Tag Archives: lasagna

A Little Manners Please

Every morning I go to Dunkin’ Donuts and get a coffee for my dad and a half-decaf for me.  We have a great set-up, I get the coffee and donuts and he makes a fruit plate for us.  It continues to amaze me how Americans order, “Gimme 2 chocolate and bagel wit’ cream cheese”.  Gimme?!  Really?!   And the best part is that these people are completely unaware of how offensive they sound.  I have heard this “gimme” not just at the Dunkin’ Donuts, but many fast food or even family style restaurants.

Last week I took my kids to a park in Bluebell (a far cry from inner-city) and a heavy-set boy ran past me out of breath.  I looked at his T-shirt and it said “GIMME SNACKS and NOBODY GETS HURT!” with a chubby cartoon character on the front.  Really?!  It’s soo funny and soo not funny all at the same time.

Easy Lasagna

I am one of the few Italians that doesn’t like ricotta cheese and therefore, I have never been a big fan of lasagna.  I also think that it’s a pain to boil the noodles for lasagna and baked ziti.  Here is an easy recipe for lasagna that I made instead that requires 1 pot and 1 baking dish.  Make it with meat and/or veggies – I did both.

• Optional:  Cook 1 lb. ground turkey or beef in a drop of olive oil in a heavy pot.  Set aside.
• Optional:  Heat some garlic up in EV olive oil.  Add any veggies (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini) and toss until cooked through.  Set aside and take out garlic.
• Dice ½ onion (grate some carrot in too) and cook in a little olive oil (and garlic) until soft.
• Add one can of crushed tomatoes and fresh basil and stir with salt/pepper and let cook at least 15 mins.
• Spray bottom of baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Layer 1)  NO BOIL lasagna noodles  2) meat/veggies  3) sauce  4) shredded mozzarella  5) sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  Do this in 2 layers.
• Cover with plastic and foil.  Put in fridge for a day or freeze for a month.
• Cook at 375 for 25 minutes covered with foil only – spray to avoid sticking) and 10 minutes uncovered.
• Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving (so it won’t fall apart).

How Can the Kids Help?

• Help decide which veggies should go into the lasagna.
• Help stir/chop ground meat.
• Open can of crushed tomatoes – learn to use can opener (with help)
• Help layer the lasagna (they will LOVE this)

Did You Know?

• In Italy, lasagna noodles are totally flat – in the U.S. they are ruffled at the ends to help trap sauce.
• The term “lasagna” comes from the Greeks.
• Nutmeg is used in several versions of lasagna.