Spicy Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes

You'll probably start to notice my blog take a turn toward eating healthier in the upcoming months...which is a good thing!  However, before you run screaming, just know that I made a pan of brownies last night so I'm taking baby steps.  Sometimes you just need brownies...

This was my first time preparing and even eating quinoa.  Seems a little intimidating, but to be honest, it's not hard at all.  You do have to rinse it first to remove the bitterness, but I found it very similar to preparing rice.  To make this salad, it was simply cooking all the other ingredients, then adding it to the cooked quinoa. 

  

Once the weather starts to turn warmer, I immediately become obsessed with all things lime and cilantro.  This quinoa dish is spicy from the ancho chile powder and jalapenos, but you get this freshness from the cilantro and lime juice tossed in right before serving.  The sweet potatoes add this chunky bite of sweetness.  So many flavors in this dish that all compliment each other so well!    

I started using coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable oil (again, healthy kick!), so just know that you can use vegetable oil in this dish if you prefer.  Also, since I love lime juice so much, I definitely used at least 2 tablespoons, but start with 1 tablespoon and keep adding to suit your taste.    

Serves 4

Spicy Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons quinoa

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided in half

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 red onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced 

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse completely through two times.  Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan and add 3/4 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the red onion and garlic and cook until slightly softened.  Add the chile powder and cumin and cook, stirring and cooking for about 1 minute.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth, the jalapenos, sweet potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes.    

Add the sweet potato mixture to the quinoa, then add the cilantro and lime juice and toss.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve warm.  

(Source:  Adapted from the Food Network)

Rosemary Lemon Crock Pot Chicken

So it was just Easter weekend, my mother-in-law was visiting and my oven decided to go caput.  Can you even imagine?  I mean, a blogger with no oven?  I am going through serious withdrawal (it's still not fixed as of right now).  But that wasn't even the worst part.  How was I suppose to cook Easter dinner??

We thought about grilling something, anything, but our Easter dinner typically consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies (very similar to Thanksgiving because I don't eat ham).  Then, it hit me...my Crock Pot!  And thank goodness for Pinterest because I had already pinned a couple of roast chicken Crock Pot recipes.  After glancing over them to check times and heat temperatures, I came up with this rosemary lemon chicken.  

Lemons, inside and out, plus a rosemary, garlic and zesty salt blend rub make this chicken absolutely incredible.  Not only does the chicken become so tender that it just falls apart, but there is enough juice leftover to make gravy.  The breast completely separated from the legs and wings as I was lifting it out of the Crock Pot, which was perfect because it was less carving we had to do.  I am hooked on roasting chicken in the Crock Pot!

 Serves 6

Rosemary Lemon Crock Pot Chicken

1 (4-5 pound) roasting chicken

3 lemons

2 tablespoons dried chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon salt-free zesty seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil 

For the gravy

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

chicken drippings from bottom of Crock Pot

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, or more as needed

In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, garlic, salt blend, then add olive oil to make a paste (start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed).  Set aside.  Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with non-stick cooking spray and turn heat to high.  Cut a tiny bit off of the end of 2 lemons (so you have a flatter surface - you'll be setting the chicken on top of these so they need to be sturdy and not rolling around) and slice in half.  Set the 4 pieces on the bottom of the Crock Pot, with the insides of the lemons facing up.  

Remove the chicken giblets.  Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry.  Rub the rosemary garlic paste all of the chicken, including the inside.  Cut the remaining lemon into quarters and stuff inside chicken.  

Set the chicken on top of the lemon halves and cover with Crock Pot lid.  Cook on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until the pop up timer pops up.  Remove chicken, set on cutting board and cover with foil for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the gravy.      

To make the gravy:  in a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted.  Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute to make a roux.  Place a mesh strainer over the saucepan and start ladling the chicken drippings from the bottom of the Crock Pot through the strainer.  Whisk occasionally to combine the flour mixture with the drippings.  It will start to thicken, then slowly add in the chicken broth, whisking the whole time.  Cook until thickened and bubbly, add more chicken broth to thin out if needed.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Slice and serve the chicken warm with gravy.

You may also like:

Crock Pot Garlic Chicken

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken Pot Pie

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

Cilantro Lime Rice

Talk about a light, fresh side dish.  Fresh cilantro, lime zest and lime juice make this an amazing accompaniment to your summertime dinner - especially if you're grilling.   I served this with my Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers and it was the perfect addition!      

I used 5-minute rice so this dish was done in no time.  Keep this recipe to use in burritos or as a burrito bowl, a la Chipotle (how much do we LOVE Chipotle?).  You may want to add more lime juice after the rice has been cooked (and when you add the cilantro).  I know I wanted a stronger lime flavor, so I added the juice of a second lime, but do so according to your taste.  

Serves 3-4

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, or water

3 cups minute rice

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1-2 limes

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 

In a medium saucepan, combine the 3 cups of chicken broth or water, lime zest and juice of 1 lime. Bring to a boil.  Add the minute rice, stir, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork, add the cilantro and the juice from the 2nd lime if desired .  Serve warm.  

You may also like:

Chicken Fajita Tostados

Mexican Chicken Soup with Limes

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken and Veggie Egg Rolls

Dutch Oven No-Knead Crusty Bread

I've been really enjoying trying out different types of bread making.  And I LOVE this recipe!  So easy that you'll want to make bread ALL the time.  Not to mention so unbelievably delicious (and beautiful, right?). 

You'll want to read through this entire post for extra little tips as far as handling and baking the dough.  I've included some step-by-step pics as well.  

I mean just gorgeous.  Look at that crusty top.  In the middle the dough is chewy and absolute perfection.  You'll notice little black dots in this finished loaf - they are poppy seeds.  I made an Everything loaf!   You can add whatever you like to this dough - cheese, herbs, nuts, etc.  I've added the amounts I used to make the Everything loaf at the bottom of the recipe. 

I used 2 different sizes of Dutch Ovens.  This orange one is a 3 quart and the loaf fit perfectly.  I also used a 7 quart and is was fine, but the bread spread out a little and wasn't so round.  Still delicious!   

All the ingredients get mixed by hand and what results is an incredibly sticky dough that requires no kneading.  At this point, you can add other ingredients to flavor the bread. 

It will look at bit smoother, but still rather messy once everything comes together.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-18 hours.  I did mine close to bedtime, let it sit overnight and baked it the next morning. 

It will double in size and look like this.  If you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Once it reaches 450, place your Dutch Oven in the oven with lid on.  Let heat for 30 minutes.     

Meanwhile, prepare a work surface heavily (and I mean heavily!) covered with flour.  Flour your hands and dump the dough onto the floured surface.  This makes 2 loaves so you'll need to cut it in half (keep flouring hands because it's still incredibly sticky).  Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and let sit until pot is heated.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven - remember it's crazy hot!  Pick up one of the dough balls and drop it into the pot.  You do NOT need to oil your Dutch oven or cast iron pot.  Doesn't matter if it's enamel coated or not, you shouldn't have any trouble with the dough sticking after it's finished baking.    

Pictured here are the 3 loaves I made - the 2 on the right are plain loaves and I followed the recipe below.  The one on the left is the Everything loaf and I actually halved the recipe just to make the one.  I obviously used a bit more flour on my hands for that one, but I love the way it looks.  So rustic!  

The back right one is the loaf that was in the 7 quart - notice it is more oval shaped because it's spread out a bit.  

Wouldn't these make the nicest gifts?  For a new neighbor or just to do something nice for someone.  The loaves are so gorgeous they may not believe you made it!  

Makes 2 loaves

Dutch Oven No-Knead Crusty Bread

6 cups all purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

3 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until everything comes together (it will be very sticky and wet).  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours.  

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  When it reaches 450 degrees, place a dutch oven or cast iron pot with lid in the oven for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball (you'll need floured hands as well!).  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit while pot is heating.  Carefully remove HOT pot from oven and drop in dough.  

Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To make Everything bread:  add 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons dried chopped onion, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds.  

(Source:  Recipe from Simply So Good)

Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

Comfort food at it's best!  Warm and inviting and perfect for feeding a crowd.  Veggies, egg noodles and cheese - what's not to love?  

Packed with flavor from chicken broth, white wine, carrots, onions and celery, then combined with half & half makes this dish so creamy and delicious.  You can make it easier on yourself by purchasing a rotisserie chicken, rather than cooking and shredding the meat yourself.  I used a very simple pan steam method to cook my chicken - about an inch of water in a deep skillet, bring to a boil, add 2 chicken breasts and cover for about 20 minutes (depending on how thick the chicken is).  Shred and add to recipe.   

As if the noodle, veggie and white wine mixture wasn't enough, the casserole then gets topped with shredded mozzarella.  Baked until bubbly and the edges get a crispy cheesy crust - remember what I was saying about comfort food?!  This is sure to be a hit with your whole family.

Serves 8

Chicken and Egg Noodle Casserole

4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces egg noodles
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup diced onion
1 medium carrot, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup half & half
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 3-quart casserole dish (or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan) with non-stick cooking spray.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until al dente, about 4 minutes.  Strain.

While the noodles are cooking, heat the butter in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour to form a paste.  Stir in the onions, carrots and celery and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook 5 minutes to soften, then add the wine.  Whisk for 30 seconds, then add the chicken broth and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Fold in the noodles and chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to the greased casserole dish and top with the shredded mozzarella.  Bake until bubbly and brown on top, 40-45 minutes.

(Source:  Adapted from Food Network)

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

I had been in the mood for tacos, but kept forgetting to buy hard taco shells at the store!  So I used some of my regular fix-ins' for tacos - cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and turned it into a layered salad...or dip?  This dinner came together in no time at all.   

We ate this by scooping it up with tortilla chips even though I had added seasoned tortilla strips to the top of the salad (you can usually find them in the aisle with the croutons).  Which is why I thought of it as a dip or a salad.  I used chicken because I don't eat ground beef, but you can very easily substitute it.  I also tossed in the black beans to cook a bit with the chicken when I added the taco seasoning.    

This is a great dish to customize to your family - choose a different meat or add other toppings such as black olives or chopped green pepper.  We also would have topped it with sour cream and salsa, but I didn't have either of those on hand - and now you can see how desperate I was to have tacos even though I didn't really have all of my usual suspects for the toppings!  I'll chalk that up to another pregnancy craving...  

Serves 4

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

1 head of Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 cup Santa Fe tortilla strips (optional)

sour cream and salsa (optional)

In a medium skillet over medium, heat the olive oil and add diced chicken.  Cook until browned, add the black beans, taco seasoning and water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.  Spoon chicken and black bean mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.  

Top chicken with lettuce, followed by tomatoes, cheese and tortilla strips.  Dish out to individual plates or bowls (or scoop right out of the pan with a tortilla chip!).  Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired. 

Veggie Ranch Pizza

Pregnancy cravings are funny.  I haven't made this pizza in ages and it randomly popped in my head one day.  Of course, I had to have it!  It didn't disappoint, I was a happy girl.  

It also made me think of my best friend in high school - we would make this all the time then watch cheesy movies.  Like the cheesiest - Cry Baby?  With Johnny Depp?  It's absolutely terrible but still a favorite of mine to this day! 

Like regular pizza, you can add your own favorite toppings.  I was going to add cucumbers but the one I bought had gone bad in just a couple of days.  So a bit of a bummer there, but I really didn't miss it.  Green peppers, grape instead of Roma tomatoes, green onions...add anything you like. 

I wrote the recipe using reduced fat cream cheese and crescent rolls.  It's just what I always buy, but it's not necessary.  Use what you would normally buy, it won't affect the recipe.  By the way, this is kid approved!  My 4-year old loves it - just like eating broccoli and carrots dipped in ranch which is one of her favorite snacks.  

Serves 6 

Veggie Ranch Pizza

1 tube of reduced fat crescent rolls
1 (8 oz) bar neufchatel cheese
1/2 packet Ranch dressing seasoning mix
1 cup broccoli florets, diced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 Roma tomato, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Unroll the crescents onto the pan and use your fingers to spread over the entire pan and seal the seams.  Bake for 14-16 minutes until golden.  Let cool completely.

Mix the cream cheese and Ranch seasoning until combined.  Spread over cooled crescent crust.  Top with veggies (any order).  Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving; cut into 12 squares.  Store leftovers covered in the fridge.    

Broccoli Pasta Salad

Broccoli salad is one of my favorite side dishes.  I have a fantastic recipe for another type of Broccoli Salad, but when I saw this one from Damn Delicious, I had to give it a try!  

And it looks pretty, too!  Would be a great dish to take to a potluck or picnic.  I guarantee everyone will be clamoring for this recipe.  Everything just pairs so well together.  Broccoli, sweet grapes, crisp bacon, pecans and pasta all tossed together in an amazing tangy dressing.  

The dressing is light but so flavorful.  The combination of Greek yogurt, mayo and red wine vinegar give it that tanginess that I just love.  It just works so well with the broccoli and rest of the ingredients.  Can't forget to mention that it's overall a pretty healthy side dish! 

If not serving the entire recipe immediately, I recommend saving some of the dressing to toss in again after it's been sitting in the fridge.  I actually only made 1/2 of the recipe the way it's written because I knew I would be the only one eating it, and had plenty of dressing left over (even after halving that too).  The dressing dried out a bit after sitting in the fridge.  Still good!  Still ate it for 3 days at lunch!  But save some if you can.  

Serves 6

Broccoli Pasta Salad

8 oz farfalle pasta 

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and chopped

6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

2 cups red grapes, halved

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the dressing

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Make dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking.  Set aside. 

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well.  In a large bowl, combine pasta, broccoli, bacon, grapes, red onion and pecans.  Add about 1/2 of the dressing and stir to coat well.  Add more as desired.  Serve immediately and store leftovers in the fridge.  Save extra dressing for tossing into the leftovers out of the fridge.    

(Source:  Adapted from Damn Delicious)

One Pot Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Broccoli

I'm obsessed with this pasta!  It tastes amazing, but I LOVE the fact that it's a one pot meal!  So easy!

Cook the pasta and broccoli together, drain, add the rest of the ingredients and...DONE!  Tons of flavor and it takes no time at all.  Make it as spicy (or not spicy) as you like by adding more or less red pepper flakes.  If you salt your pasta water before hand, you may not need the garlic salt.  I usually do salt my boiling water because it's the only time you get to actually flavor the pasta.  I forgot this time, which is why I added garlic salt, so use according to your taste.  

  

I made garlic bread to serve with this - you can find the recipe for that here (also too easy not to make with this dish!).  

Serves 2-3

One Pot Lemon and Garlic Pasta with Broccoli

8 oz dried pasta
3 cups frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring water to boil in a large pot.  Cook pasta, according to package, but about 6 minutes shy of al dente.  Add the broccoli florets and cook pasta and broccoli together until pasta is al dente.  Drain and return to post.  Add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper flakes and stir.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir.  Serve topped with more red pepper flakes and Parmesan (optional).

(Source:  Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

This is one of our favorite weeknight dinners.  So easy and everyone in my family gobbles it up!  There's some spice to it, so if you're serving it to your kiddos as well, you may want to omit the jalapenos and customize it to their taste.

But, that's what's awesome about quesadillas - you can make them any way you like them!  I used McCormick's Montreal steak spicy grill seasoning to season the chicken - tons of flavor and I like the spice.  The cheese I used is a blend of Mexican cheeses and taco seasoning.  Use your go-to seasoning for chicken (even taco seasoning on the chicken would be great) and whatever cheese you love.

  

I make my own salsa a LOT.  My husband can't get enough of it!  You can get the recipe here, or just use your favorite store brand.  

I wrote this recipe for 2 quesadillas, but you'll probably have enough chicken to do another 1/2 (just use one tortilla and fold it over).  I don't like a ton of chicken on mine, so I use less than my portion, then make a smaller one for the kids!     

Serves 2-3 

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
olive oil
1 tablespoon Montreal steak spicy grill seasoning
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for drizzling
4 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 tablespoons diced jalapenos
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

In a skillet over medium, heat olive oil until it starts to ripple, then add chicken.  Sprinkle the grill seasoning over the chicken and cook until done throughout.  Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.  Set aside.

Preheat quesadilla maker or a large skillet (if using a pan on the stove, you'll need to brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil or vegetable oil and spray the skillet with non-stick spray).  On one tortilla, sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with 1/2 of the chicken, 1 tablespoon of jalapenos and 1/2 tablespoon cilantro.  Top with another 1/2 cup of cheese and then drizzle more barbecue sauce (to taste).  Top with another flour tortilla.  Repeat to make the other quesadilla.

Place assembled quesadilla onto the quesadilla maker and close lid.  Cook until cheese is melted and top is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.  If using the stove, cook for a couple minutes on one side, until the cheese starts to melt and the tortilla turns golden, then flip to heat the other side.

Serve with salsa and other favorite toppings.  

Bolognese Sauce with Ground Turkey

I actually don't eat ground beef so I tend to shy away from a bolognese sauce.  But, I'll replace any recipe that calls for ground beef with ground turkey and I almost always love the results!  We eat turkey burgers and more recently tried turkey meatballs which were awesome.    

This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Lasagna.  I made the lasagna too, which is incredible and I'll post soon, but I wanted to share this amazing sauce first.  Tyler uses ground pork and ground beef in his sauce, so I just substituted those for an 85% lean ground turkey.  When we were eating it, my husband said if I had told him I used ground beef he would've believed me.  Yeah!  

A true bolognese begins with a soffrito - which is onions, carrots, and celery.  This recipe combines those 3 with garlic and sage and then processes to a vegetable pulp.  An entire 750 milliliter bottle of dry red wine is added (yup!), along with 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and then cooked slowly for over an hour until it becomes thick.  

  

It is SO good!  It definitely has a tangier flavor than a true, red tomato sauce because there is so much more wine used than tomatoes.  It's best served with a wider pasta, something like a tagliatelle, but pappardelle and fettucine would be good too.  

Serves 8

Bolognese Sauce with Ground Turkey

1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
Olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons flour
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place onion, garlic, carrots, celery and sage in a food processor and process on low until it becomes smooth vegetable pulp.  Coat a large pot with oil and set over medium heat.  Add the vegetable pulp and saute until fragrant and some of the moisture has evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Push the vegetables to one side of the pot.  Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper and add to the pot.  Stir and break up the meat until it is browned and mixed in with the vegetable pulp.

Dust the meat and vegetable mixture with the flour, then add the wine, tomatoes and milk.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, uncovered, until sauce is thick. Add Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh pasta or dried pasta, a wider noodle like tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettucine.

(Adapted from Tyler Florence's cookbook My Place for Dinner)

Vegetable Lasagna

Confession - I cannot write this without laughing out loud thinking of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine and Putty break up (and get back together...and break up) on a plane and they nickname the guy next to them Vegetable Lasagna.  Elaine: "Oh please, I took you back! You know it, I know it, vegetable lasagna here knows it!"

Sorry, we're Seinfeld obsessed - my entire family and I can find a Seinfeld reference in practically any given situation.  Laughing aside, you're going to love this lasagna!  No red sauce, but it's plenty creamy and flavorful from a broccoli sauce and ricotta mixture.  

My favorite pieces to eat are the corners, which get all crispy from the melted cheese on top.  If you like, you can also add 3/4 pound of sliced mushrooms.  Just cook separate until slightly browned, then add them to carrot/onion mixture for that layer. 

  

I did 3 layers of lasagna noodles and used at least 4 noodles per layer (4 long ways, slightly overlapping, then 1/2 a noodle to go across the bottom because the noodles didn't reach all the way end to end in the pan.)  At the bottom of this recipe, I added 2 ways to assemble the lasagna.  Depends on if you want yours a little thicker (use the first option).

Serves 12

Vegetable Lasagna

1 lb box of dried lasagna noodles
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of broccoli soup
1 (10 oz) package of frozen chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, diced
2 (8 oz) packages of shredded mozzarella, keep 1 cup separate
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 eggs

Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot with boiling water - follow instructions on box for cooking time.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan on medium, combine and heat the broccoli soup and package of frozen broccoli until everything is warmed through.  Add olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat.  Stir in the carrots and onions and saute until veggies are very tender (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix the mozzarella (minus 1 cup), ricotta and eggs in a bowl.  Assemble the lasagna in this order:

1 cup broccoli sauce, lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, all of the carrots/onions, 1/2 remaining broccoli sauce, lasagna noodles, 1/3 cheese mixture, lasagna noodles, remaining cheese mixture, remaining broccoli sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella.

OR

1 cup broccoli sauce, lasagna noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture , all carrots/onions, 1/2 remaining broccoli sauce, noodles, remaining cheese mixture, remaining broccoli sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella.

Cook for 45 minutes until cheese is melted and the top starts to turn golden.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.