Vegetable Lasagna

I love lasagna, especially vegetable lasagna. This one is filled with veggies and lower-fat cheeses, so is actually fairly healthy!

Vegetable Lasagna (approx. 12 servings)
2 cups diced zucchini (do not peel)
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 oz.)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup dry red or white wine
3 T. chopped fresh basil
1 9 oz. bag baby spinach
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 24 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 9 oz. package no-boil lasagna noodles

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Combine zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, and wine in a deep frying pan or saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in basil and set aside.

3. Cook spinach (+ up to 1 tsp. water, if needed) in a large pot at high heat for 3 minutes, until just wilted (still bright green). Drain and chop coarsely, combine with cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.

4. Assemble the following layers in a 9 x 13 x 3 in. baking dish (listed top to bottom):
1 cup pasta sauce
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/3 vegetable mixture
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/3 vegetable mixture
1 cup pasta sauce
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1/3 spinach - cheese mixture
1/3 vegetable mixture
4 lasagna noodles (overlap slightly)
1 cup pasta sauce

5. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350F until noodles are tender, 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

6. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Zucchini - Apple Bread (and tips for sprucing up some out-of-the-box quick breads)

With Thanksgiving houseguests soon making their appearances, the time is right for preparing a few quick breads to have on hand for snacks and breakfast treats. Preparing this zucchini - apple bread takes a little time (mostly because of the time needed to grate the zucchini), but isn't something that you'll find in the ready-made quick bread mixes available at the store. If you are a bit pressed for time and are looking for ideas on how to spruce up some of the prepared mixes, scroll down to the bottom of this post for some ideas using pumpkin and cranberry breads.

Zucchini - Apple Bread
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely grated zucchini (do not peel before grating)
1/4 cup applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan [or 3 3 x 5 inch mini loaf pans] with non-stick spray.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

3. In another bowl, combine egg, sugar, zucchini, and applesauce. Pour zucchini mixture into flour mixture and stir until batter is just moistened, then pour into prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes [for mini loaves, 35-45 min] or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack until completely cooled. Wrap tightly in plastic or aluminum foil to store.

Easy spruce-ups for quick breads
When I called down to my uncle's house to ask what he'd like me to contribute for the big meal on Thursday, the first thing that he asked for was some of my "magic breads." While these quick bread might be magic, they aren't too difficult to make - in fact, they only require choosing your favorite mix-ins and adding them to a ready-made box mix (like Pillsbury) before baking!

Pumpkin Quick Bread
- 1/2 cup butterscotch or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1 T. fresh chopped ginger (or ginger paste)
- use apple cider instead of water in the mix (1-for-1 substitution)
- use applesauce instead of oil in the mix (1-for-1 substitution)

Cranberry Quick Bread
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- use orange juice instead of water in the mix (1-for-1 substitution)
- use applesauce instead of oil in the mix (1-for-1 substitution)