Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

As you are well aware, lasagna has a few components. It’s a very complicated dish, dear reader. A lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what-have-yous. A lot of strands to keep in one’s head. Not really. It’s just a lot of layers. Pasta, tomato sauce, ricotta mixture, cheese and whatever other fillings – in this case it’s reconstituted dried mushrooms and steamed, chopped spinach.

In an effort to skip a step, I use no-boil lasagna noodles. These fellas are much thinner than your usual lasagna noodle, and often times they come without that fancy-pants ruffle, which is fine by me. Who needs a high maintenance lasagna noodle? Instead, no-boil lasagna noodles have ridges, like a potato chip or corrugated steel. Do you see corrugated steel asking for its own pot of boiling water? No, dear reader. You do not.

In the end, this lasagna is relatively low on fat and high on vegetation. Hits the spot for when you absolutely need a vegetable dish and a salad isn’t going to cut the mustard. Hearty, warm and unctuous without the heaviness of beef and Bechemel sauce (which are great, but sometimes you want lean).

Just FYI, BTW, Yankee Cook’s been kicking it into high gear these past two weeks while I’m on vacation (3 posts in two weeks! yay!) in an effort to make up for that long stretch from August to December when I didn’t post a thing. That was a sad, sad time. I’ve missed you! Expect to see more slow cooker recipes coming up. I have a lemon chicken soup in the works. Hopefully that will be up next week so check back.

Update on the Lemon Chicken Soup (1/18/2012): Two attempts now. I’m going to have to wait a while more to post that one because there’s only so much Lemon Chicken Soup one can attempt in a month.

Mushroom Spinach Lasagna – serves 6
1 cup fresh water (to steam the spinach)
1 lb baby spinach
2 cups dried mushrooms – chanterelles, shiitake, porcini and trumpets are nice
2 cups boiling water (to rehydrate the mushrooms)
2 lb part-skim ricotta (the big tub)
1/2 cup  grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
2 eggs
1 T capers (optional)
12 sheets of no-boil lasagna noodles (or 6 sheets 3 on each layer in a smaller pan)
4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (like the one on this page)
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, diced
spray canola oil

1.) Bring the 1 cup of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the spinach in a steamer basket if you have one. Cover and allow to steam 10-12 minutes until the spinach is thoroughly embarrassed. Remove the spinach from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, press out the excess liquid and finely chop.

2.) Meanwhile, place mushrooms in a heatproof bowl (one that won’t melt for give off BPAs if it gets hot). Pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the mushrooms and allow them to soak for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and dice.

3.) Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

4.) Combine the ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Salt to taste. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir in capers, if desired.

5.) Dice the mozzarella.

6.) Make a layer of half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13×9 inch lasagna dish. Arrange 4 lasagna sheets on top. They’ll be a little short, but it’s okay. They’ll expand as they absorb moisture.

7.) Spread a layer of half of the ricotta over the lasagna sheets, then all of the spinach

8.) Top the spinach layer with more 4 more lasagna sheets, the rest of the ricotta, the mushrooms and the last 4 sheets.

9.) Top with the rest of the tomato sauce and the diced mozzarella.

10.) Spray a sheet of aluminum foil the size of the lasagna pan with spray canola oil. This way it doesn’t stick to the cheese . Be sure to not spray where the handles are or it might slip out of your hand when you take it out of the oven and get all over the floor, ruin your outfit and possibly burn and that would just be tragic).

11.) Loosely cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the foil and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ramps Primavera

So, I know I’m like two years late on the whole ramps trend, but I’ve never been one for following the herd (though I do love imagining the sound a tiny herd of ramps would make… shuffle shuffle shuffle). Ramps are known as one of the very first vegetables to come out of the ground in Spring. They are just as much a harbinger of the bounteous warmer months as a clam shack reopening on a 45 degree April afternoon.

Primavera is the Italian word for Spring. Pasta Primavera, however, is an Italian-American dish and since Italian-American cuisine developed primarily during the 20th Century – a time at which a variety of fresh, or at least canned vegatables became readily available year round – seasonality hasn’t traditionally been a defining requirement in most pasta primavera recipes. The most common vegetables used in Pasta Primavera are typically peas, zucchini, and carrots – which, in most hardiness zones, will not arrive on the scene until well into l’estate. Or Summer.

Wilted, sauteed and then combined with a cream sauce, ramps would be a natural addition to Pasta Primavera, if it were actually meant to represent Springtime. I’m not a major fan of heavy, creamy dishes this time of year (unless it’s chowder at a clam shack). This recipe is relatively spare on cream and butter. There’s just enough to lightly coat the pasta and not enough to overwhelm the delicate onioniness of the ramps.

Ramps Primavera serves 2-4

1 lb ramps
1/4 C water
1 T olive oil
1/2 C heavy cream
2 T butter
1/4 C finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb  dry pasta (fusilli pictured)
Sea salt to taste

Clean the ramps – cut off any roots and, using a sharp knife, peel away any discolored layers. Rinse the ramps and cut to 1 inch strips.

Meanwhile, cook, drain and rinse the pasta. Toss with a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking while the sauce is made.

Combine water and olive oil in a saute pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add ramps and allow to wilt 3 minutes. Once water has evaporated continue to saute 2 minutes.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Allow the cheese to melt while stirring. Remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss with tongs or a spoon until well coated. Add the ramps and toss to coat.

Serve warm and think of even warmer days ahead.

Summer Couscous Salad

It’s late August and fresh, ripe veggies are being picked in gardens and on farms across New England. The sun and the rain have done their thing, and now the year’s very best peppers, radishes, zucchini and tomatoes are ready to leap from their vines (or soil as the case may be) and onto a table near you.

It’s lovely really, but it can be tough to tell what can be done with so many veggies all at once. What is a good dish to utilize such a great combination and bring out the best notes in each vegetable? There are obviously plenty of options, but the following Couscous Salad is a dish that I’m fond of this time of year because it can be served warm or cold.

Zucchini absorbs a little butter flavor while it sautés with the pepper. Tomato and radishes add a little sweetness and tang. Feta rounds out the bunch with a little brininess and the couscous keeps things under control.

Summer Couscous Salad – serves 2 – 4

1 C dry couscous
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 bell pepper (purple adds a nice color)
1 zucchini
1 tomato
5 radishes
3 ounces feta cheese

Prepare couscous as directed.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters and then into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut the pepper 1/4 inch pieces. Melt butter over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the butter begins to foam add the zucchini and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until softened and lightly brown, adjusting heat accordingly.

Meanwhile, halve the tomato and remove the membrane and seeds. Dice into 1/4 inch cubes.

Halve the radishes lengthwise and finely slice.

Dice the feta.

Remove the zucchini and peppers from heat. Toss all vegetables with the couscous and feta. Serve warm or cold.

Stuffed Manicotti with Fresh Tomatoes

I decided this morning that today was as good a day as any to reorganize our cabinets. I like to collect glass jars to use for storage, rather using than plastic containers that seep BPAs and chemical flavors into foods. It’s also a good way to reuse perfectly good glass jars and keep them from becoming the stuff of landfills. So, I went though and put any unsealed items into jars. It looks pretty spiffy now actually (see pic). Thought I’d share my eco-friendly frugal tip as nod to good ol’ Earth Day.

While I was reorganizing the cabinets, I came across a box of manicotti shells that I had apparently forgotten. There had originally been 14 shells in the box and there were 5 left. Not sure why I would have used only 9 at one point, but these things happen. This recipe calls for 5 manicotti shells, but you can always double or triple the recipe to stuff more.

Manicotti are great for a main dish, or for an opener served one by one. Rather than making sauce, I like to up the freshness factor by simply dicing tomatoes, tossing them with olive oil, salt and oregano, and covering the manicotti. The tomatoes cook in the oven with the manicotti and everyone’s happy.

Stuffed Manicotti with Fresh Tomatoes – makes 5 manicotti

5 manicotti shells
2 C chopped tomato
1 T oregano
2 T olive oil
1 C ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt

Boil the shells 6 minutes. Drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine tomatoes, oregano, olive oil and salt to taste.

In another bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, half of the Parmesan and salt. Spoon this mixture into a pastry bag or a plastic zip-top bag with a corner snipped.

Stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture by pressing it through the bag.

Arrange the shells in a shallow baking dish. Top with tomato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake 10 minutes more.

Ingredient origins: Manicotti – Italy, tomatoes – Maine; oregano – Unknown; olive oil – Italy; ricotta – Wisconsin; eggs – New Hampshire; Parmesan Cheese – Italy; sea salt – Italy

Vegetarian Lasagna

Making lasagna is like planning a wedding. There are thousands of varying traditions and just as many ways to go about it. Some say location and food are most important, others say music and color scheme. In the end, you just need to decide what’s most important to you.

Some prefer their lasagna with lots of veggies, others like it with beef. I like lasagna to be really saucy and cheesy – stuffed with ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and basil.

After years of trying various recipes, and never getting the cheesy result that I wanted – always too noodley, too saucy, too vegetabley – I finally decided to set out on my own. Another thing (and then I promise to get off my lasagna recipe roasting soap box) is that every recipe I’ve ever tried calls for either too many or too few lasagna noodles. Too many and you then have to scramble to mix up more ricotta to make a second batch in whatever other baking pan you have lying around. Too few and you end up with a soupy lasagna.

My lasagna uses a count of twelve 12″ lasagna noodles (you’ll end up with a few in the cabinet later, but it’s a small price to pay for a good lasagna). This recipe also uses more ricotta cheese than most, as well as a good amount of Bechemel. The result is that rich, thick lasagna that you’d find in a good Italian-American restaurant. Great for winter when fresh veggies aren’t available, because the sauce can be made with either fresh or canned tomatoes.

Vegetarian Lasagna – serves 12

12 – 12″ lasagna noodles (this length is pretty standard)
3 cups tomato sauce (see recipe below)
3 cups Bechemel sauce (see recipe below)
1 – 32 oz tub of Ricotta Cheese (I prefer full fat over skim which can become chalky)
1/4 C fresh chopped basil
2 eggs
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil

Start off by make the sauces (instructions below).

While the tomato sauce simmers and the Bechemel gradually thickens over a very low heat, cook the lasagna noodles about 2 minutes less than instructed and be sure to not allow the water to get to a rolling boil. This ensures that the pasta does not over cook and the decorative ruffles stays intact. Drain and rinse.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley and salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin the layers by spreading the bottom of a 13×9 inch lasagna pan with half of the Bechemel sauce. Arrange lasagna noodles at the bottom of the pan so that they overlap – 4 per layer. It’s okay if the noodles are a little short. Just center them and they will continue to grow as they cook and absorb more liquid.

Spread one half of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles. Top with half of the tomato sauce. Cover with another layer of lasagna noodles.

Arrange half of the mozzarella slices over the noodles. Cover with the rest of the Bechemel and then ricotta mixture. Top with the last four lasagna noodles.

Finally, cover the top with the rest of the tomato sauce and artfully arrange the rest of the mozzarella slices. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Bechemel Sauce – makes about 2 1/2 cups

1/4 cup salted butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it bubbles, add flour. Stir over medium heat to form a golden paste. Lower heat and gradually add milk 1/2 cup at a time, whisking each addition until smooth. Keep on very low heat, as you prepare the other lasagna ingredients, whisking occasionally to keep from separating or turning lumpy. Raise heat and whisk to thicken just before assembling the lasagna.

Yankee Cook’s Quick Tomato Sauce – makes about 4 cups
1 T olive oil
1/4 C chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed or smashed and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 T tomato paste
1/3 C vegetable or chicken stock
1 pinch of chili pepper flakes (optional)
1 t dried oregano
1 t sugar
1- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

Heat olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan over a medium flame. Add onions and cook until transparent, but not browned. Add garlic and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and allow to heat for 2 minutes. Stir in stock, chili flakes, oregano and sugar. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Give it a quick mash with a potato masher.

Ingredient origins – Lasagna Noodles – Italy, Canned organic tomatoes – California; Olive oil – Italy, Organic onion – unknown; Garlic – Chile; Carrot – unknown; Tomato paste – unknown; Vegetable stock – my own; Sugar – Florida; Butter – Maine; Flour – Vermont; Milk – Vermont; Ricotta – Wisconsin; Basil – Massachusetts; Eggs – New Hampshire; Parmesan Cheese – Italy; Mozzarella – Vermont