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INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Bell Peppers, Greek Style

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup white rice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, crushed
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 6 green bell pepper, top removed, seeded

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and ground beef; cook and stir until the onion is tender, and the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the rice, salt, black pepper, and mint; cook 5 minutes longer. Add the water and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the water has been completely absorbed by the rice, about 15 minutes. Stir the chicken broth and diced tomatoes together in an oven-proof dish that will just fit the peppers. Scoop the ground beef mixture into the bell peppers, and place them into the dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until the peppers are tender and the tomatoes are bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Egg salad

ingredients
8 eggs, hard-boiled and
chopped
50g/2oz butter
4 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons small capers,
rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons grain mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh
tarragon
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
• In a large bowl, mix all the
ingredients thoroughly, seasoning
to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve on a bed of crisp lettuce

Crispy cheese balls

ingredients
250ml/8fl oz milk
250g/9oz plain flour
75g/3oz butter
250g/9oz Cheddar cheese,
grated
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs, beaten
salt
vegetable oil for deep-frying
• Warm the milk in a large heavy
saucepan over a medium heat,
stirring constantly while gradually
adding the flour.
• Add the butter and, once the
mixture has thickened, remove from
the heat and mix in the cheese.
• Add salt to taste, the cayenne and
the beaten eggs.
• Allow the mixture to cool. It should
now be thick enough to shape into
about 24 balls.
• Heat the oil in a deep heavy
saucepan until very hot. Deep-fry
the balls in batches of about six
until they are golden brown.
• Remove from the pan with a slotted
spoon, drain on kitchen paper and
serve immediately.

Baked seafood salad

ingredients
1 small green pepper, seeded
and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
225g/8oz celery, chopped
450g/1lb cooked crabmeat
450g/1lb small cooked scallops
225g/8oz low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
225g/8oz coarse breadcrumbs
25g/1oz margarine
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/
350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Mix all the ingredients except the
breadcrumbs and margarine in a
casserole dish. Sprinkle the
breadcrumbs over the top, and dot
with the margarine. Bake for
30 minutes, and serve warm.

Devilled eggs

ingredients
100g/4oz low-fat cottage cheese
50g/2oz low-fat mayonnaise
50g/2oz onion, finely diced
50g/2oz celery, finely diced)
1⁄4 teaspoon celery seed
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 eggs, hard-boiled, halved with
yolks removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
• In a medium bowl, beat the
cottage cheese and mayonnaise
until fluffy. Add all the remaining
ingredients, except for the egg
white halves and the parsley, and
beat well once again.
• Stuff the eggs with the devilled
mixture, and chill until needed.
• Just before serving, scatter the eggs
with the parsley.
Note If you like, you can use the
egg yolks in the devilled mixture.
Simply chop finely and add with the
other ingredients – although this will
increase the calories.

Cheesy potato skins

ingredients
3 baking potatoes, scored into
quarters
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
50g/2oz lean smoked back
bacon, roughly chopped
175g/6oz brown cap mushrooms,
roughly chopped
100g/4oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
11⁄2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
50g/2oz Cheddar cheese,
grated
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Put the potatoes in a
baking dish, and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until cooked.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and sauté
the bacon until cooked. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until
any excess moisture has evaporated. Remove from the heat. Blend the
cream cheese, milk, mustard and half of the Cheddar cheese in a bowl.
• When the potatoes are cooked, quarter them and scrape out the inside,
leaving a thin layer of potato on the skin. Put the potato flesh to one
side. Put the skins on a baking tray, and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Mash the potato flesh, and stir into the cheese mixture with the cooked
bacon and mushrooms. Pile the mixture into the potato skins, and
sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
• Return the potato skins to the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot.