Stove-Top Lasagna - Mary Polk

serves 4 (unless you really like lasagna like me)

A good recipe when you want lasagna, but don't have time for all the prep work and layering.....pretty simple, the only problem I ever had in making this is to have to add more tomatoes, so have some extra on hand just in case. and of course, if you want it cheesier add more cheese.

• 3 (14+1/2 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes( Don't use the crushed, tried it and it didn't come out as good)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 med. onion, minced
• salt
• 3 med. garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb 85% lean ground beef 
• (you can use 1 lb Meatloaf mix instead if packaged and available in your store)
• 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces(Do not use the no-boil kind)
• 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
• ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese (whole-milk or part-skim)
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves (if not on hand the dried spice will do)

1. Pulse the tomatoes with juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the combined ground meats and cook, breaking apart the meat, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Scatter the pasta over the meat, then pour the processed tomatoes over the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand till cheese melts. Sprinkle with basil leaves.

Variation
Lasagna with sausage and peppers
Follow the recipe, substituting 1 lb of italian sausage, removed from it's casing, for the ground meat. Add 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped coarsely to the skillet with the onion.

Vegetarian Lasagna
Cook as above, just don't add meat and if you want, add in other vegetables of your choice when you add the onion.

Cabbage and Noodle - Haluski - Peggy Konopka Martinez

• 2 medium heads of cabbage
• 1 medium onion
• Canola Oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 lb egg noodles

Core and dice cabbage in quarters.  Then put the cabbage in the food processor and process it until it is fine.

While you are doing the cabbage you can peel the onion and put the onion in the food processor with the cabbage. 

Coat the bottom of a 3 quart pot with the canola oil and heat.

Once the oil is hot enough, put the cabbage and onion in the pot and cook this until it becomes soft.  This takes a couple of hours.

Make sure you stir every 10 to 15 minutes so it doesn't stick to the pot.

During the course of cooking the cabbage you may need to add more oil so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pot.

While you are cooking the cabbage put in salt and pepper to your taste.

Taste the cabbage to make sure it is done.

Boil the water for the egg noodles and make them as the directions on the bag.  I usually use medium egg noodles (Pennsylvania Dutch) but you can use any egg noodle.

Drain and rinse noodles.

Mix the egg noodles in with the cabbage in the pot and there you have it. 

TACO SALAD - Peggy Konopka Martinez

Ingredients: 

• 1 LB. CHOP MEAT
• 1 PKG. TACO SEASONING MIX (LOW SODIUM)
• 8 OZ. BAG SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
• 2 TOMATOES, CUT IN CHUNKS
• LETTUCE, SHREDDED
• 1 SMALL BAG DORITOS, CRUSHED
• 1 BOTTLE CATALINA DRESSING
• 1 SMALL CAN BLACK OLIVES (OPTIONAL)

COOK MEAT AND DRAIN.  ADD TACO SEASONING.  EMPTY INTO CASSEROLE DISH AND ADD ALL OTHER INGREDIENTS.   MIX.

ENJOY

Noreen's Baked Chicken with Mango Coconut Glaze - Noreen Stephenson

Baked Chicken with Mango Mango Coconut Glaze, Panko Crumbs  

Ingredients: 

• I used chicken thighs but any chicken would work;
• Salt,
• Pepper, 
• Oil for the pan,
• mango coconut grilling & glaze sauce,
• Panko Crumbs  

NOTE:  I used a premade excellent bottle type of glaze and added a cup or so of fine chopped fresh pineapple I put in the food processor. 

Note: 1/2 cup cup of the glaze in the bottle mixed with the 1 cup of my fresh pineapple was plenty. If you eliminate the pineapple use more of the glaze in the bottle.  

Oil the bottom of a pan that will be roomy enough to hold the pieces (I used a corning pan) but any pan is fine. Place chicken in the pan and season w/salt pepper, kosher salt or any salt. You will add some of the glaze to each piece of chicken reserving the balance to add at the end. 

Bake for around 1 hour (I used convection bake at 375) 

NOTE: adjust the temp to your oven. 

NOTE: Drain off the liquid in the pan reserving a few tablespoons.  At the end I brushed on  the remainder of my glaze on each piece of chicken and added some panko crumbs and added some of the liquid to each piece on top  the panko crumbs.  I then put them on a careful slow broil so the sauce would set and the crumbs would slightly brown. Be carful not to burn them.

It is an inexpensive dish and a very tasty one. I had corn as a side dish and Baked Beans. 

Enjoy!