I got home last night and had NO IDEA what I was going to make for dinner.
Isn’t that some sort of working mom’s nightmare? You walk in the door after a long day of saving the world (I don’t save the world, but hey, this is my dream), and your family follows you around the house like a pack of dogs, barking questions…
“What’s for dinner?”
“I don’t know.”
“What are we having for dinner?
“Still don’t know.”
“When will dinner be ready?”
“No idea.”
Scanning a cookbook of 30 minutes or less recipes, I found a recipe for Lasagna Rollups that I thought I could cobble together, in spite of the fact that the only ingredient in the recipe list that I actually had was the left over no-boil lasagna noodles.
Lasagna Roll Ups
Pre-heat oven to 475°.
- 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
Cover the noodles with hot tap water in a 2 quart dish and microwave for about 4-6 minutes, until the noodles are softened. Then drain the water and lay the noodles on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
- 3.5 c. shredded cheeses
I used a blend of mozzarella, asiago and smoked gouda because that is what I had.
- 15 oz. Greek yogurt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 t. dried basil
- 1/4 t. salt
Combine the Greek yogurt (ricotta substitute :)), 2 c. shredded cheese, egg, basil and salt in a bowl.
- 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 3 T. olive oil
- 2 t. minced garlic
Combine the tomatoes, oil and garlic in another bowl.
- 5 c. washed spinach
Spread half the tomato mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.
Working with the noodles from the short side, put 1/4 c. of the cheese blend on each noodle and top with spinach.
The kids had said they wanted the greens to be used in less obvious ways.
What better way than to slip it into cheesy, tomato based, pasta goodness!
Roll the noodle from the short end and place it on the tomato mixture in the casserole dish, with the seam side down.
Complete with all noodles. Pour remaining tomato mixture over noodles, then microwave casserole until the rolls are heated through (about 6 minutes).
Remove casserole from microwave, top with remaining cheese, and place in oven on top middle shelf until cheese is toasty brown and melted. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
You could add meat to the rolled up noodles or among the noodles in the tomato sauce. This was a flexible and yummy quick dinner, although I suspect it took me longer than 30 minutes.
This was a great way to use my new spinach (more abut this week’s box tomorrow) and the greek yogurt. The kids didn’t give me pouty faces when I told them what was for dinner. 🙂 Who can be pouty when its lasagna, right?!
Winter CSA Box #7 – All The Good Stuff :)
The box today was filled with lots of lovely treats and two ugly chunks of squash my daughter told me I should throw out – immediately. I reminded her than any poor, ugly squash can become rolls and thus, become instantly loveable.
This week we received: fresh lavender, baby carrots, potatoes, pears, spinach, the ugly squash chunks, fresh rosemary and very full bag of lentils.
The kids were relieved to see the spinach, instead of mixed weeds again. 🙂 Particularly since the very first day I used it in lasagna rollups. And yes, I am pandering again. I am also thinking I might try Kirsten’s spinach pizza crust from Farm Fresh Feasts. Pizza? More pandering, I know.
I have a legumes cookbook, so this weekend I am going to explore it for something new to create with the lentils. A dish with squash and curry sounds very seasonally appropriate.
Oh! Speaking of curry, my sister and I had a girls’ weekend in Seattle with some friends last weekend and they let me go into the Penzey’s store. THAT was a very bad idea. $93 later, I had a bag loaded with all the spices I could ever dream of, including a large bag of Indian curry. I am excited to explore all my new spices! Happy Birthday to me! (next week).
I am debating what to do with the pears. A dessert would be a nice Valentine treat. Maybe with the cranberries I have left? Sounds like an opportunity for creativity.
Potatoes and carrots never go to waste at our house.
I usually save the lavender as a dried flower, but would like to come up with ideas to cook with it or infuse it into a dish. Have any of you cooked with lavender and what did you try?
No parsley, just sage, rosemary and thyme, and oregano.
We have amassed a nice stash of herbs the past few boxes, which I store on one plate in the corner of the kitchen. I love walking over and picking off some sage leaves, or crumbling oregano or thyme directly into a dish. The rosemary lives with them now.
I do believe this is my favorite Winter CSA box so far. 🙂
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