a turkey's not just for christmas..

I've always been a huge fan of meatballs, even in my highchair days.

Who needs a fork when you've got hands? Now, pas-ta garlic bread..

During my school years, one of the best answers I could receive to the question of "What's for dinner today?" was "Mamma mia, it'sa meatball day!". (The Dolmios of Athlone, we were known as. ;) )   

One day I came home to find meatballs already on the table, nestled in a steaming swirl of spaghetti and doused in a rich, glistening tomato sauce, with a dusting of fresh parmesan on top. I was salivating before my schoolbag had slipped from my shoulders.

I approached the dinner table with the gusto of a hungry heifer hurtling her way to the trough - but then I stopped. Something was awry. These were not normal meatballs. They smelt different. They were pale. And when I finally worked up the courage to sever a small morsel away with my fork and eat it, they tasted nothing like the succulent beef I had expected. 

I was confused. Disorientated. I almost felt betrayed. But I kept eating, and soon I began to enjoy this alien alimentary affair. Really enjoy it. Before I knew it, my plate was as clean as it is in the above picture, and I was asking for seconds.

This was my first introduction to turkey mince, and I've been a fan ever since. It's a great source of protein and is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than beef mince. Plus it tastes delicious! I use it in burgers, chillis, stir frys, meatballs and, most recently, I experimented with a turkey lasange.

Let me put modesty aside for a minute. IT WAS UNREAL.

I wasn't thinking ahead as I was cooking, so I'm afraid this Insta-hun pic is the only photo I have. I think it captures the tastiness pretty well though :D
It's a really simple recipe, so no excuses - get going!

Tur-rific Turkey Lasange

Ingredients

 - 450g turkey mince

 - 1 onion, finely chopped

 - 2-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (depending on how much of a garlic fiend you are)

 - 1 courgette, diced

 - 1 pepper, diced

 - 1 can of chopped tomatoes

 - 1 tbsp tomato purée

 - 1 bay leaf

 - A handful of fresh basil, chopped

 - A sprinkle of each of cumin seeds, paprika, chilli flakes

 - 200g feta cheese

 - 1 egg

 - 50-100ml of milk

 - 150g spinach, washed

 - grated cheese of your choice for topping
 - wholewheat/gluten-free pe-cooked lasange sheets

 - oil for frying

 - salt and pepper

Method

1. Place 1 tbsp oil in pan and fry your onion and garlic over a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until the onions have softened. Add a sprinkle of cumin seeds - around half a tsp.

2. Add your turkey mince and fry until it is fully cooked. Make sure there are no sneaky pink bits - break it up as necessary. Once cooked through, remove this mix from the pan and set aside.

3. Fry your courgette and pepper until softened. You made need to add a little more oil.

4. Add the turkey, onion and garlic mix back into the pan and stir everything together. Pour in your can of chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomate purée. Then fill the empty tomato can one-third of the way with water and add this into your pan. Add in your bay leaf, basil, some paprika (I do it by sight, so I'd guess around 1 tsp) and a quarter tsp chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper. Mix this all together and bring to a simmer. Leave it simmering for around 10-15 minutes until reduced.

5. Meanwhile, make your white sauce. Break up the feta into a medium size bowl and soften with a fork. Crack in the egg and mix it in with the fork. Then add enough milk to bring it together like a sauce - you want it quite thick, not runny. 

6. Put the spinach in a frying pan over a high heat and stir until wilted down. Add this into your feta mix and stir together.

7. Time to assemble! I used a square dish that was roughly 10" x 10", and only used two pasta layers to make it lighter. First place a layer of meat in and spread it out well. Top with your lasanga sheets, making sure all the meat is covered and none of the sheets overlap. You may need to break a couple of sheets to do this. Next, spoon in enough of the feta-spinach sauce to cover all of the lasange sheets, making sure all the pasta is coated. 
Repeat - meat, then lasange sheets, then feta-spinach sauce. Top with your grated cheese and some black pepper. 

8. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees (160 degrees fan) for 35-45 mins, until the top is golden-brown. If you feel it's cooking too quickly on the top, cover it with a layer of tin foil so it doesn't burn. 

So there you go - proof that there are other ways to eat turkey than a dried-up roast on Christmas Day. Enjoy ;)