Faux Lasagna

Returning to normal life after the holidays usually requires a detox with lots of veggies and other healthy eats. Last week I stocked up my fridge with heaps of fresh produce in hopes of making my some delicious meals in the new year.

Well after being 3 for 3 in cooking unappetizing, healthy meals, I decided to turn to an old favorite that is healthy and tasty. It's a casserole/lasagna that replaces noodles with quinoa. Hey, as long as there's ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, I'm a happy camper. But trust me, even though it's *healthy food*, it's delicious healthy food!

Recipe Tip

• if you like to do recipe prep for the week or night before, cook the quinoa and roast the veggies in advance. it really speeds up the cooking process. 

Vegetable Quinoa Lasagna adapted from The Adventures of MJ and Hungryman, serves 4
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets and roasted (how to roast veggies)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed and roasted
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (how to cook quinoa---i like to make mine in the rice cooker)
cooking spray
2/3 cup tomato sauce, divided
1/2 tub of whole milk ricotta cheese (15 oz)
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread cooked quinoa evenly into prepared pan. Using 1/3 tomato sauce, spread sauce evenly on top of quinoa. Then add roasted cauliflower and sweet potato on top.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Then mix in parmesan cheese, oregano and basil into ricotta mixture. Then spread evenly on top of vegetable layer. Add remaining tomato sauce on top of ricotta cheese layer. Then sprinkle as much mozzarella cheese on top of the lasagna.
3. Place in oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is browned.
4. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
5. Serve and enjoy!