Happy new year!
Yes, it's football time and the Super Bowl is just around the corner, but it's cheese time for me. Why? Because I have another book coming out in the Cheese Shop Mystery series: DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT, so for about a month now, everything is cheese (and possibly some wine).
By the way, starting next week, I'll be doing a book giveaway every week until the launch of my book, so check back in.
In addition to doing the PR work necessary to launch another book, I've been writing the 6th in the series and learning about a horde of new cheeses, like: Hooligan from Cato Corner or Tarentaise from Thistle Farm. I haven't tasted them all. Right now it's reading research, but I'm salivating over the descriptions on all the cheese sites I visit.
To that end, I offer you one of my favorite all-time meals, lasagna - heavy on the cheese! This one, a chicken lasagna, includes all sorts of goodies, like kale. It's high in fiber, zero fat, lots of iron and lots of vitamin K, which helps prevent against cancer.
Chicken-Kale Lasagna
Ingredients:
(serves 6-8)
FOR
THE SAUCE
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1
½ pounds skinless,
boneless chicken thighs
1
small sweet onion, chopped
3
cloves garlic, chopped
3
tablespoons tomato paste
½
cup chardonnay (white wine)
1
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3
bay leaves
¼
cup chopped fresh parsley
1
teaspoon salt
1
teaspoon ground pepper
FOR
THE LASAGNA
1
teaspoon kosher salt
1
pound lasagna noodles
(*real;
not no-boil) (gluten-free okay)
Extra-virgin
olive oil for drizzling
2
cups kale, stems removed
2
large eggs, lightly beaten
30
ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4
cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4
cup MORE chopped fresh parsley
1
teaspoon ground pepper
4
cups grated Mozzarella cheese
(about 1 lb)
2
cups grated Asiago cheese
Directions:
To make the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large (and I mean large) skillet over medium
heat; add the chicken and cook until browned. Turn every minute, for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring,
until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the
wine evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir
in 3 cups water, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and parsley. Add 1 teaspoon
salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to mediu low and
simmer 50 minutes. Using a spoon, break up the chicken. Cook another 20
minutes, until thickened. Remove the bay leaves.
Meanwhile:
Prepare the lasagna according to the package. Bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook (about half what the label
directs). Drain the noodles and drizzle with olive oil; set aside.
Meanwhile:
Place the kale in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup water and ¼
teaspoon salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until tender, about 3
minutes on high. Draing and rinse under cold
water. Press out all the excess water. Stir in the eggs, ricotta, ¼
cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the extra chopped parsley. Add 1 teaspoon
salt and 4-5 grinds of the pepper.
In a separate bowl, toss the Mozzarella, Asiago, and the remaining Paremsan.
Turn on oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 1/3
of the noodles. Overlap, layering long ones first and then short ones
crosswise. Cover with half of the kale-ricotta mixture. Then 2 more cups
sauce. Cover with half of the Mozzarella cheese mixture.
Repeat the layers (noodles, kale-ricotta mixture, sauce, cheese).
Set on a baking sheet. (This will bubble over.)
Loosely cover with foil (you don’t want the foil to stick to the
cheese). Bake 40 minutes, then uncover and bake another 25 minutes. You might
want to raise the heat to 400 degrees F.
Let stand 30 minutes before serving.
What is it about casseroles that they won't hold together when they are piping hot? We couldn't wait the 30 minutes "standing" time recommended. It smelled just too darned good!
REMEMBER, I'm doing a book giveaway starting NEXT WEEK, every week until launch. The books will include either your choice of the first four books in A Cheese Shop Mystery series or the first in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series.
PS INHERIT THE WORD, the second in the Cookbook Nook series, comes out in March! Hmmm. I might do giveaways through the month of February, too. |
******************
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Next up:
Days of Wine and Roquefort Feb 2014, preorder here
Inherit the Word March 2014, preorder here
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That is a serious batch of lasagna!
ReplyDeleteAnd zero fat, of course! ; o)
Zero! It has kale. LOL
DeleteDaryl /Avery
But it sounds perfect for a football party (maybe don't tell the guys it has kale in it:)
ReplyDeleteExactly. Kale? Ew! But it's so good and adds so much moisture.
DeleteDaryl / Avery
Heavens, that sounds good right now. Swiss chard would work well, too, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteThank you, by the way, for sharing so many recipes that can be made gluten-free. I so appreciate that.
Karen, I would bet Swiss chard or spinach would be a good swap. Re: gluten free- you bet ! Helps me too ;)
DeleteDaryl/Avery
This is a great way to add healthy, nutritious greens to great comfort food. Thanks, Daryl /Avery.
ReplyDelete~ Cleo
Agreed. Sneaky veggies ;)
DeleteDaryl/Avery
When's dinner? This looks absolutely divine and a very sneaky way to get some greens into a non-vegetable eater!
ReplyDeleteLOL just write Cleo that they're sneaky. Exactly!
DeleteDaryl/Avery
We love chicken lasagna and the kale would really kick it up a notch. Terrific recipe, Daryl. Thanks! You may find us knocking at your door.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
MJ
You are welcome. I mean it. Dinner anytime. The kitchen is open ;)
DeleteDaryl/Avery
Funny, I was just thinking lasagna would be good on these cold nights we're having. Love the chicken in it. That's inspired!
ReplyDelete~Krista