Are you in a food coma after Christmas? Sick and tired of cooking? We’ve got you covered with some healthy and easy post-Christmas meals.
Chicken, Kale and Ricotta Lasagne
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This tomato-less lasagne is a bit of a change from the usual and absolutely delicious. With all the goodness of milk, cheese, plenty of veg and protein, it also stacks up in the nutrition stakes.
Ingredients:
1 red onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g chicken mince
200g mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup chicken stock
8 (375g) fresh lasagne sheets
1 cup grated mozzarella
Kale and ricotta layer:
1 bunch kale, finely sliced
500g tub ricotta
zest of 1 lemon
Béchamel sauce:
50g butter
¼ cup plain flour
2½ cups milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add chicken and cook, stirring, to break up into pieces until cooked. Add mushrooms and cook until softened. Add stock and season to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, blanch chopped kale in boiling water for 1 minute, refresh in cold water and drain well. Mix together with ricotta, lemon zest and season to taste.
To make béchamel sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until flour has cooked slightly. Remove pan from heat.
Gradually whisk in the milk. Whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Return pan to heat and stir for 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat and season to taste. Set aside.
In a 35cm x 21cm deep baking dish, layer alternating sheets of lasagne with chicken mince and kale ricotta mixture, finishing with a top layer of pasta. Spread béchamel over to cover and sprinkle with mozzarella.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Tip: Try using spreadable ricotta from a tub for this recipe, as it is creamier and softer in consistency, which is ideal for this lasagne. If using a wedge of ricotta, mash with a fork and mix with a little milk to form a soft spreadable consistency.
Red Capsicum, Ham and Cheddar Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red capsicum, diced
150g shaved ham
5 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup milk
1⅓ cups (160g) grated cheddar cheese
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Arrange the sweet potato over the base and sides of a 27cm microwave-safe shallow quiche or pie dish in an overlapping pattern ensuring you leave no empty spaces. (Don’t use a loose bottomed tin as the filling will seep out.)
Cover with cling wrap or a plate and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until slightly tender. Allow to cool slightly before carefully removing from the microwave.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add red capsicum and cook for a further 3-5 minutes or until softened.
Place ham evenly over sweet potato base and top evenly with the onion and capsicum mixture.
Whisk the eggs, milk and cheddar until combined, season to taste and pour over ham and vegetable mixture.
Cover the dish with foil and bake at 180℃ for 20 minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 10 minutes or until sweet potato is cooked through and filling has just set.
Tip: If you cut the sweet potato slices a little too thick, don’t worry — just make sure you microwave the sweet potato for a little longer and add a dash of water to help steam them through.
Photos and recipes: https://www.dairy.com.au/