I wanted to feel less guilty about eating a gooey rich mac&cheese, so I decided to add some veggies. I used zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes as the “noodle layers” and the mac&cheese as the sauce layers. It was awesome it just doesn’t serve as pretty as a true lasagna. I used a basic cheese sauce that’s used in a lot of recipes, and you can change the ratio and/or cheeses used in the sauce. I used about equal parts gruyére and cheddar - fontina and a blue cheese would also be a great compliment. I also put some images of the different stages in case I don’t explain it well. Here’s how it happened:

Serves 6

1 lb elbow macaroni, or any small pasta

1 quart of milk - I like to use whole milk for cooking

8 tablespoon (1 stick) of unsalted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

8oz Gruyére cheese, grated

8 to 12oz Cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1.5 cups bread crumbs

2 small eggplants, sliced thin

2 zucchini, sliced thin

2 tomatoes, sliced

salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile heat milk in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan, about 4 quarts. Add the flour and continue to whisk for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add the hot milk slowly and continue to stir. Let the milk cook for another minute, until it’s thickened and smooth. Turn off the heat and add all of the cheese and stir until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the nutmeg. In a large bowl, add macaroni and coat with the cheese sauce.

3. In a 13×9 inch oven proof dish, layer about 2 cups of the pasta on the bottom of the dish. Next, layer with the slices of zucchini, covering the bottom pasta layer. Add another layer of mac&cheese. Layer Eggplant. Spoon on one more layer of mac&cheese and top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5-7 minutes before serving.

I love making lasagna. It’s a very impressive dish, and the no-boil lasagna noodles makes it so easy. I have a butternut squash lasagna I love to make, which I’ll do as soon as I see those great big squashes at the market. This one is a nice summer version, and not super heavy b/c of the ricotta and pea blend. Even after 3 large servings for me, Johnathan, and one of our favorite friends, Adrienne, there’s plenty for a couple lunches. I also appreciate a great vegetarian meal - I had trouble finding super flavorful dishes while I was subscribing to that lifestyle (plus I was in a college dorm and the cafeteria is not a forgiving place for veggies). Johnathan doesn’t even miss the meat when he eats a dish like this. This takes a while to bake, but is great to get you through the week for lunches. I also find leftovers more tolerable when I eat them for lunch, so each dinner feels new and is a new project for me.

The cake, ah, the cake. I really think this is the FIRST cake I’ve EVER made! I’ve made loaves, muffins, and coffee cake if that counts, but this is the first actual 2 layer cake I’ve made. This is also breakfast this morning - a habit I’ve picked up from my mom. There’s a note in the cake recipe about coconut cream. I couldn’t find it on my shopping trip, even at Whole Foods, so I substituted coconut milk instead. While this sub worked fine, it didn’t give the cake the same coconutty flavor I think the cream would give it. But man, that mint whipped cream is so light and flavorful, much better than a frosting. You could use the mint cream in so many things, it’s very impressive as well, and again super easy to make. I’ve always sympathized with Rachael Ray when she says she can’t bake and really has no knack for it. I still think my baking skills and attention to exact measurements is far from detail oriented, I was happy with how this cake came out, and it’s really yummy too! *** Update *** The artichokes in the lasagna get a bit bitter when they’re reheated (bummer). BUT, the cake tastes even better when refrigerated and cold.

The big boy and the slice

Endless Summer Taco Truck, Brooklyn

So, if you’re following this blog closely, you’ll realize I haven’t made one dish this week - the roasted portobellos with taleggio. Sometimes, life happens, and you end up at the burrito truck in Williamsburg or eating fried clams while celebrating a friend’s birthday in Coney Island. No need to worry - I’ll be making the roasted ’shrooms today for lunch - luckily I saved and procrastinated on a dish that won’t rot in the fridge.

I was trying to think about what I wanted to make this week, and I don’t necessarily want to have a “theme” every week, but some sort of guideline helps me sift through the books, magazines, and cravings I seem to be having the more I do this cooking thing. So this week I’m turning to the publication that made me ditch my vegetarian lifestyle with their 50th anniversary issue - Bon Appétit. Out of all the magazines I get in my little mailbox - and I’ve somehow subscribed to more than I thought - I get so excited about this one, and really pour over each issue cover to cover. I usually don’t skip the long articles like I do with some other magazines like New York magazine - do we need to talk about Obama’s marriage for 6 small typed pages, front and back? OK, I used recipes from issues from 2006-this months. I also wanted to use summer issues so I could try to find recipes that were relevant to what’s at the farmer’s market. I also find a lot of the Bon Appétit recipes challenging, and pricey. So I have my shopping list, but depending on the price of things - I don’t know how much a small game hen is - I might substitute some ingredients. I’ll splurge another time. I’ll also be able to link the recipes (well some) easily so you can download them from Epicurious. Here we go:

Monday - Rory’s Ribs with Grilled Corn, Cantaloupe, and Fresh Herb Salad - Johnathan has been BUGGING me for ribs - so I caved…ok, I lied about this link - this was a cover recipe and there’s no archive online…. - July 2007

Tuesday - Sweet Pea and Artichoke Lasagna - June 2007

Wednesday - Whole Roasted Game Hens with Grits and Wild Mushroom Sauce - I may be subbing some skin-on chicken breast and thighs depending on prices and another one that is not online - oy - September 2006

Thursday - Handmade Pasta with Pancetta, Cherry Tomatoes, and Herbs - September 2006

Friday - Edamame Ravioli with Browned Butter-Mushroom Sauce - July 2007

*Dessert at some point - Coconut-Mint Cream Cake - I saw this in this month’s issue and HAVE to try it!