Hearty Beef and Sausage Lasagna

By: Robin Asbell

Recipe Information
Total Time: 2 hours; 1 hour active
Servings: 12

So you’ve been building your skills in the kitchen, working on new recipes and developing your palate. It’s the perfect time to try a classic: old-fashioned lasagna with meat and tomato sauce. We suggest Alderspring organic, grass-fed ground beef for this recipe. It’s on sale now at a dollar off per pound at your Co-op’s Meat department!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, crumbled

• 1/2 pound ground beef

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 25 ounces tomato puree

• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese

• 3 ounces (1 1/2 cups) grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 pound lasagna noodles, uncooked

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for cooking the noodles.  Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by lightly oiling it. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook over medium high heat until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage, beef and salt, and increase the heat to high, stirring to crumble and brown the meat. When the meat is cooked, add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.

2. Cook enough noodles to make four layers of pasta in the pan—either 12 or 16 noodles, depending on their size. Undercook the noodles by 3 minutes; they will finish cooking when the lasagna is baked.

3. Meanwhile in medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese and eggs. Mix well.

4. Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of the 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange 3-4 lasagna noodles in single layer. Spread 2 cups of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles; dollop on 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange more noodles in single layer; press lightly into sauce. Top with 2 cups ricotta mixture, and 1 1/2 cups sauce, then place remaining noodles on top, pressing to make the noodles level. Spoon the remaining 2 cups of ricotta mixture over the noodles, cover with noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all the pasta completely. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over the sauce.

5. Bake 45 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the sauce is bubbling.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this hearty lasagna with steamed broccoli and a green salad.

Tostadas al Pastor

By: Robin Asbell

Recipe Information
Total Time: 13 hours; 40 minutes active
Servings: 6

The one-two punch of low-and-slow cooking plus the tenderizing enzymes found in pineapple makes this tender and delicious dish a treat for the senses. Plus, with pork shoulder roasts on sale in the Co-op Meat department at just $3.99 per pound, you’ll get a great deal on a delicious mexican-inspired dinner.

Ingredients

Shredded Pork

• 1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast with bone

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 8 oz pineapple chunks in juice

• 1 small orange, juiced

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 4 large garlic clove, halved

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 medium lime (optional)

Tostadas

• 12 corn tortillas

• 1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and mashed

• 1 avocado

• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Preparation

Shredded Pork

1. Place the roast in a slow cooker, then mix the remaining ingredients and pour over it. Cook for 10-12 hours on low until the pork is falling-apart-tender. Remove the pork and let cool 15-20 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat off the bone, and remove and discard visible fat. Shred the meat by hand or with a fork and place in a bowl.

2. If desired, scoop out the pineapple, onion and garlic and reserve to make a salsa. Transfer the remaining juices to a glass cooking cup and chill, the fat will harden on the surface. Scoop the chilled fat from the top and discard. Put the remaining juices in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a strong simmer and cook to reduce to a syrupy sauce, about 10 minutes. When the juices are thick, remove from heat and pour over the shredded pork. At this point, you can divide the meat into the desired portions (1/4 cup per taco, 2 tacos per person) or freeze for later.

3. If making the salsa, puree the pineapple, onion and garlic and season to taste with salt and lime, and serve as a salsa.

Tostadas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Lay out the tortillas on two cookie sheets and place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp. Heat the mashed beans in a pan over medium heat on the stove, add a little water (as desired for consistency) and stir to keep from burning or heat in a bowl in the microwave. Spread each tortilla with beans, then top with diced avocado and pork. Garnish with a few cilantro leaves (and the optional pineapple salsa).