Cuc's Special Lasagna

After experimenting with lasagna after all these years, I think I've finally come up with a solid recipe. It was so hefty that I had to weigh it. After it finished cooking, it came in at 11.6 lbs. I don't know what's typical, but to me this seemed pretty heavy! I served this for the BF and a friend and they loved it. We had this with garlic bread, salad, and some wine. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian sausage, hot or mild
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 C baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (8 oz) bag of mozzarella
• 1 C grated parmesan
• 1 (24 oz) container of cottage cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 (24 oz) jars of pasta sauce
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 9 lasagna noodles (the kind that you need to cook first)
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• Grease the sides of a 13x9" baking pan with a little of the olive oil and set aside for later.
• Start cooking the lasagna noodles per the instructions on the packaging (be sure to add a sprinkle of salt and a few drops of olive oil). While the water is boiling, start on the next steps. When the noodles are done, set aside to drain (the oil will keep them from sticking).

• Mix together the cottage cheese, 2/3 of the mozzarella, 1/2 of the parmesan, and the eggs. Set aside.

• Heat the oil at medium heat in a small skillet or pot (save just enough to cook the onions later). Toss in the zucchini, mushrooms, italian seasoning (save a small amount to sprinkle on top of the lasagna later), and a sprinkle of pepper and salt.
• Cook until the veggies are tender and set aside. You can start on the next steps while this is cooking.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat the remaining oil at medium heat in a larger skillet or pot. Toss in the onions and garlic; cook until translucent.
• Add the italian sausage and beef. Break up the meat as you cook; cook until brown.
• Toss in the veggies and cook for a minute. Spoon out some of the fat at this point.
• Add in 1 1/2 jars of sauce and heat to a boil.

• Spread the remaining 1/2 jar of pasta sauce onto the bottom of the baking pan, then layer evenly in this order: 3 noodles, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the meat. Repeat twice. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the rest of the Italian seasoning on top.
• Cover with foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes uncovered.
• Let it cool for a few minutes and you are ready to serve!

Beef Stroganoff

This dish is one of my favorites. It's a bit heavy so it's not frequently made, but every now and then is OK ;) This recipe is adopted from one I found on Allrecipes.com: Beef Stroganoff III.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb stew meat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp mince garlic
• 1 medium diced onion
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (10.5 oz) can of condensed beef broth
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 C sliced baby portabella mushrooms
• 1/3 C sour cream
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 C uncooked egg noodles
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Put the meat in a bowl and pour just enough wine to cover. Leave in the fridge for 1 hr.

• Remove the meat from the fridge. Using a slotted spoon, add the meat to a large skillet. Add salt, pepper, and garlic and quickly brown the meat.
• Once the meat is browned, push it to one side of the skillet and shift that side off the heat, if possible. Add the onions and cook until soft. Then, push over with the meat.
• Tip the skillet so that the meat juices drop to the empty side of the skillet. Add the flour and stir well.

• Add the broth, bring to a boil, and stir constantly. Lower the heat, add the mustard and Worcestershire sauce and simmer covered until the meat is tender (~ 1 hr).

• About 45 mins in, cook the egg noodles per instructions on the packaging. Also start to cook the mushroom in a small skillet with oil. Add a dash of salt and pepper and cook until tender. Add to the skillet with the meat.

• 5 mins before serving, add the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.