Lasagna of Leftovers

Read the title carefully...this is a lasagna OF leftovers, not leftover lasagna. It's a lasagna you can make from your leftovers! It's perfect for Thursday night when the fridge only has leftovers and you only have fumes in your tank to get you to the blessed weekend.

The idea here is simple. You grab 2-3 leftovers from you fridge, blend each one to a paste, and then spread it as a layer into your lasagna.

Here's a recipe for Lasagna of Leftovers similar to one I made recently:

Ingredients:

1 cup leftover stir fry tofu, green beans, and cashews
1 cup leftover butternut squash soup
1 cup leftover taco stuffing
1 box non-boil lasagna noodles such as Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagna
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded cheese (e.g. mozzarella and Parmesan)

Preparation:

1] Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2] Blend each leftover separately except for ones that don't need it such as the soup and taco stuffing.

3] Smear a layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9" x 9" pan.

4] Put a layer of noodles.

5] Put a layer of the blended leftovers.

6] Put a layer of noodles.

7] Continue steps 4 & 5 until you've got a layer for each leftover plus a layer for the ricotta.

8] Coat the top layer of noodle with spaghetti sauce.

9] Sprinkle the shredded cheeses on top.

10] Bake uncovered in oven until the top looks like a done lasagna (usually ~25 minutes).

11] Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes to bring out flavors.

12] Cut twice one way and twice the other to yield 9 lasagna squares.

13] Serve & enjoy!

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate so I would suggest that you consider a Vitamix to blend your leftovers. A Vitamix is a good choice for this recipe if you're a busy person because the Vitamix is self-cleaning. My customers get free standard shipping, but you'll need a special code. Just contact me and I'll be happy to give you the discount code. I can be reached on Twitter at @FlipItToHigh or leave me a comment with your email address.

Hazelnut Hot Soy Milk Chocolate

This hot chocolate is so thick it's practically fudge in a cup! It's my best Vitamix concoction ever, so I'm not really sure I want to give away my secret. But here goes.

Start with some soy milk, I recommend Silk Soy Milk. To decide how much, fill your cup or mug about 80% with soy milk, and then pour it into your Vitamix. Add as much chocolate as you like in your hot chocolate. I recommend Tcho drinking chocolate. Litely toast a handful of hazelnuts, being careful not to burn them. Plop the hazelnuts into the Vitamix. Are you ready for the secret ingredient? Do I dare say? Hmmmm. Okay I will say. It's mango! Not much, just a chunk about the size of a chocolate truffle. It can be fresh, frozen, or even dried mango. You won't be able to taste the mango, it just stabilizes the drink, making it very thick.

To blend, just set the Vitamix to variable speed 1, increase it to 10, and then "flip it to high!". Blend for several minutes, until it gets hot and so thick that you're smacking your lips. Now pour into your favorite cup or mug and savor while staring deep into your lover's eyes. Oh you should probably make some for him or her too :-)

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate. My customers get free standard shipping. Just click here to buy one: Vitamix. For the free shipping, enter the code 06-005495 if it asks for a promotion code.

Smoothies are great for periodontal patients

I have periodontitis, basically gum disease. My jaw is so worn out that it's often more effort to chew than I care for. That's why I drink smoothies as much as possible. Just whip up a nice fruity one, pop in a straw and I'm set to get all my nutrition without having to do the chewing work.

Salad is particularly a lot of work. Ever seen a cow chew its cud? Lot's work for someone with my weakening jaw muscles. I'm tempted to toss my salad into my Vitamix, set it to variables speed 1, increase it to 10, and "flip it to high!" Nice smoothie salad anyone?

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate. My customers get free standard shipping. Just click here to buy one: Vitamix. For the free shipping, enter the code 06-005495 if it asks for a promotion code.

Mango Fig Almond Smoothie

I like to toss lots of different things into my Vitamix and see what it tastes like. My best concoction yet is a Mango Fig Almond smoothie. I use dried figs and frozen almonds.

Start with some ice--about 5 cubes will do. Then put in about a cup of frozen mango. The kind of Trader Joes is great. Then about 5 small dried figs and a half of a handful of almonds. For juice I use enough orange juice to cover about 80% of the ingredients.

To blend, just set the Vitamix to variable speed 1, increase it to 10, and then "flip it to high!". Give it a minute to blend then pour in a glass with a straw. Always a straw for smoothies. Now enjoy!

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate. My customers get free standard shipping. Just click here to buy one: Vitamix. For the free shipping, enter the code 06-005495 if it asks for a promotion code.

Increase bioavailability of foods with a Vitamix

I was researching what other consumers like about the Vita-Mix using ConsumerBase. I found out that the Vita-Mix increases the bioavailability of food. I had never heard that word before so I looked into it. What it means is that the Vita-Mix releases more of the nutrition in food because it literally opens the cell walls of the fruits and veggies better than your teeth do.

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate. My customers get free standard shipping. Just click here to buy one: Vitamix. For the free shipping, enter the code 06-005495 if it asks for a promotion code.

Self-intro

Hi All. I've set up this blog to promote the Vita-Mix. The Vita-Mix is a super powerful blender, like the kind they use at Jamba Juice. I was totally sucked into buying one when I saw them demo it at Costco. The smoothie they made tasted just like Jamba Juice--another company I love by the way. "And that's not all." I'd hear that line several times that beloved day because the demo guy showed so many amazing things the Vita-Mix could do. The blades are so fast (26K RPM I believe) that you can actually make HOT soup! Our apartment in San Francisco is very tiny so we don't have space for a blender, a food processor, a hand mixer, and a juicer. Our Vita-Mix replaces ALL of those so it's an incredible space-saver. My partner makes bread--wonderful sourdough actually. The Vita-Mix could grind flour I learned. But the thing that sealed the deal for me was when demo dude said the Vita-Mix was self-cleaning. That's right, all you have to do is fill it halfway with water, a few drops of detergents, then put it on variable speed 1, increase it to 10, and "flip it to high!" The machine cleans itself! Totally amazing.

In full disclosure, I am a Vitamix affiliate. My customers get free standard shipping. Just click here to buy one: Vitamix. For the free shipping, enter the code 06-005495 if it asks for a promotion code.