With the new year comes a fresh batch of new food trends. In 2020 a beloved and timeless dish has already made its way to the top of the list!
The Wall Street Journal recently dubbed lasagna as one of the "hot food trends" to watch this year and between its versatility, layers of decadent texture and overall mass appeal, it's no secret that this food can stand the test of time. Just ask Garfield the cat.
Lasagna is the perfect dish to keep warm and cozy during cold winter months, so it makes total sense that so many people are hot on the baked layered pasta dish right now.
Since some home cooks may be trying to stick to those healthy resolutions, at least for now, chef and author Jamie Oliver has a healthy twist on the recipe to keep everyone happy.
The "Ultimate Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone" author joined "Good Morning America" to whip up his eggplant-centric take from his latest cookbook.
Oliver also shared his simple salad with bitter endive, sweet shallots and an orange dressing that adds a bright note to any table, especially paired with the rich lasagna.
Plus, since plant-based meals are also on the 2020 food trend radar, this meal encapsulates the best of both.
Oliver said that what makes this baked dish "scruffy" is the hand torn sheets of noodles. With sweet tomato sauce, garlic, sage, lemon, cheese and almond crunch this is a bright and delicious veggie friendly option.
Serves: 6
Total cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients:
3 large eggplants (14 oz each)
3 onions
6 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of fresh sage (1 oz)
olive oil
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 lemon
2 14 ounce cans of quality plum tomatoes
3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
10 ounces fresh lasagna sheets
1 3/4 ounces blanched almonds
Directions:
Place a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat with 1 cup of water. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and place in the pan. Peel, quarter and add the onions, then cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic and pick the sage leaves. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the lid, and once most of the liquid has cooked away, make a well in the middle. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, the garlic, chili flakes and most of the sage leaves, then finely grate in the lemon zest. Once golden, scrunch in the tomatoes, pour in 2 cans' worth of water, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat, grate in the cheeses, then season to absolute perfection with sea salt and black pepper.
Tear in the pasta sheets and mix up really well to coat and separate, then pull some of the sheets to the top to create a top layer. Bash the almonds until fine and rub the remaining sage leaves with oil, then sprinkle on top.
Use the back of a spoon to create some dips and wells, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Chef swap: To make this dish vegetarian, swap out Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese.
Serves: 4
Total cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons mixed shelled unsalted nuts, such as walnut halves, almonds, pistachios
2 large shallots
4 oranges
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 heaping teaspoon liquid honey
4 mixed-color endive
1/2 bunch of fresh chervil (1/2 ounce)
Directions:
Toast the nuts in a large dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden, then bash in a pestle and mortar until fine.
Peel the shallots and slice a quarter-inch thick, then dry-fry for five minutes, or until lightly charred, tossing regularly.
Juice the oranges, pour into the pan and simmer until syrupy, then remove from the heat. Add the vinegar, three tablespoons of oil and the honey, then season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper (it should be slightly too acidic and salty, to make the magic happen).
Halve the endive, finely slice the base end, then click the leaves apart and place in a salad bowl. Note: This would work well with any kind of bitter salad leaves.
Spoon over the warm dressing, pick over the chervil leaves and sprinkle with the crushed nuts, then toss to dress.
Jamie's suggestion: This is brilliant with goat’s cheese and hot toasts, plus a glass of dry white wine.
MORE: The pan-banging method explained: How to make perfect crinkle chocolate chip cookiesRecipe reprinted courtesy of "Ultimate Veg." Copyright 2019 by Jamie Oliver Enterprises. All rights reserved. Printed in Italy Graphicom.