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We were greeted at Lilo's by a holiday chorus from a small menagerie of four-legged creatures, dogs and cats alike.  Lilo loves to cook and was happy to finally have some men in the house who could handle a few vegetables.  Ruth commented on Lilo's blue and white dishes as they were an unexpected and interesting choice for a holiday dinner.  Lilo said that she had collected them from all of her journeys abroad and they reminded her of the time she had spent in each place.

Across the room was a fresh, lovely Christmas tree, straight from the Colorado forest.  Her antique dining  table used a traditional quilt as a tablecloth and we were all a bit worried about spilling our food.  At least Alex and Ruth were, John, Ricky, and Justin were more interested in the Three Cheese Lasagna Rolls that decorated the table.  While it was nearly impossible to hold a spot for dessert, we knew that something spectacular would be heading our way at Ricky and Justin's house.

Three Cheese Lasagna Rolls

22 lasagna noodles, uncooked

3 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 large onion, peeled and chopped finely

2 lb. mild Italian sausage, remove from casings

2 cups white mushrooms, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

6 Tbs. Dry white wine

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 cup frozen egg substitute or 6 whole eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Chunky Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.  I add a bit of oil to the pot so the noodles do not stick.  Drain well and set aside.  Drain spinach in a colander and press out as much water as possible. 

In a large skillet fry sausage till just done.  Set sausage aside but save a little of the oil in the pan.  Add onions and cook till they are soft-about 5 min. To the onion add mushrooms, garlic, wine, basil and pepper.  Sauté until mushrooms are tender.  Transfer the mushroom mixture and sausage to a large bowl; add spinach, cheeses and eggs substitute/eggs.  Mix ingredients well.  

Spread spinach mixture evenly over lasagna noodles, leaving a ¼” border around edges of each noodle.  Roll up, jellyroll style, beginning at narrow end.  Arrange rolls, seam side down in an 11” x 7” x 2” greased baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350F/177C for 30 min or until thoroughly heated. Freezes well.

To serve, cut rolls in half.  Spoon ¼ cup of the Chunky Tomato Sauce on each individual plate, and place 3 rolls on top of sauce with the ruffled edges up.  

Chunky Tomato Sauce

½ cup + 4 Tbs. finely chopped sweet red pepper

½ cup + 4 Tbs. shredded carrot

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried marjoram

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

3 cups tomato sauce

6 Tbs. water

2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Coat non stick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot.  Add red pepper and next 5 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened. 

 Yields:  3 cups.  

Click Here for Day 5 - the Dessert - at Ricky and Justin's House.