ZUCCHINI-RIBBON LASAGNA

Zucchini-Ribbon Lasagna from the kitchens of Martha Stewart MEATLESS

serves 9

FOR THE SAUCE
1 can whole peeled plum tomatoes, with juice         I used Italian peeled tomatoes
< 2 tablespoons olive oil                                              I used grape-seed oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 ounces firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves           I used dried oregano
course salt

FOR THE LASAGNA
2 zucchini, ends trimmed
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese                                  I used regular ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon olive oil                                                skipped
freshly ground pepper

 1. Make the sauce: Pulse tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until finely chopped.  Heat olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium.  Cook onion and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes.  Add tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.  Coarsely crumble tofu and stir into sauce with chopped oregano; season with salt.  Let cool.
2. Make the lasagna: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice zucchini lengthwise into thin strips (about 1/8 inch thick) using a mandoline or a sharp knife.  Place 5 or 6 zucchini slices, overlapping slightly, in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.  Top with 1 cup sauce.  Dot evenly with 1/4 cup cheese.  Repeat twice with zucchini, remaining sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with remaining zucchini; brush with the olive oil.  Dot with remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and season with pepper.  Bake, uncovered, until lasagna bubbles and top browns, 50 to 60 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 



I also added Barilla lasagna pasta (no-boil) in my layers.  I think this would be just as good without the tofu.  It might be interesting to add fresh spinach too.  I would say the lasagna was very good.  Served with garlic bread and a salad.
GRADE: B

TACO BURGERS

Welcome!  This is my very first post!  

As I mentioned above, I have been forced to learn vegetarian cooking because my daughter has gone meatless.  This does not mean that I will not partake as a carnivore!  But in trying to be a good parent, I have to be sure my family is eating healthy and getting enough daily protein.  And you can be sure that when I eat out, I will be ordering a nice, juicy, rare steak!

For my first attempt, I thought I would try "Taco Burgers" from Happy Herbivore Cookbook by Lindsay S. Nixon.  Here is the recipe:

TACO BURGERS

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed                                                         

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed   (I used white kidney beans)     

1 taco seasoning packet                                     (I used 1/4 c salsa)

1/4 c ketchup or tomato sauce                           (skipped - used salsa)                 

2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard                                                                             

2 tbsp Vegan mayo or plain vegan yogurt    (I used lowfat Hellmanns mayo)

2/3 c instant oats                                                                                                     

8 buns or corn tortillas                                       (I used whole wheat hamburger buns)                          

toppings                                                     (cheese, onion, avocado, salsa & jalopenos)                  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, mash beans with a fork until mostly pureed but still some half bean parts are left.  Stir in seasoning, ketchup, mustard, and mayo, and stir until well combined, then mix in oats.  Divide mixture into eight equal portions and shape into patties.  (They might feel a little wet, but they're fine.  Rinse off your hands frequently while shaping the patties.)  Bake patties for 10 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until lightly crusty on the outside.  Slap into a bun or tortilla with choice toppings.  

The first thing I noticed is that most of her recipes are not only vegetarian, but also vegan.  So you will see that I substitute anything 'vegan' with the regular product.

I did not have parchment paper, so I used foil - which didn't work too well.  The burgers were so liquidy that I couldn't shape them into patties and just spooned them onto the foil.  I added an extra 5 minutes to the first side so they were easier to flip - but they really didn't hold together to well.  Then I added another 8 minutes to the 2nd side and it still turned into hash instead of a patty.

Upon seeking out other bean burger recipes, I believe the recipe should add an egg and some bread crumbs to hold the burger together.  I will try the recipe again with added ingredients and post how it turns out.  I do want to note that the burgers really smelled good!  And I melted cheese on top (which helped in solidifying the shape).  Finally, adding raw onion, avocado slices, salsa and jalopenos really made the meal!  They were definitely messy - but also yummy!  Served cantaloupe as a side.    

GRADE: C

I just had to include some pictures of my beautiful niece!  Pictures by Catha Lin