3Cs Lasagna

Star Q

i.  Praying for a New Beginning

ii.  Jom Shopping...

All the kids are home this weekend.  The house is noisy once again but in a good way.  Come to think of it, almost everyone has returned to their homes since tomorrow is polling day of the 13th General Election.  And before the missus and I go voting tomorrow, the kids have already voted among themselves, that today they want to eat something western.

In fact they decided on it even before their brother made a decision about coming home.  The three of them decided that they wanted me to prepare Lasagna today and a side dish that looked something from the Barefoot Contessa series, Zucchini Gratin (but more on this later)  Okay, I thought!  But the sauce for the Lasagna would not be beef (since I still have gout) but chicken instead.  And I bargained with them that if they wanted me to prepare Lasagna they would agree to me adding some vegetables into the sauce, hence the 3Cs (cauliflower, capsicum and chicken).  They agreed unanimously!

For the meat sauce :

• 400 g ground chicken meat
• 2 capsicums, diced
• 2 cups, roughly chopped cauliflower
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 4 canned plum tomatoes
• 1 tbs butter
• 3 tbs olive oil

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan.  Saute the onion until soft then add the garlic.  Next add in the ground chicken meat, and stir until the chicken is half cooked.  Add the diced capsicums and chopped cauliflower along with half cup chicken stock.  Once the mixture boils add in the plum tomatoes together with the juice in the can and add the seasonings (oregano, paprika, black pepper, salt and sugar)  Continue simmering until sauce thickens and the vegetables have softened.  Dish out and set aside.

For the Bechamel :

• 60 g butter
• 1/3 cup AP flour
• 4 1/2 cups milk
• 6 pieces cheese slices, roughly torn
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in a pot.  When it starts to foam, add the flour and stir continuously until bubbling.  Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until mixture becomes smooth.  Continue to cook over low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Take off heat and stir in the pieces of cheese, salt and pepper.

To assemble :

• 9 pieces instant lasagna sheets
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce onto the bottom of a casserole dish.  Lay three pieces of the lasagna sheets then spoon another 1/4 of the meat sauce on top of the lasagna sheets followed by 1/3 of the bechamel sauce.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheese.  Repeat this process until all the ingredients are finished.  Bake in a 175 C oven for 35 - 40 minutes until bubbling.  Serve with the Zucchini Gratin.