Friday, March 26, 2021

KALE IS MY NEW GREEN VEGETABLE

 

INGREDIENTS

Kale and Mushroom 'Lasagne'

This is also my attempt to create a new to me recipe with a big nod to Dish Magazine. A switch from the 250 gm quinoa pasta to either courgette, (slightly fewer calories), or bacon instead of the lasagne sheets.

100 gm 1 medium onion, finely diced   130 gm.............52

60 gm 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated    150 gm..........61

15 gm 4 garlic cloves, finely diced                               ............20

 30 gm 1 stem celery, finely diced                                ..............60

800 grams gluten-free passata...................................................200                               

500 grams portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped.........111

175 gm large bunch kale, stems removed and roughly sliced NA

500 grams ricotta cheese                                                                  ........685

150 gm bacon or 250 gm courgette or mixture of both 250 gm bacon,,,,, 770  

 + 200 gm courgette

large handful fresh basil leaves

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 200 gm........557

sea salt and cracked black pepper

20 gm butter for saute-ing                     ...............

METHOD

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.

Cook gently, without browning, for 8–10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the passata, mushrooms and kale. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Combine the ricotta and basil, large leaves torn. Season generously.

Preheat oven to 180'C (360'F). In my little stove-top oven I find 170'C quite hot enough.

Place a big spoonful of tomato sauce on the bottom of your lasagna dish.

Place bacon and or courgettes over the top to create a layer. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the layer – I find a wide knife makes this simple. Top with another layer of pasta. Spoon half the tomato and vegetable sauce on this layer. Top with pasta.

Spread the remaining ricotta on top. Layer with pasta and top with the rest of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.

Let the lasagne sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with a green salad. Leftover lasagne will be last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.


I'll add up calories and recommend serving sizes later. I'm out of here for now.


TOTAL 2650 CALORIES. DIVIDE INTO 6 SERVINGS APROX 440 CALORIES PER SERVE.


REVIEW:- This recipe was  for me to try out Kale. That was a fail because I missed it off my shopping list and had the thing more than half made when I realised.

I don't like the ricotta in it. I'd rather risk the extra calories for a little bechamel or just grated cheddar. The way I made it was far too watery. probable 1/3 of the passata sauce would have been enough when not using pasta in the layers. The bacon needed more cooking. I could have done it on a separate tray in the oven while the sauce was cooking. 

I found a one eighth serving ample and it is only 330 calories.

Monday, February 15, 2021

ROASTED MUSHROOMS IN BALSAMIC SAUCE (430 Calories)

 Worcestershire Sauce makes a nice alternative to Tamari or Soy Sauce.

Heat oven to your favourite roasting/baking temp. 175/190'C - (375'F)

It's best to use a large, shallow baking dish. It can be lined with baking paper if you like.

INGREDIENTS


500 gm mushrooms, whole halved or quartered depending on size. 110 calories

30 gm melted butter                                                                            215                                               
1-2 small onions peeled and diced                                                   30

  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves crushed/chopped
  • tablespoons balsamic vinegar                                                         28
  • 7gm brown sugar                                                                               27
  • tablespoon tamari sauce                                                                 15
  • 1-2 tsp finely chopped garlic (optional)                                             5
  • Mix together all the ingredients except the mushrooms in a large bowl
  • Add diced mushrooms and toss to cover them evenly.
  • Tip it all into your baking dish and bake for 15-30 minutes depending on the doneness you prefer. If they dry out add a little more butter, balsamic vinegar and water. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the mushrooms and not too thin/watery.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

MY ANTIPASTO PLATTER (NO AVOCADO) 340 CAL.

 Peckish  Rice Crackers     4 = 90

Raw Carrot                     20gm = 8

Pickled Green Olive       28gm = 38

Pickled Pearl Onions      20gnm = 7

Blue Cheese                   25gm = 88

Salami                            30gm = 123

Cornichon/Gherkin        25gm = 23

Cucumber                      25gm = 4

Cherry Tomatoes, (4)     20gm = 4