Vegetarian Lasagna Cups

I like to cook fast but still delicious and yummy food. We all make lasagna in a big tray, if you have a big family and you are freezing then its good to make it in a big tray but when you have small family and you know how much everyone is going to consume, you don't want to make it big batch. That's why when I decided to make lasagna , I went for my muffin tray, instead of my casserole. 

This was easy , cooked fast and with the help of my kids, It makes them also interested in ready dish. They help me assemble dish and it was ready in half the time then regular lasagna. 

I made it with my vegetarian ingredients but this is perfect with any meat dish also. Process is the same, boil the noodles, get ready with your stuffing and sauce and cheeses. and just assemble in cupcake mold. I made two trays of muffins. 

Ingredients :  

7-8 sheets of Whole wheat lasagna sheets

1 8 oz. box frozen and thawed spinach
1 4 oz. glass bottle of artichokes in oil
2 cups of Ricotta - I used my  Home Made  you can use part skim or full fat
1 shredded carrot
4 big cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup frozen corns
1/2 white onions chopped
1 green chili chopped
1 tsp. oregano
Few olives
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
8 oz. bag of mozzarella cheese
1 bottle of your favorite marinara sauce or as needed.

Method:

Cook the lasagna sheets as per box. Keep it aside.

Preheat the oven at 375 F.

In a bowl, Add spinach, chopped artichokes, carrot, garlic, onion, corn, chili.
Add ricotta, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella , oregano, red flakes, salt and mix it very well. check the seasoning before you assemble.

Take your muffin pan , cut the boiled sheet in square, depend upon how big is the cavity. place two squares, then stuffing, then cheese, then sauce, again one square of sheet, stuffing, sauce and cheese. Top one has to be cheese.

Fill out all the cavities and put it in oven to bake it at 375 F. for 20 minutes.

Keep on checking in between, depend upon metal, glass. or silicon, and oven , temperature and cooking time is different.

When cheese is all melted and everything is cooked thru, take it out.

Keep it outside for 10 minutes, inside stuffing is very hot, you can burn your tongue.

After that serve it on plate with side of salad, bread or wine. Choice is yours.

Szechuan Vegan Hot N Sour Soup

Hot n sour soup considered to be both Mandarin and Szechuan cuisines and everyone knows this soup too and make it very often too. But since I have health issues going in my family , we try to be more vegan and eat more healthy so this is a fantastic soup which suits for winter but hey we can have it on hot summer day , sipping a spoonful of soup in Air condition room. Who is going to stop us right? so enjoy this quick vegan hot n sour soup.

Ingredients : 

1 tablespoon sesame oil or toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 hot chili pepper, seeded and diced, or cayenne pepper, to taste

6 cups water or vegetable broth ( I use broth)

1 cup sliced mushrooms (try straw or shiitake)

1 8-ounce can bambooshoots

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup chopped small zucchini

1 cup chopped small carrots

1 tablespoon agave nectar or organic sugar

1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water

Half a 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, grated (optional)1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup diced green onion

Method:

Place the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili pepper, and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add the water, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mixed vegetables and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the agave, vinegar, and arrowroot mixture, and gently stir until soup thickens. Add the soy sauce and tofu, if using, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the green onion and mix well before serving.

Inspired from here

Had it along with my Chinese dinner of  Stir fry green beans, tofu with vegetables, fried rice and chill Gobi with gravy