One base, one pot, two meals.

With only a spare hour while Alison napped this morning i managed to create two vegetarian meals from the one veggie base. A minestrone soup and a vegetarian lasagna using grilled aubergine layers instead of pasta sheets but obviously these can be replaced for the pasta sheets.

The veggie base
Makes soup and lasagna for 4 people (or stock the freezer)

2 red pepper diced
2 yellow or orange pepper diced
2 courgette diced
2 large white onion finely diced
4 large cloves garlic smashed
4 sticks celery finely sliced
2 leeks finely sliced
1/4-1/2 mild chilli chopped finely
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Fresh herbs such as basil, flat leaf parsley and oregano (or dried)
1 bay leaf

Minestrone
250ml passata
1 litre stock of your choice
3-4 handfuls of Orzo pasta (rice shaped pasta made from Durum wheat)

Lasagna
1 aubergine sliced finely length ways about 1/2 cm
80g grated parmesan

For the cheese sauce
25g butter
25g plain flour
600ml milk
80g grated cheese (i like mature cheddar and Gouda) just not plastic cheese
1/4 tsp wholegrain mustard

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Sweat the vegetables slowly with a good twist of cracked black pepper in a heavy based saucepan stirring regularly until soft and smelling delicious. Next add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, the bay leaf and allow to simmer very gently, this will "cook out" the tomatoes releasing their sweetness. When your happy the veg is soft throw in the chopped herbs.

Next prepare the aubergine by laying the slices out on a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt to remove the moisture. Allow to stand while you make the cheese sauce.

In a medium sized saucepan with a whisk melt the butter slowly when completely melted tip in the flour and whisk for a minute or two to cook out the flour, next turn the heat down and slowly and gradually add the milk making sure to keep whisking in between to prevent any lumps forming. Allow to simmer gently for about 5 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and mustard and a pinch of black or white pepper. This sauce cannot be reheated as it will become stringy.

If you have a griddle pan use this to fry the aubergine slices on for a nice char-grilled taste but if not a frying pan is perfect. They don't need to be completely cooked as they will finish off in the oven.

Layer the lasagna using the veggie and tomato mix, the aubergine and the white sauce. Finish with a layer of white sauce and grated Parmesan. I always keep a block of Parmesan in the freezer and just grate it directly onto anything and everything pretty much.

This lasagna will just take 15 minutes to cook at 170 degrees Celsius.

With the remainder of the base mix add the pasta, passata and half of the stock allow to simmer gently until the pasta is cooked through. You can add more stock towards the end if you prefer and thinner consistency Minestrone. I also add a splash of  Worcestershire sauce for some meatiness. This soup would also be yummy with some fried chorizo or cooked chicken added in at the last minute.