Vegetable Lasagna

 This is my very favorite dinner. Cheesy spinach and mozzarella and pasta with all the vegetables and carbs all together in one dish. YUM! Serve with a simple green salad or be really naughty and serve with cheesey garlic bread for a carb coma. Great comfort food, and really all in all not terrible for you.

Dice or process carrots and onions in the food processor. Saute for 5 mins. with olive oil. 

Mix carrots and onions with ricotta, oregano, salt and pepper

Drain thawed chopped spinach
 well and incorporate with carrot mixture

Set up your workspace and get ready to assemble

Start with sauce on the bottom of the 13X9 pan, then add layer of pasta, ricotta layer and more sauce

Make a many layers as you want, I normally get 3 layers,
but do what makes you happy.
When you finish top with whole milk mozzarella,
about 2 cups, but more or less to your liking

Bake 350 covered with foil for 50 mins. uncover and bake 15 mins. more for a toasty top!

Vegetable Lasagna:
Barilla Lasagna Noodles (Never EVER get the pre-cooked ones)
Ragu Light Alfredo Sauce
Part Skim Ricotta 15 ounces
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced onions
1 box frozen chopped Spinach
2 cups Whole Milk Mozzarella
2 Tablespoons Oregano
Salt and Pepper

Catch Up: Valentines Floor Picnic 2/14/13

For Valentines dinner I made a charming (errr cheap) picnic in our living room. I made chicken salad lettuce wraps.

Mandy's Chicken Salad:
4 chicken breasts, roasted or boiled in salt water, cooled and shredded
2 cups red grapes, cut in half, hot dog not hamburger length
1 rib of celery, diced in very small pieces
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
2 tablespoons tarragon (more if you like it, I really load it in there, but do what makes you happy)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise  (only EVER use Hellmann's, unless of course you don't give a shit about how your food tastes, and in that case, why bother in the first place)

Mix all this together, if it looks dry add more mayo, but remember that the salad will soak up some of the mayo, so add a little more than you think you need. I made lettuce wraps, but you can make a nice sandwich topped with tomatoes and romaine.

I also made pasta salad, fruit salad, caprese skewers, croissants, sliced white cheddar cheese with boysenberry preserves and personal chocolate mousse cake.