Unexpected Empty Plate

An Unexpected Empty Plate...I'm moving this weekend, and, gosh, I actually thought I could find enough pots and pans to post a new recipe today - HA! I'll be back up by next Sunday, May 19th. Until then, follow me on all the hottest social media...Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

Empty Plate

Empty Plate...next Sunday I’ll be celebrating my birthday in San Francisco. A new recipe will next appear on Sunday, May 12th. Until then, follow me on all the hottest social media...Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. 

Artichoke Feta Panzanella Salad

Artichokes were born in Greek mythology, then traveled across the Mediterranean to France and from France to Louisiana and finally carried by the Spaniards to California. Today, Castroville, California (near Monterey on the coast) proclaims itself "The Artichoke Center of the World." And rightfully so, Castroville, with a population of less than 7,000, boast 75% of the world production of artichokes. I paired some home-grown artichokes with bright, spring flavors reminiscent of ancient Greece rather than the traditional Italian summer panzanella (but summer is right around the corner...here's my Italian version with tomatoes, peaches and basil).

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Artichoke Feta Panzanella Salad
Servings: 6
Time: About one hour total; 30 minutes active
Price: About $16.00 total; $2.70 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 229
Protein: 6.3g
Fat: 12.2g
Saturated fat: 2.9g
Carbohydrates: 26.5g
Fiber: 4.2g
Sodium: 486.6mg
Cholesterol: 8.3mg

2 lb baby artichokes
3 lemons, 1 cut into slices, the other 2 juiced
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 oz French baguette, cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbsp EVOO, divided
1/4 cup oregano, chopped fine
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, pitted
2 oz feta, crumbled

1. For the artichokes, follow my Grilled Artichoke recipe, but use lemon slices from a whole lemon, cook just 10 minutes, and omit step 3. After grilling, remove and let cool. Then remove the hearts and chop roughly. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, use 1/2 Tbsp oil to brush on onion slices, grill 2 minutes per side and remove. Chop roughly. Using another 1/2 Tbsp oil, toss bread cubes until coated. Grill 5 minutes and remove.

3. Make the dressing by whisking together remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO, oregano, lemon juice and black pepper. Set aside.

4. To assemble, place the artichoke hearts, onion, bread cubes, parsley, olives and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Mushroom and Mustard Green Polenta Lasagna

Vegetarianized.com turned five on April 16th, but instead of a cake I made a lasagna. Ounce for ounce, polenta has less sodium and more fiber than lasagna noodles - plus it's a fun change of pace! I also like it because you can split up the work - make the polenta and refrigerate it overnight, then make the filling and bake it the following day. This is a springy version with mushrooms, mustard greens, leeks and sage combined with three cheeses - parmesan, ricotta and fontina.

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Mushroom and Mustard Green Polenta Lasagna
Servings: 8
Time: About 30 minutes active; 2 hours total (plus cooling the polenta overnight)
Price: About $20.00 total; $2.50 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 336.6
Protein: 20.3g
Fat: 12.8g
Saturated fat: 7.4g
Carbohydrates: 37.8g
Fiber: 4.3g
Sodium: 392.8mg
Cholesterol: 41mg

Polenta:
3 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups polenta
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped fine

Bechamel:
1/4 cup flour
3 cups fat-free milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Filling:
1 1/2 cups leeks (white and light green parts only), chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

4 oz fontina cheese, grated and divided

1. In a large pot, heat vegetable stock over medium-high heat until boiling. Whisk in polenta until combined, then turn to low and cook 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sage and parmesan cheese.

2. Spray a 9"x13" casserole dish with cooking spray and spread polenta evenly over the bottom. Cover with foil and refrigerate until cooled and set, about 4 hours or overnight.

3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. To make the béchamel sauce, whisk flour and milk together in a small pot over medium heat. When thickened, after about 8-10 minutes, remove from heat and add ricotta, pepper and nutmeg, and whisk until combined. Set aside.

5. For the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add leeks and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Then add mushrooms, greens and SnP. Cook about 10 minutes more until most of the moisture is removed. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Put a board on top on the polenta and turn upside down until polenta comes out. Gently cut the polenta lengthwise.

7. To assemble, spread 1/4 of the béchamel mixture evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish. Then gently place the bottom half of the polenta on top. Spread half of the vegetable mixture, half of the béchamel sauce and half of the fontina cheese over the polenta. Then place the second half of the polenta on top. Lastly, spread with the remaining vegetable mixture, béchamel and fontina.

8. Bake covered 25 minutes. Then remove cover and bake 15 minutes more. Remove and let stand 15 minutes before serving.