As you read this post I am gallivanting somewhere across the North Carolina state probably eating some local BBQ dish or causing trouble am sure while I am away on my summer vacation. I want to send a big thank you to the incomparable Lis of La Mia Cucina for preparing a wonderful guest post for your enjoyment. It is really an honor for me that Lis accepted to guest post as she is none other than the co-founder of The Daring Kitchen. Thank you Lis, I am honored you accepted my guest post request!

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When asked to do a guest post on Evelyne’s blog, I was tickled pink to help out! She happened to ask me on the morning that I was making 2 different types of lasagna, so it was timed perfectly!

I’m going to focus this post on the Lasagna Rolls – simply because they are a bit lighter than the traditional lasagna I made, and these are perfect for summer as well as for freezing individual portions for quick meals when needed.

I’ve been making these lasagna rolls for years and the original recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentiis. They are really easy to make, don’t take up much time and bake up beautifully. Another great thing about this dish is that you don’t have to wait, all mouth waterin’-tummy growlin-OHMYGOD CAN I CUT THIS THING RIGHT NOW with these, since you don’t need them to set like traditional lasagna.

Lasagna Rolls – Courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 lb. ground round or sweet Italian sausage (Or 1/2 lb. each)
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
2 cups bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
1-2 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4-8 ounces)

Bechamel Sauce – courtesy of The Splendid Table: Recipes from Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.
Note: I find this bechamel sauce to be superior to all others.. include Giada’s.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat brown the sausage. Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, cooled meat, eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce on bottom of dish, spreading evenly. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

My one tip for this recipe is to boil your lasagna noodles (if using store bought) in the biggest (at least 12″) skillet you’ve got instead of the big sauce pot, there’s less chance of the noodles sticking and it takes less time to cook them.

Fill the skillet 3/4 full of water, bring to a boil and add a generous peench of salt. Then slide in 4-5 noodles and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until they are JUST soft. I measure this by sliding a spaghetti fork under one and picking it up from the middle, if it bends in half but still feels firm, it’s done. You don’t want to cook the noodles until they are super soft since you will be baking them as well.

Use your favorite marinara sauce – serve with a lightly dressed salad and a few hunks of some crusty bread. Oh and don’t forget to invite me over for the feast!

Have a fantastic vacation Evelyne!! Hugs! Lis xoxoxox

As you read this post I am gallivanting somewhere across the North Carolina state probably eating some local BBQ dish or causing trouble am sure while I am away on my summer vacation. I want to send a big thank you to the wonderful Penny of Jeroxie @ addictive & consuming for preparing a wonderful guest post for me for your enjoyment. Penny is also the founder of a great new monthly cooking challenge I have been participating in, the International Incident Party. Check it out. Thank you Penny, I am honored you accepted my guest post request!

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I am so envious that it is lovely summer weather in Canada while it is has been seriously cold in Melbourne. With so much outdoor activities, it is always good to have a quick and easy summer vegetable dish on hand. This simple pickled vegetable dish is really versatile and can be used as a side dish for BBQ, curries and many spicy dishes. The Vietnamese will usually julienne all the vegetables instead of cubing them and use it as a dipping sauce or a sauce for some of their dry noodle dishes.

Ingredients:

• 180g of daikon, skinned and cubed
• 180g of carrots, skinned and cubed
• 120g of cucumber, deseeded and cubed
• 500ml of white vinegar
• 300g of raw (white) sugar

Method:

1. Prepare all the vegetables. Set asiden
2. This will keep in the refrigerator up to a week

Thanks Evelyne for asking me to guest post! I hope you enjoy this very simple recipe and please do pop over to Jeroxie to say Hi!

You now have 2 out of 3 of the mystery recipes from the Mother’s day menu! The main meal was Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchiladas served with a small side of fereek (green roasted wheat) which I seasoned with hickory infused salt to keep within the Tex-Mex palate. Now my mom is not a fan of spicy food so I was happy when I saw this recipe could be done without heat. What I also liked a lot about this recipe is that it gives you a relatively “fancy” result for Tex-Mex food which comes across, at least here in Montreal, as fast food-ish and not sought after by foodies.

The roasted peppers really caramelize the flesh and give it a special taste. Finding fresh tomatillos was an impossible task but I did find some in a can. I added Montreal Chicken spice to my chicken. Frying the tortillas was new to me too and it really makes a big difference. Very yummy indeed. Found it a bit salty but besides that I really liked it. I would add more cheese he he. Love cheese!

Daring Kitchen’s Cooks Challenge hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakesand Bunnee of Anna+Foodhave chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada

Notes
1. Roasting the Anaheim chiles is a critical part of the Green Chile sauce. resist the temptation to rinse the chiles to remove the skin or seeds.
2. If using a broiler to roast the chiles, lining the broiler pan or baking sheet with foil greatly simplifies the clean-up process!
3. You may consider using gloves when peeling and removing seeds from the chiles.

Making a homemade Mexican style enchilada sauce is mandatory.
Be sure to season your filling if you are not using boneless, skinless grilled chicken.

Preparation time:
Roasting/preparing chiles and tomatillos: 30 – 60 min.
Assembling/simmering enchilada sauce: 30 min.
Grill chicken: 10 – 15 min.
Assembly/ baking enchilada stacks: 30 min.

Ingredients:
1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams – roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!)
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium)212 grams – peel, remove stems
4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams)
1 clove Garlic, minced
½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Hot sauce, your favorite, optional
2 Boneless chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs)
3 tablespoons Olive oil or other neutral vegetable oil (use more as needed)
Kosher salt and pepper
12 Small Corn tortillas (5-6 inch/13-15 cm).
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack, 170 grams (other cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses) can be used. Just be sure they melt well and complement the filling)
Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional

Roasting Fresh Chiles

1. Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.
2. Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
3. As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until cool.
4. Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
5. DO NOT RINSE!

Green Chile Sauce

1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.
2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchiladas

1. Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grill until just cooked through, 4-5 mins a side for boneless chicken breasts.

3. Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
4. In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
5. Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.

8. In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks, ladle a thin layer of sauce.
9. Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup of sauce over the tortillas.
10. Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
11. Stack another four tortillas, top with rest of the chicken, more sauce and 1/3 cheese.
12. Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.

13. Bake until sauce has thickened and cheese melted, about 20 min. Let rest 5-10 min
14. To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual dishes.