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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Greek Lasagna

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Greek lasagna is a baked beef and eggplant pasta dish that has a touch of Mediterranean flavors. You can use lamb instead of beef if you want a different flavor. Grilled vegetables may also be added or you can use these to make a delectable vegetarian dish.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. uncooked lasagna

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil,

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stick, trimmed and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

500g beef mince

2 cups tomato sauce

1 400g can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups Greek or unflavored yoghurt

1 egg, lightly whisked

1/2 teaspoon five spice

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

 

Preheat oven at 180°C and slightly grease a baking medium sized baking dish.

Cook the lasagna in a pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it to a pan filled with cold water to prevent it from sticking.

Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplants in batches for 2-3 minutes per side or until they are tender and browned. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Heat the oil in the same pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes until they are soft and lightly browned. Add the carrots and celery. Cook it for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Place the minced beef in the pan and then set the heat to high. Add the five spice powder. Cook it for 5-8 minutes or until it is browned and there are no more lumps. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and oregano. Season it with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Combine the yogurt and egg in a medium sized bowl. Mix well and season it with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put a thin layer of beef and tomato sauce at the bottom of the pan. Top it with lasagna. Spread some yogurt mixture on top of it and then place a layer of eggplant. Put another layer of lasagna and this time spread some beef and tomato sauce. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used up. Sprinkle it with ricotta cheese. Bake it for 20-30 minutes or until the ricotta is lightly browned. Remove the Greek lasagna from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes. Garnish it with mint leaves before serving.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  jnewland

 

Mexican Lasagna

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Here’s a twist to the traditional lasagna recipe. Adjust the spices if desired and adding fresh tomatoes is a good idea too. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic minced

2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup tomato sauce sauce

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 cup canned corn

Salt and pepper to taste

8 (8 inch) soft corn or flour tortillas

2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

sliced black olives for topping

1/2 cup sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 3-5 minutes until they are light brown. Add the ground beef and cook it for 10-15 minutes or until it is brown. Mix in the tomato sauce, beans and the corn. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Season it with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Mix well.

Grease a round baking dish with the remaining oil. Assemble the lasagna by placing some meat mixture at the bottom of the dish. After, layer it with a tortilla. Cut the tortillas if needed. Repeat the process until the tortilla is finished. Make sure that the top layer is meat. Sprinkle it with Cheddar cheese.

Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is light brown. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Top with sour cream and garnish with black olives. Serve warm.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: alanagkelly

 

Cheesy Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

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This recipe is a delicious meatless dish. The spinach and the mushrooms give it texture, while the creamy cheese sauce makes it addicting to the taste buds. Pair it with garlic bread and you are all set.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

2 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch salt

8 cups spinach, rinsed

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound of shredded mozzarella cheese – divided

2 extra-large eggs (lightly beaten)

15 ounces of ricotta cheese

1 cup half and half

Cook lasagna in boiling salted water in a large pot until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat half a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and fry for 2 minutes or until a little browned. Mix in the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer until the wine evaporates. Add the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and thyme. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Boil spinach for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid then chop it into bite sized pieces.

In a bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, spinach, half and half, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. If you have an electric mixer, you can beat it on low speed for 1 minute.

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees.

In a casserole dish, assemble the ingredients. For the first layer, spread ½ cup of the mushroom sauce at the bottom of the dish. Add pasta and top it with the spinach and cheese mixture.  Repeat this process until you fill up the dish. Once you are finished, sprinkle the lasagna with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake it for 30 minutes or until the cheese has browned.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm

Photo Courtesy Of: EverJean