Kitchen

[Sooner]

I like to use pork tenderloins, marinate them in some soy and ginger (look up recipes for marinade--maybe a little brown sugar), brown them and then put them in the oven with fruits and dried apricots around them.  Serve with rice and a salad.  

THere are lots of recipes out there for this, and I make them different every time, so I wish I had a real recipe but I don't.

It is something easy and different, and the pork and fruit is delicious together.

Or fix a ham presliced and have a hot fruit compote with it--canned fruits cooked (crock pot!) together and with a sauce of spices and brown sugar and fruit juice.  Lots of recipes for this too but most have too much sugar in them--so go easy.  Serve leftover compote with ice cream or pound cake the week after the party!  It smells WONDERFUL and is in the crock pot!

[Campion]

If you make lasagne ahead, cool it and refrigerate it, then cut and reheat, it stays nice and layered.

My mom's recipe always stayed firm--but it had no meat and used eggs in a sort of custard-pudding layer of ricotta, mozzarella and other cheeses layered with the tomato sauce and pasta.

I mix a carton of ricotta with three large eggs, 8 oz grated mozzarella, about 1/4 cup parmesan and some chopped parsley. This layers with the pasta sheets, and a good tomato sauce (I like Don Pepino in a can but you can use Barilla or Classico.) Top with sauce and a mix of parmesan and mozzarella. Bake as you do lasagne.

If you MUST have meat, used sauteed Italian sausage, well drained, and in small bits, layered on top of the cheese layer. 

Another reason for slippage is vegetables like zucchini which give off too much water. If you want veggie lasagne, use spinach steamed and then SQUEEZED to remove as much liquid as possible, then chop. If you need to use zucchini, steam it and also squeeze it after to remove excess liquid. 

[qualitygal]

Tacos!