I make some things that are very light and healthy, and some things that are very rich and indulgent. This past week, however, I made something that falls into what I believe to be the ultimate category: light and healthy that tastes rich and indulgent. I think most people would be surprised by the ingredients list after tasting this dish, having assumed a dish so delectable and satisfying would have to be unhealthy. I urge you to try this lasagna and see if you don't agree with me.
Angie's Take on Dean and Deluca's Lasagna
1/3 cup olive oil
3 large yellow onions, diced (about 3 cups)
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fat free ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
18 sheets whole wheat lasagna, either no-cook variety or par-boiled
1 pound reduced fat or fat free mozzarella cheese
1 package frozen spinach
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onions, stir and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes. Add 2 teaspoons of the coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to about 4 1/2 cups. While sauce is cooking, prepare spinach according to package directions and drain all liquid from cooked spinach.
In a small bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 2 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano, basil, parsley, remaining salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine.
Spray the bottom and sides of an 11 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Take 3/4 cup of tomato sauce and spread on bottom of pan.
Place 3 lasagna noodles on bottom of pan, overlapping them slightly. Spread a heaping 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture evenly over noodles. Spread 3/4 cup of tomato sauce on top of this. Sprinkle with half of cooked spinach and 1/3 cup of mozzarella. Repeat this 4 times, only using the remaining spinach the last time. Then place last 3 noodles on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano. (The lasagna may be assembled up to this point 2 days in advance and stored in refrigerator, covered. Bring to room temperature before cooking.)
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake on top shelf of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.
Vegetable Tian
Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.
Raspberry Sandwich Cookies
I made these last week for a family friend's barbecue. I didn't attend the barbecue, but I'm hoping they were well-received!
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
6 ounces (1 cup) fresh raspberries
7 1/2 ounces best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mix butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg, extract, and vanilla seeds; mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture.
Scoop batter using a 1-inch ice cream scoop; space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake cookies 4 minutes. Remove from oven; gently tap baking sheets on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, switching positions of sheets; bake until cookies are just set, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.
Puree raspberries and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a food processor. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice; discard seeds. Set mixture aside.
Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat; whisk in cream in a slow stream. Whisk in reserved raspberry mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Spread 1 heaping teaspoon raspberry cream on the undersides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Pecan Bars
I also made these for the barbecue my parent's friends were having...these bars are a favorite of theirs.
Pastry Shell, recipe follows
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 1/2 cups halved pecans
Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.
While the pastry is cooling, combine the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, and salt in a large pot over high heat. Boil for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and, at arm's length, carefully stir in the cream, being mindful of splatters.
Add the pecans and mix thoroughly. Pour the filling evenly over the baked pastry. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Pastry Shell:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Special equipment: a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the pastry flour and salt. Add the egg and egg yolk. Mix thoroughly.
Press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
To bake, cover the pastry with parchment paper and weigh it down with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely before removing the beans and parchment paper.
