**Note - this thread was started in 2005, however, per a request from one of our members, other, more recent threads pertaining to recipes were merged with the original.
I'm a foodie. There, I said it. Some of you may already know it, but it's nice to get it out in the open.
I love everything about food. I love the smell, the taste, the texture, the colors. I love to cook. I love to watch people cook. I love to read about people cooking. I have more cookbooks than I could ever possibly begin to use. But I still love to buy them and I love to receive them as gifts. When I go on vacation I always buy a local cookbook from the area we visited. It's just my thing...everyone's got a thing...that's mine.
Why am I telling you this, you ask??? Well, we get to know each other through conversation and through photography every day. But I thought it might be interesting to get to know each other through what we eat...we are a multi-national group here so I'm excited at the prospect of some really tasty recipes!
So here goes....Post your favorite recipe, or as in my case, a recipe everyone knows you for. This is my lasagne recipe...My mother started it and I tweaked it...I made it for Patrick and then not long after he proposed!!! Hmmmm.....
LASAGNE
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
4-8 cloves chopped/minced garlic (FRESH!!!, ALWAYS FRESH)
1 large yellow onion (coarsely chopped)
1 small can tomato paste
2 cans (12-16 oz each) crushed tomatoes
1 can (12-16 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary (this is the secret....most people don't think to
put it in)
salt and pepper to taste (about 1-2 tsp each)
1 large container low fat cottage cheese
1.5-2 pounds shredded mozzerella (use as much or as little as you like...i use
tons!)
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
1 large package of lasagne noodles
1) heat olive oil in large pot
2) add onion and garlic, saute until onions go tanslucent
3) add ground beef and cook until just cooked (don't cook it dry), drain if
you like
4) add tomato paste and stir until meat is coated
5) pour in tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes
6) add in the salt and pepper and taste....if it needs more, wait
7) let this simmer until it starts to thicken, but stir occasionally so it doesn't stick (about 20 minutes)
8 ) now add your spices and cook another 10 minutes, then taste
9) if it still needs salt....add about a half teaspoon or so. (the reason to not over-salt is that the cheeses have salt)
10) okay.....turn off your sauce and cook your noodles about half
way, just until they are flexible....this makes them easier to work with,o otherwise they fall apart when
you pick them up. drain them well.
11) now, some sauce in the bottom of the pan, just enough to coat the bottom
12) make a layer of noodles, top w/ sauce, cottage cheese and mozzerella
13) repeat until pan is just about full, then sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese
14) you may have left over sauce.....it freezes well in a airtight container
15) bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour (the top should be
browned and bubbling)
cool slightly and serve w/galic bread.
I'm a foodie. There, I said it. Some of you may already know it, but it's nice to get it out in the open.
I love everything about food. I love the smell, the taste, the texture, the colors. I love to cook. I love to watch people cook. I love to read about people cooking. I have more cookbooks than I could ever possibly begin to use. But I still love to buy them and I love to receive them as gifts. When I go on vacation I always buy a local cookbook from the area we visited. It's just my thing...everyone's got a thing...that's mine.
Why am I telling you this, you ask??? Well, we get to know each other through conversation and through photography every day. But I thought it might be interesting to get to know each other through what we eat...we are a multi-national group here so I'm excited at the prospect of some really tasty recipes!
So here goes....Post your favorite recipe, or as in my case, a recipe everyone knows you for. This is my lasagne recipe...My mother started it and I tweaked it...I made it for Patrick and then not long after he proposed!!! Hmmmm.....
LASAGNE
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
4-8 cloves chopped/minced garlic (FRESH!!!, ALWAYS FRESH)
1 large yellow onion (coarsely chopped)
1 small can tomato paste
2 cans (12-16 oz each) crushed tomatoes
1 can (12-16 oz) tomato sauce
2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary (this is the secret....most people don't think to
put it in)
salt and pepper to taste (about 1-2 tsp each)
1 large container low fat cottage cheese
1.5-2 pounds shredded mozzerella (use as much or as little as you like...i use
tons!)
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
1 large package of lasagne noodles
1) heat olive oil in large pot
2) add onion and garlic, saute until onions go tanslucent
3) add ground beef and cook until just cooked (don't cook it dry), drain if
you like
4) add tomato paste and stir until meat is coated
5) pour in tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes
6) add in the salt and pepper and taste....if it needs more, wait
7) let this simmer until it starts to thicken, but stir occasionally so it doesn't stick (about 20 minutes)
8 ) now add your spices and cook another 10 minutes, then taste
9) if it still needs salt....add about a half teaspoon or so. (the reason to not over-salt is that the cheeses have salt)
10) okay.....turn off your sauce and cook your noodles about half
way, just until they are flexible....this makes them easier to work with,o otherwise they fall apart when
you pick them up. drain them well.
11) now, some sauce in the bottom of the pan, just enough to coat the bottom
12) make a layer of noodles, top w/ sauce, cottage cheese and mozzerella
13) repeat until pan is just about full, then sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese
14) you may have left over sauce.....it freezes well in a airtight container
15) bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour (the top should be
browned and bubbling)
cool slightly and serve w/galic bread.
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