Meatless Monday

Going meatless has benefits beyond making your meals healthier- it can make them tastier too! Adding veggies in place of meat packs flavor into your you favorite dishes and  broadens your culinary horizons to experiment with foods you normally might pass over. 

Take this Italian recipe for lasagna for example.  In place of meat, we've added zucchini and eggplant.  Eggplant is a good source of fiber, folate, and B vitamins. It also contains phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid,which has shown to have both antimicrobial and antiviral activities.  In many recipes, eggplant fulfills the role of being a complementary ingredient that balances the surrounding flavors of the other more pronounced ingredients.

So give this recipe a try tonight- one great thing about lasagna is that it freezes well, so you can enjoy leftovers all week long!

 

 

Zucchini Eggplant Lasagna

• 1 large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 cup (8 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 15 minutes.
• 3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, oregano, red pepper, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 4. Combine basil, ricotta, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over tomato mixture; top with half of eggplant and half of zucchini. Spread ricotta mixture over vegetables; cover with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup tomato mixture over noodles; layer with remaining eggplant and zucchini slices. Arrange remaining 4 noodles over vegetables, and spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles. Top evenly with mozzarella. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until browned. Cool for 5 minutes

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving: 12

• Calories: 216       
• Fat: 7.7g       
• Saturated fat: 4.2g 
• Protein: 12.7g       
• Carbohydrate: 25.7g
• Fiber: 4.2g