Lasagna-Less Lasagna

As you probably know I have been sick lately. (I have made a full recovery! I was up bright and early to workout this morning.) As you also probably know I crave comfort foods on a daily basis. So being sick makes my craving of comfort foods sky rocket. And what is more comforting than a nice casserole?

Well a healthier version of it of course ;)

Yesterday I decided to make a lasagna-like dish- but without the noodles. Scroll to the bottom if you just want the recipe otherwise enjoy some of the "in the process" photos!


I have been cooking lots of vegan recipes, but I miss the look and feel of eggs! They really are beautiful...


Crust ingredients.


Mushrooms are such interesting little fungi's...


Sauteed onions, mushrooms, broccoli and spices layer.


Tomato layer.


Cottage cheese + spinach + spices layer.



Inspired by The Front Burner's Easy as (Tomato) Pie and my love of lasagna and casseroles.

Lasagna-Less Lasagna

Ingedients:
Quinoa Crust
-3 cups cooked Quinoa
-3 Eggs
-3 TBSP Parmesan Cheese
-1 tsp Thyme
-1 tsp Garlic Powder (or 1-2 cloves garlic)
-1/2 tsp Greek Oregano
-1/2 tsp Paprika

Veggie Layers
-3-4 TBSP Olive Oil
-2 cups sliced mushrooms
-1 large onion
-Thyme, Garlic Powder, Greek Oregano, and Paprika to taste (enough to cover a skillet pan of veggies with a thin layer of each spice)
-1/2 cup broccoli
-6-8 sliced Roma Tomatoes (or about 2-3 large tomatoes)

Cheese Layers
-1 package spinach, thawed and drained
-2 cups cottage cheese
-Thyme, garlic powder, Greek oregano, and paprika to taste (about 1/2 to 1 tsp each)
-1-1.5 cups shredded mozzarella (I used Swiss cheese because it was all I had but I think mozzarella would work better.

Directions:
1. Mix all the Quinoa crust ingredients together in medium sized bowl. Then press the Quinoa mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
2. While the crust is baking saute the mushrooms, onions, and spices in about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet.
3. When mushrooms and onions are done cooking remove them from the large skillet and set aside in a bowl. Add some more olive oil to the skillet and saute broccoli until it is just beginning to get soft.
4. Layer half of the onion/mushroom mixture and all of the broccoli on top of the finished baked Quinoa crust.
5. Layer one layer of sliced tomatoes.
6. Mix together Cottage Cheese, drained spinach, and spices. Taste test the mixture to decided how much or how little spice to add. I added lots! Layer this cottage cheese mixture on top of the sliced tomatoes.
7. Layer the rest of the sauteed mushroom/onions. Make another layer of sliced tomatoes.
8. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil about halfway through baking to prevent the cheese topping from burning.


It worked! I am now fully recovered.

Fun-Fact about me and Campbell's Canned Soups:
I also crave veggie soups from the can when I'm sick/want comfort. But the last time I looked at a Campbell's Vegetable Soup nutrition label(this weekend when I was about to consume one) I discovered that one serving (the can has 2.5) has 790mg of salt. I always eat the whole can. That amount of sodium is not going to heal any sickness, rather it will cause plenty! I decided it wouldn't be that much more work to whip up a hearty casserole with lots of fresh, nutrient rich ingredients, that would both help me on my way to recovery and comfort me.

What comfort foods do you crave when you're sick?