Dinner Tonight - Lasagna (Sort Of), Mixed Veg, Olive Bread, Fresh Fruit (1 hr)

This morning, I peered inside my refrigerator and realized that unless I were a bit creative with tonight's dinner, I would have to go to the grocery store. I wasn't keen on making the trip, so here is what I did with what I had. Let's just say that I'm grateful for my freezer and that I take the time to store leftovers.


My "shopping list" from my refrigerator (for a family of four):

• 1/2 lb organic ground beef, unused from last night's burgers
• 1 frozen all-natural, mild Italian pork sausage, an unused ingredient from dinner last week
• 1/4 of an organic onion (I use a little bit of an onion at a time - I've always got one "working" in the fridge)
• 1 jar of Newman's Own Organic Marinara sauce (bought it at Wal-Mart!)
• 8 oz of ricotta
• 1 bag of shredded organic mozzarella
• 1 box of organic fusilli pasta (the corkscrew shaped pasta)
• organic extra virgin olive oil (bought it at Costco!)
• organic spices - oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 1 bag of frozen organic mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
• some frozen all natural olive bread
• organic butter
• fresh fruit

I'm guessing you know where I'm going with this. Not lasagna. Lasagna - sort of.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Put the ground beef and sausage (casing removed) into a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil, cooling on medium. Season with oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Dice one slice of onion and throw that in, too.
3. Once this mixture is cooked, take a lasagna pan (I have a PYREX one I love) and coat the bottom with some marinara. Sprinkle fusilli all over. Sprinkle small bits of ricotta on top of the fusilli. Sprinkle the meat mixture on top of the ricotta layer. Start again with the marinara, then the fusilli, then the ricotta, then the meat. Three layers of this is enough and you should have exhausted your supplies. Sprinkle mozzarella generously on top. Add water to the corner until it comes up to the top layer (don't submerge the top layer). Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
4. Go do something fun for a while.
   
5. If your bread is frozen, cover it with aluminum foil and place in the oven now to defrost (check periodically and remove once fully defrosted and warm on the inside). If it isn't frozen, wrap it and put it in the last ten minutes.
6. After 45 minutes, check the pasta to see if it is cooked. If so, remove the aluminum foil and allow to brown, maybe 5 minutes. Remove the bread, slice it and drizzle some melted butter.
7. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. While that is resting, put the frozen vegetables in a PYREX dish with about a half inch of water, cover with a damp chlorine-free paper towel, and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Prepare the fruit.
8. Plate the meal, pour drinks.

Done!