What you’ll need:

1 bunch baby asparagus (any coarse ends removed)
300g fresh baby peas, shelled
A handful of fresh English spinach leaves
A small handful of freshly picked mint leaves
Juice of half a lemon
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
80g soft feta or goat’s cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a small pot of water to the boil on the stove. Once boiling, add the asparagus and shelled peas and blanch for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drain and immediately place vegetables in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process (you want them to still be firm, not soggy).

Place the spinach and mint leaves in a bowl. Remove the asparagus and peas from the ice water and drain. Add to the spinach and mint. Season with salt and pepper, squeeze the lemon juice over the top, drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat the vegetables.

Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and crumble the feta or goat’s cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

Still on the quest for delicious and light snacks, today I remembered a party favourite—spinach dip. It’s great for entertaining but also handy to keep in the fridge and have with crudités if you’re looking for a healthy snack. It’s also very simple to make.

250g packet frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
300g ricotta
¾ cup light sour cream
30g packet dry soup mix—spring vegetable or French onion works best
4 shallots, finely sliced

When the spinach has defrosted, squeeze out as much water as possible. In a food processor, combine the spinach, shallots, sour cream, ricotta and about two-thirds of the soup mix. Allow to combine for five minutes. Test the flavour and add more soup mix if you want a bit more saltiness. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving—this allows the flavour to intensify.

Serve with crackers and vegetable sticks, such as red capsicum, carrot, celery and green beans. The dip keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

I’ve come up with a recipe that satisfies both our food needs. Like all good lasagne, it takes a bit of time and effort to make but you end up with ample delicious leftovers.

First, make the tomato sauce:

1 tbs olive oil
2 x 400g canned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs rosemary, chopped
¼ cup basil, chopped
1 tbs oregano, chopped
1 bay leaf
Splash of red wine

Fry the garlic in oil until transparent. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Add the other ingredients and simmer gently for 45 minutes to thicken.

While that’s simmering away, start preparing the filling for the layers.

200g pumpkin
½ sweet potato
1 eggplant
2 zucchinis
12 mushrooms, sliced
fresh spinach or silver beet, roughly chopped
250g ricotta
350g mozzarella, grated
50g parmesan, grated
Lasagne sheets

Cut the pumpkin and sweet potato into 5mm slices and parboil. Set aside.

Slice the zucchinis and eggplant lengthways and grill for five minutes on each side. Set aside.

When the tomato sauce is ready, take off the heat, remove the bay leaf and set aside.

In a large ovenproof dish, cover the bottom with layer of tomato sauce and place lasagne sheets on top, covering it to the edges. Cover with a layer of eggplant, then mushrooms, then spinach. Dollop some of the ricotta around and sprinkle with some of the mozzarella.

Place another layer of lasagne sheets in the dish and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with a mixture of pumpkin and sweet potato, then add a layer of zucchini. Dollop with some more of the ricotta around and sprinkle with some more of the mozzarella.

Place another layer of lasagne sheets and cover with tomato sauce and another layer of mushrooms. Dollop the remaining ricotta and sprinkle with a thick layer of mozzarella and the parmesan cheese.

Bake at 140­­-160°C for an hour until cheese is golden with crunchy bits on top.