Thursday, 21 January 2010
Cheese lasagna
An entirely vegetarian lasagna! Cheese and vegetables together with sauce and noodles make this an unusual and tasty alternative to meat lasagna.
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup Minced onions
1 cup Thinly sliced green peppers (I like to use red and yellow and often increase the amount)
2 Garlic cloves -- minced (or to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Oregano (if using fresh increase the amount to taste)
2 tablespoons Chopped parsley
1 can Tomatoes
1 can Tomato sauce
1/2 cup Grated dry Gouda or Edam cheese
1/2 pound Lasagna (no cook variety)
3/4 pound Swiss cheese -- sliced
1 1/2 pounds Cottage cheese
Heat the olive oil; cook the onions, green peppers and garlic in it for 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons Gouda cheese.
Spread 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a 12- by 8-inch baking dish. Arrange alternating layers of the lasagna, Swiss, cottage cheese, a sprinkling of the Gouda and spread with sauce; then repeat until all the ingredients are arranged in layers in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle top with remaining Gouda cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven 35 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 8.
Accompany by a good green salad and garlic bread.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Coconut Surprise.
This recipe pairs two unlikely ingredients with each other, red wine and coconut. The acidity of the red wine and the sweetness of the coconut flavored custard together with refreshing mango flesh make this dessert a real summer treat.This is an ideal recipe to serve at the end of a summer meal.
For the gelee
1 bottle, 750 ml (25 fl oz) red wine, a light red wine like a Pinot Noir, Gamay or Beaujolais is preferable
¼ orange, zest only
180 g (6 oz) granulated sugar
5 black peppercorn
2 whole cloves
3 egg whites
3 gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring gently to simmer. Simmer for about minutes. Set aside to cool. Carefully strain the mixture through a cheesecloth. Measure the liquid. You will need 750 mL. Add water as necessary to get required amount.Heat up the wine mixture to 60 C (140 F), then add the softened gelatin. Stir to dissolve the gelatin completely. Place the mixture over an ice bath to cool it. Occasionally stir the mixture. It should firm up slightly after about 15 - 20 minutes in the ice bath
For the coconut custard
300 ml (10 fl oz) whole milk
100 ml (3 1/3 fl oz) heavy cream
1 whole egg
6 egg yolks
70 g (2 1/3 oz) granulated sugar
60 ml (2 fl oz) coconut milk and rum mixed in equal quantities
90 g (3 oz) ripe mango flesh diced
30 g (1 oz) granulated sugar
For the coconut cream
Bring the milk to boil, take off the heat and leave to cool
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, the whole egg and the egg yolks and whisk well until foamy
Add the egg mixture to the milk, place back onto the heat and under constant stirring with a wooden spoon bring the mixture to simmering until it thickens. Be careful not to boil the mixture, as the eggs would coagulate.
The mixture should cover the wooden spoon well, as a sign that the custard is cooked enough.
Immediately transfer in a new bowl, add the cream and the coconut milk and rum and cool over ice until completely cold.
Place the chopped mango at the bottom of the serving glass, then top with the red wine gelee. Place in the fridge. Chill for 20 minutes until gelee is firm enough to hold up the coconut cream. Top with the coconut cream and smoothen out the surface with the back of the spoon. Chill until ready to serve.Before serving, sprinkle the granulated sugar over the surface of the coconut cream and then torch it to a nice golden color.
Decorate with grated coconut and glace cherries or any fruit - be inventive!
Serve immediately.
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