Lasagna with Speedy Tomato Sauce

Michael turns a weekend treat into a simple weekday dinner with his speedy lasagna, Sicilian salad, herb butter bread, and strawberry banana turnovers with cinnamon-crusted ice cream.

• Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream
• Roast Garlic Oregano Butter
• Sicilan Salad with Orange, Olives, Red Onions and Mint
• Speedy Lasagna
• Strawberry Banana Turnovers

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

• 4 tbsp course sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Cinnamon Crusted Ice Cream

1. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon and roll the scoops of ice cream in it.

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

Ingredients:

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

• 1 x garlic bulb
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Roast Garlic Oregano Butter

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Roast the garlic until juices begin to bubble out of the top, about 45 minutes.
3. Cut off the bottom of the garlic bulb with a serrated knife and squeeze the soft roasted garlic into a small bowl. Remove any stray garlic peel.
4. Add the butter, oregano, salt and pepper and mash everything together with a fork until smooth.
5. Spread on your favourite bread and toast until golden brown.

Sicilan Salad with Orange, Olives, Red Onions and Mint

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Sicilian Salad

• 6 x large oranges
• 1 cup of pitted green olives, sliced
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1 x red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 x large bunch fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Sicilian Salad

1. Zest the oranges into a medium-sized salad bowl.
2. Trim the peel off of the oranges and cut them into half-inch slices.
3. Toss well with the remaining ingredients.

Speedy Lasagna

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce

• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 x medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 10 x cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 4 x Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 x 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed or pureed
• 1 x small can tomato paste
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 3 x bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Sauce

• 2 x eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup 35% cream
• 475 g (1 pound) ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt and pepper

Assembly

• 1 box of ready-to-bake lasagna noodles
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Tomato Sauce

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepot and add the onions.
2. Sauté until they soften and turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then add the garlic.
3. Sauté a few moments more then add the ground beef and sausage meat.
4. Chop the meats thoroughly with a spoon to break them up into small pieces.
5. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, basil, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
6. Stir well and heat until the entire mixture is simmering and heated through.
7. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese Sauce

1. Whisk eggs and cream together, then stir in the cheeses.
2. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Layer the ingredients together in a 9" x 13" x 3" or other baking pan.
3. Follow this sequence: a cup or so of sauce, a layer of noodles, half of the cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, meat sauce layer, noodle layer, remaining cheese sauce, one third of the grated Parmesan, noodle layer, remaining meat sauce, remaining Parmesan.
4. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.
5. Remove foil during last 15 minutes of cooking to allow the top to get golden and crusty.

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

• 1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed and cut into four squares
• 1 x banana, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup marmalade
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated or flaked coconut
• 2 x eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp coarse sugar

Directions:

Strawberry Banana Turnovers

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Lay pastry on a flat surface. Cut into 4 squares.
3. In a small bowl, stir the banana with the marmalade, nutmeg and coconut.
4. Place a large dollop of the mixture into the center of each pastry square.
5. Brush the edges with beaten egg and fold one corner over to meet the other, forming a triangle, or alternately a rectangle.
6. Press edges together with a fork to seal tightly.
7. Brush tops with more egg wash and sprinkle with course sugar.
8. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden, about 12 minutes.

---