Hello Lovelies!
I have been in a cooking/baking mood today! Spent the whole day in the kitchen. I started with banana bread then fried rice followed by pasta sauce. I know these are all very random dishes. I pretty much made whatever I had in the house. It all started with a craving for veggies. I carrots, bell pepper, ½ of a jalapeno pepper and a tomato in my kitchen. I also had leftover brown rice from last night’s dinner of Chicken Panang. That is my favorite Thai dish and it will be next week’s recipe I share with you. As I sautéed all the veggies in olive oil, I thought……add the brown rice and scramble 2 eggs…...pour that in and Viola....fried rice. I had to add Sambal and Siracha….I just can’t resist making things spicy when I have the opportunity. As I was snacking on my fried rice I looked around and noticed that all the ingredients for the marinara sauce to make my favorite lasagna were staring back at me……So……….what could I do but get started making it. I swear I have a shopping problem, buying a lot of random foods….I always have a variety of foods in my house with no planned purpose. I guess that’s how recipes are born.
The lasagna recipe is from a cookbook “Cook yourself sexy” by Candice Kumai. I received it as a housewarming gift a few years ago when my lovely boyfriend and I moved in together. I have made many recipes from the book and they all became my favorites. They are delicious and are not packed with a ton of calories. The book is more Asian inspired but the recipes I have tried are more American and I think it’s a great mixture of cuisines all with a healthy twist. Now back to the lasagna….the sauce is the main component and it takes 2 hours to make so I usually prepare it the night I’m going to put the lasagna together. It takes patience but it is so worth it. By making the sauce a day ahead you won’t be rushed to get everything done, cause let’s face it….we all procrastinate and I am the queen of procrastination. Sometimes I have dinner after 9…just because I didn’t plan my time properly….so a little prep ahead helps. This recipe will serve 6 people. (or less if you want leftovers) the recipe calls for a 9X13 pan but I used a 9X9 and it worked fine. Just adjust the size of the lasagna rolls. I love the basil and lemon in this dish. It just makes it taste so fresh and light. Even though you are eating pasta it doesn’t give you that full heavy feeling. I keep mine vegetarian but you can add more cheese or other toppings like mushrooms, zucchini and any meats would also pair nicely. Adding and changing things here and there is what makes cooking fun and full of everything you love!
I have a basil plant, so for me I use a lot of basil than the recipe calls just because I love the taste it adds. I love using it in anything I can really. I also added grated mozzarella on top - parmesan is what the recipe calls for but I didn’t have it. Mozzarella works just as well for me and would be great inside too with the ricotta. I hope you love this recipe and you check out Candice Kumais Book “Cook Yourself Sexy.” It's still summer and having a healthier options are perfect for keeping that body on point! Hope you enjoy it lovelies and see you back for next week’s recipe Thai Chicken Panang!
Have a lovely day!
Xoxo Shaunté
Marinara sauce ingredients :
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (28-ounce)cans organic diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Cooking the sauce :
In a large saucepan, saute the onion in olive oil for approximately 20 minutes over low heat. Add the garlic and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and herbs. Mix well and cook on low for approximately 2 hours. When the sauce has thickened, finish it off with a touch of balsamic vinegar or red wine vino and allow it to simmer for about 5 more minutes. Finish off with sea salt.
What you will need for Lasagna :
- 1 15-ounce container part-skim milk ricotta cheese or try 1 1/2 cups cashew cheese!
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Sea salt, to taste
- 12-15 lasagna noodles, cooked (noodles will continue to cook in the oven, so be sure to leave a little crunch when boiling them)
- 2 cups homemade marinara sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil, whole leaves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
**Place the lasagna noodles in single layers, directly on a baking sheet to prevent pasta from sticking together!
Mix
In a medium bowl, blend the cashew cheese or ricotta, lemon zest, dried herbs, and sea salt to taste.
Roll
On a clean cutting board, spread out 4 noodles. Top with roughly 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture, spreading evenly over each noodle. Start at one end and work your way over the whole noodle, creating thin layers for less mess! Roll each noodle tightly across to make a compact spiral. Repeat with all 12-15 noodles.
Bake
Cover the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the marinara.
Place the rolled noodles neatly into baking dish and cover with the remaining cup of sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Place on the middle rack for best results.
To serve, top with lemon zest or nutritional yeast and more fresh basil leaves.
To find about more about Candice Kumai and to get more of her recipes visit her website @ www.candicekumai.com