Tonight Lisa made this labor-intensive lasagna based on a Cooking Light recipe, and added extra spices and mushrooms. I’m usually a bigger fan of tomato-sauce based lasagna, but this one hit the spot with its variety in textures and sheer number of sauteed vegetables.

Chris says:

Wow you’re on a roll with these Cooking Light recipes. Good picks.

Lisa says:

This one is delicious — and actually has portion sizes that are relatively generous for a “light” recipe…

Chris says:

I heart this lasagna.

Lisa says:

Me too! I still can’t believe it’s low fat.

Chris says:

I love that we have enough leftovers for like three more meals.

Lisa says:

Good thing we liked it, then!

Garden-Style Lasagna
——————–
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano; toss well to combine.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

12 Servings

This stew I made from Great Bowls of Fire turned out more like a pilaf dish with all the rice; the flavors were pretty good, and it was nice to have butternut squash in a dish other than soup or baked in the oven. The chicken, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, and onions made for a nice combination with the rice and squash.

Chris says:

You’re gonna love the portion sizes here — chalk up another one for Great Bowls of Fire!

Lisa says:

Wow, this is only four servings?? It’s so much food! How many “peppers” is this on the heat index?

Chris says:

The book claims two, but it’s not nearly that spicy…

Lisa says:

Nope, it’s not… I love th — I mean, I [heart] the squash.

Chris says:

Thanks for keeping the theme alive.

Locro Chicken
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1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 14-oz can stewed tomatoes
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
4 scallions, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeños and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the chicken, tomatoes, and all the spices, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, squash, and rice and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, still over medium heat, or until the squash and rice are tender.
Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve in wide bowls.

4 Servings