Recently, my mom called me and asked, “What do you eat?” I didn’t really know how to answer initially. Then after some teeth pulling, she revealed that she was interested in vegetarian and tofu recipes. I was thrilled. My embrace of occasi-tarian ways has been the subject of mild ridicule, so to have mom on board was awesome.

As a result of her request, I have been trying to collect some of my best recipes to send on to her. She does not do blogs…so having her read them here…that ain’t gonna happen. But, if you read this and see her every once in a while, maybe you can print her off a copy.

Here’s the recipe:

After many of my vegetarian meals, my husband will say “Thank you for a delicious meal; now I need real food.” And, he will then check the fridge for carnivore-satisfying leftovers. He did not do that after this meal! In fact, he took the leftovers to work the next day!

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles, pre-boiled
@3 cups spaghetti sauce (homemade or jarred- which I use depends on time)
1 cup, part-skim ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups each shredded parmesan and mozzarella
1 med. zucchini, sliced thin, lengthwise
1 med. yellow squash, sliced thin, lengthwise
2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 lg. container of white mushrooms, sliced
Italian Seasoning
Slap Ya Mama (SYM) or Tony’s
Salt-n-Pepper

How tos:

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

*Sprinkle zucchini and squash with SYM and then place in a single layer on cookie sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Spray the foil and veggies with non-stick cooking spray.

*Roast in oven until tender and slightly charred. Go with what you like, little char or no char…

*While the squash is roasting, stir-fry with a little olive oil or non-stick spray in non-stick pan, the mushrooms and sprouts. Season as you go with SYM and Italian seasoning.

*Once the shrooms and sprouts have what Ann Burrell calls ‘good food color’ toss in most of the spaghetti sauce, reserving some to put in between layers.

*Spray an 8×11.5 in pan with non-stick cooking spray, then lay down the first layer of noodles; spread a little sauce over the noodles then layer the squash and zucchini, next add a little more sauce and a small sprinkle of cheese.

*Then the next layer, noodles again then the ricotta cheese. Then put more noodles on top of the ricotta.

*Now, the top layer, put the mushroom and sprout mixture on top the noodles. Put the remaining sauce and then cheese on top of the veggie mixture.

*Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Please note: My husband hates squash and zucchini; he did not even realize those were in this recipe! Also, the recipe can be easily adapted for a 13×9 pan, just cook more veggies!

When I serve this, I also serve a simple Caprese Salad with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.

If you couldn’t tell…I love cheese!!! And, I always eat REAL cheese…no vegan or low-fat varieties for me, unless it’s string cheese.