Category: Main Dishes (Page 7 of 11)

Vegetarian Lasagna

September 11, 2015 / Jenny / 33 Comments

Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods. The rich sauce, the melted cheese, and the velvety noodles all layered and warm…and the smell is divine! Lasagna is a dish I make when I want to give extra comfort to others (or perhaps to myself!). A few months ago, I posted my favorite recipe for classic lasagna with a meat sauce. Today, I am sharing a delicious vegetarian lasagna recipe. With so many fresh vegetables available this time of year, it makes sense to put them to good use. And honestly, this lasagna tastes great and feels really healthy. There are so many vitamins and minerals in it, with the fresh spinach, zucchini, carrot, and walnuts, you just know you are doing something good for your body. The recipe is based on one I found in the cookbook 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles. I do change a few things when I make it, such as substituting walnuts for pine nuts, and using fresh instead frozen spinach, among a few other small details. I also like to use whole wheat noodles with milled flax seed with this recipe.

Luckily, the heat wave has broken and we are having some very comfortable, gorgeous weather–perfect for making something warm and cozy in the oven. With my kids going back to school and my husband struggling with a knee injury, I wanted to make something special and nourishing for all of us, to fortify us for the coming challenges. I will say that this lasagna is not a quick meal. It is one of those special recipes you use when you have a chunk of time. But it is so worth the effort, once you find that couple of hours to fit it in. And it tastes just as good warmed up the next day for leftovers!

I am sharing this wonderful, wholesome recipe on a special day–it is my first time co-hosting the Fiesta Friday link party! I am joined by Angie, whose recipes are always inspiring and whose photos are totally incredible, and who made the whole Fiesta Friday phenomenon possible, and Kaila@GF Life 24/7, whose blog has delicious recipes for people who are avoiding gluten or have other food allergies–and even if you don’t have a food allergy, her recipes look amazing. If you are a fellow blogger, I encourage you to add your link to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #85, where you will encounter many talented bloggers with wonderful recipes and photos. The posts do not have to be about food, though most are. Just follow the guidelines, and visit the other blogs you see linked to the fiesta. It’s a great way to learn about blogs you might now otherwise see, and a great way to let others know about your own blog. Although I am relatively new to the scene, I have been participating in Fiesta Friday for almost a year, and the bloggers involved are so welcoming and encouraging. I have learned so much by visiting their blogs, and I feel a real sense of a blogging community with them. Please feel welcome to join if you wish!

I will close with an excerpt of a poem I came across yesterday. We are coming up on the season of fall, with all kinds of stunning natural beauty around us, and I am amazed when I look around me at the mist in the fields in the morning, or the lingering blooms of some of the flowers. But sometimes it can be a challenge to see the beauty when there are difficulties going on in the larger world, or in our own personal worlds. Sometimes people we encounter act in less than beautiful ways, or sometimes we ourselves act in ways we wish we could do over. While we are trying to solve problems and right wrongs, it is important to remember to look for the beauty too. This quote reminds me to seek it in good food, in nature, and in the natural beauty of people. It is from the poem “The Rhodora”, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, about a beautiful flowering plant similar to the rhododendron: “Rhodora! If the sages ask thee why/This charm is wasted on the earth and sky,/Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,/Then Beauty is its own excuse for being….”

I just love that quote. If you try this lasagna, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do, and have a beautiful weekend!

Vegetarian Lasagna

Servings: 8-12
Time: approximately 35 minutes prep time, approximately 1 hour baking time
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Ingredients:

For the Sauce: (If you are in a hurry, skip making the sauce from scratch and use four cups of store-bought sauce)

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup of chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
14 ounces of canned tomatoes, undrained (if they are not diced, you can break them with a spoon while they are simmering)
3/4 cups of water
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of oregano, dried
a few sprinkles of thyme
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper

For the Filling:

1/3 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1 egg
15 ounces of ricotta cheese
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 and 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (either Fontina, Provolone, Asiago, or a combination of the three)
3/4 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
approximately 5 ounces of fresh spinach, with as much water dried and squeezed out as possible and chopped coarsely
one small or 1/2 of a large zucchini, finely sliced
one large carrot, peeled and finely sliced
12 lasagna noodles

Directions:

For the sauce, in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. About a minute before the onions are soft, add the garlic so it turns golden and fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.

For the filling, place the walnuts in a small skillet. Cook them over low heat for just a couple of minutes. Remove them from the heat and chop finely. In the same skillet, add a bit of olive oil and sauté the sliced zucchini and carrot until just tender. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg. Then stir in the ricotta and walnuts. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella, the other shredded cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and the pepper. Stir well to combine. Then stir in the spinach, zucchini, and carrot.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place 4 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce in the dish. Spread half of the ricotta filling over the four noodles. Then top with four more noodles. Spread the rest of the ricotta filling on top of the noodles. Top with four more noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. After 30 minutes, pull the lasagna out and sprinkle it with the remaining cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Put it back in the oven and continue baking it for another 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before slicing it. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles

Asparagus Galette

June 4, 2015 / Jenny / 10 Comments

Fresh, tender asparagus roasted with a mixture of cheeses and a hint of garlic, surrounded by a warm, nourishing crust. If that sounds good to you, then you should give this recipe a try, because that is what I think of when I make this asparagus galette. I love the fact that you can put almost any vegetable or fruit in a galette. It is such a great way to take seasonal produce and turn it into a light meal. With asparagus season in full swing here, an asparagus galette was inevitably going to happen in this kitchen. The recipe I am sharing below is based on a conglomeration of the countless galette recipes out there in the world. Many savory galette recipes are interchangeable, once you have a basic amount of cheese and vegetables. The fun is in the creative part–adjusting the types of cheeses, seasonings, and choosing the freshest vegetables available.

As far as the crust goes, I enjoy making my own, and will include one of my favorite crust recipes. Feel free to use your own favorite pie crust recipe. If you are super-short on time, a store-bought crust works fine too. I personally love the feeling of taking very separate ingredients and mixing them together to form a dough that holds together, even when stretched and shaped. It gives me great satisfaction, like I am creating something out of nothing, and as I have mentioned before, I feel like I am connecting with ancestors and previous generations of bakers when I get out my flour canister and rolling pin. When I am baking, I feel like my kitchen becomes a sacred space, outside of time and place.

That is kind of how I feel when I go biking as well, and with the weather so gorgeous the last few days, I have gotten out on my bike a few times. The jump from baking to biking is just one letter, and both activities take me outside of normal space and time. Anyone who knows me knows I tend to be a bit of a worrier, but with biking, as with baking, I feel like I can leave my usual self behind. I can bike fast enough so that my worries cannot catch up to me, and I am one with the breeze and the trees. Luckily, there is a lovely country road near our house that is not at all busy, and I can ride down that road and encounter more birds than I do cars.

Asparagus season, the beginning of biking season, the beginning of June. The leaves are full, the butterflies are out, and I have even seen some dragonflies. The cherries and black raspberries are looking promising this year. It is warm and fresh and bright outside. My grandfather liked to quote poetry, and on days like these, perfect June days, he would often quote parts of a James Russell Lowell poem: “And what is so rare as a day in June?/Then, if ever, come perfect days….Now is the high-tide of the year/And whatever of life hath ebbed away/comes flooding back with a ripply cheer.” Enjoy the lovely June day, and have a great weekend!

Asparagus Galette

Servings: 2 hungry people, or 4 less hungry people
Time: about 20 minutes preparation, 30 minutes for baking
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Ingredients:

For the crust

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk

For the filling

1/2 to 3/4 pounds fresh asparagus
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Feta
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Preheat your over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix up your pie crust dough. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the canola oil and the milk, then pour gradually into the flour mixture. Gently stir with a fork or pastry cutter until a dough forms. Divide the dough in two equal-sized balls. (If you do this ahead of time, it can be stored, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for a few hours. Just let it warm to about room temperature before rolling it out). Spread some wax paper on a work surface, and lightly flour the paper. Flatten one of the balls of dough with your hand as much as you can. Then use a rolling pin, rolling from the center of the dough, and roll out a circle of about 12 inches in diameter. If your edges get ragged or torn, patch them together or trim them so they are somewhat uniform. Spread a sheet of parchment paper on a heavy baking sheet. Gently roll the dough onto your floured rolling pin, and gently unroll it onto the parchment papered baking sheet. Patch any dough that tears.

Wash and pat dry the asparagus. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, Feta, and mozzarella cheese. Toss with one teaspoon of the olive oil. In a different small bowl, combine the two tablespoons of olive oil and the minced garlic. Transfer the cheese mixture to the crust on the baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, leaving a 2 inch border around the edges. Then lay the asparagus spears side-by-side on top of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the olive oil-garlic mixture. Fold and pleat the edges of the dough up and over the outer edge of the filling, all the way around. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden-brown. Enjoy!

Note: I use the other ball of dough to make a second galette, the same as the first one, since people in my family have big appetites. If you are making only one galette, store the other ball of dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to 3 weeks (depending on how soon you will use it), and use it for another dish.

Broccoli and Feta Galette

May 1, 2015 / Jenny / 4 Comments

Galette is such a festive, pretty word. It is a French word, so for me it immediately elevates a dish to a certain level of sophistication. Yet a galette is a rustic dish, not fancy or intricate. I like to think that serving a galette evokes an atmosphere of rustic elegance. Sometimes it feels good to make something that feels special, but that’s very practical and healthy at the same time. Galettes can be sweet or savory, and there are endless variations one can create with the filling.

The recipe I am sharing here is based on one I found in the current issue of Real Simple magazine, though I made some changes to it to suit my family’s tastes. The roasted broccoli mixed with the creamy melted Feta gives the filling such a delicious flavor, and the hearty wrap-around crust turns it into a meal. I like to make my own crust for a galette, and it is basically the same as a pie crust. If you are looking for a good pie crust recipe, I posted one last spring and you can click on the above pie crust recipe link to find it. (That recipe is for a double crust, and a galette needs only a single crust, so I like to refrigerate or freeze the dough for the second crust to use in the future–making the next galette just got even easier!) If you are short on time, or if you just don’t enjoy making pie crusts, you can also use a store-bought pie crust. Basically, all you have to do for this recipe is prepare the crust, chop and saute the vegetables, add the cheeses, and assemble the galette. While it is baking, you have time to make a salad or another side dish if you wish.

We have had some pretty rushed dinners these last couple of weeks, due to our busy spring schedule. When I made this galette yesterday, it felt good to put a little extra effort into choosing the meal and making it. It felt good to put some joy back into the meal-making process, and that joy transferred to those eating the meal. Though we were still somewhat rushed to get to soccer practice after dinner, there was a sacred bubble of time when my husband, kids, and I were all together in the kitchen and dining room, enjoying our food in an atmosphere of comfort and rustic elegance.

Happy May Day, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Broccoli and Feta Galette

Servings: 2 very hungry people, or 4 moderately hungry people
Time: about 20 minutes preparation, plus about 30 minutes for baking time
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Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup of onion, sliced
salt and pepper
1 medium-to-small head of broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup of crumbled Feta cheese
1 standard-sized pie crust
1 to 2 cups (depending on your taste) shredded Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

If you are making your own crust, mix up the dough. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook the onions, stirring now and then, until they are soft and golden, about 7 or so minutes. Add the broccoli and half of the Feta and stir to combine.

While the onions are cooking, roll out the pie crust into a circle about 14 inches in diameter. (I roll my pie crusts out on floured wax paper–they stick less and are easier to transfer that way). Roll the crust back onto the rolling pin and gently transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Spread the minced garlic and Parmesan cheese evenly onto the pie crust, leaving a 2 inch border around the edges. Then spoon the broccoli mixture onto the pie crust, keeping the same border. Gently fold the edges of the pie crust over toward the center, pleating and folding all the way around, covering the filling by about an inch. Sprinkle the remaining Feta on top of the filling. Bake in the oven about 30 minutes, or until the galette is golden brown. Serve with a green salad or another side dish. Enjoy!

This recipe is based on one found in the May 2015 issue of Real Simple magazine.