- 3 ½ cups (840ml) whole milk
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
- 1 thick slice of peeled onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 3 ½ TBS butter
- 3 ½ TBS flour
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- ½ tsp sat
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds in weight)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ TBS dried sage
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup (115g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (130g) grated gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup (135g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (120g) crumbled soft goat’s cheese
.jpeg "Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Lasagna")
Admittedly there are some who must have meat. If you have some of those in your house, you may want to try these delicious meaty lasagna's!
CHICKEN AND HAM LASAGNA - Not your traditional lasagna. Deliciously different and makes good use of leftover cooked chicken and ham. Combined with a rich cheesy sauce and spinach, this always goes down a real treat!
EASY HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL LASAGNA - A good homemade Lasagna recipe should be a part of of every home-cook's repertoire! Its something that is very easy to make, and which most people love to eat. Italian comfort food at its very best. Its one of those things that can very easily be made up ahead of time and it freezes like a dream. With tender pasta noodles, a deliciously meaty tomato sauce, a rich cheese filling and béchamel topping, this easy lasagna recipe has been a firm favorite in my home for many years.
Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (840ml) whole milk
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
- 1 thick slice of peeled onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh parsley
- 3 ½ TBS butter
- 3 ½ TBS flour
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
- ½ tsp sat
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds in weight)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 ½ TBS dried sage
- ½ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup (115g) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (130g) grated gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup (135g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (120g) crumbled soft goat’s cheese
- 1/2 pound fresh lasagna sheets
Instructions
- First make the béchamel sauce. Put the milk, garlic, slice of onion, bay leaf and parsley sprig into a saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Cover and remove from the heat. Set aside for ten minutes to infuse the milk with the flavors of the aromatics.
- Melt the butter for the béchamel in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for about one minute.
- Strain the milk and slowly whisk it into the saucepan until the mixture is smooth and beginning to thicken.
- Reduce to a very low temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes until the flour is well cooked and the sauce is nicely thickened, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with ½ tsp salt, some black pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. Set aside.
- Peel the butternut squash and dice it into ½ inch sized cubes.
- Chop two of the garlic cloves together with the parsley. Mix together with the sage.
- Heat 2 TBS of the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and chopped squash. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the temperature to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes or so, until the squash is fairly tender and beginning to caramelize in a few spots.
- Stir in the garlic herb mixture along with the chopped nuts. Cook for a few minutes longer and then remove to a bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Butter a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
- Spread ½ cup of the béchamel in the dish.
- Lay 1/3 of the noodles over top.
- Cover these with half of the squash mixture.
- Spoon over 1 cup more of the béchamel.
- Sprinkle half of the gruyere cheese and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and ½ of the goat’s cheese.
- Repeat layering one more time.
- Place the remaining noodles on top (Third layer.)
- Spread the remaining sauce over top and then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Spray a sheet of tinfoil with some non-stick cooking spray and loosely tent the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for about half an hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes longer until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares to serve.
.JPG)
.JPG "Yukky Cake")
I like to pride myself on being totally honest with you my readers. I hope that you appreciate that. I know that I always appreciate honesty. Especially in cooking. When I go to a recipe page, and decide to make one of their recipes I trust that what they are sharing works and tests out well.
I am a pretty competent baker. I started working as a pastry chef back when I was 19 years old. I worked at a very high class hotel here in the Valley. Then of course I really honed my skills baking for my family over the years and finally went to college in the year 2000.
I pretty much know what I am doing when it comes to cooking and baking. I only ever very seldom have a failure. In fact I would consider it very rare. Today I had a failure. A total flop.
I picked out a recipe on Flourist to bake. A White Chocolate Blueberry Cake. I had really high hopes. The photograph looked delicious.
I confess that I did get derailed after I had mixed all the dry ingredients together, but I hadn't yet mixed the wet. I set it all aside and went to clean the chapel, which I had totally forgotten about! Today was my teams turn.
I finished putting the cake together when I got home. There is no reason that my brief interlude at the chapel should have had any impact on the cake. The real chemistry had not begun when I left.
.JPG "Nasty Blueberry Cake")
I did everything right. What I ended up with was a rubbery, overly sweet loaf cake in which all of the blueberries (and I suspect the white chocolate chips) ended up at the bottom of the cake. It would be forgivable if the cake itself had any flavor or redeemable factors, but it simply does not.
This cake is headed for the bin. I hate it when that happens. When I waste really good and expensive ingredients on a cake that turns out bin-able. Sometimes when something like that happens you can blame it on the cook's error. I am afraid this is not the case today. And I don't say that to sound conceited.
The only thing I might have done differently in hindsight is to fold some of the flour into the berries. This might have prevented them from sinking. But it could not have redeemed this cake. Far too much sugar for one thing. Combined with the sweetness of white chocolate chips and that sickly glaze, this cake was a losing proposition. In fact it was a tragedy.
So, I have nothing new to share with you today. Instead I have decided to share with you some blueberry recipes that are delicious and that I can highly recommend! I hope you will forgive me.
Dutch Baby with Blueberries & Lime - I love Dutch baby pancakes. Light and puffy, golden brown. They make the perfect canvas for many fillings, both savory and sweet. This particular version is delicious with sweet/tart fresh berries, lime zested brown sugar, dollops of sour cream and freshly squeezed lime juice. Oh so tasty!
LEMON SANDWICHES WITH BLUEBERRIES & CREAM - This simple dessert is just the ticket to brighten anyone's day! Thick slices of a moist and delicious lemon cake are topped with a rich yogurt cream and a sweet fresh blueberry sauce. Its very similar to a strawberry shortcake in a way I suppose. Its every bit as delicious and such a simple and easy make.
COCONUT, LIME & BLUEBERRY SCONES - These puff up really nicely, and are stogged full of lovely coconut and lime flavors which go really well with the blueberries. Rich and flaky and perfectly delicious served with some lime or lemon curd!
BLUEBERRY BLISS DESSERT - A blueberry version of a traditional Eaton Mess, using blueberries, lemon curd yoghurt, whipped cream and meringues. Oh yes . . . some good! Quick, easy and incredibly delicious. Everything you would expect in a good dessert!
LEMON & BLUEBERRY TURNOVERS - What is a turnover but a little pie, and these ones are so easy to make! Lemon and Blueberries combined with flaky puff pastry and sweetly glazed. A combination made in heaven! These are fabulously tasty! Also a very easy make.
BLUEBERRY CRUNCH CAKE - This delicious cake has a wonderfully moist texture and is topped by a delicious crumble crunch. This is quite simply a fabulous cake. For breakfast, brunch or dessert. You choose! It goes perfectly for all three occasions!
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (120g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (150g) raisins (optional)
- 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
.JPG "Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies")
I am a dunker, are you? Whether it be in a glass of milk or a hot cup of herbal tea. I just love nothing more than a dunked cookie and the crisper the cookie the more I like to dunk it!
These are really, really, REALLY excellent oatmeal cookies. I think you best prepare yourself to fall in love!
Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (120g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (150g) raisins (optional)
- 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.
- Measure the oats into a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up. You want a coarse mixture, not powdery.
- Whisk the flour, spices, soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
- Using an electric whisk, cream butter and both sugars together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the vanilla. Beat in the egg until just combined.
- Stir in the oat-flour mixture, mixing just to combine
- Add the raisins, if using, again mixing just until combined.
- Drop TBS of dough onto baking sheets and flatten firmly with a fork. (Dip the fork into water if the dough is sticking. Leave space between for spreading, and for the air to circulate.)
- Bake until cookies are crisp and uniformly golden brown. (12-14 minutes.)
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets until set, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Social Icons