Sunday, October 29, 2006

What's your favourite 'cook in a flash' meal?

Hi everyone, I would love to read about all your favourite quick meals. You know the ones. You come home late, tired and grumpy (and starving) and the pantry is looking a bit on the lean side...
For me, I trot out the old student meal - two minute noodles cooked with frozen mixed veg (stir fry mixes are great) and any old other veg lying around in the bottom of the crisper. Drain, chuck some grated cheese on top and voila! - dinner in about 4 minutes (and very cheap too)...
So how about you, what's your favourite 'chuck together' meal?

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Spinach and Camembert Lasagne


Ingredients:

1 bunch english spinach
500g fresh ricotta cheese

50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
fresh lasagne pasta sheets
125g semi-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
200g camembert cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pine nuts


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease your lasagne dish. Trim the stalks from the spinach and discard. Wash the leaves and shake off excess water, but don't dry them completely. Chop leaves.

2. Place ricotta in a bowl. Add parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning. Stir until well combined. Set aside one third of the mixture. Add spinach to the remaining ricotta mixture and mix until well combined.

3. Line the base of the lasagne dish with a sheet of pasta. Spread half the spinach mixture over the lasagne. Top with another lasagne sheet. Spread with the plain ricotta mixture and top with the semi-dried tomatoes. Add another layer of pasta and spread over the remaining spinach mixture. Top with a final layer of pasta.

4. Arrange camembert over lasagne and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. The top will puff up, but then settly when removed from the oven. Stand for 10 minutes.