Butternut Squash Lasagna w/ Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bechemal!!

September 29, 2008 by 55 Comments

I’m a late bloomer in my love for butternut squash. I never wanted to cut up a big squash like that and bake it, I’d rather have a sweet potato! . But then a couple years ago I had the most amazing soup made of butternut squash, and I was hooked!

I started to see it everywhere in magazines, and on cooking shows. I saw it in souffle’s, gratin’s, ravioli’s, in grain’s, pasta dishes. I saw it roasted, maple glazed, pureed, in tart’s, and even in muffin’s and cakes! Suddenly it seemed it was so in vogue!! How come I never noticed this awesome vegetable before? Whats wrong with me?

And guess what! It’s one of those power foods, high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beta carotene. I’m sure by now all of you have tried this versatile vegetable, but in case you haven’t, go out and get some, please! You won’t be disappointed.

Which brings me to this lasagna I made over the weekend. I have to admit Hubby wasn’t all that excited when I told him I was making a butternut squash lasagna. He gave me a look like, “Huh.” He’s typically a lasagna purist with the red sauce, but I knew he would love this, and he did!

After searching on the Internet and picking bits and pieces of different recipes I came up with this. I liked the idea of garlic in the sauce, but I thought roasted garlic would make the flavor even more intense, and as it turned out I think it really made the whole dish!

I roasted the garlic a day ahead, as I knew I was going to make this. It also calls for no -boil lasagna, which I’m still of the old school boil kind, and I’m not convinced I like them yet. They are very convenient and fast though. Here I used the Barilla brand. What are your thoughts on no- boil ??

INGREDIENTS:
About 3lbs. of peeled, seeded, squash in 1/2 in. slices
2 Heads of Roasted Garlic
1 Box of No-Boil Lasagna
Parmesan Cheese around 1 1/2 cups
Bechemal Sauce
First, you need to roast your squash in a hot oven at 425 degrees. till tender. Make sure you drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper. It will probably take about 25 mins.
In the meantime make a pot of bechemel by melting 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter and then mixing in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour, keep whisking, then squeeze in your roasted garlic, add salt and black pepper.
Pour about 5 cups of milk in and whisk till thick. When squash is cooked, stir it into the sauce along with the rosemary ( about 1 tbl.) and half of the Parmesan cheese.
IMPORTANT TIP HERE:I would have liked to had a little more sauce, the noodles soaked it up as it cooked, so you might want to make more. Next time I will.
Reduce oven temp to 375F. Layer it like you would any lasagna. Spray your baking dish, layer the noodles, and spread the sauce mixture all over, and sprinkle with cheese. Continue layering till done. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Cover with foil. Bake around 35 to 40 mins. Uncover and cook till golden brown.
The roasted garlic sauce infused with rosemary, complimented the squash so well, it was heavenly!
Buon Appetito!!
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55 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Vegetables Tagged: , ,

Lavash Crackers w/ Artichoke Salsa! Daring Bakers September Challenge

September 26, 2008 by 38 Comments

This month’s challenge was to make Lavash crackers along with a dip, spread, a salsa, or a relish of some sort. Here’s the challenge… the crackers had to be made with an all purpose wheat flour, or a gluten free flour, I choose the wheat flour, because I had it in my house, but the toppings had to be made gluten and vegan free!

Our host’s this month are alternative Daring Bakers, Natalie from Gluten A Go Go, and Shel, from Musings From The Fish Bowl. I want to thank them for picking a savory recipe this time, it was nice for a change. The recipe comes from the book, The Art Of Extraordinary Bread, By Peter Reinhart. Please check out their blogs for the complete recipe’s and instructions on the crackers.

This took no time to get the dough together, I think it took longer to knead it! I probably didn’t roll it thin enough I should have divided the dough in half, and rolled it into 2 pans, but I didn’t!!

I used a dry seasoning I have that is a mixture of rosemary, garlic, lemon peel, and spicy red pepper, to press into the cracker dough. Some stuck, some didn’t!

All in all this was a very easy and fun challenge, and who knew, I’d learn how to make crackers!!

The topping I chose was a very quick “Artichoke Salsa” which by the way is vegan, and gluten free! It’s simply made by opening a jar or two of your favorite marinated artichokes, draining them and pulsing them in your food processor. When finished pulsing, pour into your bowl.

Then chop some red onion, slice up some kalamata olives, 1 clove of smashed garlic, and diced and seeded tomatoes. Finish off with salt, pepper, shredded basil, a hint of lemon peel and a little olive oil to taste.

It actually tasted really good with the crackers, and it was a great appetizer with a glass of wine!

Please check out the ever growing Daring Baker blogroll for all their cracker creations!

Buon Appetito!

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38 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged: , , ,

Onion Soup w/ Fontina Garlic Bread! O Foods For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!!

September 24, 2008 by 46 Comments

September is Ovarian Cancer research and awareness month. The blogosphere is a buzz with many bloggers helping to spread the word! Spear heading this awareness along with having a contest is Sara, of Ms Adventures in Italy, Jenn, of The Leftover Queen, and Michelle, of Bleeding Espresso.
We were asked to spread the word by posting a recipe that either started or ended with the letter O. All details are here.

This is my small part of spreading the word for a cause that’s near and dear to my heart! Ovarian Cancer claimed the life of my mother when I was 9, and a vibrant niece at age 26.

Please click on the link to read about signs and symptoms, and how you can help!

Now on to this warm and satisfying recipe!

Ingredients
5 onions sliced
Thyme
6 Cups of Stock ( Beef or Vegetable) I used Beef
3 Tbl. of Brandy
1 tsp. sugar
A little flour, Olive Oil and Butter

Warm a little butter and olive oil in heavy pan, add onions and cook till soft and a deep golden brown. Don’t rush the cooking time or else onions will become bitter, stir frequently on a medium heat. Add your thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Meanwhile get your stock nice and hot in another pan. Stir about 2 Tbl. of flour over your golden brown onions, and whisk in gently your hot stock. Add your Brandy and simmer for 10 mins.

To make the Fontina garlic bread, simply rub garlic over a nice chunk of bread, something that has some body, like a good crusty baguette. Slice Fontina cheese on top, and stick it under your broiler for a few mins. or place in an oven till golden.

I hope you try this rich and flavorful soup!

Buon Appetito!!

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46 Comments Filed Under: Soups and Stews Tagged: , ,