Cafe #16: Vegetarian Lasagna

Ring ring! The Cafe has another new recipe! Hello everyone, how are you all doing today? I thought I would post another recipe because yesterday for the very first time, I made Lasagna! Yep, it took a couple of hours along with the other dishes I made with it but it was worth it. I had intended on baking a Lasagna for a while now, even before I made the Lobster Tails and Baked Mac and Cheese. I didn't think it would turn out as good because I had a little trouble making it since some of the pasta were kinda falling apart, but luckily there was some extra pasta I could use as a substitute. And since I'm trying to cut down on meat, I decided not to put any in this recipe, thereby creating a Vegetarian Lasagna. Therefore, in today's new recipe, we are going to make a Vegetarian Lasagna. Let's get started. 

Serving Size: About 6-8 people. As always, if you want to cook for more people, double the recipe and use a bigger Lasagna pan. 

Cooking Time: I wanna say about 1 hour and 55 minutes. 

Ingredients:

18-20 Cups of Water 

1 pack of Lasagna Pasta 

1 half pack of Sliced Mushrooms

1 Eggplant

1 Bunch of Fresh Spinach

1 16 oz pack of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese ( I used Kraft)

1 8 oz pack of Shredded Italian Cheese (I used Kraft)

1 32 oz of Ricotta Cheese

2 Jars of Prego (I used Roasted Garlic and Herb and Tomato Basil Garlic)

1 can of Diced Hunts Tomatoes

1 Jar of Classico Pesto sauce

Spreadable Butter

Seasonings:

Black Pepper

Basil Leaves

Italian Seasoning

Thyme

Oregano

Cookware:

1 16-18 Quart Pot 

1 8 Quart Stock Pot 

1 Drainer 

1 Lasagna Pan (I used a 13 1/2 x 9 5/8 Pan) (Basically the Handi-foil brand) 

1 Large Spoon 

1 Regular Spoon

1 Ladle

1 Knife 

1 Skillet (I used a large one) 

1 Large Bowl

1 Rubber Spatula 

1 Basting Brush

Instructions:

1) Boil 18-20 cups of water in the 16-18 Quart Pot for 10 minutes. 

2) While the pasta is boiling, start working on the sauce. Pour 2 jars of the Prego into the 8 Quart Pot along with the can of Hunts and a half pack of Sliced Mushrooms. Then let it cook for 10 minutes. While it is cooking, you can put the seasonings in there and a regular spoonful of Pesto sauce in it. Stir occasionally using the Large Spoon.

3) Take a Large Bowl and pour the Ricotta Cheese inside of it. Cut up the bunch of Spinach and pour it into the bowl and mix. Then pour the seasonings and a regular spoonful of Pesto into the mixture. 

4) After the pasta is done, pour the water out in the drainer. 

5) Cut up your Eggplant (maybe about 8 slices) and turn on the skillet. Place a regular spoonful of Spreadable Butter onto the skillet along with the slices of Eggplant. Then sprinkle some black pepper on each piece and cook each side for 5 minutes. 

6) Preheat the oven for 370. 

7) Take a few strains of the pasta and use the Basting Brush to put Pesto sauce on the front and back. Then place them into the pan. 

8) Then place 4 slices of the cooked eggplant slices on top of the pasta. 

9) Place some of the Spinach and Ricotta mixture on top. 

10) Layer some of the Pasta Sauce on top and then sprinkle about half a bag of the 16 oz Shredded Mozzarella cheese. 

11) Repeat steps 7-10 until your pan is full and remember to keep the Pasta Sauce on top.

12) Sprinkle the rest of the Shredded Mozzarella Cheese on top and the Shredded Italian Cheese. Sprinkle the seasonings on top and place it into the oven for 370 degrees for about 60-70 minutes. 

13) Enjoy! 

Cafe #15: Lobster Tails

Ring ring! The Cafe has another new recipe! Hello everyone, how are you all doing today? I thought I would post another recipe today since yesterday while I was making the Mac and Cheese and some more food, I also made Lobster Tails. I saw Chef Bae making some Lobster Tails and it made me want to eat some. So me and my mom went to this restaurant a couple of months ago and I ordered some and well......they were okay but they weren't as good as the ones I made. The problem was they made it too buttery and oily, plus they didn't even open the shell on top of the Lobster Tail so it was very complicated for me to eat it. After that, I almost didn't even want to eat any again until I pondered the idea of making my own, which tasted so much better. Therefore, in today's new recipe, we are going to make Lobster Tails. Let's get started. 

Make sure that the Lobster Tails are not frozen before you prep them. If you have frozen Lobster Tails, thaw them out about 90 minutes before you began to cook with them. Also, make sure you clean them.

Serving Size: It depends on how many you buy. Some places you can buy Lobster Tails individually or in 2 and some places you can buy them in bulk. I decided to buy 2 packs of it that came in 2, totaling it to 4 Lobster Tails. 

Cooking Time: I broiled my Lobster Tails so about 10 minutes (I think next time I'll bake them so they can be juicer). If you rather bake them or want them to be juicer, put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Ingredients: 

Lobster Tails (I bought them from Walmart so they were 4 oz) 

2 Cups of 1/3 Cup of Melted Butter (I used Spreadable Butter)

Old Bay Seasoning

Thyme Seasoning 

Parsley Seasoning

Cookware:

Scissors 

1 Basting Brush

1 Medium Baking Pan with Silver Foil 

Directions:

1) If you're cooking with the broil, preheat it on high. If you're cooking with the oven, preheat it on 350. 

2) Melt 1/3 Cup of Butter in the microwave for 15 seconds. 

3) Take the Medium Baking Pan and wrap the Silver Foil around it. Pour the butter into the Pan and sprinkle some Old Bay Seasoning, Thyme, and Parsley into the Pan. 

4) Microwave another Cup of 1/3 Cup of Butter for 15 seconds. 

5) Take some Scissors and cut open the middle of the Lobster Tails and bring the meat on top of the Lobster Tail or just push the shells around it away from the meat. 

6) Take the Basting Brush and brush the Melted Butter on top of the Lobster Tail. If you have some leftover, just pour it on top of the Tails.  

7) Sprinkle the Old Bay, Thyme, and Parsley Seasoning on top of them. 

8) Place them in the broil for 10 minutes or if you're using an oven, 15-20 minutes. 

9) Enjoy! 

Cafe #14: Baked Mac and Cheese

Ring ring! The Cafe has another new recipe! Hello everyone, long time no see! With everything going on right now, I thought I would share a recipe that I made today earlier with you all. The people that inspired me to make this recipe is Chef Bae (you can check out her youtube channel below or go on Instagram since she's very active on there) and Chanel Dijon (who also has a youtube and who's active on Instagram. So after watching their videos on how to make Baked Mac and Cheese, I decided that maybe I should make my own and maybe share it with you all. Therefore, in today's new recipe, we are going to make Baked Mac and Cheese. Let's get started. 

Well actually, before I get started, let me post their Youtube and Instagram pages. 😊

Chef Bae:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWwzqexN4lJl1xC0bjEHVA/featured

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefbae_/?hl=en

Oh I almost forgot! Chef Bae has a website: https://www.cuttinupwithbae.com/shop

Chanel Dijon: 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WiPMYsSUCzSRkdD9iiPuw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaneldijon/?hl=en

Serving size: 8-10 people. As always, if you're cooking for more than that, double the recipe. Also if you're lactose intolerant, make sure you use Lactaid Milk and if you can Lactaid Cheese. 

Cooking time: About 55-56 minutes

Ingredients: 

1 Box of Elbow Pasta

2 Cans of Carnation Milk

1 Block of Velveeta Cheese

1 Block of Medium Cheddar Cheese

1 Block of Mozzarella Cheese

1 Block of Colby Cheese

16-18 Cups of Water

1 Cup of Regular Milk

Shredded Mexican Cheese (I used Kraft)

Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese (I used Kraft)

Optional: 3 Spoonfuls of Butter

Black Pepper

Parsley 

Thyme

Cookware: 

2 Large Pots (I used a 16 Quart Steamer/Pasta Cooker and removed the Steamer and Drainer from it and I used an 8 Quart Stock Pot)

1 Drainer 

1 Large Spoon

1 Rubber Spatula

1 Regular Spoon

1 Medium Rack Roaster Pan & Lid 

Directions:

1) Take a Large Pot (I highly recommend using a 16 Quart Pot without the drainer and steamer) and pour 16-18 cups into the pot. Let it boil for 15-16 minutes. 

2) While the pasta is boiling, grab the other large pot (highly recommend using a 8 Quart Pot) and pour 2 cans of carnation milk and 1 cup of regular milk in it and let it boil for 9 minutes. Then let it simmer. 

3) Put each block of cheese in the pot (one at a time until each block melts) and let it boil for about 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Also, you can take the large spoon and cut the cheese while it's cooking for faster cooking time. Then let it boil for 10-15 more minutes and stir occasionally. Once it's done, it should look like a creamy cheese sauce. Sprinkle some Black Pepper, Thyme, and Parsley into the pot afterward. 

4) Preheat the oven at 350. 

5) Drain the Macaroni from the pot and place half of it into the Roaster Pan. (Optional: Take 3 spoonfuls of butter and mix it around the Macaroni). Then place half of the sauce on top of the Macaroni and stir it together. Pour the rest of the Macaroni into the Pan and the rest of the sauce and mix well. 

6) Sprinkle some of the Shredded Mexican Cheese and the Colby Cheese on top of the Macaroni. 

7) Place the Macaroni and Cheese into the oven for 15-16 minutes. 

8) Enjoy! 

UPDATE 06/01/2020: JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD, BREONNA TAYLOR, AND MORE! #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Readers, hello. Junne here with another new post. Things are going to be a bit different for this post because this is discussing politics. I'm sure most of you know that there are protests, riots, and looting going on because of the killing of an African-American man named George Floyd and they have not charged the other officers that were involved in his death. Not only is this regarding George Floyd, but it is also caused by the death of Breonna Taylor, and a list of others who were victims of police brutality and racial injustice. The list is endless but not the number of ways that you can help prevent more of these unlawful tragedies. I have posted a list of petitions as well as numbers that you can text to make sure the rest of the officers involved can get prosecuted for not just George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, but for the rest of the victims who were killed due to police brutality. 

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#

My heart goes out to the families and friends who's loved ones became victims of this brutal treatment and all of the others who were involved in this unjustifiable nonsense. Anyways, I hope you all have a blessed day and let's pray that after this, there will be a new revolution of justice for not just African-Americans but for all people of color as well. 

Credit: https://magazine.watchjaro.com/black-lives-matter-launches-new-arts-and-culture-initiative/