My lasagna recipe

Lucy said:

Ok, I'm going to share my lasagna recipe with you all, that I made for
dinner this evening, actually.

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the green
leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi.. cilantro does NOT
work!)

Remove lasagna from the box and let it sit on the counter for about ten
minutes.. until the frozen lasagna slips easily from the plastic container.
Put it into a rectangle pan of your own that you have sprayed with Pam.
Bake according to package directions.
Remove from oven.. top with sliced provolone, and return to oven just until
the cheese melts and is bubbly.
Remove from oven again, and sprinkle with mild flavored green stuff.
(again.. cilantro doesn't work.. neither does fresh dill. It must be
something fairly tasteless)
The green stuff is important though. That, plus the sliced cheese.. gives
the impression it is homemade.

Serve with pepperidge farm garlic bread, and pre-packaged salad mix tossed
with a couple of cut up tomatoes, and a bottled viniagrette dressing, that
you pour into another bottle and shake.. giving the impression you slaved
away making this.

lucy (grinning broadly)
p.s. Tomorrow night.. I am going to try my hand at real cooking!

This sounds absolutely hideous. Did you actually make this thing,
and did anybody eat it?

Daisy

Daisy said:

This sounds absolutely hideous. Did you actually make this thing,
and did anybody eat it?

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet wet. I think she
accomplished a lot, and has something to be proud of. I can't wait to see
her "real" cooking. 🙂

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Daisy said:

Lucy said:

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the
green leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi..
cilantro does NOT work!)

This sounds absolutely hideous. Did you actually make this thing,
and did anybody eat it?

*lol*

bq

Damsel said:

Daisy said:

This sounds absolutely hideous. Did you actually make this thing,
and did anybody eat it?

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet wet. I think she
accomplished a lot, and has something to be proud of. I can't wait to see
her "real" cooking. 🙂

Carol

I agree. She should be given credit to jump in with both feet and try
new things.

--
Steve

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

Lucy said:

Ok, I'm going to share my lasagna recipe with you all, that I made for
dinner this evening, actually.

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the
green leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi..
cilantro does NOT work!)

For lasagna, oregano, basil or marjoram are best. But Stouffers probably
already put some in there 🙂

Jill

jmcquown said:

Lucy said:

Ok, I'm going to share my lasagna recipe with you all, that I made
for dinner this evening, actually.

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the
green leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi..
cilantro does NOT work!)

For lasagna, oregano, basil or marjoram are best. But Stouffers
probably already put some in there 🙂

Yeah..
Broccoli, pork sausages and shrimp make best lasagna in the world.
lol

B

(snip)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet wet. I think she
accomplished a lot, and has something to be proud of. I can't wait to

see

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

her "real" cooking. 🙂

Quoted message said:

I agree. She should be given credit to jump in with both feet and try
new things.

This my first post to the list. I have lurked for years, and learned from
it. As in any 'art', one starts out in spurts and fits. In order to learn
any artistic media, it requires inquisitiveness,desire,patience,mentors,and
critics. It is easy to be a critic. Let Lucy be proud in her newfound
accomplishments,and encourage her. She,will expand her palate,as we have,and
respond in kind. Her lasagnia is good considering that she knew to "jazz" it
up,and did not fear...it worked for her. I am confident that this may create
some heat, however, I wish that I were back in NYC. where "everything" is
available.

Hubert Liverman

Damsel said:

Daisy said:

This sounds absolutely hideous. Did you actually make
this thing, and did anybody eat it?

I quit reading half way through because it didn't appeal to me, BUT...

Quoted message said:

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet
wet. I think she accomplished a lot, and has something
to be proud of. I can't wait to see her "real" cooking.
🙂

That's why it never occurred to me to post any response, much less a
negative one.

Keep trying, Lucy. You'll get it. With your positive attitude and this
group (you'll learn who to ignore), soon *you* will be giving great
advice.

BOB

Quoted message said:

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so
pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Let's start with the salad.

(The recipe below is fairly long, as I tried to explain a few things,
but is not time consuming or difficult.)

First, buy whatever kinds of greens look good. Yes LOOK good. Freshness
and appearance are important. Buy a few different kinds. Usually
Romaine is very easy to find, as are spinach and a few others. You'll
get extra credit for using Radicchio, Endive, and/or Arugula.<g> Wash
the greens off, and dry them off. If you don't have a spinner (and I
don't) they may just need a good shake and a bit of time to dry. A
paper (or clean cloth) towel can speed the process. If you don't dry
them,
they won't hold the dressing as well. Tear the greens apart. Cutting
them will cause them to brown and wilt faster. Add something to the
greens just before serving. The fad these days is fruit/nut/cheese
combos, but tomatoes, peppers, and/or onions are fine as well. For the
salad dressing pour a little vinegar into some good oil, using 2 or 3
times as much oil. Ideally you might add balsamic vinegar into extra
virgin olive oil, but most packaged dressings use cheaper soybean oil
and
distilled vinegar, so anything is an improvement. Cider vinegar is
cheap and adds a bit of flavor. Add a bit of mustard (preferably a good
Dijon, but again, don't fret the details.) The mustard is an
emulsifier, which helps keep the vinegar and oil from separating. The
commercial products often use lecithin which is available at
some health food stores and such, but mustard is better IMO. This is a
good base dressing. Add whatever to it. Fresh or dried herbs or spices,
poppy seeds, raspberry juice, tequila and lime juice, whatever you
like. You may want to add a touch of salt and or sugar, but taste what
you have before you add these, as they are not always needed. Remix or
shake the dressing just before serving.

There are endless variations on the above. For example

1.Sundried tomatoes (chopped into small pieces), a sprinkle of pine
nuts, and fresh mozzarella on the greens, and add some basil to the
dressing.
2.Blue cheese, real bacon bits, and fresh tomatoes on the greens, and
mash some roasted garlic into the dressing.
3.sliced mango, shrimp, and fresh cilantro on the greens, and tequila
and lime juice in the dressing.

However, if you use good ingredients, the base dressing on good greens
is just fine as is.

Dean G.

hubert liverman said:

(snip)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet
wet. I think she accomplished a lot, and has something
to be proud of. I can't wait to see her "real"
cooking. 🙂

Quoted message said:

I agree. She should be given credit to jump in with both
feet and try new things.

This my first post to the list. I have lurked for years,
and learned from it. As in any 'art', one starts out in
spurts and fits. In order to learn any artistic media, it
requires inquisitiveness,desire,patience,mentors,and
critics. It is easy to be a critic. Let Lucy be proud in
her newfound accomplishments,and encourage her. She,will
expand her palate,as we have,and respond in kind. Her
lasagnia is good considering that she knew to "jazz" it
up,and did not fear...it worked for her. I am confident
that this may create some heat, however, I wish that I
were back in NYC. where "everything" is available.

Hubert Liverman

You need to post here more often.

BOB

" BOB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

hubert liverman said:

(snip)

Quoted message said:

> Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet
> wet. I think she accomplished a lot, and has something
> to be proud of. I can't wait to see her "real"
> cooking. 🙂

Quoted message said:

I agree. She should be given credit to jump in with both
feet and try new things.

This my first post to the list. I have lurked for years,
and learned from it. As in any 'art', one starts out in
spurts and fits. In order to learn any artistic media, it
requires inquisitiveness,desire,patience,mentors,and
critics. It is easy to be a critic. Let Lucy be proud in
her newfound accomplishments,and encourage her. She,will
expand her palate,as we have,and respond in kind. Her
lasagnia is good considering that she knew to "jazz" it
up,and did not fear...it worked for her. I am confident
that this may create some heat, however, I wish that I
were back in NYC. where "everything" is available.

Hubert Liverman

You need to post here more often.

BOB

Thank you, I expected a resounding no response, or severe criticism.. I will
post again, if permissible, more frequently. As, all of us, we have much to
share. Now, to all, I will get my feet wet here. After the posters here get
to know me,we will share information,slap each other around,and enjoy the
general argumentive discorse that always insues. Include me in the 'me
too's',or whatever,on bottom posting.

Hubert

hubert liverman said:

Thank you, I expected a resounding no response, or severe criticism.. I will
post again, if permissible, more frequently. As, all of us, we have much to
share. Now, to all, I will get my feet wet here. After the posters here get
to know me,we will share information,slap each other around,and enjoy the
general argumentive discorse that always insues. Include me in the 'me
too's',or whatever,on bottom posting.

<Damsel slaps Hubert's head so hard it spins like Linda Blair's>

There ya go ... WELCOME!

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Here's my mom's from-scratch recipe (except that the poor ol' broad used
noodles from a <gasp!> box, and used <gasp!> cottage cheese instead of
ricotta).

Having grown up with it, I personally prefer the texture of cottage cheese,
and I really dislike the pastiness of ricotta. And guess what? We're
allowed to use whichever ingredients we like when preparing a dish. We can
even leave things out, and it'll still be okay.

Anyway, here's Mom's recipe for a Midwestern type lasagna (I always catch
flack when I post this recipe - it'll be fun!) The lasagna is good.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lasagna

Recipe By 😄amsel in dis Dress
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :2:00
Categories : main dishes pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic -- pressed
1 large onion -- chopped
28 ounces crushed Italian tomatoes -- chopped
6 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil -- dried
1/2 teaspoon oregano -- dried
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium bay leaf
2 dash tabasco sauce
9 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, part skim milk
24 oz cottage cheese, dry curd
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Brown ground beef. Drain, rinse with hot water, and drain again.
2. Heat olive oil in large sauce pan. Add garlic and onions and sauteed
over medium-low heat until onions are translucent.
3. Add ground beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, basil, oregano, fennel,
worcestershire sauce, pepper, bay leaf, and tabasco to the sauteed garlic
and onion. Simmer one hour. Remove bay leaf.
4. Layer in 9 x 13-inch pan, coated on bottom with a small amount of
sauce, as follows:
3 NOODLES
1/3 of SAUCE
1/3 of MOZZARELLA CHEESE
1/3 of COTTAGE CHEESE (or RICOTTA)
4. Repeat layers twice more. Top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 350F for 60-90 minutes, until top is golden brown.
6. Allow to set for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Cut three
slices the long way, then six across.

Cuisine:
"Italian"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 396 Calories (kcal); 13g Total Fat; (30% calories from fat);
29g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 42mg Cholesterol; 564mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat;
0 Other Carbohydrates

On Thu 27 Jan 2005 02:12:34p, Damsel wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Here's my mom's from-scratch recipe (except that the poor ol' broad used
noodles from a <gasp!> box, and used <gasp!> cottage cheese instead of
ricotta).

Having grown up with it, I personally prefer the texture of cottage
cheese, and I really dislike the pastiness of ricotta. And guess what?
We're allowed to use whichever ingredients we like when preparing a
dish. We can even leave things out, and it'll still be okay.

I'm positive there are laws governing those things! <g>

Quoted message said:

Anyway, here's Mom's recipe for a Midwestern type lasagna (I always
catch flack when I post this recipe - it'll be fun!) The lasagna is
good.

< recipe snipped for brevity >

Carol, your mom's recipe is pretty much the way I make lasagna. However, I
obey the law! <g>

Wayne

"Lucy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ok, I'm going to share my lasagna recipe with you all, that I made for
dinner this evening, actually.

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the green
leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi.. cilantro does

NOT

Quoted message said:

work!)

Remove lasagna from the box and let it sit on the counter for about ten
minutes.. until the frozen lasagna slips easily from the plastic

container.

Quoted message said:

Put it into a rectangle pan of your own that you have sprayed with Pam.
Bake according to package directions.
Remove from oven.. top with sliced provolone, and return to oven just

until

Quoted message said:

the cheese melts and is bubbly.
Remove from oven again, and sprinkle with mild flavored green stuff.
(again.. cilantro doesn't work.. neither does fresh dill. It must be
something fairly tasteless)
The green stuff is important though. That, plus the sliced cheese.. gives
the impression it is homemade.

Serve with pepperidge farm garlic bread, and pre-packaged salad mix tossed
with a couple of cut up tomatoes, and a bottled viniagrette dressing, that
you pour into another bottle and shake.. giving the impression you slaved
away making this.

lucy (grinning broadly)
p.s. Tomorrow night.. I am going to try my hand at real cooking!

So what's your first endeavor going to be? Don't let the food snobs (and you
know who you are) scare you. Cooking isn't as hard as they'd have you
believe, and I guarantee you that they've used their own shortcuts a time or
two!
Start simply and once you gain your confidence you'll be more comfortable
with experimenting to suit your tastes.

kimberly

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lucy's just learning to cook. She's getting her feet
wet. I think she accomplished a lot, and has something
to be proud of. I can't wait to see her "real" cooking.
🙂

That's why it never occurred to me to post any response, much less a
negative one.

Keep trying, Lucy. You'll get it. With your positive attitude and this
group (you'll learn who to ignore), soon *you* will be giving great
advice.

BOB

Quoted message said:

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so
pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Good Job, Lucy..

I've never even thought to "doctor up" frozen lasagne! You're ahead of me
on that one.

And remember, speaking for myself, we do not have gourmet dinners every
night. Some nights, grilled Velvetta cheese (yes Velvetta) sandwiches are
all I can manage. I'm sure that most of the people in this group could
confess to similar
meals. I always think that my grilled cheese dinners make the ones I put
some thought and effort into taste waaaaay better. After all, you have to
have something to compare to.

I'd come to your house for dinner, any time. You seem like a fun person and
I'll know that you gave me the best meal you could.

xoxoxoxo
jillie
Roseville, CA

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
<snipped>

Quoted message said:

< recipe snipped for brevity >

Carol, your mom's recipe is pretty much the way I make lasagna. However, I
obey the law! <g>

Wayne

Pretty close to mine as well... but cottage cheese, Lady? ;-D

--
Steve

<shot fired across the bow>

(snips)

Quoted message said:

noodles from a <gasp!> box, and used <gasp!> cottage cheese instead of
ricotta).

Having grown up with it, I personally prefer the texture of cottage

cheese,

Quoted message said:

and I really dislike the pastiness of ricotta. And guess what? We're
allowed to use whichever ingredients we like when preparing a dish. We

can

Quoted message said:

even leave things out, and it'll still be okay.

Anyway, here's Mom's recipe for a Midwestern type lasagna (I always catch
flack when I post this recipe - it'll be fun!) The lasagna is good.

I agree, up until we get to here.

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce.

It can be an ingredient, however my Brooklyn mother and her next door
neighbor, Sophia would never consider this. They had a lifelong debate about
how to make any 'gravy'. The discussion kept them alive seemingly forever.
Bless them both for their lifelong friendship and arguments!

Hubert Liverman

Brooklyn born and Alabama raised, let's talk food.

Brainquake said:

jmcquown said:

Lucy said:

Ok, I'm going to share my lasagna recipe with you all, that I made
for dinner this evening, actually.

1 family size stouffer's lasagna
sliced provolone cheese (non-smoked) (It is sold already sliced)
something green and leafy that isn't strongly flavored. parsley, the
green leaves from celery, or the leaves from carrot tops. (fyi..
cilantro does NOT work!)

For lasagna, oregano, basil or marjoram are best. But Stouffers
probably already put some in there 🙂

Yeah..
Broccoli, pork sausages and shrimp make best lasagna in the world.
lol

B

I love a broccoli/spinach/mushroom lasagna in a white sauce, or how about a
seafood lasagna? It's all good!

kili