Smoked Portobello & Smoked Mozzarella Lasagna (Gluten Free Version Included)

There is nothing quite like sitting around on a lazy afternoon, drinking bourbon and smoking cheese with a really good friend. Wait. That doesn't sound quite right. We didn't actually light up any cheese, we simply put it into the smoker and watched it like hawks whilst sipping some excellent Kentucky distilled spirits. That's better. 

My dear friend Marti, from Maryland, had attempted smoking cheese many years ago and ended up with loads of melted cheese. Keep in mind, she and Mike gave cheese smoking a whirl in the 70's...long before smokers became more sophisticated and home-smoker-friendly...they were so ahead of their time! 

Marti and I discussed plans, fine tuned them, adjusted them mid-smoking and actually accomplished our mission. Lovely, smoky, NON-melted sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese eventually emerged from the MasterBuilt...well, with just a bit of fiddling around to maintain a low enough temp to avoid a cheesy meltdown.

Finished Product ready to be wrapped and aged for a few weeks...if we can wait that long!

Having a win under our belts with our smoky mission, we wrapped our treasures securely and waited a couple of weeks for proper aging. Okay, except for a few weak moments of "quality control testing." 

Besides adorning crackers with our home smoked cheese or arranging it among salume and pickled veggies on a charcuterie board, what else? Mozzarella and lasagna were MADE for one another, right? Right. But wouldn't a red sauce overwhelm delicate, smoky sweet mozzarella? White lasagna it would be. I really wanted the smokiness to shine, so I went with a bechamel based lasagna instead of a ricotta base to emphasize the mozzarella. So far, so good.

If smoky lasagna is good, wouldn't a double smoked pasta dish be even better? Thus the smoker was fired up once again with BIG portobello mushrooms luxuriating in the smoky interior.

Portobellos fresh from the smoker.

Then to assemble the dish and invite a few friends over to sample the result. (What a shame Marti was long ago back in Maryland and couldn't join Jenn, Michael and me.) And? Smoked Portobello & Smoked Mozzarella Lasagna turned out to be...sublimely, richly, decadently so...a pasta dish to be reckoned with. And repeated for the most discerning of guests.

Here is my recipe for the lasagna. Buy smoked mozzarella if you don't want to smoke it yourself or don't have access to a smoker. The same goes for the portobellos. If you don't have access to a smoker, cook them along with the rest of the mushrooms. It will still be an excellent lasagna!

Smoked Portobello & Smoked Mozzarella Lasagna

(Gluten Free Version Included)

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 4 LARGE whole smoked portobello mushrooms, sliced - (if you don't smoke them, slice and saute with the rest of the mushrooms)
• 10 oz baby bellos or other brown mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves black fermented garlic (I get mine at Trader Joe's), smashed with the flat of a knife and pressed to a paste
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C whole milk
• 1 1/2 C heavy cream (nobody said this was a diet dish!)
• 8 T butter (ditto the above comment)
• 1/2 C flour (gluten free flour to make this GF)
• 1 C freshly grated parmesan - the GOOD stuff!
• nutmeg, a little of a freshly grated whole nutmeg or a smidge of the jarred stuff
• 1/2 lb smoked mozzarella, shredded
• a box of lasagna noodles (gluten free to make this GF)

Heat olive oil and 1 T butter in a large skillet. Add the baby bellas and shitake mushrooms along with black garlic. Stir and let the black garlic paste incorporate into the mushrooms and liquid in the pan. Once the mushrooms are cooked down and the liquid begins to disappear (NOT dry out), add the sliced smoked portobellos and stir well. Then add the wine and let the mixture simmer until the mushrooms are still moist, but the liquid is nearly gone. All the buttery, wine-y, garlicky goodness will be absorbed by those gorgeous mushrooms! Set aside.

This is how the sauteed and wine-d mushrooms will look when they're done.

 In a medium sized, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium, heat. Stir in flour and continue stirring until completely incorporated and smooth. Cook another minute or two, then slowly add milk - stirring constantly. Next add the cream, again stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, then add nutmeg and stir well. This is your bechamel; set aside.

Toss the shredded mozzarella and grated parm together in medium bowl. Set aside.

While you're doing all the above, cook the lasagna noodles in a big pot of well salted boiling water until al dente. When done, drain in a colander and separate the noodles. You're ready to assemble.

In a lasagna pan, ladle a little bechamel in a thin layer on the bottom. Add a layer of noodles, a third of the bechamel, half the mushrooms, a third of the cheese mixture; repeat this layer. For the last layer, just do a layer of noodles, the last of the bechamel and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.

Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350; uncover and bake another 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let stand 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving. (It will hold together nicely that way instead of sliding apart.) 

Enjoy!

Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese Supreme

Sometimes there's nothing quite like a sandwich for dinner. Now I'm not talking about a PB&J on squishy Wonder Bread or even baloney and a square slice of American "cheese" straight from the cellophane (not to diss the cheese...unless, of course, we're talking Velveeta) with a smear of Miracle Whip. Nope, I'm talking about a favorite Italian entree turned into a glorious grilled cheese sandwich. The Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese Supreme.

What makes this grilled cheese supreme? Besides warm slices of crispy eggplant, slivers of roasted red peppers, bits of fresh basil, and slices of smoky provolone? Why, both outsides are finished with shredded mozzarella and double grilled to create a crispy, crunchy fried cheese surface. A frico exterior, if you will.

Costco has those beautiful little eggplants in the fresh produce section again, so naturally I bought a bag...then promptly forgot about making them - nothing new there (oops). Once remembered, I set out late in the evening to make a nice big dish of eggplant parm. I started out strong, but once the purple edged veggie slices were oven fried, I simply ran out of time and energy. Instead of cooking into the wee hours, I put them in the fridge for the night after enjoying a couple for "quality control" purposes. The next day, I had "fried" eggplant slices to play with!  

First, I built the sandwiches (and delivered an extra to my sister, Jeanie, for dinner last night). I still have slices to make into individual ramekins of eggplant parm and just to eat as a side dish with grilled chicken or a good medium rare steak. You know, I might just make eggplant slices ahead from now on...I bet it would even freeze to use whenever I wish. Ooooo...and often!

Eggplant Parm Grilled Cheese Supreme

• 2 C fresh or packaged fine breadcrumbs - I used 3 slices of gluten-free bread to make mine GF
• 1 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 1/2 t Kosher salt
• 1 t dried oregano
• 6 small or 3 medium eggplants, tops and bottoms cut off, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slabs
• canola oil
• Pam or other cooking spray
• jarred roasted red peppers, cut into strips
• smoked provolone slices
• shredded mozzarella
• fresh basil
• Italian bread, cut diagonally into hefty 1" slices
• a good jarred marinara

First combine breadcrumbs, granulated garlic, salt and oregano in a plastic bag and shake until well mixed. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using 2 baking sheets, pour enough oil on each sheet to just skim the surface. Spray both sides of the eggplant slices with cooking spray, then put a few slices at a time into the breadcrumb mixture. Shake and coat the slices well, place on the baking sheets and repeat until all the eggplant is coated and on the baking sheets. Spray the top sides with cooking spray to help them brown.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until all the eggplant is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Let cool. At this point, either use the eggplant right away for the sandwiches or store covered in the fridge until ready to make the sandwiches or whatever else you may be making.

Sandwich Assembly:

Butter the outsides of the bread slices. In a skillet or griddle, put the buttered side of one slice of bread down, add a slice of provolone (and whatever more you need to cover the bread), then  a layer of eggplant (be sure to warm the eggplant quickly in the oven), strips of roasted pepper, torn pieces of fresh basil, another slice of provolone (and whatever more you need to cover the contents of the sandwich), top with the other slice of bread (buttered side up) and grill until the bottom of the sandwich is beautifully brown. 

The proper amount of shredded mozzarella to finish the sandwich.

Carefully turn the sandwich over, carefully put a thin layer of shredded mozzarella on the already grilled side. When the other side is beautifully browned, carefully turn the mozzarella-ed side down and repeat the shredded mozzarella on the upside of the sandwich. Carefully turn again and brown the second mozzarella-ed side. Be careful not to burn the mozzarella...just brown it until crisp. Remove to a plate and serve with warm marinara to dip.

After the final grilling with the mozzarella browned, crisped, and ready to cut and serve.

DO try this. It. Is. Fabulous! 

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Staring at the takeout menu, the decision is always the same when a hot hoagie is the night's craving. Meatball or hot sausage?  Okay, maybe a steak n' cheese might figure into the equation, too, on occasion. But generally, it's meatball or hot sausage for me.

And then there's the gluten issue getting in the way of simply ordering from a takeout menu. Except for Mandy's Pizza in West View (thank you Steve for doing amazing GF pizzas, hoagies, calzones and pastas ALL in a GF version!), usually if I want a hoagie, it's going to be homemade. As long as I'm doing my own meatballs or hot sausage, why not make it the way I really want it? Why NOT do both meatballs AND sausage in the same sandwich so there are no potential life altering decisions to be made? Why not indeed. So I did.

Every good meatball or sausage hoagie (did you know I still say "sub" sometimes from my years in Maryland?) starts with a doggone good tomato sauce. Since I still have hot banana peppers from the CSA, that's where I started. And really, Italian hot banana peppers are just made for a good sauce on an Italian hoagie! After starting with the peppers, I added lots of garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil and good red wine. Good start.

My meatballs are a nice light version with chopped fresh spinach and a hefty amount of Parmesan, as well as fresh bread and heavy cream to be sure the meatballs stay light and tender. Because the sauce itself packs a nice wallop of heat, instead of my usual hot sausage, I used sweet Italian sausage and let the sauce carry the heat for the dish. 

Once the sauce, meatballs and sausage had simmered on the stovetop for a while, all that was needed were good, crusty hoagie rolls (or Udi's GF baguettes for me) and a nice smoky provolone to tuck into the sandwich to get all gooey and melty. Just like takeout!

And the leftovers? Turn the sauce, meatballs and sausage into an easy casserole for a dinner the whole family will love! Who doesn't like double duty dinners?! 

Spinach & Parm Meatballs And Sausage 

With Hot Banana Pepper Sauce

Sauce:

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 large sliced banana peppers - HOT ones!, tops removed, seeds removed, sliced across into thin wheels
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
• 1 T Kosher salt
• lots of freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 - 1 lb 12 oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes in puree w/ basil leaf
• 1/3  (or more?) C good red wine

Meatballs:

• 1 1/3 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 2 T Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped
• a generous 1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped - measured after chopping
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 t granulated garlic
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 slice firm bread, crumbled finely - I use gluten-free bread to make this GF, but if gluten isn't an issue use something like Pepperidge Farm

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, cut in half and browned in a skillet

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Start with the sauce. In a large pot, add the olive oil and add the banana peppers and garlic. Saute gently until the veggies are softened, but not browned. Add the basil and stir in well, then add the salt & pepper, tomatoes (crushing each tomato with your hand and fingers as you put it in) and wine. Stir well, bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer gently while making the meatballs & sausage.

In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients well, but lightly. Make meatballs about the size of golf balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until beautifully browned. 

Add meatballs and browned sausage into the sauce and simmer an hour or so. Don't let the sauce reduce too much, but just to a nice spoonable consistency. Stir occasionally, making sure the bottom isn't burning. 

Serve on good crisp hoagie buns with slices of provolone, if you wish. To make these GF, I use Udi's baguettes. Fabulous!

NOTE: What to do with leftovers besides more hoagies? Cut each meatball in half, and the sausages, too. Cook rigatoni or medium shells, drain and add meatballs and sausage with enough sauce to coat the pasta well. Add cubes of mozzarella and some parm, mix well, pour into a large shallow casserole dish, cover with more shredded mozz and bake at 400 degrees just until the casserole bubbles nicely. Serve with a good salad and garlic bread. Easy dinner! 

Oh what the hell, here's a bonus recipe for the casserole:

Meatballs, Sausage & Shells 

Quick and Easy Casserole

• 8 oz. large shell pasta - I use gluten-free to make this GF - cooked just under al dente to allow for time in the oven
• 4 C leftover meatballs and sausage, each cut in half
• 1 C leftover banana pepper sauce
• 4 oz. sharp provolone, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. firm mozzarella, cut in 1/2" dice
• 4 oz. fontina, cut in 1/4" dice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the shells and return to the pot. Add the sauce and stir gently to coat, trying to separate the shells. Add the halved meatballs and sausage and the cheeses, again trying to separate the shells so they're evenly distributed with the meats. 

Spray a shallow casserole dish with Pam and pour the mixture into the dish. Bake for about 50 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Easy, family pleasing dinner! 

The One, The Only...True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, a Facebook picture of a pizza grabbed me by the heart and made me miss my Maryland days big time! Pizza? Maryland? What's the connection? It was CRAB DIP pizza! Be still my pitter-pattering little mourning-being-near-the-best-crabs-in-the-country, Maryland-missing heart.

I'm not sure exactly who or what page I follow posted the pizza of my dreams, but I'm going to blame Steve Vilnit, Director of Fisheries Marketing - Maryland Department of Natural Resources - for the temptation. Yep, Steve gets the blame...er...credit...if for no other reason than we are as one when it comes to supporting the Maryland crab industry. 

You all know I've forever been an ardent supporter of authentic, honest-to-God, sweet, succulent, Maryland blue crabmeat and I wouldn't use anything else. Not exactly easy when you live this far inland from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore of Maryland now, is it?

Except. That I had one last beautiful pound of REAL Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat stashed away in the freezer just waiting to become something spectacular. THIS was just what it was waiting for, THIS glorious Maryland recipe. I was going to duplicate sweet, creamy, decadent crab-dip-on-a-crust just like in the picture AND I could make it gluten-free to boot.

The big bonus of topping a store bought pizza crust with crab dip - even after piling the mixture of Maryland crab, 3 cheeses, marinated artichokes, jalapeno and just a touch of garlic up nice and high - is that there is a whole lot left over to scoop into a casserole dish for dipping with big, crunchy hunks of bread the next day (or later in the evening if you can't wait that long). What's better than a night of crab? TWO nights of crab! Oh sure, you could make half a recipe, but why would you? More Maryland crab is always better.

When you get to Maryland next time (notice I said when, not if), do like I do and make a local fresh seafood market the very last stop of your own trip. Be sure to take a cooler with you just for the purpose of bringing back pounds of heavenly, real Maryland crabmeat to tuck away in your own freezer. I can guarantee your fishmonger (crabmonger?) will be happy to fill your cooler with enough ice to keep your precious cargo cold. After all, one should always be prepared anytime a crab emergency strikes.

True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke

 And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

• 1 pound MARYLAND jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through carefully for any shell or cartiledge - please don't break up those gorgeous big lumps, thank you.
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened well
• 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar, plus extra for top
• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella
• juice of one lemon
• 2 - 4 oz. jars of marinated artichokes, drained, reserve liquid - you'll use 2-4 T reserved liquid 
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1/4 C mayonnaise - yes, Hellman's
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed through your garlic press
• 1 store-bought pizza crust - I used an Udi's Gluten-Free Pizza Crust to make this GF. The Udi's crust is approx. 8" in diameter. Use whatever crust you like - Boboli, whatever floats your boat!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the mayo and cream cheese together with lemon juice. Add the shredded cheeses and fold those into the cream cheese mixture. Add artichokes, minced jalapeno, garlic and mix well, but gently. Last, gently and lovingly fold the crab into the mixture being careful to keep the lumps as whole as possible.

Place your pizza crust onto a baking sheet. Place scoops of crab dip on top - I used a large (approx. 1/2 C) ice cream scoop - and for the 8" crust used 4-5 scoops that I spread out evenly (don't break up the lumps!) all the way out to the edge of the crust. Sprinkle the extra shredded cheddar over all.

Any crab dip that might be left (you'll use more if you use a larger diameter crust), scoop into a buttered casserole dish. Either bake it immediately with the pizza or cover and refrigerate it for the next night.

Bake about 20 minutes, turn up the oven to 450 degrees and bake until the cheese starts to bubble and slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Enjoy!

NOTE: Enjoying the surf and sand of Ocean City? Bring back Maryland crab. Sailing the waters of Annapolis or St. Michaels? Bring back Maryland crab. Hitting the hot spots of Baltimore's Fells Point? You get the idea.

And while you're in Maryland, be sure to frequent restaurants and fresh seafood stores that carry and serve only Maryland crab. Here's a link to the True Blue Maryland program and a list of awesome places to get your Maryland crab fix!  http://seafood.maryland.gov/true-blue-maryland-crab-meat/

Look for this logo to know you're buying the best!

Caprese Crostini With Grilled Basil Serrano Chicken

Simple. That's what I think of when warm weather and sunshine roll around this way again. Once the temperatures climb and soft breezes stir the leaves in the trees, I want nothing more after a long weekend day of working in the yard than to chill on the deck. Honestly, after a long weekday of sitting and squinting at the computer, I want the exact same thing! 

Dinner? Simple food. Pop a few veggies onto the grill with burgers or chicken or a nice thick steak and add a crisp green salad and sliced sweet watermelon or juicy pineapple. I want clean, fresh flavors. Which brought this recipe to fruition last Sunday. 

Chicken tenders were marinated in a bright combination of fresh basil, serrano pepper, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then the grill was fired up, the chicken threaded onto one set of metal skewers and tomatoes onto another, while a few first of the season, new-to-the-market Vidalia onions and sweet red peppers roasted beside. Once the chicken and veggies came off the grill, thick baguette slices brushed with basil-serrano-garlic oil went on the grates to take on a golden hue...well, except for those two that incinerated on one side. Oops! 

The result? An early taste of summer. Using the beautifully browned baguette crostinis as a base, a grilled tomato was smooshed on top of each, then a whole bright green basil leaf, next a thin slice of creamy fresh mozzarella and finally pieces of warm, basil-y, garlic-y, slightly spicy chicken. Easy, simple, fresh and just right for dinner on the deck, listening to the birds and the leaves and the gurgling of the pond. This is the life...the simple life! 

Caprese Crostini 

With Grilled Basil Serrano Chicken 

Marinade: 

• 2 large fresh basil leaves 
• 2 slices of a fresh serrano pepper - or jalapeno for a little less heat (Not a fan of heat at all? Leave the hot peppers out!) 
• 1/4 C good extra virgin olive oil 
• balsamic vinegar - see below for amount 
• 1/2 t Kosher salt 
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 clove minced garlic 

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders or thinly sliced boneless chicken breast - this is more than you need, but I make extra for salads during the week
• Extra large cherry or grape tomatoes - I used small Marzano tomatoes I found at the store...so sweet! 
• fresh mozzarella 
• fresh basil leaves 
• 1 baguette, sliced diagonally about 1" thick, brushed with the reserved marinade on both sides (do NOT use the marinade the chicken was in!) - I used Udi's gluten free baguette - to make this GF  (BTW, this is a fabulous gluten-free product...good old-fashioned hoagies, here I come!) 

Marinade: In a see-through liquid measuring cup, add slices of serrano chilis (or jalapeno if you want a little less heat...or leave out completely if you don't want any heat at all), 2 large basil leaves, good extra virgin olive oil up to the 1/4 C line and muddle the oil, chilies and basil nicely. Then add balsamic vinegar up to 1/3 C line. 

To the same measuring cup, add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 t Kosher salt and a hefty grinding of  black peppercorns. Whisk well, pour 1/4 of the mixture into a small dish (this is the reserved marinade), then pour the rest into a quart-sized zip top bag. Add the chicken tenders, squeeze out all the air and zip securely. Squeeze the bag and moosh everything around until the marinade surrounds all the chicken; put the bag into a bowl that holds it securely to prevent any leaks from going all over your fridge (yuck!) and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. 

When you're ready for dinner, fire up the grill. Thread the chicken on metal skewers, thread the tomatoes long-ways onto separate metal skewers (if you don't have metal skewers, use wooden or bamboo skewers and soak them in water for at least an hour before grilling to keep them from going up in flames!) Turn the heat down to medium and grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Grill the tomatoes until they blister and soften, but take them off before they're so soft they fall of the skewers! 

Once the chicken and tomatoes are done, that's when I put the baguette slices on the grill - watch them carefully so they don't burn - and grill to golden on both sides. 

Assembly: Take a grilled baguette slice and smoosh a grilled tomato on top with a sprinkle of Kosher salt, then a nice basil leaf, a slice of fresh mozzarella, then a piece of grilled chicken and finish with another sprinkle of Kosher salt and a grind of black pepper. 

A few crostini, a few grilled veggies, a simple green salad, a glass of wine...aaaahhhhhhh....summer grilling season is here!!!!!

NOTE: This makes a festive appetizer or starter for deck parties, too!