Recipe: Extra-Easy Lasagna and Easy Lasagna (no boil)

EXTRA-EASY LASAGNA
Making lasagna does not have to be time consuming, and this great recipe proves it. I usually whip this up with leftover spaghetti sauce, throw in some garlic bread and a salad and dinner is as easy as one, two, three!

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 can (27 ounces) spaghetti sauce (or homemade spaghetti sauce)
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 container (15 ounces) Ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup water

In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned. Drain off fat. Add spaghetti sauce; heat through, stirring occasionally. In 2-quart oblong baking dish, spread 1-1/2 cups sauce mixture. Top with three uncooked lasagna noodles, half of the Ricotta cheese, half of the Mozzarella cheese, half of the Cheddar cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the parsley. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce mixture. Slowly pour water around inside edges of baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
16 oz. water-packed, firm tofu, drained
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup water
4 cups fat-free marinara sauce
8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked
4 oz. Mozzarella-style soy cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan-style soy cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cook the mushrooms and zucchini in a non-stick skillet until tender, adding a little water if needed. Set aside. Mash the tofu in a small mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, dried parsley flakes, Italian herb seasoning and pepper. Mix well. Combine the water and marinara sauce. (The extra water will be absorbed by the uncooked noodles.) Assemble the lasagna: Put about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Top with half the uncooked noodles, half the tofu mixture, half the Mozzarella-style soy cheese, and all of the mushrooms and zucchini. Put another 1/3 of the sauce on top, the remaining noodles, the remaining tofu and then the last 1/3 of the sauce. Top with the remaining Mozzarella-style and Parmesan-style soy cheeses. Cover the casserole with foil. Bake at 350 F for one hour. Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes to make serving easier. Cut lasagna into 18 pieces (3 x 6).