I have died and gone to Lasagna heaven!!!!

Okay so welcome back to me---yeah I know its been way too long since I've updated. HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 to everyone!!! New Years Resolution number--well it's on the list is to make sure I update here at LEAST once a month if not more! Update for anyone who cares---I have plateaued seriously bad and am still hanging out around 70-75lbs down. I have started exercising more--trying to jog/walk at least 10-12 miles a week but its not seeming to have TOO much of an effect on the scale. Sooooooo I guess now its time to keep that up BUT ALSO start eating a little bit healthier as well.

Okay so now that we've gotten it established that I will be checking in more often --lets get to the good stuff...this FABULOUS lasagna!!

Here's the recipe---I sort of just threw it together so please dont flame me if you see a pinch of this or a dash of that! Cooking is all about creating to me. Take this and use it as a base---create your own masterpiece!


Ingredients:

1/2 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 lb ground maple sausage (but any will work--I bet sage would be delish!)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 container ricotta cheese (I dont care what brand--I think I used polly-o because I had a coupon)
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese shredded
1 container of sun dried tomatoes (NOT in oil!!!)
1-2 glugs of EVOO (that's right I said glugs--deal with it!)
1 cup chopped eggplant
1 large chopped zucchini
1 package chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp minced garlic
1-1.5 cups extra mozzarella shredded
2 large eggs
1 box no boil lasagna noodles (because seriously!? who wants to wait for noodles to boil, then burn themselves pulling them from the water then watch as their noodles fall apart--Not I!!)
1 Jar classico roasted garlic spaghetti sauce
1 Jar classico four cheese Alfredo sauce
1 glass of your favorite wine



Okay here's the skinny on how to make this. I used a 9x13 pyrex container since it's what I had. I dont care what type of container you use---so long as it all fits!


First things first---get that oven prepared. And if youre anything like me, you hide crap in your oven (I.E. Pampered chef stones because you have too many, broiler dishes etc) so clean it out before you turn on the oven!!! Anyway set it to Bake at 350 degrees and let it heat up!


Then, in one bowl combine your eggs, ricotta, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Stir it all up and then push it to the side for a bit. The thing with using fresh spinach in this though you may have to get your hands dirty and use one to mix everything or else the spinach will make a hot mess of a clump and nothing will mix right. I suppose you could use frozen spinach but I like saying I make this with all fresh ingredients---it makes me feel more important than I am!

Next brown your meat with the minced garlic. Im sure you could add onions to this but onions are my food arch nemesis, so I prefer them not to be in my kitchen. Now this next step is vital. Unless you follow it to a tee you might just mess the whole recipe up. While your meat is cooking, stir it and take a big swing of that glass of your favorite wine. I mean it! DO IT!

Whew, crisis averted, you have browned the meat and taken a healthy sip of that wine. Pull the browned meat out of your skillet and into a large mixing bowl. Once thats done drop that EVOO into the same skillet--hey I don't think we need to make more dishes than we need to here folks!-- and let it warm up. Drop a dash or two of salt in as you mix in the eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. Saute those until they are done to your standards---I like mine just short of mushy--no yankee cooked veggies here!! Once they are done mix them into the bowl with the browned meat.

Now everything is pretty much cooked and ready to go. The last step before we start assembling our lasagna is to mix in the red and Alfredo sauce with the meat and veggies. It should make a good gooey mess in that bowl--that's exactly what you want!

Now line the bottom of the pan with some of your meat sauce--enough to cover the bottom but not super thick. Take 4 of your lasagna noodles and place them long ways in your pan. Just a FYI its okay if they overlap a bit.

Then you want to take your ricotta spinach mixture and put a layer of that. Seriously this stuff is goopy so youre hands will once again get messy as you attempt to spread this layer out. Make sure you cover the noodles as best as you can. Then layer another 4 noodles--meat sauce--noodles--ricotta etc. You should end up with your top layer as your meat mixture spread out evenly on top of noodles. Then cover with some excess mozzarella (yeah you were wondering about the extra mozzarella in the ingredients weren't you!?)

Cover in foil and pop in the oven for a grand total of 30 minutes. Once your dinger goes off pull off the foil from the top and then pop back in the over for another 15 minutes or so. This will let your cheese brown up and look even more fabulous!

Ta-Dahhhh!! You have an amazingly delicious lasagna that even your kids will eat---(I do not guarantee this statement)

I have no clue on serving size, calories, fat grams or carbohydrates. At this stage in my life if I am willing to eat something with this many veggies in it I'll do it.

ENJOY!