February 15 - International Gumdrop Day* February 16 - National Almond Day* February 17 - National Cafe Au Lait Day* February 18 - National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day* February 19 - National Chocolate Mint Day
(Food producers and manufacturers will most often direct their marketing and advertising to these 'holidays'. Supermarkets will have more 'canned food' sales, put their pies on feature price, etc. Something to look out for when making shopping/meal prep lists)
We had this today.
Easy Crockpot Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 large jar spaghetti sauce (we used Emeril’s)
1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (I couldn’t
find the brand of no cook noodles I normally buy so used
Muellers, which I am not fond of using. They get too soft
for me)
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.
Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.
Spray crock pot with non-stick spray.
Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/crock pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.
I used low fat cheeses. It was pretty tasty with a salad.
I need ground beef recipes as we bought a 1/4 steer and I have a good bit of ground beef.
Please add me to your ping list :)
This is from Park East Kosher.
http://www.parkeastkosher.com/
Honey-Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Spiced Compote Stuffing
Aromatic spices make the hen’s sweet meat especially fragrant. Perfectly accompanied by the dried fruit and nut stuffing that is cooked within, this dish is also gluten-free. Serve with dry or semi-dry white wine.
Serves 6-8
1/3 cup oil
1½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Cornish hens, pinfeathers removed, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups Spiced Compote Stuffing (recipe below)
½ cup honey
Preheat oven to 400°F. Adjust rack in the middle of the oven.
Whisk together oil and spices in a small bowl.
Stuff cavities of each Cornish hen loosely with about ½ cup spiced compote stuffing (do not pack tightly or over-stuff). Place on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Rub spice mixture all over hens evenly. Tuck wings underneath body, then secure legs together and tie with kitchen twine. Try to arrange birds on rack so that they are not touching, in order to ensure good air circulation during roasting.
Roast hens for about 40 minutes, occasionally brushing with pan drippings. Pour honey over the Cornish hens and continue to roast for another 20 minutes. Cornish hens are done when juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove hens from oven and allow to rest. Transfer hens to a serving platter, serving halved if desired.
Spiced Compote Stuffing
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1¼ cups)
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup dried apricots, sliced
½ cup dried prunes, sliced
¼ cup dark raisins
½ tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup white wine
1 cup whole almonds, toasted and finely chopped
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and oil is shimmering. Add the chopped onion, shallot and salt. Sauté for about 6-8 minutes, or until onions start to become golden. Lower to medium heat and add dried fruits and spices, stirring to blend for about 1-2 minutes. Add white wine and continue to cook, stirring often, until the wine is mostly absorbed and the fruit is softened (about 6-8 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the chopped almonds. Set aside to cool.
Cook’s Tip: Nuts can be toasted in a single layer on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 325 degrees.
Cook’s Tip: For no fuss slicing, spray knife with non-stick spray prior to slicing dried fruits.
Naomi Ross and Park East Kosher Family
for later reading