Day 2 of Nobody Reading This Blog

...You know...that's okay...I said I am doing it for myself, right?
So, here I am...


This afternoon I made one of my most favorite dishes - lasagna.  I mean, why wouldn't I like lasagna?  I gain ten pounds just looking at the saucy, cheesy, tangy creation from "God on vacation in Italy". 

Depending on the size of the lasagna, the bigger the better (that's what she said), I sometimes use fresh tomatoes, and sometimes use canned tomato sauce.  Today, since me, the husband and our kidlets were out on the boat all day at Lake Oroville fishing for tonight's dinner (which is obviously why I am cooking lasagna, as we caught zippo) I used a can of tomato sauce.  To make it "my own" I added the following:
Fresh chopped galric from the garlic- four or five cloves
Half of a refrigerated red onion - chopped (if you refrigerate the onion, it won't make you cry!)
Olive oil
Ground Turkey
Mushrooms
Dry Chardonnay
One heaping handful each of fresh herbs from my garden:  basil, oregano, rosemary, flat leaf parsley (you wouldn't believe the smells coming outta this bouquet)

Then I sauteed the onions and garlic in the olive oil, added mushrooms, added turkey, added wine and sauce and herbs...simmered and then had my sauce for the lasagna layers.

I also added some fresh Mediterranean sea salt, pepper, a little sugar, and a tablespoon of Ghirardelli chocolate powder - THE secret ingredient people!!!

Then the layers - mix the fresh ricotta (I love me some Trader Joe's brand) with one egg and salt and pepper - fresh cracked makes for happy lasagna.  Also, good melting quality mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  If you buy the cheapest brands of these two cheeses, they will not melt fluidly, but have a rubbery plastic looking texture. I do not buy the most expensive (after all I do work in the education field), but I do not buy the cheapest either.  Trader Joe's always has affordable, decent quality items!  Thank you Mr. Joe!!

I layer like this:

Sauce to cover the bottom
Noodles
Ricotta mixture
Cheeses
Sauce to cover
Noodles
Ricotta Mixture
Cheeses
Sauce To Cover

***I do not boil my noodles beforehand...if your sauce is "wet" enough, it will cook the noodles anyway.***

Let is rest for 20-30 minutes

Then bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees.  Check in at 45 minutes and if your top is bubbling and browning, then it will be ready.

Let it rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered with foil.

Okay!  Gotta scoot to an hour of Holy Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament...if you are ever invited to participate, don't hesitate...do it!  It will change your life!


Enjoy!  Mangia!


Mel