Martha Stewart is Never Wrong

Soooo, here I am again!  I was asked – twice last week, believe it or not – whatever happened to my food blog.  Well, as most people can relate, life happened.  I still cook; I still find unusual, or re-imagined, or comforting recipes; and I still experiment on my friends with new recipes (not all of them are winners, for certain).  But usually I get so wrapped up in the cooking, enjoying the process, or teaching my chickadee how to measure and pour that I forget to take photos, or write down what worked and what didn’t.   I truly am living in the moment, and I’m very unapologetic for that 😊.  But then some nights, I make something so good that tomorrow’s leftovers are in jeopardy.  That is tonight.  I made a lasagna – which of course brings to mind lots of richness, and heavy sauces – perfect for a cold evening, so I intenionally made about half a batch to deter eating a gigantic pan all by my lonesome.  Cause, let’s be honest…girl can eat.

Anyway, I have saved and bookmarked about two thousand recipes (that’s a very conservative estimate), and a lot of those come from a tried-and-true favorite, Martha Stewart.  Years ago, I subscribed to her “Everyday Food” magazine (also available at most grocery store checkouts).  This is great for a beginner in the kitchen – the recipes are fairly simple, no real unusual ingredients.  But her “Living” magazine is more creative, the recipes are a little tougher, and can be very involved (yet delicious).  Both sources also culminate at her website – a great resource for any kitchen questions you might have (I reference it frequently; and in fairness, my other go-to resource is Food Network).  I also follow Martha on Facebook, and that’s where some random ideas live; it’s a virtual grab bag of culinary suggestions, and I love that they organize it by category:  10 one-pot meals, 25 shrimp recipes, 85 things you can do with chicken!  Be careful, you can lose yourself in there 😊 (www.marthastewart.com).

This randomness is how I found tonight’s recipe: Rich artichoke and mushroom lasagna.  I picked it because I had most of the ingredients on hand, and really, I can’t turn down anything with artichokes in it.  I made some slight changes – I didn’t roast the mushrooms (I tossed them in at the end with the mix in the skillet), I figured they’d bake in the dish just fine and I was not disappointed – great flavor without being mushy; I used regular lasagna noodles instead of no-boil.

http://www.marthastewart.com/338978/rich-artichoke-and-mushroom-lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sliced cremini or button mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cups drained canned artichoke hearts (two 13.75-ounce cans)
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 recipe Basic Bechamel Sauce
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 3/4 cups grated Parmesan (3 1/4 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in middle and upper third. Divide mushrooms between two rimmed baking sheets. Toss each with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 minutes, stirring mushrooms and rotating sheets halfway through. Let sheets cool on wire racks.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add artichokes and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add lemon zest, chives, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a medium bowl.

3. Spread 1 cup sauce in an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles. Layer with half the artichokes, then 1 cup sauce and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Top with 2 more noodles, half the mushrooms, 1 cup sauce, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients, reserving the last 1/4 cup Parmesan. Cover lasagna loosely with foil and bake on top rack until sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. (Place a rimmed baking sheet on middle rack to catch any drippings.) Remove lasagna from oven and heat broiler. Sprinkle with reserved Parmesan and broil until cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before slicing.

This is why I like cooking far more than baking.  Baking is so precise, and with cooking I can easily throw everything in a pot and forget about it.  With these types of recipes, feel free to tailor to your tastes and needs.  I didn’t roast the mushrooms, nor did I broil it (I was starving by then!).   But remember – good, quality recipes will always be delicious.  And if you need a good one, Martha Stewart is never a bad choice.

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