Our Wedding Butternut Sage Lasagna

FILLING (11×15 pan):
Onions (2 large)
Garlic (8 cloves)
Butternut Squash (1 large, peeled and cut into ¾ in. cubes)
Mushrooms (sliced)
Sage (large bunch, chopped fine)
Nutmeg (1 tsp or more)
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Parsley (Optional)
Chili flakes (Optional)
Lasagna noodles (oven-ready)
Parmesan/Hard Cheese (2 cups grated)
Mozzarella/Cheddar/Soft Cheese (4 cups grated)

SAUCE:
Butter (½ cup)
Flour (1/3 cup)
Milk (5 cups)
Chili Powder (Optional)
Nutmeg (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

FILLING: First caramelize the onions in butter or olive oil, then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add salt, pepper, parsley, sage, nutmeg, chili flakes, garlic cloves and squash. Sauté until squash is tender and edible.

SAUCE: Melt butter in a saucepan, then add flour and whisk until a wet paste forms and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add milk and whisk; simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper, chili powder and nutmeg. If the sauce hasn’t thickened enough, add a tablespoon or two of flour and make a paste of it with a small amount of cold milk, working out all lumps, and gradually add a little more milk to dissolve it and then add it to the sauce. Take care not to burn the milk. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

ASSEMBLY: Lay down a base layer of sauce into your lasagna dish. Then stack up the layers as follows: noodles +filling + cheese+ sauce + noodles + filling + cheese+ sauce+ noodles, etc. Cover the top layer with your final sheet of noodles, and add a generous helping of sauce and cheese to the top. Garnish with paprika. Bake at 400 F for 30-45 minutes, until the noodles are cooked and the top is browned.

Yummy Yummy Beef Stew

Most stews are pretty blah and bland. This one you can’t get enough of! Pretty simple too, if you have the ingredients on hand.

Dried Porcini Mushrooms, rinsed well (3/4 oz.)
Beef for stew (chuck), cut into 2-inch chunks (2.5 lbs)
Olive Oil (1/4 cup)
Carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch thick rounds (4 large)
Onions, cut into 1/8-inch slices (2 medium)
Potato, cut into 1-inch thick chunks OR Butternut Squash, cut into 1-inch thick chunks (1 potato or squash)
Garlic, sliced thin (8 cloves)
Tomato Paste (2 tbsps)
Flour (1/3 cup)
Red Wine (1 bottle)
Chicken Broth (1 cup)
Salt (1.5 tsps)
Pepper (1 tsp)

EQUIPMENT
Large cast iron pot/dutch oven
(This recipe is not suitable for a slow cooker)

Cover mushrooms with 1 cup hot tap water in small microwaveable bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut a few steam vents, and microwave for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, at least five minutes (just leave them soaking until you’re ready for them). When it’s time to put them into the stew, you’ll need to take the mushrooms out of the liquid with a fork and chop them into pieces–you should have about a quarter cup. Then strain the liquid though a paper towel into a bowl–you’ll be adding this along with the mushrooms to the stew.

Adjust your oven rack to the lower middle position and pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on med-high heat in the large heavy pot you’re going to use for the stew. When the oil is shimmering, add beef so it covers the bottom in one layer without crowding. Cook without moving the pieces until its well browned on both sides–this will take about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned beef to a holding bowl and repeat with the rest of the beef and oil until it has all been browned. Leave the remaining oil in the pot.

Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onions, garlic, potato/squash, and tomato paste to the pot you used for browning the beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown (about 2 minutes). Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add wine, gently scraping pot bottom to loosen browned bits. Add the broth, beef, and juices in bowl. Increase heat to med-high and bring to full simmer. Add mushrooms and their liquid.

Cover pot with lid and place in oven. Cook until beef is very soft, 2.5 to 3 hours. Let sit for 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven.

Inspired by: Cook’s Illustrated Daube Provencal