Healthy Eating
In the running up to exams, I've decided that its time to start eating extra healthy...what better way to take a break/distract yourself than to get creative with food! My aim is get as many vegetables on my plate as possible and try to stay away from the boring, easy old, 'boiled broccoli'. I want to try and spice things up even if that means just making a sauce to compliment all the boring veg!
My first creation was inspired by a friend who was going to make a vegetarian lasagne - butternut squash and spinach! I LOVE spinach and had recently taken a new liking to butternut squash, it sounded like a great idea. Thing is, I need my meat. SO, what I made instead was a Butternut squash, spinach, leek, pepper and bolognese lasagne!
My first ever lasagne was a great success!
Heres what I did: Ingredients - Butternut squash - 2 teaspoons of garlic - half a green and red pepper - 250g of beef - can of chopped tomatoes - 2 leeks - three handfuls of spinach - 200g ricotta cheese - Dry lasagne sheets - cheddar cheese - mixed herbs - salt and pepper - soya sauce
Preparation Roasted veg 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C 2. Peel and chop the butternut squash into chunks as big as you like 3. Chop up the green and red peppers 3. Place the butternut squash a roasting tray, with a dash of oil and salt 4. Cook for 1 hour 5. Throw the green and red peppers on a bit later - they only need 1/2 an hour to roast!
Bolognese
1. Heat a large sauce pan and add a splash of oil 2. Add a handful of chopped leeks and the garlic and cook for 2 min 3. Put the beef and soya sauce into the pan and cook until brown 4. Pour the can of chopped tomatoes in 5. Sprinkle mixed herbs on top and simmer
Creamy bit
1. Heat a large sauce pan and add a splash of oil 2. Add the rest of the leeks and cook on a low heat for 10 min until soft 3. Add the spinach and cook until wilted 4. Leave the pan to cool for a bit 5. Mix in the ricotta with some salt and pepper
Making the lasagne
1. Spoon 1/4 of the bolognese into the bottom of an ovenproof dish 2. Layer the lasagne sheets on top 3. Spread 1/3 of the creamy leek and spinach over the lasagne sheets 4. Stick chunks of the butternut squash into the creamy veg 5. Top with another quarter of the bolognese 6. Repeat the process till you fill the dish - the final layer can be a MIX of the bolognese and the creamy sauce! 7. Cover the dish with tin foil and cook in the oven for 20 min 8. Remove the foil after 20 min and grate on some cheddar cheese 9. Cook for another 20 mins until the lasagne is nice and golden 10. Serve with roasted peppers and a spinach salad