Recipe: Rainbow Vegetable Lasagne

For many people, a New Year represents a new start, with resolutions set out to improve certain aspects of life; but whether you want to lose weight, quit smoking or save money, change can be hard to implement. One thing that you can easily control however, is what passes your lips, so why not make 2013 the year to focus on food, and extend your culinary repertoire by developing a collection of dishes that not only taste delicious, but allow you to lead a healthier lifestyle as well.

One way to make your meals more nutritious is to focus on the colours of foods used within them. A large proportion of your daily food intake should be made up of a rainbow assortment of fruit and vegetables, which, as well as enhancing the aesthetic appeal of dishes, provide your body with the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to perform its daily functions.

The following recipe is for a much-loved Italian dish that has been colourfully adapted for a nutritional twist. It is perfectly suitable for vegetarians, however you could add mince to the filling, or even diced chicken, for a protein boost.

 

Rainbow Vegetable Lasagne

 

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 carrot, peeled and cubed
• 1 courgette, peeled and cubed
• 1 yellow pepper and 1 green pepper, de-seeded and cubed
• Handful of mushrooms, washed and cubed
• 2 tins/cartons chopped tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 stock cube
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh or dried mixed herbs

Cheese sauce:

• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml milk
• 75g cheese
 
• 6-8 lasagne sheets

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.

2. Prepare the vegetables, chopping them into even sized chunks.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion for 2 minutes until softened.

4. Add the other vegetables to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, the stock cube, and the herbs, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season as desired.

5. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring to form a roux. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously to ensure the mixture remains smooth. Once the milk is added, continue stirring the sauce until it bubbles and thickens. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cheese and stir until it is melted. Season as desired.

6. Remove the vegetables from the heat and layer them into an ovenproof dish with the lasagne sheets and cheese sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

7. Place the lasagne in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. When cooked, the lasagne sheets should be softened.

Recipe: Carrot and Coriander Soup

When it’s cold and wintery outside, all I want to do is snuggle up on the sofa with a blanket and a bowl of comforting home-made soup. The following recipe is for a delicious carrot and coriander soup, with added leeks for extra flavour. If you haven’t made soup before, and find it easier to buy, I promise you, you won’t turn back once you have tried your own!

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Ingredients:

• 450g carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable sock
• Ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 30g butter
• 3 tablespoons greek yoghurt

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the carrots and leeks. Cook for 10 minutes until they  begin to soften.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of coriander and mix through.

3. Add the potato to the saucepan, and pour in the stock. Stir and season to taste. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 20 mintues.

4. When the vegetables have softened, blend the mixture in a food processor, with the extra tablespoon of coriander.

5. Pour the soup back into the saucepan, and stir through the greek yoghurt. Return the soup to the hob to gently heat through before serving.

6. Enjoy with some freshly warmed bread for the perfect winter warmer!

 

Recipe: Orange and Ginger Marmalade Muffins

Jam is commonly used in a number of baking recipes to add flavour, sweetness and colour, but how about using marmalade as a tangy alternative instead? The following recipe is for delicious orange marmalade muffins, which would perfectly accompany a breakfast feast or act as a delicious mid-morning treat.

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Ingredients:

• 175g plain flour
• 25 porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ginger
• 175g light soft brown sugar
• Zest and juice of one orange
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 150g plain yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 9 teaspoons chunky orange marmalade (this could be switched for alternative flavours

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, and line a muffin tin with 9 paper cases.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and ginger into a large bowl, and add the oats and sugar. Mix to combine.

3. In a jug, whisk the orange zest and juice, oil, yoghurt and egg together. Then, add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

4. Spoon one tablespoon of the mixture into each muffin case, and then spoon one teaspoon of marmalade into the centre. Cover with the remaining muffin mix and a sprinkling of oats.

5. Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.