Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tastebook

I spent today updating my family recipe cookbook!!  You can see & order it here:  Jodi's Family Recipe Cookbook

Let me know in the comments if you sign up for Tastebook & if you order a cookbook!

Friday, December 09, 2011

Baked Brie Cheese with Apricot Preserves


1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 sheet puff pastry (from 17.3-oz package), thawed (Pillsbury crescent rolls works nicely)
olive oil or vegan “butter” spread
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese, cut horizontally in half
Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper; lightly spray foil or paper with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix preserves, pecans and onion; set aside.

On lightly floured surface, roll pastry into 10x14-inch rectangle. Using the round of cheese as a pattern, cut a pastry circle 3 to 4 inches larger than the cheese. Set aside excess pastry.

Spread half of the preserves mixture in center of pastry circle, leaving 3-inch edge. Place 1 cheese round (in rind) on preserves. Spoon remaining preserves over cheese. Top with remaining cheese round.

Gently fold edges of pastry up and over cheese to cover, folding and pinching edges to seal. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Cut out decorative pieces from excess pastry. Brush pastry with oil or margarine; place pastry cutouts on top. 5 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.


Friday, December 02, 2011

Oma's Lasagne

This is my Mum's lasagne recipe.  I remember her making it when I was a little girl.  She made it for a dormitory of girls when we lived in Princeton, NJ.  And she also made this when she was a chef in Princeton at a restaurant, and for various restaurants in Northern Virginia when she lived there too.  She's also made it for me on special occasions.  I see her about once every decade (I'm not joking - we never see each other) - and so my mum makes her lasagne for me approx once every 10 years.  I've had it about 4 times in my life. Now, I have the recipe, and it turns out I've gone vegan.  But hopefully others will enjoy!!

Oma’s Lasagna
Meaty sauce layer
Sauce
1 Pkg of ground meat
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
2 T or more oregano
2 T basil
salt & pepper
1 Lg chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine (rinse out the tomato can) with it
chopped mushrooms if you like
-

Cheese layer & noodles
1 container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs beat into the ricotta to make a paste
grated Parmesan, Romano and shredded mozzarella
2 pkg ready to use no boiling first lasagna noodles
In a large pot, brown the meat first. Add all the rest of the ingredients and cook on low heat for 45 minutes stirring often so it doesn’t burn.
In a lasagna pan, put a layer of sauce first then the noodles then the ricotta and cheeses. Continue layering until almost full. Finish with mozzarella cheese. Cover through first 1/2 of baking with a sheet of foil sprayed with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to the cheese.
Uncover through last 1/2 of cooking. Total time will be about an hour at 350.
Let sit a good 1/2 hour or 45 minutes so cutting will be good.