Veggie Loaded Lasagne

by Lou Robbie

Totally worth all the effort, this veggie packed lasagne is a meal in itself! I ordered a rescue box of veggies this week and was spoiled for choice. With a big head of cauliflower, peppers, aubergine, spring onions and Irish courgettes (and lots more) there was only one thing for it!

Add this to your meal plan. Feed a gang or portion and freeze for future dinners. **This can definitely be dairy free and vegan, just make a couple of swaps.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 6

  • For the roast veg: 
  • 1-2 courgette, sliced
  • 1-2 aubergine, sliced
  • 2-3 peppers, red & yellow, sliced
  • 20g baby spinach, washed
  • For the cauliflower bechamel sauce: 
  • 1 head cauliflower, small florets
  • 300ml milk (of choice)
  • A pinch nutmeg 
  • 80g ground almonds 
  • For the tomato sauce: 
  • 2 tins plum tomatoes (400g each)
  • 8 spring onions, 
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • a handful fresh basil leaves and stalks chopped
  • Oil to cook
  • Salt and pepper 
  • To construct:
  • 12 lasagne sheets (230g)
  • 70g grated cheese to sprinkle

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC.

For the veg: Slice the courgette, aubergine and peppers into flat strips. Put them on a baking tray and season with salt and pepper, drizzle oil all over and roast in the oven for 40 minutes until soft.

Step 2: For the cauliflower bechamel sauce: Put the cauliflower florets in a pot of boiling salty water and cook until soft. Transfer to a blender with the milk, nutmeg, ground almonds and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper..

Step 3: For the tomato sauce: In a wide pot add a tablespoon of oil, add the sliced spring onions and chopped garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the chopped basil stalks, give the sauce a quick blend with a hand blender. 

Step 4: Construct the lasagne: in a large baking tray spread a tin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom, top with pasta sheets, layer roast veggies, spinach, and then the white sauce. Repeat finishing with the white sauce and topping with the grated cheese. 

Step 5: Bake in the oven at 180ºC for 50 minutes. Allow to cook and set then slice and serve.

Air Fryer Honey Roast Carrots w/ Whipped Feta

by Lou Robbie

Carrots are super versatile, economical and tasty! Carrots as a kid were boiled and boring but roasted with a bit of sweetness and spice they make a delicious sharing dish. We are hitting all the flavour profiles with this plate, sweet carrot, salty feta, bitter toasted pumpkin seeds and sour notes from the lemon zest!!! Try it out and get your taste buds tingling.

Serve up as a tasty snack, have it with a green salad or with some toasted sourdough..yum.

Try it soon and let us know what you think.

Lou 🙂

P.S. If you don’t have an air fryer simply roast the carrots with oil, s & p, for 15 minutes @ 180ºC then add the honey and cumin and roast for another 5 minutes.

Ingredients: serves 4 as a side dish

  • 500g carrots (about 5 medium)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • pinch salt and pepper

For the whipped feta

  • 150g feta
  • 100g greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 lemon zest
  • pinch black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Plus 80g toasted pumpkin seeds

Method:

  1. Scrub and peel the carrots
  2. Chop into 4 long pieces and add them to a mixing bowl and toss in oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket. Place the carrots on the rack and air fry for 15 minutes at 180ºc, shake half way through.
  4. While the carrots cook, make the whipped feta, simply add all the ingredients to a mixer and blend until really smooth. I used my Ninja smoothie maker, any small powerful blender will work.
  5. Back the carrots after the 15 minutes are up, drizzle over the honey and sprinkle the cumin, give the carrots a shake and cook for a further 5 minutes at 200ºc.
  6. When the carrots are done, toasted the pumpkin seeds in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 200ºc.
  7. Pour the whipped feta into a bowl, pile the carrots on top and scatter the pumpkin seeds over both.

Potato Hash w/ Roast Romanesco & Crispy Fried Eggs (serves 4)

by Lou Robbie

A brunch dish bursting with goodness and flavour! Roasting veg is very satisfying. A potato hash with added veg made this way is very simple and uncomplicated, any left over veg can be use for dinner the next day #zerofoodwaste. Roasting veg brings out the natural flavour of the vegetable adding sweet and charred notes, made with gorgeous organic Irish grown veg…..well there is nothing better.

This dish was inspired by the Irish Farm Box. Its packed full of seasonal locally grown veg! You can make a version of this all through the seasons adding squash, broccoli, kale, courgettes, beets, carrots or parsnips too……just keep your hot sauce handy!

Lou 🙂

  1. Preheat your oven 180℃.
  2. Prepare 2 large roasting tins with parchment paper or silicone liners. 
  3. Wash the potatoes, give them a scrub until they are clean. 
  4. Chop into cubes roughly the same size, add to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and a good glug of oil, toss to coat. 
  5. Pour onto a large roasting tin and put into the oven to roast for about 1 hour, check and toss the cubes every 20 minutes. 
  6. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the veg, you can add the veg to the same mixing bowl. 
  7. Chop the romanesco into bite sized florets and chop the mushrooms into quarters. 
  8. Chop the onions into quarters but break up the layers, bash the garlic cloves with the back of a knife and add to the bowl. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and coat with a tablespoon or two of oil. Toss to coat and add to the second roasting tin. 
  9. Put it in the oven to roast for about 30 – 40 minutes. Check halfway and give it a toss. 
  10. Finley slice the scallions and keep in a serving bowl. 
  11. Wash the spinach and roughly chop. Keep in a container with damp kitchen paper on top until later. 
  12. The cubed potatoes are ready when they pierce easily with a sharp knife and they look golden brown. The veg will be soft and slightly charred in places. Squeeze out the garlic cloves and serve or discard if you find the flavour too strong, they will have done their job to flavour the veg. 
  13. Fry the eggs to your liking (2 per person) on a frying pan, cook on a medium to high heat for crispy fried eggs. 
  14. Reheat the potatoes on a frying pan along with the veg and at the last minute toss through the chopped spinach. (You could reheat in the oven also and stir through the spinach)
  15. To serve, add the potatoes and veg to a plate or wide bowl, top with 2 fried eggs, sprinkle on the chopped scallions and add your favourite hot sauce. 

This is a delicious dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner!