Day 38: Left Means Left

I made it back to the gym. However, I managed to hurt my left ankle/knee. I couldn't make it through the last bit of class, but I've taken pills and put my knee on ice. For the last two Wednesday's that I've gone to Dee's kickboxing class, I've walked out with the most intense charlie horse. Holy crap. I could barely walk out of the class. And now with my ankle throbbing, I thought it best.

But the class did begin with Dee playing Thriller and then a girl walked in with one of my best friend's hair. This is the best friend who always went to that class with me.

But also, there was this girl I kept laughing at. When he would shout, "Left foot bounce" she would turn right. And then, he would shout, "Right foot bounce." Then she would turn left.

Anyway, it's the little things.

Also, I realized I should not only recommend a recipe, but I should provide it. haha.

Greek Lasagna as credited to Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

Tomato Sauce:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
5 cups undrained canned whole tomatoes (14.5 ounce cans)
1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 large eggplant (1 .5 lbs) [I substituted ground turkey]
olive oil for brushing
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups of cottage cheese
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
3 cups grated feta cheese
1/2 pound uncooked lasagna noodles (12 noodles) [I used Spinach noodles]

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil briefly on medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have begun to release juices. Stir in the garlic and marjoram and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, cover, and bring to a simmer; then reduce the heat to medium-low--just enough to maintain a simmer. Add the olives, salt, and pepper. For best flavor, add the dill just before assembling the lasagna.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

While the sauce gently simmers, lay the eggplant on the baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and back uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. [I cooked the ground turkey on the stove top instead of this.]

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the eggs, cottage cheese, ground fennel, and 1 cup of the feta and set aside.

Lightly oil a 7.5 x 10 x 3 inch casserole dish. Evenly spread 2 cups of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of noodles and cover with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Next layer all of the eggplant rounds [or ground turkey], 1 cup of feta cheese, a second layer of noodles, and another cup of the tomato sauce. Finish with all of the egg and cottage cheese mixture, a third layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and the remaining cup of feta.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bak for 45 to 50 minutes [recommend 50]. Remove from the oven, uncover the lasagna, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

[Per 15 ounce serving: 462 calories]