Friday, June 12, 2009
Slow Cooker Lasagna
From Real Simple Magazine
Ingredients
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped<
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
kosher salt and pepper
16 ounces fresh ricotta
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
12 ounces dry lasagna noodles
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and torn into large pieces (I used brocolli or spinach)
12 ounces mozzarella, grated
1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Spoon 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker. Top with a single layer of noodles, breaking them to fit as necessary. Add half the Swiss chard. Dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture and a third of the remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella.
3. Add another layer of noodles and repeat with the other ingredients. Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining ricotta mixture, tomato mixture, and mozzarella.<
4. Set the slow cooker to low and cook, covered, until the noodles are tender, 2 hours.
If You Don't Have a Slow Cooker: Heat oven to 375° F. Follow the recipe above using no-boil lasagna noodles in place of the dried ones and layer the ingredients in a Dutch oven or large casserole. Cover and bake until the noodles are tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
I broke my slow cooker into a hundred little pieces a few months back and I cooked it in the oven per the instructions above and it turned out better than the slow cooker method since it looked like a traditional lasagna. To make things go faster, I also used Trader Joe's Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce which is a favorite in our household. I also added some sliced TJ's turkey meatballs for added protein.
This recipe is so easy to make.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
growth
A couple of months ago Evan and I went to the nursery and got a bunch of vegetables to plant in our backyard. It was fun planning our vegetable garden. We planted a bunch of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries and parsley.
The strawberry plant provided instant gratification as fruit was available about a week after we planted them. The tiny cucumber plant has grown into a big vine and yielded these huge cucumbers.
Lastly, this lone pepper sprouted and I'm not sure what to do with it yet. We're looking forward to eating those tomatoes once they are ready.
Incidentally, our family is growing too. Pretty soon we will have a baby boy join our family. Can't wait!