Lasagna with Italian Sausage

The list is complete. It's the moment you've all been waiting for. Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating slightly. If we are being honest here you probably haven't been waiting for this moment at all. It's probably just the excitement on my end to actually share the list with you. So here you go - my list for 2010. 10 things I need to accomplish before the end of the year. 10 things that will broaden my horizons. 10 things that will get me out to see the world a bit - or at least it will get me doing some things that have been on my to-do list for awhile. 10 things that are outside of my normal, everyday routine. 10 things that you just might want to put on your to-do list before the end of the year too. I'll keep you posted over the next 4 months - and wow that's not a long time to accomplish these things - as to how things are going.

1. Go 2 weeks vegetarian

2. Eat at all 3 Rick Bayless restaurants

3. Apply to nursing school

4. Kayak in the Chicago River

5. Take the architectural tour

6. Visit Ms. Sarah Coulam in New York

7. Buy an Audrey Hepburn inspired dress and go out for a steak dinner

8. Make Cioppino

9. Take a toastmasters class

10. Research and sign up for 2 swim races in 2011

I'm currently on day 6 of my 11 day vacation from work. I usually take some time off in July but that really wasn't possible this year. I'm not going anywhere exciting and I don't have anything big planned - but I think that is one of the reasons I'm most excited about these 11 days off. I have time to do normal people things. Well - I guess normal people are just as busy as I am on a weekly basis. So maybe it's more like I have time to do the things that an unemployed person would be doing during the day.

I've made a list of things I want to accomplish during these 11 days off. I'm the type of person that works best from a list. The most exciting part is actually crossing things off the list. The list includes: scheduling doctor appointments, cleaning my apartment top to bottom, changing my cable lineup, polishing my jewelry, 2 a-day workouts, cooking a homemade meal every night of the week (having leftovers for lunch each day), getting my oil changed, blogging, reading a book, getting some sun, and most importantly - just relaxing. This week, I'm also making a conscious effort to use my blinker at all times when changing lanes while driving around the city, as well as using it when making turns - no matter how big or small they are. Andy informs me that I scare him with my lack of blinker use in the car - which is probably slightly true and probably a slight exaggeration. None-the-less, I am to please - so conscious effort here I come.

Andy has "make lasagna" on his 2010 list. I wasn't aware it was on his list. So the other day, we decided to make a dish of lasagna. I looked up some recipes and had a couple different ones to choose from. I ended up going with a recipe from Ina Garten - substituting Italian sausage for ground turkey. Not only would lasagna make for great leftovers, but it would give us a chance to use his new Emile Henry dish that I'm slightly jealous of. Emile Henry cookware makes for a great addition to your kitchen. Ben has an Emile Henry pie pan that makes the best crust for pies too.

Naturally, once we got home, I immediately started prepping things to make the lasagna. I chopped the onions, got the marinara sauce going, and mixed up the cheeses for the dish. It's habit. Everything was ready. It must be a sickness I have. I casually asked him if he wanted to help assemble the lasagna. It was at that point - I realized the lasagna was not to be made by me - but instead by him. Call it a team effort?

The lasagna is really, really good. With just a little effort, you really have meals for quite a few days. And as long as you don't go crazy with the meat and cheese, and have normal sized portions, it isn't all that bad for you. The dish was polished off before the end of the week. Things we would change the next time around: add a little bit more meat than what calls for and use a little less of the ricotta cheese mixture.

Lasagna with Italian Sausage

adapted from Ina Garten's Turkey Lasagna

print this recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 large can tomato puree

1 12oz can tomato sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoons pepper

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

16oz ricotta cheese

1 small container cottage cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 8oz bag mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heave the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, half of the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan, the egg, the remaining basil, remaining salt, and remaining pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2 inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. The add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Jalapeno Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes

I'm making a list. What kind of list you ask? Well - I haven't come up with a name for the list yet - but I will. Andy has a 2010 list of things he wants to accomplish throughout the year and is working to cross all of those things off the list. And if you know me and my personality, you won't be surprised that I want to make a list too. I tend to like the things that other people are doing. I laugh thinking of all the things that Ben had to put up with while growing up - everything he did - I wanted to do too. Ben has a Wii - Emily wants a Wii. Ben grows basil - Emily wants to grow basil too. Ben takes a cooking class - Emily wants to take a cooking class too. Ben reads books - well I guess I have to draw the line somewhere.

But in all reality, not only do I like crossing things off of a list, but I also like feeling a sense of accomplishment for doing things that you might not normally do - or even things you have always talked about doing but just haven't yet. So in the next blog post, I will present you with a list of 10 things that will get accomplished before December 31, 2010.

My "Big Shoulders" 5k swim is coming up in just a little over a month - September 11th to be exact. Fundraising for the team is going really well - I'm up to over $1600. We are trying to beat the Chuck Bass Run Club in the team challenge on the website and I'm hoping to regain our top spot on the leader board. You can visit my website HERE to make a donation. I guess I just really need to concentrate on getting some long swims in over the next month. My longest is still 2 miles at this point - which has been taking me about an hour and 20 minutes - which makes me feel like I'm going at a turtle's pace. I want to be a fast swimmer. Hopefully lifting a few more weights during the week and swimming year round will eventually help with that.

I'm struggling finishing a swim without getting cramps in my calves and feet. I've started drinking Smart Water and Gatorade on the days I'm swimming and I'm trying to eat a few more bananas during the week. I've tried to not kick my feet at all, I've tried kicking with just my hips, I've tried tricking my legs into thinking they weren't cramping, and I have tried just swimming with the cramps - all proving to be unsuccessful. I hope I get it figured out in the next 35 days.

I would say right now, cramping up is my biggest worry for the race - and don't worry Mom - I mean worried in the smallest sense possible. I'm confident I can do the swim. When I finish my 2 miles I'm not out of breath, I know I could go longer. I think I suffer from more boredom in the water than anything else. The underwater iPod has been extremely helpful. I make the playlist short enough so that if I'm not done swimming by the time the playlist is over - I know I'm going too slow. My other worry would be the race start. I keep reminding myself not to panic as I start my swim, breathe normally, and just pay attention to yourself - but I think slight panic is inevitable.

Ok - onto the recipe. Ahhhh Rick Bayless - how I have missed thee. On Tuesday night, I did a swim out in the lake and didn't get home until about 8:30 - which seems to be pretty typical these days. I had dog eared this recipe for "Jalapeno Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes" in Rick's Mexican Everyday cookbook over the weekend and the ingredients were already stocked in my fridge. 8:30 was pushing it as a time to start making dinner from scratch - especially going for a Rick Bayless recipe - but his Mexican Everyday cookbook is ideal for weeknight cooking. Seeing as I got home at 8:30, showered, talked to Mom, and relaxed briefly - dinner was still on the table by 10:00 - which isn't all that bad. Normal people eat dinner at 10:00, right? It was worth it.

This recipe is simple. Sliced red potatoes that you zap in the microwave to give them a head start, a puree of tomato and pickled jalapenos to make a quick sauce, and fresh white fish to top it off. I took the liberty of adding a few olives - because let's be honest - everything is better with olives. The dish comes together in the oven - in one pot. The 20 minutes baking time is where I squeezed in my "relaxing" time. I loved the dish. It's a complete meal - I served it with a side of peas. The olives go perfectly with the fish and the roasted potatoes.

Jalapeno Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes

adapted from Rick Bayless "Mexican Everyday"

print this recipe

2 pounds red skin boiling potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 28oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes in juice

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup cilantro

1/4 cup sliced canned picked jalapenos

1 tablespoon jalapeno pickling juice

1 1/4 pounds skinless fish fillets (I used halibut)

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. Scoop the sliced potatoes into a microwaveable baking dish. Drizzle on the oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Then spread the potatoes in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a hole in the top. Microwave until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapenos and pickling juice. Process to a puree, leaving just a little texture.

Lay the fish fillets in a single layer over the potatoes. Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the fish and potatoes. Slide the baking dish into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the fish flakes when pressed firmly.

Scoop a portion of fish, potatoes, and sauce onto each dinner plate. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.