SKINNY LASAGNA

There is this cooking show here called "Cook Yourself Thin" and they have the most delicious recipes for at least half the calories if not MORE! This one is one of my absolute FAVS! I didnt use the redwine I found that the juice in the tomato can was plenty and I also used turkey mince which is even lower in fat! Check out the website for more recipes!

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/C/cook-yourself-thin/recipes.html

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

400g lean beef mince (must be the best quality, or you could try and get a butcher to mince it for you)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

315ml red wine

400g tin plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 zuccinis, thinly sliced lengthways

4 sheets of lasagne

For the cheese sauce

500ml semi-skimmed milk

A good grating of whole nutmeg

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons cornflour

1 teaspoon English mustard

80g mature cheddar cheese

Heat up a big saucepan and add the olive oil. Sweat the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for around five minutes over a medium heat.

Heat a frying pan up until very hot and cook the seasoned beef, without any oil, in batches. Then add the beef to the saucepan.

The point of cooking the beef in batches is to get a good colour on it because this adds more flavour.

When all the beef is in the saucepan, turn up the heat and add the wine.

Cook until the wine has all been absorbed and then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, bay leaf and oregano.

Season and simmer for 30 minutes or until rich and tasty.

Preheat a conventional oven to 180ºC, or a fan-assisted one to 160ºC.

Heat a griddle pan. Season the zuccinis and lightly chargrill or sear on each side, then leave on a plate until assembling time.

Now make the cheese sauce.

Heat the milk up gently with a good grating of nutmeg, some salt and pepper. Mix the cornflour with 50ml of the milk and whisk back into the milk, continuing to cook for two to three minutes until thickened.

Add the mustard and half the cheese. Check the seasoning and set aside.

Now for the fun part.

Take a baking dish and start layering up the ingredients. Start with a layer of meat, then meat, then zuccinis, then meat, then pasta and finally cheese sauce.

Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbling.