Me ;) (original) (raw)

Last night's dinner...

Serves 4

Tomato and Basil Soup
1 tbsp Olive Oil 1 tbsp Butter / Margarine 1 Onion, finely chopped
2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 Vegetable stock cube 250ml double cream 1 tbsp basil (dried or chopped fresh) Salt and Pepper

1. In a pan, heat the oil and melt the butter, stiring so that the butter does not burn. When the butter is all melted, add the onion, and allow to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the tomatoes (and their juice) and bring to the boil, stiring regularly.
3. Boil a kettle. In a jug, break up the oxo cube and disolve in 250ml of water. Add the basil to the jug. Stir well to mix, then add the jug contents to the pan.
4. Add the cream and stir well, then bring back to the boil, season to taste with the salt and pepper, then turn the pan down to a low heat and allow to thicken for 5 minutes.
5. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Lasagne
4 Lasagne Sheets 100g Red Leicester cheese

For the cheese sauce:
2 tbsp butter 100g plain flour 750ml milk 500g cheddar cheese, finely grated Salt and Pepper

For the vegetable layer:
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 savoy cabbage, leaves sliced 1 broccoli head, chopped 2 leeks, chopped 10 asparagus stalks, snapped in half, with the ends removed 150ml double cream Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C for fan ovens). Melt the butter in a pan on a low heat, and gradually add the flour, stiring constantly so that the butter disolves it and becomes thick.
2. Add the milk and whisk constantly until all of the flour/butter mix is dissolved. Gradually add the cheddar cheese until it all melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then turn the heat down as low as possible just to keep warm while you prepare the vegetables.
3. In a separate pan, heat the oil and melt the butter, stiring so that the butter does not burn. When the butter is all melted, add the onion, and allow to cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the cabbage, leeks, and asparagus. Stir constantly while the cabbage reduces down, ensuring it does not burn. Mix well to make sure all of the vegetables are coated in the oil.
4. Fill another pan with salted boiling water, bring to the boil and add the broccoli, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the broccoli to the pan with the rest of the vegetables and stir. Keep cooking on a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the cabbage is soft, then add the cream.
6. Stir through to warm the cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. In a baking dish, layer half the vegetable mix, then 4 sheets of lasagne, then half the cheese sauce, then the rest of the vegetable mix, then 4 sheets of lasagne, then the rest of the cheese sauce. Grate the red leicester on top, and put in the oven for 30 minutes.
8. Test the lasagne is cooked with a knife. Separate into servings and serve immediately.

Yum yum =)