Lemonade

To me, homemade lemonade should be tart and gently sweet. I really dislike overly sugared lemonades that leave me more thirsty than satisfied. This recipe is made with agave nectar as a replacement for refined white sugar and the combination is a delightful balance.

Homemade Lemonade
Makes 5 cups

1.25 cups freshly squeezed lemons
1/4 cup light agave nectar
4 cups cold filtered water
Mint and/or lemons for garnish

Squeeze about 10-12 lemons to make one and a quarter cups of lemon juice. Set aside. In a small sauce pan heat a cup of water and add the agave nectar. Once the nectar has completely blended with the water take it off the heat. In a pitcher, combine the lemon juice, sweetened water, and cold filtered water. Taste and add lemon juice or sweetener as needed. Chill for about an hour and pour over a tall glass of ice. Garnish with your choices of fresh mint leaves and/or lemon slices.

Food with Friends

For a recent family dinner at Jason's family's cabin, I wanted to cook a something new and challenging. Next to homemade Persian food, Italian is my favorite, so naturally I thought of Lasagna. Who doesn't enjoy multiple layers of noodles with homemade meat sauce and three types of melted cheese?!

After some searching on the internet, I found a blogger who dedicates his entire site to lasagna recipes. This passion and focus on only lasagna inspired me to use his recipe.

For my initial attempt, I followed his recipe with precision. The results were delicious. The second time I altered a few minor details to see how it would enhance the flavor. This time I invited some of my favorite girlfriends/food lovers over to enjoy a night of eating, wine, and talking. The results were even better than the first time and this recipe has become a new favorite!

Lasagna, Basil Pesto Garlic Bread and Fresh Romaine Garden Salad
Serves 6

The Sauce:



1 pound of mild Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef (I used 80% lean. Yes, that means 20% fat)
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon ground pepper
A few shakes of red pepper flakes

In a large pot, on low-medium heat, begin by browning the onions, garlic, ground beef, and sausage together. Because the pork is in a casing ("sausage"), I push out the meat and pull it apart in small pieces, by hand, before it goes in the pot. After browned (about 6 minutes), add in crushed tomatoes, sauce, paste and water. Mix all together and give it a few minutes for ingredients to settle in to one another. Add the remaining ingredients and fold in to the sauce. Bring sauce to a low boil and then down to a simmer. Cover for one and a half hours, mixing/tasting once or twice. Adjust as you desire.

* I recommend making the sauce a day in advance because it tastes better when the flavors have more time to spend together. Also, because the meat I use is very fatty, I had to remove some of the grease once the sauce was chilled. Other options are to use a less fatty meat or to strain after browning/before adding all the tomato sauces in.

The Lasagna
1 box of lasagna noodles (the regular kind - not the no-boil kind)
23 ounces of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 pound of grated Mozzerella cheese
1 pound of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have your sauce heated and ready to go. Use a 9 by 13 pan. Take your lasagna noodles and soak them in hot water for 12-15 minutes. While they are soaking, combine the ricotta cheese, grated nutmeg, egg, and fresh Italian parsley together. Take your noodles out of the water and lay them on a flat surface. They should not take but a few minutes to dry off. Begin to assemble in the following order:

1. A layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan
2. A layer of noodles (about 4 across)
3. Half of the ricotta mixture spread evenly over the noodles
4. A good amount of mozzarella and parmesan on the ricotta mixture (the amount is up to you...I use a lot)
5. Repeat that same order again (sauce, noodles, 3 cheeses)
6. Last layer of sauce and on top mozzarella and parmesan

Bake in the over, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover for another 25 minutes or until the top is completely melted and slightly browned on the edges.

Fresh Garden Salad



Romaine lettuce
Fresh basil
Fresh Italian parsley
Mini bell peppers (yellow, red, and orange)
Radishes
Yellow cherry tomatoes

Chop or slice and combine for a beautiful array of colors. For dressing, I mix olive oil, lemon, a touch of honey, salt and pepper. Whisk together and blend with salad.