Leftovers...Lasagna Rolls Stuffed with Mushrooms, Scallions And Prosciutto

Several years ago I saw the recipe below on the Food Channel and it looked so good I got in the car and went to the store for the ingredients I was missing.  I don't think I made it more than once or twice after that until today.

Now, I'm not one to throw away anything so I already had  plans for some beatiful reconstituted French mushrooms that were left over from last night's stuffed tomatoes. I also found some leftover prosciutto in the freezer from another meal and 3 scallions in the vegetable compartment of my refrigerator.  That, my friends, was going to be dinner tonight.

For some reason these rolls came to mind except I did not have regular lasagna noodles in my pantry but I did have the no bake lasagna I sometimes use in a pinch. So here's what I did:

I placed 6 strips of lasagna noodles (Barilla) in hot water for about 15 minutes to soften.  Rinse and dry in paper towels.

Finely chop the mushrooms ( about 1/2 Cup) the prosciutto (1/4 cup) the 3 scallions and 3 cloves garlic.   Melt 2 TB butter in a skillet and add first the garlic and then the rest of the ingredients.  If you have parsley, be my guest.  Sauteed for 5 mins. and set aside to cool.  In another pan I make a cup of bechamel (you can follow the procedure below) and add 2 TB to cooled mushrooms mixture to bind.

Place about 1 TB mushroom mix in lasagna strip and roll up.  Make 6 of these.

In 2 gratin dishes, spread about 1 TB of the bechamel and then lay 3 lasagna rolls on each.   Cover with the rest of the bechamel and sprinkled Parmesan cheese (a lot!).

Set oven to 375 degrees,  cook them covered in tinfoil for about 20 minutes, uncover and cook until the cheese is bubbly and they are golden on top.

I did not put any marinara sauce over the bechamel (even though I had some also frozen), because I really just wanted a white sauce on mine; but you can certainly do so if you want.

Serves 2

Here's the original recipe:

LASAGNA ROLLS
Giada de Laurentiis courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour (I used 2 TB for my recipe)
1 1/4 cups whole milk (I used 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Here’s How:

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle.

Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.

Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Enjoy!


Photocredit top photo
 Olive Latestrecipe.net

Mushroom and Stilton Galette Simplified

There is a recipe from Williams Sonoma Seasonal Celebrations Series, Autumn cookbook that has made the rounds in the foodie blogosphere.  It is wonderful but rather time consuming in the making.  The problem comes with the dough which has to be frozen a couple of times before going into the oven.  I tried it tonight without all the fuzz and it was wonderful.

To begin with, I did not put the flour and butter in the freezer; but if you wish to proceed with this step may I suggest you do that the night before.  I added all the pastry ingredients to the bowl of the Cuisinart and pulsated 6 or 7 times until it all came together.  Then I stuck it in the freezer for an hour.

I skipped the dried mushrooms (step #2) and went straight to sauteing the fresh porcini, shiitakes and bella mushrooms I had.  For the cheese, I substituted Gruyere but I can't wait to make it with Stilton or Roquefort,

White vermouth was added to the mushrooms and reduced before adding the mushrooms to the tart.

This makes a great Fall lunch accompanied with a salad and a glass of dry French rose.

Serves 4

Ingredients


For the pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into

pieces

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:

1/4 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini or shiitakes

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup sliced green onions

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 lb. assorted fresh wild mushrooms, such as

chanterelles, porcini and shiitakes, brushed

clean and large mushrooms thinly sliced

1/2 lb. fresh button mushrooms, brushed clean

and thinly sliced

1/4 cup white Vermouth (optional)

5 ounces Stilton or other good-quality blue cheese (for a mild flavor use Gruyere)


Procedure

1. To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. (I put everything in the food processor and pulsed 6 -8 times until it came together) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I stuck it in the freezer)

2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes until softened. Drain the mushrooms and mince finely. ( I skipped this step..I told you, it is simplified)

3. Preheat an oven to 400°F.

4. In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the green onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Increase the heat to high, add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms, and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid they released has completely evaporated, 8 minutes.  Add vermouth and reduce. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

5. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Crumble the blue cheese into a bowl, add the cooled mushrooms and stir well. Spread the mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the mushrooms and cheese, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Easy Mushroom Pate - Great for Cocktails!

From Steamy Kitchen comes this wonderfully simple and delicious appetizer!

A great vegetarian pate that only takes 15 minutes to prepare. Great for spreading on little toast rounds or bread. The secret ingredient is a little touch of good quality balsamic vinegar. I have also added two cloves of mashed garlic to flavor the oil.  Make sure you remove them before adding the mushrooms.

This recipe makes a nice big batch, enough for a dinner party. If you want a more smooth, silky pate, add more olive oil.


Prep Time 2 Minutes
Cook Time 15 Minutes
Difficulty Easy 

Ingredients

8 ounces Sliced Mushrooms (any)

1 whole Onion

2 garlic cloves, mashed

2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley

¼ cups Olive Oil, Divided

1 teaspoon Sea Salt Or Kosher Salt (1/3 Teaspoon Table Salt)

¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Preparation

1. Heat a large saute pan or frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add just 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and saute 2-3 minutes.  Add the onions and saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove garlic.

2. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms and onions are browned, about 8 minutes. Makes sure you don’t burn the onion (you can keep the heat on low if you need to).

3. Add the balsamic vinegar and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pour all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chop very finely until almost like a paste. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Stuffed Mushrooms

It's been ages since I made these but a recent article in the New York Times prompted me to try them again.

Here’s how I make them (figure five or six ounces of medium-sized mushrooms per person). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

 For a pound of mushrooms mince a large shallot and sweat it in olive oil with salt and chopped thyme leaves. At this point you can also add some finely diced prosciutto or speck.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from the mushrooms by pushing them one way then the other: they should pop out fairly cleanly, but if a lot is left behind you can pick it out with a finger or a little spoon. Mince these fairly fine, either with a knife or in a food processor — but do not make a puree, just tiny pieces.

Once the shallots are soft, add the chopped mushroom stems and cook over medium-low heat until much of their liquid has disappeared. Let the mushroom mixture cool, add a small handful of grated parmesan (optional) and a larger handful of dryish breadcrumbs: if yours are too fresh, you can toast them in an oiled skillet, being careful not to let them burn. At this point you can add pepper and perhaps chopped parsley or a little more thyme. Check for salt.

Put olive oil into a baking dish and roll the mushroom caps in it to grease them. Using a teaspoon, fill the caps with stuffing, not too tightly. The amazing thing is that there will always be just the right amount, with maybe half a teaspoonful left over for the cook. Sometimes, I make a small (1/8-inch) dice of good bread and sauté it in olive oil until crisp, then top each filled mushroom with a few of these, for crunch.

Bake for 30 minutes or so, and serve tepid.

Adapted from The New York Times

Elegant Leftovers...Curried Chicken & Mushroom Gratin

What do you do with Roast Chicken leftovers when all of a sudden they become the main event?

This afternoon, my daughter called around 5 p.m. (after telling me in the morning she wouldn't be home for dinner) to tell me her plans had been cancelled and could she, instead, bring a co worker for dinner. Oh my! Chicken croquettes were out of the question and so was my Chicken a la King (no pastry shells in the freezer and no vermouth or white wine) Sooo, how about I turn that into a gratin and maybe add a dash of vodka, which I always keep in the freezer! I seldom get caught by surprise, but with this move, which has been hard on both of us, there is no well stocked pantry to speak of; but there is always improvisation and that is where usually some of our most original recipes come from.

This gratin is really a Chicken a la King , an old favorite of the 1950's, which went the way of the quiche of the l980's. Everybody got sick and tired of it, but my family never did and I serve it often, especially to the ladies who lunch. They love it! still, after all these years. In this case, the vodka got the better part of my imagination and I thought of adding a little curry and fennel and pray for the best. After all, who would be the wiser? The result? pretty good, pretty good, with rants and raves from daughter and guest. A nice green salad is all you need to accompany this dish.

P. S. Notice I left out the vodka, that is optional!


Serves 4


Ingredients

1/2 roast chicken
8 TB butter
2 cloves of garlic, mashed and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small box of mushrooms, cut in small pieces
1 small can chopped pimientos
6 TB flour
3 Cups of warm milk
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. curry powder
Salt & Pepper
Panko
Paprika, dash
Extra butter to dot over gratin


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut the chicken in one inch pieces and set aside. Add 2 Tb butter to a skillet and saute the garlic and the chopped onions until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 minutes, set aside.

In another pan you are going to make a bechamel sauce. Melt the remaining 6 TB of butter, add 6 TB flour and stir with a whisk for a minute (this is called a roux) Add the fennel and curry powder. Mix well. Add the 3 cups of warm milk, a little at a time, and stir until it comes to a boil. Do not let it boil, once you see the first bubbles you are done!

Add the onions and mushrooms to the bechamel, add the chicken pieces, the pimientos and salt and pepper to taste.

Distribute evenly in four gratin dishes, spread Panko to cover and sprinkle a dash of paprika. Dot with butter on top. Cook in a 400 degree oven until it begins to bubble. Place in the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown. Don't answer the phone! Serve immediately.

Cook's Note: You can freeze the gratins before dotting with butter and cooking in the oven. When ready to cook, take out of the oven and cook at 350 instead of 400 degrees, until it starts to bubble. It will take about 45 - 50 minutes.