Aubergine & Mushroom Lasagne - 2

There is always more than one way to create a recipe, especially as I tend to make things up as I go along - depending on what ingredients I have lying around.  Here is another of my vegetable lasagne versions - it is easier than my Aubergine & Mushroom Lasagne - 1, and still delicious! :)


Ingredients

Olive Oil
4 x garlic cloves - peeled and finely chopped
1 onion - diced
2 medium aubergines (eggplants) - diced
1 large courgette (zucchini) - diced
200g brown mushrooms - quartered
Dried thyme
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Dried chilli
Fresh basil - roughly chopped
Lasagne noodles
400g Mozzarella cheese - cut into slices
Cheddar cheese - grated
Parmesan cheese - grated


Gently fry the garlic and onion in a large pan with some oil.  When softened, add the aubergines, courgette, mushrooms and a good shake of thyme.  Stir well and cook until the vegetables soften and start to create their own juices - approx. 30 mins.

Pour in the tomatoes, a good shake of chilli and the basil.  Stir well and cook for another 10 mins or so until slightly thickened.

In a large ovenproof dish, place approx. 1/2 a cup of the veggie sauce, to coat the bottom.  Add a layer of lasagne noodles.  Spoon half the veggie mixture over the top of the noodles, then add a layer of sliced mozzarella and a sprinkling of cheddar.  Repeat with more noodles, sauce and cheese, then sprinkle over some parmesan.

Bake in oven preheated to 190C for approx. 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with a crispy lettuce salad and enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Chia Chocolate Pudding - Updated

I have just put together this, very delicious, Chia Chocolate Pudding and decided to update it here, so you can try it too.  There isn't a huge difference from the original version, but if you hadn't thought of the variation yourself, now you can try it too! :)


Ingredients

4 tbs (1/3 cup) chia seeds
400ml Almond milk
2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tbs honey


Please note:

1. If you are using sweetened almond milk, you may wish to reduce the amount of honey.
2. Try using soy milk or even regular cow's milk.
3. Use melted chocolate or instead of the cocoa powder and omit the honey.
4. Use grated raw cacao instead of the cocoa powder.
5. As in the original recipe, use 400ml coconut milk, instead of almond milk; and replace the honey with agave syrup.

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Refrigerate for an hour or so.

Enjoy!

Caryl ❤

Carrot & Lentil Soup

This was a quick "throw-together" soup because I wanted to use up some carrots.  It was so good that the bowls were taken away and emptied before I could get a photo!

Ingredients

Butter
1 onion - roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
3 stalks celery (including leaves) - roughly chopped
6 large carrots - roughly chopped
Ground cumin
Chilli powder
250g red split lentils
1 tin tomatoes
6 cups vegetable stock
Fresh parsley - finely chopped


Melt a small knob of butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic and celery and stir until onion starts to soften. Add the carrots and let cook for approx 5 mins.

Shake in a good sprinkling of cumin and chilli. Stir well until vegetables are covered in the spices. Pour in the lentils and stir until combined.

Add tomatoes and stock. Stir well and bring to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and turn down to a simmer for approx. 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

When carrots are soft and lentils are cooked, take the pan off the heat. Use a hand blender to blend until smooth. Season to taste.

Ladle into individual bowls and top each with a sprinkling of parsley.

We ate this with freshly baked cornbread muffins and a green leaf salad.

Enjoy!

Caryl ❤

Spaghetti with Rhubarb and Fresh Dill

This is another savoury recipe with rhubarb that turned out to be one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted ..... and no, I'm not pregnant, which is what most people asked me when I made it! :)

Spaghetti with Rhubarb and Fresh Dill

Ingredients

1 bunch of rhubarb
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs evaporated milk
1 tbs creme fraiche
1 leek - thinly sliced
125g butter (I have to think about how to reduce this amount)
3 tbs pine-nuts - roughly chopped
3 tbs sultanas, soaked in warm water 10 minutes, then drained
2 small bunches fresh dill - finely chopped


Please note:

1. It would probably be easier to replace the evaporated milk and creme fraiche with single cream instead .... I just used what was in the fridge!
2. The amount of butter is rather a lot, so I will think about what to do to reduce this!

Cut each rhubarb stalk crosswise into 3 pieces, then thinly slice lengthwise. In a large saucepan, combine wine, evaporated milk, creme fraiche, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes. Add rhubarb and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, pine nuts and sultanas. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and the flavours have combined, about 2 minutes. Stir in dill and cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until tender. Reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta. Mix pasta with the cooking liquid, pine nut mixture and rhubarb mixture.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥

Rhubarb with Chicken Thighs

Members of my family have mixed feelings about rhubarb.  I quite like it but wanted to try something different, for a change from the traditional sweet desserts that everyone seems to associate with rhubarb.    This chicken recipe was a real hit with everyone.  Unfortunately, it was eaten too quickly to get any photos, but will add one next time I make it! :)


Ingredients

8 x chicken thighs
Olive oil
1 bunch spring onions
2 tbs fresh ginger - grated
1 tsp ground cardamom (I could only get the pods, so opened them up and ground the seeds with a mortar and pestle)
1/2 cup sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup honey
Juice from one orange
3-4 sticks rhubarb - diced into small chunks


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Heat a little olive oil in an ovenproof pan.  Place the chicken thighs in the pan and cook until golden, then turn over and cook the other side.  Transfer the thighs to a plate.

Add the spring onions, ginger and cardamom to the pan.  Season to taste.  Saute until the spring onions start to soften.  Pour in the sherry and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook for a few minutes, then add the stock, honey and orange juice.  Stir to combine.  Return the chicken pieces (and any juices) to the pan, turn the chicken to coat, and bring mixture to a boil.

Cover the pan with a lid and place it in the oven and cook for approx. 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, scatter the rhubarb pieces between and around the chicken, then return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes.

I served this with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Enjoy!

Caryl ♥