LOW-FAT LASAGNA

I have sweet childhood memories of my mother cooking hearty beef and vegetable lasagna for us four kids during the middle of winter in Victoria. As the preparation and cooking time was quite extensive, us kids would reek havoc in the cozy house whilst she slaved over the stove. The delectable smell would fill the two-story brick house and we would follow our noses to the warm kitchen. Whenever I make lasagna myself I try to replica that nourishing smell that my mother created, which just made you feel safe and snug. Each time I cook I change the recipe slightly and get a little closer to creating the aroma of my childhood. Below is my latest attempt.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 500g lean minced beef (preferably from a butcher)
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin brown lentils, drained
• 125ml beef stock 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce 
• 2 tablespoons mixed herbs
• 300-315g lasagna sheets (optional- gluten free lasagna sheets)

Cheese sauce

• 750ml (3 cups) skim milk
• 40g cornflour (gluten free)
• 100g reduced-fat grated cheese
• Optional- 1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese 

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or frying pan on medium to high heat. Add leek and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add carrot and garlic and cook, stirring for another 2 minutes. Add minced beef and stir well, breaking up any lumps of meat. Cook until beef is well browned. 

2. Add diced tomato, fresh tomato, stock, tomato paste, Worcester sauce and mixed herbs to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally. 

3. Preheat fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Pour a little of the meat sauce into the base of an overproof dish (I like to use a roasting tin). Spread the meat mixture across the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets in the dish over the meat. Repeat this process until all the meat and lasagne sheets are used. (I am usually just able to make 3 layers of each meat & lasagna sheets if I spread the meat sparingly). 

4. To make cheese sauce- place cornflour and a little of the milk in a small saucepan on low heat, and stir to form a paste. Continue to gradually add milk to the liquid mixture and stir constantly. When the mixture boils and thickens remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese until it has melted. Pour the sauce evenly over the lasagna. Add 1-2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on top of the sauce if you wish. 

5. Bake lasagne for 1 hour. After this hour, leave the lasagne to cool for 15 minutes before serving. 

x E