Lasagne- My version!

So I was in the kitchen with my mum the other day when she was pulling out all the ingredients she needed to make a big, hearty lasagne, when she just stopped and sort of... took it all in.
She said to me; 'Steph, my lasagne would never have looked like this if it weren't for you!' She was holding some no-added-salt tinned tomatoes and a tin of lentils as well as a drained tin of chickpeas on the counter and some grated carrot and zucchini too.

It's comments like that, that really make me smile and feel like I am having a positive affect on people. It makes me realise that's what I want to do when I grow up- share my knowledge and ideas to help people lead a healthier and happier life! So thanks mum, it really means a lot :)

Also, the amazing smell and appearance of my mum's lasagne prompted a serious obligation to my yearning stomach to make a lasagne of my very own! It's also your lucky day because I'm sharing my favourite lasagne recipe with you- secret ingredients and all!

Steph's Packed Full o' Veggies Lasagne!
(serves 1)
Ingredients:
'Meat' sauce:
1/4 large brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 large carrot, grated
3 button mushrooms, chopped
4 cherry tomatoes chopped
1/4 tin lentils, drained and rinsed
1/4 tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tin no-added-salt diced tomatoes
sprinkle of dried oregano and basil
'Lasagne' sheets:
2 x 0.5cm slices eggplant (doesn't really matter how thick- just not too thick)
1/2 zucchini sliced into thin rings
'Bechamel' sauce:
1 1/2tablespoons hommus
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon water

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place a single serving bake dish to the side for later use.
2. Place the chopped onions, garlic and oil in a medium fry pan and heat on medium heat for around 5-10 mins until golden and translucent:

 3. Add in the grated carrot, mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for 2 mins to combine:

 4. Add in the beans, lentils, tinned tomato and about a cup of water and bring to a simmer:

 5. Meanwhile place the eggplant and zucchini in another pan (I used a griddle pan, but any will do) and heat on medium-high until brown on both sides and cooked through (around 5-10 mins)

 6. Whip up the cheese sauce by placing the hommus and nutritional yeast in a small bowl and stirring in the water until smooth:

 7. Now to construct the lasagne!
Start with some eggplant slices:

 Layer on some bean mixture:

 Top with some zucchini rounds (enough to cover):

 A bit of the hommus sauce (about 1/3-1/2 sauce)

 Top with the remaining bean mix:

 A teeny bit of hommus sauce:

 The remaining eggplant:

 And finish it off with the remaining 'cheesey' sauce:

 8. Now pop in the oven and bake for around 30 mins until the top is nice and golden:

 Of course you should probably wait for this to cool slightly before digging in (there's nothing worse than being famished, digging in, burning your tongue and not even being able to taste the marvelous dish you created anyway!)

If you're like me, you'll actually leave it out to cool entirely before popping it in the fridge so it's cold when you go to eat it for dinner! I also find that it's a bit more together? Easier to flip out and eat! I can taste all the different ingredients too a little better than when it's hot.

And that's my LASAGNE!

What was the secret ingredient?

LOVE...

And a whole lot of that hommus sauce :)

What about you?
Have you influenced your family in any way to make healthier choices?
Are you a fan of lasagne? I wasn't as a child but thankfully grew to love it! The cheese sauce always tasted weird to me...
Lasagne- hot or cold? Someone else must agree with me out there that it tastes better cold!

That's all from me today folks- make sure you have a lovely and [hopefully] relaxing Sunday, maybe make some lasagne! Smile lots and tell someone you love them- it just might make their entire day! Bye friends! :D