Fao Vodka

[friedgreentomato]

You about Sweetie?

I need your help with a Lasagne recipe!!

[vodkancoke]

Sorry FGT I have just logged on. What's up? xx

[friedgreentomato]

Hi babes - my lasagne is very bland - I have done a low cal lasagne - so the white sauce is not a trad white sauce.

But the ragu sauce seem bland - I have added mixed herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, worcester sauce, toms obviously and passata - oh and of course celery, onions mushrooms etc

But its just bland

[mrs_overall]

What about more Worcester sauce, seasoning and a veggie Oxo cube?

[friedgreentomato]

Done that - did beef stock

[NoMercy]

Red pesto makes a flavoursome addition.

Red wine, bay leaves, cinnamon and mace are good too.

[humbersloop]

slug of red wine and a couple of bay leaves?

[vodkancoke]

Ok, my ragu (or Nonna's!)is this:
Italian pork sausage meat, onions, garlic, peeled plum tomatoes, passatta and fresh basil. The sausage meat tends to have fennel seeds, oregano, salt and pepper already in it so it is full of flavour.
That doesn't help you now though!

Have you cooked it for an hour plus? Mine is on the gas for 2 hours at a slow simmer with a lid on. Try adding a pinch of sugar (sometimes it's the tomatoes that make it bland. It depends on the batch)

[vodkancoke]

Red wine certainly helps too. x

[mrs_overall]

Hmmm, I can't suggest anything else apart from a slug of sherry

Sorry for butting in

[friedgreentomato]

sorry bay leaves already added and red wine and pesto are too many calories.

[friedgreentomato]

Cheers vodka, it was cooking for 4 hours yesterday - I have just had some and it doesn't seem as bad today.

Because I made it 'syn' free I had to change the white sauce and cut out the cheese maybe that is it - the white sauce is now creme fraiche, quark and eggs!!

[vodkancoke]

Have you put any meat in it? If you have any chicken thighs kicking around or good stewing steak, brown them off and add your ragu and allow to cook for ages. You can remove the meat once cooked if you feel it's too many calories and freeze.

[vodkancoke]

FGT I make low-cal bechamel too using skimmed milk, flour and lurpack lighter. I have never tried it with creme fraiche, I will give it a go though!

[humbersloop]

it's probably not helpful fgt, but imo, chucking that sauce away sounds more appealing than eating it

[friedgreentomato]

you mix the quark, creme fraiche and 2 eggs together and spread just as you would with bechemal, perhaps next time I will add nutmeg to the white sauce and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks all for your help