Friday, September 07, 2007

A Basic Meal

I made the following on Labor Day. Actually, I browned the beef Sunday night and refrigerated it, then on Monday morning I assembled and baked it--out of the oven by 8am! The accompanying bread was made at mealtime (mmm! super-fresh!). I wasn't sure what plans the boyfriend and I had for the day (I ended up going for a bike ride, then we played golf in the afternoon) so I figured getting a jump on things would be a good idea. Besides, dishes like this sometimes taste better as "leftovers".

Boy, I do miss the days of having homemade spaghetti sauce! (Someday I'll get a yard again with a giant garden...for now my garden is a small plot at the boyfriend's house.)

Basic Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
2lbs. ground beef
1lb. ground sausage (mild, medium, or spicy)
2 large jars spaghetti sauce of your choosing
1 large container ricotta cheese
2 regular-size bags grated of mozzarella or white cheese blend
1 small bag finely grated parmesan cheese
Any combo of the following: dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes,
pepper, parsley and/or thyme to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown/drain ground beef and sausage in a large skillet. Meanwhile, cook/drain noodles according to package directions. In a deep-dish 13X9 baking or foil pan, pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Layer 4 noodles across the pan. Spread 1/2 container of ricotta cheese over the noodles, then sprinkle with herbs of choice, 1/2 the meat, the rest of the 1st jar of sauce, and 1 bag of mozzarella/white cheese. Add another layer of 4 noodles, the rest of the ricotta, some more herbs, the remaining meat, all but about ~1cup of the 2nd jar of sauce, the 2nd bag of mozzarella/white cheese, then the remaining 4 noodles. Pour the reserved ~ 1cup sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the entire bag of parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30-50 minutes, until bubbly.

**I microwave my ricotta in it's container for about 1 minute, then using a rubber spatula mix it up really good. It makes it much easier to spread.


Farmgirl's Beyond Easy Beer Bread
(as seen at Farmgirl Fare, link above)

Basic Bread Mix:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
12 ounces beer
Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

**If batter is SUPER-thick, add some water to it. It should not be like a dry "dough", it should hold together and be moist. I've had to add water each time I've made this. (Well, I didn't once and it was hard as a rock!)

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Flavor Variations:

Garlic & Herb: Add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic flakes) to the basic mix. For fresh herbs, use 1 chopped Tablespoon of each.

Dill & Chive: Add 2 Tablespoons fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill) and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives to the basic mix.

Italian: Add 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano (or 1 Tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano), 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese to the basic mix.

Other Additions: Any dried or fresh herbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago (or other hard cheese); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or 1/2 cup oats in place of 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Or practically anything else you can think of--use your imagination.

**I used minced garlic, dried thyme, and about a cup of shredded 5-cheese (white) blend this time.