Brussels Sprouts Lasagna

I don't eat pasta all that often, and lasagna in particular is usually reserved for rare occasions as it tends to be rather rich and particularly filling. However, I am always open to new ideas for a good vegetable lasagna and when I happened across this recipe for cheesy brussels sprouts lasagna, I was sold. It wasn't long before I got around to making it for my usual Saturday night get together with my husband and best friend Basil.

When I told Basil what I was bringing over for dinner, there was a pause on the other end of the line. Yes, the idea might sound strange at first, but when you really think about it, why wouldn't it work? Brussels sprouts are always nicely complemented by a rich mornay sauce, so why not pair them with some mushrooms, add some noodles, and bake it all up into a delicious casserole? Since I rarely fail to disappoint with my Saturday feasts, Basil was up to the experience. And an experience it was and one that I highly recommend trying even if you aren't the biggest fan of brussels sprouts.

Earthy brussels sprouts cooked with balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes come together with mushrooms in a rich cream sauce with three types of cheeses. I like to add a bit of heat to pretty much everything I make, so I included some jalapeños and a dash of cayenne. My verdict is that this is one of the most interesting and satisfying vegetarian lasagnas I have ever enjoyed.

Greek-Style Lemon Rice

While it is true that Indian cuisine is my passion, I enjoy traveling around the world in my kitchen, whether I am making more traditional dishes or coming up with fusion-style creations. This time around, I was dreaming of an escape from the winter wonderland that officially is called spring currently.

This lemony Greek rice with olives and herbs proved to be a fine accompaniment to a Greek themed meal that I planned a while back. It's very easy to make but the flavor is rather bold and fancy. Next time you are planning a homage to Mediterranean cuisine, considering dishing this one up. I found it to be a fine accompaniment to gigantes aimmered in a garlicky tomato aauce. Serve a Greek salad to complete the meal and the Greek dining experience.

French-Style Lentil Soup with Goat Cheese

At first glance, this seems like an easy soup, and it is, but once you serve it up with a nice dollop of rich goat cheese, the experience is stepped up a few notches. The cheese fills out the lentils and basic seasonings and adds a delightful velvety texture and earthiness to the bowl. This is one soup that I won't soon forget. When I just want a fairly straightforward dinner, lentils often appear. It's an ideal mid-week meal with much flair despite the somewhat humble base.

Black Tea and Gingered Black-Eyed Peas

As much as I enjoy cooking, there are times when I just want a simple but delicious and nutritious solution for dinner. This dish is just the thing and especially suited to those times when you might be pressed for time and busy with other things. It will make a complete meal served with rice and a vegetable side if you like. It is fairly mildly spiced and the tea does add depth and a bit of complementary bitterness. The lime fills everything out with some tangy goodness. Smoky, peppery and earthy is how my husband described it.

Easy Spicy Tomato Chutney

I am a firm believer in making my own sauces and condiments at home rather than resort to store-bought versions. For the most part, they are trouble free and much superior in flavor and freshness. I made this one to go along with my chickpea quinoa vegetable burgers. If I was going to go to the trouble of coming up with a fabulous vegetable burger, the least I could do is to dress it up with something made with as much care, if a whole lot less time!

Baked Mushroom Arancini

On the rare occasion that I eat out at an Italian restaurant, I never can resist ordering arancini, a delightfully cheesy fried rice ball. Recently, I was menu planning, and a craving hit. After the craving, the idea of making baked mushroom arancini. I do confess to having a bit of a weakness for fried savories, for arancini are commonly fried. However, I don't enjoy the mess of frying and baking the balls are a healthier alternative. Inspired by the success of my baked brown rice balls, I made up a pot of mushroom risotto and turned that into arancini.

The mushrooms add an addictive earthiness to the creamy balls oozing with cheese. There was a fair amount of prep involved, but the result was more than worth it and you can be sure these won't last long, despite the substantial nature of these savory balls of bliss. Because I wanted to serve them as a side instead of an appetizer for the occasion, I served them up with rich tomato braised gigantes bean dish to serve as a portion of the sauce, instead of simply the traditional marinara sauce. I'll be sharing that recipe soon, but in the meantime, you might want to consider serving them with Gigantes simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce. The meal was a smashing success.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Though I am not a vegan, many of my main meals are free of dairy. I do however have a weakness for cheese and from time to time I will indulge. I will also admit a weakness for lasagna on rare occasions — the occasion this time was a need to satisfy an urge after receiving a cookbook for possible review.

This delightfully cheesy Provençal roasted vegetable lasagna is adapted from Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra. After leafing through a copy of her book, I was immediately seduced by the beautiful photos throughout. When I got to the lasagnas in the book, I was sold on the idea of a cheesy meal. Craving comfort food, I had a difficult time deciding which one I wanted to try first, but I went with this one because of the number of vegetables included and I happen to adore ricotta and goat cheese. The result was a very lush lasagna with complex and competing flavors.

Ms. Kafra's book is all about "bringing creativity and passion back into the kitchen". All of the recipes are kosher friendly, and selected from KosherScoop.com. There are many gluten-free recipes and ones for Passover too that are easily identified. Over 200 recipes are beautifully presented, complete with photos, most of which are taken by the author. You certainly don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this book. Alas, it is not vegetarian, but there are plenty of offerings for vegetarians and some that vegans could enjoy too. It is a refreshing creative journey illustrating the connection between the senses, friends and family, healthy living and special occasions to food. Certainly I was inspired to get creative in my own kitchen.

As always, the opinions expressed here about this book are my own.

Notes: I made my own tomato sauce for this lasagna as I figured that if I was going to treat myself, the experience could only be enhanced with a homemade sauce. The original recipe called for the inclusion of 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes to be stirred into the roasted vegetables with the olives and capers. Instead, I made a Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce. This time, I changed my sauce a bit. I used a small shallot instead of a large onion, I added about 6 fresh mushrooms, adding them to the pan after sautéing the shallot, ginger and carrot, and omitted the chili flakes and used 1/2 teaspoon each of basil, thyme and oregano instead. I still included a jalapeño for a bit of heat.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Cooking Inspired Cuisine: Provençal Published on March 5, 2014 Lush, creamy and delicious lasagne with roasted zucchini, eggplant and fennel and topped with a rich zesty sun-dried tomato sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 red onion, chopped 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces and halved 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch piece and halved 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved 2 tablespoons capers 2 large eggs 1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese fresh ground black pepper to taste 6 cups tomato sauce 12 rice flour lasagna noodles or other lasagna noodles 1 1/3 cups crumbled soft goat cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded or grated mozzarella or fontina cheese Instructions: Preheat an oven to 425°. In a large bowl, gently toss together the onion, zucchini, eggplant, fennel, oil, rosemary and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Transfer to a 13 × 9 inch glass baking dish, taking care to spread the vegetables evenly. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes until tender and golden brown, stirring them once part way through the cooking time. Transfer this mixture back to the bowl and gently stir in the olives and capers. Set aside and reduce the heat of the oven to 350°. While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water, and spread out on damp tea towels. If you want, use oven-ready noodles that don't need to be cooked prior to assembly. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and stir in the ricotta and some fresh cracked black pepper until well blended. Spread a ladle-full of sauce over the bottom of the same baking dish used to roast the vegetables. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Evenly spread 1/3 of the vegetables over top, then 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and then 1/3 of the crumbled goat cheese. Repeat beginning with the lasagna noodles, two more times. Finish with the remaining lasagna noodles and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle over the mozzarella or fontina cheese and cover loosely with foil. Bake in the 350° oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil at this point and bake for another 30 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. Remove from heat and let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings

More lasagna recipes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Asparagus Pesto Lasagna with Mushrooms
Ricotta Pesto and Mushroom Lasagna

On the top of the reading stack: Rawsome Vegan Baking: An Un-cookbook for Raw, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Beautiful and Sinfully Sweet Cookies, Cakes, Bars & Cupcakes by Emily von Euw

Audio Accompaniment: silence

Mung Bean and Urad Dal Curry

Despite the length of the ingredient list here, this dish is really easy to make and very nourishing too. Most well stocked kitchens presided over by cooks that enjoy Indian cooking will likely have everything on hand needed to prepare this curry. I recommend serving this with some hot fresh cooked white rice and a flat bread along with your favorite chutney and some homemade pickles. Shhhhh, your family won't know how little time this meal took when they taste just how good it is and will thank you for your hard efforts in the kitchen.

My Legume Love Affair - #68

I am here with 68th edition of My Legume Love Affair. I was the host last month. As many readers will know, this event has been going since 2008. Started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook, I have now been the administrator of this event for over a year. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share a recipe. In my opinion, you can never get enough ideas for legumes. So onto the entries.

Koshari
courtesy of Chef Mireille of East West Realm. This is Egypt's National Dish and a popular street food. This one pot dish was new to Mireille and it's a new one to me too. Pasta, lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, tomatoes, onions and spices come together here. This is certainly one powerhouse of a meal.

South of the Border Tortilla Soup
entered by Janet of The Taste Space. This delicious bowl of bliss features black beans, corn, green chiles, tomatoes, cumin and corn tortillas topped with avocado. A wonderful way to use up tortillas that are nearing the end of their shelf life. Intriguing too is that the tortillas are blended inside the soup rather than used as a topping.

Black Chana (Kala Chana)
submitted by Mamta of Light Food Desires. This recipe is her mom's and features black chickpeas, onion, tomato, garlic and plenty of my favorite Indian spices. Just my kind of dish. Certainly a classic.

Gigantes Simmered in a Garlicky Tomato Sauce (Fassoulia)
is my contribution this month. A classic Greek dish, plump gigantes are simmered in a rich and zesty tomato sauce, along with some dried herbs and paprika. This is a new favorite in my kitchen.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Patties with Chia Seeds
shared by Terry of Crumpets & co. I couldn't resist these little bites made up of chickpeas, cauliflower, chia seeds, oats and some curry powder. These patties that are quickly fried so they are crispy on the outside but soft inside are certainly packed with nutrition.

Easy Tea and Ginger Simmered Black-Eyed Peas
shared by Siri of Cooking With Siri. A delightful, easy healthy dish, black-eyed peas shine here simmered with black tea leaves, ginger, garlic, chilies and spices. Black-eyed peas are commonly thought to bring good luck if eaten on New Years, and for certain they are a lovely earthy and healthy legume.

Channa Pulao
made by Tayna of Easy and Simple Foods. Channa comes together here with rice, tomato, onion, garlic, chilies, ginger and spices. This was served with an onion raitha making it a complete and tasty meal. It's easy and straight forward to prepare too.
And now for the winner of both the Hurst bean prize and Susan's gift. Congratulations to Mireille of East West Realm.

Our guest host for MLLA #69 is Cinzia of Cindystar. For all things MLLA, visit the ongoing archive.