Meatless Monday: Vegetable Lasagna
So you probably know by now that I am a meat lover in the process of cutting back on and (eventually) giving up meat. When, I ran across this recipe, I wondered just how good a lasagna would taste without the meat or pasta. Well, I must admit this recipe for Veggie lasagna gets a thumbs up from me.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed, plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic, plus 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
24 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium yellow squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 portobello mushroom, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare tomato sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cloves crushed garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add dried oregano, basil, and parsley and stir. Add crushed tomatoes and salt and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and dried thyme. Place zucchini on a sheet pan and brush with olive oil mixture. Bake until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Marinate the eggplant and yellow squash in the remaining olive oil mixture for a few minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute until fragrant. Add sliced button mushrooms and saute until tender. Set aside. Meanwhile, place marinated vegetables in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
Line the bottom of a casserole dish with the baked zucchini slices. Add half of the eggplant and squash mixture. Top with half of the tomato sauce and then spread the ricotta cheese over. Arrange portobello slices over top and then sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Top with the sauteed mushroom mixture. Top with remaining eggplant and squash mixture. Spread remaining tomato sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted and brown, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
(Recipe courtesy of Juan Carlos Cruz, The Food Network)
(Steak Image courtesy of The BusyBrain, Flickr)
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Meatless Monday: Spicy Gingered Broccoli With Red Pepper
This recipe is simple and easy to make plus it is chock-full of healthy ingredients. Ginger and ginger root give foods a "kick" and can be used for upset stomach and various digestive problems. I admit that garlic can wreak havoc on your breath but its potential to lower cholesterol, prevent dangerous blood clots, reduce blood pressure and protect against bacterial/ fungal infections is pretty impressive. Broccoli is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and folic acid.
Ingredients
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon (or to taste) grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Preparation
To make sauce, stir together pineapple juice, oyster sauce, and Asian chili sauce; set aside.
Heat wok or skillet until water dropped on surface evaporates immediately.
Add oil and stir-fry ginger and garlic for several seconds.
Add broccoli and stir-fry for an additional minute.
Add red bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Add sesame seeds and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Push vegetables away from the center of wok.
Add sauce to center of wok, cooking until bubbly.
Stir all ingredients to coat.
The original recipe calls for peanut oil (instead of olive oil) and almonds (instead of sesame seeds). Visit vegetarian.betterrecipes.com
