Beef Mushroom Lasagna

Italian Sausage often used in this recipe which is an originally Greek dish called “Lasagna”. For a change I used grounded beef instead of Italian sausage, and used home made cheese (paneer), which is perfect match in case you cannot find ricotta cheese at the time you make Lasagna.

Preparing time: 1 hr.
Baking time: 45 min. 
8 people serving

Ingredients:
12 lasagna sheets
1 lb. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 grated Romano cheese
3 eggs

Tomato Sauce: 
10 good size plum tomatoes (washed peeled graded)
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 midsize onion (chopped small cubes)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 Cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsps. dry oregano
1/2 Cup hot water

Ground Beef filling:
2 shallots (peeled washed and minced)
1.5 Lb. beef ground round
1/2 Lb. mushrooms (washed well and sliced)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. turmeric

Paneer (home made cheese)
1 lt. ½ % milk
2 Tbsps. White vinegar, or lemon juice
A large cheese clothe
Strainer

Making
Set the oven for 375 F (190 C)
Tomato sauce: 
On medium heat, sauté onion with ¼ Cup Olive oil until it becomes translucent.
Add grated tomatoes mix one
Add all rest of the ingredients in order 
Simmer for 30 min.
Set a side

Ground round preparation:
Sauté shallot briefly with 1 Tbs. olive oil
Add ground round and keep sautéing by mashing with wooden spoon.
Add sliced mushroom.
Add all seasoning in order.
Sauté until mushrooms softens. 
Set aside

Making Paneer:
Bring the milk full boiling point.
Pour vinegar (or lemon juice) in to the milk.
Turn the heat off.
Stir the milk until the milk completely curdled.
Strain the whey through cheese (or muslin) cloth
Let it all whey protein drained from curdle.
Wrap the cloth and put some weight on to drain the excessive liquid.
Let is sit 10 min. 
Paneer is ready to be used (or cut in to pieces and store in refrigerator)

Preparing lasagna:
Cook the lasagna noodles in water until they becomes al Dante about 10 min. 
Rinse in cold water set aside
In a glass bowl whip the eggs; add crumbled paneer, grated Romano cheese set mix aside.
In 15 X 10 inches glass baking dish,
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish,
Lay 3 lasagna sheets on the sauce side by side 
Spread 2 Tbsps.  Tomato sauce on the noodles
Spread a layer of (2 Tbsps.) cheese mix on the tomato sauce
Spread 2 Tbsp.  meat mixture on the tomato sauce
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoon) and shredded mozzarella Cheese on the meat.
Lay the second layer of noodles (of three) and repeat all layers above in order 
Lay the third layer of noodles and repeat the previous step.
Lay the last layer of the noodles 
Top with the rest of the tomato sauce, eggs/cheese mixtures.
Sprinkle all the left over shredded mozzarella cheese’ 
Bake in 375 F (190 C) for 35 minutes.
Let it sit on the rack for few minutes and serve fairly warm.
Enjoy
March/15/2014

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