Classics Revisited

This week, I have been taking some artistic freedoms in the kitchen with a couple of my favorite dishes to make: Lasagna and Chili. I made a lovely vegetable lasagna, loaded with all kinds of veggies—from eggplant to carrots to zucchini—that turned out utterly scrumptious. I basically prepared it the way I usually do, but replaced the meat with vegetables seasoned with sweet French basil and Turkish oregano (I most often use pork and maybe a little beef seasoned with French thyme, chile, and fennel seed) . The wide variety of veggies I selected along with those flavorful dried herbs, created a tasty depth of flavor that made me—and even Jay—not miss the meat at all. The second dish I tweaked was my classic chili. I decided to skip the chili powder, leave out most of the tomatoes (I did end up adding tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken at the end) and instead make it with lots of smoky rehydrated Mexican chiles, a spicy fresh jalapeno, and a few yellow and red bell peppers for sweetness. I also added some tequila, which helped bring together all the awesome flavors. The results were very tasty and contained a whole lot of heat. 

While I was making this chili, however, I found a small piece of salmon that I had accidently thawed in the refrigerator. I had meant to put the previously frozen fillet in the freezer after a recent trip to the grocery store, but had apparently put in the fridge instead. So, knowing that this fillet wouldn't be very good refrozen, I opted to whip up a couple salmon quesadillas as an appetizer for the chili. It was quite delicious, so I am including that recipe here as well...

Annie's Vegetable Lasagna

You may create your own mixture of veggies in this lasagna. Just use what's fresh and in season. Note: Penzey's spices is a great place to find Turkish oregano and sweet French basil.

1. In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 onion (chopped), 1 carrot (finely chopped), 1 stick celery (finely chopped), and 8 ounces button mushrooms (chopped). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to brown. Add 1 red pepper (chopped), 1/2 of an eggplant (diced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 zucchini (diced), 1 yellow squash (diced), 1 teaspoon sweet French basil, 1 teaspoon Turkish oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and some freshly cracked pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together two 15-ounce containers of whole-milk ricotta, 1 egg, a handful of chopped parsley, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, and 2 handfuls of shredded provolone cheese; set aside. 

3. In a medium saucepan, saute 2 cloves  garlic (minced), and a big pinch of crushed red pepper for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic just begins to brown. Add about 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, two 6-ounce cans tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Preheat oven to 325 F. Stir the cooled vegetable mixture into the ricotta mixture. Begin layering: In a large shallow baking dish, spread about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Arrange 3 or 4 lasagna noodles (I like no-boil ones) over the sauce. Spread about 1/3 of the filling over the noodles and drizzle about 1/4 cup tomato sauce over the filling. Repeat this layering 2 more times. Top with a fourth layer of noodles. Arrange about 8 ounces of sliced provolone cheese evenly over top the noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce over the cheese. (The baking dish should be almost over-flowing.) Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Place on a baking sheet (it will—and should—drip over the sides while it bakes). Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until bubbly around the edges. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chile Chili

Top this spicy dish with some good sharp cheddar cheese and perhaps a dollop of sour cream. Jay and I drank a glass of milk with it to help tame the heat, which I personally found to be quite necessary. Feel free to choose which types of dehydrated Mexican chiles to use in this chili. 

1. Season 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck with lots of salt and pepper. Heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, pinching it into little chunks at you add it. Cook about 10 minutes, or until the beef is nicely browned. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast about 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2 teaspoons coriander seeds. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, grind the seeds, along with 2 teaspoons peppercorns, until finely ground. Add this to the beef along with 1 yellow pepper and 1 red pepper (coarsely chopped), 1 jalepeno (thinly sliced), 1 onion (coarsely chopped), and 3 cloves of garlic (chopped). Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, pour 2 cups boiling water  over 1 dried chipotle chile, 1 dried ancho or pasilla chile, and dried 3 puya chiles. Cover and let steep for about 20 minutes. Remove the chiles from the steeping liquid, let cool a little, then give them a good chop. Add the chiles, along with about 1/4 cup tequila (silver or gold), and one 15-ounce can pinto beans (drained), and one 15-ounce can black beans (drained). Cook about 2 more minutes, then add the chile steeping liquid and about 1 cup water (until it looks thin enough to boil, but not too thin). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 1 hour. 

3. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, the zest and juice of 1/2 a lime, and a squeeze of honey (to balance the sourness of the lime). Simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Salmon and Aged Cheddar Quesadillas

I love spur-of-the-moment dishes like this one. Best of all, it was quick, simple, and fun to make!!

1. Place an oven rack just above the center of the oven and preheat broiler on high. Place a 4-ounce salmon filet on a small, foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub spice mixture and 1 teaspoon olive oil over salmon. Broil for about 10 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Let the salmon cool a little, remove and discard skin (or give it to your dog or cat) then break the salmon into small pieces. 

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together a heaping 1 cup shredded aged cheddar, a little handful chopped cilantro and parsley, and about 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalepenos. When the salmon is cool add it to the cheese mixture; stir.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Spread softened butter onto 1 side of four 6-inch flour tortillas. Place one of the tortillas, buttered side down, on the skillet. Place 1/2 the filling over the tortilla in the skillet and top with another tortilla, buttered side up. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.