The Menu
Easy Zucchini Lasagna with Lemony Ricotta
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
Coriander Roasted Strawberries
The Recipes
Easy Zucchini Lasagna with Lemony Ricotta
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
This zucchini lasagna recipe is perfect when you’re a little (or a lot) short on time, but you still want to knock the socks off anyone who eats it. Lasagna is certainly a popular meal in our house, but sometimes the layering, baking and waiting is just too much. That’s why we thought up this little gem. It’s still lasagna, it just isn’t baked.
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/13583/easy-zucchini-lasagna-with-lemony-ricott
a/
2 zucchini squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 summer/yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 shallot or small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 dry lasagna noodles, unbroken
1 cup ricotta cheese
Zest of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Heat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Add squash to the pan then use your fingers to separate the shallot slices into rings and add to baking sheet. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt then toss until everything is well coated. Separate squash into one layer then roast until lightly browned, but not mushy, turning once; about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions. (Normally, this will require about 10 minutes of cooking).
A couple of minutes before the noodles are fully cooked, add ricotta cheese to a microwave-safe bowl and heat 1 minute until warm. Add lemon zest and a 1/4 cup of water from the pasta pot then stir until a sauce forms. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Taste then season with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta noodles then cut each noodle in half. Place one half noodle down onto a serving plate, top with a spoonfull of ricotta sauce, some of the roasted squash and a second noodle. Repeat with two more noodle halves then scatter fresh chopped basil leaves on top.
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
New favorite salad. Period. It’s crunchy, has the most perfect balance of sweet, tang and cream. It’s the kind of salad you crave… like, seriously crave.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find fennel with stems and the fronds still attached .. if you do, cut the stems from the bulb and save some of those wispy green fronds … the rest? You can save it for your next stock or broth, but as far as this recipe is concerned we really only want the bulb and a handful of the fronds.
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/12907/shaved-fennel-and-arugula-salad-recipe/
1 medium orange, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 fennel bulb
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Whisk together the orange juice, zest, apple cider vinegar, oil and salt in a large salad bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
If stalks are attached to the fennel bulb, cut them from the bulb and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the wispy green fronds for later and either discard or save the stems for your next stock or broth.
Set the bulb on its flat end, top side up, then cut it in half. Then, slice the fennel as thin as possible (a mandoline is helpful here).
Add fennel slices to the bowl with dressing and toss. Leave fennel to sit at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add arugula, feta cheese and reserved fennel fronds to the fennel slices and lightly toss.
Notes
We love adding the sliced fennel to the dressing then leaving for at least 20 minutes. By doing this, the fennel mellows just a bit, but still maintains that super fresh crunch.
Just before serving, add the arugula to the fennel, adding it too early will wilt the delicate arugula.
Coriander Roasted Strawberries
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Ever brought a pint of strawberries home from the store and been less than satisfied with their taste? They look red and juicy, but don’t actually follow through. That’s exactly what happened not to long ago for us. We don’t usually buy berries before summer, but they looked so good! We came home, opened the box, took a bite … annnnd nothin’.
Not wanting to waste the little guys, we decided to roast them. Ever roasted fruit? If not, you need to start!
How to Serve Roasted Strawberries
Can we say softly whipped and sweetened cream. Or, even better … ICE cream! Definitely try them warm, they’re delish! Oh, and by the way… you could totally use cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or just plain sugar for this instead of the coriander, it’s totally up to you!
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/12958/coriander-roasted-strawberries-recipe/
1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper or foil.
Add strawberries to baking sheet then toss with brown sugar and coriander then spread into one layer.
Roast strawberries 20-25 minutes until slightly softened.
Add cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to a bowl and whip either by hand or with a hand blender until soft peaks form. Then, top warm strawberries with a dollop of cream and enjoy!
Easy Zucchini Lasagna with Lemony Ricotta
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
Coriander Roasted Strawberries
The Recipes
Easy Zucchini Lasagna with Lemony Ricotta
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
This zucchini lasagna recipe is perfect when you’re a little (or a lot) short on time, but you still want to knock the socks off anyone who eats it. Lasagna is certainly a popular meal in our house, but sometimes the layering, baking and waiting is just too much. That’s why we thought up this little gem. It’s still lasagna, it just isn’t baked.
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/13583/easy-zucchini-lasagna-with-lemony-ricott
a/
2 zucchini squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 summer/yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 shallot or small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 dry lasagna noodles, unbroken
1 cup ricotta cheese
Zest of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
Heat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Add squash to the pan then use your fingers to separate the shallot slices into rings and add to baking sheet. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt then toss until everything is well coated. Separate squash into one layer then roast until lightly browned, but not mushy, turning once; about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions. (Normally, this will require about 10 minutes of cooking).
A couple of minutes before the noodles are fully cooked, add ricotta cheese to a microwave-safe bowl and heat 1 minute until warm. Add lemon zest and a 1/4 cup of water from the pasta pot then stir until a sauce forms. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Taste then season with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta noodles then cut each noodle in half. Place one half noodle down onto a serving plate, top with a spoonfull of ricotta sauce, some of the roasted squash and a second noodle. Repeat with two more noodle halves then scatter fresh chopped basil leaves on top.
Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
New favorite salad. Period. It’s crunchy, has the most perfect balance of sweet, tang and cream. It’s the kind of salad you crave… like, seriously crave.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find fennel with stems and the fronds still attached .. if you do, cut the stems from the bulb and save some of those wispy green fronds … the rest? You can save it for your next stock or broth, but as far as this recipe is concerned we really only want the bulb and a handful of the fronds.
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/12907/shaved-fennel-and-arugula-salad-recipe/
1 medium orange, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 fennel bulb
2 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Whisk together the orange juice, zest, apple cider vinegar, oil and salt in a large salad bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
If stalks are attached to the fennel bulb, cut them from the bulb and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the wispy green fronds for later and either discard or save the stems for your next stock or broth.
Set the bulb on its flat end, top side up, then cut it in half. Then, slice the fennel as thin as possible (a mandoline is helpful here).
Add fennel slices to the bowl with dressing and toss. Leave fennel to sit at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add arugula, feta cheese and reserved fennel fronds to the fennel slices and lightly toss.
Notes
We love adding the sliced fennel to the dressing then leaving for at least 20 minutes. By doing this, the fennel mellows just a bit, but still maintains that super fresh crunch.
Just before serving, add the arugula to the fennel, adding it too early will wilt the delicate arugula.
Coriander Roasted Strawberries
serves 4
Author: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Ever brought a pint of strawberries home from the store and been less than satisfied with their taste? They look red and juicy, but don’t actually follow through. That’s exactly what happened not to long ago for us. We don’t usually buy berries before summer, but they looked so good! We came home, opened the box, took a bite … annnnd nothin’.
Not wanting to waste the little guys, we decided to roast them. Ever roasted fruit? If not, you need to start!
How to Serve Roasted Strawberries
Can we say softly whipped and sweetened cream. Or, even better … ICE cream! Definitely try them warm, they’re delish! Oh, and by the way… you could totally use cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or just plain sugar for this instead of the coriander, it’s totally up to you!
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/12958/coriander-roasted-strawberries-recipe/
1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper or foil.
Add strawberries to baking sheet then toss with brown sugar and coriander then spread into one layer.
Roast strawberries 20-25 minutes until slightly softened.
Add cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to a bowl and whip either by hand or with a hand blender until soft peaks form. Then, top warm strawberries with a dollop of cream and enjoy!
