Sorry for the long hiatus — hopefully I’ll be back around here a bit more!

This is another recipe that comes from the cookbook I made for Jessica.  It was sent to me by her friend Carrie Geddie, who found the original recipe at All Recipes. It’s a delicious vegetarian lasagna, and was one of Matt’s favorites of the recipes we sampled. I’m sure it would also be a great make-ahead and freeze to cook as needed type of meal. Thanks for sharing, Carrie!

Artichoke Spinach Lasagne

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato marinara sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.

Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook noodles according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. Add in broth and fresh rosemary. Bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in jar of marinara sauce.

Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is beginning to brown. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

You might also like:

• Pork Chops Saltimbocca
• Swedish Meatballs

John’s Roasted Chicken
Adapted from Julia Wade

1 roasting chicken, gutted and thoroughly washed
1 onion, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots
8 or so fingerling potatoes
12 or so Brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Herbes de Provence (or other combination of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, or lavender)
4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Peel carrots and cut into chunks. Halve potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Toss with olive oil, and arrange vegetables around the edge of a roasting pan big enough to hold the chicken.

After washing chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper inside of chicken generously. Place quartered onion and lemon, along with remaining garlic inside of the chicken cavity. Tie legs together with butcher twine.

Coat outside of chicken with olive oil and rub thoroughly into the skin. Salt and pepper generously. Crush Herbs de Provence to release essential oils, and sprinkle on outside. Nestle chicken among the vegetables.

Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Turn oven down to 375 degrees. After another 15 minutes, baste with butter. Baste again with chicken juice from pan every 20 minutes until chicken is done.

Chicken will be done when drumsticks jiggle, and feel ready to separate from the rest of the bird. When done, let bird sit for 10 minutes before carving.

To carve, use a sharp knife and separate wings and thigh from the body. Cut the joint only. Then slice breast and rest of bird. ENJOY!!

If you’ve ever talked to someone with a CSA subscription though, you have almost certainly heard that they get a lot of leafy greens. I love greens, so that’s been fine with me, but I admit it can sometimes be a challenge to come up with new ideas for ways to use them. This recipe for Greens with Coconut Milk and Bacon, adapted from Steamy Kitchen has become a real staple for us this year. It’s apparently based on a Caribbean dish called Callaloo, which Wikipedia says is traditionally made with either amaranth or taro greens. We like it because it’s fast, easy, and delicious, and it can be made with things we usually keep on hand, so it’s great when we don’t know what else to make. Jaden‘s original used kale, but we’ve adapted it for whatever greens arrived in our box that week, including swiss chard, kale, and radish, turnip, and collard greens. And even if the greens are a bit wilty and past their prime, it is no problem in this dish.

The original recipe called for 1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth. We did that at first, but lately have been ditching the broth and just using the whole can of coconut milk, so we’re not left with half of an opened can. We’ve sometimes served it, as in the picture, with red beans and rice (I admit, from a box — remember, this is our last minute emergency meal!). But if you make a big pot, it’s really plenty hearty as a one dish meal. Just don’t forget the cornbread!

Greens with Coconut Milk and Bacon

It is pretty much essential to serve this with cornbread, which cooks in about the same time it takes to get this on the table. Or if you’re skipping the cornbread, at least serve it with some kind of bread to soak up all that delicious pot likker.

We usually use the whole can of coconut milk, but you can lighten it up somewhat by using half coconut milk and half broth.

4 slices of bacon, chopped into 1″ pieces
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 or more large bunches leafy greens (e.g. kale, chard, collard greens), at least 8 cups, chopped
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk, or 1 c coconut milk and 1 c vegetable broth

In a large dutch oven or saute pan, cook the bacon until it begins to crisp. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the greens and allow them to cook down for a few minutes, just until you can stir things around again. Stir in the coconut milk (and broth if using) and simmer about 5-10 more minutes, until it thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.