Double Spinach Lasagna

Since we're now in a bit of a full-blown pandemic panic, I decided to use some of the items already in my pantry and what I could snatch off the bare shelves of the grocery store to make myself some dinner.  A fantastic dinner that keeps well and will keep me fed for most of the week.  And since I'm a huge fan of spinach, it features prominently in this dish.  Also, I'm kind of a saucy lasagna person, so I like using lots of extra; if you're more of a crispy edge lasagna person, feel free to scale back.

Note: I used vodka pasta sauce in mine, but you can certainly go with whatever sauce profile moves you.

Double Spinach Lasagna

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

1 (32-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 (8-ounce) package Kraft Five Cheese Italian shredded cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 large egg
1 pound Italian sausage

1 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

2 (24-ounce) jars pasta sauce
1 (17.6-ounce) package Delverde instant lasagna noodles with spinach

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their water and then it cooks off.  Add the spinach leaves and toss together until the spinach wilts.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, half of the shredded cheese, the Italian seasoning and the egg.  Mix well.  Add the cooled mushroom and spinach mixture and stir to combine.  Set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the loose sausage and the oil, breaking the sausage up into crumbles.  When the sausage is almost cooked through, add the onion.  Continue to cook until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic.  Sauté for another 30 seconds, just until you start to smell the garlic, then add a jar of pasta sauce.  Stir until warmed through.

Spray a large glass or ceramic lasagna dish with cooking spray.  Spoon some of the sausage sauce mixture into the bottom of the dish, then lay down a layer of the instant lasagna noodles.  Spread one third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then spoon additional sauce over the cheese before topping with the next layer of noodles.  Continue layering until ricotta and sauce are all used up and there are noodles on the top.  Pour the second jar of pasta sauce over the top of the bare noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese and the Parmesan.

Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with additional cooking spray, then cover the lasagna dish, sprayed side down towards the cheese.  Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.  Let set for approximately 15 to 20 minutes to cool slightly before slicing.

Makes 12 servings

Leftover Chili

What do you do with leftover meat?  Especially leftover tender expensive meat?  Reuse it, that stuff is pricey.  So I figured that even with the slightly sweet (nearly non-existent) sauce on the beans, I could probably make a decent chili.  And to be perfectly honest, I think I enjoyed this incarnation more than the original.  Feel free to substitute whatever meat and beans you like, just keep testing for flavor until you get a profile you enjoy.

Note: I used the leftover ribs and beans from my Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans, and even though the beans were cooked in soda and were sweet in that dish, the chili powder and cocoa powder worked their magic, and I didn't notice anything off when they were converted to chili.

Leftover Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cooked short rib meat, cut into cubes
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans or about 2 cups cooked beans
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat and then add onion, green pepper, and bacon.  Saute until onion begins to soften, then add garlic and short rib meat.  Once the rib meat starts to loosen up, add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and the flavors have melded, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Home Grown: Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans

I don't know what I was thinking when I picked this recipe to make.  I think I'm still searching for the perfect from-scratch baked beans, with that thick sweet bacony sauce surrounding the tender beans.  But alas, today is not that day.  The short ribs were actually pretty good, nice and tender.  But the beans.  Oh, the beans.  They were not the beans of my dreams.  They were sad beans, nearly naked, without that beautiful coating that I'm yearning for.  So the search continues...

Note: I used great northern beans instead of kidney beans.

Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans
Adapted from Home Grown: Cooking from My New England Roots

For the beans:
2 cups dried kidney beans
Canola oil, for the dish
2¾ teaspoons kosher salt
2 to 3 cups Dr. Pepper soda
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 thick-cut bacon slices, quartered crosswise

For the short ribs:
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, cored and quartered
6 garlic cloves
¼ bunch fresh thyme
2 cups beef stock
1½ cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Make the beans:
Put the beans in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover by a few inches.  Soak at room temperature overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish.

Drain the beans and transfer to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.  Add enough fresh water to cover and 2 teaspoons of the salt, then bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the beans are just tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of the soda, the tomato paste, vinegar, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the pepper and stir to combine.

Transfer the beans to the prepared baking dish and top with the bacon.  The beans can be made up to this point, covered, and refrigerated overnight, or baked, cooled, and refrigerated, then reheated before serving.  Bake until the bacon is crisp and the beans are hot and bubbling, about 1 hour, adding more soda to the dish if the beans are beginning to look dry.  If, after an hour, the beans are still not tender, cover with aluminum foil and cook until they are (older beans take longer to soften).  When the beans are tender, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.

Make the short ribs:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.  Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  When the pan is hot, add the short ribs (in batches, if necessary) and sear, turning, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

In a food processor, combine the celery, carrots, onion, tomato, and garlic and process until the mixture is finely, evenly chopped.

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and the thyme to the pot.  Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the browned short ribs to the pot; the liquid should almost cover the meat.  Reduce the heat to bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer to the oven.  Uncover and check after 15 minutes; the liquid should be just simmering.  Adjust the oven temperature, if necessary, then re-cover and cook.  Cook until meat is very tender, 2 to 2½ hours.  Remove the short ribs from the oven and return the beans to the oven to warm through.  The short ribs can be prepared to this point, cooled to room temperature, then transferred to the refrigerator.  The following day, scrape the congealed fat from the surface and rewarm gently, covered, over low heat.

Transfer the short ribs to a rimmed platter.  Pour the short rib braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl.  Let stand until the fat rises to the top, then skim off and discard.  Transfer 2 cups of the braising liquid to a small saucepan (discard any remaining braising liquid).  Stir in the mustard, then bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil the sauce until it has reduced to ¾ cup, about 15 minutes.  Spoon the mustard jus over the short ribs, sprinkle the parsley over, and serve, accompanied by the warm beans.

Makes 6 servings