SERVING SOUL FOOD: VEGETABLE LASAGNE
One thing I am really enjoying about this extra time at home is the opportunity to trial new recipes with the delicious produce from Bunbury Farmers Market. I love creating healthy and nourishing recipes for families to try at home, and whilst I normally try to go with the quick prepare options, sometimes I like to experiment with the ones that take a little more time, but are well worth the effort!
My Nanna used to call time and effort the ‘Love Factor’, the secret winning ingredient to any recipe. She was so right! This Vegetarian Lasagne was absolutely mouth watering, even if I do say so myself (#modestmuch). It’s loaded with vegetable goodness, but rich with flavour from the sundried tomato and red wine sauce and cheesy ricotta topping. If you need some soul food at the moment, this is it!
Enjoy preparing and eating this amazing dish together! It will easily feed a family of 6!
Sending love and light to everyone at home. Keep safe and enjoy the time to experience food without the rush and with all the ‘love factor’.
Love Danae
Xx
Vegetable Layers
Ingredients
1 zucchini sliced into thin strips lengthways
1 eggplant sliced into thin strips lengthways
1 medium sized sweet potato, thinly sliced into circles (with skin)
½ medium sized butternut pumpkin, thinly sliced into circles (skin removed)
2 x small handfuls Baby spinach leaves
Celtic or Himalayan salt to season roasted vegetables
Liberal cracked pepper to season roasted vegetables
Ground Cinnamon to sprinkle over the top of sweet potato and pumpkin
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Place the zucchini and eggplant strips on a lined baking tray and drizzle olive oil over the top. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the pumpkin and sweet potato slices on a separate lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle ground cinnamon on the top.
Place trays in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft and browned.
Remove from the oven and lay eggplant and zucchini strips on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Set Vegetable Layers aside until ready for layering method below.
Sundried Tomato and Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
1 bottle (700g) Tomato Passata Sauce
2 x tins diced tomatoes
Olive Oil for roasting veggies (apply liberally)
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
1 large red onion diced
2 x medium red capsicum diced into large chunks
1 cup sundried tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic crushed
Coconut teriyaki sauce + Balsamic Vinegar (apply over tomato and onion mix pre-roasting and drizzle liberally through tomato sauce mix once added to cooking pot)
¼ cup red wine
1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
1 tsp ground Turmeric
1 tsp ground Sweet Paprika
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
Large handful of finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and cracked pepper to season (be generous with the cracked pepper!)
Optional Spicy Extra: ½ red chilli finely chopped
Method
Place the red onion, red capsicum, sundried and cherry tomatoes, in a lined baking tin and drizzle with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar (I used Coconut Balsamic Vinegar because it’s my favourite but standard Balsamic Vinegar will work just as well) and Teriyaki Coconut Aminos (Game Changer!). Season with salt and cracked pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until onion is caramelised and tomatoes and capsicum skins are blistered.
Remove from oven and transfer to a large cooking pot on a low heat. Add passata sauce, tinned tomatoes, sundried and cherry tomatoes, spices, coconut sugar, salt and pepper. Stir through and leave on a low simmer heat while vegetables roast allowing sauce to thicken. Add water as needed if sauce begins to stick to the pot or becomes too dry. It should be a lovely thick and chunky consistency.
Creamy Ricotta Topping
Ingredients
500g Low Fat Ricotta Cheese
½ cup Mozzarella Cheese (stir through)
2 eggs whisked
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Combine all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Stir through thoroughly before following layering method below.
Time to Layer!
In a large baking dish, spoon a thin layer of the sauce across the bottom before beginning layering in this order:
Sundried Tomato Sauce
Zucchini and Eggplant Layer
Sweet potato and pumpkin layer
Creamy ricotta sauce
Baby spinach leaves
Repeat once more (omit the spinach leaves layer this time)
Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top
Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until top layer is golden brown
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a light green salad