Karens Lasagna Food

SUMMER VEGETABLE LASAGNE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced or 190C conventional. 2. Add the capsicum and zucchini to one high-sided baking dish, and the eggplant to another. Drizzle the vegetables with 100 millilitres of oil, using more of it on the eggplant. Sprinkle over the oregano and garlic, season with salt and pepper and roast for 90 minutes, stirring through every 20 minutes or so. Once cooked, combine the vegetables in a large bowl. 3. Meanwhile, for the sugo, heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the passata, oregano and sugar, season and simmer for 15minutes. 4. For the bechamel, add the milk and bay leaves to a saucepan and heat until just under the boil. Remove from the heat. 5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir through the flour and cook for one minute over medium heat. Add the hot milk gradually while whisking until incorporated and smooth. Stir continuously and cook until just starting to boil. Whisk in the parmesan and nutmeg and season if necessary. Cover with a baking paper cartouche (see Tips) and set aside. Use the bechamel while still hot. 6. Spoon a thin layer of bechamel across the base of a 30 x 25 centimetre baking dish and top with pasta. Follow with another layer of bechamel, half the ricotta and bocconcini, a third of the scamorza, a generous scattering of parmesan and some torn basil leaves, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a little oil. Add another layer of pasta followed by half the sugo and half the roasted vegetables. Top with pasta and repeat the bechamel, cheese and basil layer. Add another layer of pasta, followed by the remaining sugo and vegetables and finish with the last of the pasta. Top with the remaining bechamel, scamorza and parmesan, and cover with baking paper and foil. 7. Bake for 45 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. Serve or cool and portion for later use. Tips 1. In cooking, a "cartouche" is a cover, usually paper, for sauces, stews and the like. By cutting a sheet of baking paper to a size that fits your bechamel saucepan and placing it directly on the surface of the finished sauce you will prevent the bechamel from developing a skin. 2. Make sure you use all the bechamel, as it makes the lasagne so luscious and rich. 3. Keep your oven clean by placing the lasagne dish on a baking tray to catch any drips. 4. Once cooked for 45 minutes, you could cool the lasagne and freeze for another day. Simply defrost and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. Styling Deborah Kaloper; background surfaces from The Establishment Studios; ceramic plate from La Petite Fabrique de Brunswick

KAREN'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed and crumbled), onions and garlic in a large dutch oven or large pot; saute until veggies are tender and meat is browned; drain any fat left in the pan.
• Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to the meat mixture.
• Stir in the wine, diced bell pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano and brown sugar.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; turn heat down to a simmer and cover.
• Simmer 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Taste often and add more spices to taste if needed, simmering after each addition before tasting again.
• Add the spinach, sliced mushrooms and red pepper flakes 1 hour before serving if desired.
• In the meantime, cook lasagna noodles according to the package instructions.
• Layer in this order in your lasagna pan: a thin layer of meat sauce, a layer of noodles, another thicker layer of meat sauce, a cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle on a thin layer of mozzarella, dust with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and begin the next layer starting with the noodles; repeat until all sauce, noodles, and cheeses are used ending with noodles, an even layer of mozzarella cheese, dusted with Parmesan.
• Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until cheese is melted and spotted with browned areas, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Allow lasagna to set for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

KAREN'S LAZY DAY LASAGNA FREEZER MEAL

Steps:

• Assembly Directions:.
• In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese , eggs, parsley, onion powder, basil and pepper until well blended; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and cooked ground beef. In a 9x13-inch glass baking dish or (2- 8x8-inch pans) spread 3/4 cup meat sauce on the bottom. Layer 3 uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce. Next spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture and 1-1/2 cups meat sauce. Layer 3 more uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce. Spread with remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining meat sauce. Pour water around the outside edges.
• Freezing Directions:.
• Place dish in a 2-gallon freezer bag. Or, if you want to wrap it in foil, cover the top of the lasagna with wax paper or plastic wrap and then the foil, because the acid in the tomato sauce will leave small holes in the foil. Label, seal and freeze.
• Serving Directions: Remove pan from freezer and thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Bake covered at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. To bake from the frozen stage, add 30 minutes to the total baking time.

AUNTIE KAREN'S FIREMAN SURPRISE

Steps:

• Fill a pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and set it to boil over medium-high heat. To make the spice mixture, in a small bowl, stir to combine the garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, dried parsley and bouillon. Set aside.
• Add the penne to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot off of the heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
• In a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and once shimmering, add the meat to the pan with 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture. Stir in the onions and garlic and saute until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes to the meat mixture. Stir in the remaining seasoning mixture, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Season with 1 tablespoon of the fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. Cover and cook until the tomatoes have fully broken down, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the ricotta, egg and some salt and pepper. Season with the remaining 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, sage and rosemary. Mix until combined.
• In a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish, begin by adding one spoonful of meat sauce on the bottom. Next add some of the pasta, then some of the mozzarella and dollops of the ricotta mixture. Continue this pattern until the dish is full. Then dollop the remaining ricotta mixture on the top sporadically all over. Finish by adding the remaining mozzarella to the top.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

KAREN'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Boil noodles, drain, and place on wax paper. Brown hamburger meat, drain of grease. Add sauce and heat until warm.
• Mix 2 or 3 bags cheese with the cottage cheese. Layer until baking pan is full starting with sauce and meat then add cheese mixture then noodles. Finish with sauce, then add the last bag of cheese on top. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is lightly brown.