Never apologise lasagna

 'Never apologise, never explain'.  These words of my mother's still ring in my ears, decades after I was exhorted not to overly excuse or give elaborate explanations for what I was doing.  When the lady doth protest too much, people stop believing and lose interest.

And so it is with recipes.  Put down something in front of a hungry family saying that it 'doesn't  look very good but if probably tastes fine or 'sorry I sort of messed up the top' doesn't make them tuck in with enthusiasm.  When we sat down to the results of this one last week and I said 'sorry but I think perhaps....' I was shouted down with a chorus of 'never apologise, just eat it'.  And, in fact, it was good.

Everyone has their own favourite lasagna recipe.  I have a wonderful lower fat quick version which I can do without a thought.  This one is a slightly more complex version of the low fat one but it's not the all singing, all dancing, every pan in the kitchen type that can take up an afternoon.

Stevie was the photographer so even if the recipe doesn't appeal (ooops, there I go again) the pictures will be of a better standard than usual and I'm including them all as she takes great food shots.

Sorry!

9 lasagna noodles (get the kind that don't need precooking)
1 tblsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
500 g turkey mince (any other is fine but turkey has the least fat)
750 ml passata or tomato sauce
175 g sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp Italian seasoning
good grinding of black pepper
pinch of garlic powder
250g chopped fresh spinach but I used lamb's lettuce equally successfully.
500 ml low fat cottage cheese
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
500 g grated sharp cheddar or mozzarella


Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat.  Cook onion until softened but not browned, then add turkey and continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned.  Add tomato sauce, mushrooms, and seasonings, stir together well and simmer for about 10 minutes.











 

 
 In another bowl, combine spinach, cottage cheese and nutmeg.

 

Now layer the casserole in a 9x13 baking dish:  sauce, spinach,  noodles, cheese, sauce, spinach,noodles, sauce and top with cheese.  Any variation of this is fine but noodles need to be next to the sauce so they cook and the top should be a layer of cheese.  Play with it as you would any layered casserole to get it right for your own tastes.

Bake at 180ºC for about 20 to 30 minutes until sauce is bubbling.  Cool for a few minutes before serving.

 

Goulash - nationality not important

Goulash could be a variation on the beige sweater

Ever notice how you tend to buy variations of the same garment over and over?  In my case it's 3/4 sleeve, silvery beige/oyster/gold  short cardigans.  I have many and yet not enough and whenever I see a new one with perhaps some detail that I hadn't seen on a previous one, I add it to the collection.  And yes, I wear them all.  I love them.  They are comfort wardrobe.

In the same way, I go for recipes with similar ingredients and if you can't tell by what I've posted (with perhaps an exception or two) then I'll have to hit you over the head with it again tonight.  I eat desserts but I can't make them (will work on this for the blog though).  I use a bread maker but am inspired to try Jonathan's recipe since it looks like something I could manage.  Emily leaves me gasping, both for the complexity of some of  her recipes and for the extraordinary photography.  Rochelle's chocolate mousse and Sal's Awesomeness, Pippa's celery or cauliflower: all are on my list to make now as they make them look like something we must not die without trying. And I'm still waiting for Stevie to weigh in with her Banoffee pie! Kit is addicted and it's a wonderful and quintessentially English pud.

But if I'm going to stay in my comfort zone for now, and I am, then it has to be the one-pot simple option for a supper meal. 

What do you think of when you hear the word 'goulash'?  I think Hungarian and then I think meatballs but I don't know that the latter is really part of it.  Goulash is or can be as American as apple pie and is called Beefy Mac, American chop suey (contradiction in terms there), Johnny Marzetti (huh?) or, of course, American Goulash as they wouldn't let the Hungarians take credit for something they think they do so well.  And actually they do, or this recipe which is American, makes it simple and very good.  Great for a Sunday night supper in fact, which is what Kit and I have just finished. 



500g lean beef mince (turkey is fine too in this case)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
375ml water
250ml passata or napoletana sauce
400g tin tomatoes
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
150g dry elbow macaroni (I used rotelline since I had no macaroni.  It worked just as well).

And the glass of wine is in there to encourage the cook!

In a large pan on the hob, cook the mince until brown and then add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.  Stir in water, tomato sauce, tin of tomatoes, soy sauce, and spices.  Bring to a boil over a medium heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the pasta, cover and cook for another 20 minutes until the pasta is soft.

Great on its own but chutney is a good condiment and crusty bread goes well with most things.