Traditional lasagne

Garfield's favourite food and one of my brother's as well I think: lasagne. Another traditional Italian recipe to master for my education in Italian cuisine. Cook 2 slices of smoked bacon and 250 g of lean beef mince for 10 minutes. Add 2 celery sticks finely chopped, 1/2 onion finely chopped, 8 button mushrooms finely chopped and 1 carrot finely chopped. Cook for 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of flour and 1 garlic clove finely chopped. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp of mixed herbs, 1 cup of beef stock and 3 tbsp of tomato puree. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 30g of butter in a small pan and stir in 3 tbsp of flour, 1 tsp of English mustard and a pinch of nutmeg until well blended. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually blend in 2 cups of milk until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Gradually stir in 30 grams of grated cheddar cheese and 30 grams of grated parmesan cheese until melted. Season to taste.

Spoon half the meat mixture into the base of an ovenproof dish. Top with a single layer of precooked lasagne sheets. Spread over half the white sauce, and scatter more parmesan and grated cheese. Repeat the layers finishing with the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven, at 200 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked the top is golden brown and bubbly.

M's verdict: 9/10
N's verdict: 9/10

Need to make sure the pasta sheets are properly cooked though.

Pasta with spicy red pepper and anchovy sauce

Another simple and quick recipe to prepare. First roast 2 red peppers under a grill, until the peppers are charred and soft. Remove the skins and chop finely. In a pan, fry 1/2 a finely chopped onion with olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, 4 anchovy fillets and 1 finely chopped chilli and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, a can of chopped tomatoes and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of fresh basil and serve with cooked pasta and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 7/10
N's verdict: 6/10

It's a bit plain but i guess that's what you get for a simple meal.

Chicken cacciatore

I have been experimenting with different recipes for Chicken and tomato casseroles, to find out which is the best and whether I can combine elements of it together to form what i consider the perfect chicken and tomato casserole. So far, I have chicken chasseur, chicken with olives, capers and tomatoes, chicken and porcini casserole, chicken with chorizo and now chicken cacciatore, the Italian version of this recipe. I think the conclusion so far is that the chicken and porcini casserole is the best.

Anyway, for this recipe, first fry 125 g of diced bacon in olive oil for 2-3 minutes till they are golden brown and crispy. Reserve. Brown chicken pieces dredged in seasoned flour for around 15 minutes. Reserve. Stir 2 cloves of chopped garlic into the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Add 125 ml of red wine and cook. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 150 ml of chicken stock, 12 small oinions, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 tsp of dried oregano and stir well. Season to taste. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped and 225g of mushrooms. Simmer for 15-20 minutes till the chicken and vegetables are tender. Serve with pasta.

M's verdict: 6/10
N's verdict: 5/10

A very average chicken and tomato casserole.