Veggie Lasagna

I love chicken but today I thought since my friend is a veggie-tarian I would try this with out the chicken. Now if you want the chicken just two cups chopped chicken added to this if you need to... but on it's own yummmy.

Most of my ingredients come from the backyard but I have made the recipe instructions with can amounts to make it easier for those who do not have a working garden. But you must get your gloves on and start one. If you need tips on gardening go to my gardening website.

Some things I do not do. I do not use tomato sauce the chopped tomatoes have just enough juice to keep the flavors  see the picture (not professional) of the lasagna on the plate notice that there is not a ton of red sauce.

Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients
2 cups chopped broccoli
3 large carrots sliced (not to thick)
1 onion chopped ( I use red it is sweeter)
3 chopped garlic heads...more or less
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh oregano
1 teaspoon of white sugar - this cuts the acid in the tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes - this gives it a little bite so if you do not like spicy skip it
ricotta cheese (Choose your amount)
mozzarella cheese (Again as much as you like )
chopped tomatoes one 4 oz can or two cups fresh
approximately 10 to 13 lasagna noodles soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

I keep most of my chopping bite size I like to taste my food in every bite not try to figure out
what I just bit into.

How to:

I microwave my broccoli just a touch for about 2 minutes to make them just not so stiff when added. Or chop it up tiny ..hey that works...

Put a smidgen of olive oil in a large pan and grill the onions and garlic, oh say 10 minutes until they are soft but not brown. Now add the tomatoes and the sugar and salt, pepper and pepper flakes if desired and simmer together about 5 minutes. 

Add the carrot's and the oregano I have large pieces of oregano that I simmer with the onions and garlic....then remove when I assemble the lasagna but you can chop it up and leave it in. I do add a few chopped pieces when assembled.

Ok lets layer! A layer of noodle overlap then by about a half inch then a layer of veggies some sauce and some cheese and then add another layer till you have come about I say one inch from the top.

Your last layer should be noodles. Then you want to top the whole thing off with a nice dabble of sauce, then cheese more sauce and more cheese.

This will make a wonderful crusty top. Just follow the pictures they tell the whole story. 

If you layer it to much to the top it will bubble over and that is not fun to clean off the bottom of the store and it smells. I always put a cookie sheet under what I cook because it is bit of cleaning insurance.

Alrighty now bake the lasagna in a preheated oven of at 350 degrees, covered in foil, for the first 15 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 20 minutes. What you are looking for is bubbly when the foil is removed...then a brown top crust like the bread you are going to serve with it...

Note: I am the type of cook that believes that you need to make some decisions on your taste...The veggies put in what you love. The cheese I am not a big cheese head so I put less cheese more veggies...Please go with your own taste and you will see that is what makes it yours...Get personal with your food...

And WaLa