Fool Proof Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Baked sweet potato fries are not as easy to pull off as their white potato cousins. They can stick to the baking sheet and turn from an appetizing bronze to charcoal-tipped in moments.  This easy technique for baking then roasting lightly glazed sweet potato wedges takes the babysitting out of the equation and garners pure and wonderful results every time.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4
Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2-3 tablespoons water or beer
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.  Line a large baking pan with 2-3 inch rim with foil and lightly oil.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into wedges by cutting each in half lengthwise.  Cut each half into quarters to yield 8 wedges per potato.
3. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and water.
4. Place sweet potato wedges in prepared pan.  Pour sauce over potatoes and toss to coat well.  Tightly cover baking pan with foil.
5. Bake sweet potatoes at 325˚F for 40-50 minutes, until wedges are almost tender.  
6. Remove foil top and turn oven temperature up to 375˚F.  Continue cooking 10-15 minutes, gently turning the wedges with a spatula halfway through. 
7. When slighty crisp and a deep bronze color, remove sweet potatoes from oven and season with salt and pepper.

What do you dip you sweet potato fries in? Ketchup is alright, but not the best match.  Try a sour cream dip or whip up an aioli mayonaise (garlic-infused) to compliment this easy side dish. 

Orange Couscous

This knock out side dish is almost too simple to be this good.  The citrus sweet tones go perfectly with grilled pork tenderloin.

Because of its short preparation time, couscous is perfect summer fare.  Steep the tiny pasta in boiled water for five minutes and the couscous blooms.  An infusion of orange juice, orange zest and basil gives the side a light, ethereal flavor that goes perfectly with any summer grilled main course.  A last minute toss with fresh chopped basil and toasted almonds and Orange Couscous is ready for company, hot or cold. 

Orange Couscous
Serves 4
Ingredients
¾ cup couscous
Zest of 1/2 orange
½ teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium oranges (one juiced and the second peeled, pitted and sectioned)*
-juice of 1 medium orange plus enough  boiling water to equal 1 cup
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
5-6 basil leaves, chopped (julienned is nice)
*4 ounces store-bought OJ and a small can of drained mandarin oranges can be substituted)

Method

1. Place couscous, orange zest, salt and butter in a medium bowl.  
2. Mix juice and honey with boiling water and pour over couscous. Stir to moisten all the pasta.  
3. Cover bowl with a plate and let sit 5-7 minutes.  
4. Remove plate and with a fork, fluff pasta.  
5. Stir in basil and almonds.  Chop reserved orange segments into bite-sized pieces and stir into couscous.  Garnish with extra basil leaves.

Orange Couscous is also a match for grilled lamb, chicken or fish.

Pesto Chicken Shell Game

There are a lot of really great pesto pasta shell recipes on the internet.  One, with chicken, seems to have been copied about quite a bit.  

I use a different selection of cheeses in my Pesto Chicken Shells and add chopped broccoli.  Adding a vegetable helps to lighten the filling and who can deny that pesto loves broccoli?  It surprises me that more recipes don't include more vegetables in rolled, stuffed and ground dishes. 

Just last week I made a wonderful chicken enchilada with a pumpkin sauce that was crying out for mushrooms and zucchini in the filling.  Next time, I may skip the chicken and use all veggies plus black beans, one of pumpkin's best friends. 

Pesto Chicken Shells are very simple but take about 45 minutes to prepare if you are not using already cooked chicken, so plan ahead.  Other than that they are easy, you can recruit help for the stuffing stage and you can even freeze the un-sauced shells individually for a quick, pure dinner down the road.


Pesto Chicken Shell Game
Yield: about 20 shells

Ingredients
20-22 jumbo pasta shells
1 large chicken boneless breast (or 1 ½ cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 cup broccoli florets
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1 ounce cream cheese
1/2-3/4 cup pesto sauce

Topping
1-2 cups marinara sauce
1-2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
¼ pine nuts (optional)

Method

1. Poach chicken breast, cool and dice into small pieces. 
2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until juts tender, 5-6 minutes.  
3. Cook pasta shells according to package directions, opting for the shorter amount of time listed in the package and when the shells are flexible enough to open without breaking but not fully cooked.  (Toss in a few extra shells in case any tear.)
4. While pasta cooks, combine the chicken, half the mozzarella, cream cheese and ½ cup pesto in a large bowl.  
5. Chop cooked broccoli to about the size of the chicken pieces and fold into chicken mixture.  
6. Taste and add salt and pepper or more pesto, to taste.  These are pesto shells so you want that flavor to stand out.
7. When shells are ready, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain thoroughly.  Using a teaspoon, fill each shell with about 2 heaping teaspoons of filling.  Set each filled shell in a lightly oiled baking pan. (and 8”X8” pan will fit the shells snugly).  
8. At this stage, you may freeze the shells. Once frozen, they can be repackaged into individual servings for later use.  
9. If enjoying tonight, preheat oven to 350˚F.  Pour marinara sauce over shells (use a light touch) and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.  
10. During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle whole pine nuts over the cheese.  Allow the pasta dish to rest a few minutes out of the oven before serving.  This will help with a neat service.  Pass extra heated marinara if your family likes more sauce. 

Enjoy your vegetables and preserve your garden's bounty.  More ideas coming this summer. 

Isles Flotant for Two

A dessert to share...

Inspired by our niece’s wedding cake last year, this is a lovely anniversary dessert with lemon and raspberry flavors (and a touch of chocolate).   While much lower in calories, it will remind you of many a wedding cake including, perhaps, yours.

This romantic dessert for two requires only 1 egg and can be made ahead.  Iles Flotant are scoops (islands) of simple meringue floating in vanilla sauce. The recipe takes very little time.  Whip the egg whites for the meringue and make the sauce while the souffle bakes.   My recipe is based on Julia Child’s that serves 12 (and requires 10-12 eggs).   I refer you to her recipe to serve a crowd. Tonight, it’s just you two. 

Iles Flotant for Two
(recipe may be doubled)
Ingredients

Meringue Souffle (the Islands)
1 egg white
pinch cream of tartar
salt
2 T sugar
1/4 t vanilla
Butter to prepare pan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.  
2. Butter a small oven proof dish- that holds about 3 cups and is strait sided.  
3. Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add cream of tartar and a few grains of salt and beat until soft peaks form.  
4. Add sugar a little at a time and beat until stiff peaks form.  Batter will be shiny.  Fold in vanilla.  
5. poon into prepared dish and bake at 325˚F for 20 minutes.  Make ahead or serve immediately.  Souffle may fall slightly but will not affect dessert’s taste or charm. 

Crème Anglaise  (Vanilla Sauce)
1 egg yolk
2 T sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 t vanilla

Method

1. While souffle bakes, make the vanilla sauce.  In a small bowl, gradually add sugar to egg yolk and whisk until pale yellow.  
2. Heat milk to 180˚F.  (Use a microwave-safe glass pitcher on high for 30 seconds.)
3. Temper the milk with a tablespoon or two of egg yolk mixture, then combine the remaining milk and egg mixture in  a small, heavy bottomed pot.  
4. Cook over very low heat to thicken sauce, stirring frequently to maintain a smooth and keep egg from cooking on bottom of pan.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Add vanilla. Set aside.

Sauces and Fruit
1/4 cup warmed lemon curd (heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it pourable)
1/4 cup warm chocolate sauce or shaved chocolate
1/3 cup fresh raspberries (or strawberries)

To Serve
 Coat two shallow dessert plates  (or one to share) with Crème Anglaise and spoon out “islands” of meringue souffle using a large tablespoon or serving spoon, giving each person 2-3 small islands.  Pour chocolate sauce over one island and lemon sauce over the other.  Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Happy Anniversary Brooke & Wilson!

Sans chocolate!

Trifles in a Cup

Cup Desserts are fun.  Not only are they fast, they can qualify as pure, real food when you pick the right ingredients.  More and more it is easy to find natural puddings and cookies and cakes made from good ingredients at the market.   These are the building blocks of the trifles.  With a little more time, you can make the puddings, cakes and cookies that form the bases of these splendid little treats layers with fresh or frozen fruits. 

Like a sundae bar, each person can make their own with cake, pudding and fruit ingredients laid out for easy assembly.  These look really attractive in clear, wide glasses so each guest can enjoy the layered parfait effect.  Small bowls are fine too. 

Here are three choices to present all together or as the season dictates. 

Strawberries are coming in now so the Strawberry Cheesecake-Shortcake Trifle is perfect from Memorial Day on.  The cheesecake mousse is a simple mixture of cream cheese, Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese sweetened with honey and flavored with lemon juice and vanilla.  The crumbled cookie base is shortbread.  Good quality, easy to find store brands are made from flour, salt, sugar and real butter, just like you would make.*  You can also use graham crackers. 

Frozen fruit works fine for these too so you don’t have to wait until later in the summer to try the Rice Pudding Cherry Chocolate Trifle.  If you make your own rice pudding, this is a divine way to use the last mouthfuls of a large baked pudding.  Alternatively excellent quality rice pudding is available at the super market in tub or individual serving sizes.

And Chocolate Angel Trifles are always in season.  Like rice pudding, chocolate pudding used here is available at the super market.  For a special dinner, you could make your own chocolate mousse.  (See blog entry on 9/17/2010 for Julia Child’s recipe with only six ingredients.)

Rice Pudding Cherry Crumble

Per person

4-5 amaretti cookies (graham crackers or vanilla wafers can be substituted)

½ cup rice pudding

½ cup cherries macerated in a teaspoon of honey or sugar and few drops almond extract.  (Fruit may be served warm.)

Garnishes: sliced toasted almonds, shaved dark chocolate (or roughly chopped)

Optional: Amarreto liqueur

Method

1. Start with a layer of cookie, 2-3 crushed amaretti at the bottom of a wide glass.   
2. Follow with a tablespoon of fruit and some of the fruit juices.  If using liqueur, sprinkle a little on the cookies and fruit to help moisten the cookie layer.    
3. Next, scoop on a few tablespoons of pudding. 
4. Continue to layer until all the ingredients are used.   
5. Garnish with shaved or chopped chocolate and almonds.

Chocolate Angel Cup

Per person

1-inch slice angel food cake, cut into bite-sized squares

½ cup chocolate pudding or mousse

1 tablespoon chocolate chips

Garnishes: toasted walnuts, mini-marshmallows

Optional: Chocolate sauce, whipped cream

Method

1. Start with the cake layer.  Line the bottom of a wide glass with cake squares.   
2. Add a layer of pudding and any garnishes and mix-ins: chocolate chips, marshmallows, nuts.   
3. Continue to layer until all the ingredients are used.   
4. Top with chocolate sauce or whipped cream.

Strawberry Cheesecake-Shortcake Trifle

Per person

3 shortbread cookies

½ cup Cheesecake “Mousse” (see direction below)

½ cup strawberries macerated with a tablespoon of orange juice or a squeeze of lemon, a teaspoon of honey or sugar and few drops vanilla extract

Optional: whipped cream

Method

1. Start with a layer of cookie at the bottom of a wide glass or small dessert bowl.  Use at least one crushed shortbread for this layer.  
2.  Follow with a tablespoon of fruit and some of the fruit juices. 
3. Next, scoop on a few tablespoons of the cheesecake “mousse.” 
4. Continue to layer until all the ingredients are used.   Finish with a layer of strawberries.
5. Garnish whipped cream and a strawberry slice.

Cheesecake “Mousse”

Serves 2 generously, recipe can be doubled

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup sour cream or “Greek” yogurt

2-3 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine the cheeses and sour cream (or yogurt) together.  Whip with a fork to get a smooth and light consistency.   
2. Mix in the vanilla and part of the honey.  Add more honey slowly, until you are happy with the sweetness.  The mousse is a contrast to the strawberries so if your berries are very sweet, hold back on the sweetness in the mousse. 

*To make your own shortbread, use the simple recipe that everyone swears by.  Click here for the link.  

Dipping Oils

My neighbor Lee is my bread man. Pizza dough, hard rolls, grainy whole wheat loaves, baguettes- it runs the gamut. Lee's travels bring him to many bread men and women who give him tips as he advises them on their machinery.

Recently Lee  and his wife Sue reminded us of the simple pleasure of bread dipped in flavored oil.  A wonderful pre-dinner treat with a glass of wine or a way to transform a loaf of bread into a special side for seafood or grilled dinners.

Lee's recipe involves "the first four herbs and spices that I pull from the cupboard" liberally scooped into a 1/2 cup of good olive oil and allowed to rest and absorb into the oil on the drive over to the party.  Yes, that fast. 

I'll give you some suggested herb and spice combos below but I want to point out the Lee's method has great merit.  Logically, the first four savory herbs you can reach are most likely ones you really like and use in foods you cook frequently.  Use enough of the herbs and spices to really flavor the oil.  If you are making this to serve in the next hour, try using 1 tablespoon total of herbs and spices per half cup oil.  If you have a few hours for the flavors of the herbs and spices to open up, use a bit less.  This is a very forgiving technique so feel free to experiment and find what pleases you.

For me that might be thyme, basil, black pepper and celery seed.  You may reach for oregano, cayenne pepper and crushed fennel.  Fresh chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice are another alternative.  My sister-in-law Diana grates Parmesan cheese into her dipping oil.

Garlic and fresh parsley can turn any warmed loaf into tasty garlic bread.  Food Safety Note: if you are adding garlic to your dipping oil, discard it afterwards.  Garlic and oil grow bacteria easily even if refrigerated and it us best to start fresh with a small quantity of oil than keep leftovers. 

A Middle East herb mixture of sesame, sumac and thyme called z'tar (and spelled several ways in English) blended with olive oil turns store-bought mini pita breads into rounds worthy of a grilled lamb feast.  Brush z'tar oil on the tops of pita and warm in a low oven.  We recently threw some on the grill to go with a grilled chicken and grilled fruit. 

Don't miss out on dipping oils if you are going the no-bread route for a while.  These flavored oils taste lovely on salad greens with a squeeze of lemon juice.   Try them with vegetables for crudites or as a marinade for grilled vegetables and kebabs.

Post Script
After writing the first draft of this article, I ran across a wonderful "dry dip," a deconstructed herb dipping oil that is great with crudites.  It is from the book, 500 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender and called Dukkah.  Carpender credits her friend Lou Anne with bringing this Turkish dip to her attention.  So great to have friends to show us tasty things....

Dukkah
500 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender, copyright 2002 Fair Winds Press

Ingredients
1/3 cup almonds or hazlenuts
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Toast the nuts and seeds in dry (empty) skillet over high heat for 1 minute.  
2. Transfer to a food processor or mortar and pestle or coffee grinder (not used for coffee).  Crush the toasted mixture and add salt and pepper.  
3. To serve, place the Dukkah in a bowl next to a bowl of good quality olive oil.  Serve with raw sliced vegetables.

Spiced Party Nuts

May is devoted to quick party foods that you can put out for guests or bring to a friend's.  Last week: olives.  This week: nuts. 

Most recipes for roasted nuts involve a bit of egg white to help the seasonings bind to the nuts.  I wanted something a little less messy but with similar adherence results. 

I use a 50/50 mixture of maple syrup and canola oil as the base for my spice blend.  This is the blend used in our house granola.  Roasted at the right temperature for just the right amount of time, these nuts lose their stickiness and crisp up the way granola coated with syrup, oil and cinnamon does.

Any nut variety works or you can use all one type of nut.  If you are using pecans, which roast much faster than most other nuts separate them to roast separately then mix in with the larger batch once cooled. 

Here’s the recipe:

Spiced Party Nuts
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
2 cups mixed nuts, unsalted & raw nuts work best
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon canola oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. 
2. Spread nuts out onto a rimmed cookie sheet or roasting pan.  
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Taste—add more spices to suit your taste.  You and your friends might like more cayenne.  To sweeten add a pinch of table sugar.  
4. Now, pour the spice coating over the nuts and toss to coat them very well.  
5. Place nuts in oven and bake 10-12 minutes.  Use a spatula to turn/toss nuts midway through.  This will help prevent sticking.  
6. Check the nuts after 10 minutes.  (Check pecans in 7-8 minutes.)  The nuts are ready when the coating has almost lost its stickiness.  As the nuts cool, the coating will continue to harden.  Store cooled nuts in an airtight container. 

Nuts may be prepared several days in advance, but hide them so loved ones don’t devour them before the party!

Cocktail Party Olives

Your own quick-marinated olives will have a freshness no deli or salad bar offering can match.  This combination of citrus peel, fennel seed and a little heat can be customized for your menu by selecting fresh herbs that match the rest of the meal or made to stand out with an extra dash of red chili flakes.  Both green and black olives take to this treatment well.  I usually use olives packed only in brine but if I have a few remaining olives in a flavored jar, they can join the party too.   By heating the olives, you speed up the flavor process.  Alternately, you can marinate the olives overnight to get a subtler effect. 

Cocktail Party Olives
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients
2 14-oz cans olives packed in brine
1-2 strips lemon or orange peel*
½ teaspoon fennel seed
¼-½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 large spring of fresh herbs like thyme, marjoram, dill or rosemary
1 tablespoon high quality olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  
2. Create a roasting envelope by lining a small roasting pan with a long sheet of foil with extra foil hanging over two sides.  Allow enough extra foil to close and seal packet over olives.   
3. Drain the olives and place in foil-lined pan.  
4. Add reaming ingredients and toss lightly.  Fold foil over olives and seal tightly.  
5. Place olive sin oven and bake 15-20 minutes.  
6. Remove and open foil.  Allow olives to cool to room temperature before serving.  
7. If not serving right away, store in the refrigerator, covered.   Olives keep for 4-5 days. 

Elegant Life Leftovers: Tapenade
The yield for this recipe is three cups.  That might sound like a lot but they will go quickly.  You can cut the recipe in half for a small group or make tapenade with the leftovers.  To make tapenade, chop the olives finely by hand or in a mini food processor and add capers, anchovies and a bit of olive oil.  The proportions should be roughly 3 parts olive to 1 part each of caper and anchovy, but go with your own tastes. Add olive oil to get the consistency you like.  Thick and spreadable is nice.  You can also add a dash of sherry wine vinegar if it needs more acid but the capers should manage that area well.  Tapenades are another cocktail party guest—usually spread on bruschetta.  Or use it as a spread on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise or mustard.  This is really good on an Italian hero,  a roasted veggie pannini or a simple tomato open-faced sandwich.  Dot a reheated slice of pizza with tapenade to wake up the flavors.

* For a primer on how to get a perfect peel of lemon or orange, check out the post on this blog, "Bring Back the Twist" (4/25/2011).

Green Tea Sangria

People get thirsty at spring parties and not everyone wants to quench with something alcoholic.  Think of all those graduation celebrations, Mothers and Fathers Day brunches and outings when its nice to keep things light.

Here is a great alternative to festive sangria that can be spiked later with wine, Prosecco or brandy. 

Green Tea Sangria
(Pitcher serves 6-8)
Ingredients
5 cups water
5 herbal tea bags like pomegranate- decaf green tea,  chamomile-mango, white tea-tangerine
optional 1-2 Tablespoon honey
ice (1 tray is fine)
12 ounces cranberry juice
1 organic apple or pear, scrubbed and sliced
1 organic orange or lemon, scrubbed and sliced

Method

1. Boil water and pour into a large heat resistant container or pot with cover.  
2. Add herbal tea bags and stir in honey.  Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.  
3. Stir in ice to cool and add juice.  
4. About 2 hours before serving, add in sliced fruit. 

For an alcoholic version: Per serving, pour an ounce or two of sparkling wine, light red wine or a splash of brandy or bourbon to spike this non-alcoholic punch.  Guests can serve themselves and add wine to individual servings. 

Merluza, Spanish Style

In Spanish, this fish is known by the melodic name merluza.

Merluza is part of a big fish family that includes whiting, cod and pollack.  Here we call it hake.   While each fish is different based on its home waters, the various fillets can be prepared in a similar manner. 

Next time you see whiting or hake on sale here, enjoy this simple, pure recipe inspired by Spain’s distinct and balanced ingredients of olives, peppers and oranges.  For very little effort you can create a sophisticated yet approachable fish dish. 

As a bonus round, this cooked fish tastes wonderful in a taco for lunch the next day.  Just pile the hot leftovers into a warmed corn or flour tortillas with its accompanying olives, red peppers and scallions.  Fill in with lettuce and enjoy. 

Iberian Hake
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hake fillet (cod or pollack may be substituted)
1 orange, scrubbed and quartered
1 lemon, scrubbed and quartered
3-4 scallions, sliced
¼ cup olives (mixed or your favorite)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup fresh parsley (or dill) chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F while you prepare vegetables and fruit. 
2. Coat bottom of a pie plate or small roasting pan with olive oil.  
3. Place fish fillet in pan and scatter orange lemon, scallions and olives over fish.  Finish with a dusting of red pepper flakes.  
4. Roast fish covered at 400˚F for 15 minutes.  Uncover and roast another 5-10 minutes, just until fish firms up and begins to flake.  Do not overcook.  
5. Garnish with parsley just before serving.

Roasted Zucchini Feta Salad

Some occasions like spring birthday parties and wedding showers need a side dish with a little sex appeal.  It should be easy and bridge the seasons since the temperature can really roam at this time of year.

Roasted Zucchini Salas completes the assignment.  It can be served warm or cold, can be prepared in advance or served up straight out of the oven and it holds beautifully.  It looks and tastes pretty special too.


Roasted Zucchini Feta Salad
Serves 4, recipe can be doubled

Ingredients
4 medium sized zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
4 heaping tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (dill, mint, parsley, thyme)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.  
2. Lightly oil a sheet pan.  Canola oil works well here.  
3. Slice the zucchini on a extreme angle to get nice wide angled strips.  
4. Lay zucchini slices on oiled and and turn to coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. 
5. Roast Zucchini at 450˚F for 15-20 minutes, turning once.  The zucchini will be crisp if you have sliced it in thin slices and  melting-tender if you have sliced it into thicker (1/2 inch strips).  Both are excellent.  
6. Serve zucchini with crumbed feta cheese and chopped herbs like dill and mint.  Drizzle with a little oil or lemon juice- your choice.

Bonus: these roasted treats can be quickly turned into little hors d'ouevres served on thinly sliced baguettes.  

Simple Lasagnas

I love the section of Italian menus headed by the phrase “al forno” meaning "baked in an oven."  For some that still means a wood-fired oven but even without a rustic touch, a baked pasta meal is pure comfort food. 

This week my husband was picturing an old fashioned meat lasagna while I was dreaming of spinach and mixed vegetables.  You might think a big heaping combo lasagna with ground beef, sausage, mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant would be the answer but for real variety two smaller, more pure lasagnas were just right.  I use 8” X 8” brownie pans or several small loaf pans to build these smaller, more manageable al forno dishes.  

Recipes can look daunting with up to fifteen ingredients but consider that a pure lasagna, meat or vegetable versions, can be broken down into 4 basic elements.  There will be cheese, sauce, wide flat noodles and filling.  Each of these elements can be prepared in advance and assembled and baked up to a day later. 

Formula for Pure Lasagna
Lasagna Noodles
I like the no-bake kind or fresh sheets but have also used regular uncooked noodles and added extra liquid to small lasagnas.  For the uncooked noodle version, you need to bake the dish 10-15 minutes more.  Cooking regular noodles takes a little extra time but if you lay drained noodles onto wax paper, is not too big a production.  Recipes ask for 8-12 noodles.  Cut or break the noodles to fit the pan.

Cheese
Ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese and sliced mozzarella are musts for me.  Cottage cheese makes a great substitute if you don’t have ricotta, especially the small curd type.  I mix a pint of ricotta with an egg, a ½ cup of grated Parmesan and some oregano and basil. I also like black pepper in the mixture and a nice handful of chopped fresh parsley. Sometimes I dice some mozzarella and add that but mostly I leave this mixture light and place the mozzarella as a layer on its own.  I always finish with a layer of mozzarella with some grated Parmesan over that. You will need 1-2 pints of ricotta depending on the size of your project. 

Filling
If it’s meat, my favorite is ground beef and some Italian pork sausage (out of the casing) cooked and drained and moistened with a little marinara sauce.  Use a 2:1 ratio for the meats, about 3 cups of meat is nice.

If its vegetable, either make a cooked mixture from steamed and drained spinach, sautéed mushrooms and assorted chopped vegetables that can be held together with a little ricotta or layer grilled or roasted vegetables over the ricotta layer as you would noodles.  (If you choose vegetable layers, you can skip a layer of noodles.) Sliced and cooked eggplant, zucchini and Portobello mushrooms make nice layers. 
You will want 2-3 cups of filling.

Sauce
Marinara sauce can be your homemade or use a pure brand out of a jar.  Some recipes, especially for vegetable lasagnas, add a béchamel sauce layer but I find this adds extra work and the ricotta layer has already provided a nice creamy contrast.  You will need about ½ cup of marinara sauce to coat the bottom of the baking dish and extra for serving is always nice so I try to have about 4 cups of sauce on hand for assembling and serving. 

Method
With your fillings ready, here is the layering and baking method:

• Lightly oil the sides of your baking dish. This will make removing the noodles later and cleaning the pan a little easier.   
• Spread ½ cup marina sauce on the bottom on the pan and lay noodles down to cover bottom.  
• Cover noodles with filling, a little sauce and a second layer of noodles.  
• Cover second layer of noodles with the ricotta cheese mixture and a little sauce, and any extra filling.  
• Last place the top layer of noodles, a layer of sauce and if you have any little extras like sliced olives and roasted red pepper strips before covering it all with a layer of mozzarella and grated Parmesan. 
• Bake your lasagna covered with tin foil at 350˚F for 35-45 minutes until the center reaches 145˚F. Remove the foil covering during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove form the oven and let the dish least at least 10 minutes to firm up before slicing.

Don’t miss out on making lasagna for a small family.  Leftover lasagna cut into individual portions is a freezer treat that can be reheated either as is --frozen-- or defrosted.