Spring Lasagna with Asparagus & Mushrooms

Asparagus lasagna is a joyous welcome to celebrate spring and the end of winter. Tender new spears of asparagus and earthy mushrooms sing the praises of a long-anticipated thaw. I could certainly see it on an Easter menu, especially as an appetizer.

I paired this lasagna with simple, pan-seared shrimp with lemon and a bit of jalapeno.

I had planned to layer this with shrimp. But at the last minute, I backed out and chose shredded pieces of ham, instead. It was a smart move. The ham, together with the smoked mozzarella, worked wonders with the other ingredients. 

And, no, there is no easy way to prepare it. There's a lot of chopping. Mixing. Layering. Grating. But you can always do the chopping the day before which just seems to make things go easier. In fact, you can prepare the entire dish the day before and refrigerate until ready to bake. 

Traditionally, the asparagus is quick-blanched then dunked into an ice-bath until ready to use. Because my spears were pencil thin, I didn't bother. Had they been thicker, I probably would have split them lengthwise. You may, of course, chop them; I like the drama of the entire stem. It's your call.

Please do not omit the smoked mozzarella. I used a pre-packaged blend of shredded Italian cheeses to layer between the pasta. In the bechamel sauce, I used fresh-grated Grana Padano.

I used leeks with the mushrooms (and a bit of shallots)  only because I had them on hand. If you don't have them, just increase the shallots to 1/4 cup. I used Barilla no-bake lasagna noodles. Just be sure to soak them in hot water before using. I like them much more than the frilly ones.

I generally remove and discard mushroom stems. When using deli ham
for cooking, choose something like "ham off the bone"
which has some fat to it.

• 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed (the weight is after the trimming)
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1/3-1/2 cup chopped leeks
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2-3 cups sliced mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas--one 8 oz. container)
• 2-4 slices deli ham (I use ham-off-the-bone)
• 3/4 cup shredded smoked mozzarella
• 1 cup mixed Italian cheese
• 1/2 package Barilla No-Cook Lasagna Noodles
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1-2 medium garlic gloves, pressed
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Grated nutmeg

Lightly oil a 10 x 7 baking dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Wash and cut asparagus to fit pan. Place upright in a glass or small bowl to drain.

In a medium frying pan, add a bit of olive oil. When hot, add the mushrooms. Stir until they begin to wilt and give up their juices. Then add the leeks and one tablespoon chopped shallot. Add the thyme. Cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place the pasta sheets in a pan of hot tap water while you prepare the sauce. A bread pan works perfectly.

In a medium pan, add the butter and cook over medium heat until melted. Add the shallot and garlic and cook just until tender being careful not to scorch them. Reduce heat if necessary.

Add the 1/4 cup flour and stir, cooking over low medium heat for several minutes. You want to "cook" the flour a bit without burning it or the shallots and garlic. When it turns "nutty," begin adding the milk in 1/3 cups, whisking well after each addition.

Add chicken stock 1/3 cup at a time. Continue to cook until thickened. Lower heat and allow to simmer for several minutes.

Add several grates of fresh nutmeg. Whisk and taste. Now add the cheese a little at a time and whisk until melted and incorporated. Remove from heat. Reserve one-half cup of the sauce.

Remove lasagna noodles from pan and, if necessary, cut to fit your lasagna pan.

Smear a thin layer of the sauce (just a couple of tablespoons) on the bottom of your pan. Cover with one layer of lasagna noodles. Cover that with 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle one-third of your mushroom mixture over that. Arrange 1/3 of your asparagus over the mushrooms and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the smoked mozzarella and about 1/3 cup of the mixed Italian cheeses. Shred the ham over all.

Adding more cheese will not make your lasagna better.
It will only make it oily and greasy. Go light.

Repeat two more times ending with a top layer of lasagna. Spread that with the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with greased foil and bake in a 350 F oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove cover and increase heat to 500 F and bake just until the top in golden brown.


Allow to cool 20 - 30 minutes before cutting. It needs this time for the pasta to absorb the cheese and the juices, otherwise you will have slices that are a runny mess.

Notes: I really debated to place asparagus on the top of the lasagna but decided against it. I really only wanted to do it for visual pizzazz. In the long-run, I figured they'd just get mushy and I prefer a golden-brown top. As soon as this came out of the oven, I put on some fresh oregano sprigs from the garden. Next time I'll put on more.

If your bechamel sauce begins to thicken, don't be afraid to add a bit more milk or stock.

Banana Bread with Brandy, Maple and Chocolate

Bananas and I don't quite get along. I mean, we're friendly and all. But I have traumatic childhood memories. You see, my mother loved bananas. And banana cake. I hated it. But that's what I usually got for my birthday. A banana cake, for heaven's sake! With vanilla icing. When I blew out the candles my wish was to blow away the cake, too.

All I wanted was what any normal kid wanted: chocolate. And lots of it.

It wasn't until I turned ten-years-old that I finally got a decent cake (not that my mother isn't a great cook because she is). 

When I turned ten, I got a genuine bakery cake (no, not as in supermarket bakery--they had not yet been "invented';" this was a REAL bakery). And it was a CHOCOLATE cake! It was decorated with the things I usually carried home as a young boy. Small rocks. Snakes. Frogs. (Plastic, of course--except for the stones.) And, spelled in frosting script, "Happy Birthday Gary."

This was the first bakery in our small 1950's-kind-of town. My mom was ecstatic, not only because she didn't have to bake, but because of the creativity of the final product! I still remember her phoning neighbors and friends to describe this cake. I was special. Screw bananas! My Grandma was there when I blew out those candles. Her gift was not a wrapped present at all. It was a card. And inside was a check for "ten" dollars. My first check! I was sooooo grown up.

To me, "corporate" bananas are a bit sour and the texture is kind of like sucking toothpaste out of a tube. In fact, as a child, I once bit into a banana only to have a baby tooth dislodged.

When I was 19-years-old, I camped throughout East Africa. And I lived on . . . of all things, bananas! (In Swahili [the second most beautiful language next to French] the word is pronounced "bah-nah-nah). But those bananas were like eating vanilla ice cream and nothing like the sad clones sold in supermarkets today under the guise of Chiquita and Dole. And often green, green, green.

Oh, well.

So, I made this bread. Not sure why. 

But, to be safe, I added booze. Maple flavoring. And chocolate. Should have added more maple.

This is a very moist cake. And like any cake or bread with alcohol, it's better served a day or two later . . . But, of course, who can wait?


Use ripened bananas as pictured above. I don't recommend the "freezing" method of bananas. It may make they "squishy" but that's all. By the time bananas reach the blackened stage, they have produced a lot more sugar and taste which is what makes them so appropriate as an ingredient for baking.

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2-3 ripened bananas (one heaping cup, mashed)
• 1/2 cup fat - either all butter, half butter half shortening, or half butter half lard (I used the butter and lard)
• 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, roughly cut (use a good chocolate)
• 3-4 tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring, added 1/4 teaspoon at a time

Mash bananas and add the brandy. Mix. Add maple flavoring 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you get a flavor/blend you like. Add the vanilla. Allow to sit for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease/spray a 9 x 5 bread pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit into the bottom. Grease/spray that, too.


Measure your flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Set aside. Rough chop your chocolate.


In a medium bowl, add the brown and white sugar with the fat. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat for three minutes. Add the egg and blend well.


Add the banana mixture and gently mix to incorporate. Mix in the one tablespoon mayonnaise and blend well.


Add the dry ingredients and mix by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula just until streaks of flour disappear. Add the chocolate and stir just until incorporated.

Spoon into pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to rest in pan for 15-20 minutes before removing and cool completely before cutting.

Notes: I used a convection oven set at 340 F degrees and baked mine for 55 minutes. These would great as cupcakes, just vary the baking time.

Bacon-Infused Pasta, Jalapeno Cream Sauce & Chicken

Did I have you at "bacon?" Or maybe it was that word 'infused." What a lovely thought: a bacon infusion. Someone call 9-1-1! Surely, a cure for anything!

As you may notice, I've been on a pasta kick lately (and I still have brandy pasta to come). It's just so easy to prepare and a meal in-and-of itself. I really had planned to add a handful of frozen peas to this recipe, but they were nowhere to be found in my freezer. And, yes, I used canned mushrooms, not fresh. I have no quarrel with canned mushrooms. For one thing, they keep their shape when cooked. Second, I make judicious use of the juice (how's that for a rhyme?). Never throw it out. If you have fresh on hand, by all means add them and sub chicken stock for the mushroom liquid.

The chicken in this recipe really serves as an afterthought: it's merely the "designated driver" for the intoxicating bacon. And, really, there isn't that much bacon. As usual, I trim most of my bacon before frying. Adding a piece of bacon to the pasta water steers the taste to a new direction. But it all arrives home safe-and-sound with the cream sauce and jalapeno. The sauce is not meant to be hot or spicy. It's that depth of smoky flavor it adds.

Next time, I may just sear the tenders and serve on their own. It's your call. But I would add a handful of peas to the pasta water just before it's done.

• 1/4-1/3 cup trimmed, smoked bacon (I used thick-sliced)
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno + 1 teaspoon, reserved, ribs and seeds removed
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced, + 1 reserved
• 1 cup chunked chicken tenders
• 1 4-oz. can mushrooms, drained, juice reserved
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/4 cup dry, white wine
• 4-5 ounces spaghetti
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan-Reggiano
• Frozen peas (optional) about a handful

Trim, wash and pat dry chicken tenders. Cut into thirds or fourths.

Fry bacon just until it begins to crisp remembering it will also cook in the sauce. Remove from pan to drain. Add a bit olive oil to pan and add the chicken, searing just until it begins to brown. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Remove.

Be sure to taste your jalapeno before cooking with it.
Some are hot. Some are mild.
Remove the inside white rib and seeds--
that's where the most of the heat resides.

Add a bit of olive oil to pan and add the one tablespoon chopped jalapeno. Stir just until it softens, about one minute. Add the two sliced garlic cloves. After about a minute or so, add the wine to de-glaze the pan stirring up the brown bits. Add the mushroom juice. Stir. Add the cream. Bring just to a boil then lower heat. Add bacon and simmer until thick, a good 5-8 minutes. About halfway, taste for seasonings and, if necessary, add the reserved jalapeno and garlic. Add several grates of cheese and mix through.

Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil with about one-half to one piece of bacon. When boiling, add your pasta and cook. Just before done, add a handful of frozen peas, if using. Drain. Remove and discard bacon.

Once the sauce thickens, return the chicken to the pan over low heat. Add pasta to pan with sauce and chicken, stir through. Add about 1/4 cup grated cheese and stir through, allowing pasta to absorb the sauce. Add a bit of chopped parsley.

Plate and serve with addition cheese grated over the top. Yea it's all about going over the top  .  .  .

Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Garlic/Lemon Pasta

Make this ... and you will  be happy!

The pan sizzles. It sputters. It pops. My stomach grumbles. Beneath the lid, I know precisely what's going on. The chicken skin is caramelizing--rendering its fat to become bacon-crisp. The meat is being steamed, juicy and tender.

When "I want dinner and I want it NOW!" this is the recipe I turn to, sometimes twice a week. Pan-fried chicken thighs. A chicken thigh is still less than one dollar and offers a juicy, meaty cut of meat. Seasoned well and with the skin oh-so-ever crisp, I never tire of that first crunch when I bite into it.

Served with simple pasta and veggie, it's really a wonderful dinner any time of the year and done within 30 minutes. And in one pan ... and a lid! Easy clean up!

A lot of the fat (schmaltz) from the thigh will be left behind in the pan. That deep caramelization of the skin will intensify the actual taste of chicken, which is so often tasteless and bland. Season the underside any way you wish, but do not be stingy. And, as I always say with chicken, use thyme.

This technique is pure Jacques Pepin, best friend to Julia Child.

The pasta is simple enough and is actually my "everyday" pasta. In the summer, I throw in some fresh basil and cherry tomatoes. You can vary the cheese, too. Feta works well and, if you have them on hand, some Kalamata olives. You really can't screw it up. And it is only one more pan for clean up ...

• 2-4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (I have only used two)
• Dried, savory seasonings of your choice (be very generous and think KFC and one hundred herbs and spices, but not hot and spicy unless that is what you prefer)
• 4-6 ounces spaghetti
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• Lemon zest
• Salt and pepper
• Parsley for garnish

Using a sharp knife, cut along each side of the thigh bone being careful not to cut through to the skin on the other side. Scrape back the meat on the top of the bone. You just want to release the meat a bit from the bone so that it cooks evenly. The bone adds a lot of flavor. (I do this every time I cook thighs.)

Season liberally. Here are some seasonings I use: Bell's, Cavendar's, Old Bay, Montreal Chicken Spice, fines herbes, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper. But whatever I use, I always add a dried thyme flakes. Chicken and dried thyme just go together.

Place thighs in a cold non-stick skillet, skin side down, over medium-high heat. Do not add any oil of any kind. After a minute or so, move them around to make sure they are not sticking. When they begin to sizzle a bit, dial down the heat to low/medium. Cover. Cook for 16-18 minutes without turning. It's tough. You will want to fuss ...  Don't. 

The temperature will depend on your pan. If it's heavy, you can dial up a bit more than if it's thin. I have an electric stove, and I usually cook them around the number-4 mark. This may take some practice. Just do not flip them.

When done, give a quick turn to simply sear the bottom. Remove to a plate, cover, and allow to rest several minutes before serving. Save fat in pan to add to pasta.

Outdoor grilling can dry out a thigh
even though it gives a great crunch
and a bit of a burn. Here,
the temperature and cooking is controlled.

MAKE THE PASTA

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a heaping tablespoon of salt. Add your pasta and partially cover the pot.  When it returns to a boil, reduce heat just a bit to prevent it from boiling over. Cook until done, about 7 minutes or so. I do not subscribe to "al dente" pasta. I like it cooked through and soft.

In a medium bowl, add your garlic, one tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons butter and a good teaspoon of Kosher salt along with several grinds of pepper or Aleppo pepper for a bit more kick and flavor.

Remove a bit of water from pasta pot and reserve.

Drain pasta. Add to bowl with garlic mixture and toss. Add a bit of the 'schmaltz' or chicken fat from the pan to the pasta. Add several fine grates of lemon peel (not juice) and a generous handful of Parm/Reggiano cheese. Taste for salt. Add some chopped parsley. If you don't have any, chop up some celery leaves to add.

If your pasta is done before your chicken, add a bit of the pasta water before serving to loosen it up. Don't be afraid to add a drizzle of olive oil over pasta when plated.

Notes: One day I will make a wonderful sauce from remnants of the chicken pan. You might want to give it a try.