Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
I am sharing a recipe for a lovely meatless lasagna with you today. Hello Meatless Monday! This delicious vegetable lasagna is rich and so scrumptious that I can promise you that you will not miss the meat!
This recipe is for a fabulously tasty Butternut Squash & Goat's Cheese Lasagna. It makes a delicious use of the fresh Butternut Squash that becoming available to us at this time of year.
I adore butternut squash. It is one of my favorite of the winter squashes. Sweet and bright, it just lifts everything it touches!
I just adore the Winter squashes, such as Butternut. These squashes differ from the summer squashes in that they have thick hard skins and are much better for storing over long periods of time.
Pumpkin is considered a Winter squash, along with Butternut, Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling and a host of others They seem to be coming up with new varieties all the time.
Winter squash is a vegetable you either love or loathe I suppose. I am from the love it camp! Especially when I incorporate it into tasty hearty dishes such as the one I am sharing with you today!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH & GOATS CHEESE LASAGNA
Pretty simple ingredients for the most part, except for maybe the cheeses. There are three different cheeses used, but what a beautiful combination!
For the Bechamel:
- 3 ½ cups (840ml) whole milk
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
- 1 thick slice of peeled onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 3 ½ TBS butter
- 3 ½ TBS flour
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- ½ tsp sat
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the filling:
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds in weight)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ TBS dried sage
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup (115g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (130g) grated gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup (135g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (120g) crumbled soft goat’s cheese
You will also need about half a pound of fresh lasagna sheets. I know this looks like a long list, but trust me when I tell you that every mouthful will be worth all of the extra work and ingredients!
For something like this I like to grate my own cheeses. I use my micro-plane grater for the Parmesan and a box grater for the Gruyere.
I love Gruyere cheese. It has such a beautiful sweet nutty flavor that goes very well with the flavor of the squash!
The goats cheese is just crumbled.
The squash for this lasagna is pan fried in a skillet until lightly caramelized with onions garlic and fresh sage leaves before combining with chopped toasted walnuts. Toasting your nuts really helps to enhance their nuttiness. You can leave the nuts out if you are allergic or not a nut lover.
You could also substitute another kind of nut for the walnuts if you wish. Pistachios or Pecans both work very well.
As with any lasagna, once you have the sauce made and the filling ingredients combined, it is as simple as layering everything up in a baking dish along with the cheeses. Cook for a time covered and then finish off uncovered.
.jpeg "Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Lasagna")
This really is delicious. So rich and flavor filled. With plenty of texture. It is one of my favorite meatless lasagna's.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
.jpeg "Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Lasagna")
With it's rich béchamel and those three lush cheeses, not to mention that fabulously delicious butternut squash filling, this is a dish that will have even the carnivore's in the family coming back for seconds!
Admittedly there are some who must have meat. If you have some of those in your house, you may want to try these delicious meaty lasagna's!
CHICKEN AND HAM LASAGNA - Not your traditional lasagna. Deliciously different and makes good use of leftover cooked chicken and ham. Combined with a rich cheesy sauce and spinach, this always goes down a real treat!
EASY HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL LASAGNA - A good homemade Lasagna recipe should be a part of of every home-cook's repertoire! Its something that is very easy to make, and which most people love to eat. Italian comfort food at its very best. Its one of those things that can very easily be made up ahead of time and it freezes like a dream. With tender pasta noodles, a deliciously meaty tomato sauce, a rich cheese filling and béchamel topping, this easy lasagna recipe has been a firm favorite in my home for many years.
Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Lasagna
Yield: 6
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 45 M
This delicious lasagna can be prepared right up to the point of baking a day ahead of time. Just cover and refrigerate until needed. This makes it a great recipe to use when you are entertaining.
Ingredients
For the Bechamel:
- 3 ½ cups (840ml) whole milk
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
- 1 thick slice of peeled onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 3 ½ TBS butter
- 3 ½ TBS flour
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- ½ tsp sat
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the filling:
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds in weight)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ TBS dried sage
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup (115g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (130g) grated gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup (135g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (120g) crumbled soft goat’s cheese
You will also need:
- 1/2 pound fresh lasagna sheets
Instructions
- First make the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, garlic, slice of onion, bay leaf and parsley sprig into a saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Cover and remove from the heat. Set aside for ten minutes to infuse the milk with the flavors of the aromatics.
- Melt the butter for the béchamel in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for about one minute.
- Strain the milk and slowly whisk it into the saucepan until the mixture is smooth and beginning to thicken.
- Reduce to a very low temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes until the flour is well cooked and the sauce is nicely thickened, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with ½ tsp salt, some black pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside.
- Peel the butternut squash and dice it into ½ inch sized cubes.
- Chop two of the garlic cloves together with the parsley. Mix together with the sage.
- Heat 2 TBS of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and chopped squash. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the temperature to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes or so, until the squash is fairly tender and beginning to caramelize in a few spots.
- Stir in the garlic herb mixture along with the chopped nuts. Cook for a few minutes longer and then remove to a bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Butter a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
- Spread ½ cup of the béchamel in the dish.
- Lay 1/3 of the noodles over top.
- Cover these with half of the squash mixture.
- Spoon over 1 cup more of the béchamel.
- Sprinkle half of the gruyere cheese and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and ½ of the goat’s cheese.
- Repeat layering one more time.
- Place the remaining noodles on top (Third layer.)
- Spread the remaining sauce over top and then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Spray a sheet of tinfoil with some non-stick cooking spray and loosely tent the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about half an hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes longer until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares to serve.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
I confess to having a huge weakness for Macaroni and Cheese. It wasn't something my mother ever really made for us when we were growing up, but something which I had at my friend's houses. I loved it then. I love it now.
There is no shortage of macaroni and cheese recipes here on the blog. Can you ever have too many recipes for mac and cheese? I think not!
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
That's why when I saw this recipe on the NY Times page for Southern Macaroni and Cheese the other day I just had to print it out! The recipe was adapted from one by Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx.
Reading through the recipe and looking at the photograph I knew that it was a version of macaroni and cheese that I wanted to try, so I thought I would adapt it for a small batch recipe.
Small batch or not, it still makes four servings of the most decadent, rich and creamy macaroni and cheese you could ever want to eat! I kid you not!!
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
It probably also has about a bazillion you don't want to know how many calories in it! I daren't even think about it. There is a reason why southern cooking is so delicious. Its loaded with tons of rich decadence and calories.
This is meant to be a treat. A once in a blue moon kind of a dish. One that you reserve for special occasions. With plenty of cheese and a gooey molten cheesy center, as delicious as it is, this is one you will only want to eat on very rare occasions!!
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
Having said that however, it is also one of the easiest macaroni and cheese recipes I have ever made. There was very little fuss and no muss. No need to make a cheese sauce.
You just cook the macaroni, drain, and stir in everything else, layering the mixture in a buttered dish with a layer of cheese in the middle, and bake. You really can't get much easier!
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SOUTHERN MAC & CHEESE
Simple every day ingredients. You will want to make sure that you use the best quality of these that you can.
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces (2 cups 228g) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (240ml) full fat milk
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces/241g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces/130g) grated Jack cheese, divided
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
The recipe calls for elbow macaroni. I know that this is not something which is easily accessible in the UK. Just use the tubular macaroni that you can find there. Once in a while I could find the elbows at ASDA, but in the Greek food section Weird that!
You want to use a really good quality sharp cheddar cheese. I used a brand of strong cheddar that is imported from the UK that I really love. Cathedral City. I remember bringing a large package of it home with me when I came back to visit my parents a few years after I had been in the UK.
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
I just knew that my father would love it. It was confiscated at the air port. I had no idea you couldn't bring it in. Back then anyways. It might be different now.
Did you know that they have food sniffing dogs at the airport? I also tried to take all beef hotdogs back to the UK when I returned. Also confiscated. I gave up trying to bring food back and forth. I don't know how my ex boss got away with it!
She brought back food all the time. She had a rule. Never throw out any American food, even if it was out of date. She said it cost her too much to bring it over. But I digress.
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
Don't be tempted to use low fat milk. I don't think you would get the same rich silky milk/egg base that you get from using full fat milk.
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN MAC & CHEESE
Nothing could be easier. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente according to the package directions. (Mine took 5 minutes.)
Drain the macaroni well. Rinse with cold water until cold and then drain well again.
Whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl. Add the cold macaroni along with 1 cup (4.25 ounces/120g) of the cheddar cheese, butter, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well together to combine.
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
Pour half of the macaroni mixture into your baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of the Jack cheese (97g) sprinkling it over the macaroni to cover. Top with the remaining macaroni mixture, spreading it out evenly. Cover the casserole dish tightly with a sheet of foil.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler/grill of your oven to high.
Uncover and sprinkle the remainder of both cheeses over top of the macaroni evenly. Pop the casserole beneath the heated broiler/grill and grill for a further 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown in spots. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
.JPG "Southern Mac & Cheese")
And that's it. Nothing could be easier or more decadent. This is pure indulgence
If you are wanting a mac and cheese that won't quite send your arteries into a panic attack, might I suggest the following:
BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE - This is a much healthier version where half of the pasta is replaced with cauliflower and broccoli. Its fabulously tasty. I can promise you that you won't miss the extra pasta!
SKINNY MAC AND CHEESE - This recipe uses whole wheat pasta and also contained cauliflower, plus it uses lower fat cheese and milk. In using whole wheat pasta and then cutting down the amount by replacing some of it with cauliflower, you are using good carbs and increasing the protein and fiber in the dish in a good way. Its really delicious also! You can't go wrong!
Southern Mac & Cheese
Yield: 4
Cook time: 40 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 55 Min
I thought I had already tasted the ultimate in mac and cheese until I tasted this. This is incredibly rich and delicious with a gooey, molten center. Its meant to be a once in a blue moon treat. I would save it for special occasions! Its also very easy to make in comparison to other recipes with there being no requirement to make a cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 8 ounces (2 cups 228g) elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (240ml) full fat milk
- 1 large free range egg
- 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces/241g) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces/130g) grated Jack cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook to al dente according to the package directions. (Mine took 5 minutes.)
- Drain the macaroni well. Rinse with cold water until cold and then drain well again.
- Whisk together the milk and egg in a large bowl. Add the cold macaroni along with 1 cup (4.25 ounces/120g) of the cheddar cheese, butter, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir well together to combine.
- Pour half of the macaroni mixture into your baking dish. Top with 3/4 cup of the Jack cheese (97g) sprinkling it over the macaroni to cover. Top with the remaining macaroni mixture, spreading it out evenly.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with a sheet of foil.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler/grill of your oven to high.
- Uncover and sprinkle the remainder of both cheeses over top of the macaroni evenly. Pop the casserole beneath the heated broiler/grill and grill for a further 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown in spots.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
Lumberjack Macaroni. I am sharing a bit of nostalgia here with you today by sharing a recipe which has been around since 1950. This is a recipe I first tasted as a child in about 1963, and it is a taste that has stayed with me in my taste memory for the rest of my life.
I must apologize as well for the photos today. I left it so late in the day to take them and so I wasn't able to use natural light as I normally do.
My father was in the Airforce when I was growing up. We lived for a time on a small base in Gimli, Manitoba. I went to a small local school which was located in the married quarters area of the base. The townies also attended the same school.
The fact was, there were not enough married quarters for all the personnel and so many lived in the actual town itself.
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
We had enough time to go home at lunch time for our dinner and a bus from the base took the townies home to get their lunch. I remember once being invited to lunch at one of my townie friend's homes.
It was very exciting going on a bus for one thing, and also very exciting to be able to eat a meal in someone else's home for another!
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
Her mother served Lumberjack Macaroni, which was a completely new flavor/taste for me! My mom never made macaroni and cheese. Never. My father didn't like things like that. She would never have gotten away with serving something like this to my father, as much as we children would have loved it.
I thought the dish to be absolutely delicious! Not only did we ever get macaroni and cheese at home, but my mom never used things like Heinz Chili Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or Velveeta. These were completely new things to me.
I can remember watching her mother make it (ever the foodie even at that age), and asking her about the different things in the dish. For me, it was love at first bite.
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
It was something I was never to taste again, for many, many years, but like most taste memories, it is something which stayed with me and which I often thought of.
This recipe was one that I found in Lost Recipes, by Betty Crocker. It was one of the recipes published in their very first cookbook in 1950 and was attributed to Mr. James Ford Bell, who was the founder of General Mills. It was said to be his favorite recipe.
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
It sounded just like the recipe that my friend's mother had made for us for our lunch all those years ago. I had earmarked it to try myself one day.
I was feeling very nostalgic today and had all of the ingredients to hand and so I decided to finally try it out to see if it was as good as I had remembered it being!!!
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LUMBERJACK MACARONI
This recipe requires very few ingredients. I have sized it for two people, but you can easily double everything to feed more.
- 1 cup (116g) uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (115g) processed cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 heaped TBS of chili sauce
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- pinch of black pepper
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
Some of these ingredients might be a bit difficult for you to find in the UK, so I will try to give you the best substitutions to use. Your children will love this.
Elbow macaroni is not something that is found very easily in the UK. You can just use ordinary straight macaroni.
You will not find Velveeta Cheese either. You can use process cheese slices cut up to equal the same amount that is required.
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
Chili sauce is not something which is easily found in the UK either, but you do have some lovely red tomato chutney's. I recommend using an equivalent amount of red tomato chutney. It won't be as smooth as the chili sauce, but the flavor should be about the same.
Chili sauce is a bit like a spicy tomato ketchup. So its a bit spicy. A bit sweet. A bit tart. Its quite delicious actually, but so is red tomato chutney!
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
HOW TO MAKE LUMBERJACK MACARONI
It really could not be easier. This is a real doddle and goes all together in one pan. It is perfect for a quick, simple and delicious lunch.
Cook the macaroni in a pot of lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain well.
Return to the pot and add the remaining ingredients.
Cook and stir over medium heat until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
You could serve this simply with some bread and butter. Crisp vegetable sticks or a small mixed salad would also go very well on the side.
.JPG "Lumberjack Macaroni")
Some other quick, easy and delicious lunch/supper dishes that the children might enjoy are:
HAM AND CHEESE BOW TIES - This is a very delicious mac and cheese type of casserole made with bow tie pasta (Farfalle) and cubed ham in a lush garlicky cheese sauce. It really is very simple to make and quite, quite delicious!
EASY CHILI MAC AND CHEESE - This uses store cupboard ingredients. In the main boxed Macaroni and Cheese dinner. Over here you can find it in the shops and its called Cheesy Mac, in North America you can use Kraft Mac and Cheese, or the equivalent. One box will do. You will also need some cheese and a can of ready made chili con carne. Its fabulously tasty and such a simple make.
MAC AND CHEESE PIE - This is a great dish to make on those nights when you are wanting to make something quick and easy but something that the family will still enjoy. Macaroni and Cheese is a popular dish with most people, but when its also a pie, that's a win/win! Plus it all cooks in the one dish. No fuss. No muss.
Lumberjack Macaroni
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
A simple yet tasty lunch. A bit of nostalgia from my childhood, this recipe appeared in the first edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook in 1950. Double the ingredients to feed four.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (116g) uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (115g) processed cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1 heaped TBS of chili sauce
- 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in a pot of lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain well.
- Return to the pot and add the remaining ingredients.
- Cook and stir over medium heat until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
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