NO PASTA LASAGNA - All good Lasagne

Written by: Bel
Family favourite my "All good Lasagne"

This makes two 26cm x 16cm Lasagne's one for eating and one for the freezer :)  Double it, halve it or even turn half the meat and veg mix into meatballs by adding some more weetbix or breadcrumbs.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Oil
1 kg Mince.  I use either Beef or Lamb.
1 Onion finely Chopped
2 tsp Crushed Garlic. The jar one is fine.
250g Spinach. I use the frozen blocks.
1 medium Carrot grated
2 Tomatoes diced
2 cups of blended Veg - (see in the method below to see what i mean :)
2 large Zucchini - sliced length ways
5 crushed Weetbix
2 teaspoons Chia seeds
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/3 cup grated cheese.

Method

Preparing.
Slice your zucchini length ways into even slices. Probably easiest would be to use a mandolin or i use a cheap cheese slicer like a vegie peeler you can get at the supermarket.

Defrost the spinach as per instructions or i just put it in a microwave safe bowl with a lid for about 6 mins.  Drain the liquid.


Make your 2 cups of blended Vegies. This is 2 cups of whatever it is you have in the fridge or freezer.  peas, corn, carrot, celery, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, parsnips, beans whatever you have two cups of. Dont forget to add the bits left over from when you sliced the zucchini. Then put them all in the microwave or boiling water till they are soft enough to moosh and then blend them up till they are a rough paste.

Cooking.
In a large pan over high heat add your Oil and cook your onion and garlic. When onion has become translucent Add your mince.

Once the mince has almost cooked through turn the span down to a medium and add your spinach, carrot and diced tomatoes.

Now stir through your blended Vegies.

Add your two tablespoons of paste and Chia seeds and stir through.

Finally add your weetbix crushing as you put them in.

Your mix will be quite thick and vegetable like.  It will become softer when you bake the Vegetables. You can add more tomatoes or tomato sauce if you're struggling with the non traditional not enough tomato look .
Turn off your heat and give another stir through.

Make your Bechamel Sauce.



Bechamel Sauce 
Don't have one?  Here's mine its basic and again slightly off the traditional but does the job.
Stir quickly and have your ingredients ready to go before you start. I use a fork to stir but you can use a spoon or whisk.

Bechamel Ingredients
100g Butter
6 tablespoons Plain Flour
1 1/2 cup Milk
1 tsp Paprika mild
1/4 tsp Pepper
Salt to taste

Over a med to high heat small pan melt your butter soon as its all melted and bubbling add your flour one tablespoon at a time and stirring quickly all the time so it doesn't stick or burn.
If it gets to hot or hard for you to handle take it off the element for a second but keep stirring then put it back on.
Once all your flour has been put in and has absorbed all the butter forming a paste like consistently slowly pour the milk in stirring quickly.

add paprika and pepper and you're done.
you can add cheese if you like. traditional ones do i just find its easier to just put it in during the layering instead of making my sauce thicker to handle and pan harder to clean ;)


Assembling the Lasagne.
Start with a layer of your Meat and Veggies on the bottom then put a single layer of zucchini slices over the top. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of Bechamel over the zucchini - how much exactly depends on the size of your dish, so jut so its covering not drowning in Bechamel. Sprinkle some cheese over the Bechamel and then layer again starting with the Meat and Veggies.  Then Zucchini then Bechamel and Cheese.   Make sure you finish with a top of Bechamel tip in any left over.  If you are freezing hold off on the grated Cheese on very top and add that on just before cooking.





Cooking.
Cook in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius fan forced for approx 40mins.

toasting some all good in a wrap for lunch mmm

Loved by all :)