Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken. Show all posts

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Chicken Béchamel Lasagna

A few years ago I made a Chicken Béchamel Lasagna, and my friend Angie has been on my case ever since to make it again, and actually write down the recipe for her!  Last night Gimpy and I were having her over for dinner with a few others, so I decided to make it and actually write down what I did for once.  This lasagna is great, and if you are looking to make it more low carb, you can do it as manicotti instead.  I did that once for a ski weekend because another friend was making a lasagna with red sauce, so I wanted to mix it up.

Chicken Béchamel Lasagna
1 lb chicken
1 lb spinach
7 cups milk
1 lb mushrooms
1 cup onion, diced
3 garlic cloves
1 stick unsalted butter
4 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Balsamic vinegar
Package of lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350.  Put chicken in a pan, and cover with balsamic vinegar.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.  Cool, then shred in the food processor.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Blanch your spinach and remove it.  Put your pasta in the spinach water and cook until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Put the butter in a deep pan, melt and add the mushrooms.  Cook about 5 minutes until tender.
Add the onions and diced garlic, and cook until translucent.  Add the flour, and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux.  
Whisk in the milk, and cook 5 minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 2 cups of the cheese, and the spinach.  Cook another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  
Spray your lasagna pan with olive oil, and then put 3/4 of a cup of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Set aside a cup of the sauce, and add chicken to the pot of sauce.  Begin to assemble your lasagna with a layer of pasta, sauce, parmesan cheese, and continue till your ingredients are used up.  For the top layer, use the sauce that you set aside without the chicken on it.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Cut, serve, and enjoy!  Of course I forgot to take a picture of the finished lasagna, but at least I wrote down the recipe for Angie this time!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Salsa Chicken

Last week Gimpy had some problems with his left knee.  I guess I should back up a bit and let you all know that about 15 months ago (right when we started dating - seriously 4 days in), he had massive surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus.  Hence the Gimpy nickname...  So, last Wednesday he picked me up to go out to dinner, and was complaining about his knee.  It had a giant lump that shouldn't have been there directly over the knee!  It was killing him, so Thursday we went to see his doctor, and I skipped girls night to make him a yummy dinner and take care of him.

I seared two chicken breasts in a pan while cooking some arborio rice.  Preheated the oven to 350, and when the chicken was nice and brown on both sides I put it into a glass baking dish, topped with some fresh salsa, a slice of pepperjack cheese, and threw it in the oven for 18 minutes.  I sauteed some asparagus, sliced an avocado, and put it all together.

Pile of rice, topped with half the avocado slices, piece of chicken, and asparagus on the side!
It turned out very yummy!  I think it would be great with a piece of tilapia too... next time!

Fresh Salsa
Chop two medium tomatoes
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed 
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed 
1 red pepper, diced 
Jalepeno, diced 
Cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste 

Add all ingredients and let sit for 2-3 hours.  Serve and enjoy!