White Bean, Squash, Swiss Chard Stew and Nadine's White Lasa

City Cafe white bean, butternut squash and Swiss chard stew
Shared by Chef Paul Burckle

1 medium butternut squash

1 tablespoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 bunch Swiss chard

1 medium shallot, peeled and minced

4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

1 to 2 cups vegetable broth

Parmesan cheese

White truffle oil (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, cut in half and scoop out seeds. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Put in a large bowl, sprinkle with thyme and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat squash with oil and seasonings. Place squash in a single layer on a baking skeet, and roast 45 minutes, or until browned and tender, turning once.

Wash Swiss chard well. Pinch off stems from leaves. Chop stems and leaves separately. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pot. Add minced shallots and garlic and chopped chard stems. Sauté until tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add drained beans, roasted squash and 1 cup vegetable broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Add more vegetable stock if stew seems too thick. Serve in bowls with shaved Parmesan cheese and topped with a drizzle of white truffle oil, if desired. City Cafe serves this with a side of crusty French bread.

Serves 4.

Nadine's white lasagna
Nadine's in Lexington, Kentucky

Chicken base is a thick paste sold in plastic pint tubs in the refrigerator or freezer section of specialty markets. Because four noodle layers are called for here, I found the thinner, no-pre-cooking-needed style of lasagna noodle worked best.

1 tablespoon olive oil

About 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into ½-inch dice

1½ cups mushrooms, sliced thickly

1 quart heavy cream

½ tablespoon chicken base

2 cups Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons cornstarch

12 ounces ricotta cheese

2 eggs

8 ounces provolone cheese, cubed

No-cook lasagna sheets, enough for 4 layers in the baking dish

In a skillet, heat oil, and add diced chicken. Cook until just beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, toss to combine and set aside.

In a pan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer, and stir in chicken base. Whisk in the grated Parmesan until melted. Whisk in cornstarch 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce is very thick -- thick enough to flow slowly in thick ribbons from the whisk.

In another bowl, combine the ricotta and eggs. Stir in the cubed provolone.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Assemble the lasagna in a 9-by-11-inch lasagna pan. Ladle in just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of no-cook lasagna noodles, a thin layer of sauce and then half of the ricotta mixture. Add another layer of noodles, another thin layer of sauce and then all the mushroom and chicken mixture. Cover that with another layer of noodles. Ladle in more sauce over that noodle layer. Top with rest of ricotta mixture. One more layer of noodles is finally topped by the rest of the sauce.

Cover with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake a few more minutes if you want the top to brown a little more.

Serves 8.