Best Bechamel And Greens 118949 Recipes

BECHAMEL AND GREENS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add milk, whisking until mixture just comes to a simmer. Gently simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in greens, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook until heated through. Creamed greens can be made 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and stored in refrigerator. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.

BASIC BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg.

LASAGNA WITH ROASTED BEETS AND HERB BéCHAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens away from the beets, leaving about 1/4 inch of stems. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or lidded ovenproof casserole. Add 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until the beets are easily penetrated with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the dish. Cut away the ends and slip off the skins. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Strain while hot into a large measuring cup or a medium bowl and stir in the chopped herbs and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a rectangular baking dish. Spread a spoonful of béchamel over the bottom. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon a thin layer of the béchamel over the noodles. Top with a layer of beets and sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles topped with béchamel and Parmesan. Make sure the noodles are well coated with béchamel so they will be sure to soften during baking.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Uncover and, if you wish, bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• MICROWAVE METHOD: In microwave oven, melt butter in a 1-quart glass measuring pitcher for about 1 minute at HIGH.
• Add grated onion and flour and mix well. Gradually add warm or room temperature chicken broth (NOT hot) and half-and-half to container, stirring constantly.
• Cook uncovered for 5-6 minutes at HIGH or until sauce is thickened. Do NOT boil.
• After 2 minutes, stir mixture, then stir again every 30 seconds to one minute as needed. When sauce reaches medium thickness, remove from microwave, add seasonings and stir. Mmmm!
• STOVETOP METHOD: In a small saucepan, melt butter and stir in the flour, salt and white pepper. Add cold half-and-half and COLD chicken broth all at once. Stir well. Cook, stirring frequently, at medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and stir in seasoning.