Lasagne or Cannelloni

This is my very favorite Lasagne recipe I found the idea in a weight watchers magazine years ago and converted it into what suited me, now its a well loved recipe in my kitchen.


Meat and Vegetable Ingredients
1 jar cheap store pasta sauce , with this sauce you use it to coat the bottom of your pasta pan, my friend Jen taught me this trick and it worked perfectly,  if you add a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of the pan and then a layer of pasta, the sauce is soaked up so you get a good serve of the great home made Pasta sause with your Lasahne and it doesnt stick to the bottom of the tray, also making serving easier, what ever left over jar sauce you have add later to your mixture as directed, sounds time consuming but works perfectly.


1 jar tomato based relish or chutney, I used a vegatble relish with capsicum and eggplant also and its delish.
1 Pac Turkey mince - gently cook in a frypan  till brown, then put into large mixing bowl waiting for other ingredients.
2 large onions diced - saute in frypan with celery.
teaspoon crushed garlic.
1 pac sliced mushrooms (dice small) add garlic and saute in frypan
1/2 a bunch celery -  finely chop mix with the onions and saute in frypan
1 large bunch Silverbeet or spinach - finely chop and saute til soft in a frypan
1/4 a pumkin, - cut up microwaved and mashed.


Add all these ingredients into the one bowl when cooked and mix well, add your left over store brought sauce now also mix really well together and set aside ready to layer.
 
CHEESE MIXTURE
1 pac Philly cheese light.
1 pac Cottage Cheese.
2 cups grated cheese any flavour you like
and a little left to sprinkle on top.


Mix the 3 cheese together really well,
I get them out early to have at room temperature. that way they mix easier,


Now enjoy layering your creation and bake in a moderate oven for around 30 minutes until golden brown and smelling wonderful.

** The lovely Jen, whose kitchen we were cooking this in at the time, also decided this mixture would make a yummy Cannelloni so she promptly layered a tray with sauce and started stuffing cannelloni shells then added a layer of cheese ready for the oven, another wonderful pasta dish made also

Shell's Cheese Ball

My friend Shell made this for me along time ago and it was delightful a must at any dinner party but to be honest I haven’t made it much mainly due to eating most of it myself and because the first time I tried I didn’t quite read the directions properly and overdosed on onion and capsicum, that being said it went straight in the bin after I realised what I had done and I was totally devastated at the time, but the seasons have passed and I can now make the famous Cheese ball with a happy smile and a knowing grin for taste buds of cheese lovers will unite again .

Now the first thing you must know about making this is allow plenty of time for the flavors to blend and the ball to set at least 3 hours in my opinion. 

  Ingredients

• 1 Packet Cream Cheese (Philadelphia )
• 1 packet Cottage cheese ( I prefer the onion and chives but plain is fine also)
• 1 Large cup grated cheese of your flavor (A sharp flavor works well)
• (optional another Good quality Cheese you like to add for flavor) 1 cup approx
• 1 teaspoon chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped red capsicum
• 1 teaspoon chopped onion
• Paprika to roll the cheese ball in when set.

Directions

• leave all 3 types of cheese on the bench covered in a large mixing bowl for about half a hour to relax and be easier to blend, then add all ingredients together apart from Paprika and gently mix until everything is well blended and looking like a creamy colourful mixture ( it will be a bit gluggy)
• Cover mixing bowl and put in fridge for ¾ hour to set cheese firm again.
• On a large plate sprinkle a good measure of Paprika to roll the ball in.
• I personally prefer two smaller balls so I divide the mixture in two and roll in my hands to form nice rounded ball shapes.
• Here is where you can have some fun and get a little creative, How you shape your cheese ball is an individual thing as is how to decorate it,  I like to roll my balls then flatten bottom to give a stable bottom to sit . Also you can cut out shapes from baking paper and stick to the ball before rolling then take the shapes of after and it will be a decorated cheese ball like here. http://www.choosy-beggars.com/index.php/2009/01/02/the-classic-cheese-ball/