Pirogi Lasagna, chocolate cake, etc
Ingredients:
One whole box of lasagna noodles (about 18 noodles in one)
Two (8 oz bars) of cream cheese
16 oz cottage cheese
2 TBSP fresh made basil pesto
Mashed potatoes (6 peeled, boiled, and mashed ones)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup of butter
3 small onions
First cut up the onions and put them in a saute pan with the butter on the stove to cook for later. Then peel and boil the potatoes first and as they are boiling, I whipped the cream cheese, cottage cheese and pesto with my mixer (could've done it by hand but I baked today and my shoulder was killing me). Setting a bowl of the cheese mixture aside and then finally after half an hour of boiling, I drained the potatoes and mashed them with the sour cream and set that aside to let it cool. Next came the noodles and I boiled them until they were soft, drained them and sprinkled a little olive oil over them so they wouldn't stick together. By this time it was ready for assembly. Greasing a 11 x 14 inch pan I layered first three noodles, then mashed potatoes and finally the cheese mixture, and did it three times. Set the pan aside and sauted the onions in butter for five minutes and poured it over the layered lasagna. Then covered the whole thing in aluminum foil and put it in an oven on 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Flourless Chocolate torte (or souffle) Serves 8-16 people (it's very rich)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a bowl whisk the eggs with sugar until light and foamy (about 2 minutes). Put chocolate and butter in another bowl and melt it in the microwave for 1 minute and a half. Stir once it comes out and pour it into the egg mixture. Whisk until blended and add a pinch of salt and the dark cocoa powder and stir until combined. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and in a heavily greased 8 inch round pan pour the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes or until the cake collapses and is luke warm to the touch.To remove the cake from pan take a plater or plate and place over the top of the 8 in pan and invert it while holding the two pans together. Should pop out easily but if any sticks simply scrape them off and press back into the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar or fresh raspberries.
I make a fruit sauces for this and here's how.
6 ounces of strawberries, raspberries or blackberries (any combo that is 6 ounces)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp flour
1 Tbsp fruit preserves ( I like orange marmalade or peach)
a shot of peach schnapps
half a shot of chamborde (raspberry liquor)
(Note: if you don't have these use 1 ounce cranberry juice or a sweet white wine)
Chop the berries finely and let sit in the sugar for ten minutes, mixing occasionally. Splash in the lemon juice, fruit preserves, and alcohol. Them place in a pan and cook on the stove until boiling. Reduce heat and stir occasionally until fruits are cooked down, about 6 minutes. Stirring constantly add in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture into a bowl to drizzle over chocolate torte before serving and whatever is left in the strainer can be used as fruit butter. Enjoy!
Mushroom Sherry Soup
Ingredients:
4 TBSP Butter 3 garlic cloves chopped 3 onions chopped 12 - 16 oz Button mushrooms (sliced thin) 14 oz of you favorite mushroom
(portabella, cremini, porcini, shiitake etc...) sliced 3 TBSP parsley (fresh if you have it but dried will work too) 4 cups Vegetable Stock
3 TBSP all purpose flour 1/2 cup milk 3 TBSP Sherry wine 1/2 cup Sour cream Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions: (special note: timing is important so watch the clock or have a timer ready)
In a soup pot melt the butter on low heat and let it begin to bubble. Add onions and garlic, stirring them together occasionally for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the mix and increase the heat to medium. Stir every once in a while for 5 minutes. When partially cooked add parsley, stock and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Make sure to taste it so it won't be over seasoned. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover for 20 minutes.
Put the flour into a small bowl and mix in enough milk to make it a smooth paste. Whisk it to reduce lumps then add it to the soup. Stir the soup and cook on low for 5 minutes then stir the remaining milk and the sherry and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream until it's well incorporated. If it cools too much return the soup to heat up and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
One whole box of lasagna noodles (about 18 noodles in one)
Two (8 oz bars) of cream cheese
16 oz cottage cheese
2 TBSP fresh made basil pesto
Mashed potatoes (6 peeled, boiled, and mashed ones)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup of butter
3 small onions
First cut up the onions and put them in a saute pan with the butter on the stove to cook for later. Then peel and boil the potatoes first and as they are boiling, I whipped the cream cheese, cottage cheese and pesto with my mixer (could've done it by hand but I baked today and my shoulder was killing me). Setting a bowl of the cheese mixture aside and then finally after half an hour of boiling, I drained the potatoes and mashed them with the sour cream and set that aside to let it cool. Next came the noodles and I boiled them until they were soft, drained them and sprinkled a little olive oil over them so they wouldn't stick together. By this time it was ready for assembly. Greasing a 11 x 14 inch pan I layered first three noodles, then mashed potatoes and finally the cheese mixture, and did it three times. Set the pan aside and sauted the onions in butter for five minutes and poured it over the layered lasagna. Then covered the whole thing in aluminum foil and put it in an oven on 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Flourless Chocolate torte (or souffle) Serves 8-16 people (it's very rich)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a bowl whisk the eggs with sugar until light and foamy (about 2 minutes). Put chocolate and butter in another bowl and melt it in the microwave for 1 minute and a half. Stir once it comes out and pour it into the egg mixture. Whisk until blended and add a pinch of salt and the dark cocoa powder and stir until combined. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and in a heavily greased 8 inch round pan pour the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove from the oven, let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes or until the cake collapses and is luke warm to the touch.To remove the cake from pan take a plater or plate and place over the top of the 8 in pan and invert it while holding the two pans together. Should pop out easily but if any sticks simply scrape them off and press back into the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar or fresh raspberries.
I make a fruit sauces for this and here's how.
6 ounces of strawberries, raspberries or blackberries (any combo that is 6 ounces)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp flour
1 Tbsp fruit preserves ( I like orange marmalade or peach)
a shot of peach schnapps
half a shot of chamborde (raspberry liquor)
(Note: if you don't have these use 1 ounce cranberry juice or a sweet white wine)
Chop the berries finely and let sit in the sugar for ten minutes, mixing occasionally. Splash in the lemon juice, fruit preserves, and alcohol. Them place in a pan and cook on the stove until boiling. Reduce heat and stir occasionally until fruits are cooked down, about 6 minutes. Stirring constantly add in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain mixture into a bowl to drizzle over chocolate torte before serving and whatever is left in the strainer can be used as fruit butter. Enjoy!
Mushroom Sherry Soup
Ingredients:
4 TBSP Butter 3 garlic cloves chopped 3 onions chopped 12 - 16 oz Button mushrooms (sliced thin) 14 oz of you favorite mushroom
(portabella, cremini, porcini, shiitake etc...) sliced 3 TBSP parsley (fresh if you have it but dried will work too) 4 cups Vegetable Stock
3 TBSP all purpose flour 1/2 cup milk 3 TBSP Sherry wine 1/2 cup Sour cream Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions: (special note: timing is important so watch the clock or have a timer ready)
In a soup pot melt the butter on low heat and let it begin to bubble. Add onions and garlic, stirring them together occasionally for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to the mix and increase the heat to medium. Stir every once in a while for 5 minutes. When partially cooked add parsley, stock and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Make sure to taste it so it won't be over seasoned. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cover for 20 minutes.
Put the flour into a small bowl and mix in enough milk to make it a smooth paste. Whisk it to reduce lumps then add it to the soup. Stir the soup and cook on low for 5 minutes then stir the remaining milk and the sherry and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream until it's well incorporated. If it cools too much return the soup to heat up and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.