LAZY BOLOGNESE-STYLE LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

Salt and pepper
1 pound wavy lasagna noodles, broken into irregular pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
A sprinkle of ground cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white wine or an additional 1 cup beef stock
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 rounded tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Serves 4


PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook to al dente.

In a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown well. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, rosemary, cloves and lots of salt and pepper and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine or vegetable stock for 1 minute. Stir in the beef stock and simmer for a few minutes longer.

Pre-heat the broiler and position a rack in the center of the oven.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk, and let thicken enough to coat a spoon; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Toss the pasta with the meat sauce and arrange in a casserole. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with a layer of Parmigiano Reggiano and broil in the oven to brown the top.

Honey Garlic Meatballs (a la Liz)

What You Need:
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• ½ c. dry breadcrumbs
• 6 Tbsp. milk
• ¼ c. finely chopped onion
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¾ c. ketchup
• ½ c. honey
• ¼ c. soy sauce

How You Do It:
1. Preheat oven to 500º.
2. Combine meat, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, egg and salt.
3. Shape into 1-inch meatballs (they taste better when small). Place in a single layer on a jelly roll pan.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes.

5. Melt butter in pan and sauté garlic until tender.
6. Add ketchup, honey and soy sauce.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
8. Add meatballs to sauce.
9. Return to a boil and then simmer 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally to glaze meatballs.

Carmel Apple Delight

8 oz. fat free cream cheese
soft carmel
apples
walnuts

Place cream cheese in middle of plate, position various sliced apples all around the cream cheese bar. Drizzle the carmel over the top of the cream cheese bar and top with walnuts.

Whoopie Pies

Makes: 18 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 350 for 12 minutes

Cakes:

1 box (18.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix
3 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon baking powder

Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. HEAT oven to 350. Coat 3 large cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray
2. CAKES – in a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, 3 tablespoons water and baking powder. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes; batter will be thick. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart for a total of 36 mounds.
3. BAKE at 350 for 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies stand on sheet for 2 minutes, the use a thin spatula to quickly transfer cakes to wire racks. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. While cakes are cooling prepare filling. In a medium size bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and 1 ½ tablespoons water. Beat on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth. Spread a heaping tablespoon filling onto a cake. Sandwich with a second cake. Repeat.

Per Whoopie Pie:
250 calories
15g fat (5g sat)
3g protein
27 g carbohydrates
1g fiber
187mg sodium
64mg cholesterol

Holiday Drinks I want to try!

Bonbon of the Vanities
While martini purists may balk, everybody has a sweet tooth, and the Bonbon of the Vanities hits all the stops.

1.7 oz Russian Standard Vodka
.85 oz. banana liqueur
.85 oz. peach liqueur
2.7 oz. orange juice
.33 oz. Grenadine

Fill 1/3 shaker with ice before adding ingredients. Shake for 3-5 seconds, add 3 ice cubes to a highball glass, and strain the mixture over ice. Add Grenadine and garnish with an orange slice.

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Chic Cocktails
French Martini
1.5 oz vodka
1/2 oz Chambord
2 oz. pineapple juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or a leaf from the pineapple for a sleek modern look.

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Chic Cocktails
Tinsel Bellini
2 oz. HPNOTIQ
1 oz. limoncello
1 oz. Champagne
Splash of lime juice

Rim the Champagne flute with a light coat of sugar. Pour chilled HPNOTIQ, limoncello, and Champagne into the champagne flute. Add a splash of lime juice.

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Belvedere Sparkle
1 oz. Belvedere Vodka
2 oz. cranberry juice with ice
1 oz. Moët & Chandon Champagne

Shake vodka and cranberry juice with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass and top with Champagne. Garnish with raspberries.

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The Flirtini
1 1/2 oz. Grey Goose L'Orange
1 oz. pineapple juice
Splash of Champagne

Serve in a martini glass. Once poured, finish with Champagne.

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Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Martini
2 parts EFFEN Raspberry Vodka
1/2 part chocolate liqueur
1/2 part Irish cream

Serve in a cocoa-rimmed martini glass with a raspberry garnish.


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Delicious Night Blackberry Martini
1 oz. p.i.n.k. Vodka
1 1/2 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. blackberry brandy
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Splash of sour mix
Fresh blackberries

Combine ingredients over ice and shake well. Strain into a well-chilled martini glass. Pour 1 1/2 scoops of mulled blackberries

Chocolate Spiced Pork Chops

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 (1 1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, Italian seasoning, onion powder, cocoa powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over pork chops and let sit for a few hours.
Add the oil to a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook for 3 minutes per side. Put the skillet in oven and bake the pork chops until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the chops to a serving platter and serve.

Pecan Praline Cake

Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Syrup
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon


Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Pecan Praline Topping


For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans. Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. If necessary, run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)

For syrup:
Stir 3 tablespoons water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon. Cool.

Using 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 cake layer, flat side up, to platter. Brush some of syrup over top of cake. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining syrup. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange Pecan Praline Topping all over top of cake, mounding slightly in center. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)