Spinach and Feta Lasagna wins over chicken

        The chicken was tender and good but the hands-down favorite at last night's dinner was The Grit Restaurant's lasagna so I decided I would share the recipe here so everyone else could make it too!  Today was our day to eat leftovers and my husband and son both ate the leftover lasagna, which I had planned on taking for lunch tomorrow-that's how good it was. I was really incredulous since they are the big meat eaters!!   Now I will be combing through this cookbook looking for other delicious recipes to tantalize them.

Spinach and Feta Lasagna

6 ozs lasagna noodles, freshly cooked
4 quarts water
1/2 block firm tofu, crumbled
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 cups Grit Marina (I used two jars of organic sauce-no time to make the sauce, this time.)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley, oregano, and basil

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil a 9 x 13 in.baking dish. 
Boil lasagna noodles in water until barely tender; Drain and seperate the noodles, set aside.
Combine tofu, soy sauce, mustard, pepper, feta cheese and spinach in a large mixing bowl.
Lightly coat bottom of prepared pan with marina sauce.  Cover the sauce with layer of noodles, running the long way.  Spread 1/2 of spinach-feta mixture, 1/3 of the marina sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella.  Cover with second layer of noodles and on up, repeating but this time put the noodles crossways (so you have to cut them to make them fit).  Cover with a third layer running the longway and top with remaining marina.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and parsely mixture.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until well browned on top.  Cool slightly before serving. 

     I do usually make my own sauce when I make other lasagnas but this time since I was preparing another meal practically with the chicken/roast potato combination from Jamie Oliver, I just didn't have the time.  I also used fresh parsley mix on top and I did not have any dry mustard so I just squirted in some stone-ground mustard from my refrigerator-it worked out fine.  I never preheat my oven until I'm almost finished with a recipe-it just doesn't make sense to have it on for  the 30 minutes or so it takes me to make a recipe.  Viola-it was easy to put together and even easier to eat!
     Our evening with friends was great even though it was snowstorming outside. We were toasty warm inside with our wine, food and holiday music playing.  Our Christmas entertaining is off to a fantastic start.  Through the weekend I did manage some reading;  I finished Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay and stared the Everafter by Amy Huntley, which I am fascinated by!  I need to review Sarah's Key as well as A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. 

 Buy The Grit cookbook at their website-you won't be disappointed!!

     I am an IndieBound affiliate and some of my links will take you there.  I've earned nothing as of yet from this association but one can always have hope.

     In other news-we have a two hour school delay so I wll be sleeping in and reading in my toasty bed.  I may pad down to the kitchen and whip up some German Pancakes for my children if I feel up to it.  I would love it if they would just cancel the whole day-it is FREEZING out there!

Next week's topic-fresh bread!