spinach artichoke lasagna

1 hour 30 minutes

9 lasagna noodles, cooked
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces vegetable broth
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 14 ounce can  marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 28 ounce jar pasta sauce of your choice
2 cups italian shredded cheese
1 4 ounce package of crumbled feta with garlic and herbs

preheat oven to 350. grease baking dish. (mine is about 8 x 12 I think. I cook everything in a toaster oven). heat skillet over medium high, add oil and sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes. add italian seasoning and stir in broth. add artichoke hearts and spinach, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. turn off stove. pour a splash of sauce in the bottom of casserole dish, followed by three lasagna noodles. Add 1/2 of veggie mixture and top with 1/2 of italian cheese, 1/3 of remaining pasta sauce. add 3 noodles, veggies, cheese, sauce and noodles again. pour remaining sauce and top with crumbled feta. bake covered for 40 minutes. uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

this also works well for a make ahead dish but be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

zuppa toscana

1+ hour

2 tablespoons olive oil
1- 1.5 lb spicy italian sausage, ground
1 small white onion, diced
3 tablespoons fennel seed
3 tablespoons mustard seed
1.5 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 large russet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
4+ cups water
1 cup half and half
3 cups kale, chopped

in a large pot add oil and sausage browning both sides slightly before adding onion. add fennel, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper and garlic and coat meat and onions with spices. saute 3 minutes. add potatoes, coating as well. add broth and 4 cups of water. if you like a thinner soup you may more water. bring to a boil and turn heat down to simmer for 30 minutes or longer. about 10 minutes before serving add half and half.

place 1/2 cup of kale in the bottom of each bowl and top with soup. serve. yum.

this is my favorite soup and a staple around here. it is fairly spicy. they cayenne gives a nice little burn on the back of the throat so if that is not your thing, eliminate some of the spice.

baked augergine (eggplant)

45 minutes

this recipe can serve 2 purposes:that of a vegan eggplant parm or a lowfat version

1/2 cup vegannaise or fat free mayo
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2/3 cups finely grated parmesan (leave this out if vegan or sub a vegan cheese)
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
olive oil spray

preheat oven to 425. if you would like to make the bread crumbs yourself, place about 6 pieces of bread in the toaster oven at 250 for 30 minutes. remove and place in food processor until fine (a couple of minutes). pour on to a plate or shallow bowl. spray a cookie sheet with olive oil mist. add vegannaise or mayo to a shallow bowl and mix in onion. dip the eggplant in mayo and spread evenly and somewhat lightly on to the surface of eggplant slices. dip in bread crumb mixture and repeat until all are covered and placed on cookie sheet. cook for 12 minutes. remove. flip. cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

i serve this with spaghetti and a salad.

spinach mushroom lasagna

1 hour

1 10 ounce box frozen spinach
1 8 ounce carton of sliced button mushrooms
olive oil spray
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 16 ounce container of low fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup parmesan + 1/3 cup to top
1 cup mozzarella + 1/4 cup to top
1/2 cup packed fresh basil, sliced very thin
whole wheat lasagna noodles
24 ounces red sauce (we use newman's own sockarooni)]
fresh tomato slices

preheat oven to 375. in a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and basil. set aside. spray skillet with olive oil. add mushrooms, spinach and garlic powder to skillet and saute until mushrooms begin to soften. remove from heat. squeeze moisture out by either placing the veggies in a colander and pushing moisture out or by using a towel to absorb the water. set aside. add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish. place noodles in dish. add half of cheese mixture, half of veggies, layer of sauce, layer of noodles and repeat. add the remaining sauce and top with mozza and parm. add sliced tomatoes if so desired. bake covered for 45 minutes. uncover and broil for 15 minutes. let set up 10 minutes before serving.