Lasagna Turned Spaghetti

I've made several different lasagna recipes over the past few years. I'm not sure why, b/c I 've always loved my mother's lasagna, and I've had the recipe. I guess I just need to have my own lasagna adventure. I think I wanted to find a good lasagna recipe that was EASY, but in reality, this doesn't exist. GOOD lasagna takes at least a little bit of work. So, a couple weeks ago I made my mom's lasagna for the first time in a while, and I don't think I'll be making anything else from now on. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1- 28 oz can diced or whole tomatoes (I prefer diced)
1- 12 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder, or one clove, minced
1 bay leaf
~14 lasagna noodles (a couple extra in case they break)
2 eggs
15 or 16 oz ricotta cheese
16 oz mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded

Directions:
About 2 1/2 hours prior to serving:
In a 5 quart dutch oven over med-high heat, cook ground beef and onion until all pan juices evaporate and beef is well browned, stirring frequently.
Add tomatoes and their liquid and next 8 ingredients, and heat to boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer meat sauce 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf and skim any fat off of the sauce.
Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on box and drain. (Or do what I do and buy the "no boil" ones, they work great!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 13x9" baking dish, arrange 1/3 of the noodles. Combine eggs and ricotta cheese and spoon 1/3 of it over noodles. Top with 1/3 of sauce and 1/3 of cheese. Repeat these steps two more times.
Bake lasagna 45 mins or until heated through. Remove from oven and let stand 10 mins prior to serving.


After I made the lasagna, I had a little bit of the meat sauce left over, and as I was eating it, I was thinking it would be a great spaghetti sauce. So, I made it as a marinara sauce by taking out the meat (duh), using a 28 oz can of tomato sauce instead of whole or diced tomatoes and adding a 1/2 cup of water. I let it simmer about 6 hours, and served it over spaghetti with the meatballs from my previous post. I also made bread from scratch for the first time, and here is the recipe for that:

Kalamata Olive and Garlic Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon non-iodized salt
• 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup seedless Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

1. In a medium bowl dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. To proof yeast, stir in yeast and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes in a warm place.
2. Preheat oven to 105 degree F (40 degrees C). Warm an oven-safe bowl in the oven.
3. Place flour in bowl of food processor. Add salt and pulse for a few seconds.
4. Start food processor. Pour proofed yeast into flour through hole. Immediately add the additional 3/4 cup warm water, then the olive oil. Process for about 1 minute or until dough ball cleans the sides of the processor bowl. If dough is too wet add a little flour through the top while processing, or if too dry, add a little more water.
5. Turn off food processor. Remove lid and transfer dough to the heated bowl. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap.
6. Let rise for 1/2 hour in a warm place.
7. In a small bowl, combine minced garlic and chopped olives. Set aside.
8. Once dough has risen transfer dough to a lightly floured board. Make an indentation in the dough and place olive mixture inside. Knead dough 10 times. Bulk of mixture should remain in middle of dough. Form dough into a log or round loaf shape.
9. Sprinkle cornmeal onto greased baking sheet and place loaf on top. Turn oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) for 2 minutes and then turn off.
10. Let dough rise in warm oven for 1/2 hour, or until light and puffy. Remove loaf and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
11. Bake bread at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

I've made the bread twice now, and it really is fantastic, and EASY, although it does take time with all the rising and whatnot!

On another note, I had a 3 pound pack of ground beef for the balls, and we had dinner guests cancel as I was making them. So, I froze 2/3's of them, which I'm excited about b/c it will make for an easy dinner down the road!

Mango and Avocado Salad

I've had the window for this recipe open on my computer for at least a week now, b/c that's how long ago I made it! But I left it open b/c I didn't want to forget to share it- it's fantastic! I found it on Whole Foods' website.

Ingredients

2 ripe but firm avocados, halved, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 ripe but firm mangos, peeled and cubed
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

Method

Gently toss avocado with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice in a medium bowl. Add mango, jalapeño and salt and gently toss to combine. Set aside.

Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, zest, sugar and cilantro in a large bowl. Whisk in oil until thoroughly combined to make a thick vinaigrette then season with salt and pepper. Add black beans and avocado mixture and toss gently.
Add black beans and avocado mixture and toss gently. Spoon salad onto plates, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Sorry there's no pic of this one...I'm guessing my 10 month old was hollering at me to hurry up and feed him!

Zucchini, the underrated vegetable....

I seriously love zucchini, but it is tricky to cook, without it being soggy and unappealing. I've found a few recipes lately that I really love (also check out the zucchini crab cakes I posted!). The first one is from Cooks' Illustrated, and I think I made it twice in a week, after I "discovered" it. The best part is that it's SO simple.

(annoyed that this is sideways? So am I...can't figure out how to rotate it on here...)

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

Serves 6. Published July 1, 1995.

Grilled zucchini can also be marinated in a vinaigrette made with red wine vinegar. Feel free to use any fresh herb on hand in the dressing. Grilled zucchini can be served right from the grill as a simple side dish with grilled meats, poultry, or fish.

Ingredients

6	medium zucchini (about 2 pounds), rinsed, trimmed, and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks (see illustration below)
1/4	cup olive oil
	ground black pepper
2	tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2	ripe tomatoes , large, cored, and cut into thin wedges
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Heat grill. Lay zucchini on large baking sheet and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. When grill rack is hot, use stiff wire brush to scrape surface clean. Grill zucchini until dark grill marks are visible on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until other side is marked, about 2 minutes. Remove from grill and cool briefly.

3. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons oil with balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss tomatoes and basil with dressing in large bowl.
   

4. Cut grilled zucchini into 1-inch pieces. Toss with tomatoes and dressing. Adjust seasonings and serve. (Can be covered and set aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours at this point.)

I love making dishes like this in the summer/fall b/c I have fresh herbs and tomatoes growing, which makes it easier to whip something like this together. I served it with grilled chicken breasts and curried red potatoes (more on that another time).

The next recipe is also from Cooks' Illustrated.

Sauteed Zucchini with Walnuts and Herbs

Serves 4. Published July 1, 1995.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices. Quarter-inch slices are the perfect thickness. Thinner slices fall apart during cooking; thicker slices require a longer salting time. If you want to use more intense herbs such as oregano, thyme, or rosemary, halve the amount of herbs indicated in the recipe. If you do not have kosher salt on hand, use a teaspoon or so of regular table salt.

Ingredients

4	medium zucchini (about 1 1/3 pounds), rinsed, trimmed, and sliced crosswise into rounds about 1/4-inch thick (see illustration below)
	kosher salt
3	tablespoons olive oil
1	small onion or 2 large shallots, minced
2	tablespoons minced fresh herb
2	tablespoons toasted, chopped walnuts
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place zucchini slices in colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Set colander over bowl until about 1/3 cup water drains from zucchini, about 30 minutes. Rinse and thoroughly dry zucchini.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions or shallots; sauté until almost softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add zucchini and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in walnuts and herbs, and season with pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.

I used fresh parsley (again, love that it's in my back yard) for the herb portion of this recipe. These were seriously tasty. I had never salted my zucchini before, and I really do think it helped with the soggy aspect. I'll definitely be making these again. Sorry, I didn't take a pic, the kids were about to implode!

Tonight I'm using the spare zucchini from last night (I had an extra), left over meatloaf, and making a fritatta/oven omlette. We'll see how it turns out! I'm getting to use my cast iron skillet again! :o)

German Apple Pancake

I know it's been too long since I blogged on here when I have to look back at my pics to see what I cooked...and then SEARCH for the recipe. I don't remember what I served this with!! I was super excited to get to cook with my cast iron pan, which I've only used when we went camping (once). The recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large tart apple - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, blend eggs, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Gradually mix in milk, stirring constantly. Add vanilla, melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Let batter stand for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. Melt butter in a 10 inch oven proof skillet, brushing butter up on the sides of the pan. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over the butter. Line the pan with apple slices. Sprinkle remaining sugar over apples. Place pan over medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles, then gently pour the batter mixture over the apples.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for 10 minutes. Slide pancake onto serving platter and cut into wedges.

So, I'm not really sure what I expected this to taste like, but I was pleasantly surprised. That said, I don't think I'll be making it for guests, unless they've had it before, and liked it. It tasted like an apple custard...reminded me of the Jello "American" custard that you can buy in the little box. My mom used to make it and sprinkle it with nutmeg, so it was kind of nostalgic. I loved how it puffed up in the pan!