lamb orzo spinach mediterranean salad

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tbsp ground coriander

4 cups fresh spinach (chopped)

2 tomatoes (seeded and chopped)

1/2 lemon (juice and zest)

1 tbsp chopped mint

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 cup crumbled feta

Mix together spinach, tomato, mint, green onions and feta. Cook pasta, drain and mix with spinach mixture. Cook lamb with garlic and salt, mix with spinach mixture. Toss with lemon juice/zest and feta

adapted from all recipes.com

mac and cheese-easy!

8 oz egg noodles

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

1.5 cups cheddar cheese (a good tasty brand, or else the end dish will be bland)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 tbsp butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 350. Bring water to boil, meanwhile mix/shred above ingredients EXCEPT 3/4 cup cheddar cheese. Cook egg noodles until al dente (3ish mins), drain and add to mixture. Pour into 8x8 inch pan, top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 25 mins. Remove foil and bake 10 mins.

adapted from all recipes.com

leeks and pasta

2 large leeks (tops removed, wasted, diced in 1/4 inch thick slices)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp butter
2ish tbsp olive oil (add more once leeks are sauteing if needed, to coat)
1/2 cup vermouth
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt

spiral pasta, or other short pasta

Melt butter with olive oil, add leeks and saute over low-med heat ~4-5 mins until softened. Add garlic and saute ~1 min. Turn heat up to high and add vermouth. Cook a few minutes until thickened and vermouth is cooked off. Add chicken stock and salt. Simmer 30 mins until leeks are creamy. Boil pasta, add ~1/4 cup pasta water to sauce and mix in cooked pasta. Bring mixed pasta/sauce to a quick simmer and turn off heat. Let sit ~ 5 mins to adsorb/thicken sauce.

Adapted from Chao Italia

fennel, panchetta and beans over pasta

1/2 lb spiral pasta
1/3 lb panchetta (diced large)
1/4 of a large onion
1 can navy beans
1-1.5 lb fennel
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup white wine (semi-sweet or dry)
1 tbsp olive oil

parmesan cheese (to serve)

Cut stems off fennel, remove frawns and chop (~2 tbsp). Freeze remaining stems for stock, or throw away. Cut fennel in half and remove core. Chop 1/4 inch pieces and boil ~5 mins in the pasta water before adding pasta. Remove fennel from water, set aside . In a separate pan saute onion and panchetta until panchetta is rendered. Once panchetta is rendered and brown, add pasta to cooking water. Remove excess fat from pan and then add beans (drained), fennel, red pepper and wine. Simmer (and scrape all brown bits off the bottom of the pan) over high heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Add pasta cooking water to thin and add cooked/drained pasta. Bring to a simmer, mix together and then turn off heat and let sit ~5 mins. Mix in frawns. Serve with cheese

Adapted from Mary Ann Esposito, Ciao Italia cookbook

tres leche cake

1 box white/vanilla cake mix (to make one 9x13 in cake)
eggs/oil/milk as required by the cake mix

2 cups (1 pint) whole milk
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can evaporated milk

2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Follow directions of the box mix and make a 9x13 inch vanilla cake. Cool for 10 mins and then poke with lots of holes and add milk mixture. For milk mixture combine whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, stir well (the sweetened condensed milk takes a few stirs to incorporate) and pour over the cake, and put cake in the fridge overnight. Whip the heavy whipping cream and sugar to form whipped cream and frost the cake before serving. Store in the fridge.

adapted from various recipes on allrecipes.com

hamburgers

8 lbs ground beef
1 onion (grated on a cheddar cheese grater, only add the pulp/juice)
5 cloves garlic (grated on a parmesan cheese grater)
6 eggs
~2 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp pepper

~ 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (add until meat is no longer moist and holds together)

Mix everything but breadcrumbs together, add the breadcrumbs until mixture holds together and is not moist. Form into ~1/4 lb patties, depending on the size of your buns.

Makes ~40 patties

lemon bars

crust:
1 stick butter
1 cup flour (plus maybe 1 tbsp-ish depending on how the dough feels when mixed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

lemon filling
2/3 cup lemon juice (2.5 lemons)
zest from the juiced lemons
4 eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup sugar

(next time try 3/4 or 1 cup sugar and 2 lemons)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix crust ingredients together, spread into a 8x8 inch pan and bake until slightly golden ~2o mins.

Let crust cool slightly (5 mins) before adding topping. Mix topping ingredients together (mix lemon juice, zest flour and sugar and taste to see if tartness is correct, then add eggs). Bake 25 mins, let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

adapted from allrecipes.com