Veggie Lasagna

This meal is a great way to eats loads of veggies, and enjoy them. I tried to really lower the fat and calorie count by limiting the butter and using reduced fat items. I also used whole wheat lasagna noodles for a little added fiber. You would never know you were eating a reduced fat lasagna unless I told you. So here's how you make it.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 carrots

2 heads of broccoli

10 cups fresh spinach (or about 4 cups cooked spinach)

1 small onion

4 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup flour

cooking spray

2 tbsp. butter

1 cup reduced fat grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

6 cups 1% or 2% milk

3 tbsp. cream

1/2 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

The first thing to do is bring water to a rolling boil in a deep pot. Liberally salt the water and add the pasta. Next, finely dice the onions and add to a non-stick pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the onions, allowing them to cook on medium heat. Next julienne the carrots so you have little matchstick pieces. I have this really nifty tool that looks like a peeler, but juliennes instead. While this is going on, take a pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes. You don't want to cook it longer than that because the veggies will continue to cook after the lasagna is assembled, and no one likes mushy veggies. Take the broccoli out of the pot and cut in small pieces. in the pan with the onions, add the spinach and allow it to cook well. After it has shrunk down and released most of it's liquid, drain and add the other veggies.

Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You might need to add a little more cooking spray to the veggies so they don't stick. Next take your zester and grate about 2 or 3 cloves of garlic into this mix. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes and then set aside. In a saucepan add the butter and flour and create a roux. Add the milk and cream and whisk well. Once the sauce is incorporated well, grate the garlic clove and nutmeg and blend. To this, add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and allow the sauce to thicken. Turn off the heat. Periodically, check on the noodles and drain once they're al dente. Maybe a little firmer than al dente since they'll continue to cook in the oven. Now you're ready to assemble.
Place a ladle of the sauce to the bottom of your pan, and begin to line with the lasagna noodles. Next take a liberal amount of veggies and spread evenly over this mix. Add a light layer of mozzarella and a little more sauce. Next add another layer of noodles and continue assembling. You should end with a layer of noodles on top to which you'll add a little sauce. The thing I love about this lasagna is that the veggies still have a little bite to them. Cooking veggies too much removes a lot of the valuable antioxidants and minerals from them. If you like you can eve skip the blanching process all together. I just blanch the broccoli because its quite fibrous, but it certainly wouldn't be the end of the world if you just threw the pieces in raw and allowed them to cook in the oven. In a zip lock bag, add the Ritz crackers and crush with a rolling pin. Add them to a pan and spray with a little pam. Add these crumbs to the top of your lasagna and bake for about 30 minutes.

Tiramisu

This is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  If it is on the menu I am always tempted to order it.  I love the flavors and textures in this amazing treat.

For the Sabayon and Cream mixture:
10 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Marsala wine or brandy
2 cups whipping cream
6 tbsp. sugar (for the whipping cream)
2 8 oz. containers of Mascarpone
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin ( I used kosher gelatin)

Using a double boiler, bring the water to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the eggs and sugar to a pot and with a hand mixer (or by whipping by hand) begin to beat the eggs and cream together. After beating for about one minute, add the Marsala. Keep on beating this mixture. You'll do this for what feels like an eternity- but its actually only like 8 minutes. This part is really important because you want to make sure the eggs are cooked and no one gets sick from salmonella poisoning. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula frequently. After about 8 minutes, put this mix in a container and refrigerate until completely cooled.

In a separate bowl, begin to whip the cream until it forms nice peaks. Remember to add the sugar while whipping. next take your sabayon from the fridge and begin to genlty mix with the whipping cream. To this add the mascarpone and begin to fold into the mix. Lastly, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and add to this cream mixture.

More ingredients you'll need:
2 packages lady fingers
1 1/2 cups espresso
1/2 cup coffee liquer
1/4 cup Disaronno
2 tbsp. sugar

To assemble take a 9x13 pan and begin laying the lady fingers on the bottom of the pan. The method of assembling a tiramisu is a lot like how you would make a lasagna. Once the lady fingers are in place, mix the coffee, liqueurs, and sugar. Take a tablespoon and begin to soak the lady fingers. I would say that two spoonfuls of this mixture per lady finger is good. Once all the lady fingers in this layer are soaked, spoon the cream mixture over them. Next lay another layer of the lady fingers and repeat the soaking process. You can make as many layers as you like. I only did four layers. Two layers of lady fingers and two of cream. You should always end with a cream layer on top. Refrigerate for at least four hours or over night. Right before serving, dust with instant coffee and good quality cocoa powder.

Salmon Piccata, Herbed-Linguine, Salad & Garlic Bread

This salmon Piccata was done exactly as I did when I made the Turkey Piccata dish- except I didn't pound the salmon fillets as that would destroy the flakiness not to mention shape of the fish. Either way, here's the recipe for the Salmon:

8 pieces salmon- filleted, skin removed
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp.  light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion
3 tbsp. capers
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Season the fish with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the salmon and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the salmon. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.

For the linguine:
1 box linguine
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 large shallot
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, slice the shallots and garlic and saute in a large pan with butter and olive oil once the shallots and garlic are tender, add the white wine and allow it to cook down a little bit before tossing the pasta in. To this add the parsley, salt, pepper and cheese and combine well.

For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 a small purple cabbage
2 carrots
1 bottle hearts of palm

Chop the romaine lettuce and cabbage well. Julienne the carrots and slice the hearts of palm. Assemble the salad by adding the lettuce, then pile the cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and heart of palm. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.