Food and Mood - Recipe 1, Butternut Squash Lasagne

Food supposedly affects mood a lot, so one of the things I am currently accessing is a short (too short!) 'Cook and Eat' course at my local community centre. It's not what I hoped for, mas we cook as a team rather than individually, but I am enjoying it.

We make 3 courses each week. I thought I might share some of the recipes here, as they are pretty easy to do, even for a cooking-idiot like me.

Butternut Squash Lasagne

Prep. time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded
I courgette, skinned and sliced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large tin of tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato puree
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
Ground black pepper to taste
6 lasagne sheets

Drizzle of oil for cooking squash
Small knob of butter or marg for cooking other veg


Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C
Place butternut squash pieces on a baking tray, drizzle lightly with oil and cook for 15 minutes.
Put onions and courgettes in a large pan with a small knob of marg or butter and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened
Add remaining ingredients to pan, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes
Remove squash from oven and add to pan. Cook for further 15 minutes

Whilst this is cooking make the cheese sauce.

(Keep the oven on meantime, you'll use it again soon)

Cheese Sauce
1/2 pint or 300ml milk
40g flour
25g butter or margarine
100g strong cheese grated

Method

Melt 25g marg or butter in a small pan.
Add flour, mixing well.
Remove pan from heat and add the milk a little at a time, stirring well so that it forms a smooth mix.
Return pan to heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring all the time.
Reduce heat and continue to cook until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and add cheese gradually - Keep a little cheese back for sprinkling on the top later.


To make up dish layer veg, then lasagne, repeat until all used, finishing with a lasagne layer.
Pour over cheese sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese
Cook in oven for 30 minutes.

Don't forget, you can freeze any left overs for use another time.