Here in Melbourne we are well and truly into Spring. Spring is probably my favorite season, with gardens coming back into life with an abundance of colour. Subsequently there is a wider variety of fresh local produce on offer. Mix this with longer days and later evenings, and you have the perfect excuse to bring out some new recipes.

Now being British, I fall into the category of people who love Jamie Oliver. So last week whilst watching yet another ‘Jamie’s 30 Minute meals’, I find myself mesmerized as Jamie makes what looks like the perfect spring lasagne. There and then I decided that I needed to make this. So after jotting down the recipe here we are a week later, and let me tell you, its a good’un.

This is the perfect meal for spring evenings when there is still a cold nip in the air and you are wanting some warming comfort food. However, paired with some beautiful fresh peas and asparagus it adds to a lighter delicate dish as we head into warmer days. I have made a couple of adaptations to the original recipe to suit my own person tastes. So here it is, my idea of the perfect spring lasagne. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

(The recipe below is not exactly the same as Jamie Oliver’s, for several things I changed the quantity to my suiting and have used feta as opposed to cottage cheese)

• A bunch of spring onions (50g diced)
• 10 anchovies in oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 700g asparagus
• 700g frozen peas
• 100g frozen broad beans, de-shelled
• Handful of fresh mint
• 300ml single cream
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 beef or chicken stock cubes
• 200ml of water
• 500g feta
• Lasagne sheets
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Pour roughly 1 tsbp of the anchovie oil into a saucepan and place on a medium heat. Finely slice the spring onions and anchovies and then add them to the saucepan. Crush the garlic cloves into the pan and fry for a couple minutes making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. You can add a dash of water if it starts to stick.
2. Trim the pointed tips off the asparagus and put aside. Then trim the woody ends from the other side and discard. Finely slice the stems of the asparagus into 1.5cm pieces before adding to the pan with a splash of water. After 5 minutes, add the peas and broad beans along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well.
3. Pick and chop up the mint leaves then add them to the saucepan along with the cream, 2 stock cubes, 200ml of water and the zest of 1 lemon. Let this all cook together for a couple more minutes before stirring in 250g of feta.
4. Take the vegetables of the heat and spoon about 1/3 of the mixture into a deep lasagne dish. Top with a layer or lasagne sheets and a generous grsting of parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers of vegetable and lasgne sheets until you have used all of the filling and then top with a final sheet.
5. Mix the remaining 250g of feta cheese with a splash of boiled water and then spread over the lasagne.
6. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus tips then place onto the lasagne along with another good grating of parmesan.
7. Bake in the over at 200 degrees for roughly 30 minutes until the top has browned.

This is my take on the Italian classic. Bolognese was the first thing I ever successfully made in the kitchen without a recipe. Over the years it hasn’t changed much, however I do change it sometimes depending on whats in the fridge. Garlic, red wine, basil, oregano, bay leaves and mushrooms are some of the other ingredients that I sometimes use to change the flavor a little. The great thing about this recipe is that even if you do mess about with it a bit, it still turns out great! 

I love serving this with a big bowl of spaghetti and some thinly grated parmesan over the top. With all pasta dishes this goes great with some garlic bread and a mixed salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 500g organic beef
• 2 slices of bacon, diced
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 1 small tin of tomato paste
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 2-3 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instruction:

1. In a large pan, add 1 tsbp of olive oil and gently fry the diced bacon. Once the bacon is golden add the onion, carrots, celery and the leaves from the rosemary. Cook for about 10 minutes to soften the vegetables.
2. Add the mince to the pan and slightly brown. Stir in the can of tomatoes, tomato paste and the beef stock. Let this continue to cook on a low heat for roughly 30 minutes to let it reduce down and become rich in flavor. Serve with some pasta and grated Parmesan.

This is a beautiful Moroccan dish that I originally found in a Bill Granger cook book. I have slightly adapted his recipe to my own personal taste, and find that the recipe below works perfectly for me. It is a very simple dish to make, however it has lots of wonderful flavors which Moroccan food is well known for.

“While wonderfully light and fragrant, this is rich enough to be satisfying on the coldest night”

Bill Granger

When serving this dish I find it goes nicely with some couscous and sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander leaves. You could also lightly toast some flaked almonds to sprinkle over for an extra bit of texture.

Because this dish does not have many vegetables in, I would recommend serving it with some. Whatever is In your fridge or your favorite vegetables! As you can see in the photo below, I have served it with some grilled asparagus, courgette and steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 500g of firm white fish, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or diced
• 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 teaspoons honey

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat (i find a heavy-based pan works best). Add the onion and cook, for roughly 5 minutes. Make sure to stir every so ofter so that the onion does not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn. When the onion is translucent add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon, continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
2. Add the cayenne pepper, tomatoes and 1 cup of water, continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes (the fish should turn just tender). Add the chickpeas and honey and cook for a further 3 minutes.