I am sure most of you if not all, have heard about my country’s severe economic crisis and the harsh economic measurements the government has to put in force in order, at some point in the distant future, for the country to be able to go back on track.

There has never been a point in time at which my country has become more notorious than this one and a part of me feels ashamed. I feel ashamed not only because we arrived at this low point, but also because I feel I was deprived my dignity.

The truth is that, like many other countries, for years we lived with other people’s money and now it is the time for them to collect. But truth is also that you simply cannot strangle economically people to get your money. You must leave them some space to breathe and to live with a certain level of respect.

My family is lucky enough and up until now both I and my husband have our jobs. So, this means that every month two salaries get into our family budget. I cannot say this for thousands of other people, who saw their jobs vanish and now they try to live either with their saves or with the help of their relatives.

Trying to adapt to this new situation, I am striving to put everything in good use and not to throw food. So, last night when my son asked me what we would have for dinner, I told him that lasagna was on the menu. I had some leftover cooked meat, leftover buttermilk, leftover tomato juice, leftover Madeira wine and leftover lasagna sheets so the choice was obvious.

Now lasagna is quite a time consuming, labor intense meal and although I am dying to eat them, I don’t cook them very often. But this lasagna is different! Very easy and not as time consuming as the original, partly because they were made from leftovers and partly because I tried to cut back on their preparation time. This of course does not mean that they lacked in flavor. On the contrary, they were so delicious that even my picky son ate two portions!

So, I am giving you this recipe which is more an idea rather than a recipe itself, meaning that you can add an ingredient you have as leftover and take out any other you don’t have at home. I used ingredients that almost everyone has at home at any time, but even those you don’t have, you can substitute easily with others you have available.

 

Leftovers Lasagna

Ingredients

12  no boiling lasagna sheets

250 gr./8 0z. cooked meat, shredded, I used leftover chicken and veal

300 gr./10 oz.  tomato juice

¼ cup Madeira wine

1 tomato sliced

2 zucchini’s sliced

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ cup evaporated milk

4 handfuls parmigiano Reggiano

A bunch of parsley

Couple of spoonfuls of Italian breadcrumbs

½ tsp of dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano

Salt and pepper

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

2 tsp sugar divided

1 bay leaf

Olive oil for sautéing the zucchinis

Instructions

In a small pot add the tomato juice, the herbs, the garlic and onion powder, the 1 tsp of sugar and the bay leaf in high heat.

When it starts to bubble lower to medium-low and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the meat and cook for another 10 minutes.

Set aside.

Couple of minutes before you turn off the fire pour the wine.

In a sauté pan add the olive oil and in medium-high heat sauté the zucchinis.

Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200° C/400° F.

Take a Pyrex or a regular pan with dimensions 30cmX20cm.

Butter it really well.

Put 4 lasagna sheets.

Throw the buttermilk.

On top of the lasagnas put the cooked meat.

Add the 2 handfuls of parmigiano.

Place another 4 lasagna sheets on top of the meat.

Put the sliced tomato and the cooked zucchinis on a layer.

Add the other tsp of sugar.

Pour ½ cup of the milk

Finally place the last layer of lasagna sheets and pour the rest of the milk.

On top sprinkle some parmigiano and the Italian breadcrumbs.

Bake for about 15 minutes at this temperature and then lower the heat of the oven to 175°C /350°F and bake for another 30 minutes.

Let it rest for 15 minutes out of the oven and serve.

As I promised I am leaving you with some pictures of our trip to Palairos a beautiful village at the upper west side of Greece, facing the Ionian Sea.