Cookoff!!!!

[Jester]

Yep...yet another cookoff is looming for me. In this case, it's next Saturday, a week from now, it's a fundraiser for VNA, which I believe is the Visiting Nurses Association, a nonprofit health care association. I say "believe" because the text I got about the cookoff merely said "VNA."

In any case, the theme is lasagne. So I have had some choices to make. Do I go way out of the box and make my Mexican Lasagne, where the "noodles" are actually Spanish rice, the "sauce" is salsa, and the meat is chorizo? I have made this dish before, it is spicy, and it kicks ass, but as I said, I've made it before, and part of the fun of cookoffs for me is doing something I haven't done before.

Which is the second option: do I go traditional. I do have five pounds of Italian sausage sitting in my freezer, half spicy, half mild. I know for a fact I make a mean marinara/bolognese sauce. And I am sure I could kick this to the curb with the right cheeses. AND I have that whole day off, so I can focus just on that dish from the time I wake up until go time at 5:30 that evening.

So, which tack do I take? If I go Mexican, how spicy should I make it? Should I blow them out of the water? And if I go traditional, what tips do you guys have? How many layers should I use? How much of each ingredient (noodle, sauce, cheese, meat) should be in each layer? I ask simply because I have never actually MADE traditional lasagne.

So.....help?

[lupo pazzesco]

Oooh, Ooooh!! LASAGNA!! Squee!!

I like the idea of the mexican theme, but the italian sausage is tempting. Personally, when I want to throw a curveball, instead of using actual noodles, I'll slice zucchini or eggplant lengthwise and use those as the pasta portion. Also, I think way, way WAAY back when I sent you a recipe for homemade ravioli. The pasta is EXCELLENT in lasagna, you can roll it out in sheets and cut to specifications of the pan, plus, if you add various veggie purees, you get multicolored noodles!

In regards to the layering, it's generally a bit of sauce to coat the bottom of the pan, then noodles, then cheesy/meaty filling, then more sauce. repeat twice for 3 layers each pasta and filling, and 4 layers of sauce. Cover and let bake about 45 minutes on 375-ish. Uncover, sprinkle with mozza or cheese of choice, and let bake uncovered about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. let set for about 15 minutes before cutting.

If you're making your own sauce, fire roast the tomatoes first before pureeing, and add about 1/4-1/2 cup of a really good red wine, (I prefer an oaky red, since it adds depth to the flavor.)

Um...I think I wandered off track and the inner Italian stole the reins...what was the question again...?

[Exaspera]

I would go with the Mexican. It sounds delicious, plus it would be a nice sidestep to the traditional. I would make it 'medium' in terms of heat.

Go get one or some of the disposable aluminum lasagna pans at the grocery, too. That way you don't have to worry about losing a casserole dish.

Have fun!

EDIT: When I wrote that at first I read it as everybody bring a dish kind of thing. Forget about the aluminum pan thing, and the hottness factor. /d'oh!...has now had coffee

[Cazzi]

Mexican lasagne sounds scrummy.
I would never have thought of making a "lasagne" that way, I shall have to try something similar now I can't have real pasta & the non gluten lasagne sheets are a bit pricey

Whichever you choose to do, knock em dead... err not literally though

[BookstoreEscapee]

Hmmm....tough to choose since I wouldn't likely eat either one

I once made a meatball lasagna, since I had meatballs in the freezer (I sliced them about 1/4 inch thick then cut the slices in quarters). It came out pretty good, even without having any eggs on hand for the cheese mixture.

[TelephoneAngel]

It doesn't even have to have a ground beef filling.

You could do an awesome one with your rice suggestion, and curry as the filling, maybe curried vegetables or chicken.

You could do one with pasta and fish as the filling, in a white sauce.

You could do a fruit one, using layers of apple as the noodles and pureed red fruits as the sauce with other fruit as the filling.

Anything that you can think of which you can eat with some sort of sauce and some accompaniment which would be thick enough to slice up and put into layers, you can make into a lasagne.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Ooh, that fruit lasagne idea sounds yummy...

I've seen chocolate lasagne, too.

Or fruit and chocolate...hmm...

[Jester]

If you're making your own sauce, fire roast the tomatoes first before pureeing, and add about 1/4-1/2 cup of a really good red wine, (I prefer an oaky red, since it adds depth to the flavor.)

I will be making my own sauce, but I have been doing that for eons, so have that part of the recipe down cold. Nothing personal.

I am actually thinking of making my own mozzarella, too, as I saw it on tv once or twice and it looked like something I could do pretty easily. I will have to google that and figure out the feasibility of it.

I would go with the Mexican. It sounds delicious, plus it would be a nice sidestep to the traditional. I would make it 'medium' in terms of heat.

I am leaning towards traditional, as I have never made it, but have always wanted to, and since I plan on making my own sauce and possibly my own mozzarella cheese, just making it better than anyone else's. And with some spice from the sausage as well, to give it zip.

I love the Mexican Lasagne, but the mildest I have ever made it was still spicier than medium. I'm from Arizona. 'Nuff said.

Go get one or some of the disposable aluminum lasagna pans at the grocery, too.

I plan on doing just that, for several reasons. First, they are perfect for that kind of cooking. Second of all, cleanup is far easier and quicker. Third of all, drinking at a cookoff plus carrying a breakable casserole dish does not often equal the best results. Don't believe me? Ask my chili pot's lid....better yet, ask any of the shards from when my friend Cookie knocked it on to the ground and shattered it into eighty five hundred pieces.

Mexican lasagne sounds scrummy.
I would never have thought of making a "lasagne" that way, I shall have to try something similar now I can't have real pasta & the non gluten lasagne sheets are a bit pricey

It is. Everyone loved it, other than those who couldn't handle the spice factor. But if you can't eat regular pasta, doesn't that mean you wouldn't be able to eat the Spanish rice? Don't both have gluten?

[malmalthekiller]

It is. Everyone loved it, other than those who couldn't handle the spice factor. But if you can't eat regular pasta, doesn't that mean you wouldn't be able to eat the Spanish rice? Don't both have gluten?

Rice itself is gluten free. But some enriched forms, or ones that are prepackaged with flavors have the danger of containing gluten. It really depends on the brand and type.

[lupo pazzesco]

I will be making my own sauce, but I have been doing that for eons, so have that part of the recipe down cold. Nothing personal.

I am actually thinking of making my own mozzarella, too, as I saw it on tv once or twice and it looked like something I could do pretty easily. I will have to google that and figure out the feasibility of it.

Eh, it's all good. I didn't know how well versed you were in sauce, so just threw out my favorite steps, I don't take it personal. As for making your own mozzarella, it's ridiculously easy, but kind of time consuming. You need either raw milk, though, or a special curd. I use this site.

http://www.chow.com/stories/11312

I've made it with the raw milk before (got it at Whole Foods once) and it is pretty fantastic. I've also made it with regular pasturized milk, (but not ultrapasturized, it just doesn't work that way, same with homemade yogurt.) Whole milk is best for mozzarella. Hope it helps. good luck!

[Cazzi]

It is. Everyone loved it, other than those who couldn't handle the spice factor. But if you can't eat regular pasta, doesn't that mean you wouldn't be able to eat the Spanish rice? Don't both have gluten?

Not 100% sure what you mean by Spanish rice as Google mostly shows up many recipes on how to make Spanish rice from ordinary white rice, although I did find this (Old El Paso Spanish Rice in a box), which would probably be fine for a gluten free diet as according to the ingredients list, contains corn rather than wheat/rye/barley

Although that's all moot anyway as it doesn't look like I can get that round here
Which is annoying as it does actually look quite tasty! Looks like I'll be trying some of the recipes Google turned up for me
I'm ready for a change, I'm just finishing off working my way through a pan of quorn & baked bean chili Mmmmmmmm.

[ArcticChicken]

If you do go with the Mexican, you could use tortillas instead of/with the rice.

Or you could do a breakfast lasagna, french toast or pancakes layered with eggs and sausage or bacon.

Personally, though, nothing beats a really excellent traditional.

[Jester]

Rice itself is gluten free. But some enriched forms, or ones that are prepackaged with flavors have the danger of containing gluten. It really depends on the brand and type.

For my Mexican Lasagne, I use a pre-packaged Spanish rice, either Uncle Ben's or Zatairain's. It works just fine for me, has great flavor, and allows me to spend more time on other parts of the process.

I didn't know how well versed you were in sauce

Been making it longer than almost anything else. Everyone in my family makes Italian food.

As for making your own mozzarella, it's ridiculously easy, but kind of time consuming. You need either raw milk, though, or a special curd. I use this site.

http://www.chow.com/stories/11312

Whole milk is best for mozzarella. Hope it helps. good luck!

Very helpful, thank you. And time is not a problem, especially since I have my nights off (except Wednesdays) and the more I spend on this, the less time I'll have to party and spend money and such.

So, if I understand you correctly, I can use just regular old whole milk from the local grocery store, as long as it is not ultra pasteurized, whatever the hell that is?

Not 100% sure what you mean by Spanish rice...

Spanish rice is usually flavored rice, often yellow or red, with some fun flavors, often tomato being one of them. I typically use Spanish rice from a pouch, as it is easy and quick, and the flavor is good enough for what I am using it for. One day I will make Spanish rice from scratch, as I have done with coconut rice (which was awesome).

If you do go with the Mexican, you could use tortillas instead of/with the rice.

Personally, though, nothing beats a really excellent traditional.

On the first point, I usually serve my Mexican Lasagne with tortillas and sour cream on the side for those who want them.

On the second point, absolutely agreed. I may not be Italian, but my stomach is!

[lupo pazzesco]

Yes, you can use regular whole milk. Ultrapasturized, I've found, usually refers to the higher end stuff in the organic section in a regular grocery store (Think Horizon organic milk, that's ultrapasturized) It'll say right on the label. Mostly though I just grab whatever's handy at Whole Foods because that's where I get the rennet, so I use whatever their store brand is. The milk fat translates to creamier, smoother mozzarella, so no use going with the 2% or 1%, in my opinion. Ultrapasturized milk has been given an extra dose of pasturization which kills enzymes and beneficial bacteria necessary to turn the milk into cheese (or yogurt). I tried it once. The resultant mess looked nasty and smelled worse. Plus, UP milk just tastes bland and lifeless. Brands that are ultrapasturized off the top of my head are Organic Valley and Horizon.

[Jester]

We don't have a Whole Foods down here, but we do have three Major Chains, and I generally just buy either their brand milk or a local dairy's milk from the chains. And since I prefer whole milk to drink anyway, that works out well for me. (I'll drink 2% if it's the only option, 1% if I'm desperate, and skim not even when I'm dead.)