Use It Up Days 11-13: Lasagna Rolls

Do you like how it took me a week to progress one day in my series?  It's ok - it's been a full week.  We chose a name for our new baby girl.  Coming Soon: Naomi Kate!  We started painting the playroom upstairs (so we can set it up, so we can clear out some stuff from Malachi's room, so we can redecorate and reorganize Malachi's room to accommodate a baby sister, so we can paint, so we can....I'm exhausted).  Jeremy and I had a for-real, awesome date.  Mom, Malachi, and I spent a day visiting my grandmother and shopping and eating.  And on the downside, we've been sick in this house (still) and it's been pretty yucky. People in town have had this same sickness for weeks and even **gulp** months on end.  I refuse to even consider that I might still feel like this 2 or 3 weeks from now.

Back when I made lasagna two years ago, I ended up with something like 4 leftover noodles.  They sat in my cabinet forever and simultaneously took up space and got on my nerves.  They even moved with me when we moved to our new house.  Seriously?  But I didn't want to waste them.  When I made lasagna this year, I ended up with 12 or so leftover lasagna noodles, and absolutely no desire to make lasagna again for a long time.  So I was excited to find a way to use up the noodles during my little experiment.  Sadly, I didn't use them all up, but I did end up with a recipe that I like and a way to use them up the next time we want a repeat of this meal.  That's been a cool part of this project - not actually using things up, but at least knowing what I am going to do with the leftovers in the future.  It's nice to have that kind of confidence and to feel like my leftovers have a higher purpose in life than growing freezer burn.

I also think I've become a little more creative about how to use up leftovers, or maybe just more intentional about doing it.  I don't like leftovers much - honestly, I am not big on eating the same thing more than once in a week.  But I have gotten a little more creative, and that's been a cool thing to see develop.  I feel like I haven't thrown as much away, and I also haven't cooked quite as much because we've been trying to have leftovers for dinner more often when things are close to the end of their shelf life.

I'm still catching you up on my last week of "Use it Up," but I am actually currently planning my shopping trip for my first real trip to the store since we started.  Yay!  I'm pretty excited.

Day 11 was lasagna rolls (below).  Day 12 was leftovers.  Day 13 I made chicken noodle soup because I was desperate.  

Lasagna Rolls
Inspired by this recipe.

• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/8 cup Parmesan cheese (and yes, you can just round it up to 1/2 a cup if you want to)
• 1 package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups tomato sauce (I used leftover of this)

Cook lasagna noodles until al dente according to package directions.  Drain and pat dry.  Stir together eggs, cheese, spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Spread about 2 tablespoons-ish cheese mixture over each noodle.  Carefully roll them up.  

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with sauce.  Place the roll-ups seam-side down over the sauce, and top with remaining sauce.  Bake at 375 (uncovered) for 25 minutes.  Top with some extra mozzarella cheese if desired, then bake another 5 minutes.

Lasagna

Jeremy and I had a disagreement about whether or not I should write this post.  He loves lasagna - I do not.  I tolerate lasagna.  Occasionally I even like lasagna, but very rarely do I love it.  I think maybe I would like this lasagna, just because it is so very different from anything else I've ever had.  But for his birthday last year I made normal American lasagna for him, and as stuffy as this sounds, I actually liked my own lasagna, hahaha.  I think it's because I am much more interested in mushrooms and spinach than tons and tons of noodles (yuck).  So I made it again this year for our anniversary but, big surprise to no one, I lost my recipe and had to search again for the original recipe which I then tweaked and thought "Oh yeah - not enough sauce.  I now remember that from last year.  Grrr."  I was less than pleased with it this year but Jeremy really, really, reeeeeeaalllly liked it. 

On principle, I never post a recipe I haven't tested AND been happy with.  I also, on principle, never wanted to post a recipe that I felt needed more tweaking, even if I did like it.  If you make all the adjustments I recommended, I think it would be excellent.  Even more excellent would be me making them myself next year and posting a perfect recipe then.  But, Jeremy really wanted me to tell you about this lasagna (!!!), so if you like it Yay! and if not, it's all his fault.

Um, this is what happened to my kitchen...

AND in other breaking news, Jeremy and I are going on VACATION!!!!!!  Va. ca. tion.  I am sooo excited.  We are leaving the munchkin here (Yes!  Sob!  Yes!  Sob!) and going wherever we want and doing whatever we want and staying out as late as we want and making as much noise as we want and not sleeping with the constant hum of a baby monitor and getting a tan and eating our own food and I'M SO EXCITED.  Hopefully I'll write once more before we leave, but if not, see you later!

Lasagna

• 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 1 chopped onion (optional)
• 1 handful torn basil (optional if, unlike me, you don't have a basil-flipping-tree growing in your front yard)
• 1/2 pound medium Italian sausage
• 1 carton fresh mushrooms
• 36 oz. of tomato sauce
• CAVEAT:  I copped out people- Seriously copped out, and I bought a pre-made garlic-flavored sauce that rhymes with Schmego.  I will never do that again.  This sauce would be a much, much better choice and make this lasagna sooooo good. 
• 1 can tomato sauce
• If you make your own sauce, you do not need this extra can of randomness.  This was what I added when I realized I didn't have enough Schmego.  Grrr.
• 16 oz. cottage cheese
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 16-oz. package lasagna noodles (but I only used half)
• 12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (8 oz. and 4 oz.)
• 2 cups-ish packed fresh spinach leaves

Brown the meat 80% of the way in a large pot.  Add onions and basil and saute until the onions are transparent and the meat is done.  Add sauce and heat through.  Note: If you use the home-made sauce I linked to above, remember it takes roughly 45 minutes to cook.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in butter (and a little white wine, cooking or otherwise, if you have it).  In a medium bowl combine cottage, ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses and eggs.  

Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch pan.  This will create the steam necessary to cook your bottom layer of uncooked noodles.  Layer uncooked lasagna noodles,  cheese mixture, a thin layer of mushrooms, a sprinkle of mozzarella, spinach, and meat sauce.  Continue layering until all of your ingredients are used, except 4 oz. mozzarella.  I used only half the package of noodles and broke several of them to fill in the weird spaces - I ended up with two complete layers plus the top layer. When finishing, place a layer of noodles and a final layer of sauce.

Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and add the rest of the mozzarella, then bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

Now.  I have made uncooked-noodle lasagna before with no problems.  This time, however, my top layer of noodles was waaaay to crunchy.  I'm not entirely sure why - not enough sauce on top?  Foil not tight enough?  These noodles were left over from last year? (heh)  I think in the future I might cook just the noodles that will form the top layer.  Anyone else (*Dad?*) have a suggestion?

Pesto Two Ways

Well guys, I had an awesome moment this week.  Sometimes people just need some encouragement.  It's amazing what a simple word can do.  I know it's a cliche. (I also know that saying "I know it's a cliche" is a cliche.  Whatever.)  One of my new friends sent me an e-mail to tell me she was putting my recipe for guacamole into her meal plan for the week.  It made me so excited to know that someone is actually going to make one of my recipes!  I love blogging, but let me tell you - typing out recipes is really not all that fun.  It's actually my least favorite part of this, and it's probably the main reason I don't blog more often.  She's actually the second person to tell me that they made something of mine, and the first time was pretty cool, too.  :-)  Just hearing that kind of gave me a new motivation to keep doing this.

So listen, if you see someone working hard, tell them.  If a new mom is doing a good job, tell her.  If you like someone's cooking, tell them.  Seriously, why not?

Ok, so see this little basil plant here?  The one that's devouring the petunia beside it?  The one that's 3 feet tall?  See it?

 
I'm just a "little" proud of it.  I realize a 5-year-old could grow basil, but I'm lucky if I can keep silk flowers alive, so I'm pretty happy with Herb (that's his name).  Anyways, I needed to use up some of that basil, so I decided to attempt homemade pesto.  I actually had no idea what went in pesto, so when I looked up a couple pesto recipes online, I decided to try two different methods.  The first was using only golden nuggets pine nuts, which, incidentally, cost a heckuvalotta dough.  Like, dang.  The second was using walnuts.  I was a little skeptical, but in the end, I surprised myself and liked the walnut pesto better (I mean that literally - I tend to have expensive taste buds).  The pine nut one was really good, but the walnuts tasted fresher and lighter.

I also tried making the pesto "properly" by first processing the nuts and garlic, then adding the basil, then adding the oil.  That was pretty much a disaster.  I just ended up with a hard paste that took forever to break up.  So then I tried the "shortcut" method of throwing it all in together and hey look! Pesto!  It worked better.

Aaaannnd one final random thought.  I actually don't like Parmesan cheese, or at least I thought I didn't.  The powdery kind you shake on spaghetti just doesn't do it for me.  Even the pre-grated kind...not so much.  Then I bought a block of the real stuff and grated it myself.  And ohmigosh.  It was so good I was eating it by the slice.  The slice, people!  Also, it makes your breath smell awesome.

Pesto

• 2 cups packed fresh basil
• 1/3 cup (more or less depending on taste) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or a combination
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to keep it bright green, and also to take away some of the heaviness)

Put nuts, oil, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor and run it until smooth.  Add basil by the handful and process until smooth.  Add more olive oil if needed until it reaches your desired texture.  Add cheese last.

 Pesto can be kept fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-6 months.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Fennel

I guess I took a little break. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I haven't blogged in a week. Relatedly, I haven't cooked much new in a week. My ESL class is on Spring break. I haven't done my Bible study homework in a couple days. It's Easter so there's no coupons to cut this week. I've only been playing Words with Friends once or twice a day instead of my usual 10 or 11 times (I know, it's bad). I haven't cleaned my house in....well....yeah. Anyways, it's been kind of nice and also kind of weird. I haven't intentionally cut out anything - actually, I've just been doing other things instead. I sewed Malachi a new lovey. My mom and sister came over and helped me make flower beds in my yard. I made these for a new neighbor. I'm going to get some administrative stuff done for my ESL program. I've really enjoyed frozen pizzas and eating out. I read a book in two days.

Breaks are really nice sometimes. It's fun to just break the routine and do something out of the ordinary. I am a type A personality, but I'm also really spontaneous by nature.

I went a little (or a lot) crazy in the produce section last week at the store, so I cooked with two things that are not a part of my regular repertoire - butternut squash and fennel. I have used butternut squash for baby food and this, but fennel was a first. It was good!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Fennel and Tomatoes

~1 2-lb butternut squash
~1 fennel bulb and about 2 tablespoons chopped fennel greens
~1/2 chopped onion
~1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
~olive oil
~3 cloves chopped garlic
~1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (if you like, to balance the sweetness of the squash)
~salt and pepper
~basil

Peel and dice the butternut squash (good instructions here - it's actually not that hard). Chop the fennel bulb into crescent slices. Toss squash, fennel, onions, and garlic with oil and spices. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes. Toss in the tomatoes for the last 15 minutes or so. Eat as a side, or toss with some pasta, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh Romano cheese.

Saucepan Macaroni and Cheese

Well, I almost made it. As you might remember, my March resolution was to cook 4 Julia Child recipes. I was on track, but after the beouf bourguignon I completely forgot to make another one until March 31. Heh. I guess maybe that one counts as three... Anyways, I scrambled to make potato crepes (missing several ingredients) and Julia's recipe for poached eggs. I've never poached an egg and you can tell. I needed four eggs for dinner, which is all I had. After I ruined the first one (my simmer wasn't hot enough, apparently) and had a momentary temper tantrum, Jeremy came in and cooked the last three. Did you hear that people? JEREMY cooked them. The man can cook some good breakfast food. But overall dinner was...unspectacular. So, there's the anticlimactic ending to my little March madness.

In other news, I finally perfected my macaroni and cheese recipe, and I am so glad I did. I might not ever buy boxed mac and cheese again. Ok, that's a lie, I will definitely buy it again, but I certainly won't admit it. Oh, wait...

Saucepan Macaroni and Cheese

~1 pound of short-cut pasta (I like gemelli)
~1/2 stick butter
~2 1/2 cups milk
~1 1/2 oz. cream cheese
~1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
~1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack
~4 torn pieces American cheese
~3 tablespoons sour cream
~3-4 tablespoons flour

Boil pasta according to package directions. In the meantime, melt all dairy products over medium-low heat until creamy. Whisk in flour until sauce thickens and is no longer runny. Stir in to pasta.

To make it a full meal:

Mexi-Mac

~2 lb ground chuck
~1 can black beans
~1 can yellow corn
~2 cans Rotel tomatoes
~2 packets taco seasoning
~2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
~1/2 large onion, diced

Brown meat until about 75% done. Drain grease, then add tomatoes, onion, taco seasoning, and cilantro and cook until done. Heat corn and black beans and drain. Stir it all into the mac and cheese and devour!

Spicy Spaghetti Sauce

I grew up in the kitchen. I come from a line of great cooks: my mom's mom (chicken parmesan), my mom (casseroles galore), and my dad (salmon with mango salsa). For a long time my mom's kitchen had a window seat where I would sit and talk while she made dinner. If you've ever read The Five Love Languages, my love language is quality time, and my mom and I spent a LOT of time together in that kitchen. I helped her to an extent, but I never learned how to make much. When my husband and I got married, I kid you not, for the first six months we ate chicken or ground beef every other night. I did different things with them, but that's about all we ate.

One of the things I admire the most about my husband is that he doesn't complain. Like, ever. Not about his job, not about my food, not about the weather, nothing. I knew I wasn't a great cook, but not because he told me. But then one day after we were married he went home for a wedding. Somehow we got to talking and I learned that he had told his mother, his mother, that I only made chicken and hamburger. He was not complaining. He actually followed up that comment with something like "But it's all really good." But, I flipped out, and my poor husband had no idea why. Not that my mother-in-law has ever given me any reason to flip out. I'm sure she just said, "I'm glad she's a good cook!" and moved on. She's great like that. But still. Jeremy grew up LOVING his mom's cooking, and I grew up hoping my husband would love mine just as much. Oh boy.

That was the moment I realized it was time to learn something new. So I did. And then I made something else. And something else. And then, as time went on, I realized that I really liked making all these new things. I gained a lot of confidence, due in major part to my husband happily eating all of my mistakes. All those years of watching my family finally paid off when I realized I knew how to do a lot more than I thought I did. And now I, who HATED cooking for so long, absolutely love it.

My mom is famous for her spaghetti - it is amazing. My husband ate it zillions of times while he was in college and loved it. I started experimenting with her recipe and doing my own variations. Then one day I changed one more thing and my husband said, "This is even better than your mom's!"

Um, WAAAAHOOOOO! He's probably the only person in the world who thinks that, but I don't care. I felt like I had arrived!

Now to this day, I can't make the food Jeremy grew up eating taste like he remembers, even when I follow the recipes to a T. And I don't expect I ever will - who can ever match your own mom's cooking, really?

Spicy Spaghetti Sauce

~1 pound of hot Italian ground sausage
~2-3 table spoons of red cooking wine
~1 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
~1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
~1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

And here comes the part where I guess on the measurements, so bear with me.

~1.5 teaspoons of garlic powder
~1.5 tablespoons of parsley
~1 tablespoon of oregano
~2 teaspoons of basil
~1.5 teaspoons of rosemary
~1/2 teaspoon of thyme
~1/2 teaspoon of onion powder



Brown the sausage in a large skillet with a dash of garlic and parsley. When it is almost done, add the wine. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, paste, and all other spices to taste. Stir and let it simmer slowly for as long as you like. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavors will be.

After I wrote this, I went back and doubled the measurements on a bunch of the spices, and I'm still not sure it's right. Just keep tasting and sniffing.

Also, I got so excited to eat my pasta, I forgot to take a picture until it was half-way eaten. Sorry about that.

Simple Tomato Sauce

There are some days when I just don't have what I want to work with. I have about 50 pairs of shoes, but I always want something a little different for different outfits. But lest I send my poor husband into apoplexy, I have learned to work with the six pairs of boots I do own, instead of going out to buy the other three pairs I want. Another example is my hair - I hate my hair. HATE. Always have, probably always will. I wish I had been born naturally curly, or wavy, or with just a little bounce, or anything but dead-straight-dull-bodyless-wont-hold-curl-no-matter-what-you-do. But, I wasn't. So I deal with it, along with a plethora of hair products.

I want to learn how to apply those principles to more important parts of my life. In Christ, everything can be made new, transformed, and changed. But just like He allowed Paul to have weaknesses, I think He lets us continue in some of our flaws, too. It's not that I want to settle for less than what I believe God desires of me. But I also want to learn to work with what I am - Flawed. Weak. Scared. Strong-willed. I think if I could learn to accept some of these things about myself, instead of fighting all of them, maybe then God would be more glorified in me. "His strength is made perfect in our weakness."

Every Sunday my mom makes us linner (lunch+dinner). This Sunday, she wasn't around, so Jeremy and I came home and I cooked. Our options were pretty limited because we'd been out of town (green pepper and banana salad, anyone?) so I made one of our favorite stand-by meals. We have most of these ingredients in our house at any point, so it's a great last-minute "I haven't been to the store in a week" meal.

Work with What You've Got Pasta

serves 2-3 people

~1 28 ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes (or, 2 small cans of diced tomatoes)
~1 medium onion

~5 tablespoons of butter

~Noodles of your choice (I prefer Angel Hair)

Peel the onion and cut it in half. Put the onion, butter, and tomatoes in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it starts bubbling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Remove the onion with a slotted spoon and serve over cooked noodles.

I know, sounds boring and too easy right? Doesn't it need garlic? Or meat? Or something? I say, no. My husband says, "Dump ungodly amounts of powdered garlic and Parmesan cheese on it." Whatever.

San Marzano tomatoes are supposedly the must-have for this recipe. They are really good, but they are also expensive and I think the sauce turns out a little runny with them. And if you must have meat, I like to cook chicken tenders in olive oil and add these incredibly complicated and amazing spices:

I dump a little white cooking wine in at the end as well, and voila. A delicious meal that cost you hardly any time or effort, and probably not even a trip to the store. Work with what you've got!