Chicken Florentine Faux (crepe) Lasagne

Chicken Florentine Faux (crêpes) Lasagne

I used to use no cook noodles for my lasagne, but haven’t found a local source for a gf variety. I hate cooking lasagne noodles especially the rice variety, they either
stick together, I burn my fingers and rip them trying to separate them, or I cook them to long and they fall apart while I’m working with them. This recipe made with very simple crepes does the trick.

Recipe By     :Ellen M. Ennis Davis
Source:  "Pooka's What's for Dinner: Gluten Free with Attitude"
Copyright:  "http://pookaswhatsfordinnergluttenfree.blogspot.ca/"
Servings  : 8   
Cuisine:  "Pastas and Dumplings"
Categories    : Chicken, Gluten Free
 
  18       Pasta Crêpes Crespelle--recipe below
  2         Cups  Milk
  4         Cups  Basic Medium White Sauce (medium Béchamel Sauce) recipe below
  1         Cup  grated Parmesan cheese
  1         Tablespoon  olive oil
  1/2      Large  onion -- diced
  4         Cloves  garlic -- sliced
  5         Mushrooms -- diced
  2         Chicken breast -- diced
            Salt and ground black pepper to taste
  1         Cup  ricotta cheese
  1         Bunch  fresh spinach -- rinsed
  3         Cups  shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan over low heat, mix together cream, white sauce, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened then remove from heat add ricotta and spinach then let cool.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the onion in olive oil until tender, add the chicken and cook until no longer pink; then add garlic and mushrooms. Mix in the ricotta cheese, cook until heated through, season with salt and pepper.

Lightly coat the bottom of a 4 qt casserole dish with enough of the sauce mixture to cover. Layer with 6 crêpes, 1/2 the chicken mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with 1/2 the sauce mixture, and repeat the layers. Place the remaining crêpes on top, and spread with remaining sauce.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven or until brown and bubbly. Top with the remaining mozzarella, and continue baking until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Let set 30 minutes before serving for ease of cutting and serving.
 

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Per Serving : 1453 Calories; 95g Fat (58.6% calories from fat); 39g Protein; 112g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber;371mg Cholesterol; 1106mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 6 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 16 1/2 Fat.

Basic Medium White Sauce (medium Béchamel Sauce)

 

"This recipe make 4 cups medium thick sauce good for casseroles and sauces"

Recipe By     :Ellen M. Ennis Davis
Serving Size  : 16   Yeilds: 4 cups
Cuisine:    : Sauces and Dips

  4       Cups  Milk -- (or cream)
  8       Tbls  Rice Flour -- (or cornstarch)
  8       Tbls  Butter -- (or olive oil)
          Salt and Pepper to taste

In a saucepan, scald milk over low heat (heat until small bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot. Set milk aside until needed.

Over medium low heat melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the flour
continue to stir until fat is absorbed into flour. Gradually stir in warm milk, a little at a time, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add season to taste and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes.

NOTES : Please note that the sauce will get thicker when it cools
so take it off the heat just a little before the thickness you desire
Ratios for the three basic Thicknesses of White Sauce
      
        Ingredient       Thin      Medium   Thicker
 

        Milk             1 cup      1 cup         1 cup
        (or cream)
        Gf flour        1 tbls      2 tbls         3 tbls
        (or cornstarch)
        Butter           1 tbls      2 tbls         3 tbls
        (or olive oil)
        Salt and Pepper to taste
       NOTES :Please note that the sauce will get thicker when it cools
so take it off the heat just a little before the thickness you desire If a thinner sauce is required, add more milk.If the béchamel needs to be thicker, simmer the sauce longer.                                   
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Per Serving : 733 Calories; 49g Fat (60.1% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 66g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 498mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 9 1/2 Fat.

Pasta Crêpes Crespelle
 

"Crespelle or Italian crêpes (sometimes called Manicotti pancakes) can be used in many wonderful Italian dishes. I use them in baked pasta dishes, and desserts. They can be rolled, stuffed, stacked or folded."

Recipe By     :Ellen M. Ennis Davis
Serving Size  : 18  
Cuisine:  "Pastas and Dumplings"

  6               large  eggs
  1 1/2         cup  brown rice flour
  2               teaspoons  xanthen gum
  3 1/2         cups  water (depending on the moisture content of flour)
  1               pinch  salt
  6               tablespoons  butter (or oil)

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, and 3 1/2 cups water. in another bowl whisk together dry ingredients combine the dry and wet ingredients whisk until smooth; the batter should be the consistency of heavy cream if it is to thick add more water, if too thin add a little more flour.

Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes. Gently stir batter again you do not want to introduce bubbles.

In a hot skillet add 2 tablespoons butter and ladle in crepe mixture. When crepes are done remove from pan and continue until you have 18 crepes. Set aside until needed.

NOTES : These crepe are great for lasagne or manicotti. This recipe can easily be altered to personal taste; so long as you stick to the simple formula of using 1/4 cup flour = 1/2 cup milk = 1 egg / per serving, you can add sugar and flavourings to taste and either decrease or increase the number of servings.
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Per Serving: 130 Calories; 7g Fat (48.6% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 78mg Cholesterol; 86mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.