Tag: easy

Crock-Pot Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

Posted on by Admin

I adapted this recipe from a number of different ones, but the main inspiration was from Leah’s Thought’s back in September 2011 (the picture below is from her blog), a wonderful blog about “musings, essays, life lessons, recipes and whatever else comes to mind.” It is soo easy, and absolutely delicious. I made it a little more difficult by boiling the no-boil lasagna, can’t quite bring myself to trust that it will be soft enough. A fabulous fall dish.

Crock-Pot Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tsp. garlic
  • ½ lbs. sliced crimini or portabello mushrooms
  • 20 ozs frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse
  • *3 Tbsp. butter
  • *3 Tbsp. flour
  • *3 cups of whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 10 (approximately) no-bake lasagna noodles broken into halves (I boil these for six minutes)

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook about two minutes. Add the garlic, and then the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and reduced in size. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the mushroom and onion mix. Add the chopped spinach.

*Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and cook for about one minute. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the milk at once. Bring to a simmer, and let the mixture simmer until it thickens (enough to coat a wooden spoon). Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Spray crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place approximately one cup of the white mixture (or Alfredo sauce) on the bottom of the crock-pot. Then place a layer of lasagna noodles. Place half the mushroom mixture over the noodles. Then add another cup of white sauce and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat this process until you are left with the top layer, which is noodles, the remaining white sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for about four hours.

Note: you can use 1 (15 oz) can of Alfredo sauce instead.

Pumpkin Fritters

Posted on by Admin

When I first came to the States, I brought all my old South African recipes with me. All two of them (in the now rusted little recipe tin pictured below). Okay, I wasn’t big on cooking, too busy learning to change a nappy (diaper). But Pumpkin Fritters (pampoenkoeky in Afrikaans) is one of the recipes I did bring with me. Not because it was a favourite, although it’s delicious, but because it was easy. I definitely prefer it to Pumpkin Pie.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium cooked pumpkin to make 2 cups
  • or 15 ozs canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder (not soda)
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2-3 tsp granulated sugar depending on your taste
  • 2 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
  • Canola oil for frying (your call, you don’t need that much)
  • Cinnamon sugar (1 tsp cinnamon and 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar) for later

Method:

To cook pumpkin cut into cubes, and steam until tender then mash in a mixing bowl (I add a little butter), or use the canned pumpkin. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar, add to the pumpkin and mix together. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs until thoroughly combined. You should now have a batter that drops easily off a spoon, if not add a little flour, or if too stiff, a tiny amount of milk. Drop tablespoonfuls into hot oil, and brown until firm on the underside, then flip over and brown on the other side. Don’t crowd.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the cooked fritters and serve immediately, preferably with some kind of meat dish. They’re actually good cold as well.