Malta Development Blog

Are you familiar with Meatless Mondays? The Meatless Monday program began as a way to help people curb their meat consumption by 15%. On average, people eat about 45% more meat per day than the USDA recommended amount . A reduction in meat consumption reduces your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. On top of that, you decrease your carbon footprint and save resources like fossil fuel and fresh water. For example, production of a single pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water.
 
Facts such as these shouldn't completely deter us from meat consumption, but instead, prompt us to go meatless at least one day out of the week. What better day than Monday to start your week off on the right foot? If you're ready to join the movement, here's a lasagna roll and roasted red pepper recipe that's simple, tasty, and filling. It's so good you won't mind the lack of meat.
 

Lasagna Ingredients:

• 8 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushroom
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, undrained
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

To begin, prepare the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Omit any salt and fat from this process. Once you've cooked the noodles, drain and rinse them under cold water. Drain again.
 
Now, on your stovetop, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add your spinach, mushrooms, onion, and 3 garlic cloves. Sauté until tender (about 5 minutes). Once tender, remove from heat and stir in mozzarella and ricotta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons basil, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
 
For sauce, place vinegar and the rest of your remaining ingredients into a blender, blending until smooth. Set aside.
 
Lay your cooked noodles flat on a surface and spread 1/4 cup of cheese mixture on top of each noodle. Spread enough so that the noodle is easy to roll up (jelly-roll fashion). Start at the shortest side. Next, put your rolls in a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish. Make sure to place your rolls seams down, so they don't open. Pour your sauce over each roll (about 1/4 cup on each). Cover them with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Garnish with 2 tablespoons basil.
 
Image and recipe adapted from MyRecipes