Lasagna - Northern Style

Lasagna! Today was Summer's first lasagna... imagine? For my first try I think I did really well (the man "loved" it!),  When it comes to lasagna... I love Northern style lasagna which is so creamy (it's orange in color). I had this style for the first time in Venice and fell in love! Then I was lucky enough to find it again when Dan and I went out to eat with Evan and Erica at an Italian joint in Manhattan. That's when I began to realize this was actually a certain style of lasagna. Usually I get the pretty basic tomato sauce, ricotta and pasta type.. this is much more... flavorful and complex... like a full-bodied wine!

Ingredients:
Lasagna pasta
tomato sauce
alfredo sauce or other creamy sauce
onion
pepper
carrots
steamed tomatoes (or diced)
ground beef
ricotta cheese
parmesan


First get some water boiling to cook your lasagna. I used 9 sheets, it depends on your baking dish. While the water was getting to a boil I cooked my ground beef on a skillet until all the pink was gone. Then I poured out any fat and put the meat to the side. Then in the same skillet I sauteed my chopped vegetables in a little oil and also added my tomatoes. I would suggest getting excess juice out of them first. I cooked my pasta and then drained it and splashed it with cold water so I could handle it. Preheat the oven to 375. In one bowl I mixed my red and white sauce with my ground meat. Then I began the fun process of layering. First, three sheets of pasta went down. On top of that went my sauce/meat mix, and then my veggie mix. Then I put some dabs of ricotta cheese with sprinkled Parmesan. Repeat! Be creative. I cooked it for about 35 minutes with tin foil on top for the first 25 minutes. I kept it uncovered for the remaining 10 minutes. Let it cool for another 10 minutes before you dig in!

Pete's Pesto

This is my Dad's recipe. Best pesto around.

First, make sure you have some fresh basil growing! If you are a true Brooklynite you will have it growing on your fire-escape or anywhere else you can fit it. I use it all the time in other recipes... I truly believe everyone should have fresh basil growing in their home. 

Pesto Recipe:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
3 TSP. Walnuts
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
pinches of salt and pepper
Blend all together in blender
then add
1/2 cup grated cheese(Romano or Parmesan)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream cheese and blend away....

Orange and Honey Chicken Drumsticks

This is the first time we did these - and they came out pretty good (great flavor). Next time I want to figure out a way to make them crispier.

Ingredients

Chicken Drumsticks
Honey
Orange Juice ..I didn't have an orange :-O
BBQ sauce
salt/pepper
olive oil
thyme

Preheat the oven to about 400-425 degrees. Rinse the chicken drumsticks under water and in a bowl mix them with a little olive oil, salt, orange juice, pepper and thyme. Place tin foil on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove and with a brush paint on the bbq sauce mixed with the honey. Apply generously and when you put them back in the oven make sure they are flipped so that the side that had been down originally is now up. Let them bake for about another 20 minutes or until your belly is growling too much. Enjoy! We had this with corn and some of my dad's pesto - good messy finger lickin' summertime meal.

Baked Salmon and Tabouli

As you can tell, I have not been doing much cooking lately. I think it has been a combination of extreme heat in NYC and laziness. I will be remedying it this week! However, my mom has been keeping on top of her A-game and she sent me this recipe!

We had a great dinner tonight of baked salmon and quinoa corn salad, also known as tabouli.  I baked the salmon at 450 for 15 minutes( put a little maple syrup on it first).  I will enclose the salad recipe.  It's one of the best foods one can eat.  

 

 

                                     Tabouli

 

Dressing:  3 TBS fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

                2 TBS olive oil

                2 TBS fresh parsley (chopped)

                2 stalks scallions (chopped)

                1 tsp. minced garlic (I used a couple of cloves)

                1 tsp. cumin

 

Also:         1/4 cup quinoa (this is a whole grain)  mine came rinsed but if the type you

                 buy is not pre-washed you must wash it to get rid of bitter coating (saponin)

                 1/2 cup chicken or veg. broth

                  1 can black beans rinsed and drained

                  1 tomato diced

                  1 cup frozen corn

 

1:  Cook quinoa in broth about 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed( after it comes to a boil reduce to simmer and cover as you would rice)

2:  While grain cooks, mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl

3:  Add drained and rinsed beans, tomato, and corn

4:  Cool grain to room temp ( I threw mine in refrig. for a bit), then mix with other ingredients, chill until ready to eat 

     As with most salads of this type it is better if made a few hours ahead of time, although I made mine just 1 hour ahead and it was delicious.