Recipe Friday - Veggie Lasagna

Ok, I need you all to trust me that this lasagna is REALLY good. You'll probably see the list of ingredients and think "What the heck? No way am I making that!" It honestly tastes better than it sounds. Dave LOVES it, and Rosie LOVES it. I'm actually going to make it for dinner tonight. Oh and sorry about the picture, I was in a rush.

Filling
1 bunch of fresh swiss chard
2 small bunches of fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic
1 med onion, chopped
1 300 ml jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1 pkg soft tofu, drained
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cheese Sauce
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Filling
In a blender mix, roasted red peppers, olive oil, both bunches of basil (leaves only, no stems), and 3 cloves of garlic, until smooth. Add tofu and Parmesan cheese and blend.

In a frying pan on medium heat, cook chopped onions until translucent. Add 1 clove of garlic (crushed through a garlic press) and cook for another minute. Wash and rip up the swiss chard into 1 inch pieces (no stems). Add to the onion and garlic and heat until the leaves are slightly wilted. Allow to cool slightly.

Add the swiss chard mixture to the roasted red pepper mixture. Blend for about 10-15 seconds.

Cheese Sauce
In a sauce pot, over low heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk. Add milk and whisk until smooth (no flour chunks). Add grated mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and whisk until a thick and creamy cheese sauce forms (about 5-10 minutes).

Assembling the lasagna layers
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Use a deep casserole dish and spread 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce evenly on the bottom. Add one layer of cooked lasagna noodles. Spread 4 tablespoons of cheese sauce over the noodles. Add 1/2 a cup (or more if you want) of swiss chard mixture and spread evenly. Add another layer of lasagna noodles. Continue layering in this manner until all the filling has been used up. Pour the remaining sauce to the top of the layers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the over for 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!!