Lasagne Lovin' - Chicken Cauliflower & Fennel Lasagne

I have been very absent for the last few weeks.  Sorry about that, but I felt it was time that I concentrate on populating Corningware411 with as much information as possible so people have some sort of resource, whether collecting or questioning correct usage of pieces.  Heck I even republished an old Coffee Talk post about my Corningware Drip Coffee Maker on the site.

Be that as it may, I am back with a collaborative project between the two sites.  I was testing a piece from Corningware's Rangetopper line (bonded aluminum base) and made sauces to see how well it distributed heat without scorching.  As a result, I have a batch of Quick Tomato Sauce (as opposed to Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce) and a batch of Onion laced Bechamel.  The tests were successful, which is always the preferable outcome, but the bonus is that I have everything I need to make that most perfect of foods.... Lasagne!

This is more in the Northern Italian Style of Lasagne.  Though it does contain Tomato Sauce, it also contains Bechamel and lacks any form of Ricotta. For this one though, I decided to get a little more complicated.  Normally, when I use Bechamel and Tomato Sauce in one pan of lasagne, I just mix the two together before layering.  This time, I chose to keep them separated to form a more interesting layering effect.  I think I had originally seen this idea in a cookbook for a vegetable lasagne.  I figured that since this lasagne contains a significant amount of veggies, I would follow suite.

Chicken, Cauliflower and Fennel Lasagne

1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Fennel Bulbs, quartered and sliced
3 TB Olive Oil
1 recipe Quick Tomato Sauce (or 3 cups Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce)
1 recipe Onion Bechamel
2 cups cooked Chicken breast meat, chopped
1 lb Lasagne Noodles
1 cup Panko
16 oz dry Mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
Reduce the Cauliflower to small florets......

Quarter, remove the core, and slice the Fennel.....

Place in a large bowl and toss with 3 TB Olive oil.

Spread the veggies on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes..

Just until they begin to brown......

Chop the Chicken and mix 1 cup of Chicken with 1 cup of the Quick Tomato Sauce in a small bowl.

Mix the remaining Chicken with 1 cup of the Bechamel in a small bowl.

Place Lasagna noodles in a 13x9 baking dish...

Pour hot water over the noodles and let sit for 5 minutes.

Now they should be slightly "bendy".

OK... Layering time.......
First, butter a 13x9 pan....

Pour in the chickenless Bechamel and spread it over the bottom of the pan.

Place lasagna noodles over the Bechamel.

Spread the Chicken laden Tomato Sauce over the noodles.

Spread 1/2 of the vegetable mixture over the Chicken.

Sprinkle with 4 oz of Mozzarella.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Panko.

Place down another layer of noddles.

Spread the Chicken laden Bechamel over the noodles.

Spread the remaining Vegetables.

Sprinkle with 4 oz of Mozzarella and the remaining Panko.

Top with another layer of noodles.

Pour the remaining Tomato Sauce over the top.

Sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cover with a sheet of parchment.....

Then cover with foil.

Bake for  40 minutes...

Remove the foil and parchment, then bake for 10 -15 minutes longer.....

Until all nice and bubbly.

Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the Lasagne to "set up".

and serve......  Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Now I must go be alone with the whole pan!

Mangia!!
~~

It Was MMM MMM Good, Now It's MMM MMM Bad; So Make It MMM MMM Better - Tomato Soup

Do ya ever get the hankerin for somethin, and your not really sure what it is? It happens to me a lot. But in this case, I discovered the root of my craving while watching my 2 nephews one afternoon.

It was a cold and rainy day (there are a lot of those during the spring in Western Oregon), and I had just returned from retrieving one of the said nephews from the bus stop. (He's in Kindergarten) Now before I go further, I should explain that I am from a cheese loving family. When I say "Loving", I really mean obsessed. So when I asked my nephews what they wanted for lunch, I received a unanimous "Grilled Cheese Sandwich!" for an answer. Which kind of surprised me, cause it's usually "Quesadilla!"

Then the eldest (he's 6) said "Can we have orange soup too?". This perplexed me a little at first. I paused a few seconds, mulling it over, trying to decide whether he was talking about some sort of Cheese soup or a Fruit soup. And why would a 6 year old know about fruit soup? Then an old memory began creeping across my consciousness. Something about cold winters and being chilled to the bone after spending 2 hours cleaning the barn. Ah yes, coming inside and sitting down to a grilled cheese sandwich and that most perfect of companions -- Tomato Soup. Yep, that must be what he's talking about. Thank goodness I was right, for I did not fancy the idea of having to juice enough oranges to make a soup.

I love tomato soup, but I had forgotten all about this humble preparation amidst the plethora of culinary pursuits I have embarked upon over the last few years. I guess the old adage is true "Out of the mouths of babes, comes wisdom". So we dined on Tomato Soup sprinkled with a little shredded cheddar, of course, and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

After consuming said soup I made a fatal mistake and read the back of the can. I mean, I had eaten Campbell's tomato soup as a kid, so I didn't think to much of it. But there, in small print, was the name of my nemesis. That artificial enzymatically created evil. Responsible, regardless of the propaganda the corn council promotes, for all sorts of health issues and even brain chemistry alterations in the American public. The addictive sweet substance that currently pollutes the processed food supply. High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and/or Soybean), Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid, and Citric Acid.

And to be honest, what is that ambiguous "Flavoring" anyway? Sheesh! Even my good ol' childhood memories of tomato soup are now sullied. I feel so dirty!

So, I set out to create my own. The main ingredient is simple enough. I mean, lets start with Tomato Puree. OK, well, I already have a puree of sorts in my freezer. My Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce is pretty thick. That means I don't have to add water and probably not any salt or oil, since it's already in the sauce. So here is my uber-simple ingredient list for a pretty darn tasty Tomato Soup.

Tomato Soup

2 Cups Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce
6 oz Light Cream or Heavy Cream1/4 tsp White PepperOptional - 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
Optional - Pinch of Salt (only if Needed)

Simply pour the thawed tomato sauce into a pan...

If you have left your Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce a little on the chunky side, you may need to hit it with a stick blender.

Add Cream and place over low heat, until heated through.

Stir in the Brown Sugar, if necessary, and the White Pepper.

To ensure you have a lack of any chunks, you might want to run it through a strainer. (it just depends on how well you have pureed it)


Serve as you like. With shredded cheddar or even Pepperridge farm goldfish crackers. Personally, I like a dollop of Crème Fraîche and a few sliced scallions. (a little Shee Shee Poo Poo, I know; but what can I say)

Now if I only had a grilled cheese sandwich! Alas, I am out of Cheese (which is a travesty of the highest order; soon to be rectified when I go to the grocery store)

Mangia!!
~~

The Worlds Most Perfect Food - Lasagne di Svizzero

While it often said, “Man cannot live by bread alone”', the same cannot be said for Lasagne. Not only is Lasagne one of the architectural wonder of the culinary world, along with Tiramisu, which is also Italian, but it is also one of the world’s perfect foods. Oh yes my friends... The entire food pyramid is contained therein.

ALL in one convenient dish. It contains Dairy (Milk), Vegetables (Chard, Spinach or Arugula), Fruit (Tomato) Protein (Beef, Bison, Cheven, or Pork as well as the Egg), Good Fats (Olive Oil), and Grains (Pasta and Flour). And most importantly... let's face it; ANY food that contains three different cheeses is pure unadulterated heaven.

Now while the Pasta "Lasagne" hails from Emilia-Romagna, I have to be honest with you in regards to the origin of Lasagne as a "dish"....

There is no ONE singular Lasagne recipe. They are many, and the methods of construction are vast. In fact, the "who invented lasagne" debate has been transpiring for eons. But all in all it comes down to 2 basic varieties..... Or at least the way I understand it...

In Northern Italy, it is usually made with a Sugo Bolognese or braised meat and Béchamel. (Very similar to the Greek Pastitsio)

While in Southern Italy, it's made with Marinara and ground meat or sausage; with Ricotta, Mozzarella di Bufala and Parmegiano-Reggiano.

Luckily, I am geographically far removed from all arguments regarding the who, what, where, when, why and how of Lasagne construction. As a result, I have decided to exercise my constitutional right to "Freedom of Lasagne", which, while not listed in the Bill of Rights, I am certain is one of the later amendments.

As a result I have picked the best of both worlds and combined equal amounts of Tomato sauce and Béchamel, as well as simply sauteing the meat with onion; added Swiss Chard (I usually use Arugula or Spinach but I thought the Swiss Chard was more fitting) and included Ricotta and Mozarella di Bufala as well as a healthy dose of Parmegiano-Reggiano. All culminating in a decadently delicious Lasagne concoction with both Northern and Southern influences, but taking neither "side" as to which is the original... Call it the Switzerland of the Lasagne world. ;)

Lasagne di Svizzero

Lasagne Sauce - Balsamella (Béchamel) with Tomato Sauce
6 TB Butter
6 TB AP-Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White pepper
3 cup Whole Milk (Warmed to about 110)
Freshly Grated Nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flake
3 cups Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce

Meat Filling:
3 TB Olive Oil
1 small Red Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 lb Ground Bison (Beef or Cheven works too)
Salt and Pepper

Ricotta Filling:
24 oz Ricotta Cheese
3 eggs
1 TB Dried Marjoram
2 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp dried Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste

Layering ingredients:
1 1b Swiss Chard, blanched (Weigh after removing the ribs)
1 LB Pasta Sheets
2 - 7 oz balls of Mozzarella di Bufala; Sliced as thin as possible
3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 – 1 TB slices of butter that have been cut into quarters giving you 16 pieces of butter.

OK, Lets lay down the ground work:
Heat salted water over medium heat.
Rinse Swiss Chard and remove stems and thick ribs, you should have 1 lb after doing this.

When water is boiling, dump in the Swiss chard and blanch for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain, then set aside to cool.

In the meantime, make the Balsamella sauce....
Melt Butter over low heat in sauce pan, let it bubble a little bit to remove some of the water.

Combine flour and seasonings, then add to the butter in the pan.

Cook over low heat until the roux becomes smooth and bubbly.

Remove pan from heat and slowly add the milk while whisking.

Return the pan to the heat and bring just to a boil while stirring constantly.

Reduce to a simmer and whisk continuously until the sauce thickens, then remove from the flame and season with Nutmeg and Red Pepper Flake.

Stir in the Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce.

Set aside.

While this cools slightly.....
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.

Add Onion and saute 2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minutes more.

Add the bison and saute until well browned, breaking up any large lumps.

When well browned,

pour the meat out on a dish lined with paper towels to remove the excess fat and let cool. (Completely)

You may need to blot the top side of the meat as well.....

While the meat is cooling.......
In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, eggs, and herbs with the salt & pepper.

Stir until homogeneous.

Squeeze the water from the, now, cooled Swiss chard.

Chop roughly and prepare to build lasagne

ALL the steps above can be performed 24 hours in advance, simply store everything in the refrigerator, tightly covered until you are ready to construct. (I advise against constructing in advance or the pasta is going to absorb all the moisture out of your sauce and the lasagne will be way to dry)


Begin Construction:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Utilizing a 13x9 baking dish; (although this on is 14x10)

They say "the wise man built his house upon the rock"... I say "the wise man remembers to butter his lasagne pan".....

Spread 1/3 of the Balsamella in the bottom,

Arrange pasta sheets side by side to cover bottom.

Carefully spread 1/2 of the Ricotta mixture over the pasta sheets.

Distribute the Chard evenly over the ricotta

Place another layer of pasta sheets over the Chard.

Spread all of the Bison evenly over the pasta sheets.

Slice 1 of the 7 oz balls of Mozzarella di Bufala and lay the slices on top of the Bison.

Pour 1/2 of the remaining Balsamella over the Mozzarella di Bufala.

Place the last of the pasta sheets over the Balsamella.

Spread the remaining Ricotta mixture over the sheets

Lay down a final layer of Pasta sheets. (which I forgot to take a picture of... Oops)
Top with the remaining Balsamella.

Slice up the remaining 7 oz Ball of Mozzarella di Bufala and lay the slices down on top of the Béchamel.

Sprinkle shredded Parmegiano-Reggiano over the top and dot with the 16 small pieces of butter.

My pan was deep enough to get away with not doing this but I highly suggest that you place the baking dish on a sheet pan that has been covered in foil (Lasagna ALWAYS stews over)

Cover baking dish with additional foil and bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 – 20 minutes, or until the top begins to brown and turn bubbly.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the lasagna to firm up a little bit.

Serve in large squares, cause you can NEVER have too much lasagna on your plate... LOL

Mangia!!
~~
(I sure did)