YEAR-ROUND EGG NOG RECIPE

YEAR-ROUND EGG NOG

4 cups low fat milk, divided use
1 container (4 oz.) refrigerated egg substitute
2 tablespoons rum or brandy, if desired
1 (3.4 oz.) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Whipped cream for garnish, if desired
Nutmeg for garnish, if desired

Place 2 cups milk, egg substitute, rum, pudding mix, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in blender jar. Cover and blend at STIR until blended, about 5 seconds.

Add remaining milk. Cover and blend at MIX until smooth, about 5 to 10 seconds.

Garnish each serving with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Note: Mixture will thicken slightly as is stands. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to thin to desired consistency.

Yield: 10 (1/2 cup) servings
Source: Kitchenaid

Cracker Lasagna Recipe

Cracker Lasagna Recipe

A few important head notes: when you go to place the baking dish in the oven, you might worry that things look are a little on the runny/liquid side. It's ok - the crackers continue to absorb and swell though out the baking process, and the cottage cheese mixture will set up nicely due to the eggs. When choosing a type of cracker to use, hoosing go for sturdy ones, a cracker that can stand up to ten minutes of soaking without going to mush on you - I included a photo of the crackers I used up above, I suspect Ak-Mak would be a good choice as well (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods). Also, don't worry if your crackers are the exact dimension I call for in the recipe, just use enough to construct three layers in whatever pan you are using. Prepping all your ingredients beforehand is helpful here - chop your spinach and onions, etc. Things will go more smoothly. And lastly, I can't help but think that some shredded gruyere would right at home on top of this.

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

splash of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped (optional)
1/4 pound brown mushrooms (about 12 medium), brushed clean and chopped
pinch of fresh thyme (optional)
2 big handfuls of spinach, washed and chopped
18 2 x 4 - inch crispy crackers (see head notes)

9 - inch round baking dish, or an 8x8 baking pan will work as well

Preheat oven to 400F degrees with rack in the middle. Oil your baking dish and set aside.

Using a hand blender (or food processor or regular blend) puree the cottage cheese, milk, eggs, and salt until smooth. Line a separate deep dish or baking pan with the crackers and cover with 1 1/2 cups of the cottage cheese mixture, reserving the rest for later use. Let the crackers soak for about 10 minutes - long enough for them to soften a bit, but not long enough for them to loose all their structure

In the meantime, in a large skillet over high heat, cook the onion and shallot in a splash of olive oil along with a pinch of salt. Cook for a couple minutes, until they begin to soften up a bit. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until they release their liquid and start to brown, another 5 minutes or so - stirring once or twice along the way. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach. Combine with the remaining cottage cheese mixture.

Arrange about 1/3 of the soaked crackers in a single layer in the bottom of prepared pan - I break up the crackers a bit to make things fit. I should mention things are much easier if you're using a square pan. Ladle 1/3 of the spinach mushroom mixture over the first layer of crackers. Add another layer of crackers, another 1/3 of the mushroom mixture, a final layer of crackers and the remaining mushrooms - three layers total. Place in oven for about 30 minutes or until top is golden (edges golden). Remove and cool for 15-20 minutes - this helps everything set up nicely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 8 - 10 servings.

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