Vegetarian lasagna packed with some of your favorite ingredients and just as satisfying as your traditional Italian dish.
Even though we moved into our neighborhood just over one year ago, we are not the newest ones there. We have three neighbors surrounding us that moved in last summer, so we’ve been getting to know each of them over time. One family is certainly a fun favorite, as they have two boys surrounding the ages of my two boys. Match made in heaven, and a definite answer to prayer!
Another family right next to us is a single Indian man with two young daughters. Judah loves playing outside with the girls when they get home from school. The dad is the nicest guy and even invited us over, very randomly, one evening to sample some Indian food he was cooking up in his kitchen. During this visit, he showed us his spice drawer where he stores his homemade spices…I was very impressed!
We want to have this family over for dinner, but I learned that because of their religion, they are vegetarian. (So is our 14-year old babysitter who lives across the street!) Anyway, for this reason and many others, I want to try and gain a larger collection of vegetarian main dish recipes that I am excited to serve. This lasagna is a great one to keep for this very reason.
What are some of your favorite vegetarian dishes?
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , divided
- 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese (reduced-fat is fine)
- 1 egg
- 2 heads broccoli , washed and dried, cut into florets
- 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 12 traditional lasagna noodles
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella (reduced-fat is fine)
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
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In a large saucepan, whisk together the flour and 1 cup of the milk until smooth. Mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid burning. Once thickened, remove pan from the heat. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese; set aside.
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In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese and egg; set aside.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli florets and let cook for 4 minutes, adding the mushrooms during the last minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli and mushrooms to a bowl. In the same pot of boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles following the package directions. Drain.
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Working quickly, assemble the lasagna. Spread 1/2 cup of the warm cheese sauce in the bottom of the greased pan. (If a film has developed over the top of the cheese sauce in the pan, whisk until smooth again.) Layer 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce, then evenly spread the ricotta mixture over top. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, then spoon on the broccoli and mushrooms. Pour 2 cups of the sauce over top the vegetables, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup Mozzarella. Layer 3 more noodles, then top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Mozzarella then one more layer of 3 noodles. Evenly spread the remaining sauce over top (about 1 cup) then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
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Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly hot. Remove pan from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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Recipe Source: Family Circle Magazine, January 2012
I love broccoli – I through it in almost everything!
Yum! I am also always on the hunt for meatless meals. Sometimes it can be hard to think of things to make for vegetarian guests, other than just a salad or cheese pizza!
Try bean burgers, or vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls. Also, a good homemade mac-n-cheese casserole is always a winner!
Mac-N-Cheese
1 box macaroni cooked al dente
1/2 lb aged sharp cheddar cheese (cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1/4 lb jarlsberg cheese (cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1/4 lb pepper jack cheese (cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1/2 lb velveeta (cut into 1/2″ cubes (yah, I know but it helps make it creamier!)
2 C medium bechamel sauce (recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Sauce-or-Bechamel-Sauce-40046)
1 head broccoli florets cooked until softened)
1/2 head cauliflower florets cooked until softened)
1 yellow onion
1/2 cup green onions sliced (the green parts only)
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
2 TBSP unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Steam broccoli and cauliflower florets until they are tender but not soft, set aside. Chop onion, set aside. Cut cheeses into cubes, mix together and set aside. Cook macaroni, rinse thoroughly in cold water.
Prepare 9×11 baking pan by lining with aluminum foil and spraying with cooking spray or by coating with vegetable oil or margarine.
In a very large bowl: Mix your macaroni with the bechamel sauce, add in onions, cauliflower, broccoli, and most of your cheeses setting aside 1 cup of cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir into mixture. Spread this mixture into the pan evenly. Add the remaining cheese, bread crumbs and green onions to the top. Place in oven for 45-60 minutes (until top is browned and casserole bubbly). Serve with a salad and a fruit dessert!
Love the idea of less meat in my cooking! And lasagna…well, say no more 🙂
Vegetarian Shepherds Pie:
Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
2 tbsp. Vegetable oil
8oz mixed brown and green lentils
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, grated
4oz mushrooms, chopped
1 dessert spoons tomato puree
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Salt and pepper, to season
11/2 lbs. mashed potatoes
Method:-
1. Soak lentils for 1 hour. Then simmer gently until tender – about 1/2 hour.
2. Fry vegetables in oil for about 10 minutes. Add tomato puree and fry a further few minutes, allowing puree to turn slightly brown on bottom of saucepan.
3. Add lentils, soy sauce and seasoning to taste to the saucepan with the vegetables.
4. Put mixture into pie dish, spread with mashed potatoes.
5. Bake in oven 440 degrees F for 30 – 40 minutes, until top is golden brown.
AND:
Onion Pie:
Onion Pie
INGREDIENTS
8 cups sliced onions
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt, freshly-ground pepper, and freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 unbaked pie shell of your choice
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, saute onions in butter and oil. Cover pan and allow to cook over medium-low heat until onions are soft and golden, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to your taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Add eggs and cream, stirring well to combine. Pour into a pastry shell and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
(I use a selection of yellow, sweet, red and white onions and add about a cup of green onions in it for extra measure!)
Didn’t you leave out the butter for making
the white sauce? Bechamel usually has equal
parts butter and flour.