Vegetable Lasagna This is a great dish to serve for a party as most of the preparation is done in advance. Just before you are ready to serve the dish, take it out of the oven and let the great aroma invite your guests to the table 1 container (32 oz.) ricotta cheese 1 package (10 oZ.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 eggs 1 tablespoon butter 12 oz. shitake mushrooms, sliced in half 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary 1 package (16 oz.) lasagna noodles 1 pound Fontina cheese, grated 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 recipe tomato & sautéed vegetable sauce (see below for recipe) Serves a Crowd (15-20 or more depending on what else you are serving) 1. Prepare the Tomato and Sautéed Vegetable Sauce.(see below) 2. Prepare all your ingredients in advance for easy assembly. Mix together the ricotta cheese, drained spinach, Parmesan cheese and eggs in a bowl and set aside. 3. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until cooked. Sprinkle with rosemary and set aside. 4. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain well and place them on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray. 5. Place 1/2 cup of the Tomato and Vegetable Sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan or deep baking pan. 6. Place a layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan. 7. Top the noodles with Tomato and Vegetable Sauce, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, and 1/4 of the Fontina cheese. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. 8. Repeat with a layer of noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese and Fontina cheese. Add the sautéed mushrooms and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 9. Layer again with noodles, sauce, the remaining ricotta cheese and Fontina cheese. 10. The final layer is noodles, tomato sauce, the remaining Fontina and Parmesan cheese (see photo above). HELPFUL HINT: The lasagna can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated at this point. When you are ready to continue, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the lasagna for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Uncover and continue cooking until it begins to bubble and the cheese is melted on the top, about 20 minutes more. Let the lasagna stand at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese and extra Tomato and Vegetable Sauce on the side. Tomato & Sautéed Vegetable Sauce This pasta sauce is full of healthy vegetables. Be sure that you chop each vegetable the so that the pieces are uniform in size. This makes for a presentation that is attractive as it is delicious. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped, about 2 cups 1 large zucchini, chopped, about 2 cups 2 large squash, chopped, about 2 cups 1 small eggplant, chopped, about 3 cups 4 garlic cloves, minced, about 2 tablespoons 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced, about 3 cups 2 cans (28 oz.) chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped basil 1 tablespoon chopped oregano 1 tablespoon sugar salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Serves a Crowd Preparation time about 30 minutes 1. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium high heat. 2. Cook the onions in the pot for several minutes. 3. Add the zucchini and squash and cook until the vegetables begin to soften. 4. Add the eggplant and cook just until it begins to soften. 5. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. 6. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste basil, oregano and sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Very Garlicky "Almost" Caesar Salad With Garlic Croutons I call this an "almost" Caesar Salad since it eliminates anchovies and raw egg. The croutons, infused with garlic, more than make up for the missing ingredients in flavor. 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese Garlic Croutons 4 slices french bread cut into 1 inch cubes 3 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed 1 1/2 T olive oil 1/2 tsp. dried basil Dressing 1 tsp. Worchesteshire Sauce 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil 2 garlic cloves finely minced or pressed Serves 6 Prepare croutons by sautéeing garlic in olive oil on medium heat for about three minutes (Don't cook on too high a heat or allow garlic to brown as it will turn bitter). Remove garlic from oil and add bread cubes and basil to pan. Toss to coat. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and place in oven set on the lowest temperature setting. Leave bread crumbs in oven until dry (about 10-15 minutes). Prepare dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together. Toss lettuce, cheese, croutons and dressing together and serve. Enjoy and Happy New Year!