Vegetarian Pumpkin, Kale and Adzuki Lasagna

A good lasagna, in my opinion, must satisfy three criteria: tasty, nutritious, and NOT sloppy! That's why ready-made lasagnas from supermarkets are so awful, because they fail on all three counts! Homemade lasagna takes a while to prepare, but it's well worth the time because not only do you get to eat something delicious, but you also know exactly what ingredients went into it, and how fresh they were. If there's only one or two of you to feed, then the quantity here will make enough for two or even three meals if served with a side of something else. This recipe guarantees a highly-nutritional and flavoursome meal, and can be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, because though it lacks meat it lacks nothing in satisfaction I promise you that!

As you know I never buy jars of sauces, but make them from scratch. Not only does this avoid artificial ingredients contained in them (flavourings, preservatives) but you can get them to the desired consistency. The white lasagna sauce available to buy in jars is very runny compared to the sauce I make - mine is very thick which I feel results in a better texture. I just use it on top of the final layer of lasagne sheets, then a generous amount of grated cheese and herbs, and you end up with a gorgeously crunchy topping, complimenting the saucey bolognese and soft layers of pasta perfectly.

Years ago I used to think cooked kale was just like cooked spinach, which I'm not too fond of as it has this smell which my senses just can't tolerate! But when I finally tried it, I discovered it was more like cabbage in texture, yet with no strong taste or smell. It really is perfect for using in just about any dish, whether you chop it into large or tiny pieces, because you get the benefits of this nutrition-packed plant without it having any kind of over-powering-ness about it. It's very easy to prepare - wash, cut the leaves away from the stem, chop up, and steam for literally 3 minutes. Then it can be used as is in a salad, or added to a dish you're cooking.

What you will need: (makes enough for 4-6 portions)

Half a box (approx 10 sheets) wholewheat lasagne

400g (approx) fresh kale

1 small pumpkin

1 leek

2 cups adzuki beans*

1 large onion

6 cloves garlic

1 jar tomato passata

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tblsp oregano

1 tblsp thyme

1 tblsp rosemary

1 tblsp turmeric

1 tblsp coriander

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

3/4 pint milk

50g butter

75g fine wholewheat flour

Pinch nutmeg

100g cheese

* I always have a stash of cooked-from-dried beans in little jars in the freezer, which is super handy if you do a lot of vegetarian cooking. Please see my previous post on the easiest way to batch cook beans. If you use tinned or carton beans, make sure to drain off the liquid and rinse thoroughly as preservatives are usually used and it's not good to ingest them.

Method:

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut off the peel and dice into small chunks.

Put the kale into a basin and cover with water. Soak for 10 minutes, 'swishing' it around every now and then to make sure any trapped dirt is loosened. Curly kale in particular is quite difficult to clean, but this variety here is common kale, which is much easier as the leaves are a lot flatter.

Spread the leaves out on a clean towel and pat dry.

As the stems are pretty tough many people prefer to cut the leaves away from the stem.

Chop the leaves into bite-size pieces like you would with cabbage.

With the water already boiling, steam the kale for no more than 3 minutes to ensure it remains green and tasty. Over-cooked kale isn't so nice, as it goes limp and brown. Continue to steam the pumpkin for 10-15 minutes until soft.

As soon as the kale is cooked, remove from the steamer and rinse under cold water. See how it is still a lovely bright green. Pat dry and set aside.

Half-mash the adzuki beans - this helps give the lasagne a 'meatiness' in texture. Set aside.

Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Saute in a frying pan with 1 tblsp coconut oil for a few minutes until softened.

Remove the outer leaves if tough or spoilt and then slice the leek. I find it much easier to wash leeks after slicing, so simply put the slices into a colander or sieve and rinse under the tap to remove any dirt.

Add the leek, adzuki beans, pumpkin, tomato passata, mustard, and all the herbs and spices to the pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until reduced a little.

Put the milk, butter and flour into a saucepan. Turn heat to moderate and whisk continuously for 5 minutes or so until the sauce thickens. Add a pinch of nutmeg and stir in.

Arrange the lasagne as follows in a large casserole dish:

- Spread a small amount of the 'bolognese' mixture into the bottom of the dish, then place a layer of lasagne sheets over it.

- Spread half of the bolognese on top of the lasagne sheets, and then a layer of kale.

- Place another layer of lasagne sheets on top of the kale.

- Spread the remaining bolognese over the lasagne sheets, and a second layer of kale.

- Place another layer of lasagne sheets on top of the kale.

- Spread all of the white sauce on top, and all of the (grated) cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle generously with herbs to finish (oregano and/or basil is tasty).

Place the lid on the casserole dish and pop into the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 45-60 minutes until golden on top. Once cooked, remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes or so to get the top nice and crunchy.

Serve on its own, or with salad, chips, wedges, potato salad... whatever you fancy! It can also be cut into portions and frozen if needed, then to re-cook simply put the frozen portion into an oven-proof dish, cover with a lid, and cook in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes.