Lasagna Bolognese

I don't know about where you live, but here in Berlin there is no sign of spring yet. Sure, all the snow and ice melted a few weeks ago - but the temperatures are still stubbornly hovering just above freezing and we are seeing little snow flurries every time the sun disappears (whimper). This has been a seriously brutal winter - for people all over the Northern Hemisphere - and I for one decided I needed more good hearty comfort food to see me through its final weeks (we'll just forget everything I said before about a diet).

I think when it comes to comfort food, Lasagna might be the king. It is hearty and filling, oozing with cheese - just the perfect combination of simple flavors and ingredients. Even the lengthy preparation of Lasagna is somehow cathartic and soothing to me. The smells of simmering marinara, sizzling meat, and sauteing onions and garlic fill the house - then once it goes in the oven add to that the smell of bubbling parmesan and mozzerella cheese. Everyone will start to gather to the kitchen, only to finally come together around the table and fill their bellies to complete satisfaction. There is nothing better.

After a meal like that, I always feel warm and cozy and a little sleepy. Snuggle up on the couch with a good movie and falling asleep is the perfect dessert. My dreams will be filled with sunny summer days relaxing in biergarten's by the Spree sipping a cold banana Weizen - that is coming soon enough (I hope!) - but for now I might as well enjoy the last cold days of winter with some warm comforting food.


Lasagna Bolognese
1 lb mince meat - pork and beef mix (450g hackfleish gemischte)
4 cups Simple Marinara Sauce
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus 5 or 6 whole leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs dried oregano
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 or 2 glugs Red Wine
2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese (or thereabouts, I don't measure it exactly)
250 g fresh Ricotta cheese (about 1.5 cups)(you could easily use more in this recipe if you like more creaminess in your lasagna)
1 largish ball fresh Mozzerella cheese, sliced thin (you want like 8 to 10 slices)
1 small tomato, sliced into 6 slices
12 to 16 whole wheat Lasagna noodles, prepared to package directions (if not fresh - someday I will get myself a pasta roller and make my own).

First, brown the meat. Heat a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add a wee bit of olive oil then add the meat and stir around. You want it to get brown and yummy - not to steam or boil - so it needs a big, hot pan so as not to crowd. Once it has gotten nice and browned/seared (not necessarily cooked all the way through) turn the heat down some and let it cook until its mostly done. Add a few glugs of wine and stir, scraping up all the tasty brown bits from the pan. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large saute pan or casserole (it needs high sides), heat a few tablespoons of Olive Oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and dried oregano and cook until all the veggies are just soft. Add the meat and stir to combine, then add the Marinara sauce and nutmeg and stir well.

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for a good 20 or 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the fresh herbs and around 2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan and stir (if you substitute dried basil and parsley though, add it at the same time as the dried oregano). Taste and season with salt/pepper as needed.

Season your Ricotta with salt and a good amount of fresh ground black pepper. Preheat your oven to 375 F/190 C. Now assemble the lasagna in a large casserole dish (like 9x13 inches - can be smaller if the sides are higher).

First, put a small amount of the bolognese sauce in the bottom of the dish so that it is just covered, then place noodles over the top - break or trimming the noodles to fit the pan. Spread about 1/2 the ricotta over the noodles, then grate parmesan cheese over the ricotta. Add another layer of noodles, then a good amount (like most) of the sauce. Next, another layer of noodles, then ricotta. For me, this was the final layer - but continue making these layers until you have your last layer of ricotta and a small amount of marinara left over. I then spread my remaining amount of marinara over this top layer of ricotta, then placed the slices of Mozzerella over that. Then I arranged slices of tomato and the basil leaves over this. Grate and fair amount of parmesan over all of this, sprinkle with some olive oil, and cover with tin foil.

Bake, covered, for around 20 minutes - the cheese on top should all be melted and the sauce should be bubbly. Then remove the foil and cook uncovered for another 30 to 40 minutes more, until its all quite bubbly and the cheese is browning on top. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting.

This makes around 6-8 decent sized servings.

Apple & Maple Pulled Pork

I grew up eating BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, but it wasn't until I lived in Hawaii and met the joy that is Kalua pig, that I really came to understand what a wonderful thing pulled pork is. Even with very little extra seasoning, the marbled and tender pork butt will just fall apart and have a delicious flavor all its own.


In this case however, the seasoning is pure Autumn goodness - but in a way that is not limited to the season. A single apple, a bit of pure maple syrup, and just a tad bit of chilies gives this a sweet but slightly spicy flavor. The final result is tender and juicy, but not watery or overly sticky. Its full of flavor without being full of fat or sugar.

Pulled pork is such a simple concept that can be done in so many different ways, too. Its great for a barbecue or for a quick weeknight meal or even for a dinner party. It goes great with cabbage (another one of my favorite cheap ingredients), or rice, on a bun or with potatoes. Its easy, stupidly cheap, and extremely difficult to mess up. Of course, that is my favorite part about it. Its like a guaranteed win every time. I love making it for parties because I can prepare everything the day before and put it in the fridge, then, four hours before the party I stick it in the oven and go about the rest of my preparations. Its also great for making ahead then freezing in individual sized portions for quick sandwiches or as an add-in for recipes later on.

Maple & Apple Pulled Pork
3 lbs pork shoulder/butt (in Germany: around 900 grams Schweinerollebraten aus der schulter and remove the netting from the outside, or some butchers carry large portions of schweineschulter)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
about 4 Tbs Canadian Steak Seasoning
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp ground Paprika
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 Tbs diced roasted green chilis (I use the Ortega brand...something I bring from the US - in Germany could use some diced up Pepperoni's maybe, or even Jalapeno) (can use more if you really want some spiciness, I just wanted a hint of spice)
1/4 cup pure Maple Syrup
1 medium apple, peeled & cored and sliced into rings

Place the pork into a dutch oven and pour in the apple cider vinegar. Add the dry spiced, garlic, onion and chilies. Drizzle the Maple syrup over then top with apple slices.

Cover and cook for 4 to 4 1/2 hours (until meat is soft and falling apart) in a 375 F (190 C) oven. About half way through the cooking time check on it and stir it up/break the meat apart a bit and I find this helps in coaxing into the 'pulled' status. I also will do this once about 30 minutes before it finishes (and lets be honest i might just drizzle a bit more maple syrup at this point too. If your meat seems way dry or bland you can put in a bit more apple cider vinegar and spices as well). You could also do this in a slow cooker on low for around 8 hours.

The apples and onions etc will kind of just melt into the meat. When you remove from oven break apart/ stir with a large fork or spoon until it becomes a nice pulled apart consistency and everything is mixed together nicely.

Serve on rolls with rotkohl or cole slaw (kraut salat) or just as is (maybe with some steamed rice, mashed potatoes or polenta).