Browsing through Food TV recently I came across Mary Berry walking through a garden full of silverbeet. The owner talked of how she uses the silverbeet stems to replace the pasta sheets in lasagne and I was on it in a flash. This is a great idea that helps up the vege intake without taking anything away from the look and feel of a traditional lasagne. See Celia Hay's bechamel sauce recipe here.
Ingredients
| 1 | Onion, finely chopped |
| 1 stalk | Celery, finely chopped |
| 2 Tbsp | Olive oil |
| 2 cloves | Garlic, crushed |
| 500 g | Lamb mince (Main) |
| 1 Tbsp | Chopped oregano leaves, heaped |
| ¼ tsp | Allspice |
| 1 cup | Chicken stock, alternatively use vegetable or beef |
| 8 | Silverbeet leaves, including stems (Main) |
| 1 cup | Grated cheese, I used a mix of parmesan and mozzarella |
| 4 cups | Bechamel sauce, see link above to Celia Hay's recipe (Main) |
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Directions
- Gently fry the onion and celery in oil over a low heat until soft.
- Turn up the heat, add the garlic and mince and stir-fry 2-3 minutes to brown mince.
- Add the oregano, allspice and stock, bring to the boil then turn down heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes until stock has reduced.
- Remove the silverbeet leaves from the stems, breaking the leaves into pieces and chopping the stems into 3cm long pieces. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the stems, cooking for 1 minute, then the leaves for 30 seconds. Drain and cool in iced water then drain again.
- Add a layer of mince to an oven dish (approx. 20 x 20cm), top with a layer of silverbeet stems and leaves, then a layer of sauce and a layer of cheese. Repeat layers, finishing with a layer of cheese. Lasagne can be prepared in advance up to this point.
- Bake in a 180C oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
