seafood birthday dinner for my father

My father's birthday is not until January but since I won't be in France any more by then, my stepmother and I decided to have a pre-Christmas / Birthday dinner tomorrow.  The inspiration from this came from this 'Italian Christmas' TV show we were watching.  My father adores seafood so we decided to do an entirely seafood dinner.  So the plan is as follows: Buy many delicious things from the Ferney-Voltaire market

To start with:

24 Oysters - Huîtres fines de claires - Marennes Oléron - n° 2
2 Sea Urchins
toasty baguette


and then:
Baccala on toasty baguette
Venetian Seafood Salad

To finish:

Lobster and Mascarpone Ravioli

The Baccala recipe i'm going to use is from epicurious:

• 1 1/2 pound choice-grade skinless boneless salt cod, rinsed well
• 1 1/2 quart water
• 3 celery ribs, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup small pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Put cod in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Soak cod, chilled, changing water 3 times a day, for 24-36 hours. Drain and chill until ready to use.
Drain cod and transfer to a 5- to 6-quart pot with 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. (Cod will just flake; do not boil or it will become tough.) Gently transfer cod with a slotted spoon to a platter to cool slightly.
Shred cod and stir together with celery, garlic, olives, parsley, and basil.
Stir together lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and oil, then pour over salad, tossing to coat well. Season with pepper and chill, covered, at least 1 1/2 hours for flavors to develop. 


 The Venetian seafood salad recipe is from The Food Network

Ingredients
For the seafood and poaching liquid:

• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small onion, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon kosher sald
  
• 2 quarts water
• 1 pound cleaned calamari, cut into 1-inch-thick rings
• 1/2 pound sea or bay scallops, foot removed
• 1 pound medium to large shrimp
• 1 pound octopus

For the salad:

• 1 cup julienned tender celery
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1/2 cup seeded and julienned red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup seeded and julienned yellow bell pepper
• 1 scallion (white part only), julienned
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons) or lime juice (about 3 limes)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 cups baby lettuce

Directions: To poach the seafood, you will need a large saucepan fitted with a colander insert. In the bottom of the pan, combine the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Place the calamari in the colander and cook in the simmering water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Place the scallops in the colander and cook until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the water and transfer to the bowl with the calamari (large sea scallops may be cut in half horizontally after cooking; bay scallops may be left whole). Place the shrimp in the colander and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water. Peel, devein, and cut in half horizontally, adding them to the bowl with the calamari and scallops.

Remove the colander from the pan and place the octopus directly in the saucepan, adding more water if necessary to completely cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the octopus to a bowl and rinse under cold running water until octopus is completely cooled, about 5 minutes. Use your fingers and a small paring knife to remove the outer skin. Discard the hard mouth and head sac. Cut the tentacles and octopus on the bias into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl with the other seafood.

To prepare the salad, toss the julienned celery, carrots, bell peppers, scallion, parsley, basil, and garlic together in a serving bowl. Add the seafood and toss. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil and toss well. Season with the salt and generous grindings of pepper. Arrange 1 cup of lettuce on each serving plate. Top with equal portions of the seafood and vegetable mixture, and serve immediately.

Variations: 6 to 8 steamed mussels may be added to the basic recipe and tossed with the other seafood. To extend the recipe and add a new texture dimension, 1/2 cup cubed, peeled, cooked Idaho potatoes and/or 1/2 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) cannelini beans may be added to the basic recipe. Although it isn't traditional, I like this salad with a hint of chopped cilantro, about 2 teaspoons. 

The lobster and mascarpone recipe is from the Food Network

Lobster and Mascarpone Filling:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1/4 cup white wine, preferably Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 pound cooked lobster meat, picked over and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe standard or colored pasta dough recipe follows
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Burro di Tartufo (Truffle Butter):

• 1 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (4-ounce) jar truffles, black or white, finely chopped

Directions
Make lobster and mascarpone filling: Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add brandy. Turning pan away from you, carefully light with match to flambe. Add white wine and cook until reduced to syrup-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Add lobster meat, cooking until just warmed through. Remove from heat and place into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine mascarpone cheese with beaten eggs, chopped basil, nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Add to lobster and shallot mixture and combine well. Taste to adjust seasoning. Cover and set aside. If not using immediately, store in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Create pasta:

Using a pasta roller, roll out pasta into thin sheets. Place ravioli pieces on a floured dishtowel and cover so that pasta does not dry out. Working with 1 ravioli at a time, place a spoonful of filling in the center of 1 ravioli bottom cutout. Using the paint brush, brush egg white all over the pasta edges around the filling. Place the matching ravioli top atop the filling and press to seal the edges, pinching together with a fork. Cover, until all of the ravioli shapes are made. If not using immediately, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a day. If freezing, separate ravioli on a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap until frozen so that ravioli doesn't stick together. Once frozen, store in a freezer-proof sealable plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month.

Make Truffle Butter Sauce: Into the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a paddle attachment, cream until smooth. Add chopped truffles and mix until just blended, being careful not to "cream" the truffles into the butter. Place in bowl, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 5 hours or preferably overnight so that the truffles infuse the butter.

Remove butter and allow it to come to room temperature. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter. Melt until warm – do not let it come to a boil. Keep warm over low heat. 

Meanwhile, bring a large shallow saucepan of salted water to boil. Carefully slide in raviolis. Cook until al dente. About 10 minutes if using ravioli immediately; 12 minutes if using refrigerated ravioli and 15 minutes for frozen. Remove raviolis with a slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to absorb excess water. Place ravioli on plates and drizzle with truffle butter. 

Standard Pasta Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
Salt
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil, optional

As for wines - and this is for Scott :)

We will be starting with a 2007 Comte La Fond Sancerre, moving on to a 2007 Abbe Rous Pinot Gris, and ending with a 2006 Yves Cuilleron Saint Joseph Blanc.

    

My Mother's White Chili

My Mom made this for me today for lunch and it was so delicious that I must make it again soon.

6 cups chicken broth
2 15 oz cans white beans, or 1 cup dried (soaked overnight)
4 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped and sauteed in olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 4 oz cans jalapenos or 6 fresh halapenos diced (up to your spice requirements)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheese for garnish

I would garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with warmed soft shell tacos.

Combine all ingredients in stockpot (except cheese).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 to 1 hour, or longer. Garnish with cheese and serve.
(Serves 6)

Inside out stuffed cabbage

I was first made this recipe by a friend and colleague while on work and visiting the parentals in Geneva - sounds more complicated then it actually is. I also made this recipe right after I got back from a trip (yes I ordered the fresh direct from the airport the day before).  It is slightly changed from the original Gourmet Magazine version.  Because I think it's delicious, nutritious and quite quick, I thought I would feature it.

1 (2-lb) head green cabbage, quartered lengthwise and cored
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground pork or ground beef or 1/2 lb of each
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steamed Japanese rice

 

Place cabbage in a pot large enough to accommodate it with chicken stock, 1 garlic clove (sliced), and a rounded 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook, covered, turning cabbage occasionally, until very tender, about 45 minutes. (Add more broth or water if necessary.)

Meanwhile, cook onion and remaining garlic in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and stir in ground meats along with 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes with their juice, apricots, vinegar, and brown sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Serve in large shallow bowls - rice and cabbage on bottom, sauce poured on top.  Sprinkle with parsley.

YUMMMMM

A different take on Zuppa Arcidossana

I made Mark Bittman's Zuppa Arcidossana last year and it was very good. Today, feeling a bit under the weather, I decided that I needed some soup again. The things I wanted in my soup were meat, starch and veggies. So... this afternoon, I took a chicken carcass out of my freezer, put it in the trusty le creset pot, added water, celery stalks, carrots, an onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and some parsley stalks I had from earlier in the week. Simmered it for a couple hours.

My take on Zuppa Arcidossana

Ingredients
2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3/4 pound sausage (I think it was Turkey but it came out of my freezer so who knows)
1 pound spinach, washed
2 cups of chicken stock (I also added a little bit of water)
1.5 cups cooked pasta (I used pasta that looked like the shells of snails - no idea what they are called)
salt and pepper
1/4 -1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

I then set about chopping up the onion, garlic, carrots and celery.  After this was almost done, I put the turkey sausage in to the big le creuset pot, browned it a little bit then added onions etc and cooked it on medium for about 5-10 min stirring occasionally.

During this time I heated some water in another pot for the pasta.  I boiled pasta and then drained.
I added spinach to the le creuset pot with the sausage and veggie mix, allowed it to wilt and then added chicken stock.
Once the pasta was done and drained, I added this to the soup mix.  I served the soup with some grated parmesan on top.  I would also recommend some chopped flat leaf parsley but forgot about it.

Exactly what the doctor ordered and now I go to bed.

The Marc Bittman original below:

Zuppa Arcidossana

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 cup 1/2-inch-diced carrots
1 large onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 cup stale bread (use coarse, country-style bread), cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound spinach, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup ricotta salata, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (feta may be substituted)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley, optional.
1. Put oil in a large pot or deep skillet and brown sausage over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When sausage is cooked through and leaving brown bits in pan, add carrots, onion and garlic, and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add bread to pan and stir for a minute or 2; add spinach and continue cooking just until it wilts, a couple of minutes.
3. Add about 2 cups water and stir to loosen any remaining brown bits from pan. This is more of a stew than a soup, but there should be some broth, so add another cup of water if necessary. When broth is consistency of thin gravy, ladle stew into serving bowls and top with cheese and some freshly chopped parsley if you have it. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

A Boozy Lunch

This post is a bit long so am going to divide it up in to a couple pieces


Shopping

 Monday was Eid ul-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) and also my favorite holiday - I get it off, everyone else is working (mwahahahahahahaha).  Anyway... instead of going out to a restaurant for a boozy lunch, I decided to host it myself.  Inspired by the pork I made a couple days ago, I decided to hunt down the flying pigs farm stall at the farmer's market.  Unfortunately they weren't there this week.  So plan B: go find some meat at Marlow and Daughters (unfortunately for them, Tom the Butcher has moved on to greener pastures).  And cause I'm a little bit crazy, I decided to run there, buy my groceries and then cab back.  I figured I was getting in the exercise, saving on cab fare one way, and not having to brave the J,M,Z.  

I bought:

• a piece of beef I had never heard of called 'Second Steak' (even google is giving me no love on this so I'm inclined to think that Marlow and Daughters made it up), 
• some pate de campagne (now that Tom is gone, will his divine rabbit pate be going with him?)
• some salamis (delicious)
• a chicken and some extra feet for soup making
• bread and a few other miscellaneous items

Cooking

• I reheated some of the Healthier Eggplant Parmesan
• Made cauliflower salad - another Martha Rose Shulman NYT recipe
• Heirloom tomato salad  - slice tomatoes, add a bit of goat cheese, julienned basil, salt, pepper and olive oil
  
• Steak - I seasoned it with salt and pepper, put some butter in a frying pan, turned heat up high and seared it on both sides, then put it in to an oven at about 250 degrees for about 5-10 min.  I then deglazed the pan with some vermouth and butter - voila a sauce. 

Cauliflower Salad with Parsley, Capers and Vinegar  by Martha Rose Shulman

This tangy winter salad is likely to convert anyone who doubts just how good cauliflower can be. Make sure you steam the cauliflower until thoroughly tender so that it absorbs the dressing. The dish is lovely with a mix of colorful cauliflowers, but can look nice with the standard white variety.
1 large or 2 small to medium cauliflowers, broken into florets; or about 6 cups mixed white, orange, green and purple cauliflower
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar (to taste)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Place the cauliflower in a steaming basket over one inch of boiling water; cover and steam one minute. Lift the lid for 15 seconds, then cover again and steam for six to eight minutes until tender. Refresh with cold water, then drain on paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss together. Marinate, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes if possible before serving. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
Yield: Serves 6 as a starter or side dish
Advance preparation: You can make this up to a day ahead, but omit the parsley until shortly before serving so that it doesn’t fade. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Eating 

The meal was a bit of a mish-mash but quite yummy. The steak sauce was tasty but was too refined for this cut of beef.  Would have been much better with a filet mignon.  However, the steak, with sauce and baguette was damn tasty which makes me believe that this would be perfect sandwich material.  I might add some chopped anchovies to the cauliflower salad next time.

Drinking
For the wine reviews - please see: http://winedisorder.com/comment/56/2299/

Boneless Blade Roast of Pork, Tabouleh, and Sage and Asparagus Gnocci

So we started with the asparagus gnocci from Zabar.  Boil the gnocci, drain and then add to pan of butter and jullienned sage. Once added, I put in some leftover creme fraiche and seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper - DELICIOUS.

We then roasted a blade of pork - part of the shoulder which is quite fatty and tender.  I chopped a couple tablespoons of sage and rosemary, chopped garlic, added salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil, and rubbed in on the pork.  Roasted it starting at 425 degrees (farenheit), turning it down to 325 degrees and adding chicken stock (by the half cup full) every 15-20 min until meat thermometer reads 140ish.  Then drained pork juices to a small saucepan, added a bit of white wine, a sprig of thyme, celery top and boiled a bit.  Added a bit of corn starch to the sauce to thicken and poured it over the pork blade that had been sliced in 1/4 inch thick slices.

I served this with the Mark Bittman bulgar wheat tabouleh.

All in all, very nice.  The reason the pork was so good was that I bought it at my local farmer's market - Flying Pigs Farm.  Super tasty.

Wine to go with this was: Clape Cornas 2002, the Occhipinti, and the SP68 Nero D'Avola and Frappato.  Simply Divine!  For a review of what we drank, please see: http://winedisorder.com/comment/56/2290/

Healthier Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe is (again) by Martha Rose Schulman from the NYT.  Recipes for Health is supposed to empower you to cook healthy meals everyday.  And while I think the majority of their recipes are healthy and easy - this one may be relatively healthy but definitely not easy.  For me it was pretty much a 3 hour affair.  Why did I want to cook this recipe?  While I love meat, I sometimes need to take a break.  I did however want something quite stodgy - so voila - a new take on eggplant parmesan.  The real time crunchers are:

• the roasting and draining of the eggplants
• the blanching of the tomatoes (I don't know a better way to peel a tomato), and then the peeling, chopping etc of the tomato.
• the getting out of the food processor, the emptying of the le creuset pot (very heavy with one hand) full of tomatoey goodness in to the food processor, the cleaning of the food processor.

Basically you cook two dishes before you even start cooking the third and then you only end up with one dish.... hmmmmm....

Eggplant and Tomato Gratin

For the tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste) - does this mean chopped or whole - I did both and then took out 2 of the whole ones
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill or else peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 1/2 (28 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 sprigs fresh basil

For the gratin:
2 pounds eggplant, roasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1. Roast the eggplant.
2. Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir until tender, about five to eight minutes, then add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and then turn the heat back to medium. Stir often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs.
3. If you did not peel the tomatoes, put the sauce through the fine blade of a food mill. If the tomatoes were peeled, pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the bread crumbs. Oil the inside of a two-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick, and set an even layer of slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: Serves six
Advance preparation: The tomato sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, then baked when you wish to serve it. Don’t add the last layer of bread crumbs and Parmesan, with the drizzle of olive oil, until right before you bake it.

Lentil Soup With Cilantro and a Fabulous Tabouleh

Another one by Martha Shulman from the NYT - healthy and delicious!  I served it in a pasta dish as it almost had the consistency of daal.  I might add a bit more water before serving next time.  I added a bit of extra cumin and as I didn't have cayenne, I used paprika instead.  I wish I had made more....  I served this alongside a wonderful tabouleh that I found in Mark Bittman's book: How to cook everything.  The tabouleh was made with bulgar wheat, a diced small red onion, 1-2 cups of chopped parsley and the same of mint, about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of olive oil and about 3/4 of the juice of a lemon.  Also my FAVORITE spice - Turkish paprika / chili flakes and salt.



This easy lentil soup is seasoned with cumin and an entire bunch of chopped cilantro, stirred in just before serving.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Pinch of cayenne
1/2 pound brown lentils (about 1 1/8 cups), picked over and rinsed
1 small onion, cut in half
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 quarts water
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup chopped cilantro (from 1 large bunch)
Plain low-fat yogurt for garnish
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and stir in the cumin and cayenne. Add the lentils, onion, bay leaf, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth aromatic. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the halved onion and the bay leaf.
2. Coarsely puree the soup in an immersion blender or food mill. Alternatively, puree half the soup in blender, 1 1/2 cups at time, being careful to cover the top of the blender with a towel to avoid hot splashes, then stir back into the soup. Heat through.
3. Chop the cilantro, discarding the stems. Stir into the soup just before serving. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of yogurt.
Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The soup can be made through step 2 up to a day ahead of time. You may need to thin it out with a little water.

A Healthier Lasagna

I got this recipe from Food Mayhem (a blog I LOVE). It was super tasty but a little bit dried out and not enough meat sauce for my liking. Next time I think I would up the meat sauce and put in a bit extra olive oil before cooking and/or ricotta to ensure that it isn't too dry. I may also not have given an airtight covering while cooking it.

------------------------------------------------------------

Beef and Spinach Lasagna
Meat Sauce

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 pound 11 ounces (90% lean) ground beef
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomato with basil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf

Cheese & Spinach Filling

• 10 ounces frozen spinach, blanched, drained and cooled
• 1 pound shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided
• 1 pound whole milk ricotta

Assembly

• 9×13 baking dish
• 16 (no boil) lasagna sheets (8″x4″ each)

*note: the lasgana sheets I used are made for 8×8 pan but I wanted to make more so I made a 9×13. It worked fine though.
Instructions -
Meat Sauce (can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated, warm before using):
1. Heat oil in a medium pot on medium high heat. Stir in onions and soften for about a minute. Add carrots and stir around for another minute. Stir in tomato paste until well distributed.
2. Add ground beef and stir around until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F while meat sauce cools a bit.

Cheese & Spinach Filling:
1. Ring out spinach with paper towels.
2. In a medium sized bowl , combine spinach, 8 ounces of mozzarella, and ricotta.
Assembly
1. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
2. Lay 4 sheets of lasagna down. See pic.

3. Spread 1/3 of cheese and spinach filling on top of lasagna sheets. Spread a little more than 1 cup of meat sauce on top.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times. Lay another layer of lasagna sheets on top. Cover with remaining meat sauce. Spread remaining mozzarella on top.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.

Salmon and Leek Quiche

This recipe is from Chocolate & Zuchinni. It was not bad but not awesome either. I thought that there was too much filling for crust. I used a DuFour puff pastry instead of crust. I served it with an arugula salad that had chopped up remains of Martha Shulman's Warm Chick Pea and Broccoli Salad. To improve upon it I would:

• Poach the Salmon in a water and vermouth/white wine broth and add a bouquet garni or at least some parsley and black peppercorns.
• Add a bit of nutmeg to the filling
• Season the leeks more with pepper and even a couple chili flakes
• Make less filling or make two quiches
  

so the recipe goes....
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Wash and cut up about 2 pounds of leeks (using pre-cut frozen saved me the trouble). Heat a little butter or olive oil (tradition or unclogged arteries, take your pick) in a large skillet, add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for about twenty minutes or until tender. Drain very thoroughly.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil and poach two salmon fillets for about 10 minutes, until just cooked. Drain thoroughly, and flake with a fork.
Line a pie dish with a store-bought or (better, obviously) homemade crust, stretching it a little to have the flaps of dough all around that I like to fold over the filling. In a large bowl, beat together two eggs, 1/4 C of crème fraîche (substitute heavy cream or sour cream), salt and pepper. Add the leeks and salmon, and mix gently with a wooden spoon.
Pour the filling in the pie dish, and fold the flaps of dough over the borders of the filling. With a pastry brush, use what egg moisture is left in the bowl to brush the pie dough. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden. Leave on the counter to settle for a few minutes, and serve with a green salad. This serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as an appetizer.
Salmon and leek are, in my humble opinion, a marriage made in heaven. They both offer wonderfully subtle and sweet tastes, best brought out by a salad dressed with a sharp and tangy vinaigrette.