Janettes Caterpillar Cake Recipes

CATERPILLAR BUTTERFLY SOUP

Steps:

• Make the stock: Combine the vegetable scraps and 16 cups water in a large pot over medium heat (use water that has already been used to cook vegetables, lentils or beans if you can!). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetable scraps are very tender, 30 to 45 minutes, adding the herb stems and/or fruit peels during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids with a rubber spatula. Return the stock to the pot.
• Add your creamy ingredients to the pot and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and any additional seasonings to taste.

CATERPILLAR CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake according to package instructions and bake in a Bundt pan. Cool and invert onto cutting board.
• Cut a piece of cardboard large enough to accommodate two Bundt pans. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Carefully cut the cake in half and place on cardboard in an "S" shape.
• Decorate with colored icing, candies, etc.

JANETTE'S HEALTHY TV DINNERS

Steps:

• If using a disposable baking pan, fold up several layers of heavy-duty foil to create 2-inch wide strips. Fit the strips into the baking pan to form 1 large and 2 smaller compartments.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the Lasagna Roll-Up sauce into the large compartment of each tray. Put 2 roll-ups and 3 "meatballs" over the sauce in each tray. Spoon remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Divide the frozen peas among 1 of the remaining compartments in each tray and spray a little "butter" over the top. Put 2 peach halves in the remaining compartment of each tray. Sprinkle with granola, cloves and cinnamon. Cover the trays tightly with aluminum foil and freeze until ready to use, up to 3 months.
• To cook: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Let dinners stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Bake dinners until heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a shallow baking dish with the cooking spray and set aside.
• Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and pat dry.
• Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, kosher salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture across 1 end of a lasagna noodle, about 1-inch from the edge. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the ragu over the ricotta and top with 2 tablespoons of spinach. Roll up the noodle around the filling. Repeat with remaining noodles and filling. Place the roll-ups in the prepared pan as you make them.
• Spoon the remaining sauce over the roll-ups and sprinkle with the remaining 5 teaspoons Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and mix with the Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Form the mixture into 12 (1-inch) balls. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumb/cheese mixture to coat evenly.
• Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat until hot. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 2 minutes. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray and shake pan to coat the balls. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes to ensure that the egg is fully cooked
• Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add the olive oil, and place over medium heat until hot. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
• Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. The salt will help to pull the moisture out of the mushrooms and create a nice, dry texture. Stir in Parmesan and dry milk and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and stir in parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

JANETTE'S CATERPILLAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat the bundt pan and the ramekin with nonstick spray.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, beets, egg whites, applesauce, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Spoon enough batter into the ramekin to fill by 2/3, then scrape the rest into the bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes for the small cake and 30 minutes for the large one. Place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely.
• To assemble, cut the large cake in 1/2 crosswise and place the pieces end-to-end on the platter so they form an "S" shape. Use toothpicks to attach the small cake to 1 end to make the head. Use toothpicks to attach marshmallow "eyes" with raisin "pupils." Put the confectioners' sugar in a sieve or sifter and dust it generously over the cake.

JANETTE'S AMBROSIA

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, stir the orange juice and honey together until well blended. Add the fruit and toss to combine. Scoop the ice cream into 4 dessert bowls and top with the fruit mixture. Spoon the rum over the top and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

JANETTE'S LIGHTER TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a food processor, puree the prunes and preserves together. Add the apricots and process until pureed. Add 1/2 cup of the cocoa and process until smooth.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop heaping teaspoons of the fruit mixture onto the baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Roll each truffle into a smooth ball about 3/4-inch in diameter.
• In a saucepan, melt the chocolate morsels. Roll some of the truffles in the remaining 1/4 cup of cocoa and drizzle melted chocolate over the rest. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• The truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for several weeks.