Recipe from The Vegetarian’s Complete Quinoa Cookbook (Whitecap 2012) short listed for the Taste Canada Cookbook Writing Awards
Give a cheer for the slow cooker! This recipe is great for those hectic days when you are driving one child to hockey practice and the other to a music lesson. Leftovers are fabulous the next day; it’s a great big pot of love.
NOTE: Catelli’s Healthy Harvest line features whole-grain lasagna noodles. Be sure to choose a pasta sauce that lists tomatoes as the first ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) mixed beans, well rinsed and drained
- 2 2/3cups (650 mL) pasta sauce
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) canned diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup (185 mL) quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp (5mL) dried oregano leaves
- 8 uncooked lasagna noodles, preferably 100% whole grain
- 1 cup (250 mL) sliced white or cremini mushrooms
- 2 cups (500 mL) cooked chopped spinach leaves, well drained (or 10 oz/300 g frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained)
- 2 cups (500 mL) fat-free cottage cheese
- 2 cups (500 mL) grated mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Grease a 6quart (6 L) slow cooker with canola oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mixed beans, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, quinoa (yes, it’s uncooked!), Italian seasoning and oregano. Mix well and set aside.
- Place one layer of noodles on the bottom of the slow cooker, breaking to fit.
- Top with half of the bean–pasta sauce–quinoa mixture.
- Top with half of the mushrooms, and half of the spinach.
- Top with half of the cottage cheese.
- Repeat the layers: noodles, bean–pasta sauce–quinoa mixture, mushrooms and spinach, cottage cheese.
- Top with all of the mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours.
To serve:
Let sit for 5 minutes, then scoop out servings. Serve with a mixed green salad.
Makes 10 servings
One serving = 1/10 of the lasagna: 322 calories, 17 mg cholesterol, 7 g fibre, 3 g saturated fat, 47 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 6 g total fat, 579 mg sodium, 7 g sugars
Excellent source of folate, vitamin D and iron.
Healthy Starts Right Here!
Geared toward busy families, Health Starts Right Here! by Mairlyn Smith features recipes for both classic favorites and new spins on old standbys.