Staff and students’ valued contributions assist CatholicCare in its mission to provide support for vulnerable people in the Manning community. It also provides students with an opportunity to get a first-hand understanding of the social challenges experienced by those in their community, and their power to assist in creating opportunities for improvement through connection, acceptance and support.
Once a month, staff and students work together as a team to produce a meal for the community patrons to enjoy, using the donated ingredients available to them upon their arrival. Recently, they made a vegetable lasagne for the enjoyment of diners, and have kindly shared the recipe.
Ingredients
3 eggplants
125ml olive oil
Pumpkin
3 carrots
3 zucchinis
2 bunches spinach or bok choy
1 large leek or 2 onions
1 large sweet potato
10 tomatoes or 2 large cans of tomatoes or pasta sauce
1 large bottle of tomato paste
4 garlic cloves
Fresh or dried herbs
12 lasagne sheets or 2 cups of cooked pasta
Cheese sauce
90g butter
90g plain (all-purpose) flour
750ml warm milk
200g grated cheese
Method
Filling
Prepare vegetables, thinly slice or dice.
Crush garlic.
Place olive oil in a large pan, add vegetables and sauté.
Add garlic, tomatoes or pasta sauce and herbs.
Simmer until vegetables are cooked, add tomato paste and heat until thick.
Cheese Sauce
Melt butter, add flour, stir and cook 1 min. Add warm milk gradually and stir until pouring consistency.
Add 100g of cheese and stir until cheese has melted.
Assembling lasagne
Spread a thin layer of cheese sauce over large dish then add a layer of lasagne noodles.
Add ½ of vegetable mixture / layer of lasagne noodles / layer of cheese sauce.
Layer of vegetables mixture / layer of lasagne noodles / layer of cheese sauce, top with 100g cheese.
Place in moderate oven for 25min or until lasagne noodles are cooked and cheese melted and golden brown.