Wild Rice Turkey Bowl w/ Citrus Vinaigrette

Wild Rice Turkey Bowl with Cranberries and Oranges

This is another favorite recipe I developed for my client Seven Barrels using their Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar to make a lovely sweet and tart dressing, perfect for salads around the holidays. I wanted to make a recipe that incorporates Thanksgiving leftovers and create something light and easy after such a big, rich, and heavy meal.

Wild Rice + Turkey Bowl with Cranberries and Oranges

This Wild Rice + Turkey Bowl with Citrus Vinaigrette uses all that gorgeous leftover cooked turkey, some wild rice, crisp romaine, fresh oranges and orange zest, crunchy celery, red onion, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, drizzled in a gorgeous lemon and raspberry vinaigrette dressing with a touch of cinnamon, cumin and tarragon.

Wild Rice + Turkey Bowl w/ Cranberries and Oranges

Feel free to experiment too with the bowl ingredients – you can substitute any other healthy whole grain like quinoa or farro or brown rice, and you could also try using cooked chicken in place of the turkey and try dried tart cherries and pistachios in place of the cranberries and walnuts. Any way you make it..I promise it will be delicious!!!

Wild Rice + Turkey Bowl with Cranberries and Oranges

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

This is a great recipe for using leftover Thanksgiving turkey - a healthy delicious bowl salad with wild rice, romaine, orange, celery, red onion and dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, drizzled in a gorgeous lemon and raspberry vinaigrette dressing with spices and tarragon.

Ingredients

  • Turkey
  • 2 cups roasted turkey (light and/or dark meat – large slices or shredded)
  • Vinaigrette
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons Seven Barrels Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Seven Barrels Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, grated
  • 1 teaspoon minced orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Bowl
  • 3 cups wild rice, cooked
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest, minced
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 6 cups romaine hearts, sliced
  • ¾ cup fresh orange segments, halved
  • ¾ cup celery, sliced
  • ½ cup red onion, sliced
  • ½ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

  1. Prep the cooked turkey breast by shredding the meat into bite sized pieces or slicing it into large pieces for the salad.
  2. For the vinaigrette, whisk together orange juice, Seven Barrels Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar, Seven Barrels Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, tarragon, grated garlic, 1 teaspoon orange zest, cumin, pepper, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. For the bowl, combine cooked wild rice with 1 teaspoon orange zest. Toast chopped walnuts in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until lightly golden brown, set aside.
  4. Divide cooked turkey, rice, romaine, orange segments, celery, red onion and dried cranberries among four serving bowls; drizzle with vinaigrette and garnish with toasted walnuts.

Notes

You can also substitute dried tart cherries, and cooked chicken breast for the cranberries and turkey. Try experimenting with other grains too - quinoa, farro, or brown rice in place of wild rice.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2017/11/wild-rice-turkey-bowl-with-cranberries-and-oranges/

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Hey guys! I’ve been so busy working on client projects I haven’t had the time to post many new recipes lately so I wanted to share a super delicious one I created for a client that I know you’re gonna love!

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

This recipe for Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad is absolutely delicious! I made a dressing with Seven Barrels Maple Balsamic vinegar and olive oil and tossed it with quinoa, chickpeas, dried tart cherries, arugula, celery, green onions and crunchy pecans.

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Not only is this super healthy and light but absolutely delicious! It has the perfect balance of tangy vinegar with a slight sweetness from the maple balsamic, agave and tart cherries, and a delightful crunch from the celery, chickpeas and green onions.

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

This is a perfect side dish to make ahead for a Summer picnic and it’s full of protein and veggies and fiber making it the perfect meal on it’s own.

You can also substitute dried cranberries for the tart cherries if you can’t find them, and use a variety of nuts like cashews, almonds, or walnuts instead of pecans. Throw in some edamame or black beans too if you want more protein. Or how about a little crispy bacon???? YUM.

Hope you’re enjoying your Summer – enjoy!

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup Seven Barrels Maple balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup agave syrup or honey
  • 1 cup dried tart cherries
  • 1/2 cup celery, sliced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Handful of baby arugula
  • 1 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool completely.
  2. Toast the pecans for about 5 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat in a saute pan, let cool and chop coarsely.
  3. Make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, Maple Balsamic vinegar and agave syrup (or honey) in a small mixing bowl.
  4. Add 3/4 cup dressing to the cooked quinoa. Mix in the chopped toasted pecans, tart cherries, celery, scallions, and sea salt. Serve refrigerated or at room temperature; just before serving, stir in remaining 1/4 cup dressing, arugula and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes

You can also substitute dried cranberries for the tart cherries and use any type of nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds).

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2017/08/maple-balsamic-quinoa-salad/

Superfoods Recipes for a Healthy New Year

Once the holidays are over, it’s time for a break from all the super rich food and cocktails and detox with some healthy recipes made with some of my favorite superfoods for a fresh start to a healthy New Year!

What’s all the fuss over superfoods about? They help step up your immunity, boost energy, slow down aging, lift your spirits, improve circulation, detox, improve sleep, and they have healing benefits too. And they just make you feel better and healthier all around. Colorful fruits and vegetables possess tons of vitamins and minerals – start ‘eating the rainbow’, and you’re off to a healthy start, and you can complement it with supplements as thai kratom.

Veggie Bean Soup

The best way to get your fix of Superfoods is to make a big pot of veggie soup in the middle of winter, not only for it’s warming properties, but also because soup gives a big dose of healthy vegetables that boost the immune system, as well as detox and cleanse the body with its healthy ingredients, antibacterial properties, vitamins and minerals, also people use different kind of supplements to burn fat and be healthy just visit site and find out the best ones.

Simmer Soup KitchenAid Stockpot

I’ve created a super healthy soup recipe that I made with my KitchenAid 11-cup Food Processor, that is so convenient to chop, grate and shred all those lovely veggies. Then I just threw them all in my KitchenAid 8-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot (part of the Stainless Steel 8-piece set that I just got!) to make a delicious and heartwarming Vegetable and Bean Soup. The Stockpot is great because it heats up fast on the stovetop to sauté all the veggies and seasonings and it has etched measurement markings inside the pot that make it easy to measure all the liquids for the soup.

Soup_Ingredients

My soup is full of onions, garlic and chicken stock, which all help build the immunity system and keep the colds away. It also has tons of fresh veggies including zucchini, kale, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and northern white beans topped with grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil and some crusty whole wheat bread for dipping.

Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie

The New Year is also a great time to cleanse and detox by eating lots of healthy Superfood fruits! I love all berries that are full of antioxidants, with plenty of vitamins for a super boost in the morning.

Smoothie_Ingredients

I’ve created a delicious Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie recipe made with kiwi, apples, vanilla greek yogurt, almond milk, blueberries, acai berry puree, honey, lemon zest, flax seed and raw almonds.

Fruit and Almonds KitchenAid Diamond Blender

I simply threw all the ingredients into my powerhouse KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender with 5 different settings that does all the stirring, mixing, blending, pureeing and heavy lifting for me.And the smoothie is a healthy breakfast or snack, giving a big boost of protein and energy from the yogurt, almond milk, flax seeds and almonds; antioxidants from the berries and honey; and betacarotene, vitamin E and C from the kiwi fruit and lemon zest.

Click here to read the full post on the Kitchenthusiast blog by KitchenAid for more photos and recipes!

Pot of Gold: Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup
Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

I love coming home for the holidays, not only to spend some quality time with family and friends but for some of Mom’s cooking! With all this crazy weather lately I haven’t been feeling so hot and of course, just in time for Thanksgiving. I flew home to stay with my parents earlier this week, and Mom had the perfect remedy – a big ol’ pot of her homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. I could smell the delicious golden aroma brewing on the stovetop the second I walked in the door and  knew I was home.

My Grandmother used to make this recipe with a secret ingredient called George Washington Golden Seasoning, a powdered chicken soup base with chicken fat and seasonings that gives an extra savory, golden chicken-y flavor to the soup broth, developed by a distant relative of George Washington. I’m not sure if this is even around anymore, but my Mom uses Lisa Marie chicken base (a brand from Syracuse, NY). If you can’t find this brand, use a few tablespoons of any quality chicken bouillon or chicken soup base to bump up the flavor of the chicken broth – you can find plenty of these at your grocery store or at Amazon online. Make sure to add plenty of fresh veggies (carrots, celery and onion) and let the soup simmer to it’s shimmering, golden delicious state for at least a few hours to let the flavors meld.

One tip: we always keep the egg noodles and cooked, pulled chicken separate from the broth to avoid the broth getting cloudy – this also ensures the noodles don’t get soggy and you are left with an absolute pure and delicious golden broth that will warm your bones and lift your spirits.

All I can say is three words: Pot. Of. Gold.

A Pot of Gold: Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6 quarts

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-6 pound) whole stewing chicken
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2-3 tablespoons Chicken Soup Base seasoning (or quality chicken bouillon)
  • 4 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
  • 4 stalks celery, halved length-wise, sliced thin
  • 2 small onion, diced
  • 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
  • 1 package dried wide egg noodles

Instructions

  1. Wash and drain chicken, put in large soup kettle. Cover with water, heat to a boil.
  2. Remove scum before complete boiling starts and add seasonings.
  3. Let simmer until chicken is half cooked, about 1 hour.
  4. Add vegetables and cook until tender, another 2 hours.
  5. Remove chicken and take all white and dark meat off the bone, set aside in a separate bowl.
  6. Boil noodles separately according to package directions and drain.
  7. Ladle soup broth over chicken and noodles, garnish with fresh parsley and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Serve with crackers or fresh crusty bread.

Notes

This recipe makes a double batch which serves 8-10. Cut recipe in half for a smaller crowd.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/pot-of-gold-moms-chicken-noodle-soup/

Other Chicken Soup recipes you may enjoy:

Pioneer Woman’s Chunky Chicken Soup

How Sweet Eats Healthy Harvest Soup

Kalyn’s Kitchen Chicken Barley Soup

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Ina Garten’s Chicken Noodle Soup

A Perfect Summer Salad: Grapefruit, Avocado & Fennel w/ Asian Citrus Dressing

Grapefruit, Avocado and Fennel Salad
Grapefruit, Avocado and Fennel Salad

I found a delicious recipe for a Grapefruit, Avocado and Fennel Salad that I had to make – it’s a fresh combination of healthy grapefruit, avocados and fennel with a light, tangy Asian Citrus dressing made with fruit juice, honey, olive and sesame oil and a little bit of onion and mustard. The original recipe called for a pound of fennel, but I switched it up by adding sliced celery and fresh salad mix (any lettuce will do but I used an Italian Romaine, green leaf and cabbage mix). I also added some some fresh grapefruit juice into the dressing and topped the salad with some sliced toasted almonds for some nutty flavor and crunch. You could also throw in some sesame seeds or sunflower seeds which would be great too. The original recipe called for twice the amount of dressing which I cut in half, and I recommend tossing the dressing on at the end instead of all together with the salad, to avoid any mushiness and to keep the veggies fresh and crunchy. If you want to double the dressing recipe below, use half of it as a marinade for some grilled chicken or shrimp and toss either of those into the salad for a full meal. Light, tangy, refreshing and delicious! Perfect summer salad – enjoy.

Grapefruit, Avocado & Fennel Salad

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon Vidalia onion, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • Salad:
  • 2 large pink grapefruits, sectioned
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into paper-thin slices
  • 2 celery stalks, cut into thin slices
  • 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into thin slices
  • 1 bag of fresh salad mix
  • 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing: whisk together all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. To make the salad: cut the grapefruits in half, and cut around the edge and in between the pith, peel and cut out the wedges, removing all pith and peel. Trim the top and bottom off of the fennel bulb, remove the core and cut into paper thin slices. Cut celery into thin slices. Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Cut thin slices and remove the outer skin.
  3. Toss salad mix into a large salad bowl, and add grapefruit wedges, fennel and celery slices and add dressing, tossing to coat. Top the salad with avocado slices and sliced toasted almonds and salt and pepper to taste.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/06/grapefruit-avocado-fennel-salad/

Recipe inspired by and adapted from Epicurious

Crazy Good Lobster Rolls & a July 4 Feast

Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast
Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast

#Summer is the time of year where all I want to do is flee to the ocean, bask in some sunshine and eat some really good seafood. With July 4th approaching us, my photographer friend and partner Maike Paul decided we wanted to do a test shoot together and make some crazy good Lobster Rolls and a July 4th Feast.

We picked up a fresh lobster at a local seafood market in Brooklyn (who we named Lobster Louie) and he accompanied us as we walked around Williamsburg searching for a big steam pot and some fresh ingredients and props to make our succulent Lobster Rolls. We picked up some fresh corn on the cob, scallions, chives, celery, and lemons, some crunchy Kettle chips, Corona and limes, heirloom tomatoes and lettuce to make a salad to accompany our feast.

Lobster Rolls are fairly easy to make – and if you’re squeamish like I am, you might want to get a helper to cook the lobster in the steam pot (we recruited Maike’s boyfriend). One tip I recommend is to put the whole lobster in the freezer for about 15 minutes before boiling it as it makes the lobster “sleepy” – it’s a more humane way to cook a live lobster and you’ll feel less guilty, I promise. You can also use frozen lobster if you just don’t want to deal with the complication and doom all together!

Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast
Lobster Rolls & July 4 Feast

We brushed some light butter on the hot dog buns and put them in a grill pan for a few minutes to make them toasty and browned. New England-style buns are the best, but if you can’t find them, regular top-split buns are fine.

To make the corn on the cob, boil it first for about 10 minutes to soften it and then brush the corn with some butter and throw them in a grill pan or a charcoal grill to get some nice grill marks and then top it off with some sea salt and Old Bay Seasoning or paprika for some extra savory flavor. Make a fresh green salad with heirloom tomatoes and a light lemon vinaigrette to accompany along with some crunchy BBQ Kettle Chips and a cold, refreshing Corona with lime. Now that’s a July 4 feast to remember! Enjoy.

Crazy Good Lobster Rolls & a July 4 Feast

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/8 cup fresh chives, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup fresh green onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or paprika
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 lb. (4 cups) cooked lobster meat
  • 6 hot dog rolls, New England-style or split-top rolls
  • 4-6 fresh corn on the cob, husked
  • butter, for basting corn and hot dog rolls
  • 4-6 small heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1/2 head green leaf lettuce
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette dressing, for salad
  • 2-3 limes, for Corona

Instructions

  1. Bring a large steam pot full of water to a rolling boil and prep all fresh ingredients. Boil lobster for about 10-12 minutes and let cool for another 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the lobster claws and the tail and split open the shell to remove fresh cooked lobster, and cut up the lobster meat into large chunks and remove residue by rinsing under cold water.
  3. In a large bowl, add the lobster meat and stir in celery, mayonnaise, water, chives, green onions, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper, Old Bay seasoning or paprika. Season to taste with more lemon, paprika, salt, and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional chopped chives.
  4. Boil the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes until soft. Brush with butter and grill in a grill pan for about 5 more minutes until grill marks appear. Sprinkle with sea salt and Old Bay seasoning or paprika.
  5. Brush the hot dog rolls lightly with butter, and grill in a grill pan over medium-high until they get browned and toasty. Serve the lobster salad in toasted buns with the corn on the cob and a fresh green salad with heirloom tomatoes and a light lemon vinaigrette dressing and fresh ground black pepper.
  6. Serve with a bowl of crunchy BBQ Kettle chips and a Corona with lime or crisp Sauvignon Blanc white wine.

Notes

If using a whole live lobster, put in the freezer for 15 minutes before boiling - this is a more humane way of cooking the lobster. You can also use frozen lobster tails if you desire equalling 4 cups to make this recipe. An alternative to the mayo-based lobster salad is to toss the fresh cooked lobster in some butter with fresh tarragon and salt and pepper (Connecticut-style)!

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/06/crazy-good-lobster-rolls-a-july-4-feast/

Watch the video from Fine Cooking on how to humanely cook a live lobster

Food Network Lobster Rolls by Sarah’s Secrets

Amateur Gourmet’s Lobster Rolls

Ellie Krieger’s Lobster Rolls

Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls by Serious Eats

Lobsters with Laura Lobster Rolls

California Dreamin’ :: Chicken, Wild Mushroom & Fontina Cheese Lasagna

Room with a view
Room with a view

On a recent trip to San Diego with a group of friends, we made an awesome dinner one night, and definitely one to remember. We rented an amazing house right on the ocean at Mission Beach that had gorgeous views of the sunset  – –

Sunset
Sunset

a huge round disk of bright orange, yellow and red hues sinking into the horizon – absolutely breathtaking..

Chicken, Spinach & Wild Mushroom Lasagna
Chicken, Spinach & Wild Mushroom Lasagna

My friend (Paula) showed up with a delicious recipe for Chicken, Spinach & Wild Mushroom Lasagna (by Daniel Boulud) which was an amazingly creamy, savory dish to die for! The lasagna is made with a creamy base of sauteed celery and onions, white wine, nutmeg, flour and cream mixed with fresh spinach, wild mushrooms (we used Chanterelles but you can use any mix of wild mushrooms you prefer) and chicken breast. We topped off the lasagna noodles and chicken and mushroom mixture with several gooey layers of Fontina and Parmesan cheese, and baked it into a bubbly pot of goodness in the oven.

We served it with some Parmesan-Garlic Crostini and a green salad, and of course a few bottles of white wine to accompany. Daniel Johnnes, wine director of Daniel Boulud’s restaurants suggests choosing a wine from the Campania region of Italy, such as the 2009 Fiano di Avellino from Feudi di San Gregorio ($19). An alternative is Occhipinti SP68 IGT Sicilia Bianco 2009 ($26). Both of these choices are medium bodied with bold flavor and a soft texture.

Noodle Slap
Noodle Slap

**Note*** Men should definitely stay out of a female-dominated kitchen to avoid a big noodle slap when making a dish as good as this! Enjoy 🙂

Parsley and Fontina Cheese
Parsley and Fontina Cheese
Chicken-Mushroom-Spinach
Chicken-Mushroom-Spinach
Lasagna Ready For Oven
Lasagna Ready For Oven
Parmesan Garlic Crostini
Parmesan Garlic Crostini
Rooftop Sunset
Rooftop Sunset

Oh, and don’t forget the rooftop with great friends and an amazing view to top it all off. We had such an awesome time I’m already planning my next visit back to this gorgeous beach..

Dusk, Mission Beach San Diego
Dusk, Mission Beach San Diego

Until then, I’ll just keep dreaming about that fiery red glowing sunset… 🙂

California Dreamin’ :: Chicken, Wild Mushroom & Fontina Cheese Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 10-12

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons EVOO
  • 2 medium onions, diced fine
  • 2 celery stalks, diced fine
  • 1 pound wild mushrooms (chanterelles, black trumpet, hen of woods), trimmed and washed, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 pound spinach leaves, torn and washed, no stems
  • 4 tablespoons butter, plus extra grease to pan
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • 16 dried lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound of Fontina cheese, diced or cut into medium-thin slices
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Prep all vegetables (chop onions, celery, spinach, mushrooms, parsley), cut up chicken and pat dry.
  2. Measure out all wet and dry ingredients (wine, cream, milk, flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper, grated Parmesan).
  3. Cut Fontina cheese into small dice, or medium-thin slices for layering.
  4. Sauté celery and onions with salt and pepper over medium-low for 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add spinach, salt and pepper, cook until wilted and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and reserve.
  5. Add butter to same pot, adjust heat to medium. Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper, add to butter. Cook stirring 6 minutes until chicken is browned. Add wine, simmer until almost reduced. Sprinkle flour over the chicken and cook, stirring for 5 mins, allowing flour to coat the chicken and absorb the liquid.
  6. Gradually stir in cream and milk, scraping pot, stirring with a whisk to break up cooked flour. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, allow liquid to thicken. Reserve 1 cup of liquid and remove pot from heat, add cooked mushroom and spinach mixture. Add parsley, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Cook lasagna noodles 8 mins in salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water. Toss with 2 tablespoons EVOO.
  8. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking pan. Layer 4 noodles on bottom. Top with 1/3 chicken mixture and 1/3 Fontina cheese. Repeat layers twice, finish with layer of noodles. Spread reserved sauce over noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (can put in fridge or freezer at this point, tightly covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap).
  9. Cover with foil or lid and bake for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 400 degrees and remove foil and cook until golden brown and bubbly, another 10-15 mins.
  10. To make the Parmesan Garlic Crostini:
  11. Slice a loaf of Italian bread into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and drizzle with olive oil, shredded Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown and crunchy.
  12. Sprinkle the lasagna with chopped parsley, some extra grated cheese if desired, and serve with the parmesan garlic crostini.

Notes

Serve with a leafy green salad with a vinaigrette dressing, some crusty garlic bread and a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

The lasagna can be made a day ahead to save time, just keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap of foil and pop it in the oven when ready to bake.

Freezes well too - wrap in plastic and foil in individual portions and reheat in the microwave or oven.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/05/california-dreamin-chicken-wild-mushroom-fontina-lasagna/