Summer Garden Vegetable Lasagna

So, what to do with pounds of beautiful home grown Romano Tomatoes that my friend game me? and Eggplants?  and Bell Peppers?  I had a couple of ideas, but I chose to make Lasagna.
Lasagna seems so simple to make.  A layer of this and a layer of that.  But, the Lasagna pasta is not very forgiving to prepare since all our pots are round, and they are rectangle.  But I came across this pre-cooked lasagna.  It seems that all I need to do is add them between the layers of sauce.  I tried it and I love it.
Ingredients:
8 to 9 lasagna pasta, "No Boil Required"  by Barilla
1 small red onions - chopped
2 small green bell peppers (optional), chopped
3 Tbsp Traditional Basil Pesto sauce
3 lb Ripe Romano Tomatoes, washed, seeded and cut into chunks
10 pieces of Chicken strips grilled in George Foreman's Hamburger grill
1-1/4 lb Japanese eggplants, sliced and grilled in George Foreman's Hamburger grill
1/2 C Sun dried tomatoes - rehydrated in 1/2 C hot water
1-1/2 lb shredded Mozzarella cheese
Sea Salt - 1/2 Tbsp
1 tsp black pepper
1 jar - 24 oz Classico Spicy Tomatoes & Pesto sauce
1 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Oregano.  Add 1 Tbsp at a time to taste.

Pan:  9x9x2-1/2 baking dish or any others, but don't forget to increase the amount of lasagna pasta.
Baking Temp:  Bake covered in aluminum foil at 400'F until the internal temperature reaches 165'F or higher and bubbly.
Preparation: 
Slice eggplants lengthwise and grill in George Foreman's countertop hamburger grill.  It should be somewhat translucent.  Cut with scissors into smaller pieces.  Set aside.
Grill chicken strips.  Tear apart into smaller strips.  Set aside

Saute onions in butter and olive oil till translucent.  Then, add bell peppers. Stir fry 1 min.
Lower heat and add Traditional Basil Pesto.  Stir to incorporate.
Add Romano Tomatoes.  Add salt, black pepper, and 1 Tbsp Oregano.   Turn to medium high heat. Cook 3 min.
Medium low heat - Add Spicy Tomatoes and Pesto sauce.  Taste and add more salt and Oregano, if needed.  Stir and cook till heated through.

Time to assemble -Preheat oven to 400'F.  Have aluminum foil handy.  Extra baking pan or sheet to catch spill.
In the baking dish:
1.  Add tomato sauce
2.  Add lasagna pasta
3.  Add tomato sauce
4.  Add Mozarella
5.  Add eggplant pieces
6.  Add chicken pieces
7.  Add Mozzarella
8.  Add sauce
9.  Add lasagna pasta
10.  Add sauce
11. Add Mozarella
Wrap up in Aluminum foil and place on top of baking sheet or another larger size baking pan.
Bake till bubbly and internal temperature reaches 165'F+.  Approx. 1 hr 40 min+

Taste test:  Delicious.  I am sure there are other ones out there that is also.  But I got to use all the homegrown veges in one dish, and thank goodness for the "no boiling required" lasagna pasta and George Foreman's grill.  It saved me time. I would consider to omit the bell peppers after stir frying them.  I tasted bitterness in the outer peel.  May be peel the bell pepper before stir frying?  that may be a good idea.

Home Grown Corn

Summer time here at my mini-garden keeps quite busy.  Eggplants, pumpkins, lemons, limes, quamquats, romano tomatoes, upside-down tomato plants, Kaki trees, cucumbers, herbs, strawberry plants, and corn.  Corn came late this summer.  I am not sure if the seed was too old or my soil is not fat enough.  But here they are.  No insecticide odor and fresh.  & they are beautiful plants.

Japanese Cream Cheese Birthday Cake

It was my mother's birthday.  I didn't know what to bake... fondant cake, yellow cake, ... actually I wanted to bake a cake like the one they bake at the Hong Kong bakery.  But I decided to do something different.  Since I have been testing with the Japanese cream cheesecake, I modified the recipe to make a cream cheese Birthday cake - half with Matcha and the other half with vanilla flavor.  It turned out good.

Prepare the angel food cake pan 9-3/8" x 4" with removable bottom - spray and lined with parchment paper bottom and side, including the center cone.  Yes, it was challenging.  The side parchment should extend above the rim of the cake pan at least by 2 inches.

Baking Method:  Bain Marie
Cake Pans:  7 x 2-1/2" to bake in and 10" or 12 " cake pan to bake in Bain Marie method
Ingredient:
6 oz butter - soft
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 C milk
5 eggs separated
1/2 C Cake Flour
1/2 C Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 C sugar - divided - 1/4 C for egg white, 1/4 C for cheese mixture, 1/2 C for egg yolks
1 Tbsp Vanilla Paste
1 tsp of cream of tartar
Boil 3 Cups of water to rolling boil -- for Bain Marie
1 Tbsp Japanese Matcha

Pre-heat oven to 400'F right when starting to beat egg white.

Whip cream cheese and milk + sugar + Vanilla paste + lemon juice and lemon zest together.  Set aside.
Whip egg yolks and start adding sugar 1 Tbsp at a time and beat until pale in color.
  Set aside, keep covered.
Sift cornstarch mixed with cake flour together and set aside.   **Preheat oven to 400'F
In a clean mixing bowl, whip egg white with 1 tsp of cream of tartar.
Whip till silky and medium peak is formed.
Transfer cheese mixture into a large surface mixing bowl.  Add egg mixture and Fold till smooth.
Sift flour mixture into the egg/cheese mixture.  Fold well.
Add 1/4 of whipped egg whites in and lighten the batter.
Add the remaining egg whites. Fold "gently" all around till nice and smooth.
Transfer 1/2 of the vanilla batter into the prepared cake pan.
Smooth the top.
In a small bowl, add Matcha and 1/4 C of batter and mix well.
Fold the Matcha mixture to the remaining batter.  Fold gently until mixed.
Pour into the top half of the cake pan.  Smooth the top.
Place the cake pan in a large 12" cake pan. 
Place in the oven.
Carefully pour hot water half way , but be sure not to go over the lowest rim of the aluminum foil that is wrapped around the cake pan, if there is one.
Bake 30 min at 400'F, then drop the temperature to 380'F and bake for 15 min.  Then 350'F for 15 min and bake till internal temperature rise to 180'F and tester comes out dry.
Turn off the oven.
Remove from Bain Marie.
Remove from oven to cool.
Store in refrigerator.
Invert to the serving plate or cake cardboard. and Invert it back again.
Decorate with Whip cream.
Serve.