REvU: Polenta Lasagna w/ wild shrooms

[lorilei]

I'm hoping someone else made this recipe as well so that I can determine if my impressions are real or memorex. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif


Polenta Lasagna with Wild Mushrooms (J/F 01):
I cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8x8 pan. I used the full quantity of herbs even for the halved recipe (as well as the porcinis), since I often find CL recipes bland. The mushroom flavor was outstanding, and the dish was a pleasant combination of flavors. Loved the herbed tomatoes -- they brought great flavor to the polenta.

Overall, I would make the dish again. It was a great variation on polenta with sauce, and my husband loved the mushrooms. I'm even contemplating trying a variation of it with an herbed cream sauce rather than tomatoes.

The dish, however, was VERY liquid. I actually drained a lot of the water off when I took the pan out of the oven, and there was still more liquid that I preferred -- though it was excellent, tasty stuff when sopped up with a nice slice of bread. I'm trying to determine if this was due to my effort to cut the recipe in half ... or, is this just a soupy lasagna dish (not my preference)? I'll definitely try to remedy that the next time.

**

I must now add that the leftovers are superb! I just ate some for lunch -- and the flavors have melded impeccably! It's a must-try for this reason, if no other. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

With satisfaction,
lo

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 01-11-2001).]

[donleyk]

Lorilei,

Thanks for the review. I read this last night and wanted to try it. Appreciate the warning regarding the excess water, I feel the same way about soupy lasagna. There are only 2 of us so I will likely halve the recipe also. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[venus]

Puleeze post the recipe? Some of us don't have our January issue...

[lorilei]

Be right back.

Actually, I don't have my issue either. Got it somewhere around here on the boards...

Lorilei

Here you go...
(I'd advise making ahead -- the flavors are excellent)

Polenta Lasagna With Wild Mushrooms

1 package (1/2-ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
5 cups chopped portobello mushroom caps (about
3/4 pound)
4 cups chopped shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2
pound)
3 cups chopped button mushroom caps (about 1/2
pound)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cans (14.5 ounces, each) no-salt-added diced
tomatoes, undrained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella
cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 carton (15-ounce) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tubes (16 ounces, each) polenta, each cut
into 20 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray

Directions.

1. Combine porcini and hot water in a small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve over
a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup mushroom liquid. Rinse and drain porcini; finely chop.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 2 minutes. Add
the porcini, portobello, shiitake, and button mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt; saute
8 minutes.

4. Combine the reserved mushroom liquid, wine, tomato paste, rosemary, oregano, and
tomatoes in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

5. Combine 1 cup mozzarella, thyme, ricotta cheese, and egg whites in a bowl; set aside.

6. Arrange 15 polenta slices in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking
spray. Top with 2-1/2 cups mushroom mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and 1-1/4 cups ricotta
mixture. Repeat layer with 15 polenta slices, remaining mushroom mixture, 1 cup tomato
sauce, and the remaining ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining polenta slices and tomato
sauce. Sprinkle the lasagna with 1 cup mozzarella. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45
minutes.

7. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 24 Calories; 1g Fat (28.4% calories from fat); 1g
Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 121mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0
Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fat.

NOTES : We've substituted polenta slices for lasagna noodles in this meatless entree. The
lasagna can be assembled up to two days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator.
If you make it ahead, bake for an additional 10 minutes while still covered.


[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 01-11-2001).]

[BeckyM]

I'm so glad I did a search for reviews on this recipe! I was thinking of making it tonight, so I'm really glad to hear people were so pleased with the flavors. I'm planning to make the full recipe (even though it's just me & hubby, we LOVE leftovers), so I'll let you know if it turns out "soupy" or not. I also bought polenta with onions & mushrooms, so I'm hoping it's even more flavorful! I'm also thinking of adding spinach to the ricotta filling portion, just to add some more nutritional value (& color). I'll let you know how it turns out. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[comabri]

just a thought- both spinach and mushrooms contain a lot of water (even after squeezing) and when they're heated, both "sweat" a lot of the water out. Maybe that could be why the recipe turned out so soupy? Especially if you used the full amount of mushrooms for half the recipe?

Still sounds good though. Thanks for the reviews!

[sneezles]

Becky
Did a search myself and hope this is the one you are referring to. I an see your post, don't know why it didn't come to the top.

[LGBurns]

I made this the week before last and thought it was delicious. I think it's even better the next day. Although I wouldn't say that it was soupy, I would definitely say it was pretty watery. But the water didn't seem to affect the actual casserole, it just was in the bottom of the pan. One difference though: I forgot to cover the pan, so it cooked the whole time uncovered. This didn't seem to cause a problem (in fact, it cooked a little faster than the recipe called for) and maybe it cooked off a little more of the liquid that way.

My only other note is that my husband said he missed the noodles. But he said he would have liked it if it hadn't been called lasagna (for example, if I had called it Wild Mushroom Polenta Casserole). He said "lasagna" conjures up a particular expectation to his taste buds that wasn't fulfilled by this dish. So next time, we ageed we'll call it a casserole. Once again, marketing is everything. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[BeckyM]

I made this last night, and I really liked it. I did have the same experience as lorilei though with it being watery. I made the whole recipe, and my only modification was to add (thawed & squeezed dry) frozen spinach to the ricotta mixture. I'm hoping some of the excess moisture absorbs into the rest of the lasagne as it's sitting in the fridge waiting to be eaten as leftovers. I'm really looking forward to eating it again tonight -- extra liquid or not!

[KValley]

This scored big last night- it is so delicious and incredibly filling! I assembled it Friday night and baked it last night when we returned home.

Heeding everyone's warnings that it was runny, I drained it twice. It also sat for about 30 minutes before I served it, so it wasn't runny at all by the time I dished it out.

I made my own polenta, adding gorgonzola and fresh parmesan to the final stirring. I rolled the polenta out on a cookie sheet and let it harden on the fridge, then cut it into lasagna-like strips. The polenta was thicker than the tube variety, so that may have helped soak up extra liquid.

We can't wait for leftovers!!

[KValley]

I'm just bumping this up because I thought it was so good and it doesn't seem that a lot of people have tried it. I should learn not to post reviews on Sunday!

Leftovers last night were even better....