As we are coming close to wrapping up our Cleaning Up Pinterest Week, I decided to find a recipe that would challenge myself. Wow did I find one. The recipe I decided to clean up was Rosemary Chicken Lasagna by Feasting at Home. This recipe was #8 on The Huffington Post’s Recipes that Won Pinterest in 2013. This recipe was challenging in many ways. First, it is a white lasagna, which means it is a bechemel base. That proved to be tricky…since bechamel is made with white flour, which I wanted to get rid of. Second, the recipe used wonton wrappers instead of lasagna noodles. I did not want to make my own wonton wrappers, so I swapped them out for whole wheat lasagna noodles. Finally, it is a beautiful and delicious recipe. I knew I would never be able to compete in terms of pretty pictures, but I wanted to make sure I still did the recipe justice.
I will admit my biggest challenge was cleaning up the bechamel sauce….I mean it is the backbone of the recipe. I wanted to find a replacement that would be equally creamy and flavorful, while cutting the flour and extra fat. I decided to replace the bechamel with my favorite cauliflower sauce. It is the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce by Pinch of Yum. Wow is it good! And so versatile! You should definitely check it out! She has great pictures and will walk you through how to make the sauce better then I can. I made the recipe in the same amounts she recommended and it was the perfect amount for the lasagna (can you say fate?!?!). I did swap out the vegetable broth for chicken broth to better compliment the lasagna. I also added some Parmesan cheese, extra butter, and a pinch of nutmeg, so that it better mimicked the taste of the bechamel.
All in all I think my cleaned up lasagna turned out great! It was still creamy and extremely flavorful. Give it a try!!!
Local Ingredient: Organic Pasture Raised Ground Chicken (purchased at a local farmer’s market!).
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER SAUCE
1 head organic cauliflower, about 6-7 cups
8 loves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1-2 tbsp organic butter
LASAGNA FILLING
1 1/2 lbs ground pasture raised organic chicken breast
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz baby portabella mushrooms
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cup chopped packed baby spinach
12oz fresh organic mozzarella, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
15 oz whole milk ricotta
3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
Zest of 1 lemon
1 package organic whole wheat lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a skillet over medium heat add the 2 tbsp butter for the cauliflower sauce. Once the butter is melted add the 8 cloves of garlic, minced, and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. (Tip: do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile bring a stock pot with the 4 cups of water and 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor (or large bowl if using an immersion blender). Add the garlic, Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of butter, milk, and about 1/2 cup of the water the cauliflower was boiled in. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Stir in the tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary and set aside.
- Fill another large stockpot with water. Bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add some olive oil and sea salt. Cook the lasagna noodles, until tender. (If in doubt follow the directions on the package). Drain and set the noodles aside.
- In the meantime heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and rosemary, season with salt. Saute for 7-10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. Once mushrooms are tender add the chicken and spinach and saute another 3-6 minutes, until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
- Take your lasagna dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the cauliflower sauce over the bottom of the dish. Place 4 whole wheat lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Next spread about 1/2 of the ricotta cheese on top of the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the chicken mixture on top of the ricotta. spoon another 1/2 cup of cauliflower sauce on top. Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/2 the lemon zest on top of the cauliflower sauce. Repeat the process for the next layer, using the remaining ricotta, chicken mixture, mozzarella cheese, and lemon zest.
- Top this layer with another 4 lasagna noodles. Spoon the rest of the cauliflower sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the sauce. Top with a little more chopped fresh rosemary.
- Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake another 15 minutes, until the cheese is browned.
- Remove from the oven and let stand 10-15 minutes, so that the lasagna can set.
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