Cook: Quick fix lasagna using Instant Lasagna Sheets

Sorry that I haven't  been posting my cooking recipe for the longest time. The past 2 months has been quite busy for me as I had quite a bit of travelling, mostly accompanying my parents and in-laws for holiday. Actually was pretty tiring travelling back to back despite my previous belief that travelling is more fun than tiring. 

Quick fix lasagna

Am back for a week and will be going on school holiday trip with the kiddos in 3 days time. Found a chance to do a quick fix lasagna as I had ran out of ideas of simple quick thing to cook besides fried rice, porridge etc. So, this will be my quick easy lasagna using Instant Lasagna Oven Ready Lasagna Sheets. 

Instant Lasagna Sheets

Bought these instant lasagna sheets quite some time back and decided to make full use of it before it expired. Recipe is adapted from the recommended recipe at the back of the box.

It turns out to be quite nice actually and I enjoyed my home cook meal :)

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 2-3 adults)

1. 100g Instant Lasagna Sheets

2. 2 tablespoon cooking oil ( I use olive oil)

3. 1 onion, finely chopped ( I omitted as I didnt have any in my fridge)

4. 1 carrot (finely chopped)

4. 3 cloves of garlic, minced

5. 500g of minced beef ( I bought slices of beef and minced on my own-figure will be less fat)

6.  680g Prego Italian Sauce (tomato based)- This is pasta based actually-can use other brand as well- I just took whatever is in the fridge

7. Salt and black pepper to taste

8. 2 tablespoon of butter

9. 2 tablespoon of plain flour

10. 2 cups milk

11. 125g mozzarella cheese

METHODS:

1. Heat oil in pan. Add onion, carrots and garlic. 

2. Stir fry until carrot is slightly soft.

3. Add minced beef and stir fry until cooked.

Stir fry carrots and minced beef

4. Add Prego Italian Sauce, salt and pepper. 

5. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until the sauce is thicken as shown.

Sauce thickens

6. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce. 

7. In another saucepan, melt the butter and add in plain flour.

8. Stir well to mix. Add milk, salt and pepper. 

9. Simmer under medium heat until sauce thickens - about 10-15 minutes.

10. Remove from heat. Add in mozzarella cheese and combine until the cheese melted. The cheese sauce is now ready.

Cheese sauce ready

11. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. 

12. Assemble the lasagna. Add a layer of meat sauce at the bottom of the baking dish.

13. Alternate layer of lasagna sheets, meat sauce and cheese sauce until the top of the baking dish.

14. The last layer should be the cheese sauce.

15. Finish with sprinkle of mozzarella cheese to cover the sauce.

16. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the cheese melted and browned.

Bake in oven. 

17. Remove from oven. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

18. Serves hot!

Dig in!!!

Cook: Pan Fried Wagyu Beef with Homemade Mushroom Sauce!!!!

Homemade mushroom sauce to compliment pan fried wagyu beef

Hubby's colleague gave him some wagyu beef and we pan fried the beef and pair it with homemade mushroom sauce! Its super nice..this is the first time i tried wagyu beef and now i know why it is always sold at such an exorbitant price.....Its very nice, the meat is softer and the amount of fats in the beef is just nice... so melty and yummy. Our mushroom sauce is also very very creamy and nice... best mushroom sauce i ever made so far! This mushroom sauce recipe is definitely a keeper!!!

INGREDIENTS:
(Serves 2)

Beef:
1. 2 pieces of wagyu beef (about 250-300g each piece)
2. A pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom sauce:
1. 3/4 tablespoon of butter
2. 4 medium size shitake mushroom
3. 200ml whipping cream
4. 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
5. Salt and black pepper to taste

METHODS:

Beef:
1. Season the beef with salt and pepper on both sides
2. Add some olive oil, pan fried the beef until desired (medium rare, medium well etc)

Mushroom sauce:
1. Melt butter using a non-stick pan.
2. Add mushroom and stir fry for one minute, mushroom will not be soften at this point of time
3. Add whipping cream, stirring them occasionally over small heat
4. When the cream thickens slightly, add salt ,pepper and garlic.
5. Continue to stir over low heat until cream thickens

Cook: Creamy homemade mushroom soup

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Difficulty: 3/5

I make some non-bake chocolate cheese cake the other day and the results was good. The chocolate cake is very smooth and creamy, so decided to invite a few friends over to my place to share the cake and the calories, hehe!

Recipe for chocolate cheesecake can be found here:

Sinfully good non-bake chocolate cheese cake

We also decide to turn this mini gathering into a cooking get-together. One of my friend decided to try out one of the roast chicken recipe and so, i decided to make some baked cauliflower and mushroom soup to go with her chicken.

We had great fun cooking together and it was a great meal. Her roasted chicken was baked to perfection and very yummy. And i love how my mushroom soup turns out, very smooth and creamy. 

INGREDIENTS:
(serves 4)

1. 200g of mushroom cut into small pieces (e.g.: shitake, portobello, button mushroom depending on your preferance)

2. One medium sized onion, cut to small pieces

3. 3 cloves of garlic, minced

4. 30g of butter

5. 200ml of whipping cream

6. 50ml of fresh milk

7. 250ml of chicken stock

8. 2 tablespoon of normal flour

9. a pinch of ground black pepper

10. salt to taste (optional as the chicken broth is quite salty already)

METHODS:

1. Melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the flour and mix well. 

3. Add whipping cream, chicken stock and mushroom.

4. Mix well and bring to boil.

5. After the mixture boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer until the mushroom is tender.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Take a few pieces of mushroom out and leave it aside.

8. Blend the mushroom soup and serve them topped with the mushroom pieces.

Mushroom that i used.. 

Cut mushroom into small pieces