"Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, well, so is the ballet." - Julia Child

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Baked Salmon

1 4-6 oz. portion of salmon
2 1/8-inch-thick slices of lemon
1 tbsp fresh baby dill, chopped
1 tsp capers
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 12"x12" piece of foil
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

  1. Pat dry salmon, and season it with salt and pepper.
  2. Drizzle olive oil in the center of the foil.
  3. Put salmon skin-side down on foil over the the olive oil. Move the salmon around a bit to smear the oil so that it generously covers the skin of the salmon.
  4. Spread garlic pieces on top of salmon.
  5. Lay down chopped dill on top of garlic.
  6. Sprinkle capers over the dill.
  7. Lay the lemon slices over the dill.
  8. Wrap the whole thing like a gift package sans ribbon and frou frou.
  9. Bake in 450F oven for 15 minutes.
  10. When time's up, do not unwrap package! Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the salmon in the wraps to encourage guest participation.
Recommended side dishes: skillet green beans in lemon butter and vermouth, rice pilaf with a hint of dill, garlic mashed potatoes.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Lasagna


DISCLAIMER: Cooking is an art and not an exact science. The measurements of ingredients below are mere approximations. Please feel free to improvise and substitute as you see fit.

This lasagna is based on Pot's Spaghetti Sauce from a previous post. Also, the baking dish needs to be at least 2 1/2" to 3" deep. The typical Pyrex glass 9"x13" baking dish is dangerously easy to boil over. If you want a thick lasagna, get a foil baking tray available at most drug stores.

6 cups spaghetti sauce
1 package of lasagna noodles (any brand)
1 16-oz tub of ricotta cheese
1 16-oz package of shredded mozzarella
1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped.
3/4 cup Trader Joe's grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt

  1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
  2. Reserve 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese for topping.
  3. Boil 9 noodles in a pot. Drain and rinse the noodles when they are al dente. It takes 3 noodles to make one layer. If you want a fourth layer, boil 3 more noodles.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly the tub of ricotta, 12 oz of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and the egg.
  5. In a deep 9x13 baking dish, spread evenly on the bottom 1 1/2 cup to 2 cup of sauce.
  6. Take 3 noodle and lay it on top of the sauce. Long edge lining up with long edge of the pan. These 3 noodles should loose cover the surface of the sauce.
  7. Take 1 1/2 cup to 2 cups of cheese mixture and spread it evenly on top of the noodles.
  8. Take 2 cups of sauce and spread evenly on top of the cheese.
  9. Put 3 noodles on top of sauce.
  10. Spread 1 1/2 cup to 2 cups of cheese mixture on of noodles.
  11. Spread 2 cups of sauce on top of the cheese mixture
  12. Lay the last 3 noodles on top of the sauce.
  13. Top these last 3 noodles by sprinking the 1/4 cup of mozzarella and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan that you've reserved.
  14. At this point, your baking dish is almost full. Take a piece of foil large enough to cover the baking dish and grease one side of it with cooking oil.
  15. Cover the baking dish with the greased foil with the oiled-side down.
  16. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes. If you want a crispy topping, uncover the lasagna at the 30 minute mark, and bake it uncovered for the next 15 minutes.
  17. After you take it out of the oven, let it cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
What to do with leftover ingredients:
  • Left-over spaghetti sauce can be served over pasta.
  • Left-over ricotta-mozzarella mixture can be used as stuffing for pasta shells and manicotti. You can also add a little salt and pepper, plus some fresh rosemary, and wrap it all in some puff pastry to make a blintz-like snack.