Just let go.

I'm envious of people who can "just let go," and allow life (or whatever forces are driving life) to lead them.  I'm a fairly self-aware person; I think I have a pretty good idea of my strengths, weaknesses, struggles!  And, one of my biggest struggles is just letting life happen.  I'm not sure what, if anything, is at the root of the struggle.  Is it genetic?  Environmental?  Both, of course. But, at an even closer glance:  What, or who, taught me that I need to have control over my circumstances?  That I need to have a plan for my future?  That I need to be in the driver's seat?  Yes, this characteristic has served me well - sometimes - but perhaps even more often has caused me undue heartache and stress.  I have moments when something or someone succeeds in altering my pattern.  So, I'll try once again to allow that to happen.

My Favorite Veggie Lasagna

Every time I make this lasagna, people ask me for the recipe, so I'm posting here.  I copied directly as it's written down, and then I added my own comments:

Marinara Sauce 

(I’ve made this from scratch per the recipe below, but I think it’s just as good with a jar of your favorite sauce.)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

½ cup peeled carrots

3 T olive oil

½ cup red wine

½ t dried oregano

1 t dried basil

16 blanched plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or 28 oz can peeled whole tomatoes)

½ cup chopped mushrooms

1 T honey or sugar

½ t salt

1 T Italian seasoning

Saute the onion, garlic and carrots in the olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the red wine, oregano and basil and cook for an additional t minutes or until the wine is reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, honey or sugar, salt and Italian seasoning and continue to cook until the mushrooms become limp, about 15 minutes.

Eggplant (I use zucchini instead and prepare the same way; takes about 2 good sized zucchini)

1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise ½ inch thick

Salt to taste and pinch of cayenne pepper

2 T olive oil

Brush both sides of the eggplant (or zucchini) with olive oil, salt and pepper, and broil for three minutes, or until slightly browned.

Spinach (I use both ricotta and goat.  I use a 4-6 oz log of goat mixed with about 8 oz of part-skim ricotta.  So, more cheese than recipe calls for)

2 bunches (about 1 lb) washed spinach, stems removed (I just buy a bag, and I’ve also used frozen box)

5 oz goat or ricotta cheese

1 T olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ t black pepper

2 T chopped fresh basil (I only bother to use fresh if I have it on hand.  Otherwise, I use dried)

Steam spinach for 1 minute.  Remove and cook and squeeze to remove excess water.  In a separate pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until softened.  Combine with spinach, cheeses, pepper and basil.

Bechamel Sauce

2 T olive oil

2 cups warm milk

2 T unbleached white flour

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I buy already grated)

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions or green onions

1/8 t nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

½ t cayenne pepper

¾ t salt

Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan over low heat.  Warm the milk (I use the microwave).  Gradually stir the flour into the warm oil, stirring constantly.  Let cook for about 1 minute to make a brownish roux.  Slowly add ¼ cup of the milk and whisk it to blend it in.  Pour in the remaining milk, continuing to whisk.  Allow the sauce to simmer about 2 minutes just to thicken slightly, then turn off the heat.  Mix in the cheese, spices, salt.  Cover until ready to use.

Remaining Ingredients

12 sheets oven-ready lasagna noodles (The recipe calls for oven-ready, so you don’t precook.  I prefer to use regular noodles, precooking until a firm al dente, and then allowing to cook the remainder in the oven)

1 cup purified water (don’t do this step if boiling the noodles ahead of time)

1 ½ cups mozzarella, shredded (I use a little more (2 cups))

10 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I don’t add these)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Make all sauces and vegetables, and prepare noodles.  To assemble lasagna:

Cover the bottom of a deep baking dish with ½ of the marinara sauce.  Lay 4 sheets of lasagna on top.  Spoon the spinach filling over the noodles and spread it around until all of them are covered.  Pour the white sauce on top, covering all the noodles.  Lay 4 more sheets of hoodles on top of the white sauce.  Lay the eggplant slices lengthwise over the noodles.  Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top.  Pour ½ of the remaining marinara sauce over the cheese.  Lay another 4 sheets of noodles over the sauce.  If using oven-ready noodles, add the water now.  Pour the remaining marinara sauce on top of the noodles.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the olives.  Cover with foil and cook for 1 ½ hours in the oven.

Enjoy!