoes if using) Simmer for at least half an hour, with the lid on. (I''ve done an hour or more sometimes, can''t hurt, the flavors just have even more time to marry)


For a single batch, I use a baking dish with an 8x12 opening, and it just fits.

Put down 3 noodles. Spread 1/3 of cot. ch. over noodles. Spoon over 1/3 meat sauce, sprinkle 1 c. mozz., and shake light coating of dry Parm. all over. Repeat twice more.

Bake at 350 for 30 min. Let sit at least 5-10 min. so liquids can redistribute themselves and it sets up.

Chow!

Ellen, that''s almost exactly my Mom''s recipe!

 

[soocool]

Date: 7/30/2009 3:10:26 PM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 7/30/2009 2:15:38 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 2:09:19 PM

Author: soocool

I am heading out to my local seafood store in nearby Buckingham Pa. I can''t decide between their heavenly 4 oz crabcakes (no fillers and breaded with panko breadcrumbs) and fresh corn from a nearby farm or the dry sea scallops which I saute in garlic and butter and then put on a bed of angel hair pasta (homemade) with cubed sauteed yellow squash and vidalia onion. Which would you pick?

Oh my lord, no contest, the scallops.

ellen, i luuuurve scallops, but - i make jumbo lump crab cakes which would make you weep for the love of them!

i bring the crab in from a company called sea king in MD on the chesapeake - fresh caught and packed in ice, and i make small, delicate crab cakes, barely mixing the ingredients (mirepoix, various herbs and spices) so the crab stays in lumps, rather than shredding. then i make my own cocktail sauce from scratch - from home grown tomatoes, peeled and cooked down into a semi paste mixture (with a few extra ingredients added), mix it with cream of horseradish, then let it stand overnight so the flavor develops. just before serving, i coat then cook the cakes caaaarefully then serve them hot on salad with the cocktail sauce on the side. they''re....oh man!

i started making these after i had a number of visits to MD and came back to NY only to find it was virtually impossible to find comparable crab cakes ANYWHERE. most cooks mix the cake mixture too heavily, so the jumbo lumps shred, and the cocktail sauce is generally bottled. until you''ve tasted tomato cocktail sauce which has been cooked down slowly over an 8 hour period, you haven''t tasted how good a crab cake can be!

YUM!

(but then again - ''scallops for dinner'' isn''t exactly slumming it either!!)

Whitby, this seafood place makes the crabcakes in lumps also. It melts in your mouth! I couldn''t decide so I bought both. Scallops tonight and crabcakes tomorrow! Oh and I made a sour cream peach pie for dessert.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:00:17 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Whitby-you''re a cruel CRUEL creature

She is. Let''s ''nore her.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:14:04 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Ellen, that''s almost exactly my Mom''s recipe!

Are you serious?? I swears I made that up! Too funny. Did she make hers up? Great minds and all....

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I have a Lasagna Bolgnese recipe that''s pretty tried and true. And you can buy fresh pasta sheets at the grocer''s to save some time, or make your own. It''s totally different than what I''ve had in the US, in that it has 3 components. The ragù, bechamel, and the noodles. Totally different than what my Mom made, but still pretty decent.

Ingredients

Ragù:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound veal, ground
1 pound pork, ground
4 ounces pancetta, ground
1 8-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Béchamel:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Lasagna:
3/4 to 1 pound fresh pasta sheets, about 7 by 4 inches, or dried lasagne noodles blanched for 6 minutes and refreshed
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Oil for brushing

Cooking Instructions:

Ragù:

In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the olive oil.

Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and sweat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are translucent.

Add veal, pork, and pancetta to the vegetables, and brown over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together.

Add the tomato paste, milk, wine, thyme, and 1 cup water, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (if the ragù becomes too thick, add a little more water or wine).

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.

Béchamel:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth.

Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until it is just about to boil. Add the milk to the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until the sauce is very smooth.

Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and nutmeg.

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with melted butter or oil, and layer in the following order from the bottom: ragù, pasta, béchamel, and grated cheese (saving about 1 cup béchamel for last topping), making 3 to 4 layers of pasta, finishing with ragù, béchamel, and 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled over the top. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:15:13 PM
Author: soocool
Whitby, this seafood place makes the crabcakes in lumps also. It melts in your mouth! I couldn''t decide so I bought both. Scallops tonight and crabcakes tomorrow! Oh and I made a sour cream peach pie for dessert.

Ok, can we please have the recipe for this?

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:17:41 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 7/30/2009 5:14:04 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

Ellen, that''s almost exactly my Mom''s recipe!

Are you serious?? I swears I made that up! Too funny. Did she make hers up? Great minds and all....

Totally. The only real difference is that she sometimes adds a chopped/processed spinach and ricotta mixture in there. Otherwise, almost exactly the same.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:18:40 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier

I have a Lasagna Bolgnese recipe that''s pretty tried and true. And you can buy fresh pasta sheets at the grocer''s to save some time, or make your own. It''s totally different than what I''ve had in the US, in that it has 3 components. The ragù, bechamel, and the noodles. Totally different than what my Mom made, but still pretty decent.

Wow, this does sound different, but good!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 7/30/2009 12:57:41 PM
Author: Ellen
Tonight is Miss Hulling''s Sour Cream Noodle bake, fresh green beans cooked with Vidala onion and bacon, and whole wheat rolls.

It''s got bacon! I''m totally IN!

 

[Haven]

Ellen--I will definitely try your recipe, thank you for sharing it!

But please, somebody, SOMEBODY, tell me:
How do I get the lasagna to stay together? I''ve tried it so many times, and it *always* falls apart on me.

Is there a trick to laying out the noodles? What am I missing?!

I feel like such a failure whenever I try to make it, it is so frustrating.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 7/30/2009 5:22:20 PM
Author: Haven
Ellen--I will definitely try your recipe, thank you for sharing it!

But please, somebody, SOMEBODY, tell me:
How do I get the lasagna to stay together? I''ve tried it so many times, and it *always* falls apart on me.

Is there a trick to laying out the noodles? What am I missing?!

I feel like such a failure whenever I try to make it, it is so frustrating.

The key is really to let the thing set up after you pull it out of the oven.

Cutting into a fresh out of the oven lasagna is as freakin'' frustrating as cutting into a fresh baked pie. I know it''s tempting, but resist until it''s been out at least 15 minutes.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Also, I refuse to photograph lasagna for my food blog anymore. It always looks like a pile of slop on a plate. Yummy slop - but not super attractive.