Bellygasm

Best Lasagna Recipe Made Easy

Before The Simpsons, there was Garfield. As a child, I read the comic strip, watched the cartoon, and even had a stuck-on-you doll with suction cups on the paws that I put up on my mom's car windows. (Sorry, bad trip to the 80's.)

I always felt a particular kinship with the orange tabby cat. Besides being cynical, sarcastic, and borderline sadistic to John, his owner, Garfield loathes Mondays, diets, or any form of exertion. He is truly one badass kitty.

So what does Garfield have to do with my easy recipe for lasagna, you ask?

1. Garfield is the original foodie who was born in an Italian restaurant kitchen.
2. He eats practically everything, and his favorite food is lasagna.
3. As all impressionable, Saturday morning cartoon devotee, I too became food obsessed and a lover of lasagna.

I hope my simple lasanga recipe, a rendition on the classic, will be as well received for you as it did for me. My guests enjoyed 2nds and even 3rds!! If you prefer a vegetarian lasagna, just swap the sausage for sliced zucchinis and/or squash. I promise you'll never buy a frozen Stouffer's again.

Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound of spicy Italian sausage or ground beef (sausages are seasoned so it adds more flavor & complexity)
1 10-oz. box of spinach, defrosted, drained, & squeezed of any liquid
1 9-oz. box of no-boil lasagne noodles (barilla or your favorite brand)
6 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

For Marinara Sauce:
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup of red wine
Salt & pepper

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, add oil over medium-high heat. Removing casing and add sausages in bite sized chunks to brown for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside leaving oil and any fat rendering.
2. Add onion to sauté until translucent while scraping any carmelization. Add garlic, basil, oregano, crushed tomatoes, and red wine. Bring it to a boil before reducing heat and cover to simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. While the marinara sauce simmers, prepare spinach and set aside. (Tip: If the spinach is frozen, defrost in microwave per instruction. If already defrosted and at room temperature, make sure to drain and squeeze out any liquid.)
4. Preheat oven at 375F. Grease the bottom and the sides of a 13x9x3 baking pan with olive oil.
5. Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly on the bottom of baking pan.
6. Layer 4 uncooked lasagne sheets, half of the sausages, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
7. Repeat another layer of uncooked sheets, spinach, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
8. Repeat another layer of uncooked sheets, remaining sausages, 1 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce.
9. Add final layer of uncooked sheets, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
10. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes until bubbly. Uncover foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until cheese is completely melted and starts to brown.
11. Remove from oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.
     

Everyday Roast Turkey Dinner

 

A friend asked me the other day if I have to eat the same meal everyday for the rest of my life, what would it be? I didn't think twice about before blurting out, "Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings!"

I just love everything about Thanksgiving: roast turkey with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams, green beans... In fact, I decided why wait til November when I can have an oven-roasted turkey dinner tonight.

For this easy weeknight recipe, I choose turkey breast tenderloins, rather than breasts, because it's faster to cook yet thick enough to remain moist and juicy. My turkey tenderloin recipe is actually similar to how I cook pork tenderloin. Plus, I want to make two of my favorites sides while the tenderloins finish in the oven: stuffing and collard green. Now that's what I call a quick, soul-satisfying meal. Don't forget to say grace!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 turkey tenderloins (about 2 lbs)
1 tablespoons of dried rosemary
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a oven safe skillet, heat oil in medium-high heat.
2. Pat turkey tenderloins dry and season with, salt, pepper and rosemary. Quickly sear the outside to lock in moisture.
3. Roast tenderloins for about 10-15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160F.
4. Remove promptly and let stand for 10 minutes. (Tip: While the tenderloins cook and rest, you can prepare your sides.
5. Pour any juice from the tenderloins back into the skillet and deglaze with a cup of chicken stock.
6. Make a beurre manié or "kneaded butter" (equal parts of butter and flour) to thicken gravy.
7. Whisk in beurre manié and cook over low heat.

Serving suggestion: Slice tenderloins in 1/2-inch diagonal pieces. Serve with homemade gravy.