Vegetarian Lasagne.

Vegetarian Lasagne

As I've said before, one dish that seems to be a big hit with our customers here at Chez Teresa is our Vegetarian Lasagne.  What could be more inviting and warming as the chill hits the air of an Autumn day, or even as a summer dish served with a crisp salad, then this particular dish.

At Chez Teresa we make it with strips of lasagne alternated with our home made ratatouille or wuth a soyay mince that has been gently fried beforehand in a little olive oil with a handful of grated onions, some chopped tomatoes and basil leaves and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic.  Mixed with the ratatouille and then alternated with the layers of lasagne and topped with a Parmesan cheese sauce it makes for an easy and satisfying dish.  Top with a generous amount of sliced tomatoes and a few chopped black olives (my current passion is for black olives from Nyons in the South of France) add some more grated Parmesan cheese with a generous grind of black pepper then bake in a hot oven at 180c for around 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling on top.

Serve with a fresh green salad with a dressing of your choice and you have a simply divine family meal as well as for guests.  I have by the way started to use a half wholemeal flour (semi-complet) for our sauces, crepes and scones and really they are as light as if you use white flour, but with the added bonus of extra nutrition especially in terms of B vitamins.

For up to 10 portions (depending on your appetite of course..) you will need:-

A large rectangular ovenproof dish
10 - 12 sheets of dried lasagne pasta strips  (Barilla is a good authentic Italian make)
A large jar, or can of good quality Ratatouille or for Home made Ratatouille see my blog post on the subject 'making Ratatouille
A generous quantity of cheese sauce (see the recipe below)
A splash of Worcestershire Sauce (Lea and Perrins is my favourite)
about 1 tbs of grated cheese, some slices of a large firm tomato and around 6 juicy black olives.

Method:-

Layer some sheets of lasagne at the bottom of your dish.  I usually alternate 3 slices then add the filling be it Ratatouille or a soya, onion tomato mince mix then layer with more lasagne sheets.

Once you have finished alternating your layers.  Top with a home made cheese sauce and decorate with one large beef tomato (cut into the thinnest of slices), a few chopped olives and some extra grated cheese.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for around 40 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Recipe for Cheese Sauce

50g butter
2 tbs flour (plain or semi wholemeal flour is best)
200 mls of milk
1/2 tsp mustard
200g of grated Parmasan or a strong mature cheddar
sea salt and black pepper to season

Melt butter, add four and mix until a smooth paste.  Next add the milk mustard, salt, pepper and cheese.  If your sauce goes lumpy just get out the electric mixer and mix until smooth.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh Herbes des Provence.

One huge compliment recently was the fact that we had a large Italian family in who went on to compliment us on our pasta dishes...what an accolade!

I have in the past made my own pasta sheets with flour, eggs, oil, salt and water and these have turned out very well, especially when I have dried the pasta sheets out on a line in our kitchen.  Often though speed is the essence of our daily lives and quite frankly even when I've spoken to an Italian they will say that in Italy most households in this modern age cook with dried pasta and seeing as there is now such a marvelous range available certainly throughout Europe we should never feel that we are coping out by using the dry stuff.  If you do decide to make your own however, here is a recipe:-

Lasagne Sheets

300g semi-wholemeal or plain flour
pinch of sea salt
2 lightly beaten eggs
100ml whole or semi-skimmed milk
1 tbs butter

On a cold surface (I use a lovely what and black marble board that I've had for  years) place the flour in a heap, add the sea salt and rub in the butter.
Gradually add the eggs, then the milk and mix and knead until your have a smooth dough.

Roll out the dough until it is as thin as you can get without it being see through..... Cut into lasagne shapes and air dry.

By the way you can use this recipe for practically any pasta dish that you choose to make from noodles to Tagliatelli  (the latter incidentally is from the Italian word to cut i.e. tagliare)

Chez Teresa and the International Appeal of the Knickerbocker Glory

As previously reported we have had many nationalities through our doors this summer at Chez Teresa/A Taste d'Angleterre in Fontevraud l'abbaye in the Loire Valley and one of our most popular desserts is without doubt the Knickerbocker Glory.

Mostly folks whether they be from Brazil, Belguim, Belarus or sometimes even Birmingham ask what is it?  Once described, the tantalising appeal of such a melange of gateau, cream, fresh fruit, ice-cream, more fresh fruit, some crumbled meringue and swirls of Chantilly with a flourish of berry coulis and a strawberry or two or other seasonal fruit on the top served in a tall elegant glass, is for many of our customers, too good to miss.  When I was a child on holiday in Folkestone, my Father and I used to go and play bingo along the Harbour. Then it was off to one of our favourite quayside cafe's for a Knickerbocker Glory.  Actually it was on one such holiday that we went on a day trip to France and I first had a taste of delicious French patisserie and we know what that led to....

Here at Chez Teresa we make as a rule the full fat version, and for those of a more restrained disposition we create a skinny one featuring Yogurt, and sorbet as opposed to cream and full fat ice cream.

The Knickerbocker Glory first seems to have appeared, at least in the UK in the 1930s.  When I was a child - not in the 1930s I hasten to add, this elaborate concoction was to be found at seaside resorts, in promenade cafes and sometimes in Italian restaurants.

We are often asked here at Chez Teresa why is this dessert called a Knickerbocker Glory?  I usually come out with an explanation, which has particular appeal to our French customers, in so far as I say that it is to do with the fact that in France trousers are often referred to as Knickerbockers, and if you look at the shape that the Knickerbocker Glory makes in its tall glass it does look a bit like the glass is wearing within it a type of trouser.  Of course during the first French Revolution of 1789 and beyond, the revolutionaries abandoned such trousers for sans culottes (which means without trousers though not completely I would add, as there would have been I daresay more of a scandal then there already was)... and so for a while there was not a Knickerbocker to be seen.  In addition if we think of the Victorian era and the English lady or girl, she might wear an undergarment that was sometimes referred to as a pair of Knickerbockers.  I am also reminded of seaside towns and of music halls of yesteryear and a recollection that some of the dancers would wear something akin to a Knickerbocker,especially if they were doing a less risqué version of the routine of the ladies at the Folies Bergère in Paris.  

When I was a teenager back in the 1970s there was a revival of such knickerbockers which young women would wear under their floaty cotton maxi or midi dresses... Knickers are of course knickers and many an adolescent especially from the UK has collapsed into laughter when we offer them the possibility of a creamy dessert with knickers in the title....but we assure them that our Knickerbockers are fresh, fruity and delicious and if you opt for the skinny version possibly even healthy.

Recipe for the Chez Teresa Knickerbocker Glory

You will need a tall, elegant sundae glass into which you will place the following ingredients:-

1 slice of cake (Victoria Sandwich or a cup cake drizzled with fruit coulis or a splash of your favourite liqueur if you are feeling especially decadent - if the latter try matching the liqueur to suit the fruits that you will use...for example if you are using citrus fruits then a splash of Limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur which will work well; for strawberries what about a splash of Tia Maria, for blackberries or blackcurrants try a splish splash of Chambord or Cassis and so on).

Next simply layer the glass with a melange of fruit, cream, ice cream, more fruit and one small crumbled meringue

Top with a large pretty swirl of Chantilly Cream and top with some more coulis and one or two fruits of  your choice.  Even a single Glacé cherry on top will look good.  In fact use your imagination to embellish your glory...I sometimes place a few toasted almonds on top and this can add an unexpected contrast and frisson to the dessert.

For the Skinny Version of the Chez Teresa Knickerbocker Glory

Do exactly the same as for the above recipe, but instead of using cream and ice cream substitute good quality low or full fat Yogurt, and sorbet, and if possible swirl some frozen yogourt on top.

Quite frankly the only thing that will stop you from creating your own fabulous Knickerbocker Glory is your imagination and the fruits that you have available at your fingertips at the time.

One of our lovely customers, Julie Lawrence from Chippenham negotiates her peachy Knickerbocker Glory on a visit to us with her family, Ben, Georgia and Alex and this summer.

Incidentally the doyenne of country and western Miss Dolly Parton is sometimes referred to as a Knickerbocker Glory.......