Creating meals for Meatless Monday's.

Just recently I have had the opportunity to create Vegetarian meals for a friend on a regular basis.This has prompted me to get creative in the kitchen and to include chickpeas, beans and lentils into my offerings.My all time favourite is still my Vegetarian Lasagne which I will share with you today. I have two versions, Butternut and Feta Lasagne and a Mixed Roasted Vegetable and creamed Spinach Lasagne. Here is a step- by -step guide to preparing the Butternut Lasagne.

I  par - cooked two large butternuts cut in slices in salted water.

Remember the eco friendly rules and keep the peels from the butternuts for the compost heap and the seeds for the garden!

There is something special about preparing a perfect white sauce..... and licking the spoon afterwards!

 White Sauce Ingredients for a large Lasagne, otherwise use half the ingredients.

60 g Butter
60 g Cake flour
800 ml Milk
Salt and Freshly cracked black pepper
2 Cups grated Cheddar Cheese

Method:
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook gently over a low heat. Do not allow to brown.
Remove from the heat, stir in the milk and mix vigorously to create a smooth sauce.
Place over the heat again and cook till the sauce comes to the boil. Cook until it is the consistency of runny cream and coats the back of the spoon. 
Season well and stir in the grated cheese.
Heat just enough to melt the cheese and and create a smooth sauce.
Set aside until needed.

Stir the grated cheese into the white sauce to create a rich cheese sauce.

The result, a shiny and silky cheese sauce. Any cook's delight!

Raid your herb patch and gather a generous bunch of Parsley. Wash and drain. Set aside.

  

Also from the garden, green pepper and baby tomatoes....all to add some excitement to the basic tomato sauce.

 The tomato sauce will add interest between the layers of pasta, cheese sauce and cooked butternut. For a large lasagne, use two cans of tomato and onion mix. I spiced these up with extra sauted onions, garlic, chilli, green peppers, chopped fresh parsley and baby tomatoes or roma tomatoes.
Heat through and check seasoning. Set aside. 

Create the layers of  butternut, pasta sheets, tomato sauce and cheese sauce.

For a large baking dish, I used 12 sheets of lasagne. Pre- soak them in hot water with a drop of oil in to prevent them from sticking to each other. Leave in water just long enough to soften slightly.

Drain the cooked butternut and layer between the sheets of pasta with tomato sauce and cheese sauce.

 To create the lasagne, start layering with a generous spread of tomato sauce at the base of your dish. Add the butternut and blocks of feta and then the lasagne sheets.Top with cheese sauce and repeat the layers.
Finish off the top layer of cheese sauce with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

Place in a pre- heated oven and cook through until the cheese layer is golden brown and bubbling.

Mmmmmm....... ready to serve with a crisp, green garden salad and a glass of White wine!