Nana Nita's: Just A Few Recipes

I love to cook! I am never happier than when I am in my kitchen cooking!

So Saturday I whipped up just a few things, I thought I would share the recipes with you.

Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 quart jar of homemade marinara sauce (or jarred sauce of your choice)

4 cups ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil chopped (or 1 Tblsp dry)

1/4 chopped oregano (or 1 Tblsp dry)

1 large clove of garlic,minced

1 box square lasagna noodles (no boil) Or the regular kind)

Olive Oil

In dutch oven brown hamburger,drain off fat. Then add sauce and let it simmer for about 30 min.

Then in large bowl mix together ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese and garlic ,salt ,pepper,herbs,eggs. Mix well set aside.

Then begin layering , I start with a small drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of your 13x9 glass dish. Next put a layer of noodles(I do not cook my noodles ,but it is your choice),then a layer of your ricotta cheese then sauce, noodle then a layer of shredded cheese and repeat ending with layer of shredded cheese.

Cover and and refrigerate over night. It is important to refrigerate over night because the noodles will soften and you will not have to boil them.Then bake for 45 minutes to an hour @ 350 until cheese has browed and bubbly.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Artisan Bread !

This recipe is amazing! I love this recipe because it does not require any special equipment and it is very versatile.

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
The results are fantastic!!!
Try to save some for your family,don’t eat it all warm and dipped in butter. Well…make two!

On to desert!

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese cake!

Prep time 35 minutes , Bake 1 hour, Stand 30 minutes

Cool: 45 Minutes Chill 4 hour

1 large can solid pack pumpkin

1 1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

1/4 cup melted butter

2 Tblsp packed brown sugar

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese (room temp)

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tblsp cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

5 eggs beaten

Crush cookies, and melt butter and mix with crumbs and 2 Tblsp brown sugar, press in the bottom and an 1inch up sides of 9 inch spring form pan. Place in pre-heated oven 350. for 5 minutes.

Position oven racks,one above the other,bottom in lowest position.On bottom rack place 13x9 pan and pour water to 1 inch

level. heat to 350.

Filling:Beat eggs set aside

Place cream cheese , sugar,in mixer and blend until smooth scraping down sides of bowl often.

add spices,

pumpkin,cornstarch and mix until smooth,

Stir eggs in by hand.

Pour into crust lined pan and smooth top.Place in oven and bake for 1 hour,until filling is set when gently shaken. Turn off oven and let set for 30 minutes. (Top may crack as it cools) Take out of oven and let cool on wire,