by jphilo | Apr 17, 2013 | Recipes
The calendar says mid-April, which means grilling season to me, but the weather outdoors says otherwise. Nothing can be done about the unusually cold temperatures this spring, so I’m trying to grin and bear it with a new soup recipe. Turns out, that was a good move because the recipe turned out to be a winner, winning the coveted Hiram seal of approval.
The recipe was featured by author Deborah Vogts at her website, Country At Heart Recipes. My consumption of Italian food, which I love, has been sorely curtailed by this dairy allergy thing. But the Parmesan cheese is added to this soup after it’s ladled into bowls. So it works for both the man of steel, who things Parmesan cheese should be added to everything he eats, and for me, too.
Minestrone Soup
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
14 oz. diced tomatoes
14 oz. Italian style stewed tomatoes, crushed
15 oz red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup elbow macaroni
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Brown sausage in large dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add mixed vegetables, tomatoes, beans, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni and cook for another 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.
by jphilo | Feb 23, 2011 | Family
My mom discovered lasagna in the late 1960s, about the same time she discovered another Italian dish – pizza. We said I-talian with a long “i” and the accent on the first syllable, our pizza assistant was Chef Boyardee, and mom’s version of lasagna culminated with pouring cans of Campbell’s condensed cheddar cheese soup over ground beef and lasagna.
After those heady days as Iowa’s I-talian cultural ambassadors, I experimented with a number of lasagna recipes that didn’t have cheddar cheese soup in the ingredient list. Gradually, I perfected my recipe. Not too long ago, Anne asked for my recipe, which she refers to as “Mom’s Lasagna.”
In deference to Anne, here is the recipe for this mom’s lasagna. But if you have a good one, I’m willing to give it a try. Just type it in the comment box if you like. Unless cheddar cheese soup is one of the ingredients. I know what that one tastes like, thanks to my mom’s lasagna. It was way I-talian.
Mom’s Lasagna
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork sausage
16 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
12 ounces cottage or ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces lasagna noodles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat in a skillet. Drain and rinse to remove fat. Return to skillet and add onions and green pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add crushed garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Stir well and bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer uncovered.
While meat sauce simmers, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 of lasagna noodles in bottom of pan. Spread with 1/3 of meat mixture, 1/3 of cottage or ricotta cheese, and 1/3 of mozzarella. Repeat two more times. Bake uncovered for 1/2 hour.
(I always make a double or quadruple batch and freeze several pans.)
