Very nice vegetarian recipe with lots of healthy spinach. If you can't get fresh lasagne, use dried but double the sauce quantity. For a stronger blue cheese flavour use Danish Blue.
Serves 4
Sauce:
850ml milk
50g butter
50g plain flour
1 bay leaf
60g grated parmesan
salt & pepper
Filling:
600g young leaf spinach
225g ricotta
12 fresh lasagne sheets (about 250g)
50g pine nuts
knob of butter
1/4 grated nutmeg
200g soft blue cheese (e.g. Gorgonzola, Cambazola, Cashel Blue) - crumbled
200g mozzarella, grated
salt & pepper
Method
Pre-heat oven - Gas 4, 350F, 180C
Grease an ovenproof dish about 25x25cm or similar
Make the sauce in the usual way using 50g of the parmesan, and set aside.
Pick any large stalks off the spinach. Wash spinach and shake dry or spin.
Pile into a large saucepan witha knob of butter. Sprinkle with a little salt.
Put lid on and cook gently for a couple of minutes until the leaves collapse.
Drain in a colander and when it's a bit cooler, squeeze out the liquid with your hands.
Chop spinach finely, and put it in a bowl with the ricotta and about 150ml of the sauce you made earlier.
Season and add grated nutmeg.
Fold in the crumbled blue cheese.
Gently toast the pinenuts in a small frying pan (keep an eye out as they burn quickly).
Assemble the lasagne:
Spread 1/4 sauce in the dish.
Then 1/3 spinach mixture.
Scattering of pinenuts.
Sheets of lasagne to fit.
Repeat but this time add 1/3 grated mozzarella with the pinenuts.
Finish with a layer of pasta and the last of the sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella.
Bake for 50-60 mins until golden.
Serve with salad and garlic bread.
About Me
- Margie
- Margie enjoys cooking for friends and family. Italian family style feasts with lots of good wine, conversation and friends makes for a happy life. Lives in London and Cotswolds so lots of Gloucestershire pork recipes.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Salmon with Prosciutto and lentils
A light and healthy version of Jamie's summer salmon recipe. Very easy to do for big groups, if hungry serve with ciabbatta bread.
Salmon with Prosciutto and lentils
Serves 4
255g lentils
4 x 225g salmon fillets
Salt & pepper
8 slices prosciutto
l lemon
Olive oil
2 small bunches mixed herbs (basil, parsley, mint) chopped
1 bag small leaf spinach
150 ml natural yoghurt
Preheat oven 220C/425F/Gas 7
Put lentils in saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to boil, simmer gently until tender, about 15 mins.
Season salmon, wrap each fillet in 2 pieces of proscuitto. Lay on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
Back for about 15 mins until salmon is cooked through.
Drain lentils, season and stir in juice of the lemon and 4 tablespoons olive oil.
Stir lentils into the spinach, add half the yoghurt and toss gently. Place on plates and top with the salmon fillets.
Drizzle with rest of the yoghurt.
Salmon with Prosciutto and lentils
Serves 4
255g lentils
4 x 225g salmon fillets
Salt & pepper
8 slices prosciutto
l lemon
Olive oil
2 small bunches mixed herbs (basil, parsley, mint) chopped
1 bag small leaf spinach
150 ml natural yoghurt
Preheat oven 220C/425F/Gas 7
Put lentils in saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to boil, simmer gently until tender, about 15 mins.
Season salmon, wrap each fillet in 2 pieces of proscuitto. Lay on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.
Back for about 15 mins until salmon is cooked through.
Drain lentils, season and stir in juice of the lemon and 4 tablespoons olive oil.
Stir lentils into the spinach, add half the yoghurt and toss gently. Place on plates and top with the salmon fillets.
Drizzle with rest of the yoghurt.
Creamy Pork with Porcini and butternut squash
This is a lovely way to use Butternut Squash in the winter months. If you are visting us in Gloucestershire then this is highly likely to be on the menu.
Serves 4
25g dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
400g pork fillet, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic
250g chestnut (or ordinary) mushrooms, halved
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1/2 pack sage leaves
small pot double cream
125ml dry white wine
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4.
Soak dried mushrooms in 175ml boiling water for about 15 mins.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large fry pan and cook the pork for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large ovenproof dish with a lid.
Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid. Chop them lightly and add to the pan with the other tbsp olive oil.
Add chopped garlic and chestnut mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, keep everything moving.
Stir in the squash and half the torn sage leaves. Cook for about 5 mins until squash begins to colour.
Pour in the cream, wine and mustard, plus 125ml of the mushroom liquid.
Bring to the boil and simmer 5 mins.
Pour everything over the pork. Cover and bake for 30 mins until pork is cooked through. Stir half way through and if it looks too dry add some more mushroom liquid or water.
Season and sprinkle with remaining torn sage leaves.
Serve with steamed green vegetable e.g. broccoli
Serves 4
25g dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
400g pork fillet, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic
250g chestnut (or ordinary) mushrooms, halved
1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1/2 pack sage leaves
small pot double cream
125ml dry white wine
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4.
Soak dried mushrooms in 175ml boiling water for about 15 mins.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large fry pan and cook the pork for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large ovenproof dish with a lid.
Drain the porcini, reserving the soaking liquid. Chop them lightly and add to the pan with the other tbsp olive oil.
Add chopped garlic and chestnut mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, keep everything moving.
Stir in the squash and half the torn sage leaves. Cook for about 5 mins until squash begins to colour.
Pour in the cream, wine and mustard, plus 125ml of the mushroom liquid.
Bring to the boil and simmer 5 mins.
Pour everything over the pork. Cover and bake for 30 mins until pork is cooked through. Stir half way through and if it looks too dry add some more mushroom liquid or water.
Season and sprinkle with remaining torn sage leaves.
Serve with steamed green vegetable e.g. broccoli
Lamb fricasee
One of my oldest favourites; great in spring when the lambies are young (sorry veggetarian friends). You can always make meringues out of the left over egg whites.
Serves 4
750 g lamb fillet, cut into 1" cubes
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
40g butter
1 tblsp olive oil
2 lemons
1 tblsp plain flour
300ml hot chicken stock
S&P
3 egg yolks
1 tblsp chopped fresh parsley
Method
Pre-heat oven to 170 C.
Fry onions and garlic gently in the oil in a pan or heavy casserole, until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
Increase the heat and brown the meat.
Lower the heat and stir in finely grated rind of one lemon plus the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
Pour in hot stock, S&P, return the onions and garlic. Bring to the boil, cover and put in the oven for about 45 mins.
Remove from the oven.
Beat the egg yolks with 3 tblsp lemon juice in a small bowl, then mix in 4 tblsp of the stock mixture.
Stir into the casserole and heat gently on the hob, stirring constantly. Don't let it boil.
Check seasoning, stir in chopped parsley and serve with new potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Serves 4
750 g lamb fillet, cut into 1" cubes
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
40g butter
1 tblsp olive oil
2 lemons
1 tblsp plain flour
300ml hot chicken stock
S&P
3 egg yolks
1 tblsp chopped fresh parsley
Method
Pre-heat oven to 170 C.
Fry onions and garlic gently in the oil in a pan or heavy casserole, until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
Increase the heat and brown the meat.
Lower the heat and stir in finely grated rind of one lemon plus the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
Pour in hot stock, S&P, return the onions and garlic. Bring to the boil, cover and put in the oven for about 45 mins.
Remove from the oven.
Beat the egg yolks with 3 tblsp lemon juice in a small bowl, then mix in 4 tblsp of the stock mixture.
Stir into the casserole and heat gently on the hob, stirring constantly. Don't let it boil.
Check seasoning, stir in chopped parsley and serve with new potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Chicken Maryland
Another adapted receipe from Jamie. It's best to use fresh sweetcorn; if you use frozen you'll only need about 2/3 of the cream and wine or else it comes out too runny. Most kids really like this, unless they are the kind who only eat peas (you know who you are).Serves 4.
4 skinless chicken breasts
4 fresh corn cobs
1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 bananas, peeled
1 wineglass white wine
250 ml double cream
50g butter
8 rashers streaky bacon
Preheat oven to 220C/235F/gas 7. If you have a fan oven, reduce the temp a bit.
Slice the corn kernals off the cobs using a sharp knife. Put the corn in a largish roasting tray.Squash up 1/2 the cannellini beans a bit using your fingers. Add them to the tray with the unsquashed beans, and mix with the corn.Take each chicken breast and make a pocket on the underside, into which you squash 1/2 a banana. Fold the pocket over and season with S&P. Do this to all the chicken pieces, then lay them on top of the corn and beans.Pour over the wine and cream and put the butter in little knobs all over the dish. Drape 2 bacon rashers over each piece of chicken, tucking them in a bit.
Bake for about 40 mins until bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.Check the seasoning and serve as it is, or with a green salad.
0 comments:
4 skinless chicken breasts
4 fresh corn cobs
1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 bananas, peeled
1 wineglass white wine
250 ml double cream
50g butter
8 rashers streaky bacon
Preheat oven to 220C/235F/gas 7. If you have a fan oven, reduce the temp a bit.
Slice the corn kernals off the cobs using a sharp knife. Put the corn in a largish roasting tray.Squash up 1/2 the cannellini beans a bit using your fingers. Add them to the tray with the unsquashed beans, and mix with the corn.Take each chicken breast and make a pocket on the underside, into which you squash 1/2 a banana. Fold the pocket over and season with S&P. Do this to all the chicken pieces, then lay them on top of the corn and beans.Pour over the wine and cream and put the butter in little knobs all over the dish. Drape 2 bacon rashers over each piece of chicken, tucking them in a bit.
Bake for about 40 mins until bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.Check the seasoning and serve as it is, or with a green salad.
0 comments:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Helen's Vodka Spaghetti
This is actually Helen's signature dish. Taken in part from the River Cafe and then adapted for the non-cooks. At least it is now (there were a few accidents with the chillies..) If you like tasty pasta dishes with a depth of flvaour and a bit of bite then this is for you. Also great for vegetarians who probably get fed up with "pasta slop". ..
Serves 4
3 cloves of garlic
2 whole dried chillies (or use chilli flakes 1-2 teaspoons dependent on how hot you like your food)
50g parmesan
3 tbsp extra virgin oilve oil
1 tsp dried oregano
600g tinned peeled chopped tomatoes
150ml vodka
150ml double cream
300g spaghetti. Go for posh Italian spaghetti rather than the cheap stuff. Does make a difference.
In order to prevent chaos when Helen is cooking do some prep up front. Peel & finely chop garlic (avoid big lumps) , crumble the chillies and grate the parmesan. Heat the oil in a thick bottomed saucepan and add garlic, oregano and chilli and fry for 2-3mins under garlic colours but does NOT burn! Add tomatoes. Stir and cook for at least 30mins on a gentle heat. Don't go mad and bubble to death but cook until you have a thick sauce. Add the vodka, stir and heat so reduces down. Season with maldon sea salt and black pepper. Start cooking the spaghetti. Heat the cream to boiling point and add to the tomato sauce. Once spaghetti is cooked to al dente standards , drain and add to the tomato-vodka-cream sauce. Add the parmesan cheese to the pasta and sauce and stir to make sure each string is coated. Sprinkle on top any remaining fresh oregano or parsley. Looks fab, tastes fab and even helen can cook it! Serve with a nice robust Italian wine.
Serves 4
3 cloves of garlic
2 whole dried chillies (or use chilli flakes 1-2 teaspoons dependent on how hot you like your food)
50g parmesan
3 tbsp extra virgin oilve oil
1 tsp dried oregano
600g tinned peeled chopped tomatoes
150ml vodka
150ml double cream
300g spaghetti. Go for posh Italian spaghetti rather than the cheap stuff. Does make a difference.
In order to prevent chaos when Helen is cooking do some prep up front. Peel & finely chop garlic (avoid big lumps) , crumble the chillies and grate the parmesan. Heat the oil in a thick bottomed saucepan and add garlic, oregano and chilli and fry for 2-3mins under garlic colours but does NOT burn! Add tomatoes. Stir and cook for at least 30mins on a gentle heat. Don't go mad and bubble to death but cook until you have a thick sauce. Add the vodka, stir and heat so reduces down. Season with maldon sea salt and black pepper. Start cooking the spaghetti. Heat the cream to boiling point and add to the tomato sauce. Once spaghetti is cooked to al dente standards , drain and add to the tomato-vodka-cream sauce. Add the parmesan cheese to the pasta and sauce and stir to make sure each string is coated. Sprinkle on top any remaining fresh oregano or parsley. Looks fab, tastes fab and even helen can cook it! Serve with a nice robust Italian wine.
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