Shifting Winds
The phrase “cooler by the lake” has always meant let’s head to the beach and get out of the sweltering summer heat. What I didn’t know was the impact the lake has in the spring. FOG. A shift in wind direction means the fog can literally overtake us in a matter of minutes, blocking out the sun and dropping the temperatures by 10 or 15 degrees. It impacts a small area, right along the lakefront and generally not more than 5 or 6 blocks inland. Cheers to those of you who live in true coastal cities like San Francisco and Seattle where the fog is a year ’round tihng. The fog and mist lifted today and we’re enjoying bright blue skies and warmer temperatures. We’ll see how long it lasts.
Sunshine in a jar
One of the first things I learned about Mike when I met him was that he liked going out to breakfast on Saturday or Sunday, and for a long time we did that. For any number of reasons we don’t do that every weekend any more and I miss it. I’m not much of a breakfast food person, as a matter of fact I used to order a turkey club sandwich and a cup of soup when we’d go out. I’ve grown a little more into breakfast food since then and now will usually get an omelet with spinach, diced tomatoes and american or pepper jack cheese. But, the first thing I do when we’re seated in the restaurant is check out the selection of jam for my toast. I’m always looking for apricot jam but it’s the rare occasion that I find it. I wonder why?
Relying on others
This is about the time that, for the last couple of years, I’d have my seeds planted for sweet basil and Thai basil. The container would be sitting on the ledge in the bedroom, soaking up all the south-facing sunlight and I’d check it almost daily anxious to see the sprouts. Once the weather would turn warm enough for them to thrive outside, I’d transplant them and move the planter to the back deck. There’s not much better than fresh snipped herbs in any recipe, but since our new house won’t have a balcony or patio, I didn’t bother planting those little seeds this year. No worries, I’ll have a couple of great farmers markets very near my house and will rely on them to grow perfect basil for me.
I’m obsessed….
I’m feeling so unsettled these days. In preparation for our move, we’ve sorted possessions into keep, sell and give away piles, put my car up for sale and started packing boxes. We don’t have a tenant for our house yet so we’re a little hesitant to pack too many things away. A house always shows better with furnishing, I think. Mike has cleaned out the garage and loaded CraigsList with all of the memorabilia that seems so important at one time but has been stored in boxes for the last six years. This is spring cleaning to an extreme. Moving always seems like a good idea until you get to the packing boxes because you know in the end, there’s something that’s going to get lost, broken or you’re going to need it “right this minute” and not be able to find it. As I’m packing I’m thinking – will I need this cheese grater in the next 7 weeks?; how about that sweater – will the weather turn cold again? Because Mike and I have been talking about this move for almost 6 months now, I just need it to be done. I’m tired of the talking and planning and that’s the only thing that makes box packing ok. We’re taking the next step to having the truck packed.
Test drives
January is past as is Groundhog Day and I haven’t even said Happy New Year to you. Holy smokes – have you missed me?
Most of my cooking and trying new recipes is done on the weekend, but for the last couple of months Mike and I have been test driving living in the city on weekends. I know weekend city living probably doesn’t give us a real taste daily city life, we’re having a great time and have made the commitment to move in the next couple of months.
The cooking problem, or lack of my keeping in contact here, stems from having minimal kitchen items at my disposal on the weekends – we’ve only brought necessities to the condo. I did finally bring an All-Clad skillet down, something that can be used on the stove top and in the oven. Before that I was limited to one stove top pot and things I could cook in the microwave or broil on a sheet of foil. Let me tell you, those parameters lead to some pretty interesting meals. Don’t even get me started about the day I realized I didn’t have a can opener, a cheese grater or a bottle opener. Off to the market we went to pick up some inexpensive items that really are a part of daily life, whether test driving a new home or not.
So, on a night where the weather looked like this:
I thought it was the perfect evening to make this skillet lasagna because the cooking is all done in one pan.
Skillet Lasagna
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
12 to 16 oz bag fresh baby spinach
1 – 28 oz can tomato puree
1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, room temperature
1 box (12 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or italian blend cheeses
1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it’s very clean. Add 1 to 2 tbsp water to a large deep skillet and add about 1/3 to 1/2 of the fresh spinach, tossing to wilt. As the spinach wilts, add more to the pan until all the spinach in wilted. Drain into a colander and squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Set aside to cool slightly.
In the same skillet, bring tomatoes, garlic, and oil to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium until thickened. You should have 5 cups marinara sauce.
Combine the cooled spinach with ricotta and set aside.
Pour sauce into a heat proof bowl and return 3/4 cup to skillet, spreading to cover the bottom. Add a single layer of noodles, breaking them up to fit. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the top, followed by half the shredded mozzarella and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Repeat your layers – noodles; ricotta mixture; mozzarella and 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles and the remaining sauce. remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and pecorino over top.
Bake lasagna until golden and bubbling, 40 – 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
