This is very yummy, all of your family will love it!!!

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 t ground cinnamon
3 tart apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into 1 inch slices (I used Challah bread)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 T vanilla extract

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add apples and cranberries; toss to coat well. Smooth apple mixture evenly in baking dish. Arrange slices of bread on top.

2. Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon until well blended. Pour mixture over bread, soaking bread completely. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.

3. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm. For an eye-catching presentation, loosen edges of baking dish and invert onto a large serving platter. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Yield 12 servings.

I did not refrigerate mine because of time constraints. I used challah bread and raisins. The french toast still turned out amazing. I added bacon and a fruit toss to finish off this dish.

This is my first post for the mexican theme. I have a couple other things in mind also.


2 1/2 c. cubed turkey
1 1/2 c. sour cream, divided
3 t. taco seasoning,divided
10 3/4 ounces can cream of mushroom soup, divided
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese,divided
1 small onion,chopped
1/2 c. salsa
1/4 c. sliced ripe olives
10 flour tortillas (7 inches)
shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, & additional salsa & olives, optional

In a bowl, combine turkey, 1/2 c. sour cream, 1 1/2 t. taco seasoning, half of the soup, 1 c. of cheese, onion, salsa & olives. Place 1/3 c. filling on each tortilla. Rollup & place, seam side down, in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking dish. Combine remaining sour cream, taco seasoning & soup; pour over roll-ups. Cover & bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through, Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa & olives if desired.

This is one of my favorite lasagnas. You can always change the filling to match whatever you interest is for the evening. The real prize is the sauce.

Sauce:

1 lb. Ground beef (higher quality)
3/4 Pork sausage
2 garlic cloves
3 6oz. cans of tomato sauce
2 6oz. cans of tomato paste
2 tsp. sugar (you can also use honey as a sweetener)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cheese filling:
3 eggs
3 Tbsp parsley ( I use dried)
3 C. small curd cottage cheese (4% milk fat is the best)
8 Oz ricotta
1/2 Parmesan
6 slices of provolone

9 cooked lasagna noodles

In a large pot cook the ground beef and sausage. Drain grease. Add remaining sauce ingredients. simmer at least one hour.
Combine eggs, parsley, ricotta, Parmesan and cottage cheeses.
preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a 13x9 pan spread 1 cup of sauce, layer 3 noodles, then provolone, 2cups cottage cheese and 1 cup mozzarella. Next layer 3 more noodles 2 cups of sauce and remaining cheese mixture, and 1 cup of mozzarella.

Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella.

bake for 50 minutes covered. uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

let stand for 10-15 Minutes and enjoy!

This next portion my own additions to the original recipe

1. use and extra can of tomato sauce and paste, with extra sweetener and Italian seasoning
   
2. Use fresh ground Italian sausage, or spicy sausage for a more of a pepper taste
3. Use a disposable extra large lasagna pan
4. add a handful of mozzarella to your cheese mixture
5. I use around 8 cups of mozzarella ( I like cheese lasagna)
   
   

Just a quiky here. And it is almost THEME related. I'll call it queso picante.

1 lb (16 oz) Velveeta or similar cheese

1 can Ro-Tel tomato and jalapeno.

Mix together and heat in microwave until is is yummy. I know this isn't gourmet or really authentic, but it is a post.

My Kitchen My Country - An Ecuadorian restaurant on 43rd Ave. and Bell.

For my birthday dinner, my family and I went to this small restaurant that I have been to a few times before. There are only about 5 tables, and I have only ever seen working there the one waiter who is also maybe the owner. There are other people in the kitchen, but I have never seen them. The food is really cheap, less than $10 for most plates, with healthy portions.

Everything I have eaten there has been delicious. Most of the meats are semi-sweet and seem to have been slowly braised until they are tender and full of flavor. They serve complimentary chips and salsa before the meal, and the salsa is hottest thing I have eaten there. That is not to say that it is super hot; it is only warm with lots of flavor.

Here are a few of the dished we ordered:
This is my plate: ceviche de pescado. Fish cold cooked in lemon and lime juice with spices. It was a massive plate with onions, cilantro, and lettuce. Instead of a main dish, I would next time get this as an appetizer between a few people.

Our actual appetizer: tamales combination plate. 3 different tamales, all yummy. The lightest colored one on the top had cheese, egg, and a large pepper in it. The middle was the official ecuadorian tamale with tomato, peppers and pork wrapped in a banana leaf. The reddish one on the bottom tasted more like a traditional mexican tamale. NOM!

My moms plate: Mi bandera, my flag. This one has a little bit of everything on it and is one of my favorites. Fried plantanes, roasted pork, a potato pancake with a cheese and peanut sauce, hominy, pickled onions, avocado, fried empanada with a creamy filling, and a spicy pico de gallo made from aji chillies which is the same source of heat as the salsa

My Dad's: Sobrebarriga Bogotana. A big ole plate of slow cooked beef brisket with carrots and onions with a side of potatoes and cream sauce. This is half way through eating. It is super tender and rich as hell. The potato side is mild and gives a good palate cleansing between bites of the beef.

I have also found, online, one of my favorite dishes from the place: sango de camarones. A shrimp stew in a spicy sweet peanut sauce.