Help From The Pantry

As a child I occasionally begged for a T.V. dinner in the grocery store because it was a novelty in our house…this is a grateful nod to my mother who prepared most of our meals from scratch. 

But sometimes the help of a box or can was necessary to stretch meat to feed more people or to save time. I learned from my mom to cook from scratch with fresh vegetables and meats as much as possible, and sometimes the cupboard can provide a little help.  

For my health I usually minimize my use of prepared or fast food and like to keep ingredients as simple as possible. I prefer to make fresh meals with seasonings and combinations that enhance the natural flavors, and rarely use pre-made sauces or packaged foods. However, some days I am too tired or just don’t have time to cook from scratch.  For those times when I want a healthy delicious meal but I am tired from a long day or short on time, I rely on my pantry.

Last week I was craving lasagna; usually one of those dishes that I save for company because it is labor intensive so I like to make a large pan of it including making sauce from scratch. I looked in the cupboard, found a jar of basil pesto and a large can of organic marinara sauce…  picked up a couple of things from the store and used a small pan with only two layers.  I had mushroom lasagna in an hour – paired with a salad for a satisfying and healthy dinner.

A couple of days later I combined the rest of the pesto, and a few more pantry items, with some raw ground turkey into a small turkey loaf and the flavors really worked well together.  So I had two great meals with the help of my pantry!

Both recipes follow:

Mushroom Lasagna (4 servings – can be doubled)

28 ounces (3.5 cups) marinara sauce (homemade or can/jar)

8 Shitake Mushrooms (or other medium size mushrooms of choice) – Sliced

8 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese – Thinly sliced

¼ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese – grated

1-tablespoon basil pesto

Dried oregano and parsley and a little extra grated cheese for the top

Olive oil

½ package or 8 ounces whole wheat or whole grain lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Set aside a 10 inch round or 8-9 inch square baking dish

Bring a large pot of water to boil – when boiling add the noodles and cook 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water so you can handle the noodles.  While the noodles are cooking prepare the sauce: Add olive oil to a 12-15 inch sauté pan to coat – not more than 1 tablespoon. Heat the oil, add sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes till softened. Add marinara sauce and let cook at medium heat till warmed through. While noodles and sauce are cooking, mix ricotta and pesto and grated cheese and set aside.

Grab your pan and pour a small amount of the prepared marinara to coat the bottom. Layer noodles to cover the bottom of the pan – trim if necessary.

Spread ricotta mixture over the noodles and lay mozzarella slices on top. Spoon sauce over the layer of noodles and cheese, using most of the mushrooms but making sure to reserve sauce for top. Add another layer of noodles and trim if necessary to contain them within the pan.  

Pour remaining sauce over the top and make sure it covers all the noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese, parsley and oregano. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch anything that bubbles over. Bake uncovered 45 minutes. Let sit 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Serve with a salad and enjoy.

Pre-baked Lasagna

Turkey Meatloaf

1-pound ground turkey

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons feta cheese (crumbled)

1 heaping tablespoon basil pesto

1/3 cup bread crumbs (panko or regular with Italian seasoning if available)

Small can diced tomatoes in juice or tomato sauce

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste – and if using unseasoned breadcrumbs add some oregano

Mix first 5 ingredients together and shape into a small oval or rectangular loaf and place in a shallow rimmed casserole dish or baking pan. Top with tomatoes or tomato sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest 10 minutes and serve. I paired this with a simple romaine salad with watermelon radishes and crisp red bell pepper slices in a light vinaigrette. 

Until next time… may you find enjoyment in food and nature,

Marla