Autumn Golden Vegetable Lasagna

It may still be August and 105 degrees outside, but I'm dreaming of scarves, sweaters, cider, and pumpkins. Although it's clearly still summer outside, it's fall inside my kitchen, where I've been whipping up goodies like apple cider cupcakes, ginger snaps, and Rachael Ray's Autumn Golden Vegetable Lasagna. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

This lasagna is genius for several reasons. First, egg rolls wrappers instead of lasagna noodles? Easy and amazing. Pumpkin + lasagna? Doesn't get any better. The plethora of cheese doesn't exactly make this a health food, but it's still lighter than traditional lasagna, and you definitely get your veggies in. It reminds me of my favorite fall tradition, Baked Stuff Pumpkin, but it's not quite as rich, and it's definitely easier.

So here's how you make it.

Ingredients:

2 T. unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (it says 10 oz, I used a 12 oz bag of precut squash from Walmart)
2 C creamy white sauce (recipe follows)
1 can pumpkin puree
1 egg
10 egg roll wrappers
1 3/4 C shredded gouda
8 large basil leaves

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the squash and 1 C water and simmer over medium heat; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the water is evaporated and the squash is golden and tender, about 13 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking dish (I think 9 inch might be better...). Place 1/2 C white sauce in the bottom. Whisk pumpkin and egg together in a bowl.

Cut half the egg roll wrappers into 3 strips each. Fill a bowl with hot tap water. As you work with each wrapper, dip it in the water to rinse the starch off. Use 1 whole wrapper and 3 strips to cover the bottom of the dish (they'll overlap). Spread a generous 1/2 C of pumpkin mixture on top and sprinkle with 1/3 C of cheese. Repeat the layering.


Add another layer of egg roll wrappers. Spread with 1 cup white sauce, then top with squash, basil, and 1/2 C cheese. Add another layer of egg roll wrappers, the remaining pumpkin mixture, and 1/3 cup cheese. Top with the remaining egg roll wrappers, then spread with the remaining white sauce.

Cover the dish snugly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. (It says you should put the dish on a baking sheet. I didn't notice this instruction, and my oven is suffering for it.) Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining 3/4 C cheese on top, and bake until golden and bubbly, about 10 min. Cool for 15 min before serving.


White Sauce


2 T butter
1/2 C chopped shallots (I used scallions....is there a difference?)
1/4 C flour
2 C milk, warmed (I didn't warm mine, and it was fine)
1/4 C grated parmesan

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender, about 5 min. Stir in flour for 2 min. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Woohoo, a blog post. No more cat pee on the home page. Last week was our first full week of summer break, but since we had VBS, it didn't really feel like a break. This week really feels like summer. Here are some things I love about summer:

Being home to listen to High Plains Morning on High Plains Public Radio. Yeah, I'm a public radio dork.

Having time to cook healthy, nutritious meals...as well as lots of cake and brownies.

Not having to rush around to get anywhere in the morning.

Not having to get up before 5 to run (unless I want to). Sleeping in until 6 feels downright luxurious.

Other things I'm loving right now (that don't necessarily pertain to summer):

My new Ninja blender. It rocks. Got it for Mother's Day--best present ever! Ryan knows how much I love making smoothies. It's the poor man's VitaMix, and so far it's been up for everything I've thrown at it.

Ellie Krieger's cookbook The Food You Crave. Lots of awesome, healthy recipes. Love this soup recipe!

Kodiak Cakes. Whole grains. Easy to make. 140 calories per serving, and lots of protein. Does it get any better?

Chobani Raspberry yogurt thrown in the fridge for a couple of hours, then thawed just a few minutes in the fridge. Creamy deliciousness.

Fage 2% with strawberry. Like ice cream, only good for you.

Cottage cheese whirled up in the blender or food processor with almond extract and Splenda until it's smooth. Top with strawberries (or get wild and throw them in the blender with the cottage cheese). I know it sounds gross, but trust me, it's yummolicious.

Better Than Crack Brownies. Not at all healthy for you. But delicious. I took them to a church potluck dinner, and Don Foster (who loves chocolate almost as much as I do) asked me what they were called. I told him, and he replied, "Better Than Crap Brownies?" Moral of the story: come up with a new name when serving them to the hearing aid crowd.

Schwan's Bomb Pop Juniors. Great for rehydration after a long run!

Hope you're enjoying your summer, too!

yeah, it's monday

Yesterday our bathroom smelled suspiciously like cat pee, even though the litter box had been freshly cleaned. This morning I discovered the source when I reached out of the shower for my towel. Yeah, the cat had peed on the only towel in the bathroom, leaving me to wrap up in my robe and run dripping wet to the other bathroom for a fresh towel.

Remind me again why we have pets...

Three Things Thursday

1. Emilia keeps dragging out shorts and tank tops from her dresser. (I know, I should put them where she can't reach them, but I'm hoping they'll still fit her this spring, and if I put them where she can't find them, I won't be able to find them either.) Today, I told her she couldn't wear shorts because they are for summer. "I want summer," she cried. Me too, honey, me too.

2. Emilia has discovered a love of raisins. We are very pleased to have her ask for something other than cookies and candy, but it is a little disturbing to find one or two that she's spilled in the corner and not immediately recognize them as raisins.

3. This afternoon Emilia went into the bathroom, closed the door, pooped in her diaper, smeared chocolate pudding in her potty chair, and wiped it out with toilet paper. She's kind of got the concept.

The World According to Me

My Theories

1. Everything is better with a little red wine.

Obviously spaghetti sauce. And the cook. But I learned this week that black bean chili and veggie sloppy joes also benefit from a slosh of vino.

2. The right jeans are more professional than khakis.

I have a drawer full of khakis. I am a teacher, after all, and I think you have to prove that you have a drawer full of khakis to keep your license. But I don't really like to wear them. I don't think they are any dressier or more professional than nice jeans. I don't understand why I can wear khakis any day of the week but jeans only on Friday.

Yesterday, we were supposed to get a snowpocalypse (which never materialized--Dave Freeman is an idiot), and it was flipping cold! So I wore khakis, a sweater, and boots. And I felt like a schlump all day. I would have looked far more professional in dark denim.

3. Three points seem more complete than two.

This post seemed incomplete until I added this third point. Even though it is essentially meaningless, it adds a sense of completeness to an otherwise incomplete post.

Q.E.D.

My New Favorite Brownie Recipe

If you know me, you know that I have an almost pathological obsession with brownies. I'm always on the look-out for a new recipe. (Yesterday, Ryan accused me of loving brownies more than I love him. I denied it, but I did eat about an eighth of the pan of these brownies last night before bed. So much for healthy eating.)

These brownies are dark and fudgy with a yummy crackly top. The recipe is from Good Housekeeping, February 2011.

Valentine Brownies

3/4 C. butter, cup up
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I didn't chop mine because I'm lazy)
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 large eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 x 9 pan with foil; grease.

2. In a 3-qt. sauce-pan (I think mine was smaller than that), melt butter and chocolate on low heat, stirring. Remove from heat.

3. In bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt.

4. With a mixer, beat eggs on high until blended. Gradually add sugars. Beat on high 10 minutes or until tripled in volume.

5. Fold in chocolate and vanilla, then flour mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out almost clean. Cool. (Or do what I did and dig in while they're still hot.)

Enjoy

2010 Rewind

Highlights of the year:

We met Brandi, Josh, Ally, and Anya at the Great Wolf Lodge over Spring Break (and took Kenzie along for the ride).

Ryan taught a tie dye class for Kids' College and covered our backyard with tie dye. He also had an awesome scholars' bowl season and took his team to state.

We enjoyed a fabulous vacation in Albuquerque with Grandma Agnes and Grandpa Bob.

Ella traded dance and Girl Scouts for piano and 4-H. She also read up a storm, wrote in her diary like a mad woman, got a long board and pogo stick, put together a number of fabulous outfits, and took Ava to Hays to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa.

Emilia discovered that grandparents aren't so bad, after all. Her communication skills also blossomed, allowing her to express her desires to eat candy and watch Dora much more clearly. She continued to enjoy junk food in all forms.

Karen did the Couch to 5K program in the spring and went on to run 2 2-miles races, 6 5-Ks, 2 10Ks, and two half-marathons. She also coerced Brent into running a 10K and took her first motorcycle ride as her end of the deal.

And in December, we welcomed a new niece and nephew, Macy and Max! We can't wait to meet them.

Here's to 2011!