Two Recipes

Here are two recipes we enjoyed this week that I promised to post.

Soft Pretzels (from Creative Resources for Early Childhood)

Mix 1 1/2 cups of warm water, an envelope of yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons if you have loose yeast), and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set it aside for five minutes.

Pour 1 tsp salt and 4 cups of flour into a bowl.

Add the yeast mixture to make a dough.

Form shapes with the dough. Brush on some egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.





And Spinach-Ricotta Skillet Lasagna from All You Magazine:

Mix 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmasan, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, pepper to taste and a pinch of nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups ricotta with 1 large egg and 10 oz of frozen chopped spinach that has been thawed and squeezed dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/3 of a jar of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a large, heavy skillet. Arrange 2 sheets of no-bake lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/2 the spinach mixture on the pasta and then scatter 1/2 of the mozzarella mixture on top. Top with 2 more pasta sheets, then spread with 1/3 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella mixture. Place another 2 sheets of pasta on top and pour over the remaining sauce. Break remaining sheets of pasta into large pieces to fill in around the edges of the skillet.

Dollop the remaining spinach mixture on top and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese mixture. Transfer to stovetop and cook, covered, over medium low hear until the top is firm, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Meatless, delicious, and a great way to get kids to eat spinach!