SPINACH MUSHROOM LASAGNA, VEGAN SCONES, AND COMPLAINING

So, I have a doctor's appointment for tomorrow afternoon --- but not with the doctor I've been seeing since at least 2000, and probably before. Because I haven't been in since 2009, I've been reclassified as a new patient, and the nurse would absolutely not schedule me for anything other than a "new patient appointment", which was not available until two weeks AFTER I depart for Florida. She was utterly bewildered by my suggestion of taking into consideration the fact that, despite my admittedly long hiatus, I had in fact been a patient/customer  for at least nine years prior --- three times as long as I hadn't come in ---  and alas, because I travel for my job, I can't wait a month and a half to be seen, even if that was a good idea.

I appreciate that doctors are ridiculously busy and put-upon. I read several medical blogs, just for fun, and am completely sympathetic to what they go through dealing with the general public. I am willing to pay extra for an "initial" visit and redo all the paperwork. But I do think it's unreasonable for my history as a client to be completely dismissed because I haven't been there in a while. Long story short, although I like Dr. Stephens a great deal, I have to make a change. So I called my sister-in-law's osteopath and received an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

And now to the good stuff - recipes!

Today is a baking day --- the very last of the holiday baking. The last time my husband visited his parents in  France, I made the mistake of  sending sent along some vegan scones I'd just made, and now my in-laws are placing orders. Actually, I'm quite tickled that they enjoy my baking enough to make requests, so they're getting vegan banana bread (also lowfat and low sugar), the savory apricot tarragon cookies that were the hit of this year's holiday baking, and more of my vegan cranberry orange walnut scones. The cookies have butter and therefore are not a lowfat treat, but I make both the bread and the scones using bananas instead of any added fat; I use ground flaxseed mixed with water in lieu of eggs; whole wheat pastry flour; and usually some lower GI form of sugar such as agave syrup --- and then, not much of it. The fat comes from the flaxseed and walnuts, but these are healthy fats, with Omega-3's. And the results are yummy.

Speaking of recipes, for our last family get-together I made vegetarian lasagna. Now, I mainly made this for my husband and me; you rarely see a green vegetable at our family gatherings and if you do, it's probably not organic and may or may not be presented in an appetizing  or healthful form. Everybody POUNCED on this dish and loved it. Here's what I did:

CINDY'S SPINACH MUSHROOM LASAGNA

Homemade lasagna noodles or 1 package storebought*
16 ounces nonfat organic ricotta cheese OR 8 oz ricotta nad 8 oz cottage cheese
Fresh herbs (sage, thyme, oregano, whatever you have on hand ... or just use pizza seasoning)
1/2 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned, chopped, sauteed in a little olive oil
1 small onion OR a couple of shallots, chopped and sauteed
1-2 cloves garlic, minced and sauteed with the onion
Package of fresh spinach
1 32 ounce can Muir  Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 scant cup shredded Parmigano

Sautee your onion (or shallot) and garlic. You can add the mushrooms and sautee them with the onion, or do them separately and add later. Add the can of tomatoes and simmer until some of the juice starts to evaporate; add the cup of red wine and continue to simmer on low, stirring every once in a while until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta and/or cottage cheese with diced fresh herbs.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spread a little of the sauce at the bottom of a rectangular Pyrex dish. Lay down the first layer of noodles so that they cover the pan. Spread some of the ricotta mixture, the add a couple handfuls of spinach and, if you haven't added them to the sauce, the sauteed mushrooms. Repeat until you're out of ingredients or space, but end with a layer of sauce completely covering the noodles. Sprinkle Parmigiano on top. Bake for 30 minutes and then ENJOY.

*I highly recommend making your own pasta. It's really not hard and it tastes SO much better than any storebought. Get a package of semolina flour  (I like Bob's Red Mill) and just follow the directions on the back. But if you don't have time, just buy a package of whole wheat or regular lasagna noodles and cook as directed --- or get the no-bake, they taste just as good and you eliminate one step.

*I'm a HUGE fan of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. They add a lot of flavor and when prepared this way, taste much like sun-dried tomatoes.

Also, by popular demand (of my FaceBook friends) here is the recipe for my scones --- I'm pretty sure I've posted it or something like it before, but it's probably time for a repeat. Keep in mind that all my recipes are pretty approximate. I don't usually measure. I throw stuff in 'til it looks and tastes  right. Works for me.

CINDY'S VEGAN ORANGE CRANBERRY WALNUT SCONES

1-2 ripe bananas
1/4 to 1/2 cup agave, maple, or brown rice syrup (depends on how sweet you want it)
3 tbsp ground flaxseed soaked in 3 tbsp water
1 tsbp orange extract (or, zest of one orange)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Couple of handfuls each of walnuts and dried cranberries
1/4 - 1/2 cup almond or soy milk

Cream the bananas in a mixer and add the syrup, flaxseed, and orange extract until combined. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and mix just until it sticks together. Add walnuts and cranberries. Add just enough almond milk to make it all stick together --- you might not even have to add any, depending on how much syrup you use.

Roll out or drop onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Went for about a mile walk with my husband before dinner, and we talked about how we'd like to both get back to starting the day with a walk. I'm going to do that while I'm in Florida, and I hope he will do it here, and maybe when I'm back we can get back in the habit of doing it together. I got WAY too tired on this walk, and I don't know how else to describe it --- it's a different kind of tired than when I've worked out a lot or just had a busy day. I had to rest for a while when we got home before we got up and made dinner. I'm fine now, though. I am both apprehensive of, and looking forward to, tomorrow's doctor's visit.

Comments

[Lasagna Raso]

Looks delicious!!!! I’ve been on a big recipe “kick” lately, as I have been trying to expand my diet beyond the same old. Doesn’t look to hard to make either, so thanks for that.

Cheers.

[Setya Eko]

waw menu and the recipes are extremely delicious. I am interested in cranberry orange that you create. (=