Ready for Meatless Monday

I recently made a lasagna, without meat. My husband has been willing to forego meat on occasion, so in an endeavor to make a dish where he might not miss the meat, I made a lasagna, with no meat, and instead adding in spinach and artichokes, as well as mushrooms, all things he really likes. Hubby said he was willing to try, but this was stated without much excitement.

As it turned out, he just loved it! Maybe not enough to say it was better than a lasagna with meat sauce, but it was good enough to be satisfied with, and that is all I can hope for. 

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

I love putting spinach into lasagna, though in past, my husband shuddered when seeing something "green" where it is highly apparent, as there just should NOT be anything green! Oh well. And I also love things like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, as witnessed by that wonderful recipe, as well as others I have enjoyed elsewhere. And, while my husband loves artichokes in things, he just can't - quite - love - spinach. He has never tasted my excellent Spinach and Artichoke Dip, for that reason. Anyway, rambling along here, I just want to say that I know what a great combo those two things are together, so why not in a lasagna together?

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Ever since hubby got me a pasta machine, I have looked for ways to use it, to express my appreciation for the gift. That said, it isn't quite as great as I could wish. Its dies are plastic, not bronze, and they extrude spaghetti that is far too thick to be called spaghetti. Meaning that anything I try to extrude comes out so thick it will hardly cook through. So, of the about 10 different die cutters he got me, I use only two: lasagna noodles and angel hair pasta cutter, which comes out like regular spaghetti. But, I just love the lasagna cutter. The noodles are hardy enough, and work exceptionally well for a lasagna. No-cook lasagna noodles will work in this also, but - I have the machine, therefore I use it.

Another plus to this pasta machine is that I can make whole grain pasta. My favorite grain is Kamut Khorasan grain, which I grind in the Grain Mill he got me as well. Two birds, and all that.  Plus that grain mill is a gift that keeps on giving! I use it probably 3 to 5 times a week. It gives all sorts of new opportunities for unusual flour to try out.

Okay so back to the lasagna. As this one is meatless, I didn't want to go to a whole 9 x 13-inch pan, because if he didn't like it, then it was going to be my dinner for the next week, while I'd have to make him something else! Instead, I made this lasagna in a 9 x 9-inch pan.  And this is what I did . . .

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

How to assemble the Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 green olives, minced
1 tablespoon pesto (or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced finely)
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
½ pound fresh lasagna sheets, or about 6 to 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
16 ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or use 10 ounces fresh baby spinach)
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped
 2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or your preference)
1 (6.5-ounce) jar mushroom pieces, drained

About 20 minutes in advance of assembling, set the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and set on a burner with the lowest heat possible. The object is to steep the garlic in the oil, without browning or burning. Keep a close eye on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Stir the garlic and its oil into the spaghetti sauce, along with the minced olives and the pesto (or basil). Set aside. In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach and pulse with the egg to combine. Set aside.

Grease a 9 x 9-inch oven safe baking dish. Arrange all the ingredients near to hand, then following this order shown here at right above, from bottom to topmost layer, assemble the lasagna. Make a tent of foil that covers the lasagna but does not touch the cheese (it will stick), crimping around the edges of the pan to keep in moisture. Bake the lasagna on a middle to lower rack for 18 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Great for any Occasion

I have had many forms of a spinach and artichoke dip over the years. Long ago, I had one with little tiny shrimp mixed in, and other combinations along the way. I love spinach. I love artichokes. Match made in heaven. And then add in cheese and a miracle happens.

Despite never having made this, one would think that I'd have had some kind of idea for making it, at least. But no. Somehow that idea completely passed me by. When my sister-in-law was visiting before the Christmas Holidays began, discussing what fine appetizers to have for our Christmas Eve celebration, she asked about using artichokes. She had a very large jar of little baby artichokes she had gotten at one of the large stores that sell these things in larger than usual quantities. I have lots of recipes using artichoke hearts. She asked about a dip?
 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

And there I sat, thinking, "Why in the world, do I not even have a clue what to use for an artichoke dip?" So we did what it seems has become the norm. We whipped out our smart phones and Googled it!

Between us, and about 12 or more different recipes, I began compiling what I considered to be all the things a good artichoke dip might have. Once reading the recipes, it is easy to then imagine how this or that ingredient will work with others. What ingredients are not among my favorites? Shrimp were out, since having discovered an allergy to shellfish. For me, spinach was a definite yes, but..... My husband is not too keen on spinach. He will eat the Spinach Dip using the package of dried vegetable soup mix. But he might object to a hot dip with spinach. I left he spinach out. Scallions sounded like a fine idea, as did the cans of green chiles. Eggs seemed completely unnecessary. Large onions would be out, as we are not so keen on heavy onion flavor. I didn't want long stringy, cheesy strands when trying to dip, so mozzarella was out. Thickening the dip with a butter and flour roux also seemed a total waste of time; busy-work at a time when that's the last thing we need. 

Artichoke Dip

Ultimately I decided on using cream cheese and some mayonnaise and Parmesan. I used a splash of lemon juice and 2 cups of the artichokes. I wanted lots of artichoke flavor in every bite. I made the dip for Christmas Eve. My sister-in-law and I ate the dip with various types of crackers. It was good. My husband never even tried it, even without the spinach. He loves artichokes; guess there were too many other tempting things for him. But somehow, we were not wowed with the dip. I did really wish for spinach in it. I decided to try it again for New Year's Eve, using spinach. 

Then, since we had quite a bit of leftovers, and a lot of the Artichoke Dip left, I took it with us Christmas Day, to reheat and serve for the snack portion of the day. I totally forgot to take crackers. My other sister-in-law said no problem, they had plenty. However, the first thing to hand were plain tortilla chips. I used a chip and took a bite. OMG. What a difference. With the chips, the dip was absolutely splendid. Everything I had hoped for. All the difference in the world, just with chips instead of crackers. One of the teenaged grand-nieces came to me, put her hand on my shoulder and exclaimed that this Artichoke Dip was the best - thing - EVER!

Spinach Artichoke Dip on a Pita Cracker

I did make it again for New Year's Eve, with the spinach added in. My sister-in-law brought tortilla chips. We feasted, and all was well. Once using the tortilla chips, the dip made with or without the spinach is excellent. Creamy and of perfect consistency. I used plenty of cheese but not so much as to be excessive. I will be making this again and again.

If desired, and you love shrimp, drain and rinse one can of tiny shrimp and add this to the mixture. Nothing else in the recipe needs change. Keep the spinach or leave it out, as you wish. 

MAKE AHEAD: If time is at a premium, mix together all the ingredients except the artichoke hearts and spinach; prep those separately and store each of these  things (creamy mixture, spinach, chopped artichokes) in their own containers, refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to make the dip, simply stir all the ingredients together and pour them into a greased casserole dish and bake. My reasoning for the separate containers is that I did not want the mixture to become watery while mixed in the fridge. If left separate, the artichokes or the spinach can always be drained more, this way, if needed.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Makes about 5 - 6 cups

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup minced scallions
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 (4-ounce) can mild chopped green chilies
1 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 cups chopped artichoke hearts
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 on Convection Bake). Grease an 8 x 8-inch, 9 x 9-inch or similar sized round oven safe casserole with non-stick spray and set aside.

Drain and chop the artichoke hearts, until they make 2 cups; set aside. Completely thaw the spinach, and using hands, squeeze it as dry as possible. At this point I like to chop it a little finer, even if you have used pre-chopped spinach. Set this aside. In a bowl, preferably with a hand mixer, beat together the first 7 ingredients until creamy. With a spatula, mix in the prepared artichokes and spinach. Pour into the prepared casserole. If desired sprinkle a little more grated Parmesan over the top. This yields a more golden top after baking. Bake the casserole for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbly and golden on top. Serve hot or warm with tortilla chips, baguette slices, pita chips or crackers.

***If you happen to have leftovers of this dip, I can truly say it makes an excellent filling for an omelet, and a great spread on your morning bagel.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.