Q is for Quinoa: Quinoa Zucchini Lasagna (Jessica)

Hello All!

This week, I opted for something that would feed me for a while. Or at least for a few days! Cooking for one (mostly) is always kind of a pain, but it does mean that there are a lot of leftovers when I make a big recipe. This lasagna recipe definitely made enough for me to have lunch for 2 days and dinner for 2 days...yay for not having to buy lunch at work all the time! Seriously, it's way less expensive, and can be way healthier, to bring my own food and reheat it. Plus, lasagna is pretty much always appealing to me as it covers my favorite food groups: cheese and pasta.

What, not real food groups you say??


Meh, I don't believe it!


Quinoa Zucchini Lasagna
(makes 4-6 servings)
Adapted from peasandthankyou.com

Ingredients: 
3 large zucchinis, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick slices
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 25 oz jar marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and lay on bed of paper towels. 

• Cover with paper towels and let sit and absorb moisture while preparing the quinoa.
• Combine quinoa, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, and oregano in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

• Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 20 minutes until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Remove from heat and fold in basil.

• Pour enough marinara sauce in a 9x13 baking dish to cover the bottom.
• Using a clean dry towel, blot remaining moisture and salt from zucchini and layer slices across the sauce.

• Put a layer of quinoa across the zucchini, and cover with another layer of marinara sauce.
• Repeat with another layer of zucchini, quinoa, and sauce.
• Top the final layer of zucchini with remaining sauce and cheese.

• Bake lasagna for 30 minutes, until heated through and zucchini is tender and cheese is bubbly.

Review:
Yum! The best part of this lasagna is the tomato sauce and vegetable broth infused quinoa. I could just eat that by itself, no problem. As it was, this was a nice trick to get me to eat more vegetables (something I often struggle with). If I made this again, I would follow the original written directions and go with an 8x8 pan so that the lasagna would be taller and would have more layers. As it was, I needed a pretty darn large square to be full from this. Also, I think spinach would go well with these flavors. Try adding some as a layer! Perfect on a chilly night with some good sliced french bread. Delicious!

-Jessica


PS. Jennifer's next ingredient is....RICOTTA!