Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Open Lasagna with Sage and Butter sauce...

Are vegetarians wealthy?  They don't buy meat, which is always the most expensive thing on my shopping list.  They probably don't buy leather, meaning expensive clothes and cars are out.  They probably grow a lot of their own food.  I imagine they don't eat out much as well due to the limitations forced on them by carnivorous chefs.  Am I being a bit too sterotypical?  Should I stop talking about them like a mythical creature?

Apparently only 3% of the western world is Vegetarian.  So in the interests of being representive of society at least 3 in every 100 posts on this blog must be Vegetarian!

The V word is one that can scare some.  I've never understood why.  I'm as big a meat eater as the next person but I also follow the philosophy that if it tastes good it should be celebrated.  I celebrate often.

Besides, sometimes you get that lethargic 'I've consumed too many carcasses for one week' feeling and a good shot of vegetables is just what is needed!

The below dish is one which wouldn't really fall into the healthy section, although it certainly fits into the tasty one!  Sweet pumpkin mash, caramalized onions, iron rich spinach and creamy ricotta are layered between fresh pasta sheets and then topped with a sage and pine nut butter to make a delicious offering that will persuade at least 3 in every 100 people to let Bambi live another week.

Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Open Lasagna with a Sage and Pine Nut Butter sauce

Serves 2

Prep and Cook Time: 60 minutes

This dish involves getting all the components together and then putting it together at the end.  Try to get your timings right to ensure everything is still warm.

1kg Pumpkin
30g Butter
Fresh Pasta Sheets
3/4 cup Ricotta
Spinach
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
A few Sage leaves ( I used 10 small ones)
1/2 Red Onion
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Parmesan shavings
Crispy sage leaves (whole leaves cooked for 10 seconds in hot oil) [optional]

• Turn your oven onto about 200 degrees C.
• Skin and De-seed your pumpkin then chop into chunks about 4x4cm.  Cover in 2 Tbsp Olive oil and season then place in an oven tray lined with baking paper.  Chuck in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, turning once.
• While that's cooking cut the onion into slices and put in a cold pan with 1tbsp Olive Oil.  Cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't color too much.  Mix in the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, season, and then cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Using either a ramekin dish or pastry rings about 9cm wide cut 8 circles of pasta out of the sheets.

• Place the pine nuts in a small roasting dish and roast until nice and toasted.  Be careful not to burn them.  It should take only 2-4 minutes.
• Cook the spinach as per packet instructions.  I used frozen spinach but fresh works even better.  Ensure that you let the spinach drain and squeeze out that extra moisture.
• Remove the cooked pumpkin from the oven and place into a medium sized saucepan.  Mash magnificently.  Add a small knob of the butter and 1/4 cup of the ricotta.  Place on a low heat stirring constantly until the mash is smooth and thick. Mix in half of the pine nuts to give some texture to the dish.
• Melt the remaining butter in a frying pan then add the chopped sage leaves  Cook on a medium heat until the butter lets off a wonderful nutty aroma and goes slightly brown.  Add the remaining pine nuts and remove from the heat.

• At the last minute cook your pasta.  As it's fresh pasta it will only take between 3-4 minutes.  Cook the rounds in plenty of boiling salted water.  When al dente drain the pasta well.
• Construct!!! This is where all the parts become one.  Do with finesse if you have guests.  Do quickly if you are hungry.  Layer your cooked concoctions in this order.  Pasta, Pumpkin, Caramalized Onions, Pasta, Spinach, Ricotta, Pasta, Pumpkin, Pasta.  Top with a bit of the Caramalized Onion, some shavings of parmesan and some crispy sage leaves.  Drizzle the sage and pine nut butter over the lasagna and around the plate.

And after all that the only thing left to do will be to ring your local butcher and tell him why you aren't coming round so often anymore.

Fennel spiced Chicken served with Spinach, Tortilla and Paprika Oil

During my time in the Masterchef house I learned quite a few things in the kitchen.  In fact all of the contestants got caught up in this exponential learning curve of cuisine.  Knowledge piled on knowledge.  Hour after hour.  Day after day.  It's probably also no surprise that being surrounded by a number of intensely passionate foodies lead to a few worthwhile cooking demonstrations!  Simple meals would quickly evolve into five course extravaganzas as we vied with each other to shoe our true passion for food.

It was one sunny evening that we returned home to fire up the BBQ that the kitchen Ninja, Michael, pulled out this amazing marinade for some succulent chicken.  Pulling together Smoked Paprika, Fennel, Garlic and Lemon juice it was a fantastically flavorful marinade.  That marinade formed the inspiration of this dish.

Served on a bed of spinach the chicken is paired with a perfectly petite individual Tortilla, or Spanish omlette. And to tie it all together the dish is decorated with some easy peasy paprika oil and some sauteed capsicum and red onion.

This is the type of dish you can easily serve for a fancy lunch when you've got some friends coming over.  Simply prep all your ingredients including the oil, have the tortillas ready to put in the oven, and then finish it once you've all caught up on the week's gossip and are ready for some food.

Fennel spiced Chicken served with Spinach, Tortilla and Paprika Oil

Serves 2

Prep Time 15 min

Cook Time 35 min

Ingredients

2 chicken thighs boned (preferably as fast as this guy can with his Whizard trimmer)

Marinade

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

1tsp Fennel seeds

1tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

Large Pinch Pepper

150g Potato, peeled

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp cream

20g Butter

2 Medium sized dariole moulds or ramekins

100g Spinach leaves

1 Tbsp Butter

Dash of Olive Oil

1/2 Red Capsicum

1/2 Yellow Capsicum

1/2 Red Onion

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Paprika

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Fresh, Colorful, Tasty

Method

1.  First you need to Marinade your chicken.  Fry the fennel seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant.  Crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle.  Add to a shallow bowl along with all the other marinade ingredients and mix well.  Cut slits in the thicker parts of the thighs and try to flatten it until the chicken is an even thickness.This will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and also make it easier to cook evenly.
2.  Add the chicken to the marinade, ensuring the meat is nicely coated, then place in the fridge for at least an hour but preferably overnight.
3.  Slice the peeled potatoes in half and then cut them into slices about 5mm thick.  Place in a saucepan cover with cold water and then bring to the boil.  Salt the water once boiled and leave the Potatoes to cook for about 8-10 min, until they are tender, but not quite done.  Drain and leave to cool.

4.  Grease four ramekins or dariole moulds then layer the slices of potato into the mould.  Half way to the top season the potatoes, then continue layering.
5.  Whisk together the egg and cream, then season.  Pour the egg mixture into the moulds covering the Potato.
6.  Place a small bit of butter on top of the mix and then place them in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden and the egg has cooked through.
7.  Season the chicken thighs with salt and then fry on a medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, turning once until cooked all the way through.  Leave to rest for a few minutes.

8.  Dice the onion and capsicum into small pieces.  Place into a hot frying pan with 1 Tbsp Olive oil and cook for about 5 minutes.  Place to the side.
9.  In the same pan add the 1 Tbsp remaining Olive Oil along with the Paprika and the Tabasco.  Heat gently for 2 minutes and mix well. Remove from the heat.
10.  In a large saucepan melt 1 Tbsp butter and a dash of olive oil.  Add the spinach and then cover with a lid.  After about 2 min the spinach should have wilted.  Season and stir to combine.  Put the spinach in a colander allowing the excess water to drain.
11.  To serve place the spinach on the plate.  Cut the chicken thigh in half and place on top of the spinach.  Run a knife around the cooked Tortilla and remove from the mould onto the dish.  Dress the plate with the paprika oil and then decorate with the capsicum onion mix.  Enjoy.