Chicken Freekah and Fetta Kale pilaf

Lemony freshness seems to pop out of this photo. All the family loved my version of a delicious Donna Hay recipe. Freekah is roasted green wheat grains which give a rich nutty flavour that works so well with the chicken and kale.  The plumped up lemony currants give it zing whilst the nuts add crunch and the fetta rounds it out with creamy saltiness.

Perfect served warm for a family dinner but equally satisfying as leftovers the next day with a green salad.

Serves 5 -6

Preparation 10 minutes

Cook             50 minutes (of which 40 minutes is simmering time)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Australian olive oil

2 brown onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli finely sliced (optional – to your taste)

1 cup freekah – rinsed well then drained

2 cups (500 ml) Chicken Stock  (Salt reduced)

2 chicken breast fillets – skinless. (250 gm).  Cut into bite size slices

¼ cup pistachios – roughly chopped

¼ cup dried currants – soaked in a dash of lemon juice to plump up

½ bunch of kale. Removed from tough stem and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

200 gram fetta – crumbled

Pepper and salt – if needed.  To your taste.

½ cup mint leaves

¼ cup dill sprigs

Method

Heat a dash of oil in a large frypan. (use one that has a lid for later).

Add the sliced chicken and quickly brown until almost cooked.  Remove from pan and place in a bowl. Cover with alfoil and keep warm.  Chicken will be returned to pan towards ending of cooking.

Add onion to the pan.  Stir until softened slightly then add the garlic.

Add freekah, stock and chilli.  Stir and bring to boil.

Cover pan with lid and reduce heat and then simmer for 40 minutes.  Check and stir if needed.

If it is drying out too quickly, reduce heat slightly and add a little water.

Taste a little of the freekah to check it is cooked and not hard. Adjust cooking time if needed.

Return the chicken to the pan and then stir through the kale. 

Continue simmering the covered pan for another 5 minutes.

Stir through the nuts, currants, zest and fetta.

Taste and add pepper and salt as needed.

Top with mint and dill.

Serve.

                                              Enjoy!  Colleen

Oaty Almond Cranberry Biscuits

Oaty spiced biscuits with a nutty crunch and the sweet tang of plump cranberries - great to have on hand and will keep for 5 days (apparently!).  Good alternative to choc chip biscuits.  For a change you could use macadamias instead of Almonds - whatever you like - easy!

Quick to prepare and cook - but hard to stop at just one!

Preparation and mixing  10 minutes

Cooking                   12 – 15 minutes

Makes 36 biscuits

Ingredients

125 gram butter – softened

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 ¼ cups Plain Flour – sifted

½ teaspoon each of : ground cinnamon, ground cloves

½ teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

¾ cup Rolled Oats

1 ¼ cups dried Cranberries (try to use ones that are still plump and deep red)

¼ cup slivered almonds

Method

Prepare 3 flat un-lipped biscuit trays

Preheat oven to 160° C

Using electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and eggs until pale and creamy.

Add the sifted flour, Bicarb and spices and stir through

Gently stir through the Oats, cranberries and almonds

The mix should make 36 biscuits ( 3 trays of 12) so divide mixture into 3.

Roll 12 (walnut sized) balls from each third of the mixture and place on tray spaced apart

To flatten the biscuits just slightly – use the tines (prongs) of a fork that has been dampened with water

Bake for 12 minutes. Check that biscuits are golden and cooked. They will harden a bit more on cooling.

If not cooked through, leave in oven for an extra 3 mins.  Should be cooked within 15 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

When cooled store in an air tight container. Hide.

                                                    Enjoy!  Colleen

Bread and Butter Pudding

Now winter is approaching it's time to indulge in some comfort foods.
Why not give this classic a go? You will enjoy the extra flavour boost the Grand Marnier adds.

Ingredients
6 slices of buttered bread crusts removed
1/3 cup of marmalade
6 eggs whisked
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier


Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
Spread the bread slices with marmalade cut into 4 triangles.  Arrange slices butter side up into an 8 cup capacity ovenproof dish.
Whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar and Grand Marnier together.
Pour over bread slices and let soak in for 15 minutes.
Place the dish in a large roasting pan and pour in boiling water to come half way up the side of the dish.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the custard has set.

Delicious !!
Mamma Marmalade

Chocolate Ganache

Who can resist a slice of this glossy chocolate cake? The essential ingredient is the chocolate ganache. Looks tricky to master, but it isn't.

 

 Pour 500ml of cream into a saucepan and heat until nearly boiling, bubbles will appear around the edges. Take off the heat and add equal quantity (500g) of roughly chopped, best quality dark chocolate. Let stand for a minute or two, then with a metal whisk stir to combine. Continue to whisk until smooth and glossy.  Any excess ganache can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. (If it lasts that long!) Simply heat in a microwave or small pot when wanting to serve.

 

 

Mama Marmalade

Pork, Thyme and Crispy Bacon Meatloaves

Meatloaf is such a versatile recipe to keep handy.  These individual serves mean shorter cooking times and make great leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Chilled mini meatloaves could be included in your next picnic or you could slice the cooked meatloaves into 2cm rounds and serve on a platter with vegetables and salads.  

The Italian flavours in this recipe are enhanced by serving with a rich Tomato and onion salsa or Tomato sauce flavoured with more thyme or perhaps a little rosemary. The idea came from a wonderful Belinda Jeffery’s recipe that made one large meatloaf.  So, however you would like to prepare the meatloaf, the results will be flavoursome and nourishing.

Preparation   20 minutes

Cooking          35 – 40 minutes

Serves  6

Ingredients

500 gram combined Pork and Veal Mince

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

40 gram Salami, diced very finely

2 - 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Hot English mustard powder

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pepper to taste

Small amount finely chopped Red Chilli   (Optional)

40 ml milk – 2 tablespoons

1 egg – lightly beaten

1 cup Quick Oats Rolled Oats (or you could use fresh breadcrumbs)

1 handful of fresh mint leaves

4 slices of very finely shaved ham

40 - 60 gram of hard cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)  - shaved into fine slices

4 - 6 rashers of very thin bacon – lean and rindless. Leave whole or you can slice into slivers

Method

Preheat oven to 190° C

Using a large bowl, mix together very thoroughly the mince, onion, garlic, salami, mustards, pepper, herbs and parmesan

In a cup – measure out the milk and lightly beat in the egg

Pour into the meat mixture, combine well

Add the Quick Oats and mix through

Place a piece of Baking Paper (approx. 40cm long)  on the bench.

Pat the meat into a rectangle shape on top of the Baking Paper

Cover meat with the mint leaves.

Along one of the long edges, place the ham slices – should cover up about a 1/3 of the meat.

Lay the cheese slices on top of the ham slices.

Roll the meatloaf up like a swiss roll :

The longer edge is being rolled tightly.

Use the Baking Paper to help roll and remove the Paper whilst rolling.

TIP: you can leave this rolled up, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge up to 24 hours ready to cook later.

Slice the roll into 6 small meatloaf sizes.

Top each meatloaf with the bacon slices.

Place on a baking tray with a thin lipped edge, lined with baking paper.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.  Check at 30 minutes.

If necessary, pop under the grill for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bacon topping.

Serve with a thick tomato salsa style sauce and delicious steamed vegetables or salad.

                                                              Enjoy!   Colleen

GOLDEN CRUSTED CHICKEN AND BACON POT PIES

Aunty Fifi, this is for you.  When my Adorable Aunty visited a while ago I whipped up these little individual pies  -  in between lots of gossiping and laughing  -  which is just how a family visit should be. I have added a few extra ingredients to Valli Little’s (Delicious) recipe, making a satisfying comfort food for these cooler nights.

The pies can be served in any size ramekin or pie dish you prefer. Cooking times will then depend on the volume to be heated. Sometimes I top them with puff pastry but recently I seem to prefer a sourdough bread crust – both are easy and equally tasty.  

This is a very flexible recipe – no leeks? Onions or shallots are fine.  No chorizo – bacon or salami works well too.  The lemon juice is one ingredient I do recommend adding right at the end – it adds a zing and brightness to the dish – so if you like lemons as much as I do, be sure to add a squeeze.

HINT: I like making a large quantity and saving some to reheat another day. Instructions are at the end of this recipe.

Preparation      15 – 20 minutes (some can be done during the cooking time)

Cooking            15 – 30 minutes

Baking               20 minutes for ramekin about 200 ml size

Using                 Large frypan to cook filling

                           Oven heated to 200°  Celsius

                           Ramekins or pie dishes

Serves               6 – 7 depending on size       (good to make extra to freeze for later)

Ingredients      

20 g butter

½ tablespoon Olive Oil

3 leeks (pale part only) – washed well and thinly sliced – could use white onions instead

4 rindless bacon rashers – diced

½ chorizo sausage – diced. Or Few slices salami –sliced finely (leave out or add more –depends on you)

800 gram chicken thigh fillets – fat removed, cut into 3cm pieces- approx bite size

2 Tablespoons plain flour

Good pinch of nutmeg and of smoked paprika (a little more if you like)

200 ml salt reduced chicken stock

200 ml light sour cream    OR     you could try Greek style Low Fat Yoghurt – be sure it is thick, not watery

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaved parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice  AND  the Zest     (you may need to juice a ½ lemon)

Salt and Pepper  to taste

TOPPING

1- 2 sheets frozen Butter puff pastry – defrosted   (depends on size of ramekin tops)

Egg wash

  

OR

SOURDOUGH BREAD TOPPING

¼  stale sourdough bread loaf including crust

2 tablespoons butter

Teaspoon finely chopped herbs – eg thyme, rosemary and/or parsley

Couple of teaspoons Olive Oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200°  Celsius

Heat butter and oil in large pan over low heat on stovetop.

 Add leeks bacon, salami and fry gently.

Add chicken pieces and cook until chicken almost cooked through

Sprinkle in flour, nutmeg and paprika. Stir thoroughly – no heavy lumps

Stir in stock and increase heat to medium. Bring to gentle boil.

Reduce heat. Season

Remove from heat.  Cool slightly (warm –not hot) and stir in sour cream

Stir again then add parsley and lemon juice.

Set aside and prepare ramekins

Lightly grease inside of ramekins

Fill with chicken mix.

For pastry topping:

Place ramekins on defrosted pastry – cut out circles approx 1 cm wider than top

Egg wash lip of ramekin. Gently place pastry on top

Press to seal. Make a couple of cuts in top to allow steam to escape

Brush with some egg wash

For Sourdough topping 

Blitz the bread, butter, herbs and oil in a food processor to get crumbs, allow some of the bread as 4cm cubes size. Do not overprocess.

Pile on top of the chicken mixture and press in slightly.

Then for both topping methods

Place on strong oven tray (one with a slight lipped edge to retain spills)

Bake for 15 -20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

HINT: making a large quantity and saving some to reheat another day.

Find freezer-proof ramekins / pie tins that are also suitable for ovens.

Place a small freezer bag into the ramekin.

Spoon some of the cooked chicken filling into the freezer bag so the ramekin is almost full.

Tie or knot the freezer bag excluding as much air as possible.

Leave the filled bag in the ramekin, then place them into the freezer – preferably overnight.

Next day or 6 hours later:

Remove the freezer bags from the individual ramekins. Leave contents in the freezer bags.  No need to keep the ramekins in the freezer at this stage. They will now be set in the quantity to refill those ramekins when you want to use them to reheat later.

Place the small frozen parcels into a larger zip bag or freezer plastic box, named and dated.

They are now ready to use within a month.

To re-heat.

Remove the individual freezer bags from freezer. Defrost in fridge – preferably. 2 – 3 hours.

Lightly grease the ramekins

Spoon the chicken mixture (stir to break up any frozen chunks)  into the ramekins and spread with either of the topping lids desired.

Bake in oven per above instructions.

                                 Enjoy!   Colleen

Luscious Lemon Pudding and Blueberry Compote

Cooler Autumn evenings sometimes need a little spoonful of dessert to complete the meal. Well, that's what Wilbur tells me.  So to preserve marital harmony I have a few warming pudding recipes set aside for the occasional indulgence  – easy ingredients that deliver on flavour and simplicity.  This recipe is my variation of Katie Quinn Davies (“What Katie Ate”).

I confess I have an addiction to these sweet tart, purple blue little balls with their pert crown and crave that burst of juicy flavour when you bite into them.  So I recommend making the Blueberry Compote the day before if possible.  It is great to keep a little pot in the fridge ready to spoon over a Bircher muesli or yoghurt. It never goes astray, certainly not in my home.

Preparation and Cooking Times      

Compote:     5 minutes preparation.  15 – 30 minutes simmering.   Requires slight cooldown.

Pudding:    15 minutes preparation.  30 – 35 minutes baking.           

Ingredients         (you will need 3 lemons in total)

Blueberry Compote  

450 gram frozen blueberries.  

       TIP:  I find frozen ones are fine for compote.  Save the fresh berries to serve on the plate to enjoy later.

1 lemon – juice and the fine zest

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

¼ cup water

Lemon Pudding

3 eggs – separated

¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar  (available in supermarkets near baking powder etc)

2 tablespoons Caster Sugar

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

1 cup (250 ml) Milk

2 tablespoons Thickened Cream

2 Lemons -  Juice and the fine zest

½ cup Self Raising Flour – sifted

Option:  a few fresh blueberries to add when serving.

Method – Blueberry Compote 

 I like to make this the day before but can also be made whilst the pudding is baking in the oven

Place compote ingredients in saucepan and slowly bring to boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for approx. 15 minutes until mixture slightly thickens. Mash some berries but try to keep at least a third as whole berries.

Allow to cool slightly before pouring over dessert.

Can be stored in clean lidded jar in fridge.  Use within 1 week.

Method – Lemon Pudding

Preheat oven 180 o C.      Prepare and grease a 22 – 24 cm  pie dish that is about 5 cm deep.

Egg Whites:

Using a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. 

Add the Cream of Tartar and 2 tablespoons Caster Sugar and whisk again until smooth and glossy.

Egg Yolks:

Using a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/3 cup Caster Sugar until thick and pale.

Beat in the milk, cream, lemon juice and zest.

Fold in the sifted flour gently starting with a few tablespoons then add the rest.

Gently fold one-third of the egg white meringue into the egg yolk batter.

When incorporated, add the remaining meringue and gently fold together.

Pour into a greased pie dish.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden and set.

Serve warm with the Blueberry Compote and your choice of ice-cream or cream.

                          Enjoy!    Colleen

Wilbur’s Famous Apple Pie

Wilbur believes I do not make dessert often enough.  Sometimes he feels so neglected he takes matters into his own hands and whips up his favourite apple pie (my cunning plan is working). He has shared this pie many times with family and friends.  It is always mouth-watering, satisfying and delicious. This recipe is Wilbur’s version of Collein Avery’s contribution to the cookbook fundraiser  compiled by Madonna King and Alison Alexander following the 2011 floods. 

The Brisbane Floods reminded us that if special recipes are never shared, a lifetime of cooking memories can be torn away by natural disasters. Our local radio station, 612ABC, organised contributors to share favourite recipes and form the inspirational recipe book “A Generous Helping” - to help replenish those family treasures swept away from so many Queensland family kitchens.  So share those recipes - and when you have been gifted a recipe jewel include their name - I am certain it always tastes better when you do! Thank you Collein Avery, Madonna King,  Alison Alexander   and of course,   Wilbur.

Preparation:    10 minutes

Cooking:          50 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup (I use 100 gram not 125 gram) butter – melted.  

TIP AND HINTS: Do this first so it is not boiling hot when added to flour later

1 ½ cups Plain Flour – sifted

Tiny pinch of salt

Pinch each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg – lightly beaten prior to adding

800 gram tin of Pie Apples. 

Topping

1 – 2 teaspoons Sugar

½ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves

Method

Preheat oven to 190 o C

Melt the butter and allow to cool just a little. 

Grease a large pie dish.

In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt, sugar, spices and vanilla.

Mix in the melted butter and then the lightly beaten egg to form a soft dough.

Gently spread three-quarters of the dough across the base and sides of the pie dish.

Spoon the tinned apples over the pastry base.

Using the remaining quarter of pastry, roughly make balls (walnut sized) and dot over the top of the pie.  No need to be exact –  will look ‘rustic’

Sprinkle with the sugar and spice topping

Bake for 50 minutes approx. until crisp and golden.  Check after 40 minutes.

Serve with your preference of cream, custard or ice-cream.

Wilbur assures me it is equally delicious hot or cold.

                       Enjoy!   Colleen

Potato & Roasted Fennel Soup

Give this soup a try, by roasting the fennel and including prosciutto it gives a great depth of flavour.

Ingredients

2 large fennel bulbs
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon extra
1 leek, pale section only, thinly sliced
6 slices prosciutto thinly sliced into strips
4 cups of chicken stock
500 grams of potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
snipped chives or fennel fronds to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Place fennel and garlic on a baking tray, drizzle over half of the oil and toss to coat.
Bake for 25 minutes until fennel is tender.
Heat remaining oil in a saucepan and cook the leek and half of the prosciutto for 5 minutes until the leek has softened. Add stock, 2 cups of water, potatoes, fennel and garlic.
Increase heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes, until potato is tender.
Using a stick blender to create required consistency, Tip: I take out a cup of the liquid before blending and only adding sufficient to achieve required thickness.
Fry remaining prosciutto.
Ladle soup into gorgeous bowls like mine created by ceramic artist Kim Aitken and top with crunchy prosciutto and chives or fennel fronds.

Mamma Marmalade

Anzac Biscuits - for a time to remember and reflect.

My version of the Anzac Biscuit combines Australian cooking tradition with ideas from New Zealander Annabel Langbein. When you return from the Dawn Service and have a cuppa with an Anzac Biscuit on April 25, remember these sweet versions were not the biscuits designed to last in transit that our Soldiers ate.  Over time, cooks have enhanced the humble biscuit  - but the core ingredients remain – Rolled Oats, flour, sugar and golden syrup or treacle and most importantly, thoughts of home.

My belief is that Anzac Day is not about celebration. It is a time to remember those who fought for our country.  On April 25 we reflect on their sacrifice and give thanks for our freedom.  Memories of visiting memorials, especially those in small Australian towns, and also of my travels to Gallipoli and the memorials to those who fought and suffered on both sides of the conflict will remain with me always. 

Lest We Forget.

Preparation:   15 minutes (allow additional time needed if soaking raisins)

Baking:             15 minutes – approx.   Will depend on your oven

Line 3 flat biscuit trays.  Makes about 36 small or 20 larger biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup Rolled Oats

1 cup Plain Flour - sifted

1 cup Desiccated Coconut

1 cup Brown Sugar

Pinch each of cinnamon and cloves

½ cup raisins          OPTION:   soaked overnight in ½ tablespoon rum

½ cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons golden syrup  OR   treacle – which will give a slighter darker, less ‘sweet’ taste.

125 gram butter – melted

2 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

Method

Preheat oven to 160 oC.     Prepare 3 biscuit trays.

Using a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, sugar, spices, nuts and raisins.

TIP: (when the Baking powder is added to butter mix later on, it will froth up a little  - so use a saucepan with enough room for this to double in size for a minute or so)

In the separate saucepan gently heat the butter, water and golden syrup.

Add the Baking powder to the melted butter mixture.  Stir a little.

Add immediately to the prepared dry ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.

Roll into small balls -  bit smaller than an apricot – and place on prepared trays. 

3 trays should have 12 ball on each, well separated.

Using the back of a fork, gently flatten for a cooked ‘crispier’ more traditional result  OR  just flatten slightly to achieve biscuits that will be a little softer and chewier after baking .

You could vary between trays if you like.  I prefer the flatter crisp traditional biscuit.

Bake until golden.  Approx  15 minutes.  If not golden you may need to rotate trays in your oven.

Should not take more than 18 minutes.   TIP: The biscuits will then harden during cooling .

Remove from oven and cool on trays on raised racks.    NB biscuits harden on cooling.

Once cooled down, remove from tray and allow to rest on cake rack to ensure base is dried off.

Store in an airtight container.  Biscuits should keep for approx. 1 week.

                                             Enjoy.  Colleen

Rocky Road – My Rapturous but ‘Rugly’ (Really Ugly) Decadent Rocky Road

Festive seasons are the perfect time to share family favourites. My 'Rugly Road'  is a family and friends festive essential. 

It is impossible to hide this temptation successfully in the fridge as it seems to disappear although ‘no-one’  at my house ever admits to sneaking a piece.  So enjoy -  before it vanishes!

The ingredients are just a guide. 

If you don’t like dark chocolate then use milk chocolate, although it is worth buying a good brand as it will affect the flavour – an extra $ spent on the ingredients really makes a difference to the overall taste.  Regarding the nuts – if you have your favourites mix and match or add a little more – just be sure to use unsalted nuts. Ditto with the other ingredients – the chocolate is just meant to thickly coat the ingredients and adhere them into a delicious treat as it cools.

Turkish Delight – oh yes. I mean the good deli stuff – shake off the icing sugar (I save this to use in desserts later on).  I regard this as the star of my Rugly Road.  My absolute addiction is the pistachio and rosewater variety – never as good as in Istanbul, but close.

Preparation:   This is enough for a heatproof rectangular dish  approx. 25cm x 18 cm  or you could use a couple of small loaf tins.  Line well with nonstick paper.

Ingredients

350 g marshmallows – cut in half only if using very large ones. They shrink a little when the warm chocolate coats them

Small handful coconut flakes – toasted.

¼ cup dry roasted almonds – halved

¼ cup pecan pieces

½ cup (70g) shelled pistachios - roasted

¼  - 1/3 cup raw macadamias – lightly toasted

400 g Turkish Delight  - proper Turkish Delight (I like the pistachio and rosewater) – chopped

1/3 - ½ cup dried cranberries – craisins 

and / or a few semi dried wild figs halved

and / or a few golden sultanas

a few glacé  red cherries – halved.  Look for natural glacé cherries, no artificial sweeteners.

400 g good chocolate – I often use 200g milk and 200g 70% dark chocolate – melted.  See below.

Edible rose petals and some shaved chocolate to decorate top.

Method

Dry roast coconut on low in a wide frypan – stir regularly.  Only needs a couple of minutes. Do not burn. Remove from pan. Allow to cool

Repeat for the nuts. Dry roast until just toasted.  Remove and allow to cool.

Prepare pans with non-stick paper.

In large bowl – mix all ingredients except the chocolate together. Combine well so they are ready  - soon you will add in the chocolate which is prepared as below.

Melt chocolate in a heat proof bowl, allow to cool slightly.  

I use the microwave, lowest temperature setting and set for 30 seconds, stir, then repeat and repeat until almost melted. Then for 10 seconds etc until gently melted.  Never allow moisture or water to touch the chocolate or it will go grainy. Be careful not to melt for too long or it will start to burn.

Stir and fold into dry ingredients so all ingredients are well distributed.

Pour gently into pans and smooth top. Don’t pour too thick or it will be too hard to cut later.

About 2 – 3 cm thick is quite enough.

Decorate with the edible rose petals and shaved chocolate. Push in very gently to adhere to top.

Refrigerate minimum 3 hours.  Cut into serving pieces. I cut it into bite size pieces when it has chilled.  Use a strong knife and dip knife in hot water, wipe, then slice to make cutting easier.

                                                            Enjoy!  Colleen

Vegetable and Creamy Ricotta Lasagne

Meat-free  - and a flexible recipe that works either as tonight’s dinner (with great leftovers!) or - can be prepared in advance for entertaining and is easily portable for times when you need to bring ‘something’.  The flavours mean this dish works perfectly as the main course -  but it can also be used as a side accompaniment to many meat dishes, especially with an Italian flavour base.

No Béchamel Sauce needed – the creaminess comes from the ricotta. Measurements for this lasagne dish are a guide only and will depend on the size dish you wish to serve.  The choice of vegies is up to you -  If you are not a fan of sweet potato leave it out and add more pumpkin – easy.

Because this uses fresh lasagne sheets it requires less cooking and not as much liquid as when you use the dried sheets.  My tip is to have some saved pumpkin and sweet potato that has been roasted from an earlier meal on standby in the fridge (so handy for so many weekday meals).

Serves:              4 – 6 depending on the size of your baking dish.

Preparation:    30 - 45 minutes

Baking Time:   30 - 40 minutes

Ingredients – please note these are approx. amount for baking dish 30 cm x 25cm x6 cm deep

If you find you have bits left over - just make up a second smaller dish with the odds and ends and bake ready for lunch during the week.

2 medium eggplants – cut into 1 cm discs then lightly brushed with a little olive oil

1 butternut pumpkin – cut into ¼ chunk then peel and cut into thin slices

1 sweet potato – peeled and cut into thin slices

Olive Oil - to coat the baking dish and prepare vegetables

Baby spinach leaves – approx. 350 – 500 gram

Mushrooms – Portabello or Swiss Browns preferably.  About 4 – 5 handfuls

½ red capsicum – finely diced

1 red chilli – deseeded and finely diced  - leave out if you are not a Chilli fan

2 cloves garlic – crushed - optional

Lots of fresh basil leaves – approx. 1 cup or a bit more

Herbs – about a tablespoon -  your choice of chopped up  - small sprig rosemary, oregano,  thyme leaves, parsley

Pepper to taste

1 large tin crushed tomatoes – approx. 800 gram

2 tablespoons red wine  (optional)

300 – 400 gram fresh Ricotta.  Best from a deli or supermarket deli.  Not the tub.

A small amount crumbled fetta – Optional.  Adds a deeper, saltier tang.

Fresh lasagne sheets.  The supermarket refrigerated brand is fine

Grated mozzarella cheese – enough to sprinkle over top

A little freshly grated parmesan cheese – just to sprinkle over the top

A few extra herbs chopped to sprinkle over the top

Method

Preheat oven to 180 o C

There are a couple of ways of doing this lasagne –

If you precook/steam/grill most of your vegies it cuts down on baking time.

If using from raw, remember they will give off moisture during baking and require longer to cook.

The precook method.  

Steam the sweet potato and pumpkin. Drain off some of the moisture but allow it to be moist.

Lightly grill eggplant rounds and allow to rest whilst preparing rest of veg.

Gently fry off the capsicum, chilli, garlic, mushrooms and add spinach at the end.  Retain the juices as they are packed with flavour.

Mix the tomatoes, herbs and red wine.

Assemble your lasagne.

Don’t worry too much about the sequence of layers – you just need some layers of veg, lasagne sheets and then enough tomato mix to moisten and then cover with crumbled ricotta to give a creamy layer. Always finish with enough tomato mix to ensure the top is moist and then cover with the remaining ricotta and finally sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan which will give a golden cheesy crust to the entire dish.

Place a layer of fresh lasagne sheets in the base of well oiled dish.

Cover with a layer of some of the eggplant

Spread over with some of the sweet potato / pumpkin

A layer of basil leaves

Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets

Spoon over enough tomato mix to cover

Crumble over some of the ricotta and a little fetta

Spread with a little of the mushroom, spinach mix and basil leaves

Another lasagne sheet layer

More tomato mix and ricotta crumbled over

Another layer of eggplant then More pumpkin, more mushrooms then

Final layer of Lasagne sheets

Now gently push down to remove air and ensure all layers are bathed in tomato.

Cover with Tomato mix and ricotta cheese.

Sprinkle over the grated mozzarella then parmesan and herbs.

Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes if vegies have been precooked.  Or about 40 minutes if raw.

Lasagne is cooked when golden, hot and you can insert a knife and there is no resistance from raw veggies.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting – will be easier to serve.

If you find the top is starting to brown too quickly cover loosely with some gladbake and alfoil.

If top is not golden enough after dish has been cooked pop it under the grill and crisp up.  Stay with your grill!!

Serve with your choice of green salad or green vegetables.

                                                         Enjoy!   Colleen