When Mum Put Me to Work - A Recipe

Today, as part of Gourmet Garden's Blog Off / Cook Off, I have made one of the dishes I remember learning from my mum as a child, her lasagne. It was far from the classic Italian most would be familiar with, so anyone with Italian heritage, please don't berate me! Mum's cooking was more meat and three veg conservative, country style, but it was always a hit with anyone who ate it.


I also remember it being very labour intensive - which was probably why Mum always got me to help her. I remember her being very finicky about the amount of meat in each layer - she certainly stretched her mince as far as she could - and stirring the white sauce definitely built some guns!


My lasagne keeps her soul in it, but uses some cheats to make it very quick and easy. I also use my thermomix to make the Bechemel (white) sauce as I am lazy and don't have a need to show off my guns anytime soon - and it gives such a silky smooth sauce, with no lumps, something I never have mastered on the stove top.


I apologise in advance if I switch at all from metric to old school and if instructions seem off. Please let me know if anything doesn't make sense. 

My herb garden for the week - looking a lot healthier than the one outside!

Recipe


Meat Sauce
20 ml oil
1 finely choppped onion
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic
1kg lean mince 
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tin chopped tomatoes 
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Basil
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Oregano
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Thyme
1 Tbsp Gourmet Garden Rosemary
(you could use 3 Tbsp of Gourmet Garden's Italian Herbs instead, but I was not that prepared!)
1 cup Port or any red wine you have lying around
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water (if required)


1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (fan forced)
2. Place the oil in a deep saucepan or large fry pan to heat. Add your onion and garlic and lightly sauté for around 5 minutes.

3. Add mince and cook until brown
4. Add tomato paste and tin of tomatoes
(Any other chopped veges could be added at this stage, such as celery or carrot - like I said, I take short cuts to make it as quick as possible, so only use the basics)

5. Add all your Gourmet Garden herbs, mix thoroughly and heat through
6. Add wine and balsamic vinegar - I will sometimes put about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce if I have any open in my fridge - adds flavour and good for any left in the jar!
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste
8. Bring to the boil - add some water if needed. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, checking regularly to make sure there is enough liquid so it doesn't stick. While that is cooking through, prepare your white sauce.

White Sauce
1 litre milk
100 g plain flour
60 g butter
1 tsp salt
Pinch nutmeg


I did this part in the thermomix, so put all the sauce ingredients into the bowl and cooked for 12 minutes on 90 degrees C, speed 4.


For those not part of the cult:


1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir (here is where the labour starts)
2. Once the butter and flour has formed a paste, slowly add half the milk, whilst still stirring.
3. Keep stirring and add the rest of the milk
4. Keep stirring
5.Add salt to taste, keep stirring.
6. Add nutmeg, keep stirring.
7. Keep stirring.
8. Just when you think you can't stir any more (child labour Mum????) the sauce should start to thicken and if you are really lucky, there won't be any lumps.
If there are any problems with thickening, you can make a paste in a separate small saucepan by melting some more butter and flour and add this - I have often done this, then gone too far the other way and had to add more milk - luckily its an easy fix.


To Prepare
1 pack instant lasagne
1 cup grated cheese


1. Spray a lasagne tin - or any square or rectangle tray you have that is at least 2 inches deep - with cooking spray, or grease with butter.
2. Scoop enough meat sauce to thinly cover the base of the tin.

3. Cover the meat sauce with one layer of lasagne sheets
4. Scoop one layer of meat sauce
5. Cover with a layer of white sauce
6. Add a layer of lasagne sheets and repeat the combination until the sauce is finished. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top. I find it is best to finish with a sheet of lasagne, topped with white sauce, that way when you sprinkle the cheese over, it sits in nicely.

7. Cook in a moderate oven (180 degrees C - fan forced) for 35 minutes and until cheese is golden brown.

8. Remove from oven, allow to cool and serve with a garden salad and a nice glass of red wine.

The quantities I used feeds 6 with left overs for lunch
Enjoy!

Are there any dishes you can remember learning from your Mum as a child? Was she involved in the same child labour racket as mine?

Chantel x

Disclaimer: I received some products from Gourmet Garden to try out and am taking part in their Blog Off / Cook Off competition