4- White Lasagna with Lovage

For the past two weeks I have had 2 bands visit. That means boy bands - which means farty and stinky and drunken messes (Except for Ed Ho. If Ed Ho ever asks to stay with you, say yes. He cleans!) and lots of wheat beer for me (I just gained another few Kilos). And they need to eat.

I had to cook for 12 people: 6 meat-eaters, 5 vegetarians, 1 vegan. One of the meat eaters has a Fructose and Lactose intolerance, while the other with the intolerance prefers vegetarian meals. As you can see this was a bit all over the place. I decided on a vegitarian white lasagna, and one small vegan lasagna. They were so similar, that I made them at the same time. In total you need about 30 min for chopping, 10 min to make the sauce, 10 min for the layers, and then another 20 to clean the splattered chaos (if you cook like me).

First is the vegetarian Lasagna (the vegan** note is at the end):

Pan 30cm x 25cm rubbed with margarine

Béchamel* (white sauce)

1 oz margarine

1 oz flour

3/4 pint of Lactose free milk (soy, rice, or almond milk for the vegan)

salt

nutmeg

salt (natural salt! if not natural then cut the amount down by a third)

pepper ground or from mill

3 eggs

1 medium zucchini sliced 1/2cm thick

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 small fennel sliced

1 box of lasagna

lovage (garlich substitute)

250 grams hard goat cheese (like a gouda) or Buffalo Mozzarella - thinly sliced

2 Shallots

How to make a Béchamel*:

3/4 of a pint (medium thickness)

in a heavy bottomed saucepan mix the butter and the flour on low heat for about 2 minutes. Turn off the stove and in another pan heat the milk with 1/4 tsp salt. When heated pour the "milk" into the flour mix using a wire whisk until smooth.

Add 1 tablespoon of lovage 1/4 tsp of black pepper, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a 1 teaspoon of salt.

Divide the Béchamel in thirds add the eggs to one third and whisk until smooth. Leave the other 2/3 alone.

chop the shallots and sauté.

At this point you should have a greased pan. sautéed shallots, a bowl of béchamel, a bowl of egg/béchamel, sliced cheese, separate bowls of sliced mushrooms, zucchini and fennel, and a box of Lasagna.

Use a ladle for the sauces.

1-Start with a layer of Lasagna, then cover with béchamel, all the shallots,

2-then Lasagna, all the zucchini, cover with egg/béchamel,

3- Lasagna, mushrooms, cover with egg/béchamel, cheese, then the béchamel

4- Lasagna, fennel, cover with egg/béchamel

5- Lasagna, and cover with the béchamel.

You may have bechamel left, but that is fine. You can use it for a pasta sauce...

Bake at 350 for 45 min. Since all ovens vary, check it periodically to see if it is getting to brown. You don't want to see any fluid in the pan at the bottom, but you want the top to get lightly brown and crust.

Vegan**

If you are making it vegan, instead of cheese add 1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast to the last ladle of béchamel, and leave out the eggs.

enjoy!