Tag: Lasagna

Aubergine ‘Lasagna’

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Another aubergine goodie! This one is actually better than the zucchini lasagna – but maybe that’s just me, because I love aubergine. This dish is great for a weeknight dinner, because you can make it in advance and just reheat, and the kids will love it too! {I’ve got a fussy little eater at the moment, so anything I can get him to eat that is nutritious too, is a huge plus!}

Here it is – my aubergine lasagna:

For the mince sauce:

1 tsp cumin

1/2 a tsp cayenne pepper

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

500g mince

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1/2 a cup of Cabernet Sauvignon

1 carrot, finely grated

2 tsp tomato paste

Sauté onion and add cumin, pepper & garlic. Add mince and cook. Add half the wine to deglaze pot and let it cook away. Add tomato paste and let it caramelise. {I like to wait a bit before adding the tomatoes or more wine, just to let the tomato paste get a nice caramelised and smokey flavour.}

Add carrot and mix. Add tomatoes and the rest of the wine – season with salt. Now let it simmer on a low heat until all the flavours have mingled nicely.

For the aubergine layer:

2 large aubergines, sliced into 5mm thick slices

olive oil

Grill the aubergine slices in a bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown.

For the bechàmel sauce:

3 tbs butter

3 tbs flour

2 cups of warm milk

salt & white pepper

Heat butter in a saucepan and once it’s melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Slowly add milk while whisking. Make sure you get the paste to a smooth consistency after every bit of milk added, until all the milk has been added and you’re left with a smooth sauce. Season with salt & pepper.

Place mince sauce in an oven dish, top with the bechàmel sauce, pack the aubergine slices on top and finally, top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 180C, or until the cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy! X

Aubergine lasagna

#dinner tonight: Zucchini Lasagna

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After having way too much {delicious, delicious, yet makes-you-feel-icky} bread yesterday {remember I don’t do much carbs these days and no bread really, so I’m not used to it anymore!}, I decided on a yummy zucchini lasagna bake.

Instead of using lasagna pasta, I used thinly sliced zucchini.

This is a classic dish,with 3 main components:

Bolognese mince sauce, bechamel or white sauce and lasagna (zucchini!)

For the bolognese sauce:

1/2 an onion

500g venison mince

peppadew spice

2 tsp tomato purée

1 can of Italian cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes

1 carrot, finely grated

1 clove of garlic, chopped

About half a cup of red wine (I used Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon)

2 tbs brown sugar

salt

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, then add mince and peppadew spice and cook through. Add tomato purée and carrot. Add can of tomatoes and sugar. Add wine and let it simmer and reduce slightly until all the flavours have mingled nicely. Season with salt.

For the bechamel sauce:

2 tbs butter

2 tbs plain flour

1 cup of warm milk

salt & white pepper

Heat butter in a saucepan and when it’s melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Slowly add warm milk in teensy bits and whisk furiously to ensure the paste stays smooth and silky while the milk is added. Once all the milk is added, you should have a thin-ish and smooth consistency. Continue to whisk over medium heat, allowing the sauce to thicken. Season with a pinch of salt & white pepper.

Layer in an oven dish: start with zucchini ribbons (I used about 5 that I sliced into 2mm strips), then a layer of bolognese, followed by white sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Add another layer of zucchini and top with the rest of the mince. Sprinkle with more cheese.

Bake at 180C for 30 minutes.

Serve with mixed herb salad and avocado, a sprinkle of freshly ground salt and a drizzle of olive oil – enjoy! X

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