Do you see these? The  blend of melty cheese, noodles, spicy sausage, mushroom, and tangy tomato…. Yeah that pretty much sums up the ideal meal for me….. They are a hybrid of my favorite Italian dish and a touch of spicy Mexican. I can’t live without a dabble of spice.  I made these for dinner and was so thankful I made them into rolls instead of the traditional lasagna because this way, I knew exactly how much I was eating. I could have eaten the whole tray.

Here is what they looked like before they went into the oven and what it looked like when it come out. Can’t stand it anymore? Make your own. 

Ingredients:

• 1 – tablespoon butter
• 3 – cups mushrooms (1 1/2 cups sliced, and 1 1/2 cups minced)
• 1 – pound of ground sausage (I used jimmy dean- Italian)
• 2 – tablespoons olive oil
• 1 – onion (chopped into small cubes)
• 1 – tablespoon minced garlic
• 8 – basil leaves (chopped finely)
• 1/2 – teaspoon black pepper
• 2 – teaspoons chile pepper (the kind you put on pizza)
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon sugar
• 3 – cups canned chopped  tomatoes
• 14 – oz. tomato sauce
• 10 – lasagna noodles (cooked according to package) (I used Barilla)
• 10 – teaspoons ricotta cheese
• 70 – baby spinach leaves
• 1 – cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 – cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 – cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over a medium flame melt the butter.
2. Add in 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms and saute for six minutes. Then move the mushrooms to one side of the pan making room for the meat.
3. Then add in pork sausage, with a spatula break it up into pieces while it cooks. Mix it into the mushrooms. Cook the sausage for about 10 to 15 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove and set to the side.
4. Let’s make the sauce: In a medium pot over a medium flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
5. Add in onion and allow to saute for about 5 minutes.
6. Add in garlic, 1 1/2 cups minced mushrooms, basil leaves, black pepper, chile pepper, and Lawry’s. Mix to combine. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add in sugar, chopped tomatoes,  and tomato sauce. Mix to combine. Let simmer for 40 minutes.
8. Boil noodles according to box.
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
10. Pour 2/3rds of the tomato mixture into a 9×13 pyrex baking dish. Set to the side and reserve the remaining tomato mixture to the side.
11. Lay the noodles flat on a baking mat or non-stick surface. Then spread 1 teaspoon of ricotta cheese on each of the lasagna noodles. Covering the entire strips in a thin layer of ricotta.
12. Then lay 7 baby spinach leaves on each strip.
13. Sprinkle the top of the spinach with 1/4 cup ground sausage mushroom mixture.
14. Top the sausage mixture with a few pinches of mozzarella cheese, then a few pinches of cheddar cheese.
15. Take one end of the lasagna noodle and roll it up to the other end of the noodle.
16. Then place in the tomato based pyrex dish. Continue until all noodles are rolled.
17. Then once all rolls are in the dish pour remaining tomato mixture over the top.
18. Sprinkle the tops with parmesan cheese.
19. Bake for 30 minutes.
20. Then place under the broiler (set on high) for 2 minutes. Just to brown.
21. Serve hot.
22. Spicy Sausage Lasagna Rolls…. who could ask for anything more?

I have always been intimidated by pastel de tres leches. It is my cake of choice for every birthday I celebrate and happens to be one of my favorites. I like it topped with fresh fruit best. I decided to gift it to America for it Independence Day celebration.

Ingredients for Pastel De Tres Leches:

• a box of cake mix (white or yellow) (bake according to instructions- time, temp, and ingredients)
• 3/4 – cup of fresh blueberries
• circle cookie cutter (optional)
• 1/2 – cup half and half
• 1 – cup milk
• 6 – ounces of sweetened condensed milk
• cool whip
• fresh strawberries cut into star shapes and blueberries for the top of cake

Directions:

1. Mix cake batter per instructions on the package, then add in blueberries. Pour batter into a 9×13 baking pan lined with wax paper. Allow to come to room temperature. Then place in the fridge over night.
2. Poke cake all over with fork to allow liquid to soak into cake.
3. In a bowl add half and half, milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix to combine.
4. Then gently pour all the liquid over the entire cake or cut the cake with a circle cookie cutter to make individual circles.
5. Frost top of cake with cool whip and then decorate with star shaped strawberries and blueberries.
6. Enjoy!

We are heating up in Los Angeles, and 4th of July is around the corner… that can only mean one thing…. Paleta time! These strawberry, blueberry, and chia seed lemonade paletas had to be made.

Ingredients for Paletas:

• 3/4 – cup fresh strawberries
• 1 – cup sugar
• 2 1/2 – cups water
• 5 – lemons (juiced)
• 1/2 – tablespoon chia seeds
• 3/4 – cup fresh blueberries
• Paleta mold

Directions:

1. Add blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Pour the first layer into popsicle molds filling them only 1/3 of the way up.
3. Place in the freezer to set first layer for 3 hours.
4. Next mix lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add in 1 cup water and chia seeds to lemon/ sugar mixture. Set to the side for chia seeds to expand while you wait for the first layer to freeze.
5. Now pour the chia seed lemonade mixture into the molds and fill up to the 2/3 mark. Place sticks into the paletas and place bak into the freezer for 2 hours.
6. Add strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3/4 cup water to a blender, and blend until pulpy but slightly smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into the paleta molds to the top. Place in the freezer overnight.
7. To unmold paletas by placing molds into a bath of luke-warm water for 20 to 25 seconds then gently pull out.
8. Enjoy!