Lasagne

A dear friend recently gave me this recipe. She told me that she'd been making it for about twenty years or so, ever since her children were small, and that it was a true family favorite. And I have to say that this recipe is definitely a keeper. I'll definitely be making this on a regular basis!
1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground lean pork

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

12 oz can tomato paste

2 tsp garlic salt 

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

2 C cottage cheese, small curd

1/2 C Parmesan, grated

12 oz mozzarella, shredded (divided)

10 oz (approx.) lasagne noodles, cooked and well drained

1/2 C Parmesan 

In a large Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and pork until browned. 

Ladle off any fat, and then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic salt, oregano and basil. 

Bring to a boil, and stir occasionally. Reduce the heat and gently simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or so. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Mix the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese together. Reserve one cup of the meat sauce and 1/2 cup of mozzarella (for the top layer). 

In an ungreased baking pan, 13" x 9" x 2", alternate layers of a third each of the pasta, meat sauce, mozzarella/cottage cheese mixture.
Pour over the reserved meat sauce and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Finish off with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
(Serves 6 to 8)

Cottage Cheese Pie

This is adapted from a Fannie Farmer recipe. It has the texture and taste of cheesecake, but it’s super healthy and quite low in calories. I only use a 1/3 cup of sugar, so it’s quite sharp and zingy!

One graham cracker pie shell

Filling:

1 lb cottage cheese (2 cups)

1/3 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c light cream

3 eggs, well beaten

2 T melted butter

Grated zest and juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press the cottage cheese through a fine sieve, and then add the rest of theingredients. Mix well, and pour into the prepared pie shell. Bake for an hour and allow to cool before serving.

I like to serve this pie with a twist of lemon, and I think I nice big dollop of whipped cream would go with it beautifully! I must try serving it with fresh raspberries in the summer, that would be heavenly!

Let me know if you like it.

South Beach Spinach Quiche

My sister-in-law Lori made this for us on a recent visit to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It's a delicious and jam-packed quiche-every spoonful is delightful!

1 lb cottage cheese

1 cup mozzarella

1/3 cup parmesan

10 oz frozen spinach

small jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 tsp oregano

4 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together, and put into a greased Pyrex pie dish. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 to 45 minutes, until it looks like it's set. This quiche is delicious served warm or at room temperature.