The Wonders of Mince (Part 2): Low-Guilt Lasagna

Well, after a very long and unexpected break from the blogosphere, I'm back!  I'm sure I haven't been too sorely missed, but I have missed the outlet of writing.  I guess I'll just pick up where I left off...

Another of my favourite "hide the vegies in the mince" meal is lasagna.  Underneath that crusty yet gooey, cheesy top, in amongst the al dente pasta and meaty Bolognese, one can hide a multitude of virtues.  In fact, one of the things I love most about this comfort food is that it actually represents quite a balanced meal - some (lean) protein, some carbs, a bit of (low-fat) dairy and, of course, lots of veg.  My dear mum has always made it like this - although the vegies are not so hidden in her version (if you know my mum, you know she likes chunky vegies!) and includes more than just the vegies I've listed below.

This is a meal best saved for a not-so-busy day, as it takes a bit longer to prepare, but it's so worth it!

Low-Guilt Lasagna (serves 6)

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
500g beef mince
1 large carrot, grated
1 large stick celery, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, grated
5 button mushrooms, finely chopped
100g spinach, finely shredded

1 bottle Bertolli Provista tomato sauce or other tomato passata
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

500g lasagna sheets

3 cups milk
2 heaped tablespoons cornflour
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup cheddar and/or parmesan cheese, grated, extra

1. Preheat oven to 180.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent.  Add mince and cook until browned, breaking up the lumps with a spoon.

2.  Add the carrot, celery, zucchini and mushroom and cook for 1 minute, then add tomato sauce and herbs. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat milk in a large jug in the microwave for 4 minutes, or until almost boiling.  Combine the cornflour with a dash of cold milk in a small cup to make a smooth paste.  Add 1/2 cup of hot milk to cornflour mix, then gradually add back to the remaining milk, stirring continuously.

4. Heat the milk in the microwave again, stirring every 1 minute, until thick.  Add the cheeses and season to taste.

5. Add the spinach to the meat sauce and season to taste.

6. Grease a lasagne dish and place a single layer of lasagne sheets on the base.  Layer the lasagna as follows: meat sauce, pasta, cheese sauce, meat sauce, pasta, cheese sauce, meat sauce, pasta, cheese sauce.

7. Cover the top with extra cheese and place in the oven for 40 minutes or until browned on top and a knife can be inserted through all layers easily.

8.  Serve with salad and garlic bread, or just as is!

By the way, did you know that you can buy mince that has been snap-frozen (so-to-speak) so that you can cook it straight from the freezer?  And the best thing about it is that it doesn't cook in clumps so you don't have to stand there breaking it all up as it cooks!  I love it - especially because I always forget to take meat out of the freezer in time to defrost for dinner!

Cheesy Vegeful Muffins

These muffins are a great, tasty way of boosting your children's vegie intake!

Master W isn't a big fan of eating dinner, so I try to get as many nutrients into him as possible during the day. As he's a lover of all things cake-related, my muffins go down a treat!  Plus they're packed with vegies, dairy and a bit of protein too.

I have been asked for this recipe several times, so I thought I'd share it on the blog in case anyone else is interested.

Cheesy Vegeful Muffins (makes 12)


"This is how you grate"

"Can I help?"

2 cups self-raising flour (you can use wholemeal if you're feeling particularly virtuous!)
1 cup grated cheese
2 slices shortcut bacon, finely diced (equates to about half a cup)
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 small zucchini, grated
1 carrot, finely grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1/4 capsicum (red or green), finely chopped
1 cup milk
1 egg
25ml extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 190°C and grease a muffin tray.

2. Fry the bacon in a non-stick pan until browned and crispy. If the corn kernels are frozen, put them in the frying pan to defrost briefly before turning off the heat. Allow to cool.

3. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add the cheese, bacon and corn.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, carrot, zucchini, capsicum and onion, until well combined.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. If you mix too much at this stage, the muffins will not be as fluffy and moist.
6. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin holes and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before removing from tray and cooling on a rack.

To get the muffins out of the tray more easily, loosen the sides with a knife, then gently twist the muffin - it should just slide out then.

These are especially nice straight from the oven with a little bit of butter. They can also be kept for 2-3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Another little budget and time-friendly tip: I like to buy shortcut bacon, because it has much less fat on it.  I buy a kilo of it when it's on special and freeze it so there's always some there if I need it.  I'll lay half of it flat in a single layer in a large snaplock bag, and dice the other half finely and put it in containers.  That way, it's easy to get to and ready to use for a last-minute meal! (You can cook it straight from frozen.)