RECIPE: Lazy Aubergine Lasagne | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.25 per person.
What are the benefits? This lazy aubergine lasagne recipe is at least two of your five a day, a lighter low carb option, and is much lower in fat than regular lasagne.


I love cooking – but I’m definitely a lazy cook. If you can sling it in the oven, leave something simmering or chuck everything in the slow cooker, that definitely ticks boxes for me ✅

We’re under so much pressure these days with – well, just about everything! With so much spotlight on things like healthy lifestyles, diet culture and obesity, there’s a lot of pressure on us to make sure we’re filling our bodies with the “right” things (although how anyone outside of a medical profession supposedly knows what’s “right” for my own body is beyond me..).

We want our food to help fuel long, healthy, vibrant lives, but we also need to fit this around the chaos of work, family, studying, commuting, socialising and just about everything else in between! It’s hard work, yet we still often feel bad for choosing the easy option.

I think this aubergine lasagne is a fabulous compromise for those of us who can’t be bothered – or literally don’t have time! – to stand over the stove for hours but also don’t want to eat freezer food and takeaways every night 🥡

I call this aubergine lasagne “lazy” for a few reasons: the filling is a quick mince and tomato sauce instead of a slow-cooked ragu; we’ve got sprinklings of gooey grated cheese instead of whipping up a bechamel sauce; and the whole dish is topped with seasoned creme fraiche straight from the carton. It’s still a totally scrumptious home-cooked meal with plenty of nutritional value – but none of the faff.


INGREDIENTS
1 Aubergine, Sliced
1 Large Onion, Chopped
500g Mince (or meat-free alternative)
400ml Carton of Passata
1 tsp Tomato Purée
200g Grated Cheese (low fat if possible)
200g Creme Fraiche (low fat if possible)

SEASONING
There’s nothing too outrageous here, it’s all pretty standard stuff; the key with this recipe is how much seasoning. And the answer is: a lot! With the aubergine slices, sprinkle a little salt and pepper before baking in the oven. Then, when it comes to the mince filling, chuck in loads of garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper – honestly, don’t hold back! And, finally, when you top everything with creme fraiche, make sure that layer is covered with plenty of cracked black pepper.


HOW TO MAKE LAZY AUBERGINE LASAGNE

1. Slice the aubergine length-ways in slices approx. half a centimetre thick and bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes on 200°C with seasoning and a small dash of oil or cooking spray.

2. While the aubergine is cooking in the oven, brown the mince in a pan with diced onion and garlic until this has softened. Turn down the heat, add the passata and season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.

3. Once both the filling and aubergine has cooked, remove from the oven and grab a large ovenproof dish. Start to layer up – one layer of filling, sprinkle of cheese, layer of aubergine, repeat.

4. Top the final layer with creme fraiche, plenty of cheese and a generous dose of cracked black peper.

5. Pop this back in the oven to bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!


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RECIPE: Low Fat Roasted Vegetable Lasagne with Home Made Chips | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 4
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.50 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe is totally vegetarian-friendly, provides at least two – if not three! – of your five a day and is low fat.


I remember the first time I ever made lasagne at home and you know what I thought? “I am never doing this again!” There were so many components that seemed like very hard work for something I could nuke for two minutes in the microwave 🤷‍♀️

Credit where it’s due, this recipe on BBC Good Food inspired me to reconsider this classic pasta dish. No meat ragù, no béchamel sauce, just sieved tomatoes, a dollop of crème fraîche and a handful of cheese. So it got me thinking, if I made this at home myself, how would I do it..?

This is my take on a low fat roasted vegetable lasagne with the addition of a few home-cooked chips, because I love dipping chips in my lasagne! This recipe easily packs in your five a day, not to mention being much lower in fat than the traditional version. There are so many health benefits here – potassium from tomatoes and potatoes, Vitamin C from onions and peppers, protein from mushrooms, antioxidants from courgettes and aubergines, fibre from sweetcorn and carrots… the nutrition is endless!

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INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Onions, Quartered
2 Bell Peppers, Sliced
1 Aubergine, Chopped
1 Courgette, Chopped
1 Medium Carrot, Chopped
4 Mushrooms, Chopped
4 Medium Tomatoes, Quartered
4 Medium Baking Potatoes, Sliced Into Chips
1/2 Cup of Frozen Sweetcorn
1 Carton of Passata
4 – 6 Fresh Lasagne Sheets
300ml Low Fat Crème Fraîche
1 Cup of Low Fat Cheese, Grated

SEASONING
When the veggies go into the roasting tin, add some dried garlic flakes and dried thyme as well as the usual salt and pepper to get the most out of them. Do the same with the chips, swapping out the thyme for dried rosemary if possible. When it comes to the passata sauce, we want to make this simple ingredient taste as rich as possible, so stir in a good helping of dried garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper to give it flavour. With the top layer of crème fraîche, add a pinch of salt and pepper to increase its savoury taste.


So, this is how I did it…
(Serves 4)

1. Throw the onion, aubergine and carrot into a roasting tin, coat with cooking spray or a drop of oil along with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Roast on 200°C for around 45 minutes, adding the pepper, tomatoes and courgette to the tin after about 20 minutes.

2. Pour the passata into a bowl with garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well so the sauce has plenty of flavour.

3. Meanwhile, spread the sliced potato chips out on a baking tray with cooking spray or oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary (or thyme) and cook for 50 minutes, turning halfway through.

4. Once all the veggies are cooked, begin layering the lasagne. In an ovenproof dish, start with one layer of roasted vegetables, as well as the uncooked mushroom and sweetcorn. Spoon over a layer of the passata, sprinkle over a small amount of grated cheese and top with a lasagne sheet. Repeat until the dish is full.
For the final sheet of lasagne, spread a layer of the crème fraîche on top, add a pinch of salt and pepper and top with a generous helping of cheese.

5. Pop the dish back into the oven for around 20 – 25 minutes until cooked through – make sure the cheese doesn’t catch on top!

6. Serve the lasagne with homemade oven-cooked chips for dippin’!

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