Lasange al Forno recipe for Lee

this sounds good also, Lee
Brenda Hammond wrote in message
...
Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking but we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave them for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then roughly chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and brown on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot, spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the lid on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news


On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at 12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) , reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil (use Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by half. Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the meat a bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as all those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might try it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out. May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME (sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through MasterCook)..... It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that it is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me to eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these in, DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any skin and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct heat and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents of both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering. While that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with is a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, then strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a bowl, beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth of the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets). Repeat this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the whole lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50 minutes or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.

It is good and points friendly too.

"Miss Violette" wrote in message
...
this sounds good also, Lee
Brenda Hammond wrote in message
...
Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking but we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave them
for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then roughly
chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and brown
on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot, spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the lid on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news


On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at 12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) , reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil (use
Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by half.
Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the meat a
bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as all
those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might try
it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out. May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or
celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME (sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through MasterCook).....
It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that it is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me to
eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these in, DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around
from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the
onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any skin
and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then
finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct heat
and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents of
both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering. While
that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small
pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with is a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, then
strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce
comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a bowl,
beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth of
the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets). Repeat
this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the whole
lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50 minutes or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.

Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

Isn't it though. I think much of it has to do with where we were raised.
DH was born in England (middle of the country), so they didn't easily get
fresh seafood (shellfish anyway). He hates the thought of eating any
kind
of shellfish. Can't even sit at the table with Nicholas and I when we
eat
it. But me on the other hand, born here in Vancouver, grew up with
fish/shellfish as a main staple, so I could eat it every day.

He really does have a problem... He doesn't like pickled herring!
Have you ever tried pickled salmon? or prawns? They actually sound kind
of
disgusting, but aren't too bad. Not as good as pickled herring though.

haven't bought any yet this year, will have to do that over the next few
days though. Something to snack on over the holidays...

I've actually made my own pickled salmon a few times. I like it but
it has a softer consistency then herring and I prefer the herring,
too. As a matter of fact if it clears (I read that you have a nice
day up there - not here so far) I plan on pickled herring sandwich
before about a 30-35 mile bike ride we've planned.

I've made my own pickled herring, but it's been about 15 years since I've
done it. They were very good though. I've added pickled herring to my
shopping list for last minute things before Christmas.

Grandma use to make her own, starting from bony skin-covered herrings.
Too much work (G)

Hope the weather is good for your bike ride this afternoon. We just
returned from a walk along the ocean. My grandma is 84, so can't take her
on too much of a hike, a walk on the flat is about as much as she can take
at her age (has to watch her knees). She does do really well for being 84.
Still babysits Nicholas sometimes when I'm working. Eight hours of chasing
a 3 year old around can be tiring!

It was not bad but it was cloudy for the first half but the sun made
it out for the ending. We pedaled by Paul Allen's house (Bill Gates'
microsoft partner) and over the bridge across Lake Washington. Tired
now and eating fresh tuna, sweet potato and broc and cauli!

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.

What's the name of the lake you walked around? Maybe I can find it on a
map
(MapQuest or something similar).

Greenlake, just north of downtown Seattle. About 7 blocks from the
house. Very popular park with a biking and walking path around it.

I found it on Yahoo Maps, so you live right in the city then. I've been
through Seattle a few times, and stayed over a few nights when my ex was
having some surgery on his nose at Virginia Mason Medical Center back in
1992, but didn't get to see much as we were sort of just hanging around the
medical center.

Yup. In the City. About 2 miles from the Univ of Washington and only
a few blocks from I-5 (too close). Still a nice city altho, traffic
gets worse and worse.


The Spanish Pork recipe was really good. I was surprised as it sounded
kind
of weird with olives in it. I'll post the recipe here for you in a few
minutes. I'll go figure out the points first.

Black or green?

Both.

Yes, saw the recipe in the other thread.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:37:08 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Sounds good. And the points seem reasonable, too

I was kind of surprised that it was only 6 points, expected it to be more
than that. I'm glad it wasn't though as I do want to make this again. I
wasn't sure that DH would like it, but he did. Of course the 3 year old
son, didn't like it, but then he's at the age where he doesn't like much in
the form of food. Wish I had his appetite!

Well, just make sure that he keeps a reasonable appetite (G) So DH
liked it - that's good given his spaghetti sauce choices (G)


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:26:30 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking but we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave them
for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then roughly
chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and brown
on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot, spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the lid on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at 12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) , reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil (use
Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by half.
Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the meat a
bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as all
those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might try it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out. May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME (sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through MasterCook).....
It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that it is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me to eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these in, DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any skin and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then
finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct heat and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents of
both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering. While
that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small
pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with is a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, then
strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a bowl, beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth of the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets). Repeat this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the whole
lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50 minutes or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.

"Fred" wrote in message
...
Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

Isn't it though. I think much of it has to do with where we were
raised.
DH was born in England (middle of the country), so they didn't easily
get
fresh seafood (shellfish anyway). He hates the thought of eating any
kind
of shellfish. Can't even sit at the table with Nicholas and I when we
eat
it. But me on the other hand, born here in Vancouver, grew up with
fish/shellfish as a main staple, so I could eat it every day.

He really does have a problem... He doesn't like pickled herring!
Have you ever tried pickled salmon? or prawns? They actually sound
kind
of
disgusting, but aren't too bad. Not as good as pickled herring
though.

haven't bought any yet this year, will have to do that over the next
few
days though. Something to snack on over the holidays...

I've actually made my own pickled salmon a few times. I like it but
it has a softer consistency then herring and I prefer the herring,
too. As a matter of fact if it clears (I read that you have a nice
day up there - not here so far) I plan on pickled herring sandwich
before about a 30-35 mile bike ride we've planned.

I've made my own pickled herring, but it's been about 15 years since I've
done it. They were very good though. I've added pickled herring to my
shopping list for last minute things before Christmas.

Grandma use to make her own, starting from bony skin-covered herrings.
Too much work (G)

Hope the weather is good for your bike ride this afternoon. We just
returned from a walk along the ocean. My grandma is 84, so can't take
her
on too much of a hike, a walk on the flat is about as much as she can
take
at her age (has to watch her knees). She does do really well for being
84.
Still babysits Nicholas sometimes when I'm working. Eight hours of
chasing
a 3 year old around can be tiring!

It was not bad but it was cloudy for the first half but the sun made
it out for the ending. We pedaled by Paul Allen's house (Bill Gates'
microsoft partner) and over the bridge across Lake Washington. Tired
now and eating fresh tuna, sweet potato and broc and cauli!

Glad the weather was good for your ride. It was quite nice here all day,
did get a bit cooler later in the day, but mostly sunny. I'll bet Paul
Allen has a huge home. I just did a google search to see if I could find an
image of it, but no luck. Still haven't tried any kind of tuna other than
canned. Fresh does sound good though.


I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.

What's the name of the lake you walked around? Maybe I can find it on
a
map
(MapQuest or something similar).

Greenlake, just north of downtown Seattle. About 7 blocks from the
house. Very popular park with a biking and walking path around it.

I found it on Yahoo Maps, so you live right in the city then. I've been
through Seattle a few times, and stayed over a few nights when my ex was
having some surgery on his nose at Virginia Mason Medical Center back in
1992, but didn't get to see much as we were sort of just hanging around
the
medical center.

Yup. In the City. About 2 miles from the Univ of Washington and only
a few blocks from I-5 (too close). Still a nice city altho, traffic
gets worse and worse.

Oh, you are close to the I-5. The traffic there must be horrid. I hate it
when I have to go to Vancouver. It's bad enough when it's not busy, but
during rush hour it can be a nightmare. I avoid certain areas of the city
just for that reason. Wouldn't want to get stuck in the middle of traffic.



The Spanish Pork recipe was really good. I was surprised as it
sounded
kind
of weird with olives in it. I'll post the recipe here for you in a
few
minutes. I'll go figure out the points first.

Black or green?

Both.

Yes, saw the recipe in the other thread.

"Fred" wrote in message
...


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:37:08 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Sounds good. And the points seem reasonable, too

I was kind of surprised that it was only 6 points, expected it to be more
than that. I'm glad it wasn't though as I do want to make this again. I
wasn't sure that DH would like it, but he did. Of course the 3 year old
son, didn't like it, but then he's at the age where he doesn't like much
in
the form of food. Wish I had his appetite!

Well, just make sure that he keeps a reasonable appetite (G) So DH
liked it - that's good given his spaghetti sauce choices (G)

Nicholas never did have a great appetite, even when he was just getting
formula I threw away more than he ate. Now he eats well some days, but then
not so well others. I suppose he's getting the nutrition he needs. They do
say that children eat when they are hungry or want to eat and he is healthy
other than a bit of a runny nose the last few days.
The lasagna recipe turned out well. I tried a small piece, probably about 4
points worth and it was very good, but I'm still not much of a lasagna fan,
so I'll stick with something else and let DH eat it all himself. It'll be
gone in another 3 or 4 meals.



On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:26:30 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of
olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking but
we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave them
for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then roughly
chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and
brown
on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot,
spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay
leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the lid
on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at 12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) ,
reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil (use
Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by half.
Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the meat a
bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as all
those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might try
it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out.
May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or
celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME (sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through MasterCook).....
It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that it
is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me to
eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these in,
DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof
dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over
medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around
from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue
cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another
tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground
beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the
onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under
cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any skin
and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then
finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct heat
and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents of
both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering. While
that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small
pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to
cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with is
a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once
this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, then
strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour
and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce
comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a bowl,
beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over
the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth of
the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets). Repeat
this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the whole
lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the
oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50 minutes
or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 17:50:09 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

Isn't it though. I think much of it has to do with where we were
raised.
DH was born in England (middle of the country), so they didn't easily
get
fresh seafood (shellfish anyway). He hates the thought of eating any
kind
of shellfish. Can't even sit at the table with Nicholas and I when we
eat
it. But me on the other hand, born here in Vancouver, grew up with
fish/shellfish as a main staple, so I could eat it every day.

He really does have a problem... He doesn't like pickled herring!
Have you ever tried pickled salmon? or prawns? They actually sound
kind
of
disgusting, but aren't too bad. Not as good as pickled herring
though.

haven't bought any yet this year, will have to do that over the next
few
days though. Something to snack on over the holidays...

I've actually made my own pickled salmon a few times. I like it but
it has a softer consistency then herring and I prefer the herring,
too. As a matter of fact if it clears (I read that you have a nice
day up there - not here so far) I plan on pickled herring sandwich
before about a 30-35 mile bike ride we've planned.

I've made my own pickled herring, but it's been about 15 years since I've
done it. They were very good though. I've added pickled herring to my
shopping list for last minute things before Christmas.

Grandma use to make her own, starting from bony skin-covered herrings.
Too much work (G)

Hope the weather is good for your bike ride this afternoon. We just
returned from a walk along the ocean. My grandma is 84, so can't take
her
on too much of a hike, a walk on the flat is about as much as she can
take
at her age (has to watch her knees). She does do really well for being
84.
Still babysits Nicholas sometimes when I'm working. Eight hours of
chasing
a 3 year old around can be tiring!

It was not bad but it was cloudy for the first half but the sun made
it out for the ending. We pedaled by Paul Allen's house (Bill Gates'
microsoft partner) and over the bridge across Lake Washington. Tired
now and eating fresh tuna, sweet potato and broc and cauli!

Glad the weather was good for your ride. It was quite nice here all day,
did get a bit cooler later in the day, but mostly sunny. I'll bet Paul
Allen has a huge home. I just did a google search to see if I could find an
image of it, but no luck. Still haven't tried any kind of tuna other than
canned. Fresh does sound good though.

A friend lives next to Allen's place. And seriously, the first time I
was there I asked about the apartment complex next door thinking it
was a single family neighborhood. It is bigger than THAT. He is a
car collector and has a huge garage and a full-court basketball court,
I believe - he owns the Portland professional basketball team. To
get to my friend's place you have to cross a one-lane bridge - on the
bridge there are signs warning you are under video surveillance. (g)
No stopping. Allen's been trying to buy all the homes on that segment
of the street to close it off but some folks don't want his money.

Try fresh, it should be available up there.


I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.

What's the name of the lake you walked around? Maybe I can find it on
a
map
(MapQuest or something similar).

Greenlake, just north of downtown Seattle. About 7 blocks from the
house. Very popular park with a biking and walking path around it.

I found it on Yahoo Maps, so you live right in the city then. I've been
through Seattle a few times, and stayed over a few nights when my ex was
having some surgery on his nose at Virginia Mason Medical Center back in
1992, but didn't get to see much as we were sort of just hanging around
the
medical center.

Yup. In the City. About 2 miles from the Univ of Washington and only
a few blocks from I-5 (too close). Still a nice city altho, traffic
gets worse and worse.

Oh, you are close to the I-5. The traffic there must be horrid. I hate it
when I have to go to Vancouver. It's bad enough when it's not busy, but
during rush hour it can be a nightmare. I avoid certain areas of the city
just for that reason. Wouldn't want to get stuck in the middle of traffic.

There are days, clear cold days, when the noise wakes me in the
morning. I like dark and quiet. And traffic is getting me more and
more. I telecommute two days a week.




The Spanish Pork recipe was really good. I was surprised as it
sounded
kind
of weird with olives in it. I'll post the recipe here for you in a
few
minutes. I'll go figure out the points first.

Black or green?

Both.

Yes, saw the recipe in the other thread.

Well, it sounds as if the lasagna turned out well as lower points and
there are not many foods that I would not consider FAVORITES. Lasagna
qualifies as a favorite, too (G)

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 17:58:27 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:37:08 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Sounds good. And the points seem reasonable, too

I was kind of surprised that it was only 6 points, expected it to be more
than that. I'm glad it wasn't though as I do want to make this again. I
wasn't sure that DH would like it, but he did. Of course the 3 year old
son, didn't like it, but then he's at the age where he doesn't like much
in
the form of food. Wish I had his appetite!

Well, just make sure that he keeps a reasonable appetite (G) So DH
liked it - that's good given his spaghetti sauce choices (G)

Nicholas never did have a great appetite, even when he was just getting
formula I threw away more than he ate. Now he eats well some days, but then
not so well others. I suppose he's getting the nutrition he needs. They do
say that children eat when they are hungry or want to eat and he is healthy
other than a bit of a runny nose the last few days.
The lasagna recipe turned out well. I tried a small piece, probably about 4
points worth and it was very good, but I'm still not much of a lasagna fan,
so I'll stick with something else and let DH eat it all himself. It'll be
gone in another 3 or 4 meals.



On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:26:30 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of
olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking but
we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave them
for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then roughly
chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and
brown
on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot,
spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay
leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the lid
on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste. The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well. I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles. Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds, good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at 12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) ,
reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil (use
Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by half.
Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the meat a
bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as all
those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might try
it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out.
May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or
celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME (sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through MasterCook).....
It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that it
is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me to
eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these in,
DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof
dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over
medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it around
from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue
cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another
tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground
beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the
onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under
cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any skin
and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then
finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct heat
and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents of
both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering. While
that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small
pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to
cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with is
a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once
this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning, then
strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour
and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce
comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a bowl,
beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over
the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth of
the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets). Repeat
this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the whole
lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the
oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50 minutes
or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.

"Fred" wrote in message
...


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 17:50:09 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste.
The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

Isn't it though. I think much of it has to do with where we were
raised.
DH was born in England (middle of the country), so they didn't
easily
get
fresh seafood (shellfish anyway). He hates the thought of eating
any
kind
of shellfish. Can't even sit at the table with Nicholas and I when
we
eat
it. But me on the other hand, born here in Vancouver, grew up with
fish/shellfish as a main staple, so I could eat it every day.

He really does have a problem... He doesn't like pickled herring!
Have you ever tried pickled salmon? or prawns? They actually sound
kind
of
disgusting, but aren't too bad. Not as good as pickled herring
though.

haven't bought any yet this year, will have to do that over the
next
few
days though. Something to snack on over the holidays...

I've actually made my own pickled salmon a few times. I like it but
it has a softer consistency then herring and I prefer the herring,
too. As a matter of fact if it clears (I read that you have a nice
day up there - not here so far) I plan on pickled herring sandwich
before about a 30-35 mile bike ride we've planned.

I've made my own pickled herring, but it's been about 15 years since
I've
done it. They were very good though. I've added pickled herring to
my
shopping list for last minute things before Christmas.

Grandma use to make her own, starting from bony skin-covered herrings.
Too much work (G)

Hope the weather is good for your bike ride this afternoon. We just
returned from a walk along the ocean. My grandma is 84, so can't take
her
on too much of a hike, a walk on the flat is about as much as she can
take
at her age (has to watch her knees). She does do really well for
being
84.
Still babysits Nicholas sometimes when I'm working. Eight hours of
chasing
a 3 year old around can be tiring!

It was not bad but it was cloudy for the first half but the sun made
it out for the ending. We pedaled by Paul Allen's house (Bill Gates'
microsoft partner) and over the bridge across Lake Washington. Tired
now and eating fresh tuna, sweet potato and broc and cauli!

Glad the weather was good for your ride. It was quite nice here all day,
did get a bit cooler later in the day, but mostly sunny. I'll bet Paul
Allen has a huge home. I just did a google search to see if I could find
an
image of it, but no luck. Still haven't tried any kind of tuna other
than
canned. Fresh does sound good though.

A friend lives next to Allen's place. And seriously, the first time I
was there I asked about the apartment complex next door thinking it
was a single family neighborhood. It is bigger than THAT. He is a
car collector and has a huge garage and a full-court basketball court,
I believe - he owns the Portland professional basketball team. To
get to my friend's place you have to cross a one-lane bridge - on the
bridge there are signs warning you are under video surveillance. (g)
No stopping. Allen's been trying to buy all the homes on that segment
of the street to close it off but some folks don't want his money.

Do you think your friend will ever sell? I bet he'll get alot for his place
if he holds out long enough! Sounds kind of funny being under video
surveillance when crossing a bridge. I suppose when you are the co-owner of
Microsoft you have to think about things such as surveillance.


Try fresh, it should be available up there.

I haven't seen fresh, but will check out the fish store, perhaps they have
it. How do you cook your tuna Fred?



I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well.
I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since
the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do
the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making
it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles.
Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy
skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds,
good,
too.

What's the name of the lake you walked around? Maybe I can find it
on
a
map
(MapQuest or something similar).

Greenlake, just north of downtown Seattle. About 7 blocks from the
house. Very popular park with a biking and walking path around it.

I found it on Yahoo Maps, so you live right in the city then. I've
been
through Seattle a few times, and stayed over a few nights when my ex
was
having some surgery on his nose at Virginia Mason Medical Center back
in
1992, but didn't get to see much as we were sort of just hanging
around
the
medical center.

Yup. In the City. About 2 miles from the Univ of Washington and only
a few blocks from I-5 (too close). Still a nice city altho, traffic
gets worse and worse.

Oh, you are close to the I-5. The traffic there must be horrid. I hate
it
when I have to go to Vancouver. It's bad enough when it's not busy, but
during rush hour it can be a nightmare. I avoid certain areas of the
city
just for that reason. Wouldn't want to get stuck in the middle of
traffic.

There are days, clear cold days, when the noise wakes me in the
morning. I like dark and quiet. And traffic is getting me more and
more. I telecommute two days a week.




The Spanish Pork recipe was really good. I was surprised as it
sounded
kind
of weird with olives in it. I'll post the recipe here for you in a
few
minutes. I'll go figure out the points first.

Black or green?

Both.

Yes, saw the recipe in the other thread.

"Fred" wrote in message
...
Well, it sounds as if the lasagna turned out well as lower points and
there are not many foods that I would not consider FAVORITES. Lasagna
qualifies as a favorite, too (G)

Qualifies as a favorite for DH too. He's already had his second piece and
it was only 3 hours after dinner! Guess it did go over well.


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 17:58:27 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .


On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 13:37:08 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
Sounds good. And the points seem reasonable, too

I was kind of surprised that it was only 6 points, expected it to be
more
than that. I'm glad it wasn't though as I do want to make this again.
I
wasn't sure that DH would like it, but he did. Of course the 3 year
old
son, didn't like it, but then he's at the age where he doesn't like
much
in
the form of food. Wish I had his appetite!

Well, just make sure that he keeps a reasonable appetite (G) So DH
liked it - that's good given his spaghetti sauce choices (G)

Nicholas never did have a great appetite, even when he was just getting
formula I threw away more than he ate. Now he eats well some days, but
then
not so well others. I suppose he's getting the nutrition he needs. They
do
say that children eat when they are hungry or want to eat and he is
healthy
other than a bit of a runny nose the last few days.
The lasagna recipe turned out well. I tried a small piece, probably
about 4
points worth and it was very good, but I'm still not much of a lasagna
fan,
so I'll stick with something else and let DH eat it all himself. It'll
be
gone in another 3 or 4 meals.



On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:26:30 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Here's the recipe Fred. The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of
olive
oil, but I substited Pam spray to cut down on the fat/points. It
also
called for potatoes to be added in the last 45 minutes of baking
but
we
had
it over rice, so left the potatoes out.

Servings: 6
Points per Serving: 6

Spanish Braised Pork with Olives

2 lb. lean pork tenderlon, cut into chunks
4 oz. black olives
4 oz. green olives
1 lb. tomatoes, red ripe, peeled and chopped
Pam Spray
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into half moon shapes
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced into 1 1/4 inch strips
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
10 oz. red wine
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First, skin the tomatoes: Pour boiling water over them and leave
them
for
one minute before draining and slipping off their skins, then
roughly
chop
them. Heat a casserole dish and spray with Pam, add the pork and
brown
on
all sides. Remove the pork to a dish. Keeping the casserole hot,
spray
again if needed and add the onions and pepper and brown for about 6
minutes.

Add the garlic, stir for 1 minute then return the browned meat to
the
casserole and add all the thyme, tomatoes, wine, olives and bay
leaves.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, seasoning well, then put the
lid
on
and
transfer to the oven for 1 11/2 hours.



"Fred" wrote in message
news

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 19:08:45 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:


"Fred" wrote in message
news Do let us know how the heathier version compares in taste.
The
original version is quite complex in its mix of meats and
ingredients
and sounds (drool forming) wonderful. I have not had chicken
livers
in years and love them.

I love chicken livers as well, but if I put them in something DH
was
going
to eat I'd be in big trouble. I would like to try them in the
lasagna,
but
I know that I wouldn't eat it all myself, so there's no point.

Amazing how tastes vary so very much.

I plan to make the healthier version tomorrow if all goes well.
I
do
want
to get out for a nice walk along the waterfront as well since
the
weather
is
supposed to be drier than it has been in days. Think I'll do
the
lasagna
in
the afternoon, then DH can have it for dinner. I'll be having
leftovers
from tonight. We had my parents and grandmother over for dinner
and
had
Spanish Braised Pork & Olives. It was a recipe I hadn't tried
before,
but
was really good, so I'll be figuring out the points and making
it
again
sometime.

Well, I managed to walk the lake twice today - about 8 miles.
Once
this morning before the rains started in earnest - just a bit of
drizzle my last 3 blocks and then tonight under party cloudy
skies
with Orion showing above the lake That Spanish pork sounds,
good,
too.


On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 22:43:52 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

You could cut the recipe in half, then keep the servings at
12,
would
end
up
being about 11 points/serving. Just don't eat it every
night!

Or the recipe could be adjusted to reduce fat/calories. I
just
played
around with the recipe a bit in Mastercook. I reduced the
mozzarella
by
half, substituted lean beef and pork loin (both ground) ,
reduced
the
chicken livers and pancetta by half, left out the olive oil
(use
Pam
spray),
switched the milk to skim milk and reduced the butter by
half.
Just
by
doing this the points were reduced from 22 to 12.

It's acceptable in moderation. Could probably reduce the
meat a
bit
more,
or switch the cream to milk. I'm thinking that as long as
all
those
individual tastes are there it won't matter how much meat
there
actually
is
in it.

I'm going to make it again on the weekend, but think I might
try
it
with
Canadian back bacon rather than pancetta. Pancetta is too
expensive.
I'll
try the lower fat version and let you know how it turns out.
May
make
a
few
changes to the recipe as well, such as adding some carrot or
celery
to
replace the meat.

"Fred" wrote in message
.. .
INCREDIBLE. I don't see making it in this WW-LIFETIME
(sigh)

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 20:12:03 -0800, "Brenda Hammond"
wrote:

Well Lee here it is! This one definitely qualifies as
food
porn!!
Check
out the points per serving (put it through
MasterCook).....
It's
popular
with DH and Dan (our photographer). I have to admit that
it
is
quite
good
(and I don't normally like lasagne). It's too rich for me
to
eat
a
full
serving, 1/2 a serving and salad would be about right.


Lasagne al Forno

Servings: 12
Points per Serving: 22

Ingredients:

1 lb. no-cook lasagne sheets (about 24)
16 oz. mozarella, grated
6 oz parmesan, grated

For the ragu Bolognese:

16 oz. ground beef
16 oz. ground pork
6 oz. chicken livers, finely chopped (I didn't put these
in,
DH
doesn't
like
organ meats)
1/2 lb. pancetta, finely chopped (I used bacon)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large tins chopped tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
6 oz. red wine (I used white)
whole nutmeg
salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
1 oz. fresh basil

For the cream sauce:

2 1/2 pints milk
6 oz. butter
4 oz. all purpose flour
6 oz. double cream

Note: You will need a large frying pan, a medium
flameproof
casserole
with
a capacity of 4 1/2 pints and a roasting tin or oven proof
dish
measuring
about 10 x 12 x 3 inches, well buttered.

Directions:

In the large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over
medium
heat
and
gently fry the onion for about 10 minutes, moving it
around
from
time
to
time. While the onion is softening, chop the pancetta (or
bacon),
add
this
to the pan with the onion, add the garlic and continue
cooking
the
whole
lot
for about 5 minutes.

Transfer this mixture to the casserole. Then add another
tbsp.
of
olive
oil
to the pan, turn up the heat to high, then add the ground
beef
and
brown
it
and break it up. Once the beef is browned, add it to the
onions
and
pancetta. Heat another tbsp. of olive oil and add the
ground
pork.
While
the pork is browning, trim the chicken livers, rinse under
cold
running
water and dry thoroughly with paper towel. Pull of any
skin
and
snip
out
any odd bits of fat with kitchen scissors and chop the
livers
finely.
When
the pork is browned, transfer that to the casserole, then
finally
heat
the
remaining tbsp. of olive oil and cook the pieces of
chicken
liver,
adding
these to the casserole as soon as they have browned
nicely.

Remove the pan then place the casserole over the direct
heat
and
give
everything a really good stir together. Add the contents
of
both
tines
of
tomatoes, the tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper and
about a
quarter
of
a
nutmeg, grated. Stir and allow to come to simmering.
While
that
happens,
strip the leaves from half the basil, tear them into small
pieces
and
add
them to the pot. Once everything is simmering, place the
casserole
on
the
centre shelf of the oven, pre-heated to 275°F and allow to
cook
slowly
for 4
hours. Stir at three hours. What you should end up with
is
a
thick
reduced
concentrated sauce with only a trace of liquid left. Once
this
happens,
remove it from the oven, taste to check the seasoning,
then
strip
the
leaves
off the remaining basil, tear them small and stir them in.

Now to make the cream sauce, place the milk, butter, flour
and
some
seasoning in a large thick-based saucepan. Place this
over a
gentle
heat
and whisk continually with a balloon whisk until the sauce
comes
to
the
simmering point and thickens. Then with the heat as low
as
possible,
continue to cook the sauce for about 10 minutes.

Once the cream sauce is ready, sieve the sauce into a
bowl,
beat
in
the
cream, taste and season if it needs it and grate in
another
quarter
of
the
whole nutmeg. Now spread about a quarter of the ragu over
the
base
of
the
prepared roasting dish or tin. Cover this with one fifth
of
the
cream
sauce, followed by a quarter of the grated mozarella, then
arrange
a
single
layer of the lasagne over the top (about 6 sheets).
Repeat
this
process,
finishing with a final layer of cream sauce. Cover the
whole
lot
with
the
grated parmesan cheese - and the lasagne is ready for the
oven.
Bake
in
a
preheated 350°F oven on the upper shelf for 45 - 50
minutes
or
until
it's
bubbling and turning slightly golden on top.