Month: July 2005

• 30 g clarified butter
• 350 g skinned boneless chicken, cubed
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 200 g mushrooms, chopped (or whole button)
• 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
• 250 g ricotta cheese
• 200 g lasagne sheets, uncooked
• 100 g Mozzarella cheese, grated
• optional breadcrumbs

Heat the clarified butter, and fry the chicken and pepper over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Saute the garlic and onion in the remaining butter. Add the mushrooms and sage, and stir for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Add the wine and stock, simmer for about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix the cooked chicken with the ricotta cheese. Layer a casserole dish with alternating layers of chicken mixture and mushroom sauce, with lasagne sheets in-between, starting with chicken and ending with mushroom sauce. Top with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 200°C for about 30 minutes or until the lasagne sheets have cooked (test their tenderness with a fork), and the topping is golden brown.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 450 g lean minced (ground) beef
• 675 g fresh plum tomatoes, skinned (or two 400 ml tins)
• 4 tbsp tomato concentrate (paste)
• 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock or water
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• handful of chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and gently saute the garlic and onions. Add the beef mince, and fry until browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato concentrate, water and herbs, and simmer over low heat until the fluid has mostly reduced (about 30 minutes). Season to taste, add the vinegar and simmer for a further 5 minutes.