By Neil Ebsworth, guest writer for sense* and brother of sense* Founder, Jonathan. Recipe 2 – A recipe from a cancer survivors immunity playlist – Read his story Click Here
Different Recipes, Same Bad Ingredients
The western diet may have spiralled out of control in term of variety over recent decades and we now have an amazing choice of cuisines from all over the world.
It is also not surprising however that the base ingredients of these most popular new dishes have a striking similarity to the diet that went before.
Flour in many forms plus other forms of cheaply produced carbohydrates make up a common theme.
When you consider the dishes of the masses from different parts of the world, the similarities are more striking than the variety!
Pasta has been a firm family favourite for many decades now and here is a recipe that will deliver all the same taste and texture but without the high carb and gluten content.
Using chickpeas and lentils in the place of meat provides a high zinc content as well as plenty of protein.
Read more about the science – Click Here
Lasagna ingredients
For the Pasta:
120g Chickpea flour
2 tbsp Psyllium
1 Egg
Chickpea water, (aquafaba)
salt
For the Sauce:
2 Medium Onions
Garlic
Chickpeas (cooked 400g)
Red Lentils, (cooked 499g)
300g button mushroom
2 small tins chopped tomatoes
800g smooth tomato sauce
Fresh basil
Provencal herbs
White Sauce
50g butter
2 tbsp flour
300ml skimmed milk
150g Grated Cheese (You can use whatever hard cheese you prefer. Parmesan, Cheddar are favourites. For speed, a bag of grated four cheese used to top pizzas will do just as well)
Method
Make the Pasta
1. Combine the Chickpea flour and Psyllium in a bowl with a large pinch of salt. Add the egg and mix to create a crumb like combination of the ingredients. Add the chickpea water to combine into a solid pasta.
2. If the mixture gets too wet, add a little more flour. The end result should be drier than flour based pasta but should knead easily without breaking and should not stick to your fingers or the bowl.
3. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for an hour or until needed.
4. Roll the pasta out with a rolling pin. I have to warn you that this will need some time and energy.
The chickpea pasta is harder to roll than regular pasta and will take time and effort to get it as thin as you can. It can help to cut the past in half at a certain thickness and then continue rolling each half separately.
The Sauce
The sauce method is really the same as you would make a normal bolognese sauce substituting the chickpeas and lentils for the usual mince.
Everybody’s recipe is probably different so if you want to recreate the taste of your own Bolognese sauce then follow your own recipe and substitute as stated. Here is my version.
1. Finely chop one onion and as much garkic as you desire and soften in a deep pan in some olive oil. Add half onion chopped into larger pieces for added texture.
2. Chop or slice the mushrooms and add to the onions and garlic.
3. Add the cooked lentils and chickpeas, the tins of chopped tomatoes, the tomato sauce.
4. Season with salt and pepper and a liberal dose of provencal herbs
5. Cover the ingredients with a top up of boiling water. Tear some fresh basil and add to the pot.
6 Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, boiling off enough of the liquid to create a thickened sauce. Add additional salt to taste and some additional fresh basil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool and thicken further.
Bechemal Sauce
1. Make a roux by combining approximately 75g of softened butter and 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour over a medium heat constantly stirring the mixture until all the butter has melted and you have a smooth paste. ( You can substitute a gluten free flour if you like).
2. Add milk slowly to the pan, stirring to combine the milk with the paste to create a smooth white mixture. About 300ml should be enough sauce to create the Lasagna.
3. Add Salt, pepper and Nutmeg for flavour and stir the sauce as you bring to the boil. As it begins to boil, it will thicken. Turn down the heat, lifting off the heat if it starts to boil. Your sauce is ready.
Construct your Lasagne
In a baking dish approximately 2 inches deep, spoon first a layer of the Bolognese sauce. Then a layer of pasta sheets. At this point I like to add a little grated cheese before adding a layer of the white sauce.
Then another layer of Bolognese followed by another covering of pasta sheets. Finally finish with white sauce and then cover with grated cheese. Top off with some pepper. Your Lasagna is ready for the oven.
Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius or until the cheese topping is golden brown.
Allow to cool a little before serving. Cut portion with a small serrated blade through to the bottom of the pan before serving with a large serving spoon.
I hope you enjoy these other recipes.
1. Chocolate Brownie cake – Tame your sweet tooth with this recipe which contains NO flour and NO processed sugar. High in Omega 3 oils, antioxidants and vitamin C this brownie will satisfy the sweetest tooth whilst giving your body a well needed influx of fruit and nuts. – Click Here
2. A Spring stew of vegetables, chick peas, lentils and beans that will warm the coldest day and invigorate your digestive immune response. – Click Here
See our full range of recipe ideas – Click Here
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