Recipe: Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna

Hi Friends!!

I hope everyone is entering all my Blogaversary giveaways!! I love all the responses/entries so far! Keep them coming! :)

Last night, as you know, was Monday, which means Meatless Monday happened. I've been wanting to make zucchini lasagna for a couple weeks now, and it finally happened! Originally I planned to make it using ground turkey, but that's against Monday's rules.. ;) 

While this lasagna was delicious and had amazing flavor, I'm stumped on how to not make it so soupy. It didn't hold any form, and ended up being served with a big spoon. Maybe I made it with too much sauce?  Any suggestions?

I'm sitting here complaining about the form of this lasagna, when in reality the entire pan was gobbled up and Nelpe had 3 servings! So, soupy or not, this was a dinner winner!

Vegetarian Zucchini Lasagna

What you’ll need:

3 zucchini, sliced into 1/8 in thick strips
salt
1 tbsp. EVOO
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1- 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp garlic salt
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped
½ cup Parmesan
10 oz. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp FlavorGod Garlic Lovers Seasoning
1 cup mozzarella

What you do:

Preheat oven to 375.
Lay zucchini slices on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Cover with another paper towel and press.
Heat EVOO, garlic, and onion in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic salt, and garlic powder to sauce pan. Stir well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan, FlavorGod seasoning, and fresh basil.
In a 9x9 baking pan, spread some sauce on the bottom.
Layer 1 layer of zucchini across the sauce.
Top zucchini with 1/3 ricotta mixture.
Lightly sprinkle mozzarella cheese over ricotta, and add tomato sauce to cover.
Repeat zucchini, ricotta, and sauce layers.
End with sprinkling mozzarella over top.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Remove foil and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until cheese is golden.
Remove from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Happy Thursday to you!

I love days like today, when I have absolutely nothing on my calendar so I can sit at my computer and get a bunch of work done. Nelpe woke up around 6 am this morning so she's already snoozing away on her first nap of the day = momma gets work done! 

We started a meal train for a mom at school who just had a baby boy. Yesterday was my day to provide a delicious meal and I was kind of excited because I've never been a part of a meal train before this! I cook for my family and friends all the time, but cooking for someone else's family who you aren't real close with is kinda nerve wrecking. You just hope they like your cooking as much as you like it. :) 

Her husband is vegetarian, so I decided to make them my favorite massaged kale salad (with craisins and Gorgonzola cheese crumbles) and this Vegetarian Enchilada casserole. "Mexican" food is a universal favorite. Who doesn't love food covered in cheese!?

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

What you’ll need:

1 bag of baby spinach (6oz), chopped or torn into smaller pieces
EVOO
1 can mild enchilada sauce
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1 can southwest corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 flour or whole wheat tortillas (or more, depending on size)
3 cups shredded cheese blend (Mexican, cheddar, ect.)
Avocado & sour cream for topping


What you do:
Preheat oven to 375.
Sauté spinach in EVOO over medium heat for 2 minutes, until wilted.
In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, spinach, green chiles, and 2 cups of cheese.
Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and pour in a small amount of enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.
Lay down two tortillas to cover sauce. (If your tortillas are smaller, you may need more)
Cover tortillas with half of spinach mix.
Lay down more tortillas and cover with rest of spinach mix.
Add more two more tortillas on top and pour rest of enchilada sauce over them.
Top with remaining cup of cheese.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
Cut into squares (like you would lasagna) and top with sour cream and/or avocado slices.

Enjoy!

XOXO