When I think of lasagna I think of heavy, fattening, rich and time-consuming. Well, I have adapted a traditional lasagna dish to one that my three kids and husband will all eat and that I don't feel guilty about. Begin by simmering canned tomatoes of your choice (I use 2 large cans of whatever organic crushed tomatoes I have one hand) and I finely chop spinach, celery and carrot, parsley (if i have it) and basil (fresh or dried). While that simmers I brown sweet or spicy italian turkey sausage with some chopped onion and finely chopped mushroom. I find that if the mushroom is chopped small into the meat mixture, my kids don't notice it like if it was in the sauce. For the cheese mixture I prefer cottage cheese over ricotta, or sometimes I do a blend, add two eggs and whatever seasonings - basil, oregano, parsley, etc. After boiling whole wheat lasagna noodles I layer the pan: First, noodles, then layer of cheese mixture, then layer of sauce and repeat this over again. Top off with shredded mozzarella or provolone. The lasagna is very low fat, high in antioxidants, and includes more vegetables than if they ate a salad. Very few pans to clean and the smell will make them all wanting more.
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