July 2016 – Recipes

American Beauty Easy Lasagna

Ingredients:

16 oz American Beauty® Lasagna

1 lb ground beef

3 cups (24 oz. jar) pasta sauce

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 each eggs

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare 9 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.

2. In 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, brown meat; drain.

3. Add pasta sauce and water to saucepan with browned meant; simmer about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.

5. Pour about 1 cup meat sauce on bottom of 11×7 inch baking dish.

6. Arrange 3 cooked pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with 1 cup meat sauce.

7. Spread one-half cheese filling over meat sauce.

8. Repeat layers of pasta, sauce and cheese filling.

9. Top with layer of pasta and remaining sauce; sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil.

10. Bake 45 minutes.

11. Remove foil; bake additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing

8 ounces young spinach

2 large eggs

8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large white mushrooms, sliced

3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced

Directions

Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the eggs into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice each egg into 8 pieces and set aside.

While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Cake

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/simply-delicious-strawberry-cake-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix

1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin

1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed

4 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

7 cups confectioners’ sugar

Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the strawberry extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.