Friday 28 September 2012

Cooking ...


Hello there! Many "Thanks" for your comments on my previous posting.
Just to keep you in the loop, as it were, I did sign up for the Beginners Photography Course at our local Adult Learning Centre. The first session was on Thursday - a two hour slot. There are only eight of us in the class - so it is pretty small.
We didn't really learn much, except that most of us want to learn to deviate away from the automatic settings and learn how to use manual.
We were told not to be blinded by science when buying a camera and that the amount of mega pixels was nothing to do with the quality of the image that you take despite certain chain stores telling prospective customers that this is the case! We were shown three images taken with 10, 11 and 12 mega pixels. The one with the 10 mega pixel was the best - although it was taken with a camera costing £15,000!
Apparently, the important thing is the quality of the sensor not the mega pixel.

Next week we are going to be taken out and about to take photos and learn where we are going wrong or what we might be doing right! The above image of Ruby I took on the manual setting earlier today!
I can't see much difference in this photo than ones I would normally take - but hey, I've only been to one lecture!


This evening KP asked if she could help with the cooking. I was making vegetarian lasagne - a recipe that I had recently seen in a new magazine called "Land Love". It is packed full of all the things that I love - articles about the countryside, gardens, wildlife, homes, crafts and travel. If you haven't seen it yet - take a look when you're next at the newsagents as it really is good value for money - it costs £3.85 but is a bi-monthly publication.


Sheer concentration as we top the lasagne off with some mature cheese.


The finished product! Although it was tasty - we all came to the conclusion that we prefer meat in our lasagne but for those of you that may be interested the recipe is as follows:

2 tablespoons olive oil
180g pack spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
250g pack mushrooms, sliced
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml tub creme fraiche
Half teaspoon grated nutmeg
300g pack fresh lasagne sheets
100g mature cheddar
salt and pepper

  1.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees / Gas Mark 6. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan, add half of the garlic and spinach leaves and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the leaves have wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Add remaining oil to the pan, add mushrooms and cook for 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and sizzle for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste.
  3. Season the creme fraiche with the nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well. Lightly oil an ovenproof dish.
  4. Place layer of lasagne on the base. Top with half the mushroom mix, then more lasagne. Spoon over a third of the creme fraiche and scatter over half the spinach and a third of the cheese. Repeat these layers once more. Place a final layer of lasagne on top, spread over the remaining creme fraiche and cheese.
  5. Place on baking tray, then bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
                                                                              
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time,

June.

P.S. The lasagne shots were taken using the automatic settings - old habits die hard!

15 comments:

  1. Well it does look yummy....great photos as always!

    Many thanks for your kind comments on my last post :-)

    keep well

    Amanda

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  2. I wish I had a little K P around her Lasagne looks delicious. I love that new magazine too it makes a refreshing read.
    Glad you have enjoyed your new course
    Happy weekend
    Thea x

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  3. KP looks so sweet concentrating on that cheese!
    Really pleased you went to the course, I'm always a bit shy to do things like that! Well done, I'm sure it will be really interesting. X

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  4. That lasagne looks delicious I have to say. Very interesting to hear about your course...I only use the manual setting when i have time to fiddle with it, for everyday snaps the automatic setting is just fine I think! x

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  5. so glad you have joined the course and look forward to seeing your progress. lovely lasagne which i may try. sorry no caps typing one handed ... very naughty kitten in other - he's a character all right

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  6. Hope you enjoy your course nd find it really useful.
    Love the picture of Ruby.
    KP looks the picture of concentration with the cheese sprinkling!
    I saw that mag the other day and had a quick flick through and thought it looked interesting.
    Lisa x

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  7. Ruby is gorgeous, what a super photo! I love vegetable lasagne and yours looks very tasty. I hope you enjoy the photography course it sounds interesting:)

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  8. I do like the picture of Ruby, everytime I try taking photos with the manual settings they're so blurred you can't even tell what it was I was trying to capture!

    That lasagne looks good, I've never tried a vegetable lasagne as I think we would miss the meat in there too but adding the spinach and the mushrooms sounds like a good idea. Well done to KP for wanting to help in the kitchen, knowing how to cook is one of those skills you always need in life.

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  9. That's great that you did end up joining the course, I bet the next class will be even more useful, as at least then you are out and about taking the photo's..have fun :) Do share any handy tips...
    I like the sound of the lasagna! I too usually have it with meat, but I would defiantly give this one a try :)
    I hope your having a lovely weekend x
    Magie

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  10. Well done for joining the course, it's good to push ourselves out of our comfort zones, I'm really not one for doing something new either but I bet you'll learn loads. I love the photo of Ruby, she's so cute. Well done to KP for cooking tea. I think it's important to get kids in the kitchen learning how to make food, it seems to be a dying skill these days with so much convenience food around. The lasagne looks delicious, though I've never tried vegetarian lasagne, we all love our meat too much.

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  11. I'm so glad you have taken the plunge and joined the course, although your pictures are always fantastic. Like you it would be worth knowing how you can use more options on the camera. They instruction manuals are so long and it is just quick and easy to use the automatic settings. Your lasagne dish looks delicious, I will have have to try it, I already have another lasagne and 2 apple pie recipes I have picked up this week!
    Sarah x

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  12. The lasagne looks divine! I buy that magazine too and think its good value for money.

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  13. Well done you for joining the course, I'm sure the next class will be lots of fun. Nice to have such a little group too.
    Sounds like a great magazine. xx

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  14. The course sounds good, hopefully you'll learn some useful tips. I think cameras these days are great on the automatic settings anyway, but it's good to know how to get different effects. xx

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  15. I shall try that lasagne. No one eats meat in our house except the cat!
    Good luck with the course.
    Ellie
    x

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