Ecoelle's MFW Diary

gallygirl

ecoelle wrote: »

So, 6 portions of Tuscan Bean soup done and just cooling, also did a vegetable lasagne so that's cooling too, ready for the white sauce on the top, think we'll have that for tea tonight, we'll only eat half of it so the other 2 portions will go in the freezer. Onto defrosting said freezer, it's almost empty hence the big cook off, so think i'll defrost while i'm waiting for the things i've made to cool.

Em, excuse me........ there seems to be a veg lasagne recipe missing . I intend using your thread as a recipe book .

ecoelle

Hiya gallygirl, when i have hoovered upstairs i shall return and provide the veg lasagne recipe:) Although it is very adaptable to what you have in the fridge at any one time, i often make one at the end of the week and it ends up with bits of everything in it:)

cod3

That bean soup look lovely. Will definitely give it a try. I am having a lazy day. Have taken a portion of ratatouille out of the freezer and plan to top it with mash and cheese. Voila! "cheesy-mash-veg pie" for want of a better name

ecoelle

Vegetable Lasagne
Serves 4
Total Cost £2.18
Per portion cost 55p

1 pack dried lasagne sheets 39p
1 large onion 12p
2 cloves garlic 6p
3/4 carton of passata (see what i did there? Nigel would be proud) 30p
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 25p
1/3 red pepper 11p
1/3 green pepper 11p
1/3 yellow pepper 11p
5/6 mushrooms (if you like them) 20p
3 sticks celery 25p
1tsp vegetable oil 2p

25g margerine 5p
25g flour 1p
1pint semi skimmed milk 25p

Chop the onion and garlic and fry in a little oil in a large pan, while it is softening a little, chop the celery up quite fine, then add the celery too and stir to coat in oil. Put the lid on so it all sweats a bit.

Once it is nice and soft add the passata and chopped tomatoes and simmer while you slice the mushrooms and chop the peppers.

Once the mushroom and peppers are ready add them to the pan and turn right down while you stir it all together. Then turn it off.

Get you serving dish and put 1/3 of your tomato mixture in the base of the dish, then place lasagne sheets on top, i don't soften them first, but you can if you like, also you could use fresh lasagne if you want but i have quoted the price for dried. Once you have covered your tomato mixture in a layer of lasagne add another 1/3 of the tomato mixture on top and then lasagne sheets again, then the final 1/3 of tomato mixture.

Make up a white sauce by melting the margerine in a small pan, then adding the flour and mixing well to make a sort of wet dough, let it cook just for a minute or so to get rid of the 'floury' taste.

Turn the heat to mild and then add 1/6 pint of milk making sure you stir it well, as it warm through while you stir it will thicken up, once all the milk is combined and you have a smooth thickened sauce add the next 1/6 pint of milk and keep stirring.

You keep doing this until you have a smooth glossy sauce, about a pint is enough for 4 people, but if you like more then just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Once the sauce is ready lay you final layer of lasagne sheets onto the top of your last tomato layer and then pour the white sauce over the top so it covers the lasagne layer.

(The reason i do it this way is that if you put the final layer of lasagne sheets on, then go and make your sauce, by the time you come back the lasagne sheets on top of the dish will have started to go all curly round the edges and the top of your lasagne will not be level.)

Bake the dish on high with foil over the top for about 30mins, then uncover the dish and pop back in the oven for another 8-10 mins until the top is brown.

(You can add cheese once you have removed the foil if you want, or even make a cheese sauce instead of white sauce, but i'm allergic to dairy so i just make a white sauce and sub unsweetened soya milk for cows milk.)

ecoelle

Hope that is to your liking gallygirl:)

I like the sound of 'cheesy-mash-veg pie'

I'm off to make my veggie pasties while little one is having her afternoon nap:)

ecoelle

Right, on with the veggie pasties.

Recipe to follow

ecoelle

Veggie Pasties
Total cost for 6 large pasties £3.06
Cost per pasty 51p

Shortcrust Pastry
500g Flour 50p
250g Margerine 50p
few tbsp tap water

Veggie filling
1 tsp oil 2p
1 Large onion 12p
6 small potatoes cubed into 1cm cubes 30p (i allow 50g per pasty)
3 large carrots chopped into small pieces 12p (i allow about 25g per pasty)
1 tin kidney beans 20p
small grating of nutmeg if you have it on the spice rack 2p
1/2 tsp of marmite (omit if you're a hater ) 4p
1/2 pack of veggie mince (quorn or similar) 99p
100 g lentils of your choice (brown/green work best) 20p
1 stock cube 5p
1 pint tap water

Warm the oil in a large pan, add the onion, carrot, potato and sweat with the lid on for about 5 mins.

Add the nutmeg, kidney beans, veggie mince, stock, water, marmite and lentils then simmer for 15 mins/until the potato is just cooked. Then take off the heat and allow to cool.

While the mixture is simmering make the pastry.

Put the flour in a large bowl and then cube the margarine into the flour, it should be straight from the fridge. Rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add a small amount of tap water, make sure it's as cold as possible, then mix into the breadcrumb mixture until it binds together into a ball of pastry.

Bag and chill.

Once the pastry and mixture are both cold you are ready to assemple.

Roll out the pastry to desired thickness, i usually do it until it is about 1/2 cm thick, then usig a side plate as a template cut round it to make a circle of pastry. Then put a mound of filling onto 1 half of the circle and fold the other half over to make a semi circle, pinch the edges together.

Do the same for the other 5.

Bake in a hot oven until crispy and golden, about 25-30 mins.

If you are making extra for the freezer, allow to cool before wrapping in tin foil and then freezing. This way you can bake reheat them in the foil when required.

nattypants

I have your recipes all collated called 'ecoelle's meals' although this is currently on my desk top so should really move it somewhere safe.

Thanks ecoelle:T

ecoelle

Ah, bless, it's like i'm famous NP

ecoelle

Woop Woop ebay winner actually paid! minus fees it's £13.54 to add to the OP pot:) Going to have a go at the make xx a day in November challenge, aiming for average of £3.33 per day:)