Asparagus Broad Bean Lasagne Food

ASPARAGUS & BROAD BEAN LASAGNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the milk in a pan until just boiling, then tip in the beans (add a splash of water to cover if you need to). Cook for 3 mins to defrost, then add the garlic, basil, lemon zest, spring onions and bouillon, then blitz for a few mins with a hand blender until smooth.
• Spoon half the purée into a 20 x 26cm ovenproof dish. Top with 3 lasagne sheets, the remaining purée, and the peas, then the remaining lasagne sheets.
• Whisk the cottage cheese with the egg and a good grating of nutmeg. Pour over the lasagne, then press in the asparagus and scatter over the parmesan. Bake for 1 hr until golden and a knife easily slides through. Can be kept chilled for two days.

ASPARAGUS, BROAD BEAN & SMOKED SALMON PASTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a pan, then fry the spring onions for 1 minute, until softened. Add the wine and boil hard to reduce to about 2 tbsp. Stir in the crème fraîche, season well and add the nutmeg. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the dill, if using, and squeeze in a little lemon juice. Set aside.
• Blanch the shelled broad beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain into a sieve and hold under running cold water to cool. Drain again and peel off the outer hard skin - make a nick in the tops and pop the beans out.
• Trim the asparagus - if it's young, it won't need much cut off the stems. Cut into halves or thirds. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per pack instructions, adding the asparagus 3 minutes before the end of cooking time. Cook until "al dente".
• Drain well, reserving a little pasta water. Toss the hot pasta and asparagus with the drained broad beans, smoked salmon and sauce, loosening with a spoonful or two of pasta water, if necessary. The heat of the pasta should reheat the sauce and slightly cook the smoked salmon, but stir over a gentle heat to warm through if necessary. Serve immediately.

SUMMER VEG LASAGNE

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to full whack.
• Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
• Pour the oil from the anchovy tin into a large frying pan over a high heat, then add the spring onions and anchovies (save the rest for another day).
• Using a garlic crusher, crush the garlic straight into the pan and toss everything together well.
• Line up the asparagus, trim off the woody ends, then finely slice and add the stems to the pan, reserving the tips for later.
• Season with sea salt and black pepper, add 1 splash of boiling water and cook for a few minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Add the peas and broad beans to the pan, then pick, roughly chop and add the mint along with the cream. Finely grate in half the lemon zest.
• Roughly mash and squash everything in the pan using a fork or a potato masher, then season to perfection with salt and pepper.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then stir in 1 tub of cottage cheese - the consistency should be creamy and loose.
• Place a deep 30cm x 35cm roasting tray on a medium heat. Spoon in a quarter of the veggie mixture to cover the bottom of the tray, then top with a layer of lasagne sheets, and a good grating of Parmesan. Repeat the layers with the rest of the veg and pasta, finishing with a layer of lasagne sheets.
• Mix the remaining tub of cottage cheese with 1 splash of water to loosen, then spread evenly over the top of the lasagne.
• Toss the reserved asparagus tips in a drizzle of oil, then tip onto the lasagne, pushing everything down with the back of a spoon to compact.
• Strip over the thyme leaves and finish with a drizzle of oil and a generous grating of Parmesan.
• Turn the heat under the tray up to high and cook until the lasagne starts to bubble, then place under the grill on the middle shelf for 8 minutes, or until golden and gorgeous. Delicious served with a seasonal green salad.

A PILAF OF ASPARAGUS, BROAD BEANS AND MINT

Steps:

• Cook the broad beans in salted water for 4 mins, till almost tender, drain.
• Trim asparagus into short lengths, steam for 3 mins and drain.
• wash the rice 3 times in cold water, stiring with your hand, cover with warm water, add a tsp salt and set aside for a good hour.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the bay leaves, cardamon, peppercorns,cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds and thyme. Stir in the butter for a minute or two until the fragrance is released.
• Drain the rice and tip it into the warmed spices, cover with 1 cm depth of water and bring to the boil.Season with salt, cover and turn the heat down to a simmer.
• Finely slice the spring onions and chop the parsley.
• After 5 mins remove the lid and gently fold in the asparagus, beans, spring onions and parsley. Replace lid and continue to cook for 5-6 mins, until the rice is tender but still has some bite to it. All the water should have been absorbed, leave with the lid on but the heat off for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove lid, check seasoning, add extra butter if liked and fluff with a fork sprinkle over the mint.
• Can be served with minted yoghurt if liked.