Lasagna Rolls
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

(I've used honey maple ham in a pinch & it works great)

1 large egg, beaten to blend

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 uncooked lasagna noodles

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce:

Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.

Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Enjoy! There have been actual "words" over the last piece...

K

Chocolate Yummy Cake
****
In mixer or large bowl:
2 c. sugar
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
*****
In sauce pan:
1 c. butter
1 c. water
1/2 c. cocoa
****
In separate bowl:

1/2 c. buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
****

(Can you tell this is a well loved and cooked often recipe?)











Cook cocoa mixture till boiling. Add to sugar/flour combo to mixer slowly. (COOKS NOTE: In this recipe, it says to put the cocoa in with the water/butter pan. I don't. I mix it in with the flour prior to adding the wet ingredients. It works better for me but I have to make sure that I mix the cocoa into the flour well to make sure that it doesn't get lumpy.)

If you don't have any buttermilk, don't go to the store! Put about a teaspoon of vinegar into your measuring cup and add milk until you have 1/2 cup. Let it sit on the counter while you are mixing your other stuff and vola! Buttermilk. Lemon juice works too.













See how lumpy it gets!














Add buttermilk, then eggs and vanilla.












Pour into two greased 8x8 pans or one 9x13 and bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Do not over cook!










Frosting:

1 stick butter
6 tbs. milk
3 1/2 tbs. cocoa

In saucepan cook above three ingredients till boiling. Add 1 box confectioners sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour over cakes.

Sho is tasty, sho is yummy, so is good in every one's tummy!

Enjoy!

K

LOQUAT JAM

5 cups loquats

1 box fruit pectin

7 cups sugar

Wash fruit well. Cut off both ends and remove seeds if desired. Place fruit in a saucepan with a small amount of water. Cook slowly and mash with a potato masher occasionally until well done. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the pectin to the fruit and stir well. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add sugar and boil to a rolling boil for 1 minute.

LOQUAT JELLY

Wash loquats and remove seeds. Place in saucepan and add enough water to barely cover fruit. Cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain through jelly bag or four layers of cheese cloth. (For greater yield of juice, twist the two ends of the bag in opposite direction until most of the juice is extracted. Then, strain through clean cheese cloth or jelly bag, but do not squeeze or press.) Add the pectin to the juice and stir well. Let the mixture come to a rolling boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add sugar and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Use three cups juice to two cups sugar (this makes a tart jelly). Skim and pour boiling hot into jelly glasses, cool a sample of the jelly to insure that it will harden. If not, an additional box of pectin may have to be added and the jelly boiled again. Seal and when jars are cold, test for seal.

Beef & Bean Enchiladas

2lbs. ground beef
2 onions cut up
2 small cans enchilada sauce
1/2 can refried beans
Slap Yo Mama Seasoning (small center palm full)
Nutmeg (freshly grated)
Package of soft tortia shells (warm)
2 small cans or 1 large tomato sauce
Cilantro
2 jars favorite salsa
3 packages (2 cup) of sharp cheddar cheese


Cook ground beef and onion, drain. Add enchilada sauce, Slap Yo Mama, handful cilantro, nutmeg and beans. Simmer till slightly thick.

In separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, dash of SYM, and sprinkle of cilantro. Spoon in bottom of pans and shake around till bottom is covered.

Warm tortia shells in microwave. Fill w/bean beef mixture, fold and place in pan.

Mix salsa with any left over tomato sauce, or tortia filling and spoon over enchiladas. Top with cheese. Bake in oven at 350 till cheese is brown and bubbly.





K

Ready, Set...Cook!
This week ingredients were beef, sweet taters and cayenne pepper.

Spicy Beef & Sweet Tater Stir Fry
















Olive Oil
Onion
Green pepper
Sirlion Steak
Sweet Taters
Cayenne Pepper
Beef Stock
Soy Sauce
Ginger
Garlic
Orzo

Cut and cube sweet tater, mince garlic, chop green pepper and onion-reserving the tops. Sprinkle cayenne pepper, salt and pepper all over beef, slice into thin strips.














Stir fry beef in olive oil until brown on outside but pink on inside. Remove from pan.














Place onion, green pepper and garlic into pan and cook till onion is clear.












Add beef broth (around 1/2 cup), soy sauce, and cut and cubed sweet taters, more cayenne pepper, ginger, a little salt and black pepper. Steam until taters are tender. Add beef and warm through.















Serve on orzo and garnish with the chopped tops of the green onion.



Happy Cooking!

K