Meatless Lasagna with Four Cheeses

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound soft tofu, drained
• 1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese, drained
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup light soy milk or 1 percent milk
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• ½ cup shredded Pecorino cheese
• ½ cup shredded low-fat Gouda cheese
• ½ cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 4 cups marinara sauce
• 1 package (8 ounces) lasagna noodles

Preparation:

• In a blender or food processor, process the tofu, ricotta sugar, soy milk, garlic, lemon juice, basil, and salt until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
• Squeeze the spinach dry, then stir into the mixture. Combine the remaining cheeses in a small-size bowl and set aside.
• Cover bottom of 5-quart or larger slow cooker with 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Layer one-third of the lasagna noodles (breaking to fit bottom of cooker if necessary), one-third of the tofu-spinach mixture, and one-third of the cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup of sauce. Repeat layers twice more, ending with sauce.
• Cover. Cook on low until noodles are soft about 4-6 hours. Serve with extra sauce, if desired.

Make 8 Servings:

Weight loss recipes Amount Per Serving : 343 Calories, 28 g Protein, 32 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Dietary Fiber, 12 g Fat, 5 g Saturated Fat, 966 mg Sodium

Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 large zucchini (about 1 lb), ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthwise
  
• 3 links (about 4 oz each) lean Italian turkey sausage
  
• 1 red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
  
• 1 tsp minced garlic
  
• 1 cup low-fat marinara sauce
  
• 2 egg whites
  
• 1 container (15 oz) fat-free ricotta cheese
  
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• ⅔ cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
  
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 325 F.
  
• Coat 8”*8” baking pan lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
  
• Arrange zucchini slices in single layer on baking sheet. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
  
• Cook sausage in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon to break up. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook 4 minutes longer, or until meat is no longer pink. Stir in marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will be very thick.
  
• Combine egg whites, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and black pepper in mixing bowl. Stir.
  
• Spread half of the meat sauce in bottom of prepared baking pan. Layer on half of the zucchini slices, followed by half of the ricotta mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
  

Make 8 Servings:
Weight Loss Recipes Amount per Serving: 210 Calories, 18 g Protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 3 g Fiber, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium