Lasagna after Bariatric Surgery

After bariatric surgery, you have to educate your stomach again.  You also have to reeducate your mind when it comes to eating.  While I would love to believe that I could continue to eat my beloved Italian pasta, I am now realizing that I just won't be able to indulge in that ever again.  I can have a few strands of spaghetti or a couple pieces of shaped pasta, but it will never be a "meal" for me again.  That said, I still love the flavor of lasagna.  When I was on blended foods, my favorite dish was deconstructed lasagna (basically ricotta cheese topped with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella).  Yesterday, when I was at the Murray Hill Market, I found some beautiful early zucchini's and decided to make a noodle-less lasagna.  To make it even easier and not heat up my apartment, I decided to make it in my crockpot.

Crockpot Noodle-less Meatball Lasagna

• 2 medium zucchini
• salt
• 1 small bunch beet greens*
• 16 oz ricotta cheese (part-skim)
• 2 cups mozzarella, split
• 1 egg*
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
• 6 small meatballs
• 2 cups homemade marinara

Slice zucchini 1/8 inch thick and lay out on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt and let sweat for 30 minutes.  blot zucchini slices with paper towels. Wash and tear beet greens into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella and parmesan.

Cover bottom of crock with marinara.  Layer zucchini slices over sauce.  Break up 2 meatballs over zucchini and spoon sauce over meatballs.  Layer ricotta over meatballs and sauce, followed by beet greens.  Repeat layers 2 times ending with a layer of zucchini and sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.  Cover and cook 3 hours on HIGH.  Reduce heat to LOW until vegetables are soft.

*CSA ingredients

Noodle-less Veggie lasagna

So today's adventure starts with two medium zucchini's.  I have both zucchini and yellow squash, some beautiful tomatoes and swiss chard.  Since I have never worked with swiss chard and I have always wanted to try lasagna with zucchini "noodles", I decided to try and use all of these items and throw together a lasagna.

Swiss Chard Tomato Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles

• 1 bunch Swiss chard*
• 3 large tomatoes*
• 2 medium zucchini*
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil (I would use fresh, but I don't have any)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 (15-oz) container part skim ricotta
• 1 large egg*
• 2 cups part-skim mozzarella, split
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, split

Wash chard and remove stems; coarsely chop.  Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a boil.  Add chard to water and simmer for 1 minute (after returns to boil).  Quickly remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water.  Squeeze water from the chard and lay out on paper towels; set aside. 

Wash and cut and X into bottom of tomatoes.  Bring water to boil in same Dutch oven.  Carefully put tomatoes into boiling water.  Allow to boil for 1 minute or until skin starts to pull away from flesh.  Remove to ice water.  Peel tomatoes, remove cores and dice into 1/2 inch dice.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add tomatoes and spices.  Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.  Add Swiss chard and cook until heated through.

Wash zucchini, cut ends off, then thinly slice lengthwise (1/4 inch slices).  Boil water, add slices to water and then simmer for 2 minutes (after water boils again).  Remove to ice water, then layd out on paper towels to dry a bit.

In a medium bowl, beat egg.  Add ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mmozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan; mix well. Heat oven to 350F.

To assemble lasagna, spray large baking dish with cooking spray.  Place a layer of zucchini "noodles in bottom of pan.  Spread 1/2 cheese mixture over "noodles".  Spread 1/2 tomato chard mixture over cheese. Repeat layers.  Add third layer of zucchini noodles and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.  Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown.  Makes 8 servings.

Note: because there is no starch, this is a very wet lasagna.  Serve in a bowl with a spoon.  The liquid could be drained to make it easier to serve, but I find it very tasty and serve it with the lasagna.

*CSA ingredients