Monday, March 26, 2007

Lasagne pour couples branchés / Lasagna for hip couples

Sometimes I forget that I am a mommy.

Last Saturday, my husband and I decided to go to Starbucks for a coffee (Hot chocolate for me). It was a beautiful day, so we went to the one in Rochester, a city not too far from where we live. Since I had some posts that I didn’t have time to publish on my blog, I wanted to take my laptop with me. My husband told me that it wasn’t such a good idea because my daughter wouldn’t let me work peacefully on it. I taught: “yeah, maybe you’re right; I’ll just take a book to read then”

I really wanted to be like one of those hip young people with their laptop, their I pods and their Money Magazine, trying to be submerged by their screen while checking every person who passes by. I wanted to browse the internet while sipping my hot chocolate in front of the big fireplace. I wanted to try my wireless connection that I didn’t have the opportunity to try outside of my house. I wanted to be “hip”.
But I forgot that I have never seen those people trying to be hip with a seven months old baby. I forgot that my daughter loves my laptop so much that she would lick the screen to know how it tastes like.

Let me just say that it was a good idea that I didn’t bring my laptop with me and that I even didn’t have the time to read my book; that it stays the whole time on the table between my hot chocolate mug and a baby bib. My, so anticipated relaxation time was cut short by a bored baby who wanted to swing the whole time from my arms to her father’s; plus a going back and forth to the bathroom to wash her toy that she throws on the floor more that I can count and add to this whole "baby adventure" a dirty diaper. I guess I am not that hip girl that I used to be anymore.

Back home, after feeding her, bathing her and putting her in her crib for a nap, I had to recover my confidence, so I made this “gourmet” lasagna with salmon, portabella mushrooms and rosemary. The rosemary gives this woody taste that goes very well with the mushroom and the fish; and the creaminess of the béchamel sauce balances the strong character of each ingredient. You can top the lasagna with some toasted pine nuts for the crunch.


Salmon, Mushrooms and Rosemary Lasagna

Recipe:
- 4 giant Portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tbsp butter plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1lb of salmon filet
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups Béchamel sauce
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 6 sheets of lasagna
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Boil the lasagna according to the package directions. Drizzle with some olive oil, separate them with your hands and Set aside.
Sauté the mushroom in the butter until cooked, tender and until all of it water has evaporated. Set aside.
Sauté the salmon in the olive until golden brown on each side, about 3min on each side, it depends on the thickness of the fish. Crumble the fish with a fork into small pieces. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and mix them with the ricotta and the rosemary leaves finely chopped. (Keep some extra leaves to top the dish).Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
To assemble the Lasagna dish, grease a 6 inch square baking pan with butter and spread ½ cup of béchamel sauce on the bottom. Layer two lasagna sheets, some béchamel sauce, ½ of the mushrooms and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Layer two others lasagna sheets, the remaining béchamel sauce, half the salmon and top it with another ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Layer the remaining sheets, the ricotta mixture, the remaining mushroom, and the remaining salmon and top it with the parmesan cheese and the reserved rosemary leaves.
Cook the dish in a preheated 375F oven for 30 min. Let stand 15minutes before cutting.



Lasagne de Saumon, Champignons et Romarin

In francais please:
- 4 gros cepes, finement eminces
- 30g de beurre plus 1c.c d’huile d’olive
- 450g de fillets de saumon
- 1c.s d’huile d’olive
- 200g de Ricotta
-2 oeufs entiers
- 500ml de sauce Béchamel
- 1 branche de romarin
- 6 feuilles de lasagne
- 100g de Parmesan râpé
- Sel, poivre

Faites cuire les lasagnes selon les directions du paquet. Verser un peu d’huile d’olive après cuisson et separer les feuilles de lasagne avec vos mains.
Faites sauter les champignons dans le mélange beurre, huile d’olive jusqu’a ce qu’ils deviennent tendres et jusqu’a ce que ce le liquide se soit evapore. Mettre de cote. Faites cuire le saumon dans de l’huile d’olive jusqu’a ce qu’il devienne dore des deux cotes, environ 3min de chaque cote, cela depends de l’epaisseur du poisson. Mettre de cote.
Battre les oeufs et les melanger a la ricotta et les feuilles de romarin hachees. Reserver quelques feuilles non-hachees pour plus tard.
Pour assembler le plat, Beurrer un moule carre (environ 15cm) et mettre au fond environ 50ml de sauce béchamel. Disposer 2 feuilles de lasagne, une couche epaisse de sauce béchamel, la moitie des champignons et un peu de parmesan rape. Disposer 2 autres feuilles de lasagne, le reste de la sauce béchamel, la moitie du saumon et du fromage rape. Disposer les dernieres feuilles de lasagne, le mélange de ricotta, le reste de champignons, le reste de saumon, le reste de parmesan rape et les feuilles de romarin reservees auparavant.
Cuire dans un four prechauffe a 180C pendant 30min. Laisser reposer 15min avant de couper.

8 comments:

LILIBOX said...

Original cèpes et saumon !
j'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à lire ta "tranche" de vie qui me rappelle des souvenirs maintenant lontain .
j'attends ta chorba avec impatience .
C'est drole cete coincidence !

Anonymous said...

I have so been there...wanting a little escape from the kids...hoping to go somewhere that they will be occupied and then they get bored much quicker than you anticipated.

I often find it very hard to read my laptop screen when I'm outside. It just doesn't work for me.

One thing that does work for me is that lasagna... oh my!

Anonymous said...

You are still hip! Just a lot busier than those other people hanging out at Starbucks.
That lasagna is super hip~

Warda said...

Merci Lili, Il est clair que mes sorties ne sont peut etre plus aussi calmes qu'avant mais elles sont plus "fun" qu'avant.

Thanks Kristen,I know what you mean.

Thanks Sandi, The Lasagna was just fabulous.

Peabody said...

Well, I am far from hip...so can I still eat that? :)

Warda said...

Peabody, let me just say that judging by your cakes and your blog you are definitely Hip; and yes my friend, you are more than welcome to eat it.

Anonymous said...

Ouaw! I want to be hype!!!!

Warda said...

Thanks Maya, I am glad you like the lasagna.