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| Kale and Bean Lasagna w/ Tofu |
I wasn't planning on making a lasagna post simply because it's one of those "duhhh" recipes, but I thought I'd share my way of making a healthier version packed with nutrients that tastes just as good as your typical/boring ground meat, ricotta/cottage cheese, etc combo. Well, I cheated a little with the feta, but that's because I secretly love feta cheese. A lower-fat cheese probably would've been a healthier option, but feta was in my fridge...so now it's in my lasagna.
While I was making the cheese layer mixture, I realized that I'd have to put a LOT of feta cheese to cover 2 layers. Well, since I didn't want my mom's blood pressure to spike from all that sodium (thanks, feta cheese), I ended up using some leftover silken tofu from last night and added it into my cheese mixture. Actually, that worked out very nicely because it almost resembled ricotta cheese! Almost. I also wanted to use a mixture of beans (red, black, pinto, garbanzo, etc) because my family buys a ton of beans to store away and use when making rice. The beans replaced my ground meat because I love the taste and texture of beans, and my mom is on the verge of claiming meat as evil. Either way, beans were the perfect "meaty" substitute and is definitely a nice change. I did not miss the cow at all.
Nutrition Rant: Kale is a nutritional powerhouse and an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C. Research has proven that kale converts glucosinolates (also found in broccoli) into cancer preventive compounds. In short, Kale = Amazing.
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| Let sit for 5-10 minutes |
Kale and Bean Lasagna:
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles
(Depends on size of baking dish and noodles)
Sauce:
2 1/2 cups of tomato (or pasta) sauce
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbs sriracha
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cup uncooked beans
Salt & pepper to taste
Tofu & Cheese:
1 1/2 cup silken tofu, mashed
1/2 cup feta cheese (or parmesan), extra for topping
6 Kale leaves, stems removed
1 egg white
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2) Soak beans overnight (at least 8 hours). Boil water, add beans, and reduce to medium-low heat for about 25-40 minutes.
*Since I used mixed beans, I just bit into a few beans as they were cooking to see if they were soft enough (but not mushy)
3) Cook whole wheat lasagna noodles, al dente. Set aside
4) Sweat onions over medium heat; add garlic and cauliflower. Add pasta sauce (was too lazy to make my own), oregano, chili powder, cayenne, sriracha, and vinegar. Stir in cooked beans and let them soak up the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5) Steam kale for about 5 minutes. Remove excess water and chop.
6) Medium bowl: Mix mashed tofu, feta cheese, egg white, kale, and garlic powder. Set aside
7) In casserole dish, spray non-stick on bottom. Layer in order: noodle, bean sauce, tofu mixture, repeat for second layer. Sprinkle top with feta cheese (or mozzarella)
8) Bake covered for 40 minutes; uncovered for another 5-10 minutes.
