Gluten-free 3-cheese Vegetable Lasagna

This dish is heavy on the prep, but very rewarding. My husband and I decided we liked the leftovers even better, hot or cold.

Avi watching me slice eggplant

Fried eggplant

You will need three cheeses:

• Something salty (I used Bulgarit)
• Something soft like ricotta or cottage cheese
• Something stretchy and melty like mozzerella (I used "gvina tzuba", something like Edam.)

Repeats Including Zucchini Muffins

I began writing this blog for myself.  I wanted to record what my family liked so I could make it again.  Today, I want to mention a couple things that I have been making again, and again, and again.

My kids don't care for soup.  But I love Roasted Butternut Squash soup so much, I've been making it almost every week.  I often add some beer or Irish stout.  It seems easier every time, and the peels taste great in soup stock.

I've also made whole wheat zucchini muffins several times.  My kids love eating them, and I love knowing they're healthier than pasta.

Last week my daughter was home with an ear infection.  I asked her if she wanted to make muffins.  "I can help, for real??  Not just watch? Really help!?" was her excited reply.

She did get to really help.  Its a lot easier to be patient with only one kid home.  She counted in the prunes,  sprinkled in the salt and cinnamon, added premeasured ingredients, and did some excellent mixing.

Below is the recipe I am currently using.  Makes 24 muffins. [UPDATE: Zucchini Carrot Muffins - No Sugar Added]

1. Grate 3 zucchini and 2-3 carrots.  Put in a large bowl.
   
2. Blend2 eggs, 1/2 cup olive oil, 8 prunes, and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
   
3. Mix separately in a measuring cup:
   2 cups whole wheat four
   approx. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   About 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
   approx 1/4 teaspoon salt
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar (alternatively you could add vanilla extract straight to the set of ingredients in step #2.)
   1 cup raisins
   
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet by hand until the flour is just incorporated (don't blend smooth.)
   
5. Pour into greased muffin tins or a pan.  I use a soup ladle.  Silicon muffin tins don't need to be greased.  Stainless steel or aluminum do best when lightly greased and floured.
   
6. Bake at 350 F or 175 C for 14-25 minutes depending on the size of your muffins or loaf. 

Sweet Zucchini Muffins

Were you wondering what happened to the zucchini guts (shown below) from my stuffed zucchini?  I made muffins to celebrate some little successes in our family.  Including... Mazel tov on the one month anniversary of my blog!

I share Hannah Z.'s view expressed in her post "Odds and Ends Make the Best Muffins Ever" (Keen On Quinoa.)
"... You cannot mess them up. The following is merely a record of what I did- you can play with these however you want to. I'd recommend sticking with the basic proportions (2 eggs: 1.5 tsp baking soda: 1.5 cups flour, etc) but then make a mess of it!"

However, I was also inspired by Miriam Kresh (Israeli Kitchen) via Hannah K. (Cooking Manager) to actually measure and write down what I did.  So here it is, as close as a get to a recipe.  In theory you could actually do what I did and the same results.  (Like a delicious scientific experiment!)

1. Shred/grate:
3 zucchini or the guts of 4 zucchini (about 2 cups or 475 ml). 
3 carrots (about 1 cup or 240 ml).

2. Blend/mix, then add to above in a bowl:
2 eggs
1/2 cup (120ml) oil.  (I used olive oil and canola oil)
7 prunes
3/4 cups (175ml) brown sugar

 

3. Mix separately in a measuring cup:
2 cups whole wheat four
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (That's all I had.  You could use 3/4 tsp baking soda and 1/3 tsp baking powder)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar (alternatively you could add vanilla extract straight to the set of ingredients in step #2.)
1 cup raisins

4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet by hand until the flour is just incorporated (don't blend smooth.)

5. Pour into greased muffin tins or a pan and bake at 350 F or 175 C for 14-25 minutes depending on how big your muffins or loaf.

 

Makes 24 large muffins.

 Last night I was telling my son he needed to go to bed so I could make "cup cakes".
Him: But you need to buy them.
Me: I'm going to MAKE them.
Him: Then you need a recipe.
Very keen.  And now I have one!

Stuffed Zucchini: Part 2

As I said in my original stuffed zucchini post, I suggested to my friend Tzippy that we both make stuffed zucchini and then compare what we did.  I filled my zucchini with a rice mixture and baked them.  When we ate ours they were still crispy and juicy.  Below is what Tzippy did, along with her gorgeous pictures.

Stuffed Zucchini: Part 1

Last night my friend Tzippy and I were at the shuk around closing time.  I pointed out some zucchini that were different from what I was used to in the States.  She said they are very good for stuffing.  We both bought some and I suggested that I would post what we each did with ours.

Here are mine:



I filled mine with 2/3 brown rice and 1/3 short grain white rice, a mix of dried vegetables and spices from Pereg and canned corn.  Then I baked them uncovered, but not long enough according to my husband.  He preferred the rice while my daughter preferred the zucchini, my son didn't eat much and I liked it all.

Tzippy's still look like this as of this posting:

Click here to see how Tzippy made her zucchini.