Monday, August 23, 2010

French Yogurt Cake (Link)

French Yogurt Cake
Shared by taxi78cab
From: Dorie Greenspan, via NY Times

Aubergine (Eggplant) Pasta Bake

Aubergine (Eggplant) Pasta Bake
From: ScareyFaerie

I got the recipe from my Fat Club site and I made it according to the instructions apart from using canned tomatoes because I didn't have enough fresh ones, and I used halloumi instead of mozarella.

1 tsp Marmite
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
454g/1lb tomatoes
284ml/½ pint passata (tomato puree)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
340g/12oz penne pasta
fresh basil leaves
170g/6oz mozzarella cheese
1 aubergine

1. Dissolve the Marmite in a pan with 284ml/½ pint boiling water. Chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes and add to the pan with the passata and seasoning to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 12 minutes until slightly reduced.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and refresh under cold water, then add to the sauce.

3. Place half the pasta in an oven-proof dish. Top with half the aubergine and scatter over some basil leaves. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Slice the mozzarella and place on the top. Season to taste, then bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted.

It's simple and effective, and I think it would work well with all sorts of veggies. I faithfully put the aubergine in but I am still not taken with the taste/texture of that particular thing. I'm stumped now, I have another aubergine at home and am wondering what to do with it. Curry, maybe?

BooFae also reports that she cubed her aubergine, but thinks it would work sliced as well. All you need to do is make sure it covers the pasta. Here's more information about cooking eggplant in case you've never done so.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Howmany Casserole (also, Toomany Casserole)

Howmany Casserole
From: Bumbazine

For four people, assemble;
1 lb ground beef
½ lb mild cheddar cheese
2 (#2) cans golden hominy
1 (#2) can tomato sauce
An onion
Grate the cheese. Sauté the meat in butter, (this is the original recipe, remember), and onions.
Season fairly profusely with;
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder
Oregano
Cumin
& a touch of cayenne.
Drain off all the fat from the meat. Add the tomato sauce (to the meat)
In your casserole dish, place layers of hominy, meat-sauce mixture, and grated cheese. Repeat.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted.

As I recall this is really good impoverished student fare, but Wifey doesn't like hominy, so I don't make it anymore.

BTW, my recipe for Toomany Casserole involves hamburger (and onion & garlic), cheddar cheese, chilis, and noodles. Assemble and season just about as you would the Howmany Casserole, only you can leave out the oregano.

These recipes are from an old, old book called The Impoverished Students' Book of Cookery, Drinkery, & Housekeepery, My copy is so old the price on the cover is $1.50!

Mary's Hominy and Corn Casserole

Mary's Hominy and Corn Casserole (So named because, well, Mary is the one who gave me the recipe)
From: swampbear

2 15-1/2 oz. cans hominy (the sorta large cans)
2 15-1/2 oz. cans whole kernel corn (see can comment above)
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies (I prefer the ones with heat but if you are inclined toward the mild, have at it. I won't judge, you wimp!)
1 8 oz. container sour cream (Hey, sour cream! How can this be bad then!)
1 8 oz. pkg shredded Mexican cheese (the kind with peppers in it, OLE!)


Drain the hominy and corn and mix with the green chiles. Add the sour cream. Mix it some more cause otherwise it'll be all ick.

Dump half of the mixture into a three quart casserole dish sprayed with your desired brand of that veggie spray stuff (no name brands used for fear of being hunted down and sued for copyright infringement.). Top with half of the package of cheese (OLE!)

Dump the other half of the mixture on top of the cheese (OLE!) and top with the rest of the cheese (OLE!)

If'n you want to purty it up a little more sprinkle a little paprika on top.

Also, if onions float yer boat, fine chop some and throw it in the hominy/corn/sour cream/chile glop. I've done it both ways and personally, onion lurver though I am, I think it's better without the onion and I'm a good cook so that oughta count for sump'n.

Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for about half an hour. Just make sure the cheese is all melty.

If you got all the way to the put in oven part without readin' the recipe first and you have to wait for your oven to heat up, then shame on you! You should know by now to read a recipe all the way through first.

And that, folks, is Mary's Hominy and Corn Casserole. Mary is the wife of a retired Episcopal Priest and qualifies as a bonafide church lady so y'all know this is good based on that fact alone.