Goat Cheese Roll-Lasagna-Sept./Oct. 2010

I have to admit I’m torn about the whole cottage vs. ricotta debate.  On the one hand using cottage cheese reminds me of how my mom makes lasagna, but it’s messy more like a lasagna soup.  On the other hand ricotta holds its shape better, has a more authentic flavor, but there’s no nostalgia there for me.  So, I did what any sane person would do.  I used goat cheese. 

I made some fresh pasta.  I joined two sheets together in order to get a wider noodle.












I then cooked the pasta.

I had my fillings ready.  Just your basic leftover bolognaise sauce (I drained this so it wasn’t too runny), goat cheese and some shredded mozzarella.  I smeared the noodle with goat cheese,

topped with bolognaise,
added some shredded mozz. 













Then I rolled it up jelly roll style.
I placed it in a loaf pan and baked until it was done.

It held its shape OK.  I think that next time I’ll make the tomato sauce separately to give it a little better chance at holding its form.  The flavor, though, was INTENSE and with a depth not found with ricotta or cottage.  The richness of the goat cheese really made this a memorable lasagna.  It was almost too much flavor, but we couldn’t complain too much because our mouths were full.

All in all this was a lasagna I’ll make again.  It was a little soupy, like mom’s.  It held together OK, like ricotta.  Now I’m nostalgic for some good old fashioned goat cheese lasagna.

Goat Cheese Roll-Lasagna-Sept./Oct. 2010

I have to admit I’m torn about the whole cottage vs. ricotta debate.  On the one hand using cottage cheese reminds me of how my mom makes lasagna, but it’s messy more like a lasagna soup.  On the other hand ricotta holds its shape better, has a more authentic flavor, but there’s no nostalgia there for me.  So, I did what any sane person would do.  I used goat cheese. 

I made some fresh pasta.  I joined two sheets together in order to get a wider noodle.












I then cooked the pasta.

I had my fillings ready.  Just your basic leftover bolognaise sauce (I drained this so it wasn’t too runny), goat cheese and some shredded mozzarella.  I smeared the noodle with goat cheese,

topped with bolognaise,
added some shredded mozz. 













Then I rolled it up jelly roll style.
I placed it in a loaf pan and baked until it was done.

It held its shape OK.  I think that next time I’ll make the tomato sauce separately to give it a little better chance at holding its form.  The flavor, though, was INTENSE and with a depth not found with ricotta or cottage.  The richness of the goat cheese really made this a memorable lasagna.  It was almost too much flavor, but we couldn’t complain too much because our mouths were full.

All in all this was a lasagna I’ll make again.  It was a little soupy, like mom’s.  It held together OK, like ricotta.  Now I’m nostalgic for some good old fashioned goat cheese lasagna.

Indian Lasagna - Sept/Oct - Lasagna Challenge - Sara

I’m feeling this months challenge. I too went for a fusion theme! I have wanted to make paneer cheese for quite some time. Thinking about how the texture is so similar to ricotta, I figured why not make some for an Indian Lasagna?!

First, to make the Paneer:

You need Milk, cheese cloth, and Lemon (or lime or vinegar). I used this website: http://sonic.net/~alden/Chefresh.html (search for Paneer and you’ll find it). This was super simple!

For the lamb mixture I browned the following in a skillet:

1lb lamb

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp cilantro paste

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp cloves

For the sauce I simmered the following and then used an immersion blender on it:

14 oz crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion minced

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cloves

fresh cilantro (or paste)

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp mustard powder

1 tsp coriander

For fresh pasta I use the following recipe (roughly):

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

Knead well and let rest for about 30 minutes

I decided to infuse my pasta with cilantro! On the top piece I snipped cilantro leaves and sandwiched them between to sheets of pasta and then rolled them out in the auto roller for the Kitchenaid. For the middle & bottom slice I used cilantro paste and kneaded it into the dough and then rolled it out with the auto roller. It was pretty cool.

Here are the fixins’! Just layer them like you would any ol’ lasagna. *** UPDATE *** I also added an egg to the lamb & paneer mixture **

The top slice is slathered in ghee so the pretty herbs aren’t covered. Nobody puts cilantro in the corner!

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. This was really superb. Very delicate, the paneer worked great. I’m pretty proud of it!

Indian Lasagna - Sept/Oct - Lasagna Challenge - Sara

I’m feeling this months challenge. I too went for a fusion theme! I have wanted to make paneer cheese for quite some time. Thinking about how the texture is so similar to ricotta, I figured why not make some for an Indian Lasagna?!

First, to make the Paneer:

You need Milk, cheese cloth, and Lemon (or lime or vinegar). I used this website: http://sonic.net/~alden/Chefresh.html (search for Paneer and you’ll find it). This was super simple!

For the lamb mixture I browned the following in a skillet:

1lb lamb

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp cilantro paste

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp cloves

For the sauce I simmered the following and then used an immersion blender on it:

14 oz crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion minced

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cloves

fresh cilantro (or paste)

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp mustard powder

1 tsp coriander

For fresh pasta I use the following recipe (roughly):

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

Knead well and let rest for about 30 minutes

I decided to infuse my pasta with cilantro! On the top piece I snipped cilantro leaves and sandwiched them between to sheets of pasta and then rolled them out in the auto roller for the Kitchenaid. For the middle & bottom slice I used cilantro paste and kneaded it into the dough and then rolled it out with the auto roller. It was pretty cool.

Here are the fixins’! Just layer them like you would any ol’ lasagna. *** UPDATE *** I also added an egg to the lamb & paneer mixture **

The top slice is slathered in ghee so the pretty herbs aren’t covered. Nobody puts cilantro in the corner!

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. This was really superb. Very delicate, the paneer worked great. I’m pretty proud of it!

Deconstructed Greek Lasagna-- September/October 2010

So. It is well established that I am very lazy. (See the fact that I'm posting my OCTOBER entry in the first week of November. Ahem.) When presented with the challenge of making lasagna, a notorious time-suck of a dish, I heaved an internal sigh. All that LAYERING. All the dirty pots. Yuck. And then, factor in the baking time. I half-heartedly searched lasagna recipes on the trusty ol' internet, looking for something to strike me, when I came across this on the Good Housekeeping website. I believe I actually shouted, "AHA!" THIS is lasagna for the lazy at heart. No layering! No baking! They called it Greek lasagna toss, but I tweaked the spices, so I have reserved to right to re-name it. It's now Deconstructed Greek Lasagna. VICTORY IS MINE! Check it out...


You will need the following:
Lasagna noodles
2T olive oil
One onion, diced
Two cloves of garlic, diced
1 24oz can of plum tomatoes
Fresh oregano and rosemary-- a few stems of each
1T crushed red pepper
Salt to taste
2lb shrimp-- tails off
1/2 C feta cheese, with more for sprinkling
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish


Start a pot of water boiling for your lasagna noodles, and in a separate large skillet, heat the olive oil and add chopped onion.



Allow the onions and the chopped garlic to cook 'til opaque, then add plum tomatoes, and break them up with the back of a spoon. (Or the weird wooden paddle-y thing I prefer to use these days.)



Mmmm. Things are starting to smell good. Around this time, the water you started for the lasagna noodles should be boiling, so go ahead and put the noodles in the water. Add the chopped fresh herbs and the crushed red pepper to the tomato mixture, and let it simmer for a few minutes.



See the steamy goodness? It's about to get better. It's time to introduce the shrimp. I had frozen shrimp, so I defrosted it under some warm running water for a few minutes, and let it defrost the rest of the way in the sauce itself. Then, I tossed in the feta cheese.



I stirred it allll up, and about this time the lasagna noodles were done. I drained them, and then added the tomato shrimp goodness to the hot noodles, and tossed the parsley on top-- it was a thing of beauty.



Yummmmmm. A side note-- please, please, PLEASE-- if you decide to make this stuff-- make this bread to go with it.



Isn't it ADORABLE? It was absolutely delicious, and SUPER SIMPLE. Here's the link-- seriously, make this.

Anyway. Back to dinner. I KNEW the 4yo would immediately reject anything involving shrimp and/or feta cheese, so I just gave her leftovers. But, she loved the bread. (She said to Melissa, "You MUST try this bread! It's GOOOOD!") And she wanted me to take her picture. Here's your dose of cute.


She gives the leftovers a big thumbs up. Next, we had a special guest for dinner-- cousin Melissa! Wooooo! She, too, enjoyed her dinner:



Jay, too, found the meal to be delicious. He said it was "perfectly spiced". That's me, tooting my horn. Toot.



I was really happy with it, too. It took a whole 25 MINUTES to prepare, and it was delicious. I would serve it to anyone. If the queen were coming for dinner, and didn't have a shellfish allergy, she would eat this happily.