Protein Packed Veggie Lasagne

I’ve recently been trying to get more protein into our diets; me because I’m trying to lose some body fat and Babybel because she doesn’t eat much meat. As a vegetarian I’m always looking for new tasty ways to eat lentils, and I’ve tweaked this recipe until I look forward to eating this lasagne a few times a month! There are at least 2 portions of your 5-a-day fruit and veg per serving too.

This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

For the lasagne

•   9 lasagne sheets
•   1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
•   1 can of green lentils, drained and rinsed
•   1 courgette, sliced
•   1 red pepper, diced
•   1 large carrot. sliced
•   1 onion, diced
•   2 garlic cloves, minced
•   400g can of chopped tomatoes
•   1 tablespoon of tomato puree
•   1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano
•   1/2 tablespoon of Italian herbs
•   Salt and pepper to taste

For the white sauce

•   50g butter
•   50g plain flour
•   500ml semi-skimmed milk
•   150g grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
2. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened.
3. Add the red pepper, courgette, kidney beans, and green lentils. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, dried oregano, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
5. In a separate pan, melt the butter over a low heat.
6. Add the flour and stir constantly until it forms a smooth paste.
7. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
8. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in 70g of grated cheese.
10. To assemble the lasagne, spread a layer of the bean and vegetable mixture on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
11. Cover the mixture with a layer of lasagne sheets and top these with a small amount of the white sauce.
12. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture and lasagne sheets, finishing with a layer of the white sauce.
13. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the white sauce.
14. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
15. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Nutritional information per serving (assuming 4 servings):

•  Calories: 555
•  Protein: 28g
•  Carbohydrates: 56g
•  Fat: 21g

Note: Nutritional information is approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.

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