My Monday Afternoon Project: Lasagna

As some of you may have read throughout this blog, I’m big time pregnant right now. In fact, I could pop any day. I’m basically waiting around at home until the big day comes, which has great advantages. The downside is that I don’t have much energy left in me. Consequently, I’m not always in the mood for cooking. Still, I put a great effort to make sure I do keep on cooking. First, to stay healthy. But also to have great recipes to add to this blog.

You can also imagine that my fridge is pretty much kept full at all times. I’ve been like a small ant lately, making provisions for the hard times to come (because you never know what you’re going to get!). I have all sorts of frozen goods ready to be heated up, either in the microwave or in the oven. There is no way I will be cooking in the first few days after giving birth. Which is why yesterday I gave myself a big kick in the butt and made an astronomical quantity of Lasagna.

Don’t get me wrong, I love lasagna but it’s not something I eat every week. More like twice a year. Yet I find that when you make lasagna, it takes so much time that it’s not worth it if you’re only going to make one. Which is why I made 3 huge ones and froze them. I can keep them all if I want to or, I could give some out if I feel like it. You could do the same.

The following recipe is pretty traditional. If you want to make a few lasagnas at the same time, you’re going to have to multiply the ingredients. With the Bolognese sauce recipe below, you’ll be able to make 3 big lasagnas and you might even have some sauce left over. If you’re not planning on making many lasagnas, you can choose to cut the quantities to make less sauce or, better, keep the quantities and freeze the extra sauce for spaghetti. Same thing for the Béchamel recipe. You’ll have enough to make 3 lasagnas. This sauce doesn’t freeze so you should cut the quantities if you only want to make 1 lasagna. Finally, I like to buy aluminum lasagna pans that I can throw out after one use. There cheap, the perfect size and you can keep your good baking pans out of the freezer.

Oh yeah! I didn't eat lasagna last night so I froze all 3 of them without cooking them, which is why I don't have a great picture of the final result. I'm sure you can imagine what it'll look like once it's perfectly roasted! 

TRADITIONAL LASAGNA

Makes 1 lasagna

(Make sure you multiply the ingredients if you’re making more than 1 lasagna)

INGREDIENTS

Salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

About 12 dried lasagna sheets 

Black pepper

2 ½ cups Bolognese sauce (see recipe below)

1 ½ cups Béchamel sauce (see recipe below)

1-pound ricotta cheese

2 eggs

2 packs of 10z frozen spinach, chopped, unfrozen and dried

3 cups mozzarella cheese

¼ cup freshly ground Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

If you’re planning on eating your lasagna on the day of preparation, preheat your oven at 375˚F.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetable oil (so your lasagna won’t stick together). Add the lasagnas and cook for about 6 minutes (they have to be all dente). Take the pasta out and pass under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside, covered with a slightly humid towel so they don’t dry out.

In a large bowl, mix together the Bolognese and Béchamel sauces. Adjust taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, the eggs, salt & pepper. Set aside.

In a 13”x 9” ovenproof pan, spread 1/3 of the Bolognese-Béchamel sauce. Cover with 5 lasagna sheets. Evenly spread the ricotta mix over the lasagna. Cover with spinach. Add 5 more lasagna sheets over the spinach and cover with another 1/3 of the Bolognese-Béchamel sauce. Add ½ cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with the remaining 5 lasagna sheets. Empty the rest of the Bolognese-Béchamel sauce and cover with what’s left of the mozzarella cheese, as well as with the Parmesan. Put in the oven and cook for 45 minutes or until the cheese makes bubbles on top. 

Notes: I believe real traditional lasagnas should be made with Marinara sauce and separately cooked meat. Since I’m a little lazy sometimes (!), I prefer to make a simple Bolognese sauce so the meat is already integrated to the tomato sauce.

If you choose to unfreeze and cook, make sure you take your lasagna out of the freezer at least 10 hours before heating it. 

SIMPLE BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Makes about 10 cups

INGREDIENTS

½ cup olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves (or more if you like!), finely chopped

1 ½ pounds ground beef

4 celery branches, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

Salt & pepper

3 - 36oz preserved tomatoes

2 dried laurel leaves

PREPARATION

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and the garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes. Add the beef and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of freshly ground pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the laurel leaves.

Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour or until the sauce has thickened.

Take off the heat. Throw out the laurel leaves. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

Makes 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups hot milk

Salt & white pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

PREPARATION

In a small pan, heat the milk until it’s just about to boil.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Bring the temperature to medium heat and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the hot milk to the mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until the mixture is very smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Set-aside until you’re ready to use it. 

Radish Salsa Just For My Mom

I don’t know if she’ll mind me saying this, but I’m about to reveal to you one of my mom’s secrets: she’s totally addicted to radishes! She’s the one and utmost fan of radishes. She craves them all the time, eats them everyday and when she comes back from a trip abroad, radishes are always the first thing listed on her grocery list, she dreams of them! I don’t know if you know anyone who is more of a fan than her (if you do, please let me know… they absolutely have to meet!). I certainly don’t.

Which is why this is the absolute, most perfect recipe for her. When she reads this I guarantee that she’ll jump off her chair and call me in the instant to thank me for the idea (mom, you better call!). I can even bet that she’ll be trying the recipe inside of 3 days tops. I don’t see why she would put off such an easy and tasteful recipe!

Making the salsa should take you about 15 minutes. The hardest part of the recipe is cutting the radishes. The smaller the pieces, the longer it’ll take you, yet it’ll look that much better with tiny pieces. Make sure you make the salsa in advance so you can chill it for at least an hour. During that time all the juices will go into the radishes, which will give the salsa a more intense flavor. The salsa is excellent on grilled fish or chicken, or even with tacos. I served mine with grilled sardines… I won’t lie it was a terrible choice. Because of all the fish bones in sardines, it was a real hassle to eat. I guess we all make a mistake, that’s the beauty of it! I’d recommend a white-fleshed fish like Mahi-mahi or Sturgeon. You should have more fun eating your meal than we did.

Radish Salsa

INGREDIENTS

12 radishes, washed, trimmed and diced

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1 orange

Juice from 1 ½ lime

1 tsp raw or brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Put the orange and lime juices in a bowl and add the radishes. Mix well.

Add the chopped cilantro, raw sugar and balsamic vinegar. Stir the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Rainy Day Comfort Food: French Onion Soup

It’s a gray rainy day out here in Montreal and I feel like some comfort food. I know! You think I’m going to say French fries or pizza, but you’re wrong. Although the latter definitely fall in the comfort food category, I’m thinking of something else. As I’ve got time on my hands, a luxury these days, I’ve decided on preparing one of my favorites, a French onion soup. Onion soup is quite easy to make and, whenever necessary, I don’t hesitate on making a fast version of it. But nothing beats the real thing. A soup in which the onions are deeply golden brown and have cooked for so long their rich flavor takes all its meaning.

Like I said, onion soup is really easy to make. But if you’re going to tackle the following recipe, you’re going to need close to two hours to make it (although you could pull it off in an hour if you’re in a rush). Don’t worry though, most of the time you’ll be able to do other things at the same time. Onions don’t require too much attention! And the reward is definitely worth it. It’ll make your evening a great one, especially if you’re planning on watching the French version of the electoral debates tonight… not something I’m looking forward to!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Soup

5 cups yellow onions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt + more for seasoning

¼ tsp granulated sugar

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

6 cups beef broth

½ cup dry white wine or Vermouth

Black pepper

3 tbsp Cognac or Brandy (optional)

Gratiné

2 cups grated Suisse or Gruyère

1 tbsp butter

8 1-inch thick sour dough bread

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven at 450˚F.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil together over moderately low heat. Add the onions, toss them, and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and let them steep for 15 minutes.

While you’re waiting, spread some butter on your bread slices and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes or until they are crispy and golden. Set them aside while you continue to prepare your soup. Keep your oven heating.

Uncover the pot, raise the heat slightly and stir in ¼ tsp of salt and the sugar. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes until they turn a deep golden brown.

Once the onions are fully caramelized, sprinkle them with the flour and cook, while stirring, for another 3 minutes. Add the wine and the stock a little at a time, stirring between additions. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the Cognac. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes.

 

Arrange 4 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet and divide the soup among them. Place the croutons on top of the soup (let them float!) and cover them with the grated cheese. You can add more cheese if you find you don’t have enough!

Bake the soups on the tray for about 15 minutes. Finish for a minute or two under the broiler if the cheese isn’t brown enough. Serve immediately on a plate as the bowls will be steaming hot.

Creating Hello Kitty With A Million Dollar Cake

There’s nothing like a good sugar rush. But what about your first ever sugar rush? Who remembers that? I certainly don’t but I did witness someone else’s first sugar rush just a few days ago. My little girl turned one (yep, she’s a big girl now) and with her first birthday came her first birthday cake. Chocolate cake on top of it, designed by her mom, aka me (!), into her favorite character: Hello Kitty. Seriously, it was the best feeling ever to see her discover the sweet taste of the icing as she slowly licked her little fingers. It was an even better feeling when she started digging into the cake, with her little hands, putting handfuls of cake into her tiny mouth. She got so excited she was kicking her feet at the same time. With her face dirty with cake, I knew I was a good mom and that she would thank me later for the initiation… as, I have no doubt, there will be many other sugar rushes in the future. If you’ve ever been the witness to such a moment, you know what a priceless moment this has been for me!

For the big event I wanted to make a chocolate cake, there was no compromise on that. I certainly wasn’t going to buy a commercial cake or cake mixture, and I didn’t necessarily want a cake filled with rich chocolate, as this was a first. Which is why I turned to a recipe I’ve been using for a few years now. My sister’s best friend’s Italian grandmother has handed it down to me; it’s one of those secret recipes that you just don’t find in cookbooks. It almost tastes like a Duncan Hines, but 100 times better… and healthier. Super easy to make, it also has the perfect texture if you want to ice your cake or if, like me, you want to make a design out of your cake. This is the recipe that everyone will want to steal from you.

As for my Hello Kitty cake, I searched the Internet for an easy image to reproduce. Once I found it, I outlined my cake pan on a piece of paper and drew inside of it the Hello Kitty image. I cut out the paper and then cut the cake in the right shape. I finished off with the icing – which, I have to admit, I bought premade – and gave life to the cake. It’s really easy to do with any simple shape. If you want to try it with another image, go ahead and get creative. Whoever you’ll be serving the cake too will be delighted by your effort (or talent!). If you don’t want to make a shape, simply make a 2-layer cake and add the icing. Decorate the top of the cake the way you feel like or, even simpler, leave it naked!

MILLION DOLLAR CAKE

Makes about 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

Cake

2 cups flour

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup white sugar

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 ½ baking powder

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup water

Icing

3 cups icing sugar

½ cup butter

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Cake

Preheat your over at 350˚F. Butter 2 8-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.

In another bowl, add water to the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the dry ingredients while mixing well.

Split the mixture between the 2 cake pans and bake in the middle of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until à toothpick comes out clean.

 

Icing

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.

In a larger bowl, slowly add the butter to the icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract.

Note: Although this recipe is much better with the original icing, you can buy store ready icing if you’re looking for a color in particular, which can often be hard to make.

Simple and elegant: Scallops with beurre blanc safrané

If you’ve tried my bouillabaisse recipe posted a few months back, you know my thoughts on Saffron. What a sexy spice! It’s got such a subtle taste yet an ever so present flavor. Simply added to rice, it turns an ordinary grain into something attractive and delicious. Did you know that saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight? Good thing you only need a pinch to give a great kick to your dish! I like it so much I love to add it to my recipes once in a while.

Scallops are a true special treat. In this house, if we eat them during the week, it feels like it’s the weekend; if we eat them during the weekend, it feels like we’re celebrating a special occasion. The best part of making scallops is that they take about 3 minutes to cook. Come on, who doesn’t have 3 minutes to spare to make a delightful diner? On top of it, you can buy good quality scallops frozen (oh yeah, you read me right!), which means you can keep them in the freezer and pop them out of there whenever you feel like it. I like to keep a bag around just in case I get an urge or if someone special comes over for dinner at the last minute.

So I got an urge for scallops… which I decided to pair to a saffron beurre blanc. Beurre blanc literally means white butter. It’s a simple and elegant recipe; a pure delight. Treat yourself during the week or invite friends over on the weekend, and serve them this. What you’ll need to go with it is a good side dish (I used asparagus) and rice (jasmine would be my pick) and you’re all set. Ok, it’s butter and it’s not the healthiest thing in the world. But you don’t eat this everyday. Once in a while, you’re aloud to splurge. The French really know this and a beurre blanc is great proof of it.  

SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC SAFRANÉ

Makes 4 servings

 

INGREDIENTS

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 pinch of saffron

3 tbsp white vinegar

4 tbsp dry white wine (or Vermouth)

2 tbsp cold water

210 ml (14 tbsp) half salted butter, very cold, cut in dices

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and white pepper

12 big scallops

PREPARATION

Over high heat in a small saucepan, mix the shallots, vinegar, wine and saffron, and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and let simmer for about 2 minutes (until there’s about 1 tbsp of liquid left).

Add the water and incorporate the butter, piece by piece, while whisking until the mixture is completely emulsified. Add salt, white pepper and lemon juice.

In a skillet, cook your scallops over high heat in a bit of olive oil. 2 minutes max on each side is enough!

Variations: It’s easy to make variations on a beurre blanc simply by changing the wine or vinegar type and taking out the saffron.

Red butter: change de white wine for 6 tbsp of good red wine and the white vinegar with 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar.

White butter with herbs: Add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh herbs. Rosemary would be added in the first step. Basil or Tarragon at the end. 

Note: Beurre blanc is great with any grilled fish or seafood. If you don’t like scallops, try it with something else. 

Trying Something New: Israeli Couscous With Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

I don’t know about you but I cook a whole lot, pretty much all the time, yet sometimes feel like I’m always making the same stuff (especially weeknights). There are so many options, so many avenues out there that even if you cook every day, you’ll never run out of options. But searching for new ideas, new recipes, takes a whole lot of dedication, a great strive to plunge into new food adventures, and infinite patience and time. Which is not what I always have… Still, once in a while, I choose to plunge and try something new. I don’t usually like to follow recipes so this can be a frustrating process. How can you cook something without a recipe if you’ve never made it before? You have to get inspired somewhere…

Last night was one of those nights. I have recently bought a pack of Israeli Couscous, attracted by the huge colored pearls (the ones I bought are tricolore!). So I searched the web, looking for some inspiration on how to cook it and make a nice side dish out of it. Luckily, there are a few interesting recipes out there. I picked one for which I pretty much had all of the ingredients… and plunged. I did modify a few things and made it my own.

Just so you know, there’s a common misconception that couscous is a whole grain when in fact, it’s closer to pasta than anything else and is made of semolina flour. The texture and taste really reminds me of pasta. So don’t be surprised if I tell you that it’s not filled with nutrients and fiber. It’s not! If you’d rather get a whole grain and get the good stuff, you can use bulgur, barley or even quinoa with the same recipe. But if you don’t mind the pasta, try this. It’s good and perfect as an accompaniment. I served my dish along with cod and garlic spinach. It was absolutely delicious!

ISRAELI COUSCOUS WITH OLIVES AND ROASTED TOMATOES

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Roasted tomatoes

3 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

5 garlic large garlic cloves, left unpeeled

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup warm water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salt & pepper

Couscous

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups pearls couscous (Israeli)

1 tbsp olive oil

½ cup kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1-2 tbsp sambal oelek (optional, if you like it spicy!)

PREPARATION

Tomatoes and dressing

Preheat your oven at 250˚F.

Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange, cut side up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan. Add garlic to pan and roast in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Let cool for about 30 minutes

Peel the garlic and puree with the oil, water, lemon juice, salt & pepper and ½ cup roasted tomatoes in a small food processor or blender until the dressing is very smooth.

Couscous

In a heavy saucepan, bring the broth to a broil and stir in the couscous. Let simmer, uncovered, for 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Transfer the couscous to a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients, dressing, roasted tomatoes and salt & pepper to taste.

Notes: You can roast your tomatoes and make your dressing a day ahead if you keep them separately covered and chilled.

Inspired By Another Blogger: Adapted Korean Rice Noodles With Vegetables

As a blog writer, I’m always looking for new cooking ideas. As a result, I constantly find great stuff to read on the net. I don’t just write blogs, I’ve also gotten really fond of reading them. If you dig deep, you can find some great stuff out there. People have a lot to say and teach. The only problem is that there are so many blogs you can easily get lost in its web.

Staying at home these days and not working (the joys of maternity leave!), I have extra time to spare which I often spend looking for really interesting new sites. There’s one I found a few weeks back, which is pretty interesting. Just the other day a recipe that was posted inspired me. The guy who put this up, a dad learning to cook, is always trying to find ways to make his toddler eat her vegetables. I don’t feed my baby this kind of food yet but I do have to convince my husband to eat his vegetables. So I thought that this recipe would be a killer success to go along with the salmon I had, which I cooked Asian style. It did work although I have to admit it was hard to get the buk choys out of the plate!

If this recipe also inspires you, have fun with it. I played around with the ingredients and modified quite a few things. As long as you have the basic flavors, your noodles will have that Asian taste which is absolutely great. And it’s super easy to make!  

ADAPTED KOREAN RICE NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES

Makes about 4 portions as an accompaniment

INGREDIENTS

Noodles

150g rice noodles

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms or a 5.5oz can of shiitake, sliced or kept whole

6 oz fresh enoki mushrooms

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 carrot, julienned

About 8 baby bok choy or about 8oz frozen spinach leaves, thawed and drained

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Salt & pepper

Seasoning

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp xérès or sherry vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 scallion, chopped

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, mix all of the seasoning ingredients.

Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Cut the noodles into 5-inches long pieces and throw them in the boiling water. Cook as indicated on the packaging (usually 2 minutes). Drain and keep on the side in a large bowl.

In a wok, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, and onion. Stri-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook until they are soft and golden brown. Add the enoki mushrooms, garlic, scallions, carrot, buk choy (or spinach) and sugar along with the seasoning mix, and stir-fry for another two or three minutes. Remove and transfer to the glass noodles bowl.

Mix the vegetables with the noodles, adding the sesame seeds. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature.