Why do so many people hate resolutions? I love them. I have two resolutions: look presentable every day and let go. I know they are a little schizophrenic, but that’s what I came up with this year. As a “stay-at-home-working” mom it is very easy to skip getting ready each day. It amazing that at noon, I still sport my sweatpants. This lazy attitude may seem glamorous to some; I’m here to tell you it’s not (I don’t own cute sweats).
When you are ready for the day, you get more done. And there’s a lot to do; make baby food, figure out what to do with the leftover pickle brine, use up pie crust scraps, and make lasagna. The list goes on, but this is a food blog so we’ll keep it focused. You can be fancy too:
1. Baby food. A lot of people ask if I make my own baby food, the answer is: yes. Not all of the time, but when I can, I do. Many are very intimidated by the whole process, but this is the easiest thing to cook. I mean really, you cook the vegetables until they are mush and puree them with no seasoning whatsoever. Some foods that don’t even require cooking, like melons and mangoes, just puree and serve.
I like to carve out an hour or so on a Saturday to chop, roast, boil, puree, and combine. I freeze everything in ice cube trays and then pop out the food into large storage bags. Today’s menu was: cantaloupe/mango, pea/butternut squash, carrot/cauliflower, and honeydew melon–solo. I will add bananas to all of the fruit purees for breakfast. **And for those of you without babies, the fruit purees make for perfect smoothie starters.
2. Don’t throw away that empty pickle jar with all of that pickle brine. Pickle something else. I tossed in some leftover diced red onions. Those little onions were the perfect burst of flavor on our quiche last night.
3. If you make homemade pie crust, you are bound to have some small scraps. Roll out the scrap dough (on a cookie sheet w/ parchment paper), toss on some sliced McIntosh apples (to the center of the dough), some brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little bit of butter. Fold the dough over the apples and brush the crust with egg white. Cook at 375 F until golden and tender ~ 30 minutes (depending on the size of the tart). Hello delicious.
4. I cannot believe I have not posted this recipe yet. This is my favorite lasagna recipe. We have been making this lasagna in my family for years. I get lots of requests for this meal (it’s my grandma-in-law’s favorite lasagna). And for the record fancy equates to jeans.
Turkey Sausage Lasagna
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
2 TBS olive oil
1 yellow onion – chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage/casings removed
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree/ Italian variety
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley/ divided – chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil – chopped
1/2 pound lasagna / I use the no bake kind.
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz goat cheese/ room temp
1 cup grated parmesan, + more for sprinkling
1 egg/ lightly beaten
1 pound sliced mozzarella (I like to use this over the fresh mozz)
s and p
Prep:
Heat oven to 400 F. Pour olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent ~5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; season w/ salt and pepper. Add the turkey sausage and crumble. Continue stirring and breaking up the meat until the sausage is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of parsley, and the basil. Simmer over medium/low for ~15 minutes; stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, parmesan, egg, and the remaining parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
In a 9 x 12 x 2 dish ladle in 1/3 of the sauce. Then add half of the pasta, half of the mozzarella, and half of the ricotta mixture. Start again w/ 1/3 of the sauce, half of the noodles, and ricotta mixture. Finally use up the remaining sauce and top w/ parmesan cheese. Bake immediately for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Or you can store in the fridge (2 days), and then cook for 40 minutes.
