Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

For Kate-Bob:

BEEF & BROCCOLI
serves 4

4 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
dash crushed red pepper
1 lb. thinly sliced beef
1 cup broccoli florets (I actually don't measure—I probably add more veggies than the recipe says)
1 large carrot, peeled and diagonally sliced
1/3 cup sliced water chestnuts
about 15 sugar-snap peas
4 green onions, diagonally sliced
1-2 tsp. cooking oil

1.  In a medium bowl, mix water, oyster sauce, cornstarchm, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.
2.  Slice the beef into 1/4-inch by 2-inch strips.
3.  Add the beef to the soy sauce mixture and stir well. Let it marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
4.  Heat oil in a medium frying pan or wok.
5.  Remove beef from suace and add it to the pan; stir to brown on all sides.
6.  Add broccoli, carrots and peas; stir, then cover and let simmer about 2 minutes.
7.  Add remaining sauce (if any), water chestnuts and green onions; cook until hot.
8.  Serve with hot rice.

Veggie Lasagna

Yesterday was Bruce's birthday; he is 40 (and better than ever!). We had a surprise dinner party--and, yes, he really was surprised! (Thanks, Family!) Once again, I used a house full of guests as guinea pigs to try out a new recipe; a vegetable lasagna, this time. The lasagna got praised all over the place, so here is the recipe. Well, I didn't have a sauce recipe--I just kind of made up my own, but I'll do my best to give you something.

And now, here is the recipe:

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Sauce:
1 tsp. olive oil
salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes

left-over roast beef, a piece about half the size of your fist should do it (optional, but it makes a yummy sauce)

1 cup chicken broth
about 2 Tbsp. basil, or to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. oregano (optional)
other herbs (thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, etc.) to taste (optional)
1 bay leaf
2-3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 can black olives, drained

Cheese Filling:
1 lb. fat free ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded reduced-fat mozarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
black pepper
nutmeg

Veggie Filling:
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
2 tsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. zucchini, slice 1/4-inch thick
1 (10 oz.) package broccoli florets, thawed to room temperature

Lasagna:
*12 no-boil lasagna noodles (look for Ronzoni or Barilla)--about an 8-oz. package

*I made my lasagna the day before I baked it, but I think the noodles absorbed too much liquid by the time they'd sat in the sauce overnight and then baked for two hours. (Yes, two hours--I made a double-sized lasagna, and it needed more time to cook after being completely refrigerated. For a regular-sized one [like this recipe], I'd cook it for about 1 hour and 15 minutes after it's been refrigerated.) Anyway, if you want to prepare your lasagna a day ahead I would recommend using regular noodles. Boil them for about 9 minutes and drain them well before you assemble the lasagna. Refrigerate over-night and don't forget to cook it longer than 45 minutes. :-)

Sauce: Combine olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and onion in a large sauce-pot and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook about 30 seconds. Add one can of tomatoes; squish the tomatoes with a potato-masher. Blend or process the other can of tomatoes until almost smooth; add to the sauce. Add the roast beef, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf and any other herbs. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender enough to shred with a fork; 3-4 hours. Remove the beef from the pot, shred it and return it to the pot. Remove the bay leaf. Add the tomato paste, stirring until it's completely blended in. If the sauce has reduced a lot, add some tomato sauce to it. Stir in the olives.

Cheese Filling: Mix the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg together until thoroughly combined. [I find that this is easiest to do if you just stick your hands right in it and mix it like you would do cookie dough.]

Veggie Filling: Combine mushrooms, 1 tsp. olive oil and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large, non-stick skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 8 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until all of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl; set aside.

Add the remaining teaspoon olive oil to the skillet and return to high heat until just smoking. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl; set aside.

Squeeze as much liquid out of the broccoli as you possibly can. Chop into small pieces; set aside.

To Assemble and Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour about 1 1/2 cups sauce into the bottom of the pan. Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, spaced evenly apart. Put about 1/3 cup cheese filling on each noodle and spread evenly over the noodles [I use my fingers to spread it around--easier.] Scatter the mushrooms evenly over the cheese filling, then spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the mushrooms. Repeat this layering two more times, substituting the broccoli and the zucchini for the mushrooms. (Each vegetable has its own layer.)

Lay the last three noodles on the top; spread the remaining sauce evenly over the noodles, making sure to cover the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozarella cheese over the top.

Spray a piece of foil with cooking-spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Place the pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any stuff that spills over) and *bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Delicious!

Savory Shell Soup

This cooler weather means it's soup time again! Yea!! Well actually I eat soup all year round, even in the hottest weather because I love soup. It's easy to make, it's delicious and it tastes even better as left-overs. What's not to love? And this recipe is a favorite of all my kids—which even makes it more lovable.

SAVORY SHELL SOUP

1 lb. beef, cut into bite-size pieces (DON'T use hamburger! Yuck!)
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. marjoram
1 celery rib, sliced
6 cubes or 6 tsp. beef bouillon
10 cups water
2 medium potatoes, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced
2 1/4 cups shell pasta, uncooked

In a 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil; add the meat and cook over medium-high heat until browned. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and marjoram over the meat and stir. Pour the water over the mixture and bring to a boil. Add the bouillon to the soup and stir until dissolved. Add the celery; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Adjust the heat to bring soup back to a full boil. Add potatoes, carrots and shells and cook over medium-high heat until pasta is completely cooked and veggies are tender.

Serve with fresh, hot bread. Mmm-mmm good!