100 Days Project -- Day 54

On a Roll

For the second time this week, I made dinner.

Another recipe from the April issues of "Cooking Light."

CREAMY ARTICHOKE AND ASPARAGUS LASAGNA

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large) (I love leeks...don't you?)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
7 ounces frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup organic vegetable broth (I didn't go organic)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash of ground red pepper
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 ounces vegetarian Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup) (I didn't go vegetarian)
Cooking spray (I used our olive oil sprayer -- don't like all the chemicals in cooking spray)
6 cooked lasagna noodles (I used Barilla's no-cook lasagna noodles)

1. Preheat oven to 375. (It's summer in Fresno, for goodness sake...turn the oven on at the last possible minute)
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add leek; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Stir in artichokes; remove from heat.
3. Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in remaining 1 cup milk and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Simmer 1 minute or until thickened. Add rind and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper).
4. Combine cheeses in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray (olive oil). Cut bottom third off each noodle to form 6 large and 6 small noodles. (The Barilla noodles fit perfectly in this size dish, without breaking them.) In a single layer, arrange 2 large and 2 small noodles over milk mixture to fit pan (2 whole Barilla noodles do the trick); top with one-third of vegetable mixture, one third of remaining milk mixture, and one-third of cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray (ummm...olive oil). Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
5. Preheat broiler to high.
6. Uncover lasagna; broil on middle rack of oven for 2 minutes or until cheese is browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 6
Calories 276; Fat 10.4g; Protein 16g; Carb 31g; Fiber 4g; Chol 22mg; Iron 3mg; Sodium 575mg; Calc 367mg

Enjoy with a fresh spinach and strawberry salad, a heated buttered roll, and a glass of wine. Oh, and the company of your honey!