Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1 onion
- 3/4 lb of ham
- 3/4 lb of mozzarella cheese
- 2 cans of flavored tomato sauce (e.g. 4 cheese or marinara)
- Parmesan cheese
- Minced garlic, salt, pepper (optional)

Preparation
1. Peel the eggplant and slice it in thin pieces. Chop the onion in small pieces.
2. In a large pan, fry with a little bit of oil the minced garlic and the chopped onion.
3. Add the tomato sauce (salt and pepper as desired) and let it boil, then add carefully the eggplant pieces and with a large spoon push it down so the sauce can cover it. Simmer for 15 minutes on low-medium.
4. In a baking pan, build the lasagna in layers starting with an eggplant and sauce layer, then the ham and the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the process for the rest of the layers, try to finish it (last layer) with eggplant and the sauce. Cover it with parmesan cheese. Bake it for 15 minutes uncovered (375 degrees).

Feeds 5 - 6 people.

Garlic Marinade for Skirt Steak

2.5 to 3 pounds Skirt steak

1/4 olive oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/4 dry white wine or sherry
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp soy sauce
4 cloves crushed garlic

Mix marinade in a bowl. Place meat and marinade in large ziploc bag or shallow pan. Marinade for up to 8 hours (but I only marinaded for an hour for our meal!)

Feeds 5 - 6 people

Potato-Tuna Cake

Ingredients:
- 8 to 10 potatoes
- 2 cans of tuna
- 1 can of olives
- raisins
- mayonnaise
- potato sticks (optional for decoration)

Preparation:
1. In a big pan, put all the potatoes (with skin) to boil until they are soft to be mashed (check it with a fork)
2. Once the potatoes are ready, remove the hot water and wash it with cold water until you are able to easily peel it
3. While the potatoes are cooling down, chop the olives in very small pieces
4. Mash the potatoes and mix the chopped olives, the tuna and the raisins
5. With a spoon, put the mix in a serving dish or plate and mold it in the way you prefer (like a round pie, rectangle, etc)
6. Cover it with a thin layer of mayonnaise and put it in the refrigerator until the time to serve it

To serve it:
7. Decorate it the way you prefer (use your imagination). One idea is to put potato sticks around it, or use other vegetables, etc. If you put the potato sticks in the refrigerator they will become wet and soft (argh!).

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
salt
pepper

To prepare
In medium sauce pan, place all ingredients. Bring to light boil, and simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with 1 pound of your favorite pasta

Serves 4 to 6

Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients
2 lbs red potatoes
1/2 medium red onion (chopped)
2 TBS olive oil
salt
pepper

To prepare
Scrub potatoes and cut into even cubes ( 1/4 by 1/4 inch)

Place cut potatoes in a casserole dish (lined with parchment paper). Add red onion and olive oil. Toss and add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Pierce with fork to check if they are done.

Serves 4 to 6

Garlic Dill Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
2 lbs small potatoes variety pack (new potatoes are a good substitute)
1 clove of garlic (pressed)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp dried dill (1/2 tsp fresh)
salt (to taste)

To prepare
Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour - 15 min. Pierce with fork to check if the potatoes are done.

In a small pan, over medium low heat, add olive oil, garlic, dill, and salt. Cook for about 10 min to release flavor and cook the garlic.

Remove potatoes from oven, place in large bowl. Pour oil mixture over and toss. Serve warm.

Serves 4 - 6

"Thanksgiving" Spinach Salad

Ingredients

1 bag of spinach
1/2 medium red onion (sliced thinly)
1/3 cup raw almonds
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup dried crandberries
1 bottle "Annie's Naturals - Raspberry Vinaigrette" (THE BEST!)

To candy the almonds
Slowly roast raw almonds in a frying pan on stove (medium low heat). Once almonds begin to brown, add the 1 tsp of sugar. Stir frequently as sugar melts and carmelizes. Remove from heat once a dark brown, remove from pan and place on plate to cool.

To prepare
Wash spinach, and dry.
Add red onion, candied almonds, feta and cranberries. Add dressing to taste and toss.

Serves 4 - 6