Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

10 servings
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours


* 8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles
* 1 pound vegetarian sausage, crumbled
* 4 cups sliced mushrooms, (10 ounces)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 pound frozen spinach, thawed
* 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably chunky
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese, (2 cups)
* 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until not quite tender, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot, cover with cool water and set aside.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and water; cook, stirring occasionally and crumbling the sausage more, until it is cooked through, the water has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, then stir into the pan; remove from heat.
4. Mix tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
5. To assemble lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of the tomatoes in the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, trimming to fit if necessary. Evenly dollop half the ricotta over the noodles. Top with half the sausage mixture, one-third of the remaining tomatoes and one-third of the mozzarella. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining sausage, half the remaining tomatoes and half the remaining mozzarella. Top with a third layer of noodles and the remaining tomatoes.
6. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling and heated through, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Vegetarian Variation: Use a sausage-style soy product, such as Gimme Lean, or simply omit the sausage altogether.

Crockpot Curried Rice and Lentils

Ingredients:

* 1 cup rice
* 1 tbsp curry powder
* 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup lentils
* 2 vegetarian bouillon cubes
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp pepper
* 1 onion, diced

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. I'm adding minced carrots, peas, and fresh mushrooms to mine... might even add in some veggie sausage crumbles, too :)

Makes four servings.

Around The World Cookbook

The girls and I are working our way thru their Around The World Cookbook. But rather than posting all the wonderful delights we've seen so far (pavlova, mandu, bourekas...), I thought I'd send you these instead. Enjoy :)



Empanadas
Ingredients:
Filling:
2 medium potatoes, boiled for 5 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound vegetarian sausage crumbles
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
3/4 teaspoon round cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Pastry:
Frozen puff pastry, thawed (Just easier that way)

Chimichurri Sauce (optional)

Directions:
For filling:
(This can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.)

Grate the potatoes and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking up as it cooks. Add potatoes, onion, spices and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until ingredients are soft. Cool.

For pastry:
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add enough cold water for the dough to come together and form a ball. Knead until smooth. Let rest 10-15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured board roll pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 5 to 6 inch cutter, punch out rounds. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling in center of each. Fold pastry in half and seal edges, crimping with a fork. Bake on ungreased sheet for 15-20 minutes. Serve with chimichurri sauce, or eat as is.

Chimichurri Sauce
You can mince the ingredients by hand or use a food processor, which is faster and easier. There are many variations on this condiment, and it is served with everything from empanadas to grilled steak.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
2 minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced basil, thyme or oregano, or mixture
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Touchdown!

Very rarely do I use people as guinea pigs, but last night I felt fairly confident no one would die from flavor boredom :) Aaaaaand, we have a winner! I give you:

Superbowl Sliders

(Picture will be posted asap)

4 Boca Burgers, cooked (original flame-grilled)
6 Morningstar Farms Sausage Patties, cooked just under done
2 cups taco flavored cheese
4 pieces whole grain bread, broken up and crumbed
4 eggs
3 Tbs quick-mixing flour
1 med onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chiles
1/2 c butter or margarine

Dinner roll size buns
Guacamole
Fresh salsa
Cheese, if desired

Saute' onion and chiles in butter til tender. Meanwhile, microwave or cook sausages and burgers until just under done, then crumble roughly. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. (I used my hands. Easier.) Form large soup spoon size patties and fry til done on both sides, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Most people last night ate them with just a healthy slathering of guac across the inside of the bun. Not a guac fan? How about French onion sour cream instead?

I was also thinking how this would also be yummy as a meatloaf. Throw some taco sauce or salsa in the loaf pan and then pour the burger mix on top. Served with cheddar jalepeno mashed potatoes and fresh green chile and lime roasted corn on the cob... sounds delicious to me anyway.

Feedback is welcome and very much appreciated :)

Quesadilla Triangles

Cheese, Chorizo and Bean Quesadilla Triangles

3rd Quarter
1 1/2 lbs. spicy breakfast sausage
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 can (30 oz.) refried beans
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Authentic Mexican Cheese, divided
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh green onions
10 (7-inch) flour tortillas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Guacamole and salsa for toppings

Do-Ahead Tip: The chorizo, bean and cheese mixture can be
made a day ahead of time.

Crumble chorizo and brown with chili flakes in skillet until crisp, about 8
minutes, and drain on paper towels. In a bowl, mix chorizo with refried beans and
1 cup cheese.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush 1-1/2 Tbsp. oil over one side of 5 tortillas. Place
oiled sides down on foil-lined baking sheet. Set remaining 5 tortillas aside.
Spoon 3-4 generous tablespoons chorizo mixture on each of the five tortillas on
the baking sheet and evenly flatten and spread to edges with back of spoon. Top
each tortilla with 3 generous tablespoons each, of chopped cilantro and green
onion. Sprinkle each with 3 generous tablespoons cheese. Place remaining
5 tortillas on top of the others, pressing down to secure filling. Brush each tortilla
top with remaining oil.

Bake until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn over with big
spatula to brown other side and until cheese is melted. Cut into 6 triangles per
tortilla round, platter and serve with guacamole and salsa.