Lentil and Green Vegetable Wholewheat Lasagna

After gorging on unhealthy things over the festive season, now's the time to get healthy with low-fat, high fibre recipes. But they really don't have to be boring! This lasagna is filling and tasty.

Here I made my own wholewheat pasta (largely because I'd run out!). It's really easy to make and it's a good way to try making pasta for the first time because if you make a mess, it's all hidden by sauce so it doesn't matter! If not just use whatever dried lasagna you have available.

In winter, frozen spinach is far better for you, your wallet and for the environment.

• 1 head of spring greens, finely sliced and chopped
• 275g brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder
• 10 chunks defrosted frozen spinach
• 6 flat mushrooms (or equivalent button)
• 250 ml milk (skimmed or semi)
• 4 tbsp white flour
• Small chunk of cheddar cheese, grated
• Nutmeg

Lasagna with Spicy Red Cabbage

1. Start by boiling the lentils in plain water for about 20 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile roast the mushrooms in a hot oven (180C) for 15-20 minutes.
3. Add oil to a large pan or wok and stir-fry the onion and cabbage for about five minutes, then add the spinach along with any juices from defrosting. Turn down to a low heat, cover and continue to cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. When the lentils are done, drain, and return to the pan along with the tin of tomatoes, garlic, stock powder and the chopped roast mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Make a fat free white sauce by mixing a bit of the milk in the flour to make a paste, while the rest of the milk heats in a pan. Stir in the flour paste and keep stirring til it cooks and thickens. 
6. Stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. It should be the thickness of custard, pourable but coats the back of a spoon.
7. Pour a little bit of the white sauce into the green vegetable mixture, enough to coat it all and make it stick together.
8. To construct the lasagna, take a large baking dish and fill the bottom with about half the green vegetable mix.
9. Top with a layer of lasagna, making sure to fill in any holes. If using dried pasta, dunking sheets in a bowl of boiling water first helps the construction and cooking.
10. Next add half the lentil mix, then cover with lasagna. Repeat with a layer of cabbage, lasagna, another layer of lentils and the top layer of pasta.
11. Pour the remaining white sauce over the top, sprinkle with a little bit of cheese and finish with a generous sprinkling of nutmeg and pepper.
12. Bake in a 180C oven for 30-40 minutes until the pasta is cooked and the top is brown. Dried pasta will take 40-45 minutes, fresh pasta 30ish minutes.
13. Leave a few minutes to settle before serving.

To make wholewheat  lasagne:
275g strong wholewheat bread flour
3-4 eggs
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt

1. Mix the ingredients together to form a dough, then knead as you would bread, for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. About 3 minutes in a mixer on medium speed. If it's too dry add a splash of water.
2. Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece out thinly until big enough to fill the dish.

Variations

Fat free

To make a fat-free version, use Nutritional Yeast instead of cheese. It's available in health food shops and makes a tasty cheese sauce without the calories. Alternatively, use fat free natural yoghurt instead of a white sauce.

Vegan

To make a vegan version, use soy yoghurt and nutritional yeast.

Carb Free & Wheatfree

Wheatfree pasta is available, but for a virtuous lasagna, instead of pasta try whole cabbage leaves with the stalks trimmed, blanched in boiling water for a few minutes. Layer them like pasta and top with yoghurt. Virtuous, but still good!

Spicy Red Cabbage with Dates

I made this spicy red cabbage for Christmas dinner, it's great served with anything rich and hearty like roast vegetables or a nut roast!

It actually improves if it's made in advance. Cook until slightly underdone, then reheat a day or so later and it'll be even better! Also freezes well, add a portion to any dinner to liven up a winter meal.

Not my picture but looks similar!

• 1 medium/large red cabbage
• 1 white or red onion, chopped
• 250 ml red wine (1 large glass)
• 1 apple, grated or finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon or 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 10-12 dried dates, cut in half
• 1 Cinammon stick (or 2 tsp ground)
• 3 cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg, grated
• 1 tsp paprika or cayenne
• Knob of butter

1. Prepare the cabbage by first cutting it in half or quarters, lengthways. Cut out the white stalk, then slice finely.
2. In a large pan add a splash of oil and a generous knob of but, on a moderate heat.
3. Add the onion and stir for a few minutes til soft.
4. Add the cabbage and sauté on a moderate to high heat for five minutes until they're completely coated in the oil and butter and start to cook down a little.
5. Add the spices, dates, apple, lemon/vinegar, sugar and red wine.
6. Taste the liquid and season with salt as you like. Add more spices if you think it needs it!
7. Bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, til the cabbage is tender but still has bite.

Variations

Many recipes use red onion but given that everything ends up red anyway, it doesn't really makes a difference. Leeks are a nice alternative to onion, slice them thinly and cook them gently at the start.

The dates here give an extra sweetness and richness but leave them out if you're not keen. Balsamic vinegar is also gorgeous in this recipe but is also very sweet, reduce the amount of sugar if using.

I've recently discovered the Turkish herb sumac, which gives a citric zing to so many Middle Eastern dishes. Adding a tablespoon of this gorgeous purple-red dried herb adds a nice edge to the dish.

If you have any cranberry sauce leftover from Christmas, adding a tablespoon or two will only help.

The zest and juice of an orange is also a good variation!