Cheat's Lasagne

Okay, so I'll admit this from the start, if you're a purist - this isn't exactly lasagne, but if you're lazy like me and want the meat, pasta, cheese combo baked into something that you can serve (and freeze if you want) easily, then this is your jam! When I say easy, I mean EASY. Traditional lasagne takes time to prep and lots of pots and pans - you have to cook the meat sauce, cook the pasta and make a white sauce before assembling and baking again. This cheat lasagne however, simply mix, layer, and leave for 5 or 6 hours then devour! Yes, there is absolutely NO pre-cooking required. And to make it even easier, mix everything in the food processor! You can thank me later. 

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large carrot
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 400 g tin of tomatoes 
• 500 g beef mince 
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp cracked pepper
• 1 tsp salt 
• 250 g dried lasagne or pasta shapes (spiral would also work well) 
• 4 tsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 cup milk 
• 2 eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup grated tasty cheese 

Preheat the slow cooker by turning it on high, and oiling the dish. (Alternatively you could bake it in the oven on 120 degrees Celsius for 5 hours.  

In the food processor, chop onion, garlic, carrot and zucchini till well minced. Add the stock, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, mince, oregano, salt and pepper and mix till well combined. 

Layer the mince with the dried pasta into the slow cooker dish. Use 1/4 of your mince mixture first, spreading evenly, then 1/2 of the dried pasta. Top with another quarter of the mince mixture, then the other half of the dried pasta. Finally put the remaining half of the mince mixture over the top. 

Scatter the grated cheese over top. Next mix your cornflour with a little of the milk till smooth, then mix in the remaining milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper and beat well. Pour this over the top of the grated cheese. Turn your slow cooker onto low, cover and leave for 4-6 hours till cooked through and beginning to brown on top. Every slow cooker is different - in mine, it is done perfectly after 5 hours, so keep an eye on yours the first time to get the perfect cooking time. 

Slice and serve with garlic bread and either salad or steamed vegetables. 

Cousin Reid's Tuna Pasta Salad

So as you can tell by the name, this isn't my recipe, but one that my cousin Reid shared with me on a recent dinner catch up. First let me describe Reid, he's a 6'4 mountain of a man, the kind of guy that has seconds of seconds and then still has room for dessert. 

Let's just say, he has a BIG appetite, so when he shared his staple pasta salad with me, I knew it must be good. Reid will make a batch of this to last him for a couple of days; dinner, and the next couple of days lunches sort of thing. 

Ingredients (6 servings; or 4 Reid sized serves): 

• 500g packet of spiral or shell shaped dried pasta
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup of canned corn kernels, drained  
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 stalks celery, sliced 
• 425g can Chunky Style Tuna in oil, well drained 
• handful of parsley, finely chopped 
• 2/3 cup of mayonnaise - Best Foods is good, just not light mayo
• 1/2 cup green pitted olives, sliced - optional 
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced - optional  

Cook the pasta according to packet directions. *You could boil the eggs in the pasta water if you need to, just add the room temperature eggs to the water when there is 9 minutes of cooking time left. 

While the pasta is cooking prepare the vegetables and pop them into a large salad bowl. Half the tomatoes, drain the corn, slice the celery and olives (if using) chop the onion (if using) and parsley. 

Drain the tuna and add it to the salad bowl with 2/3 of a cup of mayonnaise. 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the salad bowl. Use two dessert spoons to toss everything together till coated and well mixed. Chill until required. 

Curried Rice Salad

Rice salad is a classic dish come summer and BBQ season, and over the years I've tried many different varieties. All of which are delicious. Often they are dressed with soy sauce, and contain nuts and dried fruit. Personally (unless it's baking), I'm not a fan of dried fruit. More so, with gluten and nut allergies, which can be present when it's a 'bring a plate' scenario, soy sauce and nuts are not always suitable. 

This rice salad is gluten free and nut free, and is a twist on another favourite dish of mine: Kedgeree. Kedgeree is a warm, lightly curried, rice dish; containing peas, smoked fish and hard boiled (or poached) eggs. Originating in India, mixed with lentils, it is known as Khichri, however the popular version is more British and often found on cafe menus. 

My version is a take on the British version and can be served immediately and warm, or set aside to chill and served later. The subtle spice means it's great served alongside BBQ'd meats, fish, or even eggs. 

Ingredients: (Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side): 

• 2 cups of brown basmati rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp curry powder - depending how mild or hot you like it
• 2 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup sliced spinach or silverbeet leaves - optional, but if you have them in the garden it's always a nice addition
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 1 cup steamed peas or sliced beans - 3 or 4 minutes steamed or boiled, then refreshed under cold water
• 1 juicy lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt to taste

In a large saucepan place rice, water, salt, butter (or olive oil) and curry powder. Mix to combine and bring to the boil. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and place the lid on the pot. Simmer according to the packet directions (usually 22-25 minutes). Keep the lid on during this time and don't be tempted to stir. 

After the time, test the rice, and if cooked, drain any excess liquid, then pop the lid back on and leave to steam for 5 - 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile prepare the vegetables. Place the sliced spring onion, chopped parsley, sliced spinach or silverbeet, diced tomato and capsicum into a large salad bowl with the steamed peas or beans. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon and olive oil. Mix well to combine.

Stir the warm rice through the vegetable mix and chill if not serving immediately. 

Curried Rice Salad served with BBQ Snapper

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I think spaghetti and meatballs is, or should be, a family favourite in every household. It's basic, rustic, but a step up from plain Spaghetti Bolognese. Rather than frying off my meatballs first I like to cook them directly in the sauce. This lends a delicious richness to the sauce and the fat from the mince helps to make it thicker and tastier. Not to mention it's much easier to let them gently simmer away than deal with frying and turning them in a hot pan.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6): 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 onions, finely diced
• 3 - 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil 
• 1/2 cup of your favourite red wine (optional) 
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt, to taste

For the Meatballs

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp cracked peppercorns
• 1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of parmesan, finely grated
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs 
• 500 grams lean beef mince 
• 1 egg

• 400 grams of fresh pasta, or 400 grams of dried spaghetti* 
• shaved parmesan and chopped parsley to serve

Over a medium low temperature, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan that has a lid. Add the onions, and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes till softened. Add the carrots, garlic, oregano and basil. Cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes. 

Pour in the red wine, if using, increase heat and cook until the wine has nearly evaporated before adding the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer, leaving for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt. 

In a large bowl combine the second measure of diced onion, oregano, cracked pepper, parsley, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Add the mince, and egg and mix well. Often using clean hands is easier than mixing with a spoon. 

Once well combined, separate mince mixture into four equal sized portions, then break each portion into four smaller portions. Finally half each of those, so that ultimately you end up with 32 equal sized balls. As I make each ball I place it into the sauce. Place the lid on the saucepan and simmer on the lowest heat, for about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Place pasta in the pot and cook, uncovered according to packet directions. Once cooked, drain well and toss through some quality extra virgin olive oil - this adds flavour, and stops the pasta from sticking together. 

After 5 or so minutes of the meatballs simmering, use a spatula or tongs to gently turn the meatballs over in the sauce, and make sure that there is nothing sticking to the bottom. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes, select a meatball and test that it is cooked through, if so serve on top of freshly cooked pasta. Top with freshly shaved parmesan and chopped parsley. 

* When I have the time I like to make fresh fettuccine to go with our meatballs. The taste difference really is spectacular. I was lucky enough to go to Italian cooking classes about 7 years ago, and ever since, my home made pasta is fail proof. The mix per person is 1 egg to every 100 grams of flour. Simply mix (using hands) to form a smooth dough, then wrap in cling film and set aside on the bench for 30 minutes. After resting, roll the dough (using a pasta roller is best) to the desired thickness. Leave to dry for 10 - 20 minutes. A clothes horse can be useful for this if you are making a lot. Finally either hand cut into fettuccine or run back through the pasta roller with the cutter attachment on the desired size.