Sometimes, the best recipes come right off the box. This one is no exeption.
My husband and I eat a lot of turkey burgers, so in a pinch, I grab the pre-measured 1lb ground turkey package. I saw the recipe on the back cover card and I decided to make it. The first time, I made it with commercial style lasagna noodles. The second time, I made it with fresh pasta. What a difference that fresh pasta makes!
Lasagna Florentine
9 uncooked long lasagna noodles - I use twelve, because I like to have the noodles on the bottom of the dish, as well
1 lb Lean Ground Turkey - I'm sure this recipe would work just as well for beef
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz) - or, your own. I usually use jarred for this if I don't have any leftover sauce. I also use two jars, because I like to be extra saucy!
1 container ricotta cheese (15 oz) - Part-skim doesn't dry as easily as FF
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and well drained - I use fresh spinach (about 2 cups) and give it a rough chop.
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - More or less to your taste- you taste these more in the leftovers!
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the noodles according to package directions (or, if you're using the fresh pasta, until al dente). Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the turkey and garlic over medium heat until the turkey is no longer pink (use a little canola oil to get this going). Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, egg, spinach, pepper flakes and nutmeg; mix well. (I've omitted the mozz the last two times I've made this, simply because it comes out cheesy enough!)
Spread about 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce mixture in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish (This is where I add the couple of extra noodles to the bottom of the dish- THEN, I put in some of the sauce/meat mixture). Layer 1/3 of the noodles (3 noodles) over the sauce, top with another 1 cup sauce and 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles and sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Return lasagna to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving.
Before serving:
Plated, with some fresh italian bread:
This stuff is terrific left over and microwaved. It feeds my family of two for almost a week!
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Lasagna Florentine
Friday, June 16, 2006
Turkey Talk
Continuing the topic of improving the flavor of poultry, here's my first post, about turkey burgers.
I make turkey burgers at least once a week, and the risk of running into a rut runs a bit high. As an especially lean meat, ground turkey lacks a lot of the inherent flavor of its beefy counterpart, so the secret lies within your choice(s) of seasoning and meat mix-ins. I've experimented with an array of turkey burger recipes, and so I'm sharing a few of my favorites for summer.
* Note: I only use the 93% fat-free ground turkey. The 99% fat-free turkey is heinously dry and flavorless; no amount of additions will make it pleasing to your palate.
All have the same basic cooking instructions: mix everything in a bowl with 1 pound of ground turkey; form into 4 patties; grill (or indoor grill) until cooked through and juices run clear.
The Traditional
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt & black pepper to taste
The Spicy
1/2 red onion, minced
2 chipotle peppers (canned with adobo sauce), chopped + 1 tsp of sauce (adjust to taste)
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
3 or 4 TBS cornmeal to bind together
salt & pepper to taste
+ great with Monterey Jack Cheese
The Tropical
1 egg
1/2 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup celery, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
glaze: equal parts pineapple preserves + yellow mustard
+ When burgers are cooked through, top with glaze and cook a bit longer until glaze heats & sets. Serve with additional glaze on the side.
Enjoy!
