tianichole

Eggplant and kale lasagna

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Eggplant and kale lasagna

I stepped away from my desk for 30 minutes today to breathe in some outdoor air and kayak on our lake with Brandon and Trenton. After a long week of long hours, dinner was easy!

This recipe:

1. Requires only 15 minutes of prep
2. Offers a shortcut with jarred sauce
3. Allows advance prep (make the ricotta cheese mixture up to two days in advance)
4. Is perfect for meal prep—freeze and bake at a later time
5. Puts veggies-forward!

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggplant (feeds four)
  • 12 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 1/4 cups kale, steamed
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

The How To:

  1. When you wake up, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2″ thick pieces. Sprinkle LIBERALLY with salt to remove excess moisture. This also removes the bitterness from the vegetable. D2C95513-32FC-4198-A225-FB865B3E09CD
  2. When you’re ready to start making dinner, use a clean dishtowel and brush off the moisture and salt.
  3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Heat a cast iron stove with 2-4 T vegetable oil. Sear eggplant slices until tender.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated garlic, toasted pine nuts, season with salt and pepper.
  6. Take a meatloaf pan (again, this is for four people), and put a layer of tomato sauce at the bottom. Layer with two eggplant slices, then your cheese mixture, then kale, then sauce. Continue to repeat the layers. I got about three layers in. The top layer should be your last eggplant slices, topped with sauce, no cheese.
  7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Add the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella to the top, and broil until golden brown.
  8. Cut into four slices and serve with salad.

36F65E16-6F98-4D22-ADA2-8539EC9F4E1DSo, what’s it cost?

  • 1 eggplant: $2.28
  • 12 ounces ricotta cheese: $2.00
  • 1 egg: $.16
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella: $2.20
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated: $.60
  • 1 1/4 cups kale, steamed: $1.12
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted: $.80
  • 3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce: free homemade from last summer

Served with salad:

  • 1 carrot: $.08
  • 1/6 cucumber: $.08
  • 1/4 c mixed greens: $.45
  • 1 radish (free from our garden)

Total cost: $9.77, or $2.44/person (for four servings–we have one leftover)

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