Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Clean Eating #69: Vegetarian (or not) Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetarian (or not) Vegetable Lasagna
Ingredients
(This makes 4 Large Pans, plus one 'casserole):
Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
6 Zucchini, Shredded
6-8 Carrots, Shredded
1 Eggplant, diced
1 each, Red, Yellow & Orange Bell Peppers, Diced and Sauteed
8 Oz diced & Sauteed Mushrooms
1-2 large Onions
1-2 Heads of Roasted Garlic
8-10 Quarts of Marinara Sauce
32 oz bags of shredded Mozerella
2 - 32 Oz Tubs of Ricotta Cheese
3 -24 Oz Tubs of Low/Nonfate Cottage Cheese
1 Tbsp Parsley
1 Tsp Each:  Basil & Oregano
Optional Protein Choices:
TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
Chopped Tempeh
Ground Lean Turkey
We made 5 Pans, 1 Tempeh, 1 TVP, 2 Lean Ground Turkey & 1 Vegetables only.
I always make half of the meat pans with extra mushrooms & green peppers and mark the side of the pan with a Sharpie.  I freeze all but two pans for later use when we're in a hurry and still want a hot homecooked meal.  Hopefully I can make these last and have one each week for the rest of the month.
Directions:
Boil water and start cooking lasagna noodles until fairly tender (but not finished).

While that's cooking...
Mix up your cottage & ricotta cheeses
Add Basil, Oregano & Parsley
Add Shredded Carrots, Zucchini & Eggplant
set aside for layering.

Start Layering...
Sauce first
Top with preferred Protein Source.
Then Layer with cooked pasta
Add layer of the Cheese & Veggie Mixture
Another layer of noodles
Another layer of Cheese mixture
More noodles
Top with the rest of the marinara sauce & more protein if you like...
Cover with Foil & Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
Uncover, top with Mozerella Cheese & bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.


What I did with the extras:
I ran out of noodles, but had a bit of the veggie/cheese mixture left, so I cooked up two boxes of Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta and tossed it together with the remainder of the sauce and cheeses.  I added some TVP for extra protein and Viola!  Lasagna Casserole:)

What I'd Do Differently Next Time:  I'd sautee the eggplant before putting it in the lasagna.  My husband loved it, but I didn't care for the texture of it.  Oh, and I'd bake more than one pan.  I baked one pan last night and there was one small serving this morning.  *sigh*