Eggplant Lasagna

1 teaspoon olive oil for brushing
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
48 ounces chunky tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
2. Oil two baking sheets with 1 teaspoon olive oil. 
3. Whisk eggs and water together in a shallow dish. 
4. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and ground black pepper in a separate shallow dish. 
5. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture. Press slices into the crumbs and tap off excess. Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheets. 
6. Bake eggplant slices in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip eggplant and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes. 
7. Remove eggplant from the oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef. Season beef with salt and ground black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. 
9. Stir tomato sauce into ground beef; bring to a simmer and set sauce aside. 
10. Oil a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. 
11. Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices on bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of tomato sauce with ground beef on top of eggplant layer. 
12. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella cheese on top of sauce layer. 
13. Repeat 2 more times, finishing with a layer of mozzarella cheese. 
14. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Favorite Fresh Raspberry Pie Recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/favorite-fresh-raspberry-pie

ngredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup shortening

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 3 tablespoons cold water

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• FILLING:

• 1-1/3 cups sugar

• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 5 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

• 1 tablespoon butter

• Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg, water and vinegar; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
  2. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca, cornstarch and raspberries; let stand for 15 minutes.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball of dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate; trim even with edge. Add raspberry filling; dot with butter.
  4. Roll out remaining dough to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar.
  5. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 6-8 servings.

  
  

Banana Bread - Quick Bread for Machines

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine.

2. Select the Dough setting, and press Start. Mix the bread for 3 to 5 minutes until the bananas are mashed and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. If necessary, use a rubber spatula to push the dough from the sides of the bread pan. When 3 to 5 minutes have passed on the clock display, press Stop. Do not continue mixing. Smooth out the top of the loaf with the rubber spatula.

3. Select the Bake setting, and press Start. The Bake cycle time may vary with machines, but should be about 50 minutes. To test the bread for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center top. Remove the toothpick. If the bread is done, the toothpick will come out clean. If there is dough on the toothpick, reset the machine on Bake and continue to bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Test again with the toothpick to assure the bread is completely baked. Remove the pan from the machine, but allow the bread to remain in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the bread to cool completely on a wire rack.

Chicken Pot Pie

http://www.readersdigest.co.nz/chicken-pot-pie


2 T olive oil
3 leeks , white and pale green parts only, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery , roughly chopped
2 large carrots , thickly sliced
1 large red-skinned potato, such as desiree or pontiac, unpeeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 c (75 g) thickly sliced button mushrooms
1⁄4 c (35 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1⁄2 t dried thyme
1⁄4 t salt
400 ml (14 fl oz) salt-reduced chicken stock
1 2⁄3 c (250 g) diced cooked chicken breast or thighs-leftover or poached (see Basics)
1 c (155 g) peas , fresh or frozen
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (large enough to cover a 23 cm/9 inch pie dish), thawed
1 large egg
1 T milk


1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add leeks, celery, carrots and potato.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in flour, thyme and salt until blended, then stir in stock.
6. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in chicken and peas.
8. Transfer pie filling to a deep, 23 cm (9 inch) pie dish.
9. Allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10. Place pastry sheet on a flat surface.
11. Whisk together egg and milk and brush over pastry.
12. Place pastry, glazed side down, over filling in pie dish.
13. Trim the edge of the pastry; crimp or mark decoratively with a fork if desired.
14. Brush top with remaining egg mixture.
15. Cut four 2 1/2 cm (1 inch) slits in the centre of pastry to allow steam to escape. Place in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden brown.

Turtle Candies

recipe from She Wears Many Hats
4 cups pecan pieces
14 oz caramels (I used the bag of bits, no unwrapping!)
10 oz. chocolate chips coarse
salt for sprinkling 

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Lightly salt pecans and toast on baking sheet for about 25-30 minutes. While pecans are toasting, melt caramels according to package directions. I melted them in the microwave and it was just fine and dandy.

Mix toasted pecans into melted caramels. Slightly cool, so you can handle. Drop tablespoon size rounds onto buttered or lined baking sheet. If mixture begins to harden, reheat for a few seconds at a time in the microwave. Let cool.

Melt chocolate chips according to package directions. Again, the microwave worked like a charm. Top each caramel/pecan drop with about 1 tablespoon of chocolate, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Let cool. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen.

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Tuscan seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Tiger seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire ground pepper blend

1. Combine all ingredients, except the chops, and mix well with small whisk.  
2. Brush mixture on chops and either grill by searing on both sides and then cooking more slowly for 30 minutes or until done, brushing chops occasionally with the sauce.  
3. Or to broil the chops; place chops on a broiler rack 5" from heat and broil about 12 minutes per side or until done.

Herb crusted mushrooms

Ingredients: 

16 even-sized open cup mushrooms, stalks cut level

3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil

1/4 c unsalted butter, softened

3 cloves garlic, chopped very finely

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 c fresh breadcrumbs


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly fry the mushrooms, cap-side down, in hot oil for 20 seconds.

Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow roasting tin with the stalks facing upwards.

Mix together the butter, garlic, thyme, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon a little garlic butter on to each mushroom, then lightly press the breadcrumbs on top. Either refrigerate for later use, or cook immediately in the oven for 10 minutes.