Almost Lasagna

serves 6

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked, (or other similarly shaped pasta-like small shells)
1 lb Ground turkey, (or beef, chicken, sausage or tofu crumbles)
1 jar Pasta Sauce, (26 ounces)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 lb Ricotta cheese
2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 c Veggies , (diced zucchini, matchstick carrots, etc.)
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Brown meat and drain well, if necessary.
2. While meat is cooking, stir together eggs, ricotta, grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.
3. Mix cooked meat, macaroni, sauce and veggies. Add ricotta mixture and blend well.
4. Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
5. Heat your oven to 350 F and bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 tground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c veggie oil
1/4 c milk
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
1 c shredded zucchini
1/4 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped walnuts

Directions:
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins done.

Chocolate Whoopies

makes 24

"Pie" ingredients
1 2/3 c flour
2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
4 T butter, room temp
4 T veggie shortening
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c milk

Filling ingredients
1 1/2 c marshmallow fluff
1 1/4 c veggie shortening
1 c confectioner's sugar
1 T vanilla

Directions
1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt on sheet of wax paper. In work bowl of a stand mixer w/ paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, and brown sugar on low until just combined. Increase to medium & beat 3 min. Add egg & vanilla; beat 2 more minutes.
3. Add half the flour mixture and half of milk to batter; beat briefly on low. Beat in remaining flour and milk.
4. Using a spoon drop 1 T at a time onto one of the baking sheets, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 min or until pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from oven; let cool on sheet for 5 min; transfer pies to rack to finish cooling.
5. To make filling: Beat fluff and shortening for 3 mins on medium. Reduce to low, and add sugar and vanilla. Beat until incoporated. Increase speed to medium, beat til fluffy.
6. Sandwich filling between flat sides of two pies; repeat for all pies.

Enjoy!

Honey Lentils

From A Year of Slow cooking

--1 1/2 cups lentils
--3 cups water
--1/2 red onion, diced
--1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
--1/2 cup shredded carrot
--1 tsp salt
--1 tsp dried mustard
--1/4 tsp ground ginger
--2 T soy sauce (La Choy is GF)
--1/3 cup honey (and maybe another 1 T later to taste)
--1 dried bay leaf or 2 fresh

Directions:
Used a 4 quart crockpot at least.

You really should rinse off lentils, though.

Put the lentils into your crockpot. Add the water. Chop up the onion, and add along with the carrots. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add. Stir in the dried mustard, salt, and ginger. Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir to combine. Float the bay leaf/ leaves on top.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-5.

Taste. If desired, stir in an extra tablespoon of honey. Yummy!

Lima Bean Cassarole

From A Year of Slow Cooking.

Don't knock it til you try it. I really liked it, and so did my kids.

Ingredients:
--1 pound of dried lima beans (soaked over night)
--28 oz can diced tomatoes
--2 cups diced ham, or turkey ham
--1 medium yellow onion, chopped
--3 smashed and chopped garlic cloves
--1/2 tsp black pepper
--1 T dried mustard
--1 cup water

Directions:
Soak the beans overnight in a bunch of cold water. They will expand, so use enough water to cover them at least 4 inches.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Dump into a 4 quart or larger crockpot. Add a fresh cup of water.

Dice up the ham or turkey ham (I think chicken and apple sausages would be good, too) and add on top.

Open the can of tomatoes, and pour in the whole can. Chop the onion and garlic and add. Stir in the spices.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you cook this too long, the only harm will be that the beans begin to fall apart.

Pasta Fagioli

Copycat Olive Garden recipe

Ingredients:
--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time

Directions:
Use a 6 quart or large crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stove, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese if you have it. This soup freezes and reheats nicely.

Kera's Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

My SIL have been bragging about these muffins for a while, I'm excited b/c I have her recipe. Yay!

The following is a single recipe for them. I ALWAYS double it though.

Preheat Oven to 350 F

2 cups Kellogg's All Bran ORIGINAL. (NOT Flakes)
1 cup Kellogg's Bran Buds
1 cup boiling water
Mix boiling water with both cereals. Let soak for 5 minutes or so.

Mean while, mix the following ingredients together in a mixing bowl:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
2 cups buttermilk

Add the soaked cereals to the mixing bowl and mix well.
Add chocolate chips to batter (to your preference of chocolate lover-tude)

Spray your muffin pans with Pam (or whatever non stick spray you use) and fill the cups about 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 minutes.

Here is my HUGE secret to making them taste the best:
When they come right out of the oven and are cooled, I don't really love them. They aren't nearly as moist.

Here is what I've found. When they are still a little warm place the in Ziplock bags. (make sure they are freezer bags). Give them an hour or more in the baggie. The warmth softens the outer part of the muffins.
Also these freeze AMAZINGLY well. When we are finished with one baggie, I pull out another and leave on the counter. You can also warm them in the microwave at 50%.
ENJOY!