Rice with Broccoli in White Sauce

This vegetarian variation is here because a) we like it and b) it's easy to add meat to but works well without it.


What is it?  Its.. some lightly boiled veg added to a spiced cream sauce served over a bed of steaming Basmati rice!

Time to serve is around 25 minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 a head of broccoli small florets

2 carrots washed and roughly chopped
150g tin of corn kernels
onion
cream
milk
starch
salt and pepper

Depending on the rice you have: 

• 10 minute rice: put the water on to boil after the vegies are cooking
• 20 minute rice: start the water before you prep the vegies.  

Vegies
Boil the carrots and broccoli until cooked but not soft.

Sauce
Onion finely chopped + oil in pan
Add juice from corn kernels tin
Add the boiled vegies
1 tbs cream cheese if you have it on hand
1/2 tub of cream
milk 100mls or so

salt, pepper, garlic, cumin (powdered spices)

Add some excess water from boiling rice (starch helps thicken)

Add extra starch to thicken if necessary 
Add extra water for the required amount of sauce

Serve

Ladle sauce over a bed of steaming rice

Works well with chopped chicken.  Simply add after cooking onion.  Curry can be used instead of cumin for a twist.  Coconut milk and or pineapple can then be added.

Serves 2+

Lasagne with Spinach

This recipe is done on the fly with nothing pre-prepared; it's cooked as it's written!  The spinach is added for colour and visual excitement though, word is, the stuff is also good for you!  Here's our recipe which serves us with a little left over for lunch tomorrow.  Tasty, tidy, fast.  Enjoy.


Meat Sauce
300g mince -> brown in a non-stick pan, oil if u like
onion -> finely chopped, added to meat when almost cooked
3 cloves garlic -> crushed, chopped and added

When the onions are translucent and there are no more strong onion fumes add a good splash of red wine (5tbs).

Add

• 1/2 tsp ground lemon pepper
• 400g tin chilli kidney beans -> add the juice
• 400g tin peeled tomatoes -> remove any remaining skins

Flavour(s): dash of Basil, Tarragon, Dill, or whatever u please.  With a big bag of Cumin from Egypt on the shelf we've tended toward this bias of late.  A good teaspoon adds a real warmth to a mince meat sauce.

200g frozen spinach - 4 frozen cubes or so, pre-melted in the microwave for a minute or two.

Simmer and stir regularly.  The sauce should be runny with loads of water content for cooking the pasta.

White Sauce
Make a roux:
2 tbs butter, melted in a saucepan
2 heaped tbs flour  

Mix flour until all the butter whips into a paste.
There should be no unmixed flour in the saucepan.

Add 1/2 cup of milk or so
Heat mixture and *as it boils* remove from heat and stir to mix

Repeat the process until a light, runny and smooth roux results

Add a handful grated cheese
2 tbs cream cheese
1 tsp klare brühe / vegetable stock cube / salt to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper - more to taste


Stir until smooth.

Assembly
A lasagne is basically meat and cheese on a pasta sandwich!

Layering the Lasagne

In an earthenware dish start with a layer of meat sauce.

---Cover with a layer of pasta.
------Add a layer of meat sauce.
---------Cover with a layer of cheese sauce.

Repeat: Meat, Cheese, Pasta....  

....until it looks like this:

Ready to Cook

Top layer is always the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan or similar fine grated cheese.  Bake 1/2 hr or a little longer at 190C to cook the pasta.

Nicely Toasted 

If you can wait, let it stand 5 minutes after out of the oven to set.
  
Slice, serve, eat, enjoy!

Spicy Garlic Pasta

Serves 2


Ingredients
3/4's packet of spaghetti.
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/4 capsicum finely chopped
1/2 tub of cream (100ml)
1/2 cup of milk
3 tbs white wine
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp frozen parsley
1/2 tsp Jambo Africa Swahili Lemon Pepper
1/2 tsp Jambo Africa Zulu Fire Spice
olive oil

"Ready in about as long as it takes to cook the pasta!"

Method
In a non-stick frypan (aren't they wonderful) sauté the onion.  Add a good splash of olive oil for flavour.  When almost translucent add the garlic - crushed or fine chopped - plus the capsicum.  The onion should not be allowed to brown.  Add a good splash of white wine (three generous tablespoons if you must measure) and let it reduce, stirring through occasionally.  


Add the spiced pepper - whatever you have; the flavour of the month here is our new Jambo Africa pepper and spice grinders but there are loads of grab and shake, twist and grind herb and spice mixes out there.  Use what you have or grab a new one this week when you go shopping - they might cost a few bucks but they last for weeks or months; don't be stingy!  


As the wine is absorbed by the onion and the alcohol boils off add the cream and the parsley.  The sauce will thicken over the heat but don't let it boil too much.  Add milk to thin the sauce.  For better adhesion to the pasta you may like to mix a little milk with a heaped teaspoon of corn starch and cook it through.


Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the saucepan.  Pour the sauce from the frypan over the pasta and stir through.  


Serve in bowls topped with a grated hard cheese like Peccorino, Fallini or Parmesan.  


Enjoy!