Bite Me! - Lasagna Bites

Want the taste of lasagna without all the calories and carbs?  Try lasagna bites made with wonton wrappers instead of pasta and substitute low fat "veggie" meat (I love Gardein products).   Each serving with a veggie side or salad is just enough to satisfy the lasagna craving without blowing your whole calorie count for the day.  You can use jarred sauce if you wish, just check the label to find one without high fructose corn syrup.  But once you've made your own from scratch, you'll likely not buy any more. 

Sauce:
2-3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 poundground veggie "meat" substitute or ground turkey.
dash of salt
dash of pepper
3/4 cup chopped veggies (onion, bell peppers, celery, etc).
14.5 oz can Muir Glen organic crushed tomatoes (best of all the brands)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (optional - I'm a big garlic fan)
a pinch each of:
thyme
savory
basil
oregano
rosemary
marjoram
sage
(or use your favorite blended Italian seasoning, a very full teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
splash of red wine
1/2 teaspoon wild honey

Note: If you are making this with sauce already prepared, use about 2 and a half cups.

Cashew "Ricotta" filling:

1 and 1/2 cups vegan "ricotta" (recipe at The Simple Veganista blog) mixed with a pinch or two each of salt and two or three of grinds of fresh cracked pepper and 1/2 teaspoon basil

The Presentation: 24 small square wonton wrappers (found near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)

Cheese:

1 and 1/2 cups of non-dairy Mozzarella

Topping: Parsley or dried crushed red peppers

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the chopped veggies in olive oil until starting to soften, add mushrooms and cook a few more minutes Add the turkey and cook over medium until turkey is cooked through (or add vegetarian protein substitute and heat throughy.  In the last minute or so of cooking add the garlic, if you wish. Drain off any moisture and add the crushed tomatoes, wine, honey and seasoning, simmer on low until liquid thickened. About 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, and  a dash of basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.

Using half of the sauce mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the ricotta mixture, spoon it evenly over each of the meat filled cups. Sprinkle with about 2 teaspoons of the cheese blend.


Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the first meat/cheese layer, pressing down into the sides of the tin to form a shallow bowl shape.


Repeat the process by distributing the remaining sauce and ricotta and finally the rest of the shredded cheeses.

Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until the cheese has softened and the wonton edges are brown and crispy all around. For my oven, and as much as I stuffed them it was 14 and a half minutes.

Let the cups cool slightly, remove them from the pan ( a fork helps lift them out) and serve! Each individual lasagna is around 300 calories.  Pair with a veggie side dish and you'll have a meal that will blow any frozen diet meal out of the water.  They also freeze really well.