Brussels Sprout & Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
3 c. Brussels sprouts, quartered
3 c. butternut squash, diced
1 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, chopped 
6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping 
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
7 oz. fresh pesto sauce (I used Wegmans’)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, drained of water and sliced
lasagna noodles (I used Wegmans’ fresh lasagna sheets)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned in parts and tender, about 15 minutes. 

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook shallots and sage until tender. Add to Brussels sprouts and squash, tossing to combine. 

In a medium bowl, stir together egg, ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg. 

Spread a thin layer of pesto over bottom of a 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Cover with one layer of noodles. Spoon half the vegetable mixture over pasta. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the vegetables. Cover with 1/2 the mozzarella slices. Top with a second layer of lasagna noodles and spread pesto over. Top with remaining vegetables, ricotta, third layer of noodles, and pesto. Top with remaining mozzarella slices and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6.

P.F. Chang’s Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients
3 tbsp. oil
2 c. meat substitute (“chicken” strips or soy crumbles)
1 c, water chestnuts
2/3 c. mushrooms
3 tbsp. chopped onions
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 -5 leaves lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 c.sugar
1/2 c. water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. hot mustard
2 tsp. water
1 -2 tsp. garlic and red chile paste

Stirfry Sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions
Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute meat substitute until slightly browned. Remove from the pan and cool. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.

As it cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl. When the meat substitute is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add meat substitute, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.

Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups". Top with"Special Sauce".

Vegetable Pot Pie

This dish lends itself to creativity and leftovers. Use the veggies you've got in the fridge!

Ingredients
2 tsp. honey
¼ to ½ cup white wine or vegetable stock
1 c. chopped onion
1 shallot, minced
1 c. thinly sliced celery
1 c. diced red bell pepper
⅔ c. thinly sliced carrot
⅔ c. sliced frozen green beans
⅓ c. frozen peas
⅓ c. whole wheat flour
1 c. milk (2% works well)
2 c. vegetable stock (1 ½ for a creamier consistency)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 tsp. salt or low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. dried thyme (1 tsp. for fresh)
¼ tsp. dried sage (1/2 tsp. for fresh)
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
Canned buttermilk biscuits

Directions
Coat an 8-inch casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In heavy saucepan, heat wine or stock over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add celery, bell pepper, carrot, green beans and peas. If mixture begins to dry out, add 1/4 cup more wine or vegetable stock. Cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

In glass measuring cup, combine milk and 2 cups vegetable stock. Slowly add to vegetable mixture while whisking constantly. Sauce will start to thicken. Add parsley, salt or soy sauce, thyme, sage, pepper and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until filling is thickened. Remove from heat, transfer mixture to prepared casserole and set aside. Note: If sauce doesn’t thicken, add 2 tbsp. corn starch mixed with cold water and a little of the stock.

Lay biscuits lightly over filling. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

UPDATE: This recipe works well in the crockpot! Just toss the ingredients in and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. I noticed that the milk separated a little... so it might make sense to cook with broth only and then add dairy later on...