Creamy Chicken and Pumpkin Lasagna

This fall I have been all about the pumpkins, and this was my favourite use: a layer of roasted chicken, kale and mornay sauce, another layer of roasted pumpkin purée and of course, cheese - bocconcini to be exact - all combined into one delicious lasagna. This dish is warm, comforting, and full of colour and flavour.

Creamy Chicken and Pumpkin Lasagna

Here is a list of all the ingredients:

• Fresh or dried pasta sheets - enough for one large pan. Follow instructions on box if you get the boil first variety.
• 1 pint of bocconcini, or more if desired, diced - you want a couple cups worth once diced
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Asiago
• 4 chicken breasts
• 8-10 one inch slices of sugar pumpkin
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large bunch kale, any variety that you prefer
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly chopped herbs - I used oregano and thyme
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk - I used 3%
  
  

My lasagna had three big layers: creamy chicken, pumpkin purée and bocconcini.

Pumpkin Purée:

• 8-10 one inch slices of sugar pumpkin
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly chopped herbs - I used oregano and thyme
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Arrange pumpkin, onion, and garlic on a pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400◦ for about 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft and onions and garlic are golden brown. You will have to flip and maybe even remove the garlic and onions before the pumpkin is done to ensure they don't blacken. Let cool. Scoop pumpkin flesh from the rind and purée in food processor with the the onions and garlic, along with any juices, until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired along with any chopped herbs and the nutmeg.

Creamy Chicken:

Once you have made each component, the instructions are listed below, mix sauce, chicken and kale together. Try not to drink the sauce - it's pure Heaven.

Sauce:

I used Mario Batali's recipe for Béchamel sauce, making it a mornay sauce simply by adding some grated Asiago - about 1/2 cup. You could go with either. The recipe is here.

Roasted Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Place chicken breats on a pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Roast at 400◦ for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Let it cool and cut into cubes.

Kale:

• 1 large bunch of kale, whichever variety you prefer, cut into small pieces with thick stems removed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in kale and blanch for about 2-5 minutes, or until kale is somewhat softened - I like mine to retain a bit of crunch. Drain and rinse with cold water.

To Assemble:

Now for the fun part! Most of your work is done by this point. Soon you will be enjoying the lovely aromas emanating from your oven.....

• A layer of pasta
• All the creamy chicken mixture
• A layer of pasta
• Most of the bocconcini - reserve about a quarter of it for the top
• A layer of pasta
• The pumpkin purée
• A layer of pasta
• Reserved bocconcini and the Asiago sprinkled on top

Place in a 375◦ oven for about 45 minutes. If top becomes too brown, cover it with foil. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Wine Pairing: We enjoyed a lovely Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with this creamy lasagna.

Wine for the Weekend

Having troubles deciding what type of wine to serve with your Thanksgiving meal? Tired of the old white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat rule? Look no further! I have a couple ideas that you may find refreshing:



Pinot Noir

This smooth red will go very well with your bird. It has little tannin and will not overwhelm the taste of your food.



Riesling

A crisp, dry riesling will refresh your palate by cutting through the fatty flavours of a thanksgiving meal. It offers a balance of acidity and sugar that can stand up to stronger flavours.

You're not just serving turkey - think of all the side dishes, or even other meats. Offering both whites and reds to your guests gives them a choice.

Happy Thanksgiving - Enjoy!!

Caprese di Forno

This is one of my favourite cold weather dishes. As soon as it's cool enough to use the oven regularly (the high here today in Calgary is only 11!) I promptly assemble this baked version of the traditional insalata caprese. The traditional salad is comprised of mozzarella (ideally mozzarella di bufala campana or fresh buffalo milk mozza), plum tomatoes and basil drizzled with high quality extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. It's an excellent dish to serve on a hot day - very refreshing. Now, since it's not so warm, bake it!

Caprese di Forno

For 4

• 3 medium sized red or yellow potatoes (you choose), thinly sliced and peeled if you like.
• 3 medium sized tomatoes, plum/roma or beefsteak, thinly sliced
• 2 medium sized or one large onion, white or yellow, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs - use: basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary
• 1/4 cup water
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350◦.

In a round dish (I used a big pie plate) spread the sliced onion evenly over the bottom. Salt and pepper. Next arrange a slice of potato then tomato and so on, starting at the edge to the pan, so that they are overlapping (see picture). Continue until all potato and tomato slices are used up. You may do more than one layer depending on the size of your pan and how much you want to make - just remember to salt and pepper each layer.

Pour water evenly over top of dish. Next, evenly sprinkly on the herbs and the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on a little more salt and pepper.

Bake for about 1 hour or until potato is tender and the cheese is golden. If the cheese starts to brown too early just cover the dish with a piece of tinfoil.

Serve and enjoy!!

What's In Season?

It's Harvest season! I just love this time of year - so much great fresh produce about. And don't forget that it's also grape harvest season for wine making. So get a bottle or 6 and celebrate!


You will notice that some of the items listed below indicate that the season is ending for them. These produce items are still available but you have to hurry so you can enjoy them at their peak of flavour!


Veggies

• Artichokes (spring and fall)
• Beans, green and yellow (season ending for these)
• Beets (July to mid-October)
• Broccoli (July to late October)
• Brussels sprouts (September to November)
• Cabbage (July to November)
• Carrots (season ending)
• Corn (season ending)
• Eggplant (season ending)
• Garlic (August to October)
• Leeks (August to November)
• Lettuce, iceberg (season ending)
• Lettuce, romaine (season ending)
• Mushrooms, button (year-round)
• Red onions (August to October)
• Spanish and large sweet onions (August to October)
• Parsnips (September to November)
• Potatoes (late August to late October)
• Rutabaga (October to December)
• Spinach (June to October)
• Squash, butternut and other varieties (September to November)
• Tomatoes (season is ending)
• Zucchini (season is ending)

Fruit

• Bananas (year-round)
• Cranberries (September to late December)
• Grapefruit (year-round, peak in winter)
• Grapes (August though early October)
• Kiwifruit (year-round, peak in fall in winter)
• Lemons (year-round, peak in winter)
• Limes (year-round, peak in fall)
• Oranges (year-round, peak in winter)
• Pears (August to late November)
• Pineapple (year-round, peak in winter)
• Plums (season is ending)
• Watermelon (season is ending)
  
  

And below is a picture of one of our cats, Dizzy (after Gillespie). It's just such a great pic!

Roasted Zucchini and Asiago Dip

It's harvest season! This is one of my favourite times of the year and really when I give my thanksgiving to the Earth (and farmers!) for all the wonderful produce put forth. It's really been a great summer. This past weekend Percy and I went to the Crossroads market here in Calgary and there was fabulous array of fresh, Canadian produce to choose from. Walking amongst the stalls farmers were calling out to shoppers shouting out prices for big bags of fresh potatoes, peaches from B.C. , the famous Taber corn and much more. I had a great time!

When we were last visiting our cabin one of our new friends gave me a pale green zucchini from his garden as he had heard me discussing ways to use zucchini with another friend. So, I just had to try out this dip I'd thought up: it turned out perfect.

Baked Zucchini and Asiago Dip

• 1 large zucchini (or fresh summer squash, with the soft skin). You don't want to use a monster zucchini here as it would compromise the taste, look for one about a foot long.
• 3 large shallots
• Extra virgin olive oil
• White balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Asiago (you could use any sharp cheese here)
• Salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375◦

Wash zucchini, trim off stem, and slice lengthwise down the middle. Lay round side down on baking sheet.

Peel and cut shallots in half. Place next to zucchini on baking sheet.

Drizzle all with olive oil and drizzle shallots also with white balsamic.

Place in oven and bake for about 1/2 an hour or until all is soft and the shallots are barely golden on the underside (and I mean barely as any overly brown bits will be too much for the delicate flavour of the zucchini).

Cut zucchini into large pieces and put everything, including any juice or leftover oil or balsamic, into a food processor. Process until all is nicely blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour half of zucchini mixture into an oven safe dish. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of the Asiago. Pour in the rest of the zucchini mixture and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of Asiago on top.

If you are serving this right after you make it, simply place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese bubbles and turn golden. If you are making this ahead of time, keep covered and refridgerated until ready to use. Bake in a 350◦ oven for 15 minutes or until heated through then turn on the broiler to get that cheese bubbling and golden.

Serve with pita slices, pita chips, tortilla chips or dip some veggies into it. This is a pretty healthy dip so Enjoy!

Chicken Mirabilis

The inspiration for this dish came from a book that I was reading about Vesuvius' explosion and the fall of Pompeii. In it were many detailed dinners and feasts with Roman decadence and opulence being the main course. Chicken skewers are of course not your typical "fancy" fare; rather it is the ingredients used in the marinade that were the result of my inspiration. Honey, wine, lemon, herbs - all these ingredients, being simple alone, yet rather lavish together, bring my thoughts to the Mediterranean.

The name for this dish is inspired by the Piscina Mirabilis - the pool of miracles I believe is the translation - which is a large cistern that is the terminal outlet of the Serino aqueduct that was built during the Augustan age. I hope the flavours in this chicken are a miracle to your tongue as this feat of engineering was a miracle to the Romans!

Chicken Mirabilis

• 4 chicken breasts, skin removed and cubed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup white wine (try a pinot grigio, trebbiano or sauvignon blanc)
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 cup mixed, chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano, rosemary, lavender and thyme), mint would also be nice
• salt and pepper

Place the chicken and all marinade ingredients in a large shallow dish so the chicken is well covered in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours or longer if time permits.

Thread the chicken cubes onto skewers. Heat your grill to medium and grill chicken skewers until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side.

Wine pairing: serve with the same wine that you used to marinate the chicken with. I suggested a pinot grigio, trebianno or a sauvignon blanc, but if you can get one try a Frascati. This "golden wine" has been drunk in and around Rome for almost 2 thousand years. It comes in either dry or sweet varieties, even as a spumante. Look for a young frascati as this type of wine is not made to age.

If you would rather drink a red you may - try a light red like a dolcetto or a pinot noir.

Enjoy!

Paneer!

I tasted paneer for the first time about 2 months ago at our friends' Shashi and Anu's house. When I lifted the first bite to my mouth I was expecting the taste and eggy texure of tofu - instead I was met with a creamy texture and mild taste - could it be cheese?? Well, I wasn't too far off. Paneer in an unaged, non-melting cheese that hails from the Indian continent. This protein-rich food is a great subsitute for meat, tofu or beans. You can of course buy it at some supermarkets but once you see how easy this is to make you won't bother. Plus, I think it's important to know what's in your food - and what better way to control what goes into your body than making your food yourself?

Paneer

• 1 litre whole milk
• 2-3 tsp white vinegar (you can also use lemon juice, which might require more or citric acid, which will require less)

Pour the milk into a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil (not a rolling boil mind you, but you want to see it bubbling!), stirring often.

Have a colander ready in the sink lined with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth (*some people keep the whey as they prize its healthful qualities and I've read that some water their plants with it rather than waste it - you be the judge).

Maintaining the milk at a boil, slowly add, one teaspoon at a time, white vinegar. Stir well with every teaspoon that you add until you see the consistency pictured below. What you are seeing is the whey separating from the curds.

Once you reach this point remove the pot from the heat and pour all the contents into the lined colander.

Twist the cloth up to squeeze out the excess whey, all the while running it under cold water as it will be hot. Continue to squeeze and run under cold water until the paneer feels cool through the cloth. Finally, stop running water over the paneer and wring out any excess water.

Open up the cloth and scoop out the crumbly paneer out into a dish. You want to press the paneer so that it will be solid like a soft cheese so that you can cut into cubes or as you please. The lid should fit snugly inside the dish and then be weighted as in the picture below.

Put pressed paneer, weight and all, into the fridge and let set for 2-3 hours.

Turn out the cheese, you may need to gently loosen it from the edges of the bowl with a knife.

I like to serve this in a curry, adding at the last and gently stirring it in to warm through. In this form you need to be gentle with it or it will fall apart. You can also fry it up as it does not melt, creating a pleasing look and adding more to the texture. Add paneer to any dish that you might add cubed chicken or tofu too, and especially to curries.

Enjoy! And remember...this IS easy, just try it!