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You are here: Home / casseroles / Alex cooks! Simple Vegetarian Lasagna

Alex cooks! Simple Vegetarian Lasagna

August 30, 2013 By Laura 9 Comments

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Lasagna a Child Can Make

At this rate, I might need to turn my blog over to my kids! Alex has definitely shown signs of wanting to kick me out of the kitchen and take over herself. I have declared that every Sunday without Girl Scouts (it happens twice a month) will be Alex Cooks Night, so that she will leave me in peace when I am cooking.

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But I certainly don’t mean to imply I am not proud of her. And this last dish was even more exciting, since it was not baking but rather a meal. I happened upon Mollie Katzen’s Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Cooks Ages 8 & Up at the used bookstore recently, and it has been absolute treasure. The recipes are broken down into super simple steps with illustrations that lead, amazingly, to your child having assembled a casserole all on her own! If you have comparably aged kids, I highly recommend this one.

When Alex chose lasagna I did not have the heart to tell her that I am not a huge fan of traditional lasagna. And don’t worry I ate it cheerfully. John on the other hand needed to fake nothing–he was in absolute heaven since I never make lasagna. And Alex was over the moon. I let her do everything–even put the lasagna in the oven, except take the lasagna out. Mincing the garlic was aided by these Curious Chef Nylon Knives. I was so impressed with how well they worked (they reminded me of my plastic lettuce knife) that I took loads of pictures:

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Smashing the garlic–I told Alex to think of something she really hated and smash away!

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Mincing the garlic–I was seriously impressed by how well the knife worked for this.

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This is my “Future Chef as Axe Murderer” shot. Totally Alex–she basically refused to smile for me, because she told me that since it was her lasagna she should be taking all the pictures! 

Amusingly, Alex seems to believe (and no wonder with me as chief meal maker) that a crucial component of cooking and baking is photographing the results. Because of this, I am honestly not sure who took the winning photo up at the top! I had my DSLR attached to the tripod so I let her look through the viewfinder and snap some shots as well. Everything about this was such a success. Alex even set the table herself and insisted we eat in the dining room. I urge you to encourage your child to try cooking dinner also!

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Alex clapping and calling people to the dinner table.

I have decided not to share Mollie Katzen’s recipe. It is a very basic recipe, using bottled marinara, shredded cheese, uncooked pasta noodles that cook in the sauce. The ricotta is amped up with lots of fresh basil and minced garlic. We adapted nothing–obviously–since the whole point was teaching Alex how to read and follow a recipe on her own. In light of all that, if you want the exact recipe I hope you buy the book!

Filed Under: casseroles, cookbooks, Italian American, kids cooking, reviews, ricotta, Tools, vegetarian Tagged With: casseroles, Italian, Italian American, kids cooking, lasagna, lasagne, marinara, noodles, pasta, ricotta

« Cinnamon Swirled Muffins: Alex and Sammy Bake
Cucumber and Peach Salad with Mint Basil Vinaigrette: Alex Chops! »

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    August 31, 2013 at 5:39 am

    Aww I love this!! I think you might someday have a little food blogger on your hands!!

    Reply
  2. Diana says

    August 31, 2013 at 4:35 pm

    I think this is absolutely wonderful! Go Alex!

    Reply
  3. Heavy Hedonist says

    August 31, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    How wonderful– go Alex! Having a designated night to get cooking is a great idea, too.

    Reply
  4. Paige says

    September 1, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    I love that last picture. Way to go, Alex!

    Reply
  5. Ashley says

    September 2, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    OK – this is adorable!! I’m looking forward to Ian helping me out in the kitchen. Maybe we can train these kids to edit photos for us, too? 😉 This is one great looking lasagna!

    Reply
  6. laurasmess says

    September 3, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    Ah, I love this post. Alex is a little legend, and yep… instilling the love of cooking into your children is an investment into the future 🙂 I do understand the frustration with kids in the kitchen though. I don’t have my own children yet but my husband and I have nephews and nieces plus friends with children… all of whom love to invade my kitchen space. Now, I’m one of those ‘chill out in the kitchen with a glass of wine’ people, so having little hands grabbing my knives whilst shouting “let me do it!” freaks me out. In particular, my friend’s little boy Ewan shouts “no! I’m the best cook!” and wants to get involved in everything… he drags his little stool to the benchtop and even though I know I should be encouraging it, truthfully? I just want him to go away! Ah dear. I need to grow some more patience before I have my own kids. You, on the other hand, are doing an amazing job! Love the look of this lasagne! xxx

    Reply
    • Laura says

      September 3, 2013 at 9:22 pm

      Haha don’t worry, I have that reaction all the time!

      Reply
  7. grace says

    September 4, 2013 at 5:11 pm

    what terrific pictures and what a terrific meal! i love seeing the excitement on her face!

    Reply
  8. Apu says

    September 8, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Yumm!! What fun to work with kids in the kitchen!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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