Recipe(tried): Vegetable Layered Lasagna (with Chicken or Beef Variations) and tips re: cooking with whole foods

Hi Cari,

When I was a young mom I too, was concerned with feeding my children very healthy food. What I did was expose them to a variety of fruits and veggies mixed in a variety of meats and poultry. I even prepared stuff that I didn't like to find out that they did like certain things. This was very good cause when we were invited to other people's home they were never a problem to please.

I buy spices bulk so I save the black cases that photographic film comes in. I buy the spices that I use the most in small quantities, place a double film over the top and then cap it down. That way you don't get the light in there, it's not expensive to keep an array of them and it does get food a big lift in flavor. And of course, don't forget to label them.

VEGETABLE LAYERED LASAGNA

3 potatoes, peeled and sliced thick
3 zucchini, large and thick, sliced thick
5 thick carrots, peeled and sliced thick on the diagonal for bigger size
1 medium-sized onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
1 lb. mixed frozen vegetables, thawed (if you have fresh that would be better)
1 (1 lb) container of low fat sour cream
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese or more if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9x2-inch Pyrex baking dish with Pam cooking spray or butter it. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
In salted boiling water cook your potatoes 3-4 minutes. Do same with carrots and zucchini but boil them separately, I use same water. Place your 3 vegetables in separate containers and let them cool off while you make the filling.

Using a Dutch oven, use about 2 tbsp. of olive oil or canola oil, over medium-high heat. Saute the onions with the garlic about 3-4 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cover and let it come to a boil.

Add frozen mixed vegetables. Let this mixture come to a boil again but don't cook too much remember that this will go into the oven and continue cooking there. OK, filling is done.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Using spoon about 1/2 of the sour cream into a baggie, seal top and snip off a small corner of the bag. You will use this to squiggle some of the sour cream over the filling. Set bag aside.

FIRST LAYER:
Place your potatoes in one layer in the prepared baking dish, spoon over some filling. Squiggle some of the sour cream over the top. Sprinkle with some of the cheese.

SECOND LAYER:
Place carrots in a layer over the cheese, add vegetable filling, more sour cream and cheese.

THIRD LAYER:
Place zucchini in a layer over the cheeese and top off with more sour cream and cheese.

If your dish is up to the brim, tent your foil over the top so that the foil doesn't touch the cheese.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. Take foil off and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

VARIATIONS:
This recipe might seem complicated but once you've done it, you can omit or add other things. Sometimes I add 3 chicken breasts, I cut them into large cubes and saute them at the beginning, then add the same ingredients in the same order. Or instead add about a 1/2 of a lb. of ground beef.

I have other recipes that are easier to make which are actually more Mexican, because as you probably know, we are more elaborate when it comes to cooking our veggies. I for example, never serve just boiled vegetables.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. If this recipe is too much food it can be saved for another meal. That's what I do. Lupe