Lasagna Florentine

 The cross-country season at the kid's high school is coming to a close. To celebrate, we had  lunch at a local Italian restaurant. They had a buffet with pasta, salad, bread and desserts. (I decided not to risk eating the salad since in a restaurant where pizza is being made, flour is likely to be everywhere, and I was worried about cross-contamination.) I ate my lunch before leaving for the party and didn't really mind sitting there sipping a Starbucks until I spotted a long lost friend, LASAGNA!

Smothered with cheese, piping hot, the lasagna on the buffet smelled and looked delicious! I can't remember when I last ate lasagna. Until finding the brand Tinkanyada, cooking with gluten free pasta was always frustrating. The noodles would turn out chewy or too mushy. No one in my family would touch it.

I  really miss lasagna....especially the day after you bake it when it is at it's best.

 Before I knew how to cook well, I made lasagna a lot. The kids were small and it was convenient to make a one-dish meal while they were napping. I also liked serving it when I had company since I could make it a day ahead of time.

Seeing the lasagna at the restaurant inspired me to give it another try. I really didn't use a recipe, but went by the standard lasagna recipe you can find on the back of a package of lasagna noodles. I sauteed 1/2 lb of ground beef along with some chopped onion and added that to a jar of spaghetti sauce. I also added some chopped fresh spinach to the ricotta, egg, and parmesan cheese mixture both for color and nutritional value. I like the taste of fresh mozzerella and used it instead of the shredded variety.

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my family is highly skeptical of any food I try and serve that has been modified to be gluten free. Texture is the big giveaway with pasta, so I was more than thrilled when my husband really liked this lasagna. He went back for seconds and also brought it to work for his lunch! My daughter, who is a vegetarian, did not eat it and my son is not a lasagna lover, so did not try it. That's okay! More for me!

Rosie's Perfect Pumpkin Bread (gluten-free, of course!)

Fall seems to have finally settled upon us with cooler temperatures and shorter days. I love all that comes with this time of year....the beautiful foliage, a crockpot full of hearty chili, and the aroma of pumpkin bread baking in the oven!

Elizabeth Barbone, author of Easy-Gluten Free Baking has a recipe for  gf pumpkin bread that rivals the traditional one made with wheat flour. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so freeze one to enjoy later.

Dry Ingredients:
 2 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups granulated sugar
1  15 oz can pure pumpkin( not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup dried cranberries( optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together eggs, oil and orange juice. Add sugar and pumpkin. Blend until thoroughly combined.
4. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. (Use medium speed on a handheld mixer or medium- low on stand mixer.) Scrape bowl down once or twice while mixing ingredients. Stir in dried cranberries, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

* I substitute fresh cranberries for dried and add approximately 1 cup. I also add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.