What's Cooking? The One Where I Share A Recipe

How about something completely different? I thought I'd talk you through how I make my vegetable lasagne.  

(Yes, I am wearing 6 inch heels in the kitchen, our stone flags may look pretty but they're horribly cold on my poor feet!) 

In case you're wondering what a vintage fashion blogger can tell you about cooking I'd better fill you in on my past. 

In a previous existence I trained as a chef and pâtissier and after qualifying was head-hunted and fast-tracked into a management position with the one-time largest contract catering company in the world. For years I lived a double life, a corporate suit-wearing whore by day and party animal by night. I managed a large staff, was solely responsible for a budget of over a million quid, catered for over 2000 people on a daily basis including a fine dining facility for high ranking MPs, government ministers and royalty and worked over 90 hours a week. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm the easiest-going woman in the world so putting on the persona of tough boss by day coupled with being on my feet for over 18 hours at a time with an undiagnosed skeletal deformity nearly destroyed me. At the time I earnt more money than anyone else I knew but hated every minute of my existence and was a nightmare to be around. The bravest and best thing I ever did was to admit enough was enough, clear my desk, resign and reclaim my life. 

I doubt whether I'll ever earn as much I did back then but spiritually I'm richer & no longer living a lie and that's all that counts.

 Anyway, enough about me, here's my recipe for Veggie Lasagne.

What you'll need: 

1/2 pint milk

2oz olive spread (or butter)

2oz plain flour

2 small red onions - roughly chopped into 1inch chunks

3 cloves of garlic - chopped

Tin of tomatoes

A handful of cherry (halved) or 2 standard sized tomatoes (quartered)

5 Mushrooms (replace with 1/2 tin of butter beans if, like Krista and Lucy, you're a hater)

1 whole pepper, thickly diced (or half a pepper & a small courgette)

A generous pinch of Herbes de Provence

8 pre-cooked lasagne sheets

4oz vegetarian cheese (grated)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

A glug of red wine (optional)

1 teaspoon of English mustard (optional)

What do you mean? Cheese sauce mix and ready-made ragu? Over my dead body!

1. Heat the olive oil, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.

2.Add tomatoes, peppers (and courgettes, if you're using them) and herbs to taste. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for around 5 minutes.

3. Add quartered mushrooms (or drained butter beans), tinned tomatoes and an optional slug of red wine, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.

4. Leave the mixture to reduce for around 15 minutes.

1. Melt 2 oz margarine over a gentle heat. Add 2 oz plain flour and stir until cooked through.

2. The mixture is ready when it resembles honeycomb (or to Brits, the inside of a Crunchie).

3. Remove the pan from the heat, add a quarter of the milk, stirring all the time. 

4. Return the pan to a gentle heat, gradually adding the remainder of the milk, stirring in a figure-of-eight movement to prevent lumps. The sauce is ready when the sauce in centre of the pan starts to bubble. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.

5.Add grated cheese and a teaspoon of English mustard to taste.

1. Put half the vegetable mixture in the base of an oven proof dish.

2. Cover with four sheets of pre-cooked lasagne.

3. Add half the cheese sauce.

4. Repeat steps 1,2 and 3.
5. Place in the centre of 180 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes (or until brown and bubbling).

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or, in my case, get distracted by the BBC News and cremate the top.

Enjoy!
Linking to Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday

Soul boy tee shirt (Jumble sale)

Normally we'll have a glass of wine and a green salad with our lasagne but neither of us could be arsed to go out in the rain.

1970s nylon maxi dress by Pat Rogers, New Zealand (Helga the great), Afghani choker (the fabulous Tamera), Flower napkin rings & linen place mats (Sexy Sarah), Orange linen napkins (car boot sale), Kitchen table and Belfast sink unit (eBay)

Tomorrow's a big day, not only are we off for a sneak preview of the monthly jumble sale but we're also helping when it officially opens and taking the money. Heaven help us, the Black Country grannies can be brutal if they think they're being ripped off (that is, charged more than 20p for anything).

See you soon!