Slow-Cooker Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

Recipe from Laura Walsh via Eating Well

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a meal you make when you’ve got a busy day ahead.  Just layer the ingredients in a slow cooker, turn it on, and 6 hours later, dinner is ready.  Serve this comfort food meatless lasagna with a crisp green salad.

Olive oil cooking spray

1 large red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced or chopped (3-4 large)

2 cups packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 (24 ounce) jar low-sodium red pasta sauce

1 (15 ounce) can no-sodium-added diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

8 ounces oven-ready whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 9 total)

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or 6 cubes Dorot Frozen Basil)

·      Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with olive oil cooking spray.

·      Combine bell pepper, mushrooms, and spinach in a medium bowl.

·      Combine pasta sauce, tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and ½ cup Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

·      Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the slow cooker. 

·      Place 3 noodles over the sauce, breaking them as needed to fit in one layer. 

·      Spread another 1 cup sauce over the pasta noodles. 

·      Layer on one-third of the vegetable mixture, 3 more noodles, and 1 cup sauce. 

·      Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese. 

·      Continue layering one-third of the vegetable mixture,1 cup sauce ½ cup mozzarella, and the remaining noodles. 

·      Top with a final layer of the remaining vegetables, the remaining sauce, and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

·      Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours. 

·      Turn off and unplug the cooker.  Remove the lid.  Place a clean cloth towel over the slow cooker.  Place the lid back on the cooker over the towel.  (This will prevent condensation from building up on the underside of the lid during the 1 hour resting period.)

·      Let the lasagna stand, covered, for 1 hour.  (The resting period is important.  It will allow the lasagna to firm up a bit.  The lasagna will still be hot enough to serve.)

·      Serve topped with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and basil.

Nutritional Information:  According to my calculations, 1 of 8 servings = 397 calories; 4.2 grams fiber

Tip:  To save time, prep and mix the vegetables and store in the fridge overnight.  Mix all the sauce ingredients together and store in the fridge overnight.  Then in the morning, it will just be a matter of placing the layers in the slow-cooker and turning it on.

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from GimmeSomeOven

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 8 generous servings

It wasn’t autumn, but the tail end of winter when I made this soup.  It couldn’t be easier to make because it’s done in the slow cooker.  The hubby really liked it because it’s a bit sweet due to the sweet potato.  I liked it because it’s filling, satisfying, and full of good-for-you veggies.  The recipe author has several adaptions (stovetop, Instapot, gluten-free option, a cream sauce option, adding chicken option, etc.) I do think the soup would look even more beautiful using wild rice and not a wild rice blend, but I used what I had. 

6 cups Homemade Vegetable Broth

1 cup uncooked wild rice

8 oz. baby bell mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 small white onion, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1½ Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk.)

2 large handfuls of fresh kale, thick stems removed, roughly chopped

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper

Place the vegetable broth, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay Seasoning in a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, or until the rice is cooked and tender.  Remove the cover and add the coconut milk and fresh kale.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well.  Cover and allow to sit for a few minutes, or until the kale has wilted and has turned a rich green.  Serve hot or allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

By my calculations, 1 of 8 servings equals about 167 calories and 3.4 grams fiber.

NOTES:

To make this even more convenient, you can prep the vegetables the night before and store in the fridge.  I chopped up the celery and carrots and put them in the fridge.  I sliced the mushrooms and stored them in the fridge covered with a cloth.  I peeled and chopped up the sweet potato and stored them in  the fridge in water. This keeps them from discoloring.  The next morning, all I had to do was chop up the onion and garlic, which I did while my coffee percolated. J

I prefer using Homemade Vegetable Broth because it’s cheap, easy to do and I can control the salt content.  If you prefer using a box of broth which equals 4 cups, you can add 2 cups of water to the soup instead of opening another box.

Old Bay Seasoning can be found at most grocery stores.  You can make your own.  Here’s a recipe I found on the web, but I’ve not tested it. 

Homemade Old Bay Seasoning Mix Makes about ¼ cup Recipe from Linda Larsen, About.com Not-Yet Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen 1 Tablespoon ground dried bay leaves* 2 teaspoons celery salt 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground celery seeds ½ teaspoon ground white pepper ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves ⅛ teaspoon ground mace ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container and store in a cool place. Use with seafood or chicken. *Note:  You may have to grind dried bay leaves yourself. Be sure to use dried bay leaves, not fresh, because they grind more easily, and completely grind to a powder.