1-1-11

There is something about a repeating number in a date that grabs attention. We will have several this year:
besides today 1-1-11 we will have 1-11-11 and 11-1-11 and 11-11-11. Not to mention 11:11 twice on each date. What will this mean? Probably something to somebody but to me... just a time and date.
 

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onions

I fell in food love with this at the Skylark Hidden Cafe in Bellingham. Since they wouldn't give me the recipe I found this one and it is pretty darn good too, even if I had to cook it myself.

1 large butternut squash (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 medium-to-large yellow onions, sliced into rings
pinch of sugar
1 pound lasagna noodles (regular, no boil or refrigerated)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2 cups 2% milk, heated in the microwave 1-2 minutes until warm, but not boiling
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel butternut squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss 
squash with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Spread out in an even layer on a 
half sheet pan or a Mario Batali pizza pan if you have one (the Batali pan 
is an excellent tool for roasting vegetables). Roast 35-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until 
butternut squash is browned and fork-tender. Remove from oven and turn the oven temperature 
down to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and 
saute 1-2 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the pinch of sugar and reduce heat to 
medium-low. Continue cooking onions until they become very soft and golden brown, stirring 
occasionally, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

If you're using regular lasagna noodles, prepare them according to package directions. Drain, 
but do not rinse.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Add the milk all at once, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let the sauce cook about 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Transfer the butternut squash to a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Process until smooth. 
To assemble the lasagna, spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of the white sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with enough lasagna noodles to cover (it doesn't matter if you have to cut the noodles to fit). Top with half of the caramelized onions, then half of the butternut squash mixture and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Top with another layer of sauce, then the noodles, the remaining caramelized onions, butternut squash mixture and the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Finish off with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce and the mozzarella  cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Allow the lasagna to rest at least 20 minutes (30 minutes is even better) before serving.

Serves 10.

Per serving: 441 calories, 22 g fat (11 g saturated), 83 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein, 131% Vitamin A, 24% Vitamin C, 54% calcium, 14 % iron

Read more at Suite101: Butternut Squash Lasagna: A vegetarian lasagna recipe that's worthy 
of serving to company.link to original recipe

an iBand Christmas

What a great reason to get an iPad for Christmas, or a few!! Hubby doesn't agree. :-( . Enjoy it!

T-day and my little pies

Happy Day After Thanksgiving. I refuse to call it Black Friday, I'm not a shopper and ... I'm not going to go there today, I'm in a good mood. Anyway, Thanksgiving was wonderful here, so much so that I totally forgot to take pictures. Tommy, our previously "pet" turkey was delicious, all the sides perfect, and my little pies were a hit. everyone got their own and they ate every last morsel. It snowed all day long, and the G-kids had a ball, making snowmen and then tackling them flat. After dinner they had a snowball fight with the neighbors G-kids. Fun times!

Sorry..forgot to post this right away so...5 days later!?

Little Pies

I came across this recipe and am going to try it. I think the G-kids will really enjoy having their own pie for thanksgiving, on second thought the adults will probably like it too. If you try it let me know the results, I'll post  the comments from my family.  see the recipe here