Zesty Cook » spinach

Whole Wheat Spinach and Basil Lasagna

zesty — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:44:40 +0000

You read the title… but you will never guess what I am about to write next.

Well Yes – the lasagna was good but guess who ate it? The pickiest eater on the planet – zesty junior. He gave it two thumbs up!

I was in shock and it was pretty hard to wipe the smile off my face. Every now and again, life is full of surprises and this dinner was no different.

The rich, creamy flavor of this lasagna was so comforting. The hint of balsamic, the splash of basil followed up with the creaminess of both the ricotta and cottage cheese definitely keeps this recipe in the re do pile for future.

Ingredients

8 oz. Lean Ground Beef
1 Cup Chopped onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tsp. minced garlic
1 Tsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 19oz Can of tomatoes, pureed
1/3 Cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Black pepper
15 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 Cups Part-skim Ricotta cheese
3 Cups Spinach, baby
1 Egg
2 Cups Mozzarella, grated
1 Cup cottage cheese

Method

Spray a 9*13 -inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees
To start the sauce, add olive oil, onions and garlic to a deep dish pot over medium- high heat.
Let cook until onions begin to caramelize before adding the beef – about 5 minutes.
Add in beef and continue to cook until no longer pink.
Add balsamic, oregano, black pepper, tomato paste and continue cooking until fragrant – about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil and then let reduce about 15 minutes to thicken up.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, basil and the egg. Mix together and set aside
After the sauce has thickened, stir in spinach until it wilts. You are now ready for assembly.
Ladle a spoonful of sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then top with a row of uncooked noodles. Smear the top of the noodles with more sauce, followed by the ricotta cheese mixture and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Then add another layer of noodles repeating the process until you have three layers of noodles.
To finish off the dish, layer the top row of noodles with sauce followed by the mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 375 for about 35- 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: A couple of tips with this one…. you want to ensure the top row of noodles get covered with both sauce and cheese to avoid the noodle from drying out and becoming like cardboard. You also want to really let the lasagna stand before cutting or all the juices/sauce will run free and the consistency will not be as good.

On top of Zesty Junior consuming a dinner consisting other than cheese or flour – he also made dessert. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt topped with fresh berries. A great way to finish off a delicious dinner with family.

Well that is all for now. If you are looking for the trail mix ball recipes and gave them a try since Monday. There were a couple of errors in the ingredient list on my part. They have since been updated and rave reviews are flowing in.

Hope you have a great Wednesday and I will see you on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Name Your Favorite Green

zesty — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:07:24 +0000

Trying more and more to consume more greens. Whether it be in smoothies, at the dinner table or even just walking by the kitchen and grabbing a snack.

Maybe I need more green ideas.

So with that I am asking you.

What is your favorite green?

I think mine would have to be baby spinach. It is versatile, mild and can be used hot or cold in a variety of ways. It is good for you… or so you hear. I really like to lay some in a bowl and ladle hot soup or stew over the top, throw 2-3 cups in a smoothie at times, or make a great summer salad in replace of the traditional lettuce.

Below are some of my previous uses for spinach.

Let me hear your favorite green.

Have an awesome Monday and I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care
zesty

Get Your Greens {On}

zesty — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:59:07 +0000

It’s Friday already and a long weekend to boot! Whoo Hooo. I had great visions of sharing some Zoo pictures with you today however I forgot to bring the camera cable with me so not I have no way of transferring the pictures. Sorry about that… but next week I will for sure.

So with all the traveling and not so healthy eating at times…. I am writing a post for the salad lovers out there. It is time to get your greens on! I remember in NYC and Toronto, where I would go a full day of not eating anything green… shhh don’t tell anyone. Remember you have to live life and take things in moderation. With that said, I am back on the green wagon and going to share with you a simple salad that really tastes great.

Ingredients

2 Cups baby spinach
1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Lemon juice
Sesame seeds, roasted
Flax seeds, roasted
Olive oil
Sliced prosciutto

Method

Preheat a dry pan and roast the seeds and nuts until golden brown.
Prepare the salad base of spinach, prosciutto and avocado.
Add the roasted seeds and nuts.
Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: After you peel your avocado sprinkle it with a hint of lemon juice to avoid it browning on the outside before you eat it. If it does go brown, don’t throw it out – it is still GOOD.

Oh and I got my black plate back from Mom’s. It has been there for over a year. I usually like shooting with white plates but for some reason black looks good sometimes too. I hope you give this salad a try and let me know what you think. Have a great long weekend and I will be talking to you bright and early on Labor Day morning.

Take care

zesty