Spring Vegetable Lasagna

Spring Vegetable Lasagna
I layer fresh pasta noodles, lots of fresh Spring vegetables, Italy's three favorite cheeses - ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan with just a bit of my Simple Tomato Sauce (recipe follows) for a hearty lasagna that is a treat to have without being overly decadent.

Serves 8

Ingredients

- 1 bunch (about 6 cups) fresh baby spinach, washed well, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large leek, diced
- 1 bunch spring onions or 1/2 white onion, diced
- 10 medium size asparagus, cut at an angle into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup artichokes hearts
(fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and rinsed), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 recipes of Simple Tomato Sauce
- 12 sheets fresh lasagna noodles (you may substitute boiled lasagna noodles)
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
- salt
- fresh ground pepper

Place the spinach in a large pot and cook over medium heat with a lid until wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove the spinach from the pot and place in a colander to remove the excess water. Drain any water from the pot and then heat the olive oil in the pot over medium/low heat. Add the leek and onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the asparagus and artichoke hearts and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the drained spinach. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of fresh ground pepper. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, spoon about a 1/4 cup of the Simple Tomato Sauce into the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch casserole dish. Place down a layer of the lasagna noodles. Top the lasagna noodles with approximately 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, then add a third of the vegetable mixture and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella. Top the mozzarella with approximately 1/2 cup of tomato sauce. Then top with another layer of the lasagna noodles and repeat the same process; the ricotta mixture, the veggie mixture, the mozzarella cheese and the tomato sauce; then the lasagna noodles, ricotta mixture, veggie mixture, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, and a few tablespoons or so of Parmesan cheese. Bake the casserole at 375 degrees F on a lined baking sheet for about 40 minutes, or until the top is brown and the sides are bubbling. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.






Simple Tomato Sauce
This tomato sauce is extremely fast to make, and is perfect for this lasagna. I make this sauce for dishes in which I do not want the flavors of a tomato sauce to overpower the dish. I like this sauce tossed with pasta, however it may be a bit too basic for your taste. This simple sauce is perfect with cannellini beans, sautéed and roasted vegetables and makes a great pizza sauce.

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup diced white onion (about 1/2 an onion)
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Heat the olive oil in a medium size saucepan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the can of chopped tomatoes and their juice to the pot and stir together. Season the tomatoes with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring the mixture to a slight boil and reduce to a simmer with a tight fitting lid. Let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and add the sugar. Use a hand blender (or food processor) to purée the mixture, leaving some of the tomato chunks. Taste for more salt and pepper.

Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A perfectly Spring dessert - Hummingbird Cake is a Southern dessert that earned its name because it is as sweet as the nectar that attracts hummingbirds. This moist layer cake is sweetened with banana, pineapple and coconut and is studded with toasted pecans. Cream cheese frosting has the perfect balance of tartness to balance out the sweetness of this cake.


Serves 12

Ingredients

Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing the pans
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3)
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple
- 3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
- 1 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 14 ounces powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda salt, and cinnamon.
Place the oil, vanilla extract and sugar in a medium size bowl fitted for an electric mixer. Mix together on medium/high speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Beat on medium/high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the banana, pineapple and coconut. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Finally, fold in the toasted pecans.
Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans. Bake the cakes until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife alongside the edges of the cake and the pan; then invert the cake onto a flat plate. Remove the parchment paper. Invert the cake back onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes can be made 1 day ahead of time, and individually wrapped in plastic before frosting.
To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla on medium/high speed until smooth and creamy. Store the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use. Take out of the fridge 5 minutes before frosting.
To assemble the cake, place one layer of the cake on a large cake plate or pedestal. Put about 2/3 cup frosting on the cake and use an off set spatula to evenly distribute the frosting. Place the second cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. This cake will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.