But I've finally (I think) got my brain in gear and am ready to get back to it.
And I think part of the secret which will hopefully lead me to lose weight is if I can eat 'normal' food.
So I plan to continue exactly the same way, but pointing the recipes and making lower fat substitutions where necessary.
Anyway Lasagne is one of mine and my families favourite meals so it seemed only natural that I start with this one.
(Serves 4-6)
Ingredients
For the Bolognese Sauce
2 rashers of streaky bacon
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
olive oil
2 heaped teaspoons dried oregano
500g good quality minced beef, pork, or (even better!) a mixture of the two
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
a small bunch of fresh basil
50g Parmesan cheese [I replaced this with low fat cheddar]
For the lasagne
250g dried egg lasagne sheets
1 x 500ml tub of creme fraiche [replaced with half fat creme fraiche]
100g Parmesan cheese [low fat cheddar used]
1 large ripe tomato
To make your Bolognese sauce
Finely slice your bacon
Peel & finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery - don't worry about technique; just chop away.
Place a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat, add 2 lugs of olive oil, your sliced bacon and the oregano and cook and stir until the bacon is lightly golden.
Add the veg to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly coloured.
Stir in the minced meat and the tinned tomatoes. Fill one of the empty tins with water and add to the pan . Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Pick the basil leaves and place in the fridge for later. Finely chop the basil stalks and stir into the pan .
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for 45 minutes, stirring every now and again to stop it catching.
To finish the sauce
Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / GM5. Remove the Bolognese sauce from the heat. Finely grate the Parmesan and stir a quarter of this into the sauce .
Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping the smaller ones aside for later. Have a taste of the sauce, and season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Boil some water in a kettle and pour it into a pan, then add all your lasagne sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and blanch (slightly soften) for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the sheets in a colander and carefully pat them dry with some kitchen paper to absorb any excess water.
To make your lasagne
Spoon a third of your Bolognese sauce into the bottom of an earthenware ovenproof dish. Follow with a layer of lasagne sheets.
Dollop over a third of your creme fraiche and smooth it out to cover the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper and another quarter of your grated Parmesan. Add another layer of lasagne, and repeat the layers twice more, finishing with a layer of creme fraiche and the remaining Parmesan.
Top with some slices of tomato, scatter over the small basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
Cover with foil, place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
After that, remove the foil and cook for a further 35 minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and golden.
Serve on the table with a fresh green salad and let everyone help themselves.
I was suprised how yummy this was especially as I made some low fat substitutions.
Definately one I would do again.
And for those on Weight watchers 1/6 of it is 14 pp.
Taken from the much used and loved Jamies Ministry of food book.
No comments:
Post a Comment