No-Noodle Lasagna

The first lasagna recipe I published on this blog called for twenty ingredients. TWENTY! That is not a typo. (I'm embarrassed to even link to that recipe, oh how much I've learned since 2015!)

Lasagna is one of those things that just has a lot of components, but I was on a mission with this one: Simplify. Because some weeks, even just having twenty ingredients on your shopping list is stressful. Right??

This version has less than half that number of ingredients. That said, it still needs to bake for 50 minutes, so if you are trying to serve this on a weeknight, doing all the prep ahead of time will help you out.

This one is about the essentials:

• A good marinara sauce. I used store bought, but you can also use this 20-minute recipe. I'm all for homemade but some times you have to cut yourself a break!

• Ricotta cheese. Any excuse to use ricotta cheese is welcome, if you ask me. But it's also the creamy layer in lasagna, and arguably the best part.

• Mozzarella! You might be thinking, two different kinds of cheese? Yes! (And a third, if you keep reading). Mozzarella adds the gooey, stringy cheese texture to the top of the casserole. And that third cheese? Parmesan, which I mostly added for good measure, and also it's flavor.

• Meat. In this case, Italian Sausage. I love the flavor of hot Italian sausage, but you could easily use ground beef if you prefer. Many chefs choose to mix the two, in fact, but again simple was the name of the game here.

• Noodles -- but in this case, actually eggplant sliced thin and used in place of noodles. Eggplant goes so well with lasagna flavors. Bring on the veggies!

What is not essential to lasagna is the spinach layer, but I added it in because if I'm going to be cooking a lasagna, I may as well cover all of my bases instead of also making a side salad. 

No-Noodle Lasagna

Published July 12, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 8   |    Active Time: 90 minutes

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Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups marinara sauce (choose one that has basil or garlic, or make your own )

1-2 eggplants (1 large or 2 medium)

16 ounces ricotta

16 ounces hot Italian sausage, ground

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon olive oil

Optional: minced parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F, and slice eggplants in thin, long strips — about 1/4-inch thick. Spread slices out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and brush with olive oil. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes, until eggplant begins to soften.
2. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, set aside.
3. Place thawed spinach in a strainer, and squeeze out as much extra water as possible.
4. Make the lasagna: spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x16-inch baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant strips as “noodles” in a single layer. Spread ricotta cheese over eggplant, and then top with sausage crumbles. Next, spread the spinach in a layer. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over top, and then layer the remaining eggplant in a second layer. Top with another 1/2 cup of sauce, and then top with shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F, and bake lasagna covered for 25 minutes, and then uncovered for 25 minutes.
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, and then top with minced parsley. Slice and serve. Top with parmesan if desired.

Homestyle Sausage, Potato & Spinach Soup

On a cold and misty day, my mom and I meandered down a paved path in the bay area. My mom stopped on the side of the path and held a tree's leaves between her fingers. "Laurel trees," she explained, and when I still didn't quite get it she said, "Bay Leaves."

I've never given bay leaves their dues: they are easy to skip, as a whole pot of soup usually only calls for one or two leaves. They are subtle, so skipping them is never the end of the world. But delicate flavors have always ranked high in my mom's book: florals, herbals, and creams. 

In the winter she'd make soups with leeks and kielbasa, and stir in cream or (and) shredded provolone at the last minute before turning off the heat. She never skipped the bay leaves. 

This soup is an ode to that day, when I discovered how beautiful laurel trees are and remembered why bay leaves are so important. It is nothing fancy: onions, potatoes, sausage, and spinach in a creamy broth. But simplicity is key here, as you can throw it all in the pot (along with two bay leaves), and let it simmer while you change into slippers, pour a glass of wine, or nibble on a cheese plate. 

Winter officially "arrives" this week, which makes it the perfect time to make a simple cozy soup. Bites of spicy sausage and slurps of flavorful broth will warm you to the bone.

Homestyle Sausage, Potato & Spinach Soup

Published December 19, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 8   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 4 sausages (about 1/2 pound); I used Teton Waters Ranch Hot Links (available at Costco) but you can experiment here. Try kielbasa or spicy Italian to mix it up!
• 2 cups new potatoes, quartered 
• 2 large carrots, diced small
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• Dash cayenne 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 4 cups baby spinach 

Directions:

Instant Pot Instructions:
1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot (affiliate link) on the sauté setting. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Slice sausages into bite sized pieces, and add to pot, browning for 3-5 minutes. Then, add potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, broth, pepper, salt and dash of cayenne.
3. Turn Instant Pot to Soup setting, seal lid, and set timer for 10 minutes.
4. When the timer goes off, release pressure and open pot. Stir in spinach and cream. The spinach will wilt from the heat of the soup. Add additional salt & pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Stove Top Instructions:
1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Slice sausages into bite sized pieces, and add to pot, browning for 3-5 minutes. Then, add potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, broth, pepper, salt and dash of cayenne.
3. Bring soup to a simmer, and place lid on pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
4. Turn off heat and, stir in spinach and cream. The spinach will wilt from the heat of the soup. Add additional salt & pepper to taste, and serve hot.

Maple, Apple & Sage Breakfast Sausage

Through the doorway and to the left of the fridge, my grandpa would cook breakfast sausage on an electric griddle. It's frozen like a photograph, just like that in my mind.

My view is from the a brown vinyl chair that's pulled up to my grandparent's kitchen table. Across the table there's a small TV, it's 10-inch screen grey and lifeless, and a stack of envelopes. Light comes in through a window behind my grandfather as he uses a spatula to serve sausage patties on a plate. 

I can almost taste them now, twenty-odd years later, crispy on the outside and rich with maple flavor. My tastebuds have forgotten everything else on the plate, but for some reason that sausage sticks with me. 

Breakfast sausage is still one of my favorite things to eat in the morning, but I hadn't made my own from scratch until working on this recipe. It's a combination of my favorite breakfast sausages: sweet, from the addition of maple syrup and apple, a sprinkling of fennel and nutmeg, and fresh sage. You can use whatever ground pork you prefer, though for a more transitional sausage you'll want something high in fat-- 20% or even 30% fat. If you prefer a leaner end result, go ahead and use a 10% fat ground pork (the end result will just be a bit drier). 

Maple, Apple & Sage Breakfast Sausage

Paleo, Primal, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Ground pork is mixed with maple, apple, and herbs & spices for a savory-sweet breakfast sausage.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 apple
• 1 pound ground pork (I prefer ground pork that has more fat for this recipe, such as a 80/20 ground pork, but you can use what ever you like. The leaner the meat, the drier the end result will be)
• 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

1. Core the half apple and dice into very small pieces— no bigger than a 1/4 of a centimeter. Place in mixing bowl.
2. Add pork, salt, pepper, nutmeg, minced sage, fennel, and maple syrup to the mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix all ingredients until full incorporated.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet.
4. Form pork mixture into small patties, 1-2 inches in diameter, and place in skillet when oil is hot. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side, until the bottom turns a golden brown color. Flip to second side, cooking for 5 more minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot.