Beefy Lasagna

This lasagne consists of layers of rich meat sauce, creamy cheese sauce and tender pasta topped with a layer of golden melted cheese. We think it tastes even better reheated the next day.

The cheese sauce can be prepared while the meat sauce is simmering.

Preparation time: about 1 hour and 15 minutes

Serves about 8-10.

We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

Meat Sauce
1 tablespoon (20ml) oil
1 large (about 200g) onion, peeled and finely chopped
100g shortcut bacon, finely chopped
750g lean beef mince
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
100g (4 tablespoons) tomato paste
800g canned diced or crushed tomatoes
125ml (1/2 cup) red wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cheese Sauce
90g butter
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
800ml (3 cups + 2 1/2 tablespoons) milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
65g (2/3 cup, firmly packed) grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Pasta
250g packet dry instant lasagne sheets (you probably won't need the full packet: the amount needed will depend on the measurements of your baking dish)

Cheese Topping
60g (1/2 cup, very firmly packed) grated mozzarella cheese
60g (1/2 cup, very firmly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese

Meat Sauce
Heat oil in a very large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until onion has softened.

Increase heat to high and add mince and garlic to the pan. Break up mince by mashing with a fork until no large clumps remain. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all of the mince has changed colour.

Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, red wine, oregano, basil and bay leaf to mince mixture and stir until combined.

Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to about medium-low so that the mixture is simmering. Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The meat sauce should be moist but not watery.

Discard the bay leaf. Season meat sauce with salt and pepper.

Cheese Sauce
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir flour into melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles.

Remove saucepan from the heat. Add milk very gradually, stirring or whisking constantly.

When all of the milk has been added and the sauce is smooth, return the saucepan to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 7 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Add nutmeg and parmesan cheese to sauce and stir until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (we have the fan switched off).

You will need a 3.25 litre (13 cup) capacity rectangular ovenproof dish. Use a dish that is about 6.5cm deep.

Spread about 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce over the base of dish. This thin layer of sauce will help prevent the pasta from sticking to the base of the dish. Completely cover the sauce with a single layer of lasagne sheets, cutting or breaking the sheets to fit the shape of the dish.

Spread one third of the meat sauce over the lasagne sheets.

Cover meat sauce with one third of the remaining cheese sauce. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Spread half the remaining meat sauce over the pasta. Spread half the remaining cheese sauce over the meat sauce. Cover cheese sauce with a layer of pasta. Spread with remaining meat sauce then remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle with combined mozzarella and tasty cheese.

Cover lasagne with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 15 to 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and pasta is tender. Remove lasagne from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the lasagne to firm up slightly before cutting and serving.

Store lasagne in the refrigerator or freezer.

Carrot and Apple Muffins

Carrot and Apple Muffins

900g carrots, grated
1.4g granny smith apples
        cored and chopped
85g (1/2 cup) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
250g (1 1/2 cups) firmly packed brown sugar
535g (3 1/2 cups) self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
250g butter melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk

Combine carrot, apple, raisins, spices, sugar, flour and soda in a large bowl. Add butter, eggs and milk and stir until just combined. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 180c for 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Makes about 30

Jerusalem Artichoke and Spicy Sausage Soup

Jerusalem Artichoke and Spicy Sausage Soup

20g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
5 cups chicken stock
2 bacon bones
2 spanish chorizo sausages (about 300g)
750g artichokes, peeled and chopped

Heat butter in a heavy based large saucepan, add onion, garlic and herbs and cook over medium heat until onion is soft. Add stock, bacon bones and chorizo and simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 45 minutes.

Add artichoke and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove bones and chorizo from soup, cut the meat from the bones and slice the chorizo. Return the meat and chorizo to the pan, season to taste and serve.

Serves 4-6

Peanut Crusted Chicken Fillet and Thai Salad with Chili Lemon Dressing

Peanut Crusted Chicken fillet and Thai Salad with Chili Lemon Dressing

6 Chicken breast fillet
1 egg
2 tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce
Plain Flour
150g crushed peanuts
crispy fried onions, for garnish (available from Asian stores)
Coriander, for garnish

SALAD:
100G vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large red capsicum, julienned
1 large carrot, juliened
100g snow peas juliened
1 large spanish onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves, shredded
1/2 cup coriander leaves

DRESSING:
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 bunch of coriander
2 birdseye chillies
Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup Thai fish sauce
75g (1/3 cup) Sugar
1/3 cup coconut vinegar (available in Asian food stores)

For the dressing, process garlic, coriander and chillies in a food processor until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until required.

Using a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to flatten. Combine egg and fish sauce in a bowl and dip the chicken into the egg mixture. Coat one side of chicken with flour and lightly press peanuts onto the other side of the chicken. Heat a lightly oiled non-stick frying pan and cook chicken in batches until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

For the salad, cook noodles in boiling water until tender, drain and cool under running water. Drain well and toss with sesame oil. In a large bowl combine noodles with remaining ingredients and 1/3 cup of the dressing and mix well.

Place salad on 6 serving plates. Place chicken fillet to one side of the salad, drizzle with a little dressing and garnish with crispy onions and fresh coriander

Serves 6

Pear Tarte Tatin

Pear Tarte Tatin

250g (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
50g caster sugar
150 butter
`1 egg
Mascarpone, to serve

Filling:
100 g butter, chopped
100g sugar
4 beurre bosc pears, peeled, cored, sliced

Process flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until pastry just comes together. If pastry is too dry, add 10 ml chilled water. Turn pastry out on a lightly floured surface and shaped into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For filling, combine butter and sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, then simmer, without stirring, until golden . Add pear slices and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pear slices from syrup with a slotted spoon and place over base of a greased 25cm ceramic or glass tart dish and pour pear syrup over. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a 25cm round and place over the pear slices, trim around the edge of the pan and gently press into the pan. Bake at 200C for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Remove from oven and stand 10 minutes before turning out on a serving plate. Serve with mascarpone

Serve 8

Roasted Baby Eggplant with Parmesan Pesto and Fresh Mushroom and Tomato Sauce

6 baby eggplant
1 tablespoon olive oil
basil sprigs for garnish

PESTO:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
40g (1/4 cup) pinenuts roasted
2 cloves of garlic peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
40g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese

MUSHROOM AND TOMATO SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 400g cans tomato pieces
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
150g button mushrooms, thickl sliced

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, score the flesh and sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a rack for 1 hour to drain. Rinse with water and dry thoroughly with absorbent paper. Brush eggplant with olive oil, place on a roasting tray and roast at 200C for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

For the pesto, process basil, peanuts and garlic in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, gradually add oil to basil mixture, then add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan and process to combine. Stir in remaining parmesan and season to taste.

For the tomato and mushroom sauce, heat oil in a frying pan, add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is soft. Add tomato and parsley and cook over low hear for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add mushrooms, season to taste and stir until heated through.

Place eggplant halves on an oven tray, top with pesto and grill until pesto is browned and bubbling. Spoon mushroom and tomato sauce onto 4 warmed serving plates, top with 3 overlapping eggplant halves and garnish with sprigs of basil.

Serves 4

Kinilaw na Kambing (Goat)

INGREDIENTS :
1 Kilo goat's meat with skin _ preferred cuts are from thigh, loin, neck and shoulder
3 big onions sliced, 1 root ginger strips, 3 siling labuyo chopped
vinegar, salt, pepper and soy sauce

PROCEDURE :

Marinate goat meat in soy sauce, grill then make small slices.
Balance seasoning with vinegar, salt and pepper according to taste.
Garnish with onions and siling labuyo, Ref then serve.

BEEF POCHERO
INGREDIENTS:
I Kilo beef cut into desired pieces
1 small can tomato sauce
1 potato quartered, 1 carrot sliced into 1 inch chunks
1 sweet potato sliced into 1 inch chunks
1/4 kilo pechay, 4 pcs. saging saba peeled and sliced into halves
onions, 5 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup of fish sauce ( patis )

PROCEDURE :

In a skillet, fry the bananas and potatos in 3 minutes, set aside.
In a stock pot, stew the beef until tender. Strain beef. Set aside. Save the broth.
Sautee garlic and onions in a saucepan. Add the beef and stir fry with patis for 3 minutes.
Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour broth at first boil. Add potato, sweet potato
carrots and bananas. let boil for 10 minutes. Add mashed bananas and mixed well.Add
pechay and remove from fire after v2 minutes or when done. Adding slices of chorizo de bilbao
will make the recipe more delicious.

PINOY CALLOS RECIPE
DATE : MAY 9, 2012

ingredients :

1 kilo beef tripe (tuwalya ng baka) slice in serving pieces
4 cloves garlic minced, 1 small onion chopped
1 can pork and beans, 5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 tablespoon black ground pepper
1/4 tablespoon sugar, root ginger crushed
1 tablespoon salt, msg (optional)

Procedure :

In a stock pot with enough water, add beef tripes, ginger, salt and bring to a boil
for 20 minutes to remove it's dirt and odor. Remove from fire then replace water and
boil again until beef tripes become tender . Slice lengthwise and set aside.
Sautee garlic, onions, beef tripe, soy sauce, pepper. Stir fry for 10 minutes.
Add the pork and beans and sugar. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes until
done. Serve hot.

Pork Adobo

INGREDIENTS

1 Kilo pork belly cut into desired pieces
cup soy sauce, vinegar,
bay leaves, peppercorns, ground pepper
seasonings, cloves minced garlic

PROCEDURE :

wash pork thoroughly. Combine all ingredients in a cooking pan, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
until done. Serve on a platter.

you may substitute pork with chicken. or use both pork and chicken for Chicken Pork Adobo. If you use chicken it would also be good if you add chicken liver (optional) or decorate it with boiled eggs.