Pumpkin & Bacon Lasagne

Here's another nostalgic recipe from the other side of the family. It's loosely based on one of my husband's family favourites. His mum had created the recipe, but it was just something she kept in her head, not a written thing. I got the gist of it, added a few of my own bits and bobs, and have written up the recipe for sharing.
At first I was highly skeptical about how the pumpkin and tomato would mesh, but this wonderful marriage of flavours has to be tasted to be believed-it's honestly even better than a meat lasagne-and I have a wonderful recipe for that too! The bacon pieces scattered through the golden cheesy white sauce that tops this great family meal really makes it sing.  You could easily leave out the bacon for a vegetarian meal if you so desired.

PUMPKIN & BACON LASAGNE

800g-1kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1/2 cup sour cream or cream
3x chicken stock cubes
1/2 cup hot water
700g jar tomato passata
400g can diced tomato
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp mixed herbs
1-2 boxes dried lasagne sheets
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain flour
1 cup cheese, grated
2 cups milk
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
80g diced bacon


Place diced pumpkin in a saucepan with water covering the top. Cook until soft. Strain the water and place the pumpkin in a blender with the sour cream, chicken stock and water. Puree until smooth.
In a saucepan heat up the passata, diced tomatoes, garlic and herbs until warm.
Heat the oven to 180C.
Place a layer of the pasta sheets on the bottom on the 9x13 inch lasagne dish. Top with a layer of the tomato mixture. Place another layer of the pasta sheets over the tomato mixture. Spread a layer of the pumpkin puree over these pasta sheets. Repeat, alternating the tomato mixture with the pumpkin puree between the layers of pasta until exhausted (the ingredients, not you!)
The last layer should end with pasta sheets.
To make the white sauce which covers these pasta sheets, place the butter and flour in a saucepan on low heat. When the butter melts, quickly whisk the butter into the flour while pouring in a little of the milk at a time, to make a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk and heat through. Add the grated cheese and stir through, and continue stirring until it has melted, and the white sauce is thick.
Pour this white sauce over the final pasta layer. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cooked bacon pieces.
Cook in preheated oven for approximatey one hour, or until the top layer forms a golden cheesy crust.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

 

Golden Roast Potato Salad

It's got a bit of crunch. It's got a fresh tangy bite. It's mellow at the same time and looks divine...and tastes even better. All golden and roasted.
Why not jazz up the potato salad this Christmas? The pasty, soggy potato salad is a thing of the past, or could be, if you take a chance and try this combo.
It recently hit me that I had never seen a roasted potato salad, and wondered why on earth it had never come into my little mind until then. So I set about making it, with huge success. Yes, it takes a little more time than the slushy potato salad you see in the supermarkets and on dinner tables as a standard, but its so worth it. You will never want to look at another potato salad again!

GOLDEN ROASTED POTATO SALAD

5 large potatoes, diced
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1 stick of celery, sliced thinly
3 rashers bacon, fried till crispy
fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped roughly

Peel and chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Place potato in a large saucepan and cover with water; boil for a little while until beginning to soften (but not too soft or it will just fall to bits). Remove from heat and drain.
Coat potato with a little oil and pop in the oven on a roasting tray, turning occasionally until roasted as desired. Cool. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and add potato.
Toss gently to combine. Serve.

Quick, Tasty Tomato Soup

You probably know as well as I do that I'm mainly a sweets blogger. Savory is good too, and especially in Winter, but I find its often harder to get inspired when it comes to savories. But--I get the craving for those hearty soups and breads and such, when its chilly like this.
I cant help but share the recipes, and I know there are lots of mums and busy people out there that are ever looking for quick successful recipes for their beloveds. So occasionally you will stumble upon a few goodies you can use on a day to day basis like this one. Yes, ones that actually wont make your thighs expand!
When I think of dinner, I think economical, satisfying and quick. Of course it has to be appetizing, but those three things don't have to mean boring. I recently wrote a piece for another blog group about saving money on your grocery bills, as my friend and I used to spend $30 a week on our groceries, and I know some people would be interested in knowing how they can do the same. Mortgages, bills, fees, who doesn't have them these days? Anyway, its all about getting creative and thinking your meals through! I will post the guest entry when it is published for those who are interested. Meanwhile, here's a nice budget meal that's a belly warmer on nights like these. I paired it with some Mediterranean bread knots (featured in the last blog entry) and its was lovely!

QUICK, TASTY TOMATO SOUP

1 medium onion, finely chopped
800g diced tomatoes
1 litre chicken stock
cornflour to thicken
pinch of basil
salt to taste

Soften the onion in a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and reduce heat. Meanwhile place tomatoes in a food processes and blend until soup-like in consistency. Add the stock and onion mix and blend again until well combine. Return the soup to the saucepan, add basil. Season with salt as desired. To thicken the soup, add a few tablespoons of cornflour to some of the soup in a small bowl and stir until there is a smooth paste. Add to the soup and return to heat and stir.
Serve with a swirl of cream and some fresh basil or parsley if desired. Serves 4.

NOTES: You can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned if preferred. Heat with the onion until they break down and then place in the blender--heat the stock on its own. Some of the tinned tomato varieties has added herbs and garlic--this is also a nice addition to the flavour of your soup. You can add these ingredients on your own as desired if your canned tomatoes lack them.