User:Jrstano/sandbox

Home Recipes

Lasagne Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little for greasing 750g lean beef mince 90g pack prosciutto ½ quantity tomato sauce (see below) 200ml hot beef stock a little grated nutmeg 300g fresh pack lasagne sheets ½ quantity white sauce (see below) 125g ball mozzarella

First make the ragu or meat sauce. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then cook the beef in two batches for about 10 mins until browned all over. Finely chop 4 slices of prosciutto, then stir through the meat mixture. Pour over the tomato sauce and stock, add the nutmeg, then season. Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins until the ragu looks rich and is well coated in sauce. Can be left for 3 days in the fridge or frozen for 3 months (although not if the tomato sauce has previously been frozen). Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. To assemble lasagne, lightly oil an ovenproof serving dish (30 x 20cm). Spoon over a third of the ragu sauce, then cover with lasagne sheets. Drizzle over about one quarter of the white sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of pasta. Cover with the remaining half quantity of white sauce, making sure you can't see any pasta poking through. Tear the mozzarella into thin strips, then scatter over the top. Arrange the rest of the prosciutto on top. Bake for 45 mins until the top is bubbling and lightly browned. (The uncooked lasagne can be frozen. If baking from frozen, add another 45 mins to the cooking time).

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Add 2 onions, finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves, sliced and 1 carrot, roughly chopped. Cook for 5-7 mins over a medium heat until softened. Turn up the heat a little and stir in 2 tbsp tomato purée. Cook for 1 min, pour in 200ml white wine, then cook for 5 mins until this has reduced by two-thirds. Pour over 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes and add 1 handful basil leaves. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool, whizz in a food processor.

WHITE SAUCE Melt 85g/3oz butter in a saucepan, stir in 85g/3oz plain flour, then cook for 2 mins. Slowly whisk in 750ml/1¼pt milk, then bring to the boil, stirring. Turn down heat, then cook until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Sauce can now be cooled and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

Lentil and Bacon Soup

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 x 70g packs pancetta cubes 1 carrot (about 120g), finely diced 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp turmeric 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 chilli, sliced 2 low-salt stock cubes 250g red lentils, rinsed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1 pack of pancetta and the carrot. Cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft. 2. Add the cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1 - 2 minutes until the aromas are released. 3. Pour in 1.25 litres of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally to ensure the lentils aren't sticking. 4. Meanwhile, fry the remaining lardons in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until crispy. You don't need to add any oil as plenty will run from the pancetta. 5. Serve the soup with a sprinkle of crispy lardons on top.