Sophisticated Savories

Sophisticated Savories

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Healthy Lasagna

Lasagna. Oozing cheese, heavy noodles and butter.

Heart-attack, commence.

Every once and awhile, one should absolutely experience the true, delicious experience of an authentic Italian lasagna. In fact, I would highly recommend savoring the “melted wonderfulness.” However, on a day-to-day consumption, one simply cannot afford to lavish in such a substantial dish. And if your diet requires gluten-free… then a problem exists.

Solution?

Although the taste will not be the same, one healthy alternative is actually using polenta in place of noodles. Made from dried corn kernels, polenta is not only gluten free, but low in calories/fat as well (120g pack contains 70 calories, 0 grams of fat and only 15 grams of carbs). Not too shabby for a day-to-day diet.

Remember, you are what you eat.

In order to create a more healthy “lasagna,” sauté vegetables in extra-virgin olive oil. Brighten the dish with fresh lemon juice, smoked sea salt, a plethora of fresh and dried herbs. Rather than suffocate the polenta in melted cheese, simply sprinkle a dusting of parmesan cheese on each layer. Since parmesan is a robust cheese, a small amount will do the entire dish justice. In terms of a tomato sauce – make your own by roasting tomatoes in the oven, then blending in a blender/Vitamix. The fresh ingredients (as opposed to canned) make a world of difference. Sure, it takes more time in preparation… but your taste buds will thank you.

And in terms of a healthy, daily diet, your waistline will too.

“All cooking is a matter of time. In general, the more time the better.” – John Erskine

Just because it is ‘good for you,’ does not deem it unpalatable. Rather, take the time to make it delicious by purchasing fresh, organic products and learning how to use herbs, spices and different cooking techniques to impart the most flavor, without loading on the excess fat.

Love y’all! ♥

No comments:

Post a Comment