New Spin on Veggie Lasagna (What's Cookin' - Part Five)

Here is the finished product from tonight's dinner. I got the recipe from Vegetarian Times and it's mighty tasty.

Full disclosure: I'm not sold on calling this lasagna. Nevertheless, it's a great layered dish FULL of flavor, texture, nutrition and color. Best of all, it's fantastically filling and still low in calories. And I am already counting the minutes till Lunch Leftovers tomorrow.

And if you want more of the pasta flavor that lasagna noodles gives, I would just try decreasing the amount of zucchini and add the noodles.

ZUCCHINI QUINOA LASAGNA
Serves 6


The winner for me in this dish was using high-protein quinoa instead of a meat filling. It gave it good density and just absorbed all the flavors of the sauce and vegetables.

Ingredients
2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 12 ¼-inch-thick slices
1 tsp. salt
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 Tbs. cream cheese (non-dairy options such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese works, apparently)
1 25-oz. jar marinara sauce* (see my notes below in Directions)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (can use non-dairy options here too, such as Daiya Mozzarella)

Directions
I made my dish tonight with the roasted tomato sauce that I used this weekend. I used 7 Roma tomatoes, added a can of tomato paste and a cup of water to make it thinner. I think it made the dish even better -- perhaps that was due to the 5 cloves of garlic I roasted with the tomatoes?!

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place zucchini slices on bed of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, cover with paper towels, and let stand to release moisture while preparing quinoa.

2. Bring broth, quinoa, tomato sauce, onion, and oregano to a boil in saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, parsley, and cream cheese, if using.

3. Spoon 1/3 cup marinara sauce over bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini slices, and lay 4 zucchini slices over marinara sauce in pan. Spoon half of quinoa over zucchini, and cover with 1/3 cup marinara. Repeat with 4 more zucchini slices, remaining quinoa, and 1/3 cup marinara. Top with remaining 4 zucchini slices, remaining marinara, and shredded cheese, if using. Bake lasagna 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and top is bubbly.

New Kind o' Veggie Burger...

True confessions: I have not tried this recipe yet. But it sounds marvelous. Give it a spin and tell me your impressions -- I just went and bought an eggplant today and plan on making it this weekend with my Fairview Gardens heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. I got it from The World Community Cookbook - "Simply in Season."

Eggplant Burgers

A delicious late summer meatless grill, or make it under the broiler. You might need a knife and fork to eat these hearty sandwiches.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together in a small bowl.

1 large eggplant

Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch / 5-mm thick slices to make 12-16 slices. Brush with the oil mixture. Place on grill over medium-high heat. Close lid and cook, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining oil mixture, until tender, 5-10 minutes. Remove from grill. (Eggplant slices may be cooked under the broiler or sautéed in a frypan until tender, 4-5 minutes per side.)

8 thin slices provolone, Gouda, or other cheese

2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
or 4 large pieces roasted red sweet peppers

8-16 leaves fresh basil

freshly ground pepper

Place a slice of cheese on 1 eggplant slice; top with another eggplant slice. Top with 2 tomato slices or a piece of roasted red sweet pepper, then 2-4 basil leaves. Top with third eggplant slice, then another slice of cheese. Top with fourth eggplant slice. Repeat to make 4 stacks, adding a grind of pepper at the end (optional). Place on grill; close lid and cook for about 2 minutes, turning once.

4 crusty rolls or 8 thin slices sturdy bread

Drizzle balsamic vinegar on inside of split rolls. Or brush the bread with olive oil, toast it on the grill and lightly rub a cut clove of garlic over the toasted surface. Add vegetable stacks and serve immediately. Or allow to cool, wrap tightly, and refrigerate several hours or overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

"Beet" Ya To It!

If I post a new recipe here, I usually wait till Thursdays, when I go pick up my share at our CSA. But this one can't wait...

I have mentioned here previously how I want to gratefully receive the "manna" (see Exodus 16) that God provides to me in this season of less-than-full-time employment. That means that at least once a week I look in my crisper and pantry and say, "Well Lord, what are we gonna make tonight?"

And thanks to internet (or interweb, as my good friend The Pastor Reverend Karl says...) I can just plug in various ingredients and voila! I get to venture into the unknown. Yes, you can even step out in faith in the ways you eat, people...

Tonight I looked in the crisper and saw 5 Fairview Gardens beets and a leek, along with the ever-present package of Costco organic pasta in the pantry. I found a recipe with some potential, and added a bit of my own flair. (Props to my friend Steph for convincing me that beets are worth it.) Here goes! (Sorry I don't have a photo. The camera on my phone is broken.)

ROASTED BEETS & LEEKS PASTA SALAD

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 leek, sliced

3-5 raw beets, peeled & cubed

2 1/2 cups rainbow rotini pasta (or let's be honest, whatever you have...)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons rosemary, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Kosher salt

2 tb shredded parmesan

PROTEIN - optional: add a cup of diced chicken, 3-4 pieces of chopped bacon or 3 oz of shrimp. I put in the shrimp. Yesssssss.

1. Toss beet cubes in 1 tablespoon olive oil and rosemary. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place them on a sheet lined with foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Stir them periodically with a spatula. (PS cutting beets while they are raw is a much less messier business.)

2. As beets cook, drop butter and remaining olive oil in a wide pan on the stove. Add leeks & minced garlic. Cover and allow to cook until they soften and begin to brown, approximately 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

3. Meanwhile, start a pot of salted water boiling on the stove. Drop in pasta and cook according to package’s directions. Drain and set aside.

4. Once beets, leeks and pasta are done, mix to combine. Add more garlic if you want, and parsley (and protein?) and toss well. Salt to taste, sprinkle parmesan right before serving.

¡Muy Deliciosa!