cheese lasagna saucy, beefy and cheesy

Hi everyone,today we'remaking our favoritethree cheese lasagna.This is so saucy, beefy and cheesy. Plusit's easy and better than any restaurantlasagna. We'll start with the pasta. Place nine lasagna noodles into a pot ofsalted water and cook until al denteaccording to the package instructions.Al dente means - firm to the bite anddon't overcook your noodles because they will still soften up a bit when you bake the lasagna. Drain the noodles, then add cold water to stop the cooking process and to keep them from sticking together.
Usually, while the noodles are cooking,
I'll make the meat sauce. In a deep pan,
over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon
of olive oil, then one pound of ground
beef and 1 small diced onion. Saute for 5
minutes or until the meat is no longer
pink. Add two large minced garlic cloves
and cook another minute or until
fragrant, then add 1/4 cup of good red
wine and saute until mostly evaporated.
And if you don't have red wine on hand,
you can substitute with beef broth. Now
add 24 ounces or 3 cups of your favorite
marinara sauce, either homemade or
store-bought. Season with half a
teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper,
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, half a
teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of
parsley, Bring that to a simmer, then
cover and cook in low heat for 5 min
while you make your cheese sauce. In a
large mixing bowl combine 16 ounces of
cottage cheese, 15 ounces of ricotta
cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1
large egg and 2 tablespoons of finely
chopped parsley. Mix until it's well
blended. Everything's ready and now we
can assemble the lasagna. In a deep 9 by
13 casserole dish spread half a cup of
the meat sauce evenly over the bottom
and cover that with three lasagna
noodles. Now add 1/3 of the remaining
meat sauce and sprinkle the top with one
cup of mozzarella cheese.
Next spoon on half of the cheese sauce
and spread evenly. Repeat the process
until you have three layers of noodles.
This is a good time to pre-heat your
oven to 375K F. Top thelast layer of noodles with the remainingmeat sauce and cover it with one cup ofshredded mozzarella cheese.


Adding thecheese on top forms a crust that makesthis lasagna supremely juicy. You'll needto cover and bake this casserole so
prepare a large sheet of foil. Also very
important to keep the cheese from
sticking to the foil, poke eight to ten
toothpicks evenly over the top of the
lasagna, then loosely cover with the foil
and seal the edges. Bake at 375K F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and set the oven to broil forthree to five minutes or until thecheese is golden brown.Now for thehardest part, you want to let the lasagne
cool for 30 minutes in the pan for it to
set and become much easier to slice andit is hard to wait for lasagna... All right,
you're supposed to wait about thirty
minutes for this to rest so that you
don't eat it when it's blazing hot, but I
just can't wait anymore so I'm gonna get
this party started because I cannot
resist a cheesy juicy loaded lasagna and
of course take out the toothpicks. Do
your family a favor and don't leave the
toothpicks in. That would result in
unpleasant situations. Oh man!... A little
bit of meat sauce on that one.
Wow! Okay and you all know how I feel
about garnish so we're gonna add some
garnish to this. Just a little bit of
fresh parsley,
cuz there's fresh parsley inside, there
should be fresh parsley on top. You know
what I'm talking about,
especially if you're serving this for
the holidays. It's like the easiest thing
you can do to fancy up a dish. Okay now,
we've got it. Okay, I'm gonna cut into
this because I am so hungry for it so
here we go. And this is irresistible,
cheesy, which means my kids love it of
course. Okay, we're gonna get the biggest
piece because that is how we roll. Look
at that cheese pull! Oh,Look at
those layers. This is a loaded lasagna.
Yum yum... Okay, here we go.
Enough chatter, less talk and more eating.

shrimp fried rice

shrimp fried rice

Hi everyone, We're making the easiest shrimp fried rice. This is a family favorite and it's perfect for a busy weeknight. This recipe moves fast so you'll want to have everything prepped and ready to go. In a medium bowl combine 1 pound of raw shrimp with 1 TSP of corn starch, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. Stir it together and set it aside. Now in a small bowl beat together four large eggs and then finely chop 1/4 cup of fresh green onion. Place a large nonstick pan or a wok over medium-high heat. When a bead of water sizzles and evaporates, swirl in 2 Tbsp of cooking oil. Transfer shrimp to the hot skillet and spread them out in a single layer. Cook about 1 minute per side or just until cooked through and no longer opaque, then remove them to a bowl. In the same pan cook the beaten eggs, breaking them up with your spatula and cooking just until no longer runny. Then transfer them to a bowl,wipe the skillet clean with a dry paper towel. Then add another Tbsp of oil and the green onions and cook until the onions are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Now you'll need five cups of cold, leftover,white rice. Quickly stir the rice with the onion then spread it evenly over the pan and cook one to two minutes without touching it. Stir the rice once and let it sauté another 1 to 2 minutes. You should hear the rice sizzling. Drizzle in two Tbsp of soy sauce and stir well to combine.

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Add one and a half tsp of sesame oil and don't skip it. Sesame oil gives stir fry authentic flavor and aroma. Add 12 ounces of thawed carrots and peas then return your shrimp and your eggs back to the pan. Then stir everything to combine. Now try your stir-fry and add more soy sauce to taste. I usually add another half a tablespoon, to a tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir everything to combine and take it off the heat. Oh yes! All right, it is time for the taste test and I cannot wait. And I can't believe how fast this came together. This is such an easy meal and perfect for busy weeknights and it also makes a great meal planning option because it reheats really well. Ok, here we go. And lots of shrimp for me. I'm a fan and there's a lot in here too.It is so simple and so flavorful. You guys are gonna love this and I'm gonna put those chopsticks down because I am not that skilled and I'm not that patient. Okay, here we go. I'm gonna enjoy the rest of this. Oh and I love that it's loaded with veggies and so much protein, with the shrimp and the egg and perfect use for leftover rice.

Big Hill Cider Wash Tomme with Roasted Beets and Apple Fennel Salad

Smoke Signal Root Vegetable Gratin

• 1 lbs. parsnips
• 1 lbs. carrots
• 1 lbs. celery root
• 1½ lbs. rutabagas
• 2½ cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or
• 1/4 teaspoon dried
• ¾ cup Calkins Creamery smoke signal, crumbled
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish.Peel the parsnips and carrots and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Peel the root vegetables, cut in half, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick half rounds.Bring the cream, stock, garlic, nutmeg and thyme to a simmer in large saucepan. Add the rutabagas, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery root and parsnips to the cream and simmer 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the vegetables and cream mixture to the prepared dish. Bake uncovered until vegetables are tender and the liquid is thickens, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle the Smoke Signal cheese over the top and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Big Hill Cider Wash Tomme with Roasted Beets and Apple Fennel Salad

Roasted Beets

• 1 lb. whole unpeeled red beets
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. salt

Toss the beets in oil and salt. Place in the roasting pan and cover with foil. Place in a 375°F oven and roast until tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. Let the beets cool, then peel. Cut the cooled peeled beets into a large dice. Serve chilled.

Apple Fennel Salad

• ½ lb. shaved fennel bulb
• ½ lb. thinly sliced PA green apple
• 1 red onion, shaved
• Salt to taste

Soak the shaved red onion in ice water for 5 minutes and drain. Combine with the shaved fennel and sliced apples. Toss with the blood orange vinaigrette.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

• Zest of 1 blood orange
• ¾ cup blood orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. minced shallot
• 2 tsp. whole grain mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¾ cup vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil. 

Plating for each salad

• 3 oz. Keswick Creamery Cider Washed Tomme
• 3 oz. dressed fennel salad
• 2 oz. roasted diced beets
• 3 blood orange segments

Place the dressed fennel salad on a plate. Top with a wedge of the Cider Washed Tomme. Arrange the roasted beets and blood orange segments around the plate. 

How to Cooke Burrata Cheese Ravioli

Burrata Cheese Ravioli

with Butternut Squash Consommé,

Chestnuts, Brown Butter, Crispy Sage, and

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Chestnuts

• 18 peeled chestnuts
• 12 oz. cream soda
• 1⁄3 tsp. salt

Place a pot of water on the stove and bring the water up to 189˚F. Put the chestnuts, cream soda, and salt in a ziploc bag and seal, remove as much air as possible. Cook in the water for 45 minutes. The chestnuts should feel tender when gently squeezed through the bag. Remove the bag from the water bath and let the chestnuts cool to room temperature in the bag, about 1 hour. Drain the chestnuts through a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl, reserving both the nuts and the liquid. Set the liquid aside for making the consommé. Put the chestnuts in a lidded container in the refrigerator for later use.

Butternut Squash Consommé

• 3 butternut squash, about 6 lb.
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups plus 1 Tbsp. cooking liquid reserved from chestnut preparation
• Xanthan gum (as needed)

Cut the top and bottom off all the butternut squash. Stand the squash upright on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut downward to remove the skin in strips. Rotate the squash as you go. Lay the squash on its side and cut crosswise, separating the bulb end from the neck. Cut the bulb end into quarters and remove and reserve the seeds. Cut the neck crosswise into 4 slices, each 1 inch thick. Then, using a 1-inch ring mold,punch out rounds from each slice. Reserve the trimmings for juicing. Repeat with the remaining 2 squashes. You should end up with 12 rounds total. Reserve any neck pieces for juicing.

Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to 185˚F. Juice all of the
trimmings and the quartered bulb ends of the squashes. Strain the juice through the fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl, you should have about 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon juice. Add the salt, then transfer the juice to a plastic Ziploc bag, add the squash rounds, and remove as much air as possible. Cook the squash in the water for 1 hour until tender. Remove the bag from the water and set aside for 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath,transfer the squash, still in the bag, to the ice bath and let cool completely.Replenishing the ice as needed, about 30 minutes.

Open the bag, remove the squash rounds, and set aside. Strain the squash juice through a fine mesh strainer placed over a saucepan. Then strain the chestnut cooking liquid through the fine mesh strainer placed over the same pan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and bring to just below a simmer. The liquid will separate. Remove from the heat and strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine mesh sieve. Weigh the liquid and calculate 0.1 percent of the weight. Weigh out the same amount of xanthan gum. Pour the strainer liquid into the blender and turn the blender on to low speed. Slowly increase speed until the vortex forms in the center of the liquid. Sprinkle the xanthan gum and blend for a full 5 seconds until completely dissolved and the liquid has thickened slightly to
make a consommé. The consommé may be stored in a lidded container in  refrigerator until is ready to serve, up to 3 days.

Burrata Cheese Ravioli

• Pasta Dough
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• Semolina flour, for dusting

Put the salt and the flour in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the eggs and process for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the dough forms a rough ball. If the dough appears dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is smearing along the sides of the mixer, add 1 tablespoon flour. Transfer to the  lightly floured surface and knead for one minute. Wrap in a plastic wrap and let it  rest in the refrigerator for 30min. Roll out the pasta to thinnest setting according to the pasta machine instructions. Cut into four 22-inch long sheets. 

Filling

• ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese, about 4 oz.
• 8 oz. Burrata, torn into small pieces
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt, to taste

In a medium size bowl, mix the ricotta, burrata, pepper, and the nutmeg.Add the salt as needed.

To make the ravioli

Lay out a sheet of pasta and dollop ½ tablespoon mounds of filling in two lines, 2 inches apart. Brush egg yolk around the filling. Lay another sheet of a pasta directly over filling and by your fingers, press out any air pockets. Using a round 2½-inch cutter, or larger, cut out the ravioli around each filling. Remove excess pasta and press the edges closed with your fingers. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pasta and filling. Let rest on the rimmed baking sheet sprinkled with a  cornmeal or semolina.Sprinkle with additional semolina to avoid sticking. Chill until ready to cook. For service, cook your pasta until al dente in boiling water for about 4-6 minutes and warm through the center.

Brown Butter Sauce

• 8 oz. butter

Place the butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the butter starts to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Plating

• Butternut Squash Consommé
• Burrata Raviolis
• Brown Butter Sauce
• 12 crispy sage leaves
• 6 Tbsp. pumpkin seed oil
• Chestnuts

Place the hot consommé in the bottom of a bowl. Toss the raviolis in the brown butter. Warm the butternut squash rounds and place in the center of the bowl, top with the raviolis, crispy sage, and then garnish with a swirl of pumpkin seed oil and the chestnuts.