Hey, hey!

How was your weekend?  Mine was a good one!  Relaxing, too productive, and fun.  I have a small cold, so I have been laying low, trying to get better.  Friday, I went with my roommate to do this voice recording this for an hour (hey 30 Euro) and then went to Retiro with Annie for a workout and an adventure. Saturday, I was up bright and early like the Energizer Bunny and ran all around getting things done.  I cooked, cleaned, went for a solo run, did my nails, and booked a trip to Belgium. Productive day, I will say.  I am sick though, so working out 2/3 days probably didn’t help.  Nor did staying up until sunrise last night.  Hmmmm, well today I am relaxing.  Haven’t changed out of PJs yet (although I am going a bit stir-crazy and I want to get out of the house!!!)

This week, I did my weekly shopping on Friday afternoon, since the supermarket is so much less crowded than on Sundays.  I was still ready to elbow people in the ribs, but the urge wasn’t quite as strong as it is on the busy weekends.  Friday night, I washed and chopped all of the veggies, and then I spent the majority of Saturday morning cocinando.  This week, I made lasagna and meatballs.  See the recipes below.

Shopping list 10/24/ 2015

Produce

• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Cucumber
• Broccoli
• Eggplant
• Parsley
• Onions (2)
• Bananas
• Apples
• Frozen spinach
• Clementines

Refrigerated Products

• Milk
• Ground turkey
• Mozzarella cheese
• Ricotta cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Dry Products:

• Oatmeal
• Euro crackers
• Beer
• Lasagna Noodles
• Tomato Sauce

Total: 30 Euro

Easy-Peasy Lemon-Squeezy Lasagna (4 servings)

I made this lasagna in our brand-spankin’ new toaster oven that the landlord just bought.  It’s super easy since I bought small lasagna noodles, store bought tomato sauce (next time I will make my own), and made an easy ricotta mixture.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of ricotta
• 1/4 chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• A pinch of some spice.  I used cumin, but nutmeg is preferred.  We don’t have nutmeg.
• Mozzarella cheese
• Lasagna noodles
• You favorite tomato sauce

Directions:

• Mix the ricotta, parsley, S&P, spice and egg in a bowl.
• Cook your lasagna noodles.  They don’t have to be cooked all the way since they will partially cook in the oven.  If you can’t find small noodles, use regular noodles and just cut them.
• In a flat pan, put a layer of tomato sauce
• Put a layer of noodles (cooked or mostly cooked)
• Put a layer of the ricotta mixture
• Put a layer of mozz cheese
• Put a layer of sauce
• Repeat until the pan is full
• Bake in your oven at a high temperature (mine was 200…C*?) until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  In the toaster, mine took 30 minutes, uncovered.

Meatballz (Makes about 15)

I made these meatballs with the intention of having spaghetti and meatballs this week, but I have been enjoying them on their own for the last 24 hours and they’re almost gone.  Good thing I froze half of them..

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey or beef (I have only found turkey at the store (and pork, SO MUCH pork), so these are turkey)
• 1/4 chopped parsley
• 1/2 finely chopped onion
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup crushed breadcrumbs (Kitchen hack:  If you don’t want to buy breadcrumbs like I didn’t, purchase your favorite bread (or crackers, in my case) and then smash those babies up in a plastic bag.  It works the same way and you can eat the crackers/ bread)

Directions:

• Put it all in a bowl, mix it all up.
• Form into balls
• Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet or directly on the toaster oven rack (which is what I did, with another pan underneath to catch the drips).
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until cooked through the center.  Not sure what temperature…just make it hot hot hot.

That’s it!  I have been freezing part of each dish I make, so right now I have a little stash of lasagna, meatballs, and chili.  Next week, I’m thinking I will make another lasagna, but layer some zucchini in, as well.  Any other ideas out there? (*Echoooooo*)