My wonderful sister-in-law Raychel came to my house yesterday, and (as is typical with me) we got to talking food. She had some artichokes and had no clue how to use them. This is the recipe I suggested.
First: This is a pretty good link demonstrating how to clean a fresh artichoke to prepare for use in a recipe like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3tivOcd530&feature=related
Once they're cleaned and prepared, you can boil them for about 10 minutes before cooling and chopping into pieces for this recipe. Or, if you don't have fresh artichokes or don't want to bother with cleaning and preparing them, you can find very yummy canned artichokes in the grocery store. I find them in the same aisle as canned olives and green beans. I don't like the marinated artichokes as well as the plain ones--the plain are much much cheaper, and since I'm putting them in a creamy lasagna, they don't need the extra flavors.
Alright, on to the recipe:
Creamy Lasagna
Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 quart milk
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 (10 oz or so) boxes of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of all green juice
1 can (or 2 fresh, prepped, cleaned, and cooked) artichokes, drained and chopped
1 can chopped water chestnuts, drained
Optional: 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed OR 2 cups cooked lentils
1) In a large pot, melt the butter and add the chopped onion. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until onion begins to soften.
2) Sprinkle on flour and whisk to combine until flour soaks up the liquid. (this is called a roux.) Cook for 1 minute.
3) add milk. Whisk thoroughly and bring to a boil.
4) Remove from heat and add all other ingredients. Make sure your veggies are all drained well!
Cheese filling:
1 16 oz container small-curd cottage cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp pepper
5) Mix all ingredients together and set aside.
6) Soften 1 pound lasagna noodles by placing in a shallow baking dish and covering with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain water.
7) In a 13 by 9 pan, place a layer of noodles on the bottom. Cover with half of the cheese filling, then half the sauce. Add more noodles, then the remaining cheese filling and the remaining sauce. Top with the last of the noodles.
Cheese-and-breadcrumb topping:
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
8) mix together breadcrumb topping and sprinkle over the top layer of lasagna.
9) Cover dish with foil. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly all the way through. Enjoy!
Notes:
-You can leave out the breadcrumb topping and just top with shredded mozzarella cheese, if preferred.
-This can be made with chicken, lentils, or just plain.
-A myriad of vegetables can be added, if desired: grated carrots, chopped celery, shelled peas, or chopped broccoli would all be fantastic. Just add to the sauce when you add the spinach and artichokes.
-I'm not sure how to make a roux gluten-free...if you have any ideas, let me know! Because this recipe, with a GF roux, GF noodles, and plain cheese on top, would be mighty fine...
Showing posts with label Spinach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spinach. Show all posts
4.11.2010
3.21.2009
Cheesy-good Spinach
How do you get your kids to eat vegetables, or your picky husband, or that next door neighbor you're trying to please? Make them friendly! This recipe combines super healthy, high in iron, antioxidants, and the all-around favorite leafy green: spinach, with everyone's favorite fat: cheese. Can you go wrong? And once you discover you really do like spinach, you might make it more often, or put it in things like lasagna, egg omelets, or stuffed chicken breasts.
Cheesy-good Spinach
2 (8 oz) boxes of frozen spinach
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened in the microwave for 30 seconds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Thaw the spinach in the microwave for a couple of minutes, or in the refrigerator for a few days. Make sure you keep it in a bowl to catch any runaway water--that's no fun to clean up! Put the thawed spinach in an old towel and wring it over your sink to get all the excess water out (or wring it by hand, or press very very firmly in a sieve). Break apart gently with a fork or your fingers. Mix with the other ingredients. Top with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Pour in a 8x8 (small sized) casserole pan, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until it is hot all the way through.
Cheesy-good Spinach
2 (8 oz) boxes of frozen spinach
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened in the microwave for 30 seconds
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Thaw the spinach in the microwave for a couple of minutes, or in the refrigerator for a few days. Make sure you keep it in a bowl to catch any runaway water--that's no fun to clean up! Put the thawed spinach in an old towel and wring it over your sink to get all the excess water out (or wring it by hand, or press very very firmly in a sieve). Break apart gently with a fork or your fingers. Mix with the other ingredients. Top with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Pour in a 8x8 (small sized) casserole pan, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until it is hot all the way through.
1.01.2009
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Happy New Year! I prepared this dip for our New Year's Eve party, and it turned out very well.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
2 packages of cream cheese (low-fat "Neufchatel" is just fine), at room temperature
1 10 oz box of frozen chopped spinach
1 14 oz can of Artichoke Hearts
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
About 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, to put on top
Thaw the spinach in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the box and drain very well--squeeze any excess water out. Drain the artichoke hearts and the water chestnuts, then roughly chop both with a knife or a food processor. If you like a finer consistency, chop a little more. Mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the Parmesan cheese. Put in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve on toasted baguette slices or on crackers.
Toasted Baguette
Slice 1 baguette or 1 loaf of french bread thinly. Spread the pieces out on a tray. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, all over the bread (you could also brush with oil, or even butter). Slowly toast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
When you make the toast with the dip, put the dip in the oven, then slice up the bread and put it in with the dip for the last 10 minutes.
A thought about Parmesan cheese: I own a nifty little tool called a Microplane Grater. It is extremely fine and extremely sharp, and grates fresh Parmesan cheese very well. Therefore, I never buy those cans of freeze-dried Parmesan you can get in the pasta aisle. If you don't have a Microplane, ask for one for your birthday! They can zest citrus fruit, grate fresh nutmeg, or shred garlic. Most stores these days have a specialty cheese case--typically by the produce or fresh deli--where you can buy blocks of Parmesan cheese. The quality really is hard to beat. It may seem expensive for a small block, but when you start grating it you'll see how much there really is. Parmesan cheese can also be grated in the food processor. You cut the cheese into small blocks, put it in with the blade attachment in the bowl, and pulse until fine--you'll recognize it when it gets there.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
2 packages of cream cheese (low-fat "Neufchatel" is just fine), at room temperature
1 10 oz box of frozen chopped spinach
1 14 oz can of Artichoke Hearts
1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts
1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
About 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, to put on top
Thaw the spinach in the microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from the box and drain very well--squeeze any excess water out. Drain the artichoke hearts and the water chestnuts, then roughly chop both with a knife or a food processor. If you like a finer consistency, chop a little more. Mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the Parmesan cheese. Put in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve on toasted baguette slices or on crackers.
Toasted Baguette
Slice 1 baguette or 1 loaf of french bread thinly. Spread the pieces out on a tray. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, all over the bread (you could also brush with oil, or even butter). Slowly toast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
When you make the toast with the dip, put the dip in the oven, then slice up the bread and put it in with the dip for the last 10 minutes.
A thought about Parmesan cheese: I own a nifty little tool called a Microplane Grater. It is extremely fine and extremely sharp, and grates fresh Parmesan cheese very well. Therefore, I never buy those cans of freeze-dried Parmesan you can get in the pasta aisle. If you don't have a Microplane, ask for one for your birthday! They can zest citrus fruit, grate fresh nutmeg, or shred garlic. Most stores these days have a specialty cheese case--typically by the produce or fresh deli--where you can buy blocks of Parmesan cheese. The quality really is hard to beat. It may seem expensive for a small block, but when you start grating it you'll see how much there really is. Parmesan cheese can also be grated in the food processor. You cut the cheese into small blocks, put it in with the blade attachment in the bowl, and pulse until fine--you'll recognize it when it gets there.
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