Polenta, Chorizo & Mushroom Lasagne

my daughter's curiosity in the kitchen is growing. she is no longer interested in whisking together ingredients or cracking eggs. she wants to advance to more difficult tasks as cutting vegetables with a knife. after numerous occasions of me saying 'no', i thought i'd give it a go. i took extra precautions, and hovered on the sidelines pacing and trying to hide my anxiety, as she attacked mushrooms with a very dull butter knife. it went well. i talked about finger placement repeatedly. it was difficult for me, but i am learning to trust my daughter in the kitchen. and what did we make with those mushrooms? polenta lasagna with chorizo, spinach and mushrooms! there was a sledding party saturday morning with a potluck afterwards. i secretly love potlucks. i love the variety of dishes spread out across any given counter top. crock pots full of bubbling chilies. assortments of hot dishes, and let's not forget the bars. it is such a mid western thriller! anyway, we made the lasagna. i have been on a polenta kick lately, and had glanced over a recipe using polenta instead of traditional lasagna noodles, and was inspired. the chorizo paired great with the polenta, and the mushrooms and spinach were great add ins too! i used pre-made polenta which comes packaged in a tube, and you simply slice it to layer in your lasagna. the hard-core traditionalist in me frowned upon this, but the manic, sleep deprived mother who i also am, gladly gave it my approval. here's a recipe/ ingredient list. have fun, and belly up!!

for the sausage/ mushroom/ spinach:
 1 pound of chorizo sausage
1 pound mushrooms- i used crimini
4 cloves garlic, minced
half pound of spinach
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
saute about a pound of chorizo in a skillet. once the chorizo is cooked through, remove the pan from the heat, spoon out the sauasage- leaving the pan drippings in the pan. return the pan to the heat. if there's not enough pan drippings to coat the bottom of the pan, add a splash of olive oil. add the mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. add the garlic, spinach, and herbs and saute briefly to wilt the spinach slightly.

for the ricotta mixture:
  1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated parmesan
2 egg yolks
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
stir the above ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

to assemble:
  1 1/2 tubes of polenta, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 jar of marinara
1/2 pound mozzarella, grated
1/2 pound parmesan, shredded
grease a 9x13 pan with olive oil. place a layer of marinara in the bottom of the pan. layer as such: polenta sausage-mushroom-spinach mixture ricotta mixture shredded mozzarella and parmesan marinara polenta sausage- mushroom- spinach mixture ricotta mixture shredded mozzarella and parmesan marinara bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and lightly golden on top.