Artichoke and Spinach Rolls with Lemon Bechamel

There is a nice difference in presentation between regular lasagna and these lasagna rolls. It made the entire meal nicer somehow. However, I think this recipe would work fine in a more traditional lasagna presentation. Try it, and let me know :)

Here's what you need:
1 box lasagna
16 oz ricotta
3 14oz cans artichokes
1 C mozzarella
1/2 bag fresh spinach (about 3 oz)
4 C non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
4 T butter
4-6 T flour (I used 6 because rice milk is a bit thin)

Here's what you do:
Cook the noodles according to the box. Rinse, drain, set aside.
Chop the artichokes and spinach. Mix veggies and cheeses together.
Working with one noodle at a time, place some filling down the center of the noodle. Roll up gently. Place in a greased casserole. Keep going until the filling is gone and the kitchen is a mess.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour all at once, whisking constantly until the flour has had a chance to cook and thicken a bit. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Add fresh lemon juice to taste, making sure this is a predominate flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over the rolls and bake until bubbly. This will freeze well. So good and pretty simple even for a weeknight dinner.

Artichoke and Carrot Top Pesto Stuffed Mushroom

   Vegan Month of Food
"Lines and Light"
(a line of original poetry or a photo of light every day for the month of October)

Bright orange surprise under dark earth; waiting to be yanked by green hair

Day 14 - Re-purposing Food

Show us what you do with mushroom stems, stale end bits of bread, carrot tops, etc
(click HERE to see what others are sharing today)

 

Stuffed mushrooms don’t need to be complicated, unless you are making your own carrot top pesto to mix into the stuffing! Seriously, it wasn’t that tricky and since I was planning to make the carrot top pesto anyway, I decided to add some to the mushrooms. Delicious!

I also think stuffed mushrooms can serve as an entre and not only as an appetizer. That’s how we ate them and thankfully, there were plenty for the two of us.

Here’s what you need:
10 oz large white mushrooms, stems removed and minced

8 artichoke quarters, (packed in water) minced

2 scallions, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

Dried basil and parsley

Paprika

2 T olive oil – divided

2 rounded T carrot top pesto (recipe below)

2 rounded T cashew parmesan

2 rounded T seasoned bread crumbs

½ C dry white wine

Here’s what you do:

Saute the mushroom stems, artichokes, scallions, and garlic in 1 T oil. Add the herbs and paprika to taste. Salt and pepper is good here too. When the mixture is nice and soft, remove to a bowl and add the pesto, Parmesan, and bread crumbs. Divide evenly between the mushrooms, drizzle remaining olive oil over each cap and sprinkle wine over it all. Bake covered (350 degrees) for about 10 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Here's how to make Carrot Top Pesto:

Drop a few garlic gloves into a running food processor. This is a good way to mince the garlic. Add a 1/4 C of sliced or slivered almonds, a bunch of carrot tops (stems discarded), some olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt. Process until kind of smooth. Be ready to scrape down the sides of the processor. 

Cheesy Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Lemon Béchamel

Having company soon? Here’s the recipe. Trust me – this was so good.

Here’s what you need:

3 large cans quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, not oil

2 lemons, remove the rind carefully with a sharp knife, then juice them

1 box large shell pasta, cooked *almost* al dente, set aside

1 C almond cheese (see recipe below)

½ C dairy mozzarella

Salt and pepper

3 C non-dairy milk

4 T butter

4 T flour

Here’s what you do:

Mince the artichoke hearts and mix them with the two cheeses.

(Amazing Almond Cheese = 1 C raw, unpeeled almonds, ¾ C water, 3 T lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, 1 clove garlic, salt, high speed blender. IT IS THE BEST!)

Simmer a large slice or two of the lemon rind in the milk and remove after a few minutes.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and then sprinkle the flour over the butter. Whisk thoroughly and cook the flour well. Add the warm milk a bit at a time, whisking all the while. Add the lemon juice when the mixture is nice and creamy and thick. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff the cooked shells with the artichoke and cheese mixture. Place in greased casserole. Smother with lemon béchamel. Bake, covered, 400 degrees until bubbly. Garnish with parsley.

Serve with something non-acidic to counter the fabulous lemon flavor.....a green salad with a creamy dressing, garlic toast, broccoli, green beans, asparagus. There's plenty of bechamel to drizzle all over the plate.