Szobody Lasagne

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(Note: this recipe is usually done without measuring and only to taste. So these measurements are approximations. Please feel free to mess around with it until it tastes right to you!)

 

SAUCE:

1 Large can tomato sauce                                                             1 C. Sweet red wine (or Marsala)
salt                                                                                                         ½ C. chopped bacon
pepper                                                                                                 ½ – 1 Lb. Ground Beef
Oregano to taste (a Tbs.?)                                                           3 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
2 Tbs. Olive oil                                                                                   1 small onion, chopped

1- Sauté ground beef until well browned with enough pepper and salt to taste like sausage (a bit spicy). Add bacon and continue sautéing until bacon is also well cooked. (it does not need to be crispy)

2- Is a separate large saucepan, heat tomato sauce with pressed garlic, oregano and olive oil on medium. While sauce is heating, sauté onion, then add to sauce.

3- Add meat mixture to sauce and let simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Add wine and simmer 1 more minute.

(Tip: Make sure both the sauce and meat taste ‘perfect’ separately before combining together. It is easier to fix whatever might be “missing” without the confusion of all the flavors combined, and once the 2 taste amazing the mixing of them will only make it better!)

 

SOFT CHEESE FILLING:

 

1 medium container soft cheese (ricotta, sour cream, mascarpone or goat cheese)
Approx. 8 oz grated cheese (mozzarella, or I prefer a mix of cheeses)
1-2 eggs
1-2 tsp. Oregano
1 clove garlic

-Blend all ingredients until well incorporated. Set aside.

 

ASSEMBLY:

 

1 box Lasagna noodles
Grated cheese (16 oz ?)

1-      Preheat oven to 350⁰

2-      Heat large pan of water until boiling. Add a few lasagne noodles at a time, making sure they don’t stick. When they are almost done but have a slight snap in the center still when bitten. Remove from water and add the next set of noodles.

3-      While noodles are boiling, prepare a casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce in the bottom so the noodles won’t stick, then put one layer of noodles down side-by-side, cutting noodles if needed to completely cove the bottom of the pan.

4-      Gently spread cheese mixture in a thin but solid layer on top of the noodles, using fingers or 2 spatulas if needed to keep noodles in place.

5-      Spread equal amount of meat sauce over the cheese layer evenly to the edges.

6-      Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 until you reach about 1 cm below the edge of the pan (usually about 3 layers of everything)

7-      Top with grated cheese.

 

Cover with foil and bake until there are bubbles seen rising around the edges of the pan. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is nicely browned. Remove from oven and let set 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy

Vanilla Ice Cream

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4 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
2 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 C. milk
4 C. cream (or 5 :))
2 Tbs. Vanilla

  • Beat eggs with sugar until thick and very light in color. Whisk in remaining ingredients.
  • Pour into freezer container of ice cream maker and proceed with maker instrudtions.

Bread pudding

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  • Bread pudding:

2 cups whole milk (or half and half)

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2-3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 cups bread in small pieces

  • Sauce: 

~2 cups milk (or half and hlaf)

~ 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar

~ 2 T butter

~ 2 T flour

~ 1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

 

  • Directions:

Heat milk just until film forms over the top. Add the butter, stire till melted. Cool to lukeworm.

Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat for about 1 minute.

Place bread in lightly greased pan. Pour the batter on top of the bread. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350F or 150C for 45 to 50 min. Serve worm with the sauce nice and hot.

Gingerbread Cookie House

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1 C. butter

1 C. brown sugar

1 T. lemon peel

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 T. ground ginger

1 C. dark corn syrup or other syrup (rice, agave…)

2 eggs, beaten

5½ – 6 C. flour

1 t. salt

1¼ t. baking soda

 

Cream the butter; add brown sugar, lemon peel and spices; blend.

Bring the syrup to a boil; pour into the creamed mixture; stir until well-blended.

Add eggs and blend.

Sift 3 cups of the flour with the salt and baking soda; add to mixture. Stir in 2½ cups of flour, gradually.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, using the remaining ½ cup flour, if necessary.

Chill 1 hour.

Separate the dough into several sections (it is slightly stiffer than ordinary dough)

Roll out each section to ¼” thickness.

Transfer to a greased baking sheet; smooth out the dough with a rolling pin. Dust patterns for the house with flour; place over dough and cut out with a sharp knife. Mark “logs” on doors and sides of the house with a two-tined fork or knife.

Bake at 375˚ for 12 – 15 minutes for large pieces, 5 – 7 minutes for smaller pieces. If necessary, trim cookies again with pattern while still warm. Cool on racks.

 

TO ASSEMBLE

(Cover heavy cardboard with cotton. Wet your thumb and push a path through the cotton to the front door)

It is better to wait a day after baking before assembly. If you want to fasten cellophane over the windows, do it now with flour paste.

 

Make a sugar syrup:

Melt 2 cups of sugar in a wide, heavy skillet – you must be able to dip the large pieces. Stir constantly to keep from burningKeep on medium heat while working. Work carefully to avoid burns.

~~~

During assembly, make sure each piece glued firmly before adding another. Dip the edge of one side wall into the sugar syrup and quickly attach it to the ajoining side. In this way, assemble the walls and “glue” it to the floor (you could add little people or furniture before attaching the floor, if you like.

To put on the roof, dip the slanting edges of one side of the house into the syrup and quickly set the roof in place, carefully lining up te top edge with the peak and allowing about 1″ to overhang on the 3 other sides. Repeat on the other side of the house.

Add doors, open wide. Assemble chimney and put in place.

If you’ve made people or trees, put them in place, then add the fence.

Spread snow icing liberally on the house and fence. Icicles will form naturally if you apply the icing from the top. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar while the icing is still moist, shaking it through a fine sieve.

 

Snow icing

Place 1 lb. of confectioner’s sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat 3 egg whites slightly with a fork; add to the confectioner’s sugar and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar; beat 2 minutes more at high speed or until stiff and glossy, as for stiff meringue.

 

 

Caramels

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1 C. sugar
1C. light corn syrup
2 T. water
4 T. unsalted butter
3/4 C. evaporated milk (or heavy cream) -scalded
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

  • In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir over moderate heat until the mixture begins to boil and becomes clear. Wash down the sugar crystals on the sides of pan with a wet brush.
  • Boil the syrup over high heat until it’s temperature reaches 250°. Stir in the butter a table spoon at a time. Turn the heat down to moderate heat and add the evaporated milk gradually (in about 6 parts) boiling and stirring constantly until each addition is thoroughly incorporated. (Be careful, this will make the sugar mixture “go mad” and if you do it too fast or the milk is too cold you can make it boil over)
  • Continue boiling the syrup, stirring often, until the thermometer registers 245° (the temperature will have fallen with the addition of the milk); this usually takes about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Cool for 2 minutes
  • Line bread pan with buttered baking parchment and pour in caramel mixture; place on rack. Cool until firm, at least 1 hour. Cut with a buttered serrated knife, sawing quickly clear through.

Apple Pie

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CRUST
(for one 2-crust pie, or two crumble-top pies)

Stir together:

2 C. flour
1 t. salt

Cut into the above with a pastry blender or fingers:
3/4 C. butter

– Sprinkle dough with 4 T. ice water, tossing with a fork. If necessary, add 1t – 1T more ice water.
– Gather into a ball  and divide into two, roll out on a lightly flour pastry cloth using a roller ‘stocking’.
-Fold into fourths and unfold into a 9″ pastry pan, careful not to stretch.

DOUBLE CRUST FILLING

2 T. flour
1 C. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

-Mix ingredients and toss with enough cored, peeled and thinly sliced apples to generously fill a 9″ pan. Place in pastry-lines pan and dot with 1 1/2- 2 T. butter and top with remaining crust. Decorate and seal edges as desired. (Granny smith apples suggested)

CRUMB TOP FILLING

1/2 C. sugar
1 t. cinnamon

-Toss with apples, put in crust-lined pan and top with crumb topping:

1 C. flour
3/4 C. sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter- cut in

-Bake in preheated oven at 450° for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake until done (35- 45 minutes).

~~~recipe from Grandma Szobody~~~

Indie Whoppers, Nana’s

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(a gluten/dairy-free mix between the chocolate chip cookie and a granola protein bar)

-Beat together until smooth, 

2 sticks butter- melted
3 eggs
18 oz. chunky  all-natural peanut butter
1 1/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. white sugar

then add:

6 C. old fashion oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. raisins
12 oz. chocolate chips

-Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
Enjoy Jacob’s absolute FAVORITE cookie. 🙂

~~~Recipe invented by Nancy Fletcher- “nana” ~~~

Marble Chiffon Cake

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1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. cocoa
1/4 C. boiling water
2 C. sifted flour
1 1/2 C. sugar, divided
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
6-7 eggs, separated
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. water
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cream of tartar

  • Stir cocoa and 1/4 C. sugar into boiling water. Cool.
  • Sift together flour, 1 C. sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a “well” and add 7 egg yolks, 1/2 C. water and vanilla. Stir until well blended
  • Beat 1 C. egg whites with 1/2 t. cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then gradually add 1/2 C. sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
  • Gently fold yolk mixture into the stiff whites. Divide batter into 2 bowls. Fold cooled cocoa mixture into half of the batter.
  • In a 10″ tube un-greased pan with a removable insert, pour a light layer of vanilla batter, then cocoa batter. repeat about 3 times until batter is used up.
  • Bake at 325° for 55 minutes, and at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool inverted.

Pancakes

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1 1/4 c. flour

2 – 3 t. salt

1 scant T. baking powder

1 1/4 c. milk (or any mix of rice milk, cream, water)

3 T. oil

1 egg

 

In a mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients; make a well. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients, whisking quickly until only tiny “lumps” remain, but not until completely smooth or the pancakes will be tough.

 

Heat a heavy skillet until water drops dance around or sizzle, but not so they evaporate immediately. Make as you like.

 

 

Grandpa Wakeman’s Pancake Syrup

In a saucepan, combine equal parts white sugar, light brown sugar and water. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat and add vanilla extract.