Mountain Bread Lasagne

So I survived my bootcamp session last night!  And surprisingly I didn't keel over or find I'd lost all my fitness overnight! hehehehe Yes I know it's silly it goes along with that irrational fear that one block of chocolate will mean I wake 43kg heavier again in one day *sigh*, I've never lost this much weight before, it definitely takes some getting used to! ;).  My trainer has been hammering home about rest being just as important and well I was hearing him, I just wasn't "HEARING" him!  We did have a little chat, because he keeps telling me to stop being so hard on myself, I had a real big think about this and last night told him, that the reason I am, is because the last time I wasn't hard on myself I was 130kg!  But this journey has a lot of lessons in it, and I see a lot of people struggling at maintenance, so I'm happy for these things to happen along the way so I can get a grip on them now!  So Thursday I'll be doing a double session but today and the weekend he informs me I am to take it easy!  So basically I'm just doing as I'm told! 

A few weeks ago, someone posted the link to a PDF with recipes using Mountain Bread.  I'll have to search again for the link, in the meantime I've raved about my Mountain Bread Lasagne, which is based on the recipe in the booklet, but I made some calorie saving changes particularly to the white sauce.  What I love is that it's so yummy comforting winter food, and I feel I'm being naughty when in fact I'm doing something really yummy for myself all around 400 cals a serve.  I've had requests for the recipe so here's my version, bare in mind you can do this with any recipe, I always add loads of extra veg to things and substitute, low salt, low fat versions of ingredients to get yummy food, but less calories.

So you will need:

Tia's Version Mountain Bread Lasagne

Lasagne

2 teaspoons oil (I use Rice bran)

15 g Garlic (garlic clove or teaspoon of jar stuff)

100-150g Onion (fresh I just chuck in the frozen packet one's no chopping required)

500 g Lean Beef Mince: Regular (the leaner the better - hey try it with turkey or chicken mince!)

1 teaspoon Mixed Herbs

1 teaspoon of Massel Vegetable Stock Powder salt reduced

1 can (400g) Chopped Tomatoes (check the sodium I used Ardmona No added Salt)

1 jar Raguletto Pasta Sauces (any of the one's with the Red Wine)

500g Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I simply use Homebrand, nice a cheap)

1 serving (75g) Frozen Spinach, Chopped Blocks (again you can add fresh I just chuck a couple chunks in)

6 slice (25g) of Mountain Bread (whichever one tickles your fancy)

1/2 cup (60g) of Bega: Cheese: Cheddar, So Extra Light, Tasty,

White sauce

2 tub (250g) Perfect Italiano Extra Light Ricotta (make sure it's the extra light there's also a light version but extra light has the lowest cals letting you use two tubs)

12-15g Mil Lel Parmesan (you can buy 25g single serve sachets for 99 cents)

 1/4 cup Skim Milk

To Make

Put oil, garlic and onion in a pot.

When the onion is translucent add the beef and brown.

Once mince is brown, add the stock powder and mixed herbs, mix.

Add tinned tomatoes and pasta sauce (you can simply add two tins of tomatoes if you don't have any pasta sauce).  Stir.

Add frozen veges and spinach.

Reduce heat and let simmer for a while (anywhere from half an hour to an hour is good, depends on how much time you have!

Make white sauce, by combining ricotta, parmesan and milk, you can adjust the consistency with the milk, you want it slightly runny so it's pourable.

Use a baking dish or one of those aluminum trays (no cleaning afterwards! ;D) Take two sheets of the mountain bread and over lap (you can use one and half or even one and a quarter to cut further calories I just can't be hassled with further who ha and cutting!) Add a third of the bolognaise mixture and spread out, then pour a third of the ricotta mixture (it won't be a perfect covering, just dollop it around). Repeat two more times, finishing with the mince and ricotta then sprinkle the tasty cheese on top.

Bake for about an hour in an over at 170-180 celcius.  Freezes and reheats like normal lasagne. 

You may notice the sauce is not overly wet, it's quite chunky you could spread it further but I think this helps with keeping the mountain bread at a nice consistency!

Cut into 6 servings and enjoy your 409 cal lasagne!  These are still generous serves, if you are going to add a salad I'd suggest portioning it into 8 serves, but with all the vegies, you don't have to add anything else.

Enjoy!