Lasagna
Added to the blog today.
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2007/03/lasagne.html

Don't let the name scare you off. The blood glucose effect
depends on serve size. Eat a little less, add some salad.

Originally on the back of a "Zafarelli" pack, modified
somewhat. You'll need a lightly oiled lasagna baking dish,
approximately 325x225x50 mm or 13" x 9" x 2".

Ingredients

Basic:
250 gm ( ½ lb) of lasagna sheets. Most no longer need
pre-cooking, but check the label just in case.
250 to 300 gms ( ½ to ¾ lb) grated mozzarella cheese.
Grated parmesan cheese.

Meat Sauce:
2 to 3 tablespoons Olive oil
2 chopped medium onions
125 gm ( ¼ lb) roughly chopped bacon or ham
250 to 300 gms ( ½ to ¾ lb) of minced (ground) beef
1 ½ cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 x 400 gm (14 oz) undrained cans of chopped peeled
tomatoes, or equivalent in ripe fresh tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
salt, pepper to taste
1 teaspoon chopped dried basil, 1 teaspoon oregano or
chopped fresh equivalent to taste.

Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons plain flour
600 mls (1 pint) milk
½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg
salt, pepper to taste

Method, including meat fat reduction

In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion and bacon in a
little olive oil until onion is translucent and most of the
fat has rendered out of the bacon. Add the minced beef and
stir over moderate heat until the meat has browned and
separated. Add the water and simmer for ten minutes. Reserve
the liquid by pouring through a strainer. Put the meat
aside, and store the liquid in the fridge to let the fat
rise to the top. Add an ice cube or two if you want to speed
the process up. Use a "fat/oil separator" if you have one.

Gently fry the garlic in a little oil over moderate heat,
stirring until just browned. Add the chopped tomatoes with
their juice and bring to a slow simmer. Then add herbs and
seasoning. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add just a little water if it starts to get
too thick.

Skim the fat from the reserved liquid and combine the liquid
with the tomatoes and the reserved meat. Add the tomato
paste and simmer for another thirty minutes, stirring
occasionally.

While it's simmering, prepare the Bechamel sauce. Stir the
flour and oil together over low heat. Increase the heat
slightly, and continue stirring while gradually adding milk.
Add the nutmeg and seasoning, continuing to stir until the
sauce is smooth and thick.

Assembly

Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the base of the
lasagna dish and cover with one layer of lasagna. Then
spread about 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce, followed by
1/3 of the bechamel sauce, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat
the lasagna/meat/bechamel/cheese process until you have
three layers. And remember it doesn't have to be perfect.
Liberally sprinkle the final cheese layer with grated
parmesan.

Bake in a moderate (180 C, 360 F) oven for about 40 minutes
or until cooked when tested with a skewer. If the top browns
too quickly, loosely cover with aluminium foil. Let stand
for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. I cut it into 12 serves;
non dieters/diabetics usually make it 6 or 8.
Serve it with a side green salad. I freeze individual serves
in plastic containers for later use. When re-heating, add a
little water or chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some fresh
cheese on the top.

Calories per serve: 350
Protein..............15gms
Total fat............21gms
Carbs................25gms (more than I thought when I
worked it out - it's the milk and tomatos)
Fibre.................1gm

Bon Appetit

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
d&e, metformin 1000mg, ezetrol 10mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
--
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