Alan and I have eaten dinner with our friends, Jim and Jennifer, regularly for years. I can't even remember when this first started, but we meet for dinner at each other's homes almost once a month. Yesterday was our turn but we were also babysitting Corbyn and I knew it would be difficult to have quality time with my grandson and cook anything complicated! That is the fun of having folks over though, cooking and experimenting......but needs must so what could I do?
Years ago, I made Jim and Jennifer a regular lasagne from my Mom's recipe and also a vegetarian one I got off of a jar of Dolmio sauce. So I decided to do this again!
Cooking these two lasagne's early in the morning freed up the rest of the day to spend with Corbyn. We had melon for starter and store bought cheesecake for dessert. Not at all like me to go so simple, and it is not fun, but there was no time to do otherwise on this particular weekend.
Corbyn didn't arrive until around 3 and we had to run into town to get his Mum a birthday gift. He picked a great one, but I am not at liberty to say what it is since it is not her birthday yet and it might spoil the surprise! He also picked new pyjamas and a dressing gown and he loved them!
He was on his best behaviour all evening, and also today. But I did feel bad that we couldn't spend more time with just him, however, this is is his home away from home and he is more than capable of entertaining himself, as it should be on occasion!
My lasagne's were both delicious and I will share both recipes.
The first is from a recipe card my Mom wrote me years ago. She would find recipes she liked and share them. What makes them so special is my Mom really did not like to cook, so a special recipe from her is priceless. The funny thing about this one though, it is me that takes the short cut! The original recipe calls for meatballs to be made and inserted within the layers of the lasagne. Well, I must confess, I have never had the patience to do this. In my version, I just cook the meat along with the sauce and forget the breadcrumbs, eggs and construction required for the meatballs. The lasagne is always a hit, so I am not ashamed to admit this!
As always, both recipes will follow at the end with no further comments or photos for ease of copying them.
Classic Lasagne with Meatballs from a hand written recipe card by my mother, Emmy Simmons
Ingredients: 8 servings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 regular size can tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato puree or paste
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt (I always leave out the salt since there is plenty in the canned tomato products)
1/2 tsp each: basil and oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (I used regular black pepper this time)
1.5 lbs ground beef (mince)
lasagne noodles (it calls for 8oz but it is always difficult to quantify this. In the UK, you get lasagne noodles that don't need to be pre boiled, and this time I bought fresh lasagne noodles that also didn't need to be cooked before hand, so really just use your own judgement!)
3/4 ricotta cheese or cottage cheese if ricotta is not available.
1/2 lb mozzarella, sliced
if making meatballs you will also need:
2 eggs
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Instructions:
In large, heavy pan, brown onion and garlic in 2 Tbs of the oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt (if using), herbs and pepper. Simmer, covered, 1 hour.
Mix together beef, parsley, eggs, bread crumbs, 2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, 1/8 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Shape into 1/2 inch meat balls. Brown in remaining 2 Tbs oil; add to sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
I don't think so!
I used two pans to save time, cooking the onions, garlic and tomatoes in one and browning the meat in another. When both were ready, I added the onion mixture to the meat and then simmered for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, if you need to, cook the lasagne as directed on the package.
In a 13x9x2" baking pan, spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce, then alternate lasagne noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese until pan is filled. Top with mozzarella slices and sauce.
Bake in a moderate oven - 375F or 180C for about 30 minutes until heated through.
The second lasagne entree was taken from a Dolmio jar at least 25 years ago! It is such an old British recipe that the measurements are in ounces and not grams! There was no time to convert either of these recipes yesterday, sorry!
This lasagne is absolutely delicious and really easy to put together.
 |
I could not get a good angle of either lasagne's.
I promise, they taste better than they look in these photos! |
Vegetarian Lasagne
Ingredients: serves 4 - 6
 |
Missing in this photo is the very important
jar of Dolmio sauce and the packet of
cheese sauce! |
1 bunch Spring onions
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
8 ounces Cottage Cheese*
salt, pepper & nutmeg
1 can tomatoes or Dolmio sauce
1/2 pint Cheese sauce
Parmesan cheese
*I had extra ricotta and used this instead, made a smoother spinach mixture but didn't really change the taste.
Trim and chop the Spring onions and sauté in a little olive oil, add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute before adding the thawed spinach.
Remove from heat and add cottage cheese, season and mix well.
Layer the tomatoes, lasagne and spinach mixture and top with cheese sauce.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 375F or 180C for one hour. (I baked it for 30 minutes and almost burned the cheese sauce! So be vigilant during baking!)
"Ping-pong was invented on the dining tables of England in the 19th century, and it was called Wiff-waff! And there, I think, you have the difference between us and the rest of the world. Other nations, the French, looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to have dinner; we looked at it an saw an opportunity to play Wiff-waff."
Classic Lasagne with Meatballs from a hand written recipe card by Emmy Simmons
Ingredients: 8 servings
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 regular size can tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato puree or paste
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt (I always leave out the salt since there is plenty in the canned tomato products)
1/2 tsp each: basil and oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (I used regular black pepper this time)
1.5 lbs ground beef (mince)
lasagne noodles (it calls for 8oz but it is always difficult to quantify this. In the UK, you get lasagne noodles that don't need to be pre boiled, and this time I bought fresh lasagne noodles that also didn't need to be cooked before hand, so really just use your own judgement!)
3/4 ricotta cheese or cottage cheese if ricotta is not available.
1/2 lb mozzarella, sliced
if making meatballs you will also need:
2 eggs
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Instructions:
In large, heavy pan, brown onion and garlic in 2 Tbs of the oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt (if using), herbs and pepper. Simmer, covered, 1 hour.
Mix together beef, parsley, eggs, bread crumbs, 2 Tbs Parmesan Cheese, 1/8 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Shape into 1/2 inch meat balls. Brown in remaining 2 Tbs oil; add to sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
I don't think so!
I used two pans to save time, cooking the onions, garlic and tomatoes in one and browning the meat in another. When both were ready, I added the onion mixture to the meat and then simmered for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, if you need to, cook the lasagne as directed on the package.
In a 13x9x2" baking pan, spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce, then alternate lasagne noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese until pan is filled. Top with mozzarella slices and sauce.
Bake in a moderate oven - 375F or 180C for about 30 minutes until heated through.
The second lasagne entree was taken from a Dolmio jar at least 25 years ago! It is such an old British recipe that the measurements are in ounces and not grams! There was no time to convert either of these recipes yesterday, sorry!
This lasagne is absolutely delicious and really easy to put together.
Vegetarian Lasagne
Ingredients: serves 4 - 6
1 bunch Spring onions
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
8 ounces Cottage Cheese*
salt, pepper & nutmeg
1 can tomatoes or Dolmio sauce
1/2 pint Cheese sauce
Parmesan cheese
*I had extra ricotta and used this instead, made a smoother spinach mixture but didn't really change the taste.
Trim and chop the Spring onions and sauté in a little olive oil, add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute before adding the thawed spinach.
Remove from heat and add cottage cheese, season and mix well.
Layer the tomatoes, lasagne and spinach mixture and top with cheese sauce.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 375F or 180C for one hour. (I baked it for 30 minutes and almost burned the cheese sauce! So be vigilant during baking!)
