Inspired Recipe: Quinoa Lasagna

I love getting a new canvas. It’s so fresh and clean, not a speck on it. You wonder what will come of it. What will you paint? What colors will you use? How many revisions will it take until it’s just the way you want it? How long will you spend on it? I feel the same way when I find a new recipe. Something about starting from scratch, touching something that has been untouched by you until now. It’s even more exhilarating when you improvise a little to make it your own. That first bite is a mixture of agony and excitement.

And then…it’s delicious! And other people enjoy it, too!

This is what happened when I made the quinoa lasagna inspired by MJ and the Hungryman at my aunt’s last week. When I lived with my aunt a long, long time ago, I was always amazed and a little perplexed by all of the healthy food she ate. Now that I’m on my healthy journey, it’s fun to share these recipes with her – as she is part of a very small group of people I know who truly appreciate the whacky, healthy recipes I attempt.

I didn’t get a whole lot of pictures because we were busy visiting and eating. Actually, I only got one picture.

The original recipe called for this:

• 3 cups diced sweet potatoes
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce
• 1 (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

This is what we did:

• 3 diced Russet potatoes – because that’s what we had
• 2 cups chopped broccoli – again, what we had
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce
• 2 cups of cottage cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• A few slices of pepper jack cheese – it’s what we had, and I put pepper jack on everything so this is no surprise

Next time, I would like to make my own pasta sauce. I can’t even comprehend making my own cheese yet, so if that ever comes, it will be much later in life.

Have you ever improvised a recipe you found? How did it turn out? Success, or total failure? The next time you find a recipe that you haven’t tried due to lack of ingredients, see if you can sub in what you have. You can Google substitutions for just about everything and if you are trying to make your favorite recipe a little more healthy, you can consult The Gracious Pantry. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google + and Twitter for more healthy inspiration!