Vegies for dinner

Vegetable Lasagna

from Healthy Eating for Kids by Anita Bean ©2004

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red capsicum (red bell pepper), chopped

60g mushrooms, chopped

1 zucchini (courgette), chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil I had fresh basil so used that

salt and pepper

1 tin (400g) red kidney beans

400g passata (smooth sieved tomatoes)

85g mature cheddar, grated

9 sheets instant lasagna I used fresh lasagna sheets

Pre-heat oven to 180˚C.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion for 3-4 minutes. Add other vegetables and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Add basil, salt, pepper, kidney beans and passata. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Lay a layer of lasagna sheets at the bottom of an oiled baking dish. Cover with one third of the bean mixture. Continue layering finishing with bean mixture.

Sprinkle over with cheddar and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Serves 4

I fully admit that the photo of today's dish is shockingly bad! I acutally fogot to take photos until I had served dinner and none of the plates looked 'pretty' enough to photograph so I resorted to taking a photo of what was left in the baking dish.

I found this recipe in a cookbook I recently borrowed from the library. While I wasn't particulary impressed with the cookbook I did grab a couple of recipes to try. I'm sure that Italian traditionalists would be horrified by this particular recipe but it was easy to make, reasonably quick and quite tasty.

I made two of these last night. Hubby's work colleague has a wife in the early stages of pregnancy and suffering badly from all-day morning sickness. Having been there myself I have much sympathy for what they are going through. They already have two kids, aged 5 and 2, and poor H is sick all day and all night. B is doing the best he can juggling everything but the emergency troops (his mum, from the US, for a few weeks and then her mum, from 10 hours north of here, for as much longer as is needed) don't arrive until next week. I offered to cook them a few meals but have to admit that them being vegetarian did kind of stump me. I do know (and make) some lovely vegetarian dishes but they tend to be "make and serve" kind of dishes rather than make and deliver for reheating some time later. Then I remembered this one. I was a bit apprehensive because I hadn't made it before but figured it sounded okay and I'd just see how it looked/smelt while I was making it. Anyway, B was so pleased when I dropped it off and then rang after dinner to thank me for it and let me know how much they had all enjoyed it. His kids ate it with no complaints and H even managed a small serving and said to tell me how nice it was. Next week I'm planning to make a vegetable quiche for them (and for us too!).