Zero Calories! My Lasagna without Ricotta.

Over the years I have had to change the combination of cheeses in this lasagna several times before I could get a working recipe that would satisfy my family's different tastes in lasagna.

My first experiment was a sour disaster. I took the ricotta out of my lasagna completely and added only cheddar cheese. Uh! Sour city!

I kept changing from one combination of cheeses to another with disastrous results. Eventually, I have completely altered the recipe that I started out with.

So here is the recipe that I am using now :-

Tips :-

1. To accommodate the uncooked lasagna noodles pour 1-2 cups of water around on the inside of baking dish. The noodles will use it up as they expand.
2. A coating of Pam oil spray on the foil would prevent the cheese from sticking to it.
3. After cooking lasagna for 40 minutes, instead of browning for 15 minutes, uncover and then grill on low for about 3 minutes for faster browning.
4. Mushrooms can be either Button or Portabello or a combination of both.

Options :-

1. If you prefer, substitute 1 tbsp dried basil with 3 tbsps of fresh and 1 tsp dried oregano with 1 tbsp fresh.
2. Kraft TexMex blend contains mozzarella, cheddar and monterey jack cheeses as well as jalapeno peppers.This can be substituted for any other blends.
3. Canned mushroom can be used instead of fresh.
4. Hot peppers can be omitted.
5. Make lasagna as cheesy as you want.
6. Veggies can be sliced if preferred.
7. Use meats of your choice, instead of 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef.

Zucchini is a summer squash that is high in fiber, water, vitamins A&C and potassium. This vegetable contains a lot of other nutrients that support our health. It's fiber and water provide low calorie volume in our body which helps to maintain our weight.

The vitamins and minerals that is contained within the zucchini provides boost to our immune system and promotes healthy heart, skin, lungs and eyes. It also, helps to lower cholesterol, cancer prevention,prostate health and lower blood pressure.

To select the best zucchini, look for the ones that are free of nicks and bruises, are small to medium size and have green stems. Plus, really fresh zucchini will have fine hairs on the skin.

Bell Peppers contain a large amount of Phytochemicals which contains antioxidants.

1. The red bell pepper contains Lycopene which helps to protect us against cancer and heart disease.
2. The green bell pepper contains Zeaxanthin, this keeps our eyes healthy and is said to reduce the risk of age-related eye disorders.
3. The yellow bell pepper contains 1.65 milligrams of Niacin, it helps to keep our nerves working normally. Niacin also helps our digestive system to convert the food we eat into useable energy.

To select the best peppers in the store, look for the ones that have deep vivid color, firm skin that is free of blemishes, soft spots and darkened areas, Peppers should be heavy for their size and their stems should be green and fresh.

Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D when they are exposed to sunlight and several types Selenium which helps to lower the risk of bladder cancer. Unlike most vegetables, mushrooms retain their nutrient content when cooked.

1. Portobello mushrooms are rich in Selenium which assists in DNA repair in the body and Zinc, which plays an important role in our immune function, wound healing and cell division is also found in portobello mushroom.
2. Button mushrooms contains high amounts of Copper, this mineral is needed by our body to produce blood cell and heart health. Button mushrooms have been found to significantly reduce the effects of breast, colon and prostate cancers.

In selecting the freshest mushrooms, look for firm caps with no bruises, the gills should feel crisp and tight and the caps on the button mushroom should be white.

Celery contains phenolic nutrients which our body uses to protect us from unwanted oxygen damage to our cells, blood vessels and organ systems. The unique non-starch polysaccharides found in celery are especially important in providing protection from inflammation in our digestive tract.

In selecting celery, look for leaves that crisp and free of spots. The stalks should be compact together, feel crisp, not yellowing. You can open the stalks to look for damage in the center of the bunch.

Onions are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that helps to lower blood levels of cholesterols and triglycerides. A diet in moderate amounts of onions has been known to reduce the risk of colorectal, laryngeal and ovarian cancers. This is because of the onion antioxidant, quercitin.

How to select - avoid onions that are sprouting and have mold. Be sure that the bulb you select is firm and dry and don't have a pungent rotting odour.

Garlic contains a disulfide called ajoene, which helps prevent our blood platelets from sticking together to form clots in our veins and arteries. There is also, garlic's aliin, which helps our blood vessel to contract to prevent unwanted increase in blood pressure.

To select - choose garlic that is plump with a clean, unbroken skin. Press your fingers into the garlic bulb to make sure that it is not soft and wet.

Hot peppers contains Potassium which helps to regulate blood pressure. There is a compound called Capsaisin, that triggers the release of Substance P in the stomach to protect itself from tissue damage caused by non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs, that can cause ulcers.

Select peppers that are firm, the stems should be green and the skin should be free of soft spots.

Always choose the freshest ingredients for your lasagna.

If not buy herbs that is dried and packed in a sealed packaging.

Choose frozen vegetables over wilted ones.