I feel cheated lately because I have learnt just in the last few days that bechamel is french for white sauce! I always thought that bechamel was this complex sauce and simply refused to do any dishes with bechamel and it turns out to be the french word for white sauce made of butter, flour and milk!
Anyway, the brits have made me realize that white sauce is quite perfect for many dishes and it is not unhealthy like using cream all the time, which is so fattening AND it curdles when it boils. Did you hear that??? Cream curdles when it boils and no one has told me that before.
Anyway, here is a recipe that I have made from a few ideas I have been watching here and there....it has a lot of balance and artichokes being the star, these one dinner trays are the best because who has time for cooking separate dishes?
INGREDIENTS:
-3 chicken breasts.
-250 grams of pasta (pene or macarroni).-a good bunch of spinach.
-200 grams of artichokes in oil/water.
-200 grams of asparagus.
-2 medium carrots (optional)
-a bunch of breadcrumbs.
-some grated cheese for top.
For the white sauce:
-1 tablespoon of butter.
-4 tablespoons of flour.-2 cups of milk.
-cheddar cheese.
-2 teaspoons of dijon mustard.
-salt and pepper.
STEPS:
1. Dice up the chicken and seal it but don't cook all the way through and set apart.
2. Boil the pasta in the meantime, together with the diced carrots to save time and set apart.
3. Cut up the asparagus in 2cm pieces and sautee a little for 3 minutes and set apart.
4. Start preparing the white sauce. Melt the butter in saucepan and then add about 2 tablespoons of butter until you create this grey paste. Then add the milk and stir away until it is all smooth. It's simple, if it is too runny add more flour, if it is too solid add more milk. Now bring the sauce to a boil and it will magically thicken. Get it out of the stove and let it cool.
5. Now season the white sauce with dijon mustard, grated chesee, salt and pepper. Taste it and see if it needs more salt.
6. Now add the esparagus, spinach and the drained artichocke to the sauce and mix together for about 5-10 minutes in low heat.
7. Once the pasta is ready, place it on a oven dish. Now add the chicken and distribute evenly around the whole oven dish.
8. Now add the delicious sauce with the veggies and give it all a good toss so that everything is well mixed.
9. Now sprinkle the pasta with the cheese first, and then breadcrumbs. Wow, breadcrumbs just finish this dish like amazingly.
10. Stick in the oven for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
Real good! I like this dish because the acidic artichokes and strong asparagus contrasts well with the soft cream, pasta and chicken, etc. Next time I will not add carrots. Great recipe for fall and winter days.
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