...Like finally not burning caramel...
...Hitting the 20 mile long run mark even if it means aching knees later in the day...
...Using a real camera (not my iPhone) to take pictures and act like an actual food blogger...
...Making a lasagna for the first, and a healthier one at that...
...even being given the opportunity to bake cupcakes for someone else's party...
Down to the lasagna...I am not going to lie here folks, this is a time consuming recipe. Granted this is the first lasagna I have ever made. BUT it won't take you as much time, because you won't be trying to take pictures while making it. I spent a couple of hours Sunday morning playing with a nice fancy camera and making this lasagna. You see it is my lunch for the week, and totally worth the time and effort. It is a guilt free lasagna loaded with delicious mushrooms and spinach. Seriously though, how often do you get to eat lasagna and not feel guilty about it? I ran the numbers! If you get 6 servings out of it, its about 293 calories a serving! Plus, it reheats wonderfully in both the toaster oven and the microwave. So, if you want to try your hand at lasagna or share my love of mushrooms, give this one a try and Enjoy!
Dried mushrooms ready for the hot water bath, so they become...
Plump and ready for this lasagna.
Just a little onion and garlic.
A little chopping action needed.
Saute the onions, then the garlic.
Time for these to cook down.
A teaspoon of thyme.
Béchamel prep...
Bottom layer of mushrooms and spinach, then top with noodles and cheese.
Ready to go into the oven.
Spinach Mushroom Lasagna: (recipe adapted from The New York Times)
For the mushrooms:
1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried forest blend or porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt
1/2 cup fruity red wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône or
Syrah
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground pepper
For the béchamel:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot or onion
2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cupa frozen spinach, defrosted and drained of excess
liquid
For the lasagna:
1/2 pound no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces part skim Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
A few leaves of fresh sage (optional)
1. Place the dried mushrooms in a glass measuring cup and
pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the
other ingredients (chop the onions and garlic).
2. After soaking the mushrooms, place a strainer over a bowl, lined with cheesecloth or
paper towels, and drain the mushrooms; squeezing the mushrooms over the strainer
to extract all the flavorful juices. Then set aside; you will need all of this liquid later.
3. Away from the bowl, rinse the mushrooms with the soaking
liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and then coarsely chop them.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet
over medium heat and add the shallots or onion. Cook, stirring often, until
tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds,
then add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and salt to taste. Cook,
stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften and to sweat, about 5
minutes.
5. After about 5 minutes, add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the
liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Then stir in the thyme and mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt, and cook over
medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and
fragrant and the surrounding broth has reduced by a little more than half,
about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some freshly ground
pepper, taste and adjust salt. Once this has reduced stir in the spinach.
(If you have a 4 burner stove fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil while making the béchamel.)
7. Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium
heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the minced shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until
softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3
minutes, until smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture
of wet sand.
8. Then whisk in 2 cups of milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all
the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and
simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the
pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and
has lost its raw-flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Once the béchamel has come together, pour it into the pan with the mushrooms.
9. Assemble the lasagna. Heat the oven to 350 degrees
F. Oil or butter a 2-quart rectangular baking dish or a large dutch oven. Once your large pot
of water is boiling, salt generously and add 3 or 4 lasagna noodles, just the
number you need for one layer. Cook only until flexible, and using tongs or a
skimmer, remove from the pan and set on a kitchen towel to drain.
10. Spoon a thin
layer of béchamel and mushrooms over the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer
of noodles. Spread a ladleful of the mushroom/béchamel mixture over the noodles
and top with a layer of Parmesan. Cook the next layer of noodles and continue
to repeat the layers, ending with a layer of the
mushroom/béchamel mixture topped with Parmesan.
Cover with foil or lid of dutch oven and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil,
and if you want the edges of the noodles crispy and the top lightly browned,
continue to bake uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Advance preparation: The mushrooms can be cooked up to 4
days before the lasagna is assembled and baked. The béchamel can be made a day
ahead. Whisk well and reheat gently before straining into the mushrooms and
assembling the lasagna. The assembled lasagna can be tightly covered and
refrigerated for a day before baking. Leftovers will keep for 3 or 4 days. Reheat in a low oven or in a microwave.
Here are the health facts per serving: (getting 12 servings out of the cake)
293 calories per serving
Total Fat 12.8g
Saturated Fat 4.4g
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 28mg
Total Carbohydrates 25.6g
Dietary Fiber 2.6g
Sugar 7.2g
Protein 15.3g
Of Daily...
Vitamin A 20%
Vitamin C 7%
Calcium 38%
Iron 12%
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