Amelia 'Milk' Sewell - Three Cheese Lasagna

EFFERVESCENT, down-to-earth, zany and most definitely 'The Girl Boss' are just some of the words Amelia 'Milk' Sewell used to describe herself.

She believes in living her life the way she wants to be treated. Her favourite channel on television, the Food Network, explains Amelia's love for cooking as she enjoys playing with different seasonings to create new flavours as a way to add a twist to traditional dishes.

Amelia's Three Cheese Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Plantains is definitely something to make for dinner on a special occasion. And what better time than Mother's Day.

TEENage: What does Mother's Day mean to you?

 

Amelia: Every day is a Mother's Day for me. I really cherish the relationship that I have with my grandmother, who raised me and I cherish the relationship that I have with my own mother. Mothers should be celebrated every day not just one day. Mothers are the backbone of our society and the world.

Message to her grandmother, Gladys Baracatt:

Thank you for the hard work you have done throughout these years. I know that I have given you a lot of trouble but I turned out GREAT and it's all because of you. I LOVE YOU.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb meat (grounded)

1 lb turkey sausage (smoked)

1 lb sharp cheddar

1 lb mozzarella

8 oz ricotta

1 pack lasagna pasta

1 tin Delmonte Spaghetti sauce

2 ripe plantains

1 head Garlic (chopped)

1 Onion

2 oz escallion

8 fl oz vegetable oil

1 tbsp dried basil

2 oz brown sugar

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Method

1. In a medium size pot add 1/2 gallon of water, salt and four fluid ounces of oil. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta for about eight to 10 minutes, drain, refresh, oil, and set aside.

2. Season mince with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add onions, garlic and escallion, sauté for two to three minutes, and then add the mince. Cook for 20 minutes.

3. After the mince has been cooked for 20 minutes add the turkey sausage, salt, pepper, basil and sugar. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350º F (180ºC).

5. To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a disposable pan. Layer the ingredients beginning with a layer of pasta, arrange the pasta so that there is an overlap of about one inch . Spread a layer of cheese followed by a layer of meat sauce then plantain. Continue layering the ingredients in this manner, reserving a portion of cheese. Finish with a layer of pasta.

6. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on the top of the lasagna. Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The top should be a light golden brown when done.

7. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it stand for 30 to 45 minutes before cutting into portions and serving on heated plates.

Tips

* When finishing the top of the lasagna, make sure that all the pasta is covered with cheese as any exposed are will become dry, crisp and burnt.

* Using turkey sausage in this dish alters the flavour profile by adding both a sweet and a smokey flavour to the end product.

Camar - {Chili Chicken and Potato Salad }

Who is Camar? Camar is a recording artiste, producer and songwriter. He loves to have fun, loves music, loves life, loves people, loves to interact and most of all, loves his mother. Working hard in the studios on his latest singles such as ‘Party Hard’ with Beenie Man, Camar found time to pay tribute to his mother through his cooking skills.

He decided to do a healthy Chili Chicken and Potato Salad while considering his mother’s eating habits. It is quite a tasty and simple dish to make with a delicious flavour. The moisture of the chicken breast complemented the soft potatoes all covered in the specially made and spiced dressing. This dish can serve as a suitable dinner for everyone as well as it can be served as a side order.

What does Mother’s Day mean to Camar?

Camar: Mother’s Day means everything to me. It’s all about the woman who gave me life, who taught me how to be a man and to respect women. It’s a day to show women on a whole that they have to gift of bringing forth life and nurturing and I appreciate that because without them we would not have the compassion as men to handle certain situations with a lot more prudence.

At the end of it all, Camar sent a down-to-earth and heartfelt message to his Mom for the special day:

Mommy, mi love yuh. Big man ting! Mi a work hard same way because mi want yuh fi have di bes’. Yuh son a work hard fi ‘im ting so ‘im can come out deh an mek yuh have di fina’ tings in life. So Mommy mi love yuh. MI give thanks seh u neva dash mi whe, seh u neva give up pon mi. MI give thanks seh yuh teach mi an’ grow mi up inna di right way. Mi love yuh!!!

Ingredients

½ lb                        potato, irish, diced
½ lb                        potato, sweet, diced
3 oz                        raisin
1 oz                        chili sauce
1 lb                         chicken breast
2 oz                        salt
1 tbsp                    pepper, black
10 oz                      mayonnaise
3 oz                        mustard
6 fl oz                    oil, olive
2 oz                        sweet pepper, green, diced
2 oz                        sweet pepper, yellow, diced
2 oz                        sweet pepper, red, diced
1 each                   onion
1 head                  lettuce, local
1 oz                        parsley, fresh, sprig

Method

1.      In a medium size pot add ½ gallon of water and salt to taste. Add potatoes and boil until tender. This should take about 8 – 10 minutes. Drain and set aside on a baking tray to cool on the counter top for 10 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to continue the cooling process.

2.      In a bowl, add chicken breast and season with salt, pepper and olive oil then set aside.

3.      In a sauté pan over a medium flame add 2 fl oz. oil. Sear chicken breast on both sides until fully cooked. This should take about 3 – 4 minutes on either side. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.

4.      When the chicken is fully cooled, cut them into the same size dice as the potatoes.

5.      In another sauté pan over a medium flame add 1 fl oz. oil, onions and peppers and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow them to cool.

6.      To make the dressing, in a bowl add mayonnaise, mustard, chili sauce, salt and pepper to taste

7.      To the bowl of dressing, add the potatoes, chicken, raisin, sautéed peppers and onions. Combine all the ingredients properly to ensure that the dressing is evenly distributed.

8.      Present the salad on a lettuce leaf and garnish with a fresh sprig of parsley.  

Tips:-

·         Make sure that all your ingredients are cooled properly before you combine them. A recommended temperature is 36°F to 40°F

·         Potatoes can be seasoned with salt and pepper before adding them to the dressing. This will ensure that the potato do not fully depend on the dressing for flavour.

MEET Karl Thomas

Meet Karl Thomas, the chef responsible for preparing the food for Jamaica's athletes at the London 2012 Olympics. The certified executive chef and chef technologist at the University of Technology (UTECH) Jamaica, gave The Gleaner a preview of the food he will be cooking up at the Jamaican Olympic village in Birmingham, UK.