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 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 and parsley.

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
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1/3 C vegetable or chicken stock
1 t sugar

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, stock until well combined.  Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

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

Maple Cognac Glazed Ham with Winter Vegetables

A briny cured ham compliments sweet winter vegetables nicely, making this a great choice for a holiday meal. So we decided to say so long to the aughts with a festive ham.

Maple is a cured ham’s natural best friend and cognac adds another layer of mellow sweetness to the glaze. We topped off the meal with baked yams and a simple salad of spinach with olive oil, cider vinegar and grated smoked cheddar.

Happy New Year from Yankee Cook!

Maple Cognac Glazed Ham with Winter Vegetables – serves 10 – 12

1 10 lb cured bone-in skinless ham
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
Maple Cognac Glaze (recipe below)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse the ham and place it cut side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Score ham using a sharp knife. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast in the middle of the oven for 2 1/2  hours.

Remove ham from oven. Take the rack holding the ham out of the roasting pan and set aside. Add chopped veggies and toss with the juices at the bottom of the roasting pan. Place rack with ham back in roasting pan over veggies. Cover again with aluminum foil and roast 30 minutes.

Make the glaze (recipe below).

Remove ham from oven. Take the rack with the ham out of the roasting pan again and flip the vegetables. Return the ham to pan and brush with half of the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Brush the ham again with the rest of the glaze. Roast for another 15 minutes until the ham’s internal temperature reaches 160 by this point degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with a small salad or additional veggie sides and a nice chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Maple Cognac Glaze – makes about 1 cup

1/2 C maple syrup
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C cognac
4 t water
1/4 t sea salt
5 cloves
10 allspice berries

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a light boil, stirring over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the salt has dissolved and the alcohol has evaporated off.

Ingredient origins: Ham – Massachusetts; Potatoes – Idaho; Carrots – New Jersey; Parsnips – Massachusetts; Maple Syrup – Massachusetts; Brown sugar – Florida; Cognac – ; Sea salt – France; Cloves – Unknown; Allspice – Jamaica

Roasted Chicken au Naturel

Chicken au Naturel gets its name from its simplicity. Sure, chicken can be roasted with all sorts of herbs and spices that will lend additional flavor to the bird, but sometimes it’s nice to let the flavor of the meat speak for itself. This recipe uses just butter, salt and pepper. The key to getting the chickeny-ness out of the chicken without a rotisserie is to flip it every so often to allow the juices from the bones to melt into the meat and basting regularly keeps the meat moist.

Any root vegetables or tubers are great to add to the bottom of the roasting pan in the last hour or so of the process. As they roast along with the bird, they absorb some of the drippings and form a crisp brown crust. In this case, I added carrots and turnips. Serve with a salad of spinach, mache or mixed greens to round out the meal.

Roasted Chicken au Naturel – serves 4

1 5 lb chicken
2 T butter
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in an oven-proof dish as the oven gets to temp.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the the bird inside and out with melted butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside and out as well. Fold the flaps in and, using kitchen string, tie the legs together. Tuck the wings under the bird. I can never get mine to stay that way as it cooks, so I like to tie a string around the bird where the wings are folded.

On a rack in a roasting pan, roast the chicken breast side up for 30 minutes. Flip and roast breast side down for 15 minutes. Baste and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven again and this time flip the bird over so that it’s breast side up again. Add any veggies that you plan to roast. Baste the bird and the veggies and return to the oven another 45 minutes – 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.

The chicken is finished cooking when the meat at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165. All the bird to rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving platter and carving.

Ingredient origins: Organic Chicken – Colorado (I settled for organic this time rather than local), Organic turnips and carrots – Massachusetts, Butter – Maine

Vegetable Garden Pasta

Vegetable Garden Pasta gets its name from the raw veggies that star in the dish. The pasta sauce takes less than 20 minutes so that the tomatoes and carrots retain their vitamins and minerals. A quick, covered simmer allows the vegetables to soften in a shorter amount of time than tomato sauce recipes that stew uncovered for several hours. Give the sauce a quick mash, to get a smoother consistency.

The spinach and red onion are left raw and tossed into the dish, adding color and that “put hair on your chest” onion goodness. It’s been said that raw onions and garlic contain compounds that fend off the cold and flu. Carrots add vitamin A, along with a gentle sweetness to cut the tomatoes’ acidity.

Vegetable Garden Pasta – serves 2 – 4

1 T olive oil
1/4 C chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely diced or pressed
1/4 C carrots, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 T tomato paste
1 C chicken or vegetable stock
1 T chopped red onion
1/2 C baby spinach
1/2 lb. dry pasta
2-4 T Parmesan cheese

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 one minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and stock. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Cook pasta as instructed. Drain and pour into a covered casserole dish. Toss with onions and spinach, cover to allow both vegetables to steam slightly by the pasta’s heat.

Pour sauce over pasta, toss well and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Ingredient origins: Olive oil – Spain; Garlic – New Jersey; Onions, Carrots, Tomatoes – New Hampshire; Spinach – Maine; Pasta and cheese – Italy

Pasta with Maine Smoked Salmon, Arugula and Pine Nuts

This is a hearty, nutritious pasta dish that can be made in under a half hour. Pine nuts contain vitamins A, E and K, niacin and folic acid. Arugula also offers vitamins A, K and folic acid along with calcium, iron, zinc and potassium and salmon offers omega-3. The sweetness of the pine nuts compliments the smoked salmon’s briny tang, and the Mornay sauce mellows the arugula’s pungency. I didn’t take pictures of the process because I thought it was too simple to post here – it’s not like the pasta is homemade.  But it turned out to be really good and so I decided to share it.

Like anything else, I prefer to use all natural smoked salmon made without coloring. I’ve had pretty good luck with Ducktrap River from Maine – good flavor, not too oily and never stringy or tough -  but I’m sure there’s an equally good smoked salmon purveyor near you. Enjoy.

Pasta with Maine Smoked Salmon, Arugula and Pine Nuts – serves 4-6

1/2 lb dry short pasta
3 C arugula, chopped
a drizzle of olive oil
6 ounces smoked salmon, cut into small squares
1/4 C raw pine nuts
1 1/2 C Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

Start by cooking the pasta as directed. Drain, rinse if desired, and pour into a large casserole dish with a lid. Drizzle with a little olive oil, add the arugula and gently toss. Cover to allow the arugula to lightly steam with the hot pasta.

Meanwhile, make the Mornay sauce (recipe below).

Toss the salmon and pine nuts with the pasta, add the sauce and toss to coat.

Mornay Sauce – about 1 1/2 cups

1 T butter
1 T flour
1 C milk
1-2 T grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

In a small saucepan, melt butter. When it begins to foam, stir in the flour. Allow to cook, stirring with a wire whisk for about 2 minutes. Stir in milk and allow to thicken, then stir in the cheese. Season with salt.

Ingredient Origins: Pasta – Iowa, Organic arugula – Maine,Olive oil – Italy, Smoked Salmon – Maine, Butter – Maine, Flour – Vermont, Organic milk – Vermont, Pecorino Romano cheese – Italy, Pine nuts – Italy