Lessons from Ina: How easy is that?

I have a mental list of recipes that I've always wanted to try, but haven't had the guts to. As easy as Ina makes it look, that double-layer chocolate cake really can't be that simple. There are several factors that might shy me a way from a certain recipe: too many ingredients, need for particular (or expensive) cookware, patience. This is why I rarely blog about baking; because I don't have any more space in my apartment to house five different cake pans and I don't have the patience to follow a recipe word for word.

While I don't see myself getting over my baking phobia any time soon, I will brave more savory recipes when I'm feeling adventurous. Some feared recipes that I've been able to cross off my list: frittata, risotto, braised short ribs. The funny thing is, every time I've finally attempted one of these dishes, I'm always surprised at how easy and not scary it is.

So this past Friday evening was the perfect occasion to give lasagna a go. I was having some friends over, so I wanted to serve something that I could prepare ahead of time and just heat up before they arrived (Ina's number one rule when entertaining: never serve something that will keep you over the stove while guests are waiting hungrily). Lasagna has always been hallowed ground for me. Gaga makes lasagna every Christmas Eve, so I've always felt that lasagna was her territory, not to be toyed with. Luckily, this lasagna was for friends, so I didn't have to live up to the decades-old expectations from family and could play with the recipe as needed.

While I tend to use recipes more for inspiration (see above, re: lack of patience), I do stick closely to a recipe when trying something for the first time. So who better to go to than the Food Goddess Herself: Ina. While there was no one part to the recipe that was particularly difficult, it was a bit time consuming between cooking the sauce, pasta, and actual cook time. But all good things come with a wait, right?

Right. So, so right. The lasagna was incredibly cheesy, with so many great flavors - tanginess from the goat cheese, butteriness from the mozzarella, and a fresh, herbiness from the basil. We all went back for seconds and thirds, and yet somehow managed not to feel heavy and weighed down at all. A great dish to feed a crowd or impress your friends, yet relatively simple. As we shoved our faces, cheese oozing down our chins, I couldn't help but think (in the words of Ina): Now, how easy is that?


Ina Garten's Lasagna with Turkey Sausage
serves a crowd
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Pepper

For the lasagna:
1/2 lb lasagna noodles
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
2. Add the sausage, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and let sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, Parmesan, the egg, the rest of the parsley, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Ladle a third of a the sauce into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish, spreading over the bottom. Layer  half the noodles, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta and one-third of the sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to lightly cover the top. Bake for 30 minutes in a 400-degree oven, until bubbling. (If serving later, refrigerate as needed, but allow to come to room temperature for about an hour before putting in the oven. This is what I did and it worked out great!)

Lotsa layers!

Cheesyliciousness

In the words of Ina, how bad can that be?

Kid's Menu

After spending the past 4 days in Disney World, I was ready for some grown-up food. Disney's parks and its food really are a kid's dream come true: chicken fingers, french fries, Mickey Mouse shaped waffles. Don't get me wrong, it was great to play and eat like a kid again. But by the end of the 4 days I was really starting to crave some real, sophisticated (and healthy) food.

[I don't mean to bash on Disney's food. There are definitely some culinary delights here if you seek them out. Two notable meals I had were duck pot stickers at the Kona Café at Disney's Polynesian Resort, and seared ahi tuna at the Grand Floridian Cafe at Disney's Grand Floridian. Both were quite delicious and served a much needed break from my breakfasts of french toast and lunches of fast food sandwiches.]

So after leafing through the new issue of Bon Appétit upon my return home, I was very excited to try the new recipe for Swordish with Olive, Pine Nut, and Parsley Relish for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, there wasn't any fresh swordfish at the charming DeCicco's Market in Ardsley, NY, but the halibut steaks looked super fresh--pure white in color and completely odorless. The recipe instructs to pan sauté the fish, so I knew halibut would be a sturdy, meaty substitute for the swordfish. I also decided to leave out the olives. I do enjoy olives, but I don't cook with them often enough to buy a whole can that would only go to waste.

This was a very simple recipe. Just season the fish, sauté it in oil, then add shallots, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, white wine (and olives) to create the relish, and serve over the fish. However, I did run into a little technical mishap. Cooking in my grandma's kitchen without my preferred cooking tools can be quite frustrating and limiting. Unfortunately, she doesn't always have all the spices or tools I need; and some of her kitchen gadgets are just a little...old. Well, the pan I used to cook the fish was very "well loved"...even though I added olive oil, the fish still stuck to the bottom of the pan, and fell apart into pieces :(

With the halibut I also made some parmesan-roasted asparagus. I once made Ina Garten's recipe for parmesan-roasted broccoli, and have now adapted it to every vegetable. It is so easy, but always results in such flavorful and perfectly cooked veggies. Just toss the vegetable of choice with some olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and grated parmesan cheese. Roast at a high temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are fork tender. I especially love roasting asparagus because the tips get a little crisp and burnt from the high heat.

After my small cooking blip there was no chance my halibut would look as pretty as the picture in Bon Appétit, BUT it sure tasted as good as the picture looked! The pine nuts, parsley, and white wine gave it a great Mediterranean flavor; and the asparagus was delicious, as always. In the end, it may not have been Bon Appétit cover-worthy, but it sure beat Mickey Mouse chicken fingers for dinner.

Bon Appetit's Swordfish

My Interpretation

Recipe for Bon Appetit's Swordfish with Olive, Pine Nut and Parsley Relish

Photo Courtesy of bonappetit.com