Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna

6 strips lasagna

24 oz. ricotta cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup cottage cheese

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 medium eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced

2 quarts spaghetti sauce, with meat

5 slices provolone cheese

2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. basil leaves

In large kettle cook the lasagna in boiling water for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with cold water. Set aside. 

In large bowl combine ricotta, cottage, ¼ cup Parmesan, Italian seasoning and eggs and mix together well.  In lightly greased lasagna baking dish lay three pieces of lasagna in bottom. Cover with one third of the cheese mixture. Layer with meat from spaghetti sauce (I use my own homemade so I slice the sausages and meatballs into bite size pieces). Top with one third of the eggplant slices. 

Spread one third of the cheese mixture over the eggplant, then another layer of meat and sauce two more times. 

Cover with last three slices of the lasagna and place provolone cheese over pasta and then cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.  

Bake covered at 350º for one hour. Remove cover and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

© Crackerberries 2015

Chocolate Banana Split Cake

Chocolate Banana Split Cake

1¾ cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ cup cocoa
1 pkg. strawberry gelatin (3 oz.)

1½ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups over ripened, mashed bananas (I used six I found in the freezer)

½ cup warm black coffee

½ cup almond milk (it’s our new favorite thing)

½ cup vegetable oil

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking oil.

Combine sugar, cocoa, flour, gelatin, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl combine everything else. Stir into flour mixture just until combined. I used a large spoon, not a mixer.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350º 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool 30 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Frosting:

½ cup butter

4½ cups confectioner’s sugar

2-3 tbsp. vanilla creamer (or milk)

1 tsp. cherry extract

Cherries for garnish

© Crackerberries 2015

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Crock Pot Potato Soup

4 medium potatoes (1½ lbs.)

1 lg. onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. celery salt

1 can cream of mushroom soup

5 oz. cooked bulk sausage (optional)

Wash, peel, and dice potatoes. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for five minutes, or just until onions start to brown. Add everything but the mushroom soup to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Add mushroom soup and turn heat to high for one hour. Add bulk sausage just before serving.

Yield: 6 one cup servings

© Crackerberries 2015

Crock Pot Curry Chicken

Curry Crock Pot Chicken

1 lb. chicken legs/thighs

1/3 cup orange juice

1/8 cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp curry

½ cup spicy salsa

Wash and remove fatty skin from chicken legs and thighs. Cut in half if desired. Place in bottom of crock pot.  Combine all other ingredients in large measuring cup and mix well. Pour over chicken. Cook on high for four hours and reduce heat to low for 1½ more hours. Serve with rice and vegetable.

© Crackerberries 2015

Chinese Dumplings

Chinese Dumplings

14 oz. ground beef

3 cups frozen spinach, slightly thawed

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 carrot, shredded

1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger

1½ tbsp. fresh minced garlic

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tbsp. dried chopped onion flakes

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 pkg. wonton wrappers

Place spinach in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 minutes.  Meanwhile in a separate bowl, combine ground beef, carrot, ginger, garlic, egg, onion flakes, and soy sauce. Mix with hands to combine well.  Pick up clumps of spinach and squeeze to expel liquid. Stir into meat mixture.

Lightly brush a wonton wrapper with water and place a small amount of meat mixture in the center.  Fold over to create a triangle and pinch to seal.  Create a ripple pattern by pinching and pushing together small segments of the wrapper. Continue with each wrapper until all meat mixture is used.

Fill tea kettle with water and bring to a boil. Heat oil in large WOK or skillet with a tight fitting cover.  Place dumplings in hot oil and cook just until brown on the bottoms (2-3 minutes). Carefully pour in boiling water just to cover dumplings.  Reduce heat and cover. Cook five minutes. Remove dumplings from water quickly and serve hot with garlic-gingered soy sauce and hot mustard paste.

To make garlic-gingered soy sauce, add 1 tsp. each of fresh minced ginger and fresh minced garlic to ½ cup soy sauce. Let stand for 1 hour.  To make hot mustard paste, use equal amounts of dry mustard and water and mix to create a paste.

This recipe is time consuming, but the dumplings are worth the effort.  It took me about an hour to wrap 53 dumplings. Plan ahead when making this recipe.

© Crackerberries 2015

Sautéed Radishes and Greens

Sautéed Radishes & Greens

1½ lb. radishes and greens

2 tbsp. minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

½ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp. butter

1½ tsp. chopped onion flakes

1½ tsp. rosemary leaves

Salt, pepper & vinegar

Remove radishes from greens. Slice both ends. Remove stems from greens and soak in salt water for one hour. Cut radishes in quarters.  Melt butter in large skillet and sauté garlic for 5 minutes. Add radishes, chicken broth, onion flakes, and rosemary leaves.  Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the radish greens. Cook for about 30 minutes. Drain and add greens to skillet with radishes.  Serve with salt, pepper, more butter and vinegar.

© Crackerberries 2014

Sausage Potato Soup

Sausage Potato Soup

4 large russet baking potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ lb. bulk sausage

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup milk

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

1 tsp. thyme leaves

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. red hot pepper flakes

In Dutch oven or large kettle, cook potatoes in chicken broth until tender (15 minutes or so). While potatoes cook, brown the sausage in a medium skillet. (I made little meatballs with the sausage.) Remove from skillet and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in sausage grease for about 5 minutes. Once potatoes are tender, using a slotted spoon, scoop out 1-1½ cups of potatoes and place in large bowl to mash.  Add cream of chicken soup, milk, spices, mashed potatoes, and sausage to Dutch oven and bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. Sprinkle spinach over top and cover. Simmer just long enough to heat up the spinach. Stir gently and serve.

© Crackerberries 2014

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

3½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. baking powder

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter flavored Crisco

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin, cooked, mashed, cooled

1 cup fig conserves

*Preheat confection oven to 325º.

Spray two bread loaf pans (9x5”) with cooking spray, or grease with shortening.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking powder; set aside.  Beat Crisco and sugar together until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time and then add pumpkin. Blend well.  Stir in flour mixture and conserves.  Divide amongst the two loaf pans.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool ten minutes and remove from pans to cool on wire racks completely.

*If using a conventional oven preheat to 350º and cook 55-60 minutes.

© Crackerberries 2014

Pig in a Blanket

Pig in a Blanket

Who says fun kid stuff isn't for adults?

Homemade blanket:

1 cup warm water (70º-80º)

2 tbsp. butter

1 egg

¼ cup sugar

3¼ cups flour

½ tsp. of each:

• thyme
•  basil
• oregano
• garlic powder

2¼ tsp. yeast

Combine all ingredients in the order given in bread machine and select dough setting.

1 lb. pigs (A.K.A. hot dogs)

Separate dough into two portions. Freeze one for later use.

Roll out dough into 12x10 inch rectangle and cut into eight strips.  Wrap strips around pig. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º 15-20 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Serve with mustard, ketchup, horseradish, etc.

© Crackerberries 2014

Old Fashion Blueberry Pie

Old Fashion Blueberry Pie

Double 8- or 9-inch pie crust (recipe below)

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1¼ cups sugar

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 400º

Combine blueberries, 1¼ cups sugar, lemon juice and tapioca. Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and flute the edges with fingers, or crimp with a fork. Vent the top. Sprinkle top crust with 1 tbsp. sugar.  Bake 40-50 minutes.  If crust begins to darken before pie is done, cut foil strips to lay over the edges.

Margarine Pastry:

2 cups lightly spooned flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. sugar

12 tbsp. margarine

¼ cup cold water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in large bowl. Cut in the margarine with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, adding more if necessary to hold pastry together. Use a pastry blender or fork because the heat of your hands will tend to melt the margarine. Mix just to moisten and form into a ball. Divide dough in half, roll bottom crust on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Roll at least one inch wider than pie pan.

© Crackerberries 2014

Salisbury Turkey Steak

Salisbury Turkey Steak

1¼ lb. ground turkey

1 egg

½ cup Italian style bread crumbs

1 pkt. Onion soup mix

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs. Sriracha hot rooster sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. flour

1½ cup chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, sliced

½ small red onion, sliced and ringed

Mix turkey, egg, bread crumbs, 1 tbsp. of onion soup mixture, Worcestershire sauce, rooster sauce and half of the garlic in large mixing bowl. Shape into 4 oval patties.  Place in lightly greased shallow baking dish.

In large measuring cup or bowl, combine remaining onion soup mix, garlic, flour, and chicken broth and stir until flour and soup mix are well combined. Layer onions and green peppers over patties and pour mixture over top.  Cover and bake 350º for 45 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to 375º and bake an additional 15 minutes.

© Crackerberries 2014

Fish Corn Chowder

Fish Corn Chowder

At 185 calories per serving you won’t even miss the thick cream normally used in chowders.

15 oz. frozen tilapia, slightly thawed

3 slices thick cut cherry wood bacon

1½ lbs. (5 medium) potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

2½ cups chicken broth

1 can regular corn, drained and rinsed

¾ cups potato flakes

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced

5 baby carrots, chopped

3 tbsp. butter

2 cups skim milk

½ tsp. curry

½ tsp. marjoram

1 tsp. lemon pepper

Sauté the bacon in large Dutch oven; remove and set aside. Drain grease except for about 1 tbsp. Sauté onions and celery in bacon grease just until opaque. Add potatoes, carrots and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer about 15-20 minutes. Add corn and lay tilapia over top and cover tightly. Let simmer 15 minutes longer or until fish is white and flaking apart. Pour in milk, add butter, curry, marjoram and lemon pepper. Simmer but do not boil for 15 minutes. Add potato flakes to remaining chicken broth and add to chowder. Cook until desired thickness. It will thicken more as it cools.

© Crackerberries 2014

Raisin Oaties

Raisin Oaties

At 65 calories per cookie, you’re going to love this sweet treat!

1 cup whole grain quick oats

1¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

3 egg whites

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter flavored Crisco (or butter)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup pear preserves (or apple sauce)

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325º

Combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and set aside. Whip egg whites until frothy; add sugars, butter and vanilla.  Stir in preserves and add flour mixture and stir well. Fold in raisins. Drop by tablespoon on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes and immediately remove to cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen plus 2

© Crackerberries 2014