Lassagna Rolls

Over Thanksgiving week, Moe and I went home to spend time with friends and family.  On Tuesday night, we decided to cook dinner for everyone on my side of the family since they would all be rushing home from a long day of work.  I thought for days about the menu and finally decided to keep it very simple.... lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.  My sister-in-law had introduced me to the idea of lasagna rolls last year; however, I was yet to take on the task of preparing them for myself.  After experiencing the benefit, I have to share it with you all!  I never liked cooking lasagna because it was so messy and hard to serve.  However, rolling the noodles with filling instead of layering them makes a world of difference.  With a simple scoop, you can serve everyone hassle free!  Plus it helps control portions so your guests generally don't overeat and are left with the terrible "full" feeling which runs a perfect meal!  If you haven't tried these, I STRONGLY recommend giving it a try!

Lasagna Rolls
Source:  Adapted from my sister-in-law, Lisa
Serves:  12 rolls

1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb of sausage (sage flavored)
4 cups of spinach
15 oz of ricotta cheese
1 cup of parmesean cheese, plus extra for topping (1/4 cup)
3 cups of sliced button mushrooms (approximately 10 large mushrooms sliced thinly)
1 small zuchinni
1 small squash
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 egg
1/2 cup of shredded mozerella cheese
3 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 container of Classico Marinara Sauce
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice squash and zuchinni long ways into slices.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Arrange squash and zuchinni slices on the sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly browned.  Set aside and allow to cool. 

Change oven temperature to 375 degrees. Heat a skillet, and add two tablespoons of water to the hot skillet.  Add the spinach and heat until wilted. Set aside.

In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and cook until tender.  Set aside.  

In a skillet, saute pork until cooked. Set aside in a dish.


Cook lassagna according to packaged directions (al dente).  Remove each lassagna noodle and lay flat on a plate lined with foil.  This will prevent them from sticking together until you are ready to roll them. 

Chop garlic finely.  In a bowl mix together parmesean, ricotta, parlsey, oregano, and garlic.  In the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, add 1/4th a jar of Cassico sauce to the bottom of the pan.  On a flat surface, begin assembling of the lassagna rolls. For the vegetable rolls, spread ricotta mixture and layer spinach, mushrooms, and zuchinni / squash on the lassagna noodle. Top with a small dap of marinara sauce.  Roll and place in the bottom of the lassagna pan with the seam facing the bottom of the pan. 

Follow the same method for the sausage rolls except only layer ricotta mixture, spinach, and sausage. Once the pan is filled with rolls top with remaining marinara sauce and parmesean cheese.

Top the veggie lasagna rolls with the extra mushrooms and the meat ones with the remaining sausage.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately. 

Ratings:

Miss J, 10 out of 10

Moe, 10 out of 10

Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Apples and Potatoes

Source:  weightwatchers.com, by Dining For Two, from Weight Watchers Publishing Group

This was a quick healthy meal that was ready in about 40 minutes (including prep time)!





1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, fresh, chopped

1 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp EVOO
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound(s) lean pork tenderloin (I used 3 round pork tenderloin slices)
1 large sweet potato(es), (10-ounce) peeled and cut crosswise into 8 slices
1 Tbsp water
1 medium apple(s), cut into 6 wedges
1 tsp packed brown sugar, dark
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Mix the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper to a paste in a small bowl. Place the pork in the baking dish. Spread the parsley mixture evenly over the top of the pork and let stand 5–10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the sweet potato slices and water in a small microwavable casserole dish. Cover and microwave on High for 3 minutes; drain.


Place the sweet potato slices and apple wedges around the pork. Lightly spray the sweet potato and apple with nonstick spray, then sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the pork registers 160°F for medium and the sweet potato and apple are tender, about 30 minutes. Cover the pork lightly with a foil tent and let stand 5 minutes.  Serve when ready.


Yields 3-4 pork slices, 4 sweet potato slices, and 3 apple wedges per serving. Weight Watcher Points - 10 per serving.

Ratings:
Moe, 9 out of 10
Miss J, 9 out of 10

Fresh out of the oven!

ENJOY!

- Miss J

Cooking with Syrah

Penne with Sausage, Procini and Portobello Mushrooms, and Syrah

Serves:  4 (I disagree, serves 6)
Source:  The Wine Lover's Cookbook, by Sid Goldstein

I love wine, and I love food so this cookbook is one of my favorites.  This was the first time I have made this recipe so wasn't sure what to expect.  I'll be honest, the outcome was good, but not great. See notes below  recipe to see what I would change for next time.  

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
12 ounces Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 1.2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
3.4 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups syrah
2  14 1/2 ounce cans chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
1 pound dried penne or other small dried pasta
garnish:  shredded asiago cheese, chopped parsley

Soak porcini in hot water for 2 to 3 hours.  Drain.  In a medium, non-stick skillet saute sausage over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes until brown on both sides.  Remove with slotted spoon, place on paper towel, and pat dry.  In the same pan (with drippings from sausage remaining), saute onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and continue sauteing for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add wine and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer to reduce by half.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Add reserved sausage and heat through.  Season to taste.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Carefully add penne and cook according to package directions or until it is al dente.  Drain and return penne to pot.  Add sauce to pasta and mix thoroughly.  Reheat, if necessary.  To serve, divide pasta among 4 large pasta or soup bowls.  Top with cheese and parsley.


Notes:  The wine flavor was a little much so next time, I would remove the mushrooms after they are cooked and add them back right before I serve. This would prevent the mushrooms from absorbing so much of the wine flavor.  I would also reduce the wine amount to 1 cup and substitute in some cream or half and half to make the sauce thicker.  Finally, I would use fresh mushrooms instead of dried.  This would add more depth to the dish as dried mushrooms are thin and often rubbery in texture.  I recommend topping with fresh basil and toasted pine nuts for some crunch.




Ratings:
Moe, 6 out of 10
Miss J, 5 out of 10


- Miss J