Monday, June 27, 2022

MOM'S COLE SLAW



MOM'S COLE SLAW

From Judi Troyer

Grate cabbage to make 3 cups.

Sprinkle with 3T. sugar, then 2 T. vinegar.

Stir well. Taste to see if proportions are right.

If it tastes like too much vinegar, add a little more sugar to taste.

If the taste is right, add 1/2 cup mayonnaise and stir again.  Serve immediately.

Tip from Mom:  I notice that the taste is not as good if I used pre-grated cabbage from a bag at the grocery. 

I think it tastes better with the natural juices from freshly-grated cabbage.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

PASTA WITH QUICK CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

 PASTA WITH QUICK CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE

From Jessie Lee Troyer and Vicki Troyer Bernardi







A quick Italian pasta dish that we enjoyed very much! 


pasta 12 oz. - 1 lb. penne or other favorite
salt
½ cup olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 pints cherry tomatoes
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil


Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.


Heat oil in a large skillet or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Add garlic, then tomatoes, pepper, sugar, and 1 tsp. salt. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes open and release their juices to form a sauce, about 6–8 minutes.

Next toss the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce and basil. 

Top with Parmesan and serve.





Tuesday, April 12, 2022

LASAGNA




 LASAGNA

Jessie Lee Troyer

Serves 4

Lasagna noodles

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

28 0z. canned tomatoes

salt

boullion cube

1/8 t. Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning

pepper

powdered garlic

4 oz. boiled ham or mortadella, cut in tiny pieces

ricotta

shredded mozzarella

shredded parmesan


Prepare lasagna noodles

For the lasagna, have a deep pan of hard boiling water, salted enough that it tastes salty, in which you cook about eight strips at a time. It will depend somewhat on the size of the strips, but be sure there is room for plenty of movement of the pasta in the water. 

Stir it often; it will need to cook about eight minutes, but follow the directions for cooking on the box. You might need to add a couple of minutes, although you don't want it really done, and also, it will cook more while it's in the oven. 

Rinse each batch in cold water and drain well on a towel.

Sauce (Ragu)

Prepare the sauce as noodles are cooking:

1  28 oz. can of pelati (peeled tomatoes) or already prepared spaghetti sauce. If using prepared sauce, ground 1/2 lb, ground beef and 1/2 lb. ground pork and add to the sauce.

If you are making the sauce and not using prepared spaghetti sauce, do it like this: 

Use enough oil to cover the bottom of skillet.

Saute 1 finely shaved onion (optional) in oil until onion is transparent.

Next, add 1/2 lb. ground pork and 1/2 lb. ground beef; brown.

Add canned tomatoes or tomato sauce

Add 1 teaspoon salt

one bouillon cube

1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or poultry seasoning)

dash of pepper.

Sprinkle powdered garlic on tomatoes

Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes.  Taste for salt.

Assemble the lasagna

Abundantly grease the bottom and sides of pan. It helps to keep the lasagna  from sticking to the pan.

For layering the lasagna, spread a layer of sauce all over the bottom of the pan. Skim your spoon from the top of the sauce so it has extra fat/oil in this first layer.  

Add strips of lasagna, overlapping only very slightly. 

Add enough tablespoons of sauce to moisten well every strip of lasagna, particularly in the

corners and sides. 

Sprinkle a bit of mortadella.

Crumble a bit of ricotta.

Add a bit of mozzarella and sprinkle over everything a tablespoon or so of parmigiano. 

Sprinkle a dash of Italian seasoning.

Repeat the layers in the same way--you should have 4-6 layers.


 If you run out of some ingredient, use whatever is left in the next layer, but try to make

it somewhat equal in every layer.

You can leave out any ingredient you choose, but these particular ingredients make a splendid tasting dish.

Pour plenty of sauce on top, and if you like, use several  slices of American cheese before adding the parmigiano. 

Sprinkle black pepper over the top. 

Add tidbits of butter or margarine.

Place in preheated oven--375 to 400° for about forty-five minutes. Check to see if the juices are bubbling well. 


Note: If you should have to prepare it in advance and then need to put it in the oven to bake at a later hour, add two tablespoons of water for every four portions.


Saturday, March 12, 2022

CHOPPED STEAKS





CHOPPED STEAKS

From Mabel Reid

Roll chopped steak in flour and fry it. 

Put it in a bowl and cover it with a thin gravy made from the fryings. 

Put it in the oven at 250 degrees for two hours.

Season to suit taste.

This is my way of having meat ready to eat when I get home from church. I seldom have steak other than on Sunday when I am expecting company.