lasagna
All is not Lost: Primal Lasagna.
There are certain things that I thought I would likely never eat again. One of those things was Lasagna. This is something that I have always loved, but didn’t eat too much prior to going primal anyway, mostly due to the fact that my previous health conscience told me it was too decadent, too high in fat and simply not that healthy. Well my thoughts in that regard have clearly changed, and sans the pasta, lasagna seems like a good primal fit. I decided to revisit this lost favorite and ingenuity won out. You may recall my previous post regarding making enchiladas where I sued an egg crepe as the substitute for the tortilla. I figured I could use the same egg crepe as the lasagna noodle in this dish. It worked very well and the lasagna turned out delicious and virtually undetectable from the high carb pasta version. While somewhat labor intensive, it was well worth it. It took about an hour to prepare and another45 minutes to bake and then 10-15 to rest. Give it a try when you have some time to devote to this delicious dish.
Primal Lasagna
First prepare your favorite meat sauce. I start by simply sauteing a medium onion and about 3 cloves of garlic in olive oil. I then add 1/2 lb. of bulk italian sausage and 1 lb. of hamburger to the same pan. I add salt and pepper to taste along with a generous sprinkling of crushed red pepper (I like it spicy). When the meat is browned I add a 24 oz. can of Trader Joe”s Marinara Sauce (perfectly primal with no sugar) or you can use your favorite homemade tomato sauce or jarred suace. I then add about a tbls. of italian seasoning and more red pepper flakes. I let this simmer while I prepare the remaining components. You want the sauce to be meaty and on the thick side so the lasagna doesn’t turn out runny.
Next make the egg crepes. You will need:
- 6 eggs
- 2-3 tbls. water
- 2-3 tbls. grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
To prepare the egg crepes combine all ingredients and whisk together thoroughly. You want to add the water to the eggs so that the egg batter is thinner and will result in a thinner crepe. Heat a 12″ good non stick skillet over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture to the pan and swirl to evenly coat the whole pan. Cook the egg crepe until fully cooked through (you can flip it if you want when it is cooked through but this is not necessary). Set aside and continue making crepes until all of the egg mixture is gone. You should end up with 5 crepes.
Next make the filling. You will need:
- 1 container of whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 tbls. fresh parsely (or an equal amount of dried parsley)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbls. parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
Now you can assemble the lasagna. In addition to the ricotta filling, meat suace and egg crepes you will simply need 2 cups of finely shredded mozzarella cheese. As you can see from the picture above, I used a 12″ round stainless steel skillet because of the shape of the crepes. Spray the lasagna pan with olive oil. Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan and then place one egg crepe on top. Spread this layer with a layer of the ricotta filling and then top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place another egg crepe on top and spread with a generous amount of meat sauce. Put on a layer of the shredded mozzarella cheese and then top with another egg crepe. Spread this layer with more ricotta filling, top with shredded mozzarella and then place another egg crepe over this. Place a generous layer of meat sauce and cheese and top with the last egg crepe. Now spread the remaining ricotta filling and top with the remaining meat sauce. Cover with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan. Place the lasagna in a preheated 350º oven for about 45 minutes. It should be bubbling hot by this point. If the cheese is not browned, turn on the broiler and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is browned to your liking. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes so that it will set. Serve with your favorite green salad and enjoy. This should make4-6 good servings.
Enjoy
