Monday, March 30, 2009

DB- Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge. I was pretty excited about this one as I've always wanted to make my own pasta- I've been dying for the KitchenAid pasta maker attachment- but just haven't gotten around to it. I was also a little doubtful about making it without a pasta machine. But these directions tell you how to do by hand so I dove right in.
First, I made the ragu sauce. Instead of making the one given, I used the one I usually use in lasagne, which is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. I didn't have the bechamel sauce I usually use since I'm out of town, so I used the one given.
The recipe for the pasta is pretty straightforward and uses spinach, whcih sounded pretty yummy. Mine was pretty dry so I added some water, divided it in quarters and rolled it out.The cut pieces weren't very pretty, but since it was all going in a pan and covered with sauce, I figured it was ok.I cooled the bechamel sauce in an ice bath and got ready to assemble. I assemble my lasagne in a greased pan starting with a little sauce, noodles, sauce, bechamel, cheese- repeated 3 times. For the top, I use noodles, sauce, cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
I baked mine in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, and then let it sit for about 15 minutes before serving.This recipe was really good. I loved the spinach pasta. I needed to season the sauce better- it needed salt. Overall, it was a hit with my family. I'll have to make it again when my husband is in town. Although, I don't feel too badly since he's in Italy having the real thing!Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)
Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)#3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of béchamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:
Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

#1 Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
Preparation: 45 minutes
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:
Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

#2 Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

#3 Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)
Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours
Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.
Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.
Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Monday, March 23, 2009

TWD- Berry Crumb Cake

This week's yummy recipe was chosen by Sihan of Befuddlement (Fundamentally Flawed). The recipe seems like a breakfast cake, but I made it for a family dinner and it was great with ice cream! I used mixed frozen berries (blackberries, raspberries and blueberries). The crumb topping didn't turn out great; for some reason it sunk to the bottom so there was this yummy brown sugar crunch at the bottom of some of the pieces. Weird.Anyway, this was a great recipe! Thanks Sihan for the great pick!

Friday, March 20, 2009

CS Bakers- Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake

This month's Cake Slice Bakers' cake was Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake. Normally, I'm not a citrus-flavored dessert fan, especially in cakes and cookies. And as I was looking over this recipe, I thought it was a LOT of lemon- a lightly lemon flavored cake, filled with lemon curd, and frosted with a lemon whipped cream (I subbed Italian Meringue Buttercream flavored with a touch or lemon). Sidenote- Can someone please tell me what is up with frosting cakes with plain or lightly flavored whipped cream??!! We've done about 3 so far!! Whipped cream is not a good frosting!
I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the results! I thought this cake was so fabulous, as did my family and our guests. I did think the lemon curd was pretty strong, but my husband assured me that it was just my "pregnant tastebuds." This seemed to prove true when inspecting my 3 year old's slice- she ate the curd and frosting and left the cake. This rascal didn't even leave the cake behind.
Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake
Adapted from SKY HIGH IRRESISTIBLE TRIPLE LAYER CAKES By Alisa Huntmans and Peter Wynne
FOR THE CAKE:
MAKES A 9-INCH TRIPLE LAYER CAKE
  • 8 eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 1 and 3/4 cups of cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
    1. Preheat the oven to 350degrees F. Line the bottoms of three 9-inch pans with parchment paper but do not butter or grease the pans.
    2. In a med-large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water.
    3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until light and frothy. Slowly add 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
    4. Sift the flour, remaining sugar, baking soda , and salt into a large bowl. Whisk gently to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg yolk mixture and mix to create a smooth paste. Add one-fourth of the egg whites and fold in to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites and divide the batter among the three pans.
    5. bake for about 16 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool in the pans. Once cool run a knife around the cake to in order to un-mold the cakes. Carefully pull off the parchment paper from the bottoms of the cakes.
    6. To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand. Top with a heaping 1/4 cup of lemon curd and spread it evenly. Repeat with the remaining layers. Frost the top of the cake and the sides with the lemon cream frosting.
RICH LEMON CURD
MAKES 1 CUP
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
  • grated zest of three lemons
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temp.
  1. Whisk together the whole eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice , and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Transfer to a small non-reactive saucepan. Gently heat the mixture, whisking until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. make sure not to boil the mixture. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and cover the curd with plastic making sure the plastic touches the curd. This should prevent a skin from forming on the curd. Refrigerate until cold. Then remove 3 tablespoons of curd and set it aside for the icing.
LEMON CREAM FROSTING
MAKES 3 AND 1/4 CUPS
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 3 tablespoon of lemon curd
  1. Whip the cream and sugar in a large chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in the lemon curd, forming a stiff frosting.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

TWD- French Yogurt Cake with Chocolate Sauce

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by My Cookbook Addiction for French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze. Not being a marmalade fan, I omitted the glaze and made Dorie's Chocolate Sauce instead. This cake is really quite good. The texture is somewhat reminiscent of cornbread, but more moist and a firmer crumb. I used vanilla yogurt and omitted the lemon zest. The yogurt only gave it a slight background tang. My husband, who spends a lot of time in Italy for work, LOVED this cake because it was so European-tasting. I especially liked it with Dorie's Chocolate Sauce!Check out Liliana's blog for the great recipe!

Monday, March 9, 2009

TWD- Vanilla Cup Custard

Finally back to TWD- I'm staying home with my kids full time now (yay!) but somehow I have a lot less time than I did when I was working. How's that?
Anyway, this week was a custard chosen by
Bridget. After reading the P&Q, I wasn't sure about making it- EVERYONE said it was eggy and not the greatest. But since I didn't make last week's prune cake, and I had already made the week's before toffee bars, I decided to make this. Dis
A
Point
Ed
Eggy? yes.
Flavorful? No
Some people said it was similar to flan, but I didn't really think so. I was hoping to pass this off as tonight's Family Night treat, but I guess I'll have to come up with something else!Check out Bridget's blog for the recipe (if you still want to! :) )!